Snowflake Album Cover

It snow again today. Yesterday many of the blogs I followed had photos of snow from North California, Kansas City, to Scotland.  It is very normal to have snow here this time of year but it is very cold and staying cold and we have so much snow. We have run out of room to pile the snow.

I made this some time back but thought it was better to show a quilted snowflake then more snow photos. I stenciled the snowflakes on the hand dyed fabric.  I got some of my own quilting done again today.

Spider Web on the Wall

I got some of the pieces of my Spider Web quilt up on the design wall. Wow I am pleased with it. I am using my five hand dyed pink fabrics, they are Kona cotton and feel oh so nice. I dyed the pinks last spring.  In this photo I still need to reach the top bit. This is not even one quarter of the quilt. I have planned bigger now.

I got one block done. Oh no I have a lot of fussy piecing to do. I am taking one block at a time to the machine to sew and I am needing to use many leaders as most start with a point and my machine would eat it other wise. I may need a another project for leaders.
My block is to measure 12 1/2" at this point, close on the first one. My drawing on paper I did, started as a finished 12" square block. My strip pieced units are 6 1/2" (unfinished size) from point to the bottom row. I am fuzzy and do not want to lose my points. The blocks are going to take weeks to piece together. I thought I would make a large lap quilt but now I have decided to go for 96" square. That is 8 by 8 blocks, for a total of 64 blocks.

Lots of cutting has gotten done. I may need a little more to get my 64 blocks.

 

Here are some cutting demo photos. I first cut a strip 5 1/4" then cut using my star point template on my 22.5 degree ruler. The bottom of the template is lined up to the square corner of the fabric.

 

I then cut the next one, first cutting the strip at right angle 3 inches from the angle.  The side of this template was 3" for the angled side. I know I am not saying this just right but maybe you will get what I say if you did want to try this block and cut it like I did.

Here I cut the strips that are 6 1/2" wide. I had a couple that were a bit wider and I trimmed them down for easier cutting.The next piece will be cut with the teal on the bottom.

I must tell you I have found out the web quilt my mom did many years ago was not the same angle as this one. Her quilt used hexagons not the eight sides mine has. 

I love all your comments Thank You all. Please let me know if you have questions.

First Zentangle

I took a try at drawing my first Zentangle. I have been following a few blogs that explain the technique. One that I like is a Canadian lady http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/ . She gives a weekly challenge on Monday and then posts a slide show on the Sunday. You can sign up and then post your finished tile. I can not keep up and get one done in time. But I love to look.
I have not been able to keep up to Every Day Journal. I thought I would try some doodle drawing. It is a lot like quilting free motion. I can see trying out some line with quilting in mind. I have spider webs on the brain these days.

Spider Web Quilt

I am cutting. I laid this out to see what it is going to look like. I have a long way to go. More sewing more cutting.

Tue Quilting Bee

New Quilt Started - The Spider Web Quilt

Fabric for my new project The Spider Wed Quilt. I have been playing with it for a week. I am using Batiks and some hand dyed fabric. Batiks and hand dyed quilts are my favorite. I love to work with the tight weaved fabric.


More


I think I may try the four pink hand dyed fabrics for my background colours.


I drew out the block. Now I have pattern pieces and can use my 30 degree ruler I bought so many years ago.


I started cutting strips. I will confess, I started to do the cutting before the fish pond quilt was done. I did not sew, just cutting.


I cut some more. I am now sure I have to much fabric and my quilt is going to be bigger. I was thinking of making a large lap quilt or twin but I think I could make a queen sized quilt. I just love all the fabric I picked out.


I lined up sets of six fabric in rows and piles. Then I sew sew.


I started to get something done this weekend. Look at all these pretty strip sets.

Fish Pond Quilt top done

I got the quilt top done. I can now add this quilt top to the growing pile of quilt tops I have to quilt. I hope I can get to quilting it this spring so I can put it in the quilt show. The Edmonton and District Quilt Guild is having a quilt show in June 11 and 12th. For more about the guild see the site Here.

I spend a fair bit of time playing with the boarders. The strip sets I had were not as bright as I wanted. I have to rip out parts and insert brighter bits of lime green and orange. The quilt is about 72" by 82". I think I did a good job. This quilt does not look like a workshop quilt. I did start it in Gloria Laughman's class a couple of years ago. I think that when it is quilted I should email her a good photo.


So the first photo did not get the bottom row so I took the quilt outside. I got this to show the last row off better. The quilt is outside on the snow. We have so much snow. I just needed to find a clean spot. Be careful of the yellow snow.



A Fish Pond Quilt landscape shot.

I now get to start the next quilt. More on that this weekend. I must be getting my quilt mojo back.

Happy Friday Cathy

Betty's African Quilt

This quilt was done by my Mom Betty. It is the quilt she started in the Gloria Laughman's class I took - my Fish Pond Quilt. My mom's quilt got done within two years of taking the class. Not the four years it has taken me (and my quilt is not done yet). She has given the quilt away.


Betty has used the special African Batiks she had and not done the machine applique that many other in the class did.


Here are the blocks on the floor at the class we took. The blocks on the left are the other students work (sorry I do not remember names). The orange and blue fish blocks on the right are mine. I took many other photos that day but I am not sure I should show them as I did not indent to upload them when I asked for photos. Please remember to ask to take photos and ask to post them. Please give credit for others work.

Tuesday Quilting Bee

Liebster Award Pass it on

I got a Liebster Award from Lisa at Scraps of Life. Thank You Lisa for thinking of me. I am to pass this award on to three blogs I like and they should not have more than 300 followers. This way we can promote some good blogs that are lesser known. I have passed this award on to these three blogs.

Quilt or Die I just found her blog last week. I love some of the dieing she is doing and the quilts.

My favourite things This is my Aunt. She does great things with scrap to make her quilts. I love keeping my eye on her.

Borderline Quilter I am loving this one. She is a quilter with horses. I have so much fun looking at her horse photos. She has been teaching her granddaughter to quilt. She does some very beautiful long arm quilting.

I hope you will take a look at the three blogs I have picked. Then also watch out for these three ladies picks in the coming days.

Happy Valentina's Day

I made this wall quilt a few years back. I thought I would share it with you on Valentina's Day. All the fabric is hand dyed. I have machine appliqued the hearts and then chopped them apart and sewed back with different halves. Enjoy your family and loved ones today.

Fish Pond Quilt Rows Together

This is a big deal to get these rows sew together. I must have spend hours measuring and adding or cutting little bits together to make the three rows the same size. My little paper tags are now gone from these rows. They will fit together now.


I need to work on the sashing. I do not have enough strip sets to go between the rows and on the boarders. I want more Blue sets, so I made another set. Here is I am cutting it at a 45 degree angle.


I had to work on the bottom row. I am thinking I will not add a top row now. The quilt is big enough and I would have to make more blocks again. I had to do more measuring so this row will fit on the bottom. This part is driving me crazy.


I have started to interview the sashing. I am not that happy with the dullness of the sashing in this photo. I am going to try to brighten this up by inserting more colour. Bright green, orange, and the turquoise blue.