The Marauder's Map OMG

I am happy to report that just past the mid-way mark of the month I had one of my two OMGs finished. This is a cushion, or as Dayna calls it, a pillow cover. It was supposed to be a Christmas present, but it got pushed out of the way, forgotten, remembered, no time, forgotten...and now DONE!

I picked up this fabric at JoAnn's to make Dayna a pillow cover at the same time as I picked up the Slytherin fabric for Brady's and Game of Thrones fabric for Brianne's. I got theirs done in record time since I was flying out there in a couple of days for Christmas. I meant to do Dayna's, but the suitcase quilt, and a Mexico trip got in the way... And then I forgot about it because I'd put the fabric in a cupboard, then remembered, then forgot...sigh. When I was packing up my sewing stuff for the renovations, I found it, and was stabbed with guilt, so I kept it out, and made it my OMG.

Sweet Star Progress

Fabric, as we know, is darn expensive. Here in Canada we are hoping that the prices come down now that we have entered into the TPP agreement (Trans-Pacific Partnership), so hopefully we can get shipments directly to us from Japan, for example, as opposed to having those containers go to the US and from there we import it. This hikes our prices up because we pay duty twice, the duty that the US is charged, and then the duty that Canada charges for an import from the US. A quilt shop owner explained it to me, so correct me if she was wrong. Bottom line: fabric is expensive, so any time I can avoid wasting it, I'm a happy girl. Here is my progress for the Sweet Star block for Jessica Dayon's QAL.

Being Bad

Well, I'm good, in that I am up to speed with the Sweet Star QAL, and I made this week's Tiny Tuesday block as well as one green one from March. I worked some more on my third H2H quilt, but didn't get the flimsy finished yet, so I'm bad there. I'm also bad because although I have nailed down my design (eeek--it's a star quilt) for this month's Island Batik challenge, coloured it in with the Twilight Chic fabric in EQ8, and got approval from my quilt-loving daughter, Dayna, I haven't cut into said fabric yet. But it's been ironed and will be cut into as soon asap. And!!!! I have a super-exciting announcement within this post! First here is the Sweet Star QAL Week 2 blocks, another set of four:

 I am still loving this fat quarter bundle of Blueberry Park fabrics. I have used every one but one, so now will mix up the first 8 combinations. I will have a post this week about how I'm making these blocks, using less fabric and sewing less seams.

Beothuk Star QAL: First Set of Blocks

So! Are you still with me? Have you cussed me out a little (or a lot) over the past two weeks? Making those HSTs was maybe not so thrilling. However, now we have that out of the way, we are on with the blocks! This week we will make eight, but I have a feeling some of you will not be able to stop with eight...

It's also a good week to host another linky party with a giveaway!

Autumn Winds Winner and H2H Update

First of all in case you haven't checked the Autumn Winds post where the widget has the winners displayed, I am happy to announce that Susan S. won the bundle of eight fat quarters of Thankful by Amanda Murphy, and Dawn K. won a copy of my pattern, Blue Skies and Sunny Days, which is still on sale for half price, at $4.50CA, and I'll leave it there for a couple more days. Here it is again, in Thankful and in the original two colourways.

Thanks to those who did purchase a copy; each sale pays for one month of linky parties, no lie! Both sizes are included within the pattern. The Autumn Winds one is the bigger one. Speaking of the purchasing patterns department, there may be some notifications of a couple I've bought this past week, so feel free to leave now if you don't want any temptation because I'm about to throw a couple more squirrels your way!

RSC Update

Here is my progress on my main project for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge hosted by Angela at soscrappy. I have made my orange blocks for this month. I also have the red ones made now too since I didn't get started on time due to just not sitting down and putting this block, from a McCalls Quick Quilts issue, into EQ so I could plan the rainbow accordingly. (Sidetone: YA-freaking-HOO! I finally figured out how to downsize the Header photo. You click 'shrink to fit' before you upload a photo, as once you upload it that option disappears!)

I am making two of the blocks in each colour of the month. Since they are 12" finished, it is taking up a fair amount of my white and off-white scraps, a good thing, though not so much of my coloured ones. However, good news, ha, I seem to have now garnered four RSC projects for 2019.

Big Fat and Teeny Tiny Squirrels

I've had both plus-sized and petite-sized squirrels in my life this past week. It was not planned, no. What were the plans? To get started on my May challenge for Island Batik, which is Make it Modern with Hobbs Batting. I have my fabrics chosen, the batting as well. Not totally sure on my design, which will be another from the 30 Quilt Designs Challenge that is still going on, and yeah, you can still join! Drop me an email or PM on IG. We are a lovely little group, and we have decided two things: 1. that we are going to extend the deadline to May 25, so back to the two years previously where it was 30 quilt designs within 70 days, and 2. that we will keep our group going, as it's been generating some good discussions and designs. 😊

So I've been DrEAMi-ing big time most of this week, dropping the regularly scheduled programming (don't tell IB) in favour of some squirrels that have got me running after them. Can a DrEAMi last more than one sitting? You betcha. Does it have to end in a finished product? Well eventually, and the quintessential DrEAMi usually does not let you go until you've made it in its entirety, quilt top or the best: a quilt (or painting as my friend Helen of Word Weaver Art did) finish! However, if you've done like I did, and thrown caution, well, that and your supposed-to-be-working-on project to the winds in favour of just having to make this...

then it's a DrEAMi!