Sew-n-Tell

Amy and Amy have put together a sew-n-tell for projects you have completed this week. Go over to Amy's blog and add your link to the list. What a fun way to spend a Friday with sew-n-tell!

Spider Webs

My blocks for the Halloween Spooktacular Swap are done and sent off. They were a lot of fun. As always I learned a lot and would do some things differently next time.




Here are my 9 patches.




Here they are as a quilt top. It was hard to send them off once I saw how good they looked together.



Quilting has become an all consuming passion. I did more quilting this summer than reading, which is unheard of me for me. My other consuming passion has become the show House. In June, I watched it a couple of times while quilting. I quickly become hooked and have now watched 4 seasons of it. It's great to find a show 5 years later. You get to watch the shows on DVD without commercials. I have the season premiere marked on my calendar.

My husband asked me if I had any more swaps to do, and I tried to deflect the question. I did not tell him that I have 2 more, bringing my total to 7 for the year. I have my friend Jane to thank for this. The swaps have really helped me develop as a quilter and pushed me in different directions.

My dad has asked me to find a particular movie for him for his birthday in October. That is when I was planning on having his quilt done. Now I am not sure if I will wait and have it ready for Christmas. The 2 swaps are due near the end of September.

Harvesting Joy

When does a hobby become a job?

That is what I am trying to figure out. I have the day off today. Today will be spent finishing up my spider webs. I have really enjoyed doing them. I also need to finish putting together my bento box quilt in the next few days and start on my Summer quilt swap. I love how the different projects push me in new directions, make me think and grow creatively. The part I am not sure about is the deadlines. I know deadlines are necessary and they definitely help to get things done. What I am not sure about and I try to walk a fine line about is creating so much stress that quilting or any other activity loses the fun. Too much stress equals less creativity. I feel as though I am on this constantly moving teeter-totter in quilting as well as life. Perfection is unobtainable, so how do you know when you have reached the summit? I did rejoin the bag swap. I really do want to make a bag, and without the swap it may have been months before I did one.

I got this beautiful wallhanging on my vacation. Tulips are my favourite flower. I am going to try to use its words of wisdom. It now hangs in my kitchen.



Today I am going to harvest joy and I hope you will to.

Cross-Stitching

I had a great summer vacation. I did not end up getting my hand quilting organized but I did take something with me that I have had around for years and not started.




I am making a birth cross-stitch picture for my son. I have already made two of these for my nephews. I need to finish up the boats, add the name and date details then I am done. It has been a long time since I have done any cross-stitching and I really enjoyed it. Next I am going to be making one for my daughter. It is from the same designer and has bunnies on it. I hope everyone is having a great summer.

Wonderful Book

An incredible and amazing friend gave me this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone, quilter or non-quilter. It is such a beautiful story and the pictures are phenomenal. There are quilt squares on the inner front and back covers. You can also buy a companion book which is a quilt pattern book, based on the squares. It is a really great book as well, with quilts ranging from beginner to advanced.

Quilting : the next generation

Both of my children are interested in quilting. My daughter has her own scrap collection. I never thought I would hate scraps but they end up all over her room and all over the house. I would swear they grow. She has definite opinions about what she would like to sew her quilts. Usually it ends up in a straight line. My son has decided that he would like a Halloween quilt. He picked out a Halloween panel and some Halloween fabric. I think we will do some 9 patches around the panel and then add a few borders.

I also have my nephew and niece interested in quilting. My nephew and I looked on Ebay for fabric for him. He wants a red and orange quilt. My niece is interested in having me make her a quilt. I bought her this kit a couple of years ago.


This is the backing I picked for it.



I was a bit worried about it, but I felt that she could handle the black and bold colours. Well, this year she picked out some clothes for herself that was black with bright colours. I am planning on starting the quilt for her next year for her new home.

9 patch quilt along

For a while now, I have been slowly moving along with Amanda Jean's 9 patch quilt along. Here is my progress so far.




I have been a bit slower because I have been using charm packs. It is a fun way to have many different fabrics. I bought a couple of new charm packs.




The quilt is going to be for my daughter. I have not yet decided what size it will end up being. I am thinking about making it a double. I enjoy putting together all the different colour combinations.

Quilt show eye candy

I went on the weekend to a quilt show. It is one of my dh's favourites. My kids are veterans by now of them, but I know we get a lot of looks when we bring young kids into the show. There were some absolutely stunning quilts.




This car was parked at the front entrance.







I liked how the circles were quilted with straight lines.





This stack-a-whack was my dh's favourite.








The different 9 patches intrigue me for the 9 patches I am doing.










I love how this one has been quilted. It is such a stunning quilt.




Finally the selvedges quilt.

Frantically working

I have been working all week on my spider web's for the Halloween Block swap. It took me a while to get into the rhythm but now I have a routine. They are more labour intensive than some of the other things I have done but I am enjoying it. Here is a sneak peek. Each spider web is unique.



I also had a post earlier this week which I deleted. I had signed up for a friendship bag swap and then decided not to join. I have never made a bag before and I decided it was too much pressure to make my first one for someone else. I also have some fabric that I love which would make a great bag. I have decided instead to make one for myself.



Here is something I have gotten for myself. I have been collecting turquoise/aqua and pink fabrics for a quilt. I saw the Full Moon Owls and fell in love with them. I managed to find a half yard of them in the turquoise and pink colourway. I got it on Friday. I love the owls. They are so majestic.

July Wrapup and August Beginning

Here was my list from July.

1. Finish Zig Zag Quilt. The top is done and at the quilter's.



2. Complete Halloween Block Swap. 9 patches are done and I have started on the spider webs.





3. Complete 4SQS Summer Block Swap. DONE




4. Make pincushion for the swap. DONE





I also managed to get my son's kitty cat quilt top put together except for the borders.





Here is the list for August.

1. Finish spider webs for the Halloween Block swap.

2. Finish Bento Box quilt top for my dad.

3. Start working on a baby pinwheel quilt.




By the way, Amy of Park City girl is having a giveaway of her new pattern for this bag.