Au Naturel

This is my first year participating in Gail's PHD: Projects Half Done. So far I am on track! Here is my UFO finish for June, a top that has languished in my finished tops pile (which actually only has two quilts, now just one, in it) for .... omg.... five years! Well languish no more, she's done!

Many thanks to my quilt model, Rufus.

DrEAMi! #53

Welcome to the June linkup of DrEAMi where we celebrate and share our 'off-track' moments! Enjoy this short video that once again shows you how intelligent and agile these (somewhat annoying lol) creatures are as they figure out the 'track' to the hazelnuts prize.

I hope you've had some 'agile' moments in your sewing room this past month! I did, and I'm about to have another despite two looming quilt deadlines, today with Gudrun Erla's June quilt. You can join her on YouTube or FaceBook live throughout the day today.

Rose Didn't Call Me the mmm-nabler for Nothing!

A few weeks ago I took advantage of a great sale at Connecting Threads. (affiliate link, as are all the Connecting Threads links that follow). They have some oh-so-fantastic wide backings, a few of which caught my eye for RSC quilts. So that was my focus. Wanna see?

Of course you do.

These two were my first grabs. Are they not to die for? The pastel one, Star Flower by Maywood Studio, is also available in primary colours. I cannot wait to use Smashing Atoms on an RSC quilt. There are a few colour ways: patriotic, and primary on black. I love that they are carrying more brands now, like Maywood Studio and Henry Glass & Co. These are 108" backings.

Gratitude #53

I'm a bit scattered calendar-wise this week. I'd started this as I often do, a few weeks ago. Somehow the last Thursday of the month sneaked up on me even though I knew it was early. Anyhow, sit back and come along with me as I reflect on the past month's moments for which I'm grateful. You can hop over to Not Afraid of Color, LeeAnna's blog where you will find a group of us who write these posts. It is not a closed group, so if you want to sometimes or regularly scribble down things you like or love for which you are grateful, feel free to link up and share!

It is no surprise how much I love, value, and try my best to take care of Earth. Over the past few years, I have made a serious effort to curb my carbon footprint on her. Some of the things I've done is reduce plastic by purchasing Tru Earth laundry soap, which I've mentioned before, but feel it's worth mentioning again. One 'stick of gum' sized piece of soap does a load; if I have a small load I simply rip it in half. It comes in a thin cardboard envelope, which goes into the paper recycling. Love!

FYOP Winners!

My apologies for not having the winners post out yesterday. I have no excuse, but I'll blame it on menopausal fog because although I knew it was Tuesday, and that my giveaway ended at midnight Monday, I had in my head that it was ending at midnight yesterday. Convoluted? You bet.

There were 16 participants this year, with 19 quilts made, (three people made two!), 17 participants and 22 quilts if you count me in the mix. So many are returning participants, which means so much that you take time out of your schedule to quilt along, year after year. Thank you so very much. All of the winners have been contacted, and I'm happy to report that although Rafflecopter chose them randomly as I went down the list, each participant has won a prize.

TGIFF! Be a Unicorn FYOP and Pattern Release

Today I am happy to present my third version of my Follow Your Own Path quilt design that was originally featured (on the cover!) of Benartex's ezine Modern by the Yard issue #15. This was also the quilt for this year's annual quilt along that I host each year. This year was the fifth QAL! It always begins on my birthday, April 3, and ends on June 15, the birthday of a 'famous Canadian', my dad, who would drive my mum crazy by writing 'birthday of a famous Canadian' on his date on each year's calendar. We kids loved it. 

I am also pleased to host TGIFF here on the blog today where we link up our finished quilts!And, I am very pleased to release the pattern today which has directions for both the baby and throw sizes!

Follow Your Own Path QAL Parade of Quilts

The day is here! It is always a thrill to see the variety of quilts made in my quilt alongs, and I know year 5 will not disappoint. I know some of you have made two quilts! I have made three myself. Please link each one up separately if you did make more than one. I've also seen some ingenious creations with the leftover HSTs, and I do believe I will be sending a choice of pattern to one or two of you who really have wowed me. Once again here is the original quilt, as seen on the cover of issue #15 of Modern by the Yard, Benartex's ezine.

Gingham Quilt for J

This is my OMG for June, probably the fastest one I've finished since declaring and finishing.

About two weeks ago, our daughter Brianne called us to let us know the son of one of her neighbours had just been diagnosed with cancer. He is the same age as Brady, and the two know each other through school. Although they have played together over the years, they don't seem to be able to get along, and so they tend to go their separate ways.

However.

No matter the conflicting personalities, we all feel terrible for him, and I immediately wanted to offer comfort...in the form of a quilt. He starts chemo soon, and having something warm and fuzzy may help a bit.

I took this photo in the 'golden hour'. There are two each day: the hour that follows sunrise, which was when this was taken, and the one that precedes sunset. That glow is actually the sun coming through the trees.

OMG and PHD Update...With a Dash of Squirrel

The squirrel is all Nancy's (Grace and Peace Quilting) fault. I've been taken with her gingham quilts over the past couple of months, and knew I wouldn't be able to resist for much longer. Well, as soon as Whimsies was done and blogged, into the blues I went. And didn't stop (yeah, it's a DrEAMi) until I had a top.

This is going to a young boy whose colour preferences and interests I do not know. I thought the planes fabric adds a bit of woven effect to the quilt. There are six different medium blues, a blueish/white Island Batik, and four navy blues. I can definitely see more of these in my future. More on the story of this quilt when it is finished. It will be my OMG for June, and in keeping with its DrEAMi nature, I'm not stopping until it's a done and useable quilt!

Whimsies

This quilt ticks two boxes: my OMG for May and my PHD finish for May. I love how it turned out, and I love the motivation I got TO finish it by making it both of those!

This was one of the RSC challenge projects that Angela at so scrappy came up with in 2019. I was quite late to the party, but in actuality I was behaving, focussing on Island Batik challenges and other projects I was supposed to be doing. But then that little turquoise pinwheel in the second from the bottom row grabbed me (thanks Mari) and I just had to make it...along with three others, and I was smitten. Here is the post. We were deep in the throes of the major renovation so it was a welcome and fun little diversion to make a little 4.5" finished block each month. However, although I'd pretty much decided on using the Kona Ice Frappé as the background, I never did put any of them onto the background because I had no clue how I'd arrange them all. Enter PHD and OMG!