Freefall Finish

This seems rather anti-climactic since you've seen the flimsy and a lot of the components on both the 'paperless' paper-piecing post (how's THAT for alliteration, unintended to boot?!) and the Cutting post, and then as featured on Paintbrush Studio Fabric's blog, and beyond, eeek, like Aurifil and Pinterest omg...but all that aside, presenting Freefall!

This was one of my Q1 FAL goals, and I'm so happy that I can check it off as done!  My list is here.

This is the wallhanging size of the big quilt I made, Windfall, which was done with Paintbrush Studio Fabrics as well, in the Windfall line.  I don't think I could pick my favourite as I adore both of these lines so much.  We are doing the wallhanging as a quilt along, and it is not too late to join in if you haven't heard about it or have been sitting on the fence!  Steps are coming out bi-weekly, quite do-able IMHO. Click the Freefall Quilt Along tab at the top and you will see what's what so far.

Freefall Link Up #1

Well, that's really good isn't it?  First Quilt Along, and what does she do? Forgets to do the first link up post and schedule it!  Oops...😖😧

I do have a pretty good excuse.  Really.  I was on the road (still am).  Perhaps gabbing my head off with the likes of Tish and/or Julie when I should've been writing.  Forgive me?

I also have no cutting of the quilt I plan to make along with you because the fabric is buried somewhere in a tote in the SUV.😬  In the meantime, here is what I had at this point for Freefall:

Migrating Geese

RSC2017 Red Update
I got the red row of my migrating geese quilt done, once again, mostly as a leader/ender project.

Rather fitting that I madly finished the row on departure day minus 1, spending a last quiet hour in the morning busily sewing the last few triangles and unpacking the red and cream scrap baggies to make one of the three 150 Canadian Women blocks for that week.  Rather fitting as well is that it was for the woman who was instrumental in introducing Home Economics, aka Domestic Science, courses for girls in public schools.

Sunday Stretch for Sewists #17 - Dragonfly Variations

First please accept my apologies if I don't respond in a timely manner to your comments on my last post...eeep! where I was published in Modern by the Yard.  We are on the road for a few days here, heading back home so I have limited access to wifi.

Last month we did Dragonfly. At the end of the post I said I'd give some variations on it for this month, variations that feel SO GOOD after hours in a car, ha, or at your machine.

Dragonfly Variations

Sit as we did before, resting your sit bones on a quilt to elevate your hips and help tilt your pelvis forward.  Check this post for more detail.  Rmember you do not have to have your legs straight; you can bend your knees as much as you need to.

Variation #1 Upright twist

A twist is one of the best favours you can do for your spine.  Twists release tension.  Orient your body over your right leg, inhaling as you twist.  Place one hand on either side of your thigh, and turn your head, looking over your right shoulder. You can make this an eye exercise by looking as far as you can out of the corner of your eye.  Then let your eyes fall softly shut and relax into the twist; don't pull; find the 'yin-side' (get it?!) of the twist.

Remember we are concentrating on working our connective tissues, not the muscles, so feel and enjoy that tug.  Where is it? How does it differ along the length of your spine?  the sides of your waist? your hips?  Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Hold here for 1.5 - 2 minutes.

Inhale as you unwind coming back to centre.  Exhale.  Inhale as you twist now to the left.

You can keep your hands on either side of your thigh or you might like to wrap your right arm behind your waist as you twist to the right, placing your left hand on the outer edge of your thigh.  This is taking the twist a bit deeper; as long as you aren't using muscles to pull or push yourself further into a twist, then you might like this.

Variation #2 Side bend

Once again inhale, first of all lengthening along both sides of your spine.  Then start to bend to the right, feeling how the connective tissues are getting a lovely stretch all along your left side.  Think of bringing your ear to your shoulder, and notice how this brings a great stretch along the side of your neck.  You can wrap your left arm behind your waist.  Your right arm rests just inside your right leg, either on the floor or on a block.

Alternatively, you may like to rest your left arm on the side of your head, as shown below.  This gets nicely into the triceps and underarm, and is very good for the lymph nodes.

Remember your breath, counting to 3 or 4, even inhales and exhales.  Relax as you exhale, not forcing your arms lower, just letting gravity have you.

Come up on an inhale.  Exhale.  Take another inhale and exhale in the centre if you need to, noting the sensations.  Then repeat on the left side.

Variation #3 Chest Expander
A final incredible stretch for the shoulders and arms, and probably a favourite of mine, is chest expander.  You can do it standing upright, lifting your arms away from your spine, but I like to add the forward bend with my legs apart.

I had a coach during these photos!

Clasp your fingers behind your sacrum (low back) and lift your arms up and away from your spine.  If you are doing it as I am here, then gravity does pull in a most delicious way on your arms.  As Kino MacGregor says, "Don't fight with your body."  I like to say let gravity do the work.  You just need to breathe.  This one isn't a Yin pose but it sure is a good 'un!  Hold here for 5-10 breaths, and come up slowly on an inhale.  I love this stretch; I have been known to do this upon getting out of a vehicle after a several-hour stint of travelling, much to the embarrassment of my family...😂

Travelling...here's a shot I put on Instagram.  You know I have a thing, a profound thing, for trees, and I love quilts in trees.  Well, as MacGyver said, "We drove an extra 80 miles for a freaking tree..." with a wink at me, and yep we did.  Not just any tree.  This tree.

This is the Angel Oak Tree on Johns Island just outside of Charleston, South Carolina.  It is truly wonderful, awesome, breath-taking.  The things this tree has witnessed, sheltered, housed, the air it has cleaned over the centuries, give pause for reflection.  That it has withstood 400-500 years of weather, humans, pests, human pests, ha, war...it boggles the mind.  It was quite the zen moment to be able to see it and take in some of its majesty, wisdom and just 'being'.

A note about the DrEAMi! linky: it is the last Saturday of the month, which was yesterday, but since A) I am travelling and B) there are another 6 days left in the month, I will have the linky next Saturday, April 1.  If you are new here and wondering what the heck is a DrEAMi! then click here.

Coins of the Atocha

One of my goals for this year was to submit a quilt design to a magazine.  Well I did.  In fact, it was the first design I created for the #30quiltdesignschallenge2017 that I, along with Lisa of Sunlight in Winter Quilts, hosted on Instagram from Jan. 2 - March 15.  I submitted it to Modern By the Yard, Benartex's e-zine.  It was accepted!  Not only was it a 2017 goal; it also became a Q1 FAL goal.

I am so very happy that my first published pattern is in a 100% environmentally friendly e-zine! Not one tree was killed, YESSS! AND the magazine is free.  Just head over to Sew In Love With Fabric where you can click the link in the sidebar and view it on your computer, or download it and view it at your own pace.

So!  This quilt comes with a story.  Do any of my quilts ever not? 😉 Refill your coffee or tea, and read on.  This fabric is deserving of a little of your time...it is every bit as vibrant, if not more, than what you see above! And such a unique pattern.

It started with this January 2 design, my first, as I mentioned, in the design challenge, that I called "Plus Surrounded".

Lisa Ruble, the editor of the e-zine, really liked it and asked it I could make it a rectangular quilt, and send it to her by the second week of February.  A little over a month to make a quilt?  No problem.  Meanwhile, Lisa and I had already talked about a totally different project, my Freefall Quilt Along, which I was planning to start about the third week of January and have it end on the Spring Equinox.  I decided it might be prudent to move the QAL.  Thus was born the idea of starting the QAL on March 20.  You can see the first post with the fabric requirements for that entirely separate quilt project here.

Back to Coins of the Atocha!  Lisa recommended two different fabric lines, and I chose this one, Masterpiece Mixers by Kanvas Studio.

Don't you want to, oh, I don't know, bite into one or all of these?!

The drama started when a couple of weeks went by and my fabric had not arrived.  I contacted Lisa and she did some investigating...the warehouse somehow misplaced the order and it hadn't been filled.  Lisa was wonderful and said no problem, we can put it in the next issue.  But I was pumped!  Well, I said to Lisa, I work well under pressure, so yes, I believe I can still meet the deadline.  That photo above is of the fabric just after it arrived on February 1.  I had already written up instructions to make my design so I set to work.

More drama ensued when I felt that the blue I had chosen for one of the 'surrounds' around the plus wasn't quite right.  I was drawn more to the aquamarine I had chosen for the backing.

Left to right:  the two blocks together; a couple of original choice blue surround, pretty good; a couple of blocks with the aquamarine, better

Both blues would have been fine, but I felt the aquamarine kept pace with the fuchsia's and golden's intensity.  So I started cutting like a whirling dervish:

...all the while thinking, hmm, backing...plan B...think!

This pattern sews up like a dream, and in no time at all I had a flimsy:

Now to make a backing.  Did you notice the borders on the fabric?  Cool, right?!  However, I didn't incorporate the tassel-like borders on the fabrics within the blocks as that pattern was quite different than the bubbles pattern of the rest of the fabric.  Inspiration struck along with a long-held love of interesting quilt backs, and this happened:

Yes!!  Borders in the centre, borders on both long edges--love!  Test block with lighter blue incorporated as well, woo hoo!

And now for the quilting!  If you know me, you know how I love to free-motion quilt.  A LOT.  Time was of the essence, so I reined myself in and here are the two designs I quilted in the plus

It was at this point that my good friend Julie, at Pink Doxies, coined (lolol) the name of the quilt.  I must admit I had never heard of the Coins of the Atocha, so I had to look it up.  Fascinating stuff!  Go here to read about it!  Basically:  1622.  Spanish galleon loaded with treasure.  Hurricane in the Florida Keys.  Struck a reef.  Sunk.  Undiscovered until July 1985.  Well, I am in Florida for the winter, check.  These vibrant tropical colours abound.  Add the bubbles or round motifs in the fabric, the 1" diameter pebbles in the pluses, and yep!  That is the name of this quilt.

Bella loved the quilt--when does she not love a new or in-progress quilt?!

Ain't movin' Sandra, nope. You can drape, push that quilt on me and I'm staying put.  Right here.

And relatively soon, it was done quilting.

Grabbed it off the Bernina, trimmed edges, and threw it on the cement driveway in the setting sun's rays to catch the quilting.  I did a water ripples back and forth in the 'surround' part of the pluses.  Then I did X's through the white squares as I outlined the four 45-degree angles of the block edges.  It gives the quilt an almost on-point look.

Here are all the threads I used.  I love 'em all, as does my beloved Bernina.  I pieced it with the Gütermann 100% cotton, and quilted with Sulky rayons, Aurifil 100% cotton, Mettler 100% cotton.

Here is the finished quilt, which is named "On the Plus Side" in the magazine.  I love that it ahs three names, all great ones don't you think?

A shot of the quilting.  Not quite in a tree but against one, a palm tree, of course!

The back:

That was February 12, the day I mailed it.  I think that may be a record for me for making a quilt from start to finish!   The drama did not stop there.  I mailed the quilt up to Lisa in Michigan.  Tracking showed it to be delivered on the Wednesday.  No quilt showed up, and Lisa even met her post-lady at the mailbox.  Naturally, I freaked when she emailed me...About an hour later she emailed me back: her post-lady had returned; the package had fallen behind her seat so she hadn't seen it until later in her route!  HUGE sigh of relief, from Florida to Michigan.  This quilt definitely has that Spanish 'flair' for drama, si?!

To add to the under-the-gun drama of this quilt, I only found out that I had to write a post about it this morning.  On today of all days...we will be on the road somewhere in northern Florida by the time this post goes live.  Today was the day before departure when there is not a minute to spare.  However, we, meaning I, have been very organized this year, and so I am finishing this up right before heading to bed.  Hmm, a really organized quilter should have had it written up a month ago ready for when the magazine would be published....ah well, all good. 

I will add the usual Quilt Stats once I have ... ha...A. access to wifi and B.  some time!   Meanwhile I am going to be floating above the SUV as we drive, knowing that I have been published!

Just click the cover below to view or download your copy!

Hop on over to Sew In Love With Fabric and check out the other gorgeous projects!

Do remember two things:
First, Angela Walter's show, Midnight Quilter, is coming back in a few days! Check out her announcement here.  Second, while you're there, you may want to hop over to the Craftsy site (affiliate link) for a sweet sale on supplies this weekend! Have fun shopping -- I will, sniff, miss this one.

Linking Up with:
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Busy Hands Quilts
TGIFF at The Carpenter's Daughter Who Quilts
Cut and Alter for Q1 FAL Link Up

Freefall Quilt Along - Step 1 - Cutting

Welcome to the first installment of our Freefall wallhanging QAL!  I am so pleased that you are here.  Happy Spring Equinox, First Day of Spring, if you are in the Northern Hemisphere, Happy Autumnal Equinox, First Day of Autumn, to those n the Southern Hemisphere.  Who knew quilting would have me using so much geography and math!

I am even more pleased to announce that I have got yet another prize for finished flimsies or quilts!  Lara of Buzzin' Bumble has offered a copy of her book Crafted Appliqué (that takes you to her book on Amazon; I'm not an affiliate, just a great book and technique to check out) to one lucky winner!

Freefall QAL - Fabric Requirements

In order for you to begin planning for the start of our Freefall quilt along on March 20, here are the quilt stats, photo of the flimsy, fabric tips and requirements.  This quilt could most likely be done entirely from your scraps and stash; you could even go super-scrappy with the background fabric as long as the fabrics all read one value, probably light if your leaf is a medium or a dark.  I would recommend keeping the shadow leaf all one fabric.

Quilt Stats:

Finished quilt: 38" square
Finished block:  7.5" 
Number of blocks: 25 total.  20 of these blocks are small leaves, 3 blocks make the big shadow leaf's point and there are 2 blocks that are plain.
*The quilt has no borders; you are welcome to add some if you like, but there is no yardage for this in the requirements.
Steps:  will be released bi-weekly with a full month allowed to quilt your top.

We will be making a wallhanging in Spring colours.  Of course, you may make yours in Fall colours if you wish and get a jump on Fall.  You could go totally modern and wild!  Maybe totally scrappy.  Patriotic for Canada's birthday!

Fun and poignant anecdote:  When I was planning out the dates for this QAL, I realized I should allow a full month for participants to finish up flimsies and hopefully quilt their quilts.  The final step will be given May 15, so that meant June 15 is the final reveal and parade of quilts.  June 15.  This is an auspicious day for me, because it was my dad's birthday.  He would have been 91.  Each year, he would flip ahead in our family calendar on the wall and write on the square for that date, "Birthday of a famous Canadian."  All us kids would love it, my mum giving a wry grin and eye roll with an, "Eee, I don't know."  Yet it made an impression on me. He was a very proud Canadian.  Birthdays were special days, happy days, a reason to celebrate.  So I feel he's had a hand in this, my first QAL  Thus, our parade of quilts will be held on the birthday of that famous Canadian. 😄

Fabric Tips

Think of this quilt as having three colour 'families': 

• the background (BG) fabric--mine is the mottled pink/yellow/turquoise
• the big shadow leaf fabric--mine is the green.
• the various leaf colours

The photo below shows how I laid out my fabrics.  I had 18 colours altogether; because there are 20 leaves, I cut two leaves out of two of the fabrics.

The fabrics (two are missing in this photo oops) on the far left float on the green big shadow leaf.  The fabrics on the far right float on the background fabric.  Those in the middle will float on half background/half shadow leaf blocks, so that is why I laid them over both green and BG fabrics.

Fabric Requirements

Background Fabric:   3/4 yard
Shadow Leaf Fabric:  3/4 yard
**Remember that you want good contrast between these two fabrics.  Also note that these yardages are minimal and won't leave much left over; if you prefer to allow extra for error or to add to your stash/scraps, then getting a yard of each will be more than plenty.

Individual Leaves:  There are 20.  Each leaf can be made from scraps; you only need an approximately 7" x 11" scrap for each leaf.  If you prefer yardage or precuts, either 1/8 yard or a fat eighth is enough for two leaves, so you would require 10 fat eighths, but if you want all 20 leaves different, then you need 20 fat eighths, since that is the smallest amount one can buy.  You could also use a layer cake, which is a stack of 10" squares.

So gather your fabrics and I will see you here on Monday for Step 1 Cutting! I have started a hashtag on Instagram, so feel free to post your fabric pull there:  #freefallqal  To see the original quilt, in Fall colours, Windfall, click here.

Any questions, just ask in the comments or email me. 

I am super duper happy that I have three more wonderful sponsors.  Three more prizes! 

First is Cindy of Stitchin At Home who contacted me to offer a copy of her just-released pattern, God's Eye, which is available in her  Craftsy store. I met Cindy in the New Bloggers Hop in 2015.  It was such fun to discover another quilt blogger who lives only a couple of hours away from me, also in a little town, also on Lake Erie!  Cindy and I have cooked up a few things together over the past couple of years.  She has quite a few patterns in her store, lots of freebies...

Second, I also am so pleased to announce another fabric gift certificate! This one is from Fat Quarter Shop, probably the first online shop I patronized regularly, and still do!

They have the BEST Flash sales which have had me cave on many occasions...and of course one adds more yardage because well, it would be rude not to right?  They are generously offering a $25 gift certificate to one winner.  They just might have a Riley Blake roly poly on for 70% off today, March 14, only...

Third is another Canuck, my good friend Joanne of Canuck Quilter Designs.  Joanne and I have been friends for a couple of years now too; I've pattern-tested for her a few times (fantastic designs btw) and participated in her Snow Along two years ago.  She is offering a free PDF pattern (check out all her beautiful designs here) from her Craftsy shop.

 This brings the prizes total to 12!  Woo hoo!

Linking up:
Freemotion by the River
Sew Fresh Quilts
Quilt Fabrication