My Happy Place

This was the second quilt I made for the Henry Glass Desire to Inspire Challenge in June.  I ran out of time to get it fully finished by the end of June, but it is done now!  I used up almost every bit of the fabric I had left to make it.

I'm pretty pretty pleased with how this turned out.

I was happy that the seagulls stayed on the beach or in the water, and not overhead for the photo shoot!

The colours are so saturated, aren't they?

Here is the flimsy:

This is based on a pattern in Pam & Nicky Lintott's book, More Layer Cake, Jelly Roll and Charm Quilts

 I got creative with piecing some of the 5" squares, cobbling together strips.

Here I pieced strips of the fabric that separates the blocks on the panel, as well as strips of one of the trees and words fabrics. I was pleased to include the name of the fabric line and almost all of Janet Rae Nesbitt's name in one of the squares!

One of the panel blocks is in the lower left corner of the quilt.  This block led to the name of the quilt.

Bella approved:

I'd set it down on the basement floor as I prepared the binding.  But of course that is an invitation for a kitty to inspect, play (her grey 'mouse' that holds wonderful homegrown catnip from 'Jake' one of my readers - sadly Bella seems to be snobby in that regard too, not too bothered and doesn't go too crazy after nuzzling it, like how??)  Anyhow she loves the backing, brown and blue...

Here it is before washing, on the patio in the shade:

I was pretty pleased with the health of my stash; I knew I wanted a navy blue binding, but when I found this 1/2 yard piece with tiny white stars on from who knows where/when....yesss! Fist pump!

I echoed 3 times in each star centre after ditch-stitching it first. Then I did a 5-pointed star in the very centre.  Was I blown away to find that in the dark green fabric there are the same tiny gold 5-pointed stars!  How did I not see that in all the other projects I made??  In the background squares, I did six different motifs along the wavy lines, separating them with a plain wavy line of quilting.  This covered half of the quilt, so I repeated the pattern once.  I also ditch-stitched every other row to give it stability since it isn't heavily quilted.

Here you see words, a 'pea pod' motif and a double leaf motif. Did I mention how much I love the woven fabrics in this line? You see all three I received in this shot, the gold, the pale blue plaid and the red.  There was not enough of the twill weave ones left.

This row of writing says "lake erie" twice, lower case intentional.  Above it is one of Christina Cameli's motifs, waves and intermitent cursive e's.

The other row of words:

The first row of words says 'sun' and 'warm' and then reverses the order in the repeat; under the leaf motif is a row of intermittent swirls to evoke water.

Little sprinkles of sand kept hopping onto the quilt...ha! which is how you pronounce my name!

Sandra like sand on the beach :-) Sneaked it in among the last row of swirls. 

Here is the back, all flannel; the chocolate brown is scrap from one of Dayna's quilts, which in turn, was scraps from a niece's quilt! It is totally gone now except for one 2" WOF strip.

I made my own label with scraps from the front; I had to unpick the binding a little to sew in my mmm! quilts label, nearly forgot.  The blue flannel was stash, and the leaves flannel is part of a fat quarter I had.

Written with a Pentel gel roller pen.. The handmade label is not supposed to be near the top edge of the quilt; somehow I rotated the back when I took it off the design wall and placed it on my cutting table for writing...Ah well, I actually do prefer this in the end; stars are up in the sky right?!

Sidenote about fabric quality: notice the pilling already on the blue flannel? Although it is a gorgeous mottled blue, I bought this at Fabricland quite a few years ago. It's got a lovely hand and weight and colour.  It compares very well to the brown which is from a quilt shop. However, two things: one, the first wash and it's already pilled, and second, good thing I had a colour catcher in the washer, as it came out quite blue! I know the Henry Glass Fabrics did not bleed at all, because I washed the first quilt I made with them, didn't have a colour catcher in, and even had a cream background for that quilt.

Exactly 4 weeks ago I displayed the fabrics here on this hall table.

I used Gütermann thread to piece the quilt, Fufus rayon for the wavy motifs and ditch-stitching.  It blended so well with all the fabrics.  I used Essential from Connecting Threads for the stars.  I have to say once again how much Avril the Avanté loves this thread. No breaks.  The rayon did from time to time but turning the needle to the '5:30' position instead of the '6:30' (eye straight on) position works like a charm.

Hey! Have you been taking advantage of the terrific summer sale this week at Connecting Threads?  No affiliation, but there have been some screaming good deals much like those in the spring (when I ordered uh...3 separate times...hey I was still state-side, so free shipping with $50.)  Today is up to 50% off wide backing fabrics.  They have extremely good shipping rates and DRUM ROLL OMG I JUST CHECKED: FREE to Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom with a $75 order.  I knew about Canada, because I've taken advantage of that, but did not realize they did this for the other two!

One last lake shot:

Should've taken a video so you could hear the perfect waves sounds...ahhh, happy place indeed.

Oh! Nearly forgot.  What am I reading? That one shot gave you a peek.  Here's a closer look:

I savour the May issue of Quilt Sampler throughout the summer; it's just a 'thing' to slowly soak it up.  I'm re-reading Dragonfly in Amber along with watching Season 2 (I have the last two episodes to watch yet, speaking of soaking it up; just loving it, even if Claire isn't quite 'right' in my mind, looks/body-wise).  Why The Railway Station Man, set in Ireland, is on my 'to read' pile, I don't know, but I am enjoying it and plan to watch the film.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern:  based on a Pam and Nicky Lintott pattern
Size: 43.5" across by 43.25 long ... not square! I wonder if it has to do with the crosswise/lengthwise grain of the flannel on the back? Interesting....
Fabric: scraps and leftover pieces from the Henry Glass Challenge fabrics, "Better at the Lake" by Janet Rae Nesbitt
Batting: Pellon Nature's Touch 100% cotton
Quilted: on my Avanté
Threads: pieced and quilted with Gütermann; quilted with Fufus rayon olive green and Essential #21252 Tea Dyed

Linking up with
Sew Fresh Quilts with Lorna
Scraptastic Tuesday with Nicky and Leanne
My Quilt Infatuation with Kelly
Confessions of a Fabric Addict with Sarah
Crazy Mom Quilts with Amanda Jean

Stack 'n Whack TBT

I will always remember the utter excitement that gripped me when I watched, and then tried, Bethany Reynolds' ground-shaking, game-changing technique, Stack 'n Whack.  I saw her on the illustrious Alex Anderson's "Simply Quilts" on HGTV.  I took my discoveries to that month's guild meeting, 7 little flimsy hexagons made with the only somewhat-suitable fabric I had in the house at that moment.  I later turned them into a tablemat.

I will also always remember the gasps at another meeting as I held up a finished Stack 'n Whack throw quilt, and the comments, "That can't be all from one fabric!"

 Oh but it was/is.

This was my third quilt, no make that my fourth, using her hexagon pattern.  The first was the throw size using this farm fabric, and the motif was a bit too small for the triangles that make up the hexagons.  However it was dynamite for the triangles less than half that size!

So let's back up a bit, shall we?  Here is hexagon stack 'n whack quilt #2, the throw size in a larger, better-suited motif fabric which I bought at Lori's Country Cottage, my then LQS:

This measures 52 X 58"

You can see the original fabric in the border.  By the way, that is a real flange gold border! I'd forgotten that until I unrolled the quilt!  The quilt is kind of Christmassy but not exactly.  I quilted it as Bethany suggested, (YAY! she had quilting suggestions!) in a swoop-dee-swoop from one point of the triangle to the next, with a meander stipple in the green background.  I left the red star points unquilted, which, in this larger quilt, has led to them being a bit puffy.  I wouldn't do that today; they'd get some dot to dot work fo' sho'!  I used a beige and a green cotton for quilting, mostly likely Gütermann or perhaps Mettler.  It has Warm 'n Natural batting.

Although I boycott WalMart these days, after finding out about their business practices that lead to small town businesses being out of business, I will confess that I did buy a fair amount of fabric from them back in the day.  This one was a terrific find, a Northcott fabric, marked down to around $3/metre.  I bought lots.

I made my own label!

Hmm, looks like it needs a bit of a touch-up

When you do a Stack 'n Whack quilt you always have enough left to make another quilt.  So I made another, a third version of Hexagon Star, the wallhanging.  I also taught the technique as a class more than once to my guild, and once at a local sewing machine dealer.  So I had to have demos, right?

This one measures 39.25 X 43.5"

I quilted this one the same way as the throw.  I used a gold Sulky metallic thread that still glimmers as beautifully today as it did in 1999.

I used the same David Textiles red fabric (why/how do I remember that? Probably because I ADORED this fabric) in both the throw and the wallhanging.  Interesting in that the throw has been used every Christmas, washed many times, and the gold flecks in the fabric are almost completely gone.  Not so, as you can see in the wallhanging.

The red hexagons were quilted with a Sulky gold rayon.  The quilt is lovely and straight, and has never been washed.  It was rolled up and stacked on the top shelf of my closet for more months than I care to think about; we aren't usually here for Christmas, and we don't have nearly as much wall space as our previous home.

Guess what I used on the back?

I did a little fancier quilting motif in the border, and I clearly remember using a dinner plate to mark the arcs!

Got it in one!

Here is the label; I am SO glad I am a label freak.

Clearly I wasn't that into naming my quilts then as I named them both Hexagon Star, which is Bethany's name to boot!  I did my bindings a little wider then too, and always hand-stitched them to the back of the quilt.

So remember how I said you always have leftovers, stacked perfectly of course because of the technique used to make these kaleidoscope-style quilts?  Well, I was pretty good with the 60-degree triangles by this time, hated to waste a perfectly good 2" stack of strips, so just for fun, I made the mini with farm fabric leftovers!  Each triangle finished at 1.5" tall.

It is quilted the exact same as the previous two, with gold Sulky rayon thread.  I was getting a little fancier with my border motifs, but couldn't always figure out how to make pretty corners. No matter; it adorns my sewing room wall just fine!  This one has never been washed either.  I think it has flannelette as batting; it is a lighter weight feel to it. It measures 20.25" wide by 23.75" in length.

Ooh, real creative with the name for the mini!

All three of these Hexagon Stars were stitched and quilted by me on my Elna Air Electronic, which I still have by the way.  Man I was ahead of my time, LOL, doing minis before the mini craze of today. Or is it that quilting, like fashion, is cyclical?

Linking up with
NTT at My Quilt Infatuation

Purple-Red Face of Shame OMG for July

I've written about rainbows a few times over the last couple of weeks, so I know exactly what kind of red my face is...

Yup, that centre bit that's quilted?  That's about the right shade.

I've had this goal on the list I think twice already.  Failed miserably.  This is my youngest daughter, Dayna's, graduation quilt.  May 2015 is when she graduated cum laude from Wayne State, her proud parents, nana and boyfriend all watching from seats in Ford Field.

It has been on Avril...

Hauled down to Florida where I thought I could finish it off on the Bernina...

Thought wrong.

It cannot take a back seat to anything now.  I owe it to a very patient, understanding, and quilt-loving daughter.  This WILL be done by July 31.

Back to Ford Field...

Passed out napping pibble on the left; freaking out trembling rottie on the right

A relatively intense thunderstorm rolled through this afternoon. The power blipped out for a second twice.  Prior to the storm, Rocco was snoozing placidly on Naala's bed, cool as a cucumber in the AC despite the humid heat outside the patio door.  Not a half hour later, I had the idea to put Naala's Detroit Lions jersey on her, a gift a couple Christmases ago from Dayna, as a type of thunder-jacket.  It actually did help a little, lessened her panting somewhat, as it's a tight fit.  Here she is pressed against the back of the peninsula kitchen countertop, which has that overhang, so she's shielded from bad booms on three sides, aww.

Linking up with
Red Letter Quilts
Sew Fresh Quilts

Rainbows Abound

I decided to catch up on one of the two RSC 2016 projects I'm doing with the group over at soscrappy.  Angela picks a colour scheme for each month and we can do her block or one of our own.  I've got two projects going on, each a bit of a study in gradation and value, although that was certainly never my intent! Funny how that goes/evolves.  Here's all the blocks for project #1:

June's colour was turquoise with a hit of lime.  Here are my two Whirling Star Blocks:

I'm happy to say that my neutrals/low volume scrap bin is definitely going down! I also love combining old scraps (we're talking 10+ years, with brand new scraps.

July's colour is hot pink again with a pop of lime.  Angela said think watermelon.   I think of Brianne, my eldest daughter, who is, and always has been, a lover of all things pink.

As a nod to Brianne, I was sure to get as much of the full heads of the girls in the Art Gallery Fabrics print; scraps from makeup bags I made for each of my daughters.

I love how the hot pink goes so well with the calm blues.

I took this photo June 2, of gorgeous weigela at the beachfront in Lakeside Park.  Taken with Soma's, Whims and Fancies, Wandering Camera linkup in mind, but good for the month of July's colours no?

June 13, I captured this stunning red beauty in the wonderful gardens at the Mettawas End B&B across the street from me.  I think they both fit well with the hot colours of July.

Once again at the Mettawas End B&B, yesterday, at the end of my walk, this incredible Monarch butterfly rewarded me with a pose for being so patient, phone held out, breathing slowly, taking the photo on the exhale as Soma has suggested, for a steadier hand.  I could have made a collage, but no.  This beauty deserves to be seen extra-large in all her glory:

Isn't it fitting how she chose to munch the nectar of a vibrant pink coneflower, with scarlet um...I don't know! Maltese Cross? tucked in behind? My mum grows these; I should know their name...

Yes! I managed to get a partially open shot of her wings, but LOOK at the 'boa' she's adorned with!!!

She alighted on another flower and I tiptoed a couple steps closer, stretched out my arm, and waited some more...

Rewarded!

I know some may think I'm flaky, but those moments and that reward, and now looking at what I was able to capture, I get choked up with emotion.  The beauty, the inspiration, the glory, and the fragility of our environment amazes, humbles, and worries me (to the point of feeling frantic if I dwell on it).  I hope that I tread lightly on this blue/green planet.  Planet.....  Jupiter! Success! I was so happy to find out this morning that the mission has succeeded and that Juno has arrived at Jupiter!  I am preparing to be awed in a new way.

I'll be linking up this coming Saturday at soscrappy. 

I will be updating this post later today with the other ongoing Rainbow Scrap challenge, the Rainbow Rose with the Modern Quilters Ireland. This is Week 5.  We had to add borders.  So I should have a flimsy complete and ready for quilting by day's end!

Well, not quite by day's end...days have a way of calling their own shots, LOL.

Stained glass effect into the setting sun the next evening; strong breeze!

and then in the shade on the patio:

I only put a 2.5" not 4.5" final border on. I intend this to be a wallhanging in my sewing space.  Not totally figured out the quilting yet...

Sunday Stretch For Sewists #10 Toes

Bernie Clark says in his book that there is an old Daoist saying, "A person with open toes has an open mind."

The feet is the first place we start to age, so putting some tension on our toes or our ankles, arches, balls of the feet or tops of the feet is good.  Long hours with one foot on a sewing machine pedal, or standing at a longarm, can mean your toes, feet and ankles will love this massage, but go easy.

Ankle Stretch and Toe Squat
Start with Ankle Stretch by coming to sit in Japanese sitting position, bum resting on your heels.

If this won't work for your knee health, then sit on a block or a cushion that is between your feet, or put a rolled up towel acros the calves and behind the knee joint which helps to decrease the bend in the joint.  Begin with the tops of your feet resting on the floor (blanket or yoga mat).  Relax here, finding your breath, pulling it in through the rings of your nostrils, tracing its path up your nose, down your throat, into your lungs and back out that same pathway, counting to 2 or 3 or 4, slowly on the inhale and same slow steady count on the exhale.  This is called a yogic breath.  While steadily breathing, notice a tug along the tops of your quads maybe, in the front of the ankles as they press into the mat, more so with your weight on your feet.  You may feel the top side of the toes as they too, press into the mat.

In the beginning, you don't want to stay here very long, maybe 30-60 seconds.

Come out by coming forward onto all fours, and staying still while you enjoy the 'ahhh' release as the blood rushes into those areas where you were feeling tension.

Next, go into Toe Squat from all fours simply by tucking your toes under, and raising your body to an upright position.  Depending on your toes' and ankles' health and flexibility, you may need to stay on, or mostly on, all fours for the first several times you do this.

Ease back onto those toes, trying to get all five on each foot in contact with your mat.  Enjoy :-) the tension and tug on the arches, every toe, the ball of the foot and even through the ankle.  Hold for 30-60 seconds, but eventually work up to 2-3 minutes.

You can juice each of these poses up, but do it slowly and mindfully, never forcing or going into pain.  You just want a tension, or tugging, a traction hold, kind of feeling.
For Ankle Stretch, lean back onto your hands, lifting one knee at a time, or both together.

This is very strong through the tops of the feet and the ankles, so don't hold it for very long in the beginning, maybe just a minute maximum.

For Toe Squat, see if you can balance on your toes.

Just a few minutes maybe twice a week, and you will notice a little more freedom of movement through your feet which should lead to a happier you!

Here is my work so far this holiday weekend in both Canada (July 1, Canada Day) and the US (July 4, Independence Day):

A flimsy finished, another Better At The Lake project for the Henry Glass Fabrics Desire to Inspire Challenge

If you didn't see my previous post, then here is a link to the Henry Glass Fabrics blog, where I revealed the projects I had completed (well, the above quilt was still on the design wall!) for the challenge for June.  There is a giveaway of two small projects, so be sure to enter on their blog for it!  I do have the backing pieced and hope to quilt this up this afternoon.

Oh, and as a small nod to Sunday Stash, here is a fabric I picked up to make some summer pj shorts for the best grandson in the world:

Too adorable!  He loves Minions, and with his English roots on my side of the family, I could not resist!