DrEAMi! #68

Welcome to the final squirrel party for 2022. I've had fun following my heart and my whims several times over the past year, and I know lots of you have too. After all, that's when sewing is the most fun and gratifying, at least imho. You literally let the muse take you away.

Which it did this month.

It was a bit of a DrEAMi/PHD project that grabbed me. Isn't that an oxymoron? Well not really, because yes, this is an ancient UFO, actually a USO (UnStarted Object), though it was planned right from purchasing the fabulous border print, so it qualifies for a Projects Half Done project. However, it's also a DrEAMi, because I literally have dropped the two other 'should be sewing on' projects to make this quilt!

Gratitude #70

Welcome to my last gratitude post for 2022. There is a group of us who write these posts, and you can find us at  the host LeeAnna's blog Not Afraid of Color.

I am grateful for this incredible sunset on December 28, not photoshopped or filtered. Note the 'on-fire' orange in the bottom centre just to the right of the huge cedar (or possibly Nootka cypress). These skies were visible to the east, the south and the west of me (I have windows in my sewing room in all three of those directions). Just phenomenal. I'm grateful for another year on this beautiful blue/green rock!

Winter Fun Tote Bag

Have I mentioned that I work well under pressure? I have? Multiple times? Well it's so true! I do believe it comes from this innate indecisiveness I have: pressure takes that off the table and forces me to make a decision and go with it. With the end of the year imminent, I have decided to focus on UFOs. I was supposed to complete one each month for a total of 12. So far I have six, well 5.5, because I am still hand quilting my Lazy Daisy quilt. This past weekend, I needed something bigger than my makeup bags, but mindless and a quick finish.

Mission accomplished. A winter-themed tote bag!

Rainbow Neighbourhood

This post should have come out this morning, but well, life in general intervened and that is just fine. It wouldn't be fair to take my time to write about this much-loved and long-anticipated quilt finish that comes with a pattern release, unless I held over the sale price one more day. Yep, another 24 hours you have to save 25% off the regular price of the pattern.

I had really hoped for some sunshine but sadly this week, the sun peeped out for a few minutes only once since I wrote the pattern release post. However, I did shine a few twinkly lights on the quilt for this photo.

I thought a quilt of homes should be photographed on the steps of a cozy home, right?

Grandma's House

Quilt names don't usually come easily to me, but sometimes they do and this was one. I am excited to share my original design, a bench pillow, with you today!

It is one of four projects in my newly-released pattern, 'Rainbow Neighbourhood'. Did I mention the pattern is on sale all week? 25% off. It's a pretty darn good deal if I do say so myself: $10.50CA which is $8US for four projects, two of which are a throw quilt and a twin quilt, each with a completely different layout, a 22" cushion cover and this 20" x 36" bench pillow. 

Rainbow Neighbourhood Pattern Release

It's been a long time coming, but I'm thrilled to finally have my houses pattern together and released! You'll be seeing more of it all week, as the pattern has four projects within it: a throw, a twin sized quilt, and two pillows, one of which is a cushion and the other a bench pillow. I made the throw using the original blocks I made back in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge of (would you believe) 2017.

It is so good to see these fun spectrum of houses finally 'grown up' into a quilt. The pattern, which I've named Rainbow Neighbourhood, is on sale all week for 25% off. You can get it in my Etsy shop, SandraJaneQuilts. 

DrEAMi! #67

Yikes! I totally missed DrEAMi! (Drop Everything And Make it!) in October, and have very nearly missed it again. I have been totally immersed for the past two weeks, and again today, in my upcoming Rainbow Neighbourhood pattern. I am just so very excited to share it. Anyhow, better late than never, though so here we are, ready to show off what distractions grabbed us over the past month (or two since I missed October's). What the heck does Bella have to do with all things squirrel? Well look just beneath the glass of the patio table...see the green 'ball'? That's a black walnut, stashed there by one of our backyard squirrels! Too funny. But wait, I do have an actual squirrel movie for you!

Gratitude #69

Welcome to another monthly post of gratitude.

If you are honest, people may deceive you Be honest anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfishness. Be kind anyway. All the good you do today will be forgotten by others tomorrow. Do good anyway.

--Fredrik Backman

One of the highlights of the month was an evening with my friend Nancy. We spent a lovely afternoon and evening in downtown Windsor at the WIFF, Windsor International Film Festival. We saw two great films, Haute Couture, a French film about the fashion industry and the imminent retirement of the head seamstress. The other was Stay Prayed Up, a documentary about The Branchettes, a gospel group in North Carolina. 

Binding a Quilt Using the Backing

My last finish was Soar, and in the making of it, I had a bit of an epiphany when I realized that the backing would make the most perfect multi-colour bright binding. I had enough to actual cut binding strips, but it was late, and I was tired, so I knew enough to tell myself I'd trim the quilt and cut the binding in the morning when I'd be fresh.

Well my brain chugged along through the night and early morning like the little train that could, and I ended up having a lightbulb moment when I thought, 'why not try binding the quilt as I do some placemats, by carefully (that is key!) trimming the batting only, with scissors, and then trimming the backing beyond the edges of the quilt, folding it under twice and topstitching it down onto the front! I've never done a big quilt this way, though I've used the technique on several placemats. I couldn't for the life of me remember how to get the mitred corners, but eventually, it all came back.

So here, for future reference of placemats, minis, wallhangings, or quilts, is what I did.

Soar

I think it was when I made the Postcard from Sweden makeup pouch for my niece that I realized I needed to make a quilt for her niece and nephew (my great-niece and great-nephew!). Both quilts percolated throughout this year.

The wind was a factor today, but I think the billowing effect is a-okay with this airy quilt! Keen eyes will notice Xena sunbathing on the deck behind the quilt.

Heading North Pattern Release

I am excited to release another pattern today, Heading North. This is one that should have been released a year ago, but ahem, here we are. How can patterns be UFOs? Well, I stand here telling you yes, they sure can. Do not ask me how many I have that are UFOs... Okay, enough confessing, here's to celebrating!

This was published in Make Modern #39 in spring 2021. (affiliate link) The design originated as one of the 30 Quilt Design Challenge quilts I did a few years ago. It uses one block from EQ8! It was my first published quilt Make Modern, and I went to town on the quilting, filling up the negative space with lots of texture. It is a super-simple block, and the quilt top comes together in a day or two max. There is a second design option in the pattern, one that is not in the magazine: a baby quilt with a completely different look, using the same block!

Patchy Pumpkin Farm Quilt

It's been a little while since I had a finished quilt to share, but I have one today! Some of you may already have seen it yesterday on Instagram, since I needed to post it there to qualify for the prizes for the second quarter of Leanne's #wipsbgone2022. It's an adorable design from Brittany of White Plains Quilts that I first saw on Instagram.

As soon as I saw this quilt, I thought of Brianne, my eldest. She loves the old farm truck image, and she loves fall. So I sent her the Instagram post. She loved it. As in loved it so much she asked me to please make it for her, "and Mom? (she insists on the 'o', though I am and always have been 'Mum') I never ask for a quilt, but I am asking for this one, so that should tell you how much I want it."

Gratitude #68

Good morning. Yes, I did not write this up ahead of time because I wanted to write it from where I am: the incredibly beautiful Catskills of New York. This was the view out our bedroom window this morning.

That is through the window (as you can tell) with my iPhone, no filter. Clearly, it down't do it justice, and clearly, that view takes your breath away. Mountains are on the other side of the cute little cottage we are staying in. We have mainly come to visit our dear friend John, who has appeared from time to time on the blog with his beloved dog, Brandy, now over the rainbow bridge. I am excited to explore, and watch for more photos here and on Instagram. Can you imagine how pretty it is in spring with those apple trees in bloom? We are staying in Janette and Eddie's (friends of John's and now of ours) cottage on their beautiful property.

Good Grief!

Good grief: how can it be 2.5 weeks since my last post? I've been sewing and reading as per usual, maybe a bit more reading than sewing to be honest. Let me fill you in on what's been happening around here. If you follow me on Instagram you'll have a bit of an idea. I've joined in with Leanne at Devoted Quilter on Instagram for her WIPS challenge once again this year. This year it's just two months, 61 days, so during this second quarter, I set my sights a bit lower, looking to complete two goals. One I met Sunday morning.

This is my knitted selvages rug, the second one I've made over the years. It's bigger than the first one.

Thursday Thoughts and WIP

I thought I'd pop into your inbox this week with a little update. It seems I don't feel the urge to write nearly as often these days, and I don't want to only write when I have a finish, so here's what is going on in my world since I got back from Alberta.

Fall is gently making itself present here. As I look out my sewing room windows I see the Norway maple about 50% yellow, and the red oak maybe 10% gold and red. I love the enflamed look it gets, as it turns in small 'chunks', not a gentle all-over that creeps, nor an outside-in turning as do the softwood (I think?) maples. I see deep forest green with 'hits' of flames, just breathtaking every single time I see it, which is all day long. The English oak on the far right, and the Linden just to the left of it haven't started to change. If I look way up, à la The Friendly Giant, which clearly dates me to a Canadian child of the 60s, I see the black walnuts have just started to fade to a paler green.

Gratitude #67

This should be a rather interesting post since it’ll be the first time I’ve done this on my phone as opposed to my laptop so bear with me if it looks a little bit odd! I am in Alberta all week visiting with Brianne and Brady. I must say I am very happy to be here when the weather is so glorious and fall colours so golden, as opposed to the usual -25 to -35 that I get when I come at Christmas! My first like is this view out of the guest room at Brianne’s.

I’m very glad that the usual fall winds that come here and blow the leaves off all too soon have not shown up yet.

Green Work, Pumpkin Placemats and DrEAMi! #66

Two thirds of the way through writing this post and I looked at the date and realized tomorrow is the last Saturday of September (just WHERE did that month go?) so I need to double up and make this the DrEAMi post too. The pumpkin placemats at the end of the post are actually a Drop Everything And Make it project!

My RSC work is done for this month. Angela asked us to work some more with blue, but I've already done light blue and turquoises, and I'm itching to work with bright green, so that is what I did, making another hot air balloon block. This makes a total of eight.

I plan to make one more for the layout I have in mind. I think it will be a multi-coloured one.

Mason Jar Cover Tutorial - A Gift for You For My Blog's 9th Anniversary

Happy anniversary to mmmquilts!

I cannot believe: A. That my first post on this blog was nine years ago, September 18, 2013, at the beginning of my second year of retirement, and B. that I've been retired from the teaching profession for ten years! (C. and that I'm now 62 - egad, feel more like 42.) Thank you for finding me, and reading my posts, for coming back, again and again, for following me however you follow me, for participating in blog activities, and for taking time to write such kind and wonderful comments over the years. I've met so many good people, many of whom I consider good friends, several of whom I've met up with in person, many with whom I've shared email letters, FaceTimed, texted, all wonderful ways to connect with other humans. 

Sidenote, in true SandraJaneQuilts, aka mmmquilts, fashion, I want to let you know that we have Nasir Ahmed to thank for the technology that has allowed us to FaceTime, Zoom and other video-calling apps, as well as given us high-def TV. Yes, I learned about his work on an episode I recently watched in Season 5 of This Is Us. 😊 I have been making sure to tell people his name whenever I get the chance.

So I have two gifts for you, dear readers, today. The first is a tutorial for the Mason jar holder that could even be a pencil/tools/makeup pencils and mascara, etc. holder. The second is for my readers, a discount code for 25% off patterns in my Etsy shop, SandraJaneQuilts. Thank you for your ongoing support of my blog activities and of my Etsy shop! I won't be advertising this on Instagram, just here on the blog, for you! Aaaand, I may have another small surprise up my sleeve later this week just for my followers.

Without further ado, here is an easy little project that can use up a few more of those pesky pervasive strips! It came about because of a request from my daughter, Dayna, who uses a Mason jar for her morning smoothie. It sweats, and even with a coaster underneath, the sides are still wet, so she asked if I could make some sort of coffee cozy-type affair with a built-in coaster. No problem! 

Here it is in use at Dayna's.

On the Garden Path

I have a finish this week, and it's the table topper or wallhanging option of my newest pattern, The Light Within. I've called this one 'On the Garden Path' because of the path-like appearance, the garden blooms and birds in Pat Sloan's beautiful new line, 'Bird Song' by Benartex Designer Fabrics.

It truly is a thrill when something you've designed and mocked up in EQ8 comes alive in fabric.

It goes together super-quick!

Two Tuesday Tips

I am popping in to give you a quilting tip and a piecing tip on this warm sunny Tuesday afternoon. I said I'd tell you how I quilted the pantograph design I'd seen a year or two ago on Instagram. There was no indication of what it was called, but Nancy of Grace and Peace Quilting had commented that it is 'Swells'. My Avanté is quite able to do pantographs; I'm just lazy to do the setting up and the figuring that goes with it to balance them so I just have never done one in all the years (since 2013) I've had my longarm. This design caught my eye for the wonderful all-over texture, so I used it on Drift.

Great texture, n'est-ce pas?

DrEAMi! #65

Welcome to the dog (or dare I say squirrel?) days of summer Drop Everything And Make it party, where we celebrate those squirrels that chase us, or that we chase! I love this adorable albino squirrel named Yarrow who lives at WILD North, @wildnorthab  an animal rehab centre in Edmonton, Alberta.

They've been socializing her, and she met several kids at the Wildlife Festival in Edmonton last weekend. I've had a virtual festival of squirrels in my sewing room over July and August, and I'm looking forward to seeing the herds -correction- a scurry of squirrels aka a dray of squirrels, in your sewing rooms as well! Who knew a group of squirrels was a scurry or a dray, ha!

Grapefruit Pizzazz

I have a quilt finish, and it was totally unplanned, but it grabbed me and would. not. let. go. This kind of quilt happening is a DrEAMi. Drop Everything And Make it. And this one is a true DrEAMi, because that is exactly what I did, despite having a few other projects I should have been doing.

What a pleasant surprise to see how well it goes with the impatiens and greenery!

Gratitude #66

Ah summer, my favourite season of the year. I am grateful to live in a place in Canada where we do get four distinct seasons, and for that reason, I've come to love three of the four. I tolerate winter better now we live in southwestern Ontario, though I'd still prefer to be away and in warmer climes for the two months it's most unpleasant: January and February. But enough about those two months! Welcome to another post about gratitude! Here is my current view as I type this post, on Thursday morning.

Morning coffee in a favourite mug bought in Monaco, mug cosy removed for the photo; smoothie in my also favourite Angela Walters 'Quilting is my Therapy' cup

Pretty idyllic, I'd say. It's going to be another hot and humid day. I don't mind a bit. This morning, like most others, it's already 24C at 9 am, and the humidity is such that the air feels soft. Crickets and katydids are singing, and soon the cicadas will join in the chorus. I love the symphony they create.

Alpaca Wool Pressing Mat

When Gail of QuiltingGail emailed me to ask if I would be interested in testing and reviewing a Canadian-made wool pressing mat, my hand flew up so fast I smacked myself in the jaw. I'd been hearing about wool mats for well over a year, and the hype intrigued me: did they really 'up' the pressing game? Well, if you follow me on Instagram @mmmquilts (one of these days I'll figure out how to get the Insta logo back on my sidebar), then you know I am very much in love with my Prairie Spirit Alpacas mat and use it every time I'm pressing, whether it's pressing fabric prior to cutting, setting seams, or pressing binding. It's a dynamite mat.

One of the first things that impressed me besides the fact that these mats are 100% Canadian, was that this was how it arrived when I took it out of the envelope. No wasteful plastic wrap, just this pretty reusable ribbon and a small paper card. Plastic-free products are totally do-able!

Drift

Well here I am with my first quilt finish since ... egad June 16?! I've made several makeup bags another placemat (purple) and pj shorts, but no quilts. This flimsy has actually been finished since July 13! Ah well, Brady here for three glorious weeks, coupled with lots more glorious weeks of pristine summer weather has meant I haven't had the urge to quilt it. Oh how I love this quilt!

It's got Sandra written all over it: my colours, and an ocean theme.

The Light Within Pattern Release

It gives me great pleasure to release another pattern, one that was published in Make Modern issue #42. (affiliate link) Like my first publication in MM, this one uses just one block. Rotating it and colouring a few of the blocks slightly differently results in the illusion of four on-point blocks and a centre glowing star, which led to the quilt's name, The Light Within.

Taken by the Windsor/Detroit waterfront, Ambassador Bridge in the background

This is a beginner pattern, consisting of squares, rectangles and HSTs. I love the diagonal movement across the quilt, and how the stars kind of twinkle in and out as you realize there are nine of them!

I'm Back...

albeit with a little reluctance. I'm my own boss, so why don't I take the rest of the summer off blogging and (mostly off) Instagram? Answer: the longer I do, the harder it is to get back into the habit. And habit it is. So what have I been up to over the month of July and first week of August? Here's a summary with more details inside.

First and foremost were three glorious weeks with Brady here.

Here he's cutting out a pair of sleep shorts. While he was here, not a lot of sewing got done but a lot of getting out and about did. I read 6.5 books, which I'll mention later, as there have been several excellent ones. I've sewed a bit over the month, not all quilts. I've lazed around in the pool, and done a bit of gardening. I've got one pattern ready to release and another nearly there with a third at the 'ready to figure out yardage and start typing' stage.

Gratitude #65

Hello and welcome to my June gratitude post. I'll be linking up with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color where you can get the links to others who post. In these unstable alarming times, it is good for my mental health to remember to note things for which I am grateful.

1. I am eternally grateful for our back yard. Having a calm, green, quiet and private or mostly private place in which to have morning coffee, afternoon tea, or to float in my pool chair reading or sky-gazing is important for my overall well-being. We spent five summers on the other side of Kingsville, where we had a beautiful back garden and lake view, not really a yard there, but neighbours with whom we literally shared a patio (it was a duplex) and well, it just got too close and claustrophobic for us. Prior to that we'd lived on 3.5 acres so it was a bit too much of a drastic change!

Mug cosy on to keep the tea warm and bugs out. Current book: One Two Three a recommendation from Bernie at Needle & Foot, (just excellent, highly recommend!). This is my 20th book for the year.

This month I also read Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, which I loved, lived and dreamed in the entire almost 900 pages. Ahhh. However, I had thought this was the last one in the epic series! Hope we don't have to wait seven long years for the next one. Another great read this past month, one of the Canada Reads nominations, was Five Little Indians by Michelle Good. And the fourth one for the month was The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel, one of Barack Obama's Top 20 for 2021. It was different, and once I kind of sorted out the various points of view, pretty gripping, about a Ponzi scheme that collapses.

DrEAMi! #64

Welcome to the June DrEAMi party where we celebrate those 'squirrels' that divert our attention from what we are supposed to be sewing...

This is Ms Bonita from a site I recently learned about from my friend @we10mom Pat in Maryland: @thedailyjames In these beyond-troubling times, these posts have helped to lift my spirits. Check out the turkey vulture posts as well as the squirrel ones, a beautiful hummingbird taking a bath video, gorgeous nature shots...

Pop Star Quilt Along - Prize Winners!

This is the second best part for me: giving out the prizes.

The first best part? Seeing the parade, and what a parade it was! Eighteen (counting my throw, newly made for the QAL) quilts linked up. I happen to know of two more that are cut out, and one more that is a flimsy that did not get a separate link in the parade, though Susan, the maker, showed it in with her completely finished quilt.

There were quilters from six countries who quilted along: Canada, US, England, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand! I am just thrilled!

I've Got the Blues and I'm Happy About it!

Bright blue is this month's colour for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge with Angela at soscrappy, and that is just fine, because blue is my favourite colour and it makes me happy! I've finished both of my ongoing  RSC projects for this month. The first one is my hot air balloons.

Aren't they just the best? I didn't make a forest green one for May because I want a bright and lime green one since this quilt is likely headed to a toddler I happen to know.

Crystal Constellations

I am really pleased to share my finished throw, which I made during this year's Pop Star Quilt Along. From the title of this post, you know I named it Crystal Constellations.

A beautiful evening by the Leamington Marina for a glamour photo

The fabric line I used, supplied by Benartex Designer Fabrics, is Amanda Murphy's newest, out in stores this month, 'Holiday & Winter Jewels'. That's a link to the lookbook. The fabric has a little bit of bling in the form of silver sparkle throughout. Subtle, just how I like it.

Pop Star QAL The Final Parade!

Welcome everyone to another year of celebrating the end of my annual QAL, on the auspicious birthday of that famous Canadian, my Dad. 😍🥳

It never fails! June 15 seems so far off when the final steps to put the flimsy together are posted. Then suddenly it's here and it seems it was only a week ago, not a month, that that post happened. Such is the way of things though. My own quilt has been done for a few days. I had planned to post my quilt on June 14, giving it its own well-deserving post. I got some good early morning shots on June 14 as I'd had to wait a day while it dried on the design wall for blocking purposes. Then the evening turned out to be picture postcard perfect, so a trip to my happy place, Seacliff Beach and Leamington Marina walk was in order for a few glamour shots. I will link up the post here. Here is a sneak peek!

The light was perfect. More photos to come. Blue was my dad's favourite colour. I think he'd have loved this quilt.

A Roll of the Dice - Baby Quilt Beauties

It's the final day of the pattern launch for A Roll of the Dice and today you get to see no less than five baby quilts. Today is the last day to grab the pattern for 30% off. That means for just CA$7.70 you can have a pattern with instructions for three projects: a baby quilt, a bed runner and a cushion/pillow. Without further ado, here is my baby quilt, done in warm tones.

It's on my design wall, being blocked. I plan to take a few more glamour shots tomorrow. The colours are pretty true here. Four of the five dice blocks, from two to five, are inside Evening Star blocks, with dice block one in the centre of a Rolling Stone block (get the rolling connection?) which is, in turn, the centre of the large Ohio Star. I think we all know how much I love layers in quilts!

A Roll of the Dice Pattern Launch: Rockin' Runners

Are you ready to see some rockin', radiant runners today? Here is the original one I made back in August 2018 using Amanda Murphy's gorgeous line 'Free Motion Fantasy'.

The background fabric is just fabulous, filled with swirls and McTavishing, so on two blocks I traced it with my FMQ, and on the alternate two blocks I did straight lines 1/2" apart. This runner, like the pillow, appears to have borders, but it doesn't! You make them as part of the blocks, sew the four blocks together and ta-da! Runner complete. Let's see what Michelle and Susan did with the pattern.

You Say Pillow...I Say Cushion...Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

Well no, but gosh, that's a good title, isn't it?! Welcome to the first day of the Projects Parade for A Roll of the Dice. It's Comfy Cushions Day and you are in for a treat! Whether you say cushion or pillow, this is a simple, quick-to-make project that will use up some scraps, or some saved (hoarded) precious pieces from a favourite line. Here is the original cushion I made.

Very simple piecing, slightly elaborate quilting, but guess what? I just followed the design in Amanda Murphy's background fabric! The fabric line is Free Motion Fantasy, from 3.5 years ago.

I have two terrific projects to share with you today, made by two talented ladies, so read on to see what they came up with!

A Roll of the Dice Pattern Launch

I am really excited to try something new: a pattern launch! I actually had sent Yvonne at Quilting Jet Girl, my trusty tech editor, two patterns, Pop Star and this one, within a couple of weeks of each other. This one has had to wait because it took a bit to get the fabric to make the cover quilt, and I was also busy with the Pop Star Quilt Along, which wraps up next week.

So I had the idea to do a pattern launch since there are three different projects within this particular pattern. I asked several friends if they would be interested in making one of the three projects I designed, and was I rewarded! They were more excited than I about the design, and almost every one said yes. One couldn't because her sewing machine went kerflooey, and the other has a ton of grandmother stuff in her lap and so couldn't take part. Without further ado, here is the pattern cover.

You'll notice that the baby quilt is digital, not a quilt. Yet. The quilt top is done, but you won't see the finished quilt until Friday, when the other baby quilts will be on parade. So! Let's see what the launch is all about, shall we? Oh yes, the pattern is on sale all week!

DrEAMi! #63

Welcome! This is a celebration of distractions. Yes, those Drop Everything And Make it kind of distractions, where you actually drop whatever you should be sewing in order to make this oh-so-cool THING! Some people refer to this phenomenon as a squirrel.

What the heck?

My friend Helen of Word Weaver Art sent me this photo of her 'uninvited guest' who joined them at dinner at a restaurant. That would definitely be a distraction! DrEAMi's often bring us joy. The sheer fun and excitement of diving in, and having to just keep going to see how something turns out is so good for our spirit.

Gratitude #64

Good heavens, I forgot the last Thursday of the month - where did May go? I started this post, as I usually do, part way through the month, but Thursday just sneaked up on me. Remember if you'd like to read more of these uplifting posts, several of us write them, some every week, and we link up at LeeAnna's blog Not Afraid of Color.

1. I like Kopegaron Forest, a little nature preserve we just discovered at the beginning of the month just 20 minutes from home.

Magical. Fragile. Perfect.

And we are about to re-elect a government in this province who wants to pave over thousands of square kilometres of wetlands to put in a highway that will benefit commuters by shaving off seconds, not lying, of their drive, but that will give billions to his rich buddies who clearly buy him off. I have to stop thinking too much about it other than signing petitions and writing to my MPP because I get a panic attack feeling in my chest.

Trilliums are a big deal to me, being from Alberta where they do not grow. But seeing these rich burgundy ones took my breath away. I looked them up: red trilliums. Who knew.

Makeup Pouches and Etsy Thoughts

One of my favourite parts of the quilting process is combing fabrics, whether it's all one family or several. I really like making makeup bags either with 2.5" charm squares or strips. Last week I sold a deep blue makeup pouch and this week I've made two more, one in white and ivory, the other in pinks. I kind of went down a rabbit hole, aka had a Drop Everthing And Make it! moment.

I've adapted the latest few to use Noodlehead's zipper application that allows the bag to open to its full extent. These two came about because I'd cut a few charms from scraps from my spring tote bag I made for Benartex. I never make just one bag these days, always two as it's a more efficient use of time.

Hands2Help Gingham Quilt

This is my third quilt for Hands2Help this year, and my eighth year of participating. This one was a DrEAMi, as in a Drop Everything And Make it project. It is not a true DrEAMi, in that I did not drop everything until it was done, but it did definitely take me away from regularly scheduled sewing for two separate chunks of time: cutting and constructing. From starting to piece until finished quilt it took just 24 hours!

It started with making a string placemat for the RSC challenge, which happens to be forest and sage green for this month... I had the squares all cut and on the design wall on May 9. And then a couple of other necessities preempted its completion: La Mer (I behaved, and finished up a UFO) and making the Pop Star flimsy for my QAL.

La Mer

I have finished the second of my hopefully twelve UFOs for the year. I bought the pattern, 'Sea Glass' off Craftsy several years ago (details below), collected a few turquoise, aqua, sea-green, and lime fabrics for options, got started on it within a year or so of purchase, and then it sat for a few more years. I cannot tell you how satisfying it is to have it finished, and how much in love with it I am.

These are MY COLOURS! And yes I sort of yelled/sang that. Oh, they speak to my soul. So does the fuchsia of the crabapple tree. Makes me want to make a quilt in pink and turquoise, mmm.

Pop Star - Borders and Quilt Top Assembly

Are you ready?! We just have to make one giant nine-patch and two borders, and we will have our quilt top! I am loving the fabrics and colours I am seeing on Instagram. Thank you all for joining in with another QAL. Let's get to it!

I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see the quilt on that little graphic, the one I put into EQ8 a few months ago, come to life! I also can't tell you how annoyed I am that I somehow got off my original schedule of posts, which were all supposed to be on Sundays. When I did the one for Hands2Help, I had to move the Pop Star over to Saturday, and then I just continued posting the steps on Saturdays!🤭 Even though I am finished with menopause, it is not finished with me, muddled brain-wise. So here we are, back to Sundays.

Pop Star - Centre Star Unit

Have you put your four pop star units on your design wall to admire all week as I have?! Well this week we are going to fill in the centre.

Betcha can't wait out the week to put the whole quilt together, just sayin'...

Whirling Petals - A Hands2Help Quilt

I am happy to report that my second H2H quilt this year is a wrap! Hands2Help is being hosted this year by Mari at The Academic Quilter.

I had a goal this year to use up a bunch of leftover floral scraps, and some stash that I knew I wasn't going to use for the intended purpose. I made a dent, albeit small, in the pile.

DrEAMi! #62

A great photo for our "Oh look! A squirrel!" party aka DrEAMi which stands for Drop Everything and Make it! was the lead in Kate's of Arts and Socks post:

Read the explanation of her foster kitty Mystique taking this chipmunk's drive-through order by clicking the photo.

Adorable and smart on the part of the foster family and the chipmunk! This month's DrEAMi party where we celebrate those projects we saw and just had to make, like NOW, is a day late because of publishing Step 2 for my Pop Star QAL. It's not too late to join in! The link to all the details is also on my sidebar and may I remind you that there are some sweet prizes?!

Pop Star Centre Units

I have heard from quite a few people that they really enjoyed making No Waste Geese from step 1, either for the first time, or using the method once again. I love it because there are no triangles to trim off and guiltily toss. If you're like me, you save them to sew back together for another project (but sometimes they languish). With this quick method there's just a little trim for each geese unit. Now that I think about it, I should have used the eight-at-a-time method for the HSTs....file that away for the next pattern! (which has been tech-edited as you read this, and awaits me looking it over)

Eleanor Burns devised the No Waste Flying Geese. I love her work and her attitude and sense of humour. I had the pleasure of attending Benartex's virtual Fabric Show this past week, and she was there! As bright and funny as ever. Her latest line is Judy's Bloom, out in fabric shops right now. I had another pleasure: I was asked if I wanted to make a project to showcase her line, and of course I said yes! You can view the post here, and see the quilted tote bag I made, and enter the giveaway. I've used it already to take to yoga and got compliments on it. So spring-like!

Back to this project! Let's sew some Pop Star centre units!