Monday, November 28, 2011

Orca Bay Step Two Done


 I got my Orca Bay Mystery Step Two Done. It took me three days (evenings really) to do it all. Wow what a step. I did most of the squares with Bonnie's paper method. I had to try the strip piece method and then cut them out too. I did about 30 that way. The blocks are not as cute. The individually done paper blocks used the very small pieces and have more personality. Bonnie is doing the linky thing again Here. I will not get step three done by the following Monday as next weekend is a Dog Agility trial. I will be dogging it all next weekend.


 I started by sorting my scraps out. I got out brown as it was Brown this month for Soscrappy Saturday. I need the blue for step two. I am guessing I will need the pink (for my Red) in the OB Mystery.


 My phone book pages were from a 2003/2004 book. I laughed at cutting up Alder Flats, Bashaw and Beaumont. Many more pages for the next step.


 Scraps every were. Note the keep me going food, a coke and chocolate.


 I did this block on the weekend as I said it was brown month for Soscarppy Saturday. I just love This Quilt . I need to make it. I am 10 months behind on starting the Saturday scrap thing but oh well. I got November done. Most of the triangles in the middle are from the end of joining up binding, so really scrappy. I do not toss the cute little triangles out.  I will also plan to link this with Design Wall Monday at Judy's


Here are the blue scraps when I got done. I found many more 2" strips after I got started and I cut some more one night when I have getting to the end and I think I went over board. The next morning I looked at what I had cut and thought Oh No, I cut way too many. I hope I can use more in another step.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Internet trouble

I am having bad internet troubles this week. I started up my blog again and then have trouble with the internet. I love all your comments and love to hear from you all but if you get no reply from me this next week or so, Sorry I will catch up. Sewing my Orac Bay like crazy. I will get photos and another post soon even if I have to go to mom's computer.

First Quilt


 Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville is having a link to share our first quilt. This trip around the world is my very first quilt made in 1995. I took a class with my mom, Betty.  Jan Gravey was our teacher. I remember having to be shown how to sew a 1/4 inch seam and thought that was hard. The other ladies were so fast. The class was just one day so I did not get much done that first day. My mom had quilted when I was a child in the 70's and in her last few years of work the 90's, she had singed up for many new quilt classes. How the rotary cutter had changed things. Mom helped me finish the quilt by showing me all the steps she had learned. Miter corners, basting and machine quilting, sewing on binding like she had learned. I have not used this quilt much. It was too special to start with and now the others are nicer.


This was not my second quilt but it an early one and has a special place in our house. This is the first quilt I made for my husband Brad. Our first Baby Wyatt was born midway though making it. I gave it to my husband for Christmas that year 1997. I remember him coming into the sewing room and saying "hay I like that. What is it for?" Crap he knows I am making it now. It is the most worn out and used quilt. The kids are always trying to take it first as it is so soft. I did not quilt it but I tied it with red floss. It has a red fabric that is rotting and falling apart. Rather than fix those patches I made Brad a New Quilt two years ago. He is not sharing the new quilt. My boys have many of their own quilts but like to steal dad's quilts.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Pizza Box Exchange Quilt



 This past October the Black Gold Quilt Patch (based in Leduc) had their biannual fall quilt show. I was very busy getting many quilts done for customers, my mom Betty and myself. This is a quilt I finished in time to put in the show. I got the quilt top done last year but it sat unquilted like so many of my quilt tops do. My mom had helped get the quilt top done for me last year.


 The block of the month or pizza box exchange was started over two years ago with 9 ladies. We each got a box and put some fabric we wanted used into the box. All of the blocks were to be 12 1/2". I also put a little note book so the ladies could write about the block they used. I put black, and other brights in my box and asked for garden theme blocks. I also added the English pieced blooms as they were leftover form another quilt that is done. Each month we would exchange the boxes and work on one block. I got behind at one time and had three boxes at my house. So bad. All the boxes did get done. Many of the other quilt tops have not been done yet. One was sewn up and given to charity quick quick. My mom's quilt is done and one other got done.


I used a black wool fabric for batting. It is a heavy little quilt. I have quilted the black with a curly vein pattern that I do free hand. I hope you have enjoyed seeing it finished finally. If you want to see more about the project check out Block of the month for the older posts.

Happy USA Thanksgiving. Here in Canada we have to work today. We do have some sale this week.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Braided Row Quilt


 Today is Tue and I have returned to blogging after a rest. I normally had my Quilt Bee group on Tue but we are not meeting much these days. I thought on Tue I would make a quilt related post. Well here is a beauty of a quilt by one of my customers. She left the ideas for quilting up to me. I took a while to decide what I should do on it. I am very very pleased with what I chose to do. I hope you enjoy seeing it. I must get back to quilting this morning not much time today.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Top for Bad to the Bone


I got the top done at retreat last month. When I got home I just had to put it up on the wall for a while. I did not have a back for it but my mom found some on sale in her travels. Now I have to wait for her to return home next week. We will see if I like it or not? I will have to quilt it over the Christmas holidays as I still have many customers quilting for Christmas to do.

This pattern is from one of Kaffe Fassett's books. Simple shapes or something. I can not find the book at the moment. I saw one complete at Earthly Goods and I knew I just had to do the quilt. I called it my "Bad to the Bone" quilt because I had so many on the go, I was very bad to start another one. I guess at Earthly Goods they have a kit for sale to do this quilt but I am not a kit person. The best part is finding the fabric and pick out what I want to use.

Today is Monday, So here is the link to Judy's Design Wall Monday. Thanks for stopping by. I love comments It is what keeps me going so please comment. I will check out your blog too if you have one and comment. Thanks.

Orca Bay Step One Done


 I got them done last night. I completed the 224 hour glass triangles required. I did a few extras as I had trouble counting anything. I think the little piles have 10 in each but then they got mixed up at one time. Bonnie Hunter is doing a Link Page so check it out if you have not come here from that link already.


 I used the "start with a square" technique  and sew down the 1/4" from the middle line then cut and iron. Then butt the seams together and sew a 1/4" down the middle again a cut and iron. I hate fabric dog ears so I cut them off. Love real dog ears, soft and brown and floppy. he he.


I have used mostly black and white fabric but I let little bits of colour in the black or in the white. I have some great mini dots that I just love. Should be a great quilt. I can not wait till Friday again.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Orca Bay Mystery starts today



I have added the Orca image to my side bar today. I started the hourglass squares today. I got 9 done and then went to work. I will get sometime tonight to work on more. I am doing the triangles by starting with a 3 1/4" square of the two fabrics. I do not have many strips in black (three) to use. I think is is easier to cut the squares from yardage.

I have a few friends joining me in the mystery. Kathy, Margaret, June, Arley, Elizabeth, Kathryn, Laural, and maybe my mom Betty. I hope they will send me photos or post on there blog (Arley and Margaret have blogs) and then I can share them with you.


I thought I would show you the quilt I got done yesterday. This is a very large quilt made by Sarah one of my customers. It is her first really big quilt. I just love the colours, soft greens and blue with brown. We got a lots of snow in the past day and half so maybe after my husband plows the driveway Sarah and I can meet up and get her quilt back to her. Oh look there are hour glass triangles in the quilt.

Saturday is an agility fun match for me and my dog. It is being hosted by Sherwood Park Barks. I always look forward to these "Best Doggy Day Every".

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Fabric Picked Out for Mystery Quilt


I am planning to do Bonnie Hunter's Orca Bay Mystery, it starts tomorrow with step one. Here is a laundry basket of fabric I have picked out to use in the quilt. I am going to use mostly hot pinks and some red were she has Red. Then for the Blues I plan to use a lot of turquoise and medium blues. For my neutrals I am going to use many whites that have some kind of print of colour. I have mostly whites with bits of black. I also have some great coloured dots in the mix. For the blacks I did not have much until I went to my black with bits of white stack.

Are you going to join me? I would love to see your links to your Orca Bay Mystery too. Please share your links in the comments.


I raided my bin of real scraps and boxes of pre cut strips. I got a small bin filled with the colours I need. I am sure I have more than the 17 yards of fabric all together. Ha maybe more like 70 yards and could do many more quilts. I may have to make a pieced backing to show a dent in all this fabric.


These four fabrics are in the laundry pile and need washing. But I was thinking I may use some of these too. I love the red dots, makes me think of Minnie Mouse's dress. What do you think of the crazy lime green dot on black. We will see if I use it or not.

Yes I wash all my fabric. My last load of dark fabric had a runner in it and needs to be washed again. I would like to know if I am going to have a runner before I use it in a quilt. I wash so much dyed fabric it feels like little trouble to wash all the others too. I also like to know how wimpy a fabric is going to get when the sizing is washed out. Sometimes fabric smells when I bring it home and washing takes care of that too.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Were Have I Been

So sorry, life has been so busy and I have let blog land down. I am back and feeling I have so much to tell you. Where to start. - how about the newest quilt I have started. 


This is Star Struck a pattern by Bonnie Hunter at  Quiltville star struck pattern.  You can check out the link to the free pattern. At the beginning of November she said she was going to start her new scrap mystery quilt on Nov 18th  and I want to do this year's mystery but then could not wait to get started. So I started this quilt. It uses fabric that is cut 2 1/2 " wide so it works well for jelly rolls. Mine is scraps and cut yardage. To check out the Introduction to the new mystery quilt check out Orca Bay Mystery. Some quilt friends on Face book are joining me. Are You going to do it?


This little block was done from scraps years ago (>5 yrs) and hung on the side of my design wall. I thought someday I will have to do a lime green and purple quilt. Well Star Struck is it. I have about one third of the blocks done. 


You can see I can not use the little block but maybe I will put it on the back.

Edmonton and District Quilter's Guild is tonight. Looking forward to see them all. We have a raffle for quilters's Fabric bundles, some are jelly rolls and other charm squares. Maybe I will come home with more fabric. I'll take my money to buy tickets. 

 We are also to get a big snow storm overnight. I guess I will be staying home and quilting tomorrow. Better go load up the next quilt on the machine.