Baby Faces

I just L.O.V.E. this quilt. Bonnie Hunter thank you so much for your time and talent that leads us to take a pile of pieces that looks like this

and viola...it becomes this,

I could not be happier with this design (except for the fact that now I see a 4 patch that is pointing the wrong way), and thank you also to several other quilters out that that have inspired the border I also want to use; a band of purple then a row of 4 patches made with the grey and b/w scraps alternated with 3.5" more baby faces all set on point encased with more apple green setting triangles. I can thank this gal for the visualization of the border options.

Come on over to Bonnie's linky-party here and see what quilters around the world have done with another of her ambitious and wonderful designs.

cheers
kas

Cruising on Easy street

I am totally stoked by the coming together of my Easy Street mystery quilt, map and directions by Bonnie Hunter over at Quiltville.

Last night I had an opportunity to visit my good friend Wanda Cracknell who is making the world's most over the top gorgeous Christmas Bauble Wreaths.

And I have found a little time to make another block in Randy's Barrister Block Sow-a-long for my "Farm Girl at Heart". I used some trash bin scraps (the blue) from my sister Marg's mystery quilt that we worked on together between Christmas and New Year's. Love my Easy Angle ruler for perfect hst's everytime.

#70 Double X

Wishing you all the best, love and hugs

kas

Easy Street - Part IV

I have had pieceful/peaceful hours alone to work on Easy Street Part IV and watch the pieces come together and the colours dance. 

The greens are cut and ready to play.

And I have used some of the leftovers on the table to make another in Randy's Sow-a-long blocks. A random one picked from the pile of those still waiting to be made (I am so far behind)...Missouri Star. It comes to together in a snap though using those great easy angle rulers.

#65 Missouri Star

I took part in a scrap-booking class on Saturday afternoon making a 2012 Christmas Recipe Album, taught by Kelly and her assistant/bff Sandra at the Urban Scrapbook. They did a terrific job steering all of us (10) through the many techniques and hunting through our stack of papers to get this almost to completion in 4 hours. I look forward to taking my own family's pictures and collecting the recipes that will make this a keepsake for years to come. 



Another project has been languishing in the bin since 2009...a bargello quilt for oldest son. He quietly (sometimes not so) watches the other quilts parade from studio and out the front door. So I have deviated from the original idea (as is my prerogative) and this will be a version of Trip Around the World (using Bonnie's lead here).

The highlight of the weekend has to be birthday supper with my beautiful granddaughter Tanea. So so precious. I have had the most enriching weekend...quietly and spiritually embracing everything around me and so thankful for all my family and friends.

My heart goes out to all those families grieving their unbearable loss.

#66 Connecticut Star

 Check what other quilters around the world are doing here on Bonnie's Linky Party.

Part 3 Up and Ready

Part III of Easy Street was almost that...easy! But oh so pretty. 64 Shaded 4 patches ready and waiting. You too can check out some of the other over 200 that are participating around the world at Bonnie's Linky Party right here.

So with that out of the way it was time to head over to my daugther Cynthia's, where all willing volunteers helped to put together 9 kitchen transition kits for residents at the LaSalle Women's shelter. All the spoons, veg peelers, measuring cups, bowls and oven pans, etc etc  - enough to fill a large tub for each.  So full in fact that we had to wrap the roasters and food processor separately.

And if that wasn't enough we made golden/candy stripe beets pickles, as well as pickled carrots.  All produce donated by River Bend Gardens, in NE Edmonton. While we were doing that Cynthia was busy making pumpkin pies (6) from home baked New Zealand pumpkins. When I was finished peeling carrots and beets it was time to tackle the peeling and slicing of the apples for yet more pies (3). 

These pickles jewels will be used as thank you gifts for those who have donated to the Food Force for Women Project lead by my amazing daughter and her faithful family and friends (strangers are just friends you haven't met yet would apply in this case).

The pies and presents will all be part of the final cooking lesson on Monday night.  Cynthia will be on cloud nine about the time that I am writing this and I could not be more proud of her and those that have supported this initiative. As a survivor of family violence I so appreciate the work that she is doing and what champions her team are.

Time on my hands now....make more sew-a-long blocks with Randy over at Barrister's Block...

...final shopping for little grandchildren's pj's (my traditional gift - since Santa brings the toys).

love and hugs to all
kas

Merrily I Sow-a-long

I have got to get back to Randy's Sow-a-long and get caught up. I present to you tonight, courtesy of that pile of scraps from Bonnie Hunters' Easy Street....

another beautiful little block using these purples...

#63 Dove in the Window

Two of my favourite tools aside from the Easy Angle Ruler and the Companion Ruler is Mary Ellen's Best Press (lavender scented) and a dry Iron.

Tomorrow it is off to Ponoka to watch Tanea and Odessa's dance recital...Grandma can hardly wait.

Scrap User System

While making the flying geese for this week's clue over on Easy Street I was left with some snippets that to anyone else (some exceptions) would have gone in the dumpster.

I measure and cut these bits into 1 1/2" inch 'strips' and using my Easy Angle...viola a collection of purple hst bound triangles to make the 28 hst's for another block for my Farmer's Wife Quilt sow-a-long lead by Randy at Barrister's Block.

I love the fact that I could use those bits up and work on two great quilts simultaneously. Of note, this beautiful block finishes at 6".

#62 Indian Plume

Started down Easy Street

Over at Quiltville.com Bonnie K. Hunter has generously started a new mystery quilt: Easy Street.  Handing one clue a week for several weeks she will lead us through heaping piles of four patches, hst's, or maybe even qst's...but she does promise that there will be no strings.

Clue #1 has us making four patches - 192. My colour palette will closely follow Bonnie's;1) because the colours she has recommended sound perfect to me 2) why mess with perfection. I was doing some kas-stash shopping I came across this thunder-struck gray and I know it is from 2001. However there will be nothing but a memory left once I am done this quilt. It was fun to sew together a Debbie Mumm to a Mark Lipinski...hey maybe these two opposites will play along very nicely in my quilt.

Bonnie has also given us instructions for doing the interior four-patch twirl...sounds like a little dance number. This opens that interior intersection and your little four-top will lie as flat as hardtop. So far 100 are made and the 92 remaining are waiting their turn.

I also have my hand block ready to send off to the International Quilt Festival of Ireland.  My very good friend (Kim Caskey) and I are co-hosting a 9-day Enchanted Tour of Ireland, June 5 - 13, 2013 and are sew hoping you will join our tour.  We have special sights and activities planned: I Spy with a Quilter's Eye is just one.  There is still room on our coach, and if need be, we will get a second one.

This block with be added along with 100's more the the 100,000 welcomes Quilt that will greet visitors to the Quilter's Castle in Galway, June 2013.  Anyone can make a block to send, even if you can not make it :-(. I would be more than delighted to send you the instructions.