Another Santa's Belly Pillow

When Dayna saw my first Santa's Belly cushion, she immediately texted, "I want." So what's a mother to do? Comply with her daughter's wishes of course!

This fun, quick-to-make design is by Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation from back in 2018. Little did I think I'd be making not one, but two of these in the space of about a week!

Gratitude and Glimmers #90

Welcome to the final gratitude post of 2024. I was looking way back in my blog to try to find the date of one of my Throwback Thursday quilts from the early 2000s, (I haven't posted it by the looks of it) and was surprised to see my first Gratitude post, one I'd called Thankful Thursday, from May 8, 2014. I've done these off and on ever since. This quote from a daily quotes calendar Dayna gave me for Christmas last year is another à propos one to begin this 90th post:

If we move through our day with an open awareness of the many good things around us, we correct the brain's built-in negativity bias.

--Dr. Rick Hanson

You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color. 

1. I like Boxing Day sales! Before Canada adopted the Black Friday sales, we always had Boxing Day sales, and it was an excellent time to stock back up on Christmas wrapping paper, trims, décor, and cards, etc. I don't go for that these days, as I don't use much wrapping paper at all, and less and less cards; in fact I didn't send a one this year. That is mainly due to our postal strike, which has now ended, but also to sending less and less.

I am running a Boxing Day sale in my Etsy shop from now until Dec. 28. I figured a few of you may have missed the Black Friday sale, so here you are, 25% off all patterns, no code required.

Two Big Bellies

On Instagram I alluded to making two new cushions, both of them bellies. The first is Santa Baby, designed by Kelly Young of My Quilt Infatuation. I've intended to make one since I first saw her post back in 2018! 

You can read Kelly's post here where she gives you a diagram with finished measurements to make your very own pillow.

Smooches Quilt #5

I have made a fifth Smooches quilt, and I love it so.

When my friend saw the fourth Smooches quilt I had made a few months ago, she requested one just like it for her granddaughter. Unfortunately, I couldn't replicate Smooches #4 because I no longer had enough of the mostly fat quarters I'd used. That, however, is one of the things I love about most handmade items: they cannot be exactly replicated, each one is unique.

Cyber Monday at SandraJaneQuilts!

Popping in with a quick announcement!

One day only for the next 24 hours!

Tammy's Quilt

My friend Tammy asked me earlier this week if I would be able to quilt a quilt for her father-in-law. She needed it done pretty quickly, within three weeks because she wanted to take it to him when they go to Montreal before Christmas. Not a problem, I said. There was nothing on the frame, my bear quilt was at a 'contemplating' stage, and the baby quilt I've been asked to make is a 'no rush' make. I got it done for her in two days.

I was a bit hesitant since I've only ever quilted one quilt onto a plush fabric without batting between the layers, and I've never quilted a batiks one onto plush. There was one small issue, which Tammy was fine with.

Gratitude and Glimmers #89

Welcome to my post for the month of all things I like and for which I am grateful.  You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color. 

Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be,it’s important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level.                  —Shakti Gawain

1. This first glimmer is more like a fireworks of glimmers! I was gobsmacked by this tree on a neighbouring street on my walk on Monday. This is not enhanced or photoshopped! It is this vibrant. Its sister tree is also wonderful but had lost more of its leaves.

Mod Bear Paw Quilt - A WIP on the Design Wall

I've been posting some of my progress on this quilt on Instagram, but I thought it might be good to document it here too. This is a quilt much like the SAHRR (Stay At Home Round Robin) where I'm creating it on the design wall as I go, letting it evolve. It is such a satisfying and rewarding and yes, surprising process! 

Here’s where I’d got to on November 19 following Lorna’s pattern. 

I was so pleased! After I’d made the head section, I had a chat with Ann of @laughinggasquilts on Instagram who made this quilt about five years ago. I decided to take inspiration from her and add in some partial bear paw blocks behind and beneath my bear to enhance the layered effect.

Goose Dance Finish

Goose Dance is finished! I knew I was going to quilt my fat flowers design with some loops but I decided to add swirls with hooks as well. It was done in next to no time. 

Why do I take a quilt out from under the Bernina where I’ve finished the binding, and throw it around on the ground for photos? 🤷🏻‍♀️ It works!

Goose Dance

I’m just popping in with a quick post on a flimsy finish. I originally started this as leader/ender project several months ago but the past week I decided to just go for it and finish it.

It uses a stack of prints and solids I picked up at Craftsy several years ago. I have a few of those bundles to get into quilts.  I think I’m calling it goose dance because of the wavy back-and-forth effect the blocks create.

Gratitude and Glimmers #88

Welcome to my post for October where I share things that have given me a glimmer of joy over the past month. You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color. 

Abundance is not something we acquire.

Abundance is something we tune into.

-Wayne Dyer

I think that is a very à propos quote for a post about gratitude.

I loved seeing this rainbow in London, Ontario early in the morning of October 7. I was on my way to presenting in Norwich once again. It was a very well received presentation.

Shout-out to Diane of the Quaker Quilt Guild in Norwich who is a longtime blog reader back when Cindy (Stitchin at Home) wanted to do a round robin with four of us quilter friends, two who live in the US. Diane has followed us ever since and she bought one of my patterns at the presentation. It’s wonderful to meet readers in person. ☺️

Rainbow Bricks

This was my first Rainbow Scrap Challenge project this year, in my ongoing attempt to empty my strips bins (not a lot of success so far, sad to report).

I made two 10" blocks in each of eight rainbow colours for a four by four block set, giving me a 40" square quilt. This was such a great simple, mindless project to do each month that I will continue making these blocks for another quilt!

Kitty Love

I’ve had this project in my head for a couple of months, so it feels good to finally have it finished and now gifted. 

Once again, it is all from stash and once again, several fabric companies blend together to create this pretty cushion.

Lilac Love Pattern Release Roundup

I have two more quilts to show you today! I asked two friends if they were up for making a version of one of the quilts in the new pattern, Lilac Love, which was about to be released.

They both said absolutely, yes please. I am so appreciative that they said yes to a DrEAMi: Drop Everything and Make it! (referring to a link party I used to host celebrating those squirrels we are compelled to chase).

Fall Flair

Along with the instructions for the queen size quilt in my newest pattern, Lilac Love, which was released yesterday, there are instructions for two small quilts, 38" and 39" square. I made the 38.5" square quilt.

I love it! These are not my usual colours, so where did I come up with this combination, especially since I didn't have a focus print, which I often like to do. For example, the queen quilt in the pattern used a lilacs border to draw upon. Well, I did want a completely different vibe for the small quilt, and as luck would have it, when I was playing with the borders for the quilt, I happened to be travelling in our car, on Thanksgiving weekend, on the way home from the Catskills.

Lilac Love Pattern Release

And just like that, one month after I released my pattern Orinoco Flow, I am back with another! This one is called Lilac Love, and, like Orinoco Flow, was also published in a magazine, but (cough) back in 2019. So it's long overdue. It's a queen-size quilt, but I've added in two options, because that's what I like to do: give value for money!

The large quilt goes together amazingly fast since the dark and olive green diamonds are made with giant HSTs. Once again, it is another layered design: the lilac bud blocks float over the quilt top, but as is noted in the pattern cover blurb, if you look closely you will see that the centre purple block is actually repeated in giant form by those dark and olive green diamonds. 

Another Positive Flow Totebag

If you saw my post on Instagram on last Monday, September 23,  of the two sides of a totebag that has been calling my name for months, then this finish will come as no surprise.

This is one of three projects in my Positive Flow pattern which is available in my Etsy shop. I had originally wanted to make a Fall-themed bag using a block from my soon-to-be-released quilt pattern, and I pulled out this assemblage of fabric chunks I’d put together almost a year ago with the idea of making a bag for my shop. Well, out the window went the new bag, and, scampering around like the squirrel she is, in came this bag, begging to be made.

My Second Scrappy Strippy Stars

I am pleased to squeak in one more finish for September, a few hours before midnight lol. It’s one of my two Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. This is my design, Scrappy Stars, which is a tutorial here. 

My original quilt was done on cream backgrounds with beige for patches. I decided to go dark with this one.

Gratitude and Glimmers #87

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise.

It is not that we seize them,

but that they seize us.

--Ashley Montagu

I like that perfect description of a glimmer, and yes I've written it here before but it is worth reiterating. Welcome to my post for September where I share things that have given me a glimmer of joy over the past month. You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color.

1. I love Lake Huron. We spent three days along its shore, mainly in the town of Kincardine,

Sunset at Boiler Beach

walking the trails or along the downtown streets of cute shops and restaurants,

Orinoco Flow Pattern Release

This is my latest finish in my favourite colours. It is the throw-size version of Tinker Toys, which was published last summer in the September issue of Love of Quilting magazine.

Unfortunately, they hold the rights until August 2025, yes, the contracts are now two years, so I cannot publish the baby size pink and orange quilt. However, I contacted them to ask if I would be allowed to publish a throw size with a little bit different construction method than they use and different colours and they said, yes. So I am very happy to have this quilt available as a stand-alone pattern. Next year I will be able to release the baby size as well and will update the pattern. Know that I will send the updated pattern free to anybody who buys it this year. The pattern also has instructions to make a cushion cover.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2024 Tops Done

I thought I’d give you an update as to what I’ve been working on lately. I have the tops done for both of my RSC projects. Both projects involved using strings. Here is the first, a simple ‘Lego’ bricks block that finishes at 10”.

So colourful, and though it did use up some strings, once again, never enough!

Another Smooches Quilt

This was a commissioned quilt. My friend Marybeth asked me to make another baby quilt for her (Sofia’s quilt was the first one she requested), and when I asked her if she any designs or ideas in mind, she said, "I don't know, maybe something with hearts?" Well, Smooches popped into my head. It's a bit big for a baby quilt, 51" square, but that's okay because it will be useful forever, right? Here's where we ended up:

Smooches is a free pattern here on my blog. Of course, this one, like the others, started with a massive pile of fabrics in colours she'd picked: peach, soft pink, green, lavender… 

Gratitude and Glimmers #86

Welcome to my monthly gratitude and glimmers post where I share things that have given me a glimmer of joy over the past month. You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color.

1. I practise yoga five days a week, three Ashtanga and two yin. I love yoga and look forward to my practice. I'm grateful for my yoga friend Susan with whom I Zoom for a couple of those practices. But I love my in-person companions…

Bella reclining this morning on a quilt of course!

It’s wonderful how Rufus also often wanders in and hangs out with me though it’s always because he needs a little massage, but once he’s had that, and always with a firm, "No, that’s all," he settles.

Postcard from Sweden Shines Again

My fourth Postcard from Sweden quilt is finished! 

This baby’s mine, all mine. 

My quilt and I went for a quilt in the wild shoot this morning at Seacliff Beach in Leamington which is a mere ten minute drive from my house. I am blessed to have this beautiful spot so near.

Thirteen Little Makes

As I mentioned in a previous post, July saw me doing more outdoor things and less sewing which is appropriate for a beautiful summer month. I did make quite a few smaller projects so here’s a roundup of them.

These four are the Strippy Pouch pattern formerly on Moda Bakeshop. After I made the navy and cream one for the florist and gift shop in town, I made a second one for my shop. The soft aqua one has a beach vibe and I even photographed it at Seacliff Beach. 😎 The other two are made with Pat Sloan’s Bird Song fabric. Those have been fairly popular; think I’ve sold three or four. 

July Rainbow Scraps

I didn’t do any work on my two RSC projects during July but caught up this week.

How I love turquoise! My main project this year is the Lego bricks blocks, two of each colour. Once I make the orange ones for August, I’ll have enough to put the quilt top together.

O Canada!

I got several smaller projects sewn over my July break, one being finishing a USO (UnStarted Object). I don't have many UFOs (UnFinished Objects) but I sure do have a lot of USOs. It feels good to see a bench pillow for which I bought the pattern several years ago come to life.

I like the non-traditional colours of turquoise and red with pops of grey in these fabrics.

Rainbow Scraps Progress

I’ve been so focussed on the Grinch quilt, makeup bags, and my quilt along quilt, Spring Sparkles, that the RSC projects June blocks only got done this week. I have two ongoing projects this year. Here is my blue work for the month of June:

I am really liking the Strippy Stars blocks on black with light and dark grey corners.

Gratitude and Glimmers #85

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise.

It is not that we seize them,

but that they seize us.

--Ashley Montagu

I like that perfect description of a glimmer. Welcome to my post for June where I share things that have given me a glimmer of joy over the past month. You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color.

1. I think the thing I like best this month happened on June 26 around 2 am. The tiniest of foals was born on Black Goat Sanctuary, which is just under 300 km northeast of me in Ontario. I've followed them on Instagram @totes.thegoat for some time, but since they saved the latest two mini horses, who were used as they do female dogs in a puppy mill, I've not missed a post or story I do believe!

Spring Sparkle - My Luminous Layers Quilt and Winners

Today I am so pleased to show you the finished quilt which I made with everyone for this year’s quilt along. I made the large throw, which is 72" square. We took it for a glamour video shoot to the marina in Leamington after supper last night (think setting sun ahhh). It's a favourite spot of ours, just ten minutes from home.

I’ve named the quilt Spring Sparkles because when I chose these rich fabrics, it was early spring and I was thinking of the magnolia pinks and crabapple deep maroons along with all the greens that were imminent. I couldn’t wait! Isn’t this line, Stonehenge Gradations, so rich with such depth?

Luminous Layers Quilt Along Final Parade!

It never ceases to amaze me when we hit June 15: in some ways it has arrived in a blink, and in others it seems forever since it was my birthday, April 3, when the QAL started. But here we are, and the quilt parade also never ceases to amaze me. 

Not to mention excites me with anticipation and thrills me with the beauties that have been made!

Let's review the fabulous prizes from my lovely sponsors first.

Merry Grinchmas!

Late last fall my cousin Susan sent me a photo of a Grinch quilt she had seen online somewhere and asked if I could make this for her and she would pay me. She watches my Etsy shop and has bought a makeup bag from me, and I sent her a mug cosy as a surprise a while back. I said I believed I could but it would take a bit of time… Christmas was coming and all that that involves.

Well, I’m very happy to have finally fulfilled this request!

About as Christmassy a picture I can get in front of our cedar tree!

Gratitude and Glimmers #84

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise.

It is not that we seize them,

but that they seize us.

--Ashley Montagu

I like that perfect description of a glimmer. Welcome to my post for May where I share things that have given me a glimmer of joy over the past month. You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color.

1. I like this story on the CBC website which fascinates me. Animals are amazing, but even more so are our closest relatives, the great apes.

Source: CBC.ca

Beaucoup de Bags

Over the past month and a bit I sold four of the makeup bags I sell in my Etsy shop. So I decided to finish up the two shells sitting in the drawer, and make two more to replenish the stock.

These are a fun and satisfying make.

Luminous Layers Quilt Along. - Assemble the Top

In some ways it feels like this year's QAL has been going on for a while, yet in other ways, I am surprised that here we are at the flimsy stage. Again, I apologize for the delay in getting this post to you, but real life butted in once again. Both good and not so good. More on that in a minute.

I promised you a slick method for assembling quilt tops. I learned it many years ago when I took Judy Villett's 'Shady Corner' watercolour class at Earthly Goods in Edmonton. We needed a foolproof way to keep all those 2" unfinished squares in the order they'd been placed on our design walls. I used it for pretty much all my quilts and have shown many others the method. Many lightbulbs have lit up in quilters' brains!

Dancing Stars

This project was one of three I worked on throughout 2023 for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge that Angela of soscrappy hosts each year. It is one of two RSC projects I did last year from the August/September 2022 issue of Quick & Easy Quilts. The designer did black stars on a grey background whereas I chose to do mine in rainbow colours on grey.

Like the original, I did colourful background squares. I’m pleased with how it turned out. It did, however, have its growing pains. 

Luminous Layers Quilt Along - Make the Medium Stars

I find it very rewarding and heartwarming that several of you just couldn't stop at the small stars from last week and made the medium stars, and now you have your 36 blocks all sitting on the design wall! And I am thrilled that Diann had the idea to chain sew as leader/enders the bigger simpler blocks that have been sitting on the design wall for a few weeks as she pieced the small stars... As a result, I have a little more than half of my quilt top sewn up and it felt like someone else did it (well, almost).

So all that is left now are four blocks. The good news is that you have 5/16 of these last four blocks already done. So let's get cracking at making the four medium 8" (12") star blocks!

Luminous Layers Quilt Along Make the Small Stars

We've had two weeks of making star points; this week we will make entire stars. There are five small stars. Four sit in the centre of the medium stars, and one is in the very centre of the quilt. These babies are 4" (6") finished so the HSTs for them will seem really tiny after making the giant and large ones.

I posted my large star points on Instagram @mmmquilts but for those who don't have it, know that first of all, you can easily go on it and look at any public account. Mine is public. For those who don't have Instagram and don't care to even go there (I hear you - that's me for the most part wrt FaceBook) I've added that photo to the previous post where we made the large star points.

Rainbows

Rainbows symbolize many things: hope, wonder, peace, the LGBTQIA+ movement. When I'm working on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects, I am happy. I love the variance in just one colour, and I love the joy I get when I start putting my blocks together. It helps calm my mind and soothes my spirit when I see and feel the plight of the Palestinians, the current bombing of Rafah—again, where the people were told to go for their safety ends up corralling them so they can be murdered and hospitals bombed yet again. The amount of war crimes Israel has committed and continues to commit are heinous. Kudos to the universities, kudos to the protesters and may all of us who condemn Israel and are doing everything we can, be it signing petitions, writing emails, boycotting Israel products, finally be heard. 

Up until April this year I have had just one RSC project which is unusual for me. Well, I now have two! Here are May's pink blocks for Project #1, the bricks quilt.

These are 10" finished, so I am making two of each of nine colours which will give me a 40" square quilt.

Luminous Layers QAL Large Violet Star Points

Hope everyone had a very relaxing sewing start to this year's quilt along. Make eight giant HSTs, put them together with eight background squares and four gold squares and poof! more than half of the quilt is done. 

Sweet!

Four people linked up their progress, and I am happy to report that Brady chose #2 in the linkup, and that means Wendy of Pieceful Thoughts wins her choice of one of my patterns. 🥳🎉  I do know there are more than double that out there sewing, or even finished sewing their tops, so can't wait to see them all popping up. Remember you can email me a photo for any of the linkups and I will happily link you up for prizes. No blog or Instagram or social media of any kind is necessary.

Gratitude and Glimmers #83

Give yourself a gift of five minutes of 

contemplation in awe of everything

you see around you.

--Wayne Dyer

Welcome to another post of glimmers: moments, sights, sounds, happenings that give a little glow or glimmer of happiness in my soul. Glimmers spark gratitude. You can read more of these uplifting posts from like-minded people if you hop over to LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color.

1. I loved being in the path of totality during the April 8 eclipse. We sat on our back deck for an excellent view. Pelee Island, 20 km due south of our deck in Lake Erie, was the first Canadian land to experience it. Essex County, which is where Kingsville is situated, was the first spot on the mainland in Canada to experience it. It was pretty surreal how dark it got, to the point of my solar-powered fairy lights on the deck and tree coming on, solar lights in the garden coming on, and neighbours' light-sensitive and solar-powered lights all coming on for just under three minutes. A few dogs barked, Rufus growled, the birds roosted and went pretty quiet, and then as it lightened up, they started chirping as they do before dawn.

I also watched it on CBC livestream and that in itself was fascinating as reporters in various cities gave their experience. It amazed us both how quickly it made it to Gander, Newfoundland! The moon travels at 2400 km/hour I learned!

2. I like YouTube, and curating my own playlists. Recently while playing my Classical Music playlist a piece just captivated me, Symphonie Lumière by Sarah Class. I went to iTunes to see if I could purchase it and found it was part of an entire album by Cantamus called Aurora, for just $5.99. I had a little left on an iTunes gift card Brady gave me for Christmas 2022, so I bought it! Here is Symphonie Lumière, a song on the Aurora album. Listen and be transported.

Luminous Layers QAL Giant Star Points

This week we are making the giant (gold in the cover quilt) star points. I built this quilt from the outside in when I first designed it, so that is how we will build our quilt along quilts.

This week's step is a snap after last week's rather involved cutting directions. I think what made it 'involved' for me was keeping the colours straight. As mentioned, I labelled my stacks Fabric A dark green, etc. to keep them straight in my mind.

Luminous Layers QAL Cutting Instructions

For me, the best part of putting my designs out into the world is seeing others' renditions. So I am super-excited to see your fabric choices, which is why we have a linkup today at the end of this post. If you don't do social media, then please email me a photo and I will add you into the linkup. I will draw one name for a PDF copy of Luminous Layers, or if they've already bought it, a free PDF of their choice.

If you are still undecided (that's me in most projects) as to what colour palette you are going to use, then I have a few quilt photos for inspiration for you to check out.

Luminous Layers QAL Fabric Requirements

It's time to talk fabric, our favourite subject, right? This week I'll be going over the fabric requirements for making either the small or large throw quilt and giving you some ideas as to how to go about choosing your fabrics, hopefully from within your own stash. Then it's like you've got a totally free quilt at the end: free pattern and 'free' fabric!

If you're 'in' with us, grab that icon and post it to your blog or Instagram or FaceBook (I don't do FB, but it's totally fine if you want to post your progress there). Do you have to have a social media account though to participate? Nope! Email me any photos when it's time for a prize draw and I will enter your name. All are welcome here.

Luminous Layers Quilt Along Schedule and Sponsors

Welcome to the eighth annual quilt along here at mmmquilts! I am so glad you are here, and I do hope you will join in with us for yet another year of fun sewing and prizes galore! If you are new to the blog, welcome! I hope you'll peruse the tabs up top, check out some of the activities and makes of mine. Be sure to follow me (see the 'Get new posts by email' buttons for the blog and Instagram on my sidebar) to be notified of new posts over the next few months of the quilt along.

Once again, the free Quilt Along kicks off on my birthday, April 3, and ends on what was the birthday of one 'famous Canadian', (explanation further along) my dad, June 15. The pace is nice and relaxed, so I hope you can squeeze in a little star- (a few little stars!) creating with your other quilt commitments.

Here is the graphic for the QAL. I hope you'll pop it on the sidebar of your blog and/or post it in your feed and stories on Instagram.

This is a quilt I designed for Island Batik in 2019 when I was an ambassador for them. It was a most rewarding three years sewing with their beautiful fabrics. At the time several people asked if I'd write up the pattern and I had planned to, but those were busy years sewing for Island Batik, and it did not happen ... until this year!

The Partner Placemat

For the last Project Quilting challenge I made a placemat for our dear friend John. I’d also started a second one for his former wife, with whom he is still very close. Here it is.

Partner placemats. Sharing similar characteristics but able to stand alone as well, as good friends do.

Like John’s I did the Irish Chain block for Pat’s. Like John’s, hers has stars using the triangle-in-a-square block. They share a common colour: green. They share Cypress but she has Leprechaun. However, you can see that where his used purple for the stand alone triangle, hers used the background fabric and I used green for the side triangles. Same exact block just coloured differently! Pat's favourite colour is red.

Gratitude and Glimmers #82

I have put off writing this post for a month, probably because there is just so much to write, and I knew it would take me some time (and it did, more hours than I care to admit) but mainly because it would be so painful to write. Dayna gave me the idea to write it as my Gratitude post, because when you sift through all of the good (so much good) and all of the bad, it comes down to gratitude and love.

The love between a medium-sized Staffy-terrier mix rescue dog and her humans and fur brother.

May 23 - 27, 2021

This is a tribute to this wonderful little peanut who, much too soon, on February 26, went over the Rainbow Bridge. She taught us so much about patience and trust and compassion in the all-too-short time she was a part of our family.