Dashing through my Stash

And because there  is nothing quite like working under some real pressure, the quilt I had intended to give Hanna for Christmas was snapped up by my LQS for a store sample. And look where it has ended up...on the front cover of their newsletter and will be the inspiration for their in-store QA2016. (with kind permission of Angela of course). I'm a cover girl, well my RSC15 is.

So because the RSC15 is otherwise engaged I was busy piecing this Sew Kind of Wonderful Metro Rings to give to Hanna. It had to be flimsy-ready to take to my LAQ ...and just like that she had it finished and ready for gift giving. Bless her little 9 year old's heart she recognized it immediately as the quilt that was on 'the wall' that she had admired a few weeks earlier.

Love and hugs to you all - Merry Christmas and a very Creative New Year
Kathy

Allietare Part 3 - Done!

Such a sense of accomplishment to get the Bonnie Hunter MQ Allietare clues caught up todate.

That and getting ready for Christmas with bindings to get sewn onto quilted presents for my grandchildren. I have a zillion miles of binding left to go!! All quilts have been quilted by Kim Caskey Custom Quilting in Edmonton (and photo credits as marked).

Grand Illusion, the very generous 2014 Mystery Quilt from Bonnie Hunter, itinerant and prolific quilter, from Quiltville (& from her mountain retreat aka Quiltvilla). The backing on this is a chevron blue white and grey minky and my granddaughter is going to love it.

Tumalo Trail, a brilliant way to use those 2" squares. Another fabulous pattern from Bonnie Hunter's book Scraps & Shirttails II, Continuing the Art of Quilting Green. Bonnie used 1.5" in her's, but I have had a stack of 2" to use up...Quilting Green.

My Little Irish Dream, a Disappearing 9 Patch using up some of the delightful shamrock phat quarters (even the thread colour is named "Limerick") that I have bought over the past 3 visits to Ireland with Celtic Quilt Tours. We always have a fabulous time and you should come with us. They have also added quilt tours to Scotland and France to the list. So much quilting fun around the world and so little time!

Enough blogging for one night, I have binding to sew on!!!
I am connecting to Quiltville, click over here to see the progress and fun going on in the name of Allietare.
my love and hugs to all
Kathy

Catching up...again

I feel like that short legged cousin who when you go for a walk, is always running to catch up. There is lots of fun going on, but how to keep up with it all. I am closing in on completing all of my Christmas presents  and it time to deliver these quilts to my LA and to fill those reserved spots.

I have finished to Tumalo Trails top (76" square), pattern by Bonnie Hunter from her Scraps & Shirting II: Continuing the Art of Quilting Green. It is ready to go to Kim Caskey Custom Quilting. That has used up 'some' of my 2" colour wash squares, unlike Bonnie who used 1.5" in her original pattern

and "Grand Illusions" is also off the LA.

The RSC15 is coming together beautifully! I will have a reserved spot for sometime in the new year. I think it deserves so custom detailing rather than a panto. I love these lime green blocks in here. To check up on other lime green loveliness head over to SoScrappy.

And getting right in the upcoming holiday mode, I got a few Christmas Baubles together with a glue gun on a Sunday afternoon. This is the happy result, a jewel toned wreath (click on the photo to enlarge).

Love and hugs to all
Kathy

Scotland was amazing

I am back from a 10 day textile tour with Celtic Quilt Tours in bonny Scotland. We saw castles and cattle. Edinburgh has both a castle and a palace! We had brushes with royalty, in Edinburgh, Prince Andrew -Duke of York, and in Dundee, Prince Charles and Camila. No pictures, their motorcades were much too fast.

We saw amazing textile factories like the historic Verdant Jute Mills in Dundee and the now restored Knockando Woolen Mills near Aberdeen.

If I had had a computer with me I would have tried to blog about it, but in a pinch I did post pictures to Facebook. All of the pictures are public, so if you just search my name (and "friend" me) you will get to see lots of inspirational sights and happening.

We attended a patchwork class with Ann Hill where we (Canadian and American travelers) were paired with a Scottish quilter. We exchanged gifts, ideas and addresses. I have amended my block to include a hour-glass border. My thistle was made with a yo-yo that was in my sewing kit and a piece of fringed tartan that had been gifted to me from a scrap found in the Edinburgh Castle Woolen Mills shop. My piece is ready to quilt and be added to my "Textile Techniques Book".

 

That half day class was followed by the VIQ dinner (Very Important Quilter) and the International Gathering of the Guilds, with guest speakers, from Scotland, Ireland, USA and Canada. It was a highly charged and entertaining evening with much laughter and the most splendid Show and Tell! What a great event.

I am home now with laundry done and souvenir fabrics spread out on the table. These are so fun to have with the memories that came with each stop; Melrose, Peebles, Latham, Linlithgow and Glasgow patchwork shops. And the tartans from my new quilting day partner and friend- Ann.

My friend Kim Caskey was in Devanter Netherlands to give a presentation to the Dear Jane club there. She then shopped her way through France and Germany before joining us in Scotland. Because she knew I was working with orange in September, she bought me these two beautiful phat-quarters.

So, speaking of orange I finished the last of the orange twirly blocks last night.

To ease my way back into studio life I have worked on some brown string blocks and the first Chocolate block, looks like a Maltese Cross Medal to me.

I may be late to the party, but I am hooking up to SoScrappy over here.
love and hugs
Kathy

Catching up is hard to do

Hello Again
I seems like a long time since I checked in added what's been happening in my studio and life. In August I was consumed by the making of these fancy pants four patches...you know that will be the end name of this quilt. My dilemma here is what to use for the sashing, while the objective is to sew up my stash...I am leaning to red and not either the grey (too wimpy) and the Barcelona border Jenny Beyers is too...old.

While I was playing with 4 patches, I was neglecting my Indigo RSC15 blocks, but I am happy to report now that they are done!

The background material for all three of these blocks was a indigo shibori class sample that my friend Lou Punko had in her estate sale. The bright blue shibori used in the Road to California block was a cotton hankie my friend Gerda DeVries brought back from her bicycle tour/visit to Japan in 2014.

The Sawtooth Star points of the Bull's Eye block was a another gift. This one from Marilyn Shinyei, started as a shibori place mat, another gift from Japan while she had been visiting her daughter there. The dark indigo of the Bull's Eye block is a scrap of raw silk from a kimono that was in my collection...gathered from where I do not recall.












Mr. Roosevelt's Bow Tie  and Sawtooth Star points were made of another indigo shibori scrap that came from Lou as well. I really love how this block turned out.

In August I also took Kim Caskey's Bird of Wisdom (JOY) class at  Earthly Goods. The technique learned here was lino cutting. I chose to use for my background a ''charity shop" embroidered table scarf. I used the same indigo silk kimono scrap here as my colour base. I loved the way this little technique's quilt turned out.

I made a few 16 patch centres which are for THAT other quilt that is being made simultaneously to the RSC15.

I did make the three ORANGE 16 patch in a Sawtooth Star. I love these orange beauties.

I have started a stack of orange string blocks as well, as there appear to be a lot of orange strings & strips etc that are calling to be dealt with.

I will get as caught up as possible before I head off to Scotland on Sept 21 with Celtic Quilt Tours. There shall be 12 days of making merry and mayhem in bonny Scotland. We will visit castles, patchwork shops, hunt for the Loch Ness Monster, take a quilt class from Ann Hill, visit a distillery and sew on and sew on. Their itinerary for Ireland 2016 is also posted on their website. You should come too.

While you think about that you should check out the other orange scrappy happiness at SoScrappy.

Love and hugs
Kathy

Coming together

I am working away on assembling the Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt Blocks (8...count'em with 17 to go). To echo what many have said, if you had showed me this pattern ahead of time, I would have said...ummm no thanks. But breaking it down to the 5 steps (sometimes quite involved) this quilt got done. And it is full of wonderful colours that one of my beautiful granddaughters is going to just love.

Also over my Christmas break I participated in a 4 day mystery class at LQS Earthly Goods in Edmonton. I chose a quiet palette of yellows and wonderful array of grey with a dash of heavenly pinks.  I don't have a full on shot of the whole quilt (yet), but here are some of the parts and pieces. It has been agreed by all that have seen it that it is a beauty.

You will note that there I am drawing lines on the back of the 3 3/8" squares. This is so counter-productive to the using of the efficient Easy Angle Ruler it was almost painful. If I ever did make this quilt again, that is one of the things I would definitely change. But because we had to do all of our cutting ahead of time, I was obliged to play nice in the sandbox with all others in the class.

I look forward to this quilt being finished and presented to my daughter Cynthia. I love how the pink in some of the fabrics just warm up the whole palette. I made this quilt to be two rows larger than was called for and I am so glad that I did.

I have chosen a brushed dark grey for the backing and will be dropping all that off for my LAQ Kim Caskey to work her magic on it.

Wishing you all good health, full bobbins and prosperity in the coming year.

Love and Hugs...Kathy

Same but different - and DONE

Was a quick turn around on Clue # 4 this week.  I took a stack of these

and sewed them together to make something very similar but different. But the best part (times 40 each) it is done!

Finished the binding on Devin's Spidey Web quilt, ready to gift.  Insert "Happy Claps" here for another quilt finished (thank you to my friend and LA Kim Caskey) and thank you to Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville for your generousity, industry and talents for another free pattern.

On Sunday night I assisted with the cookie baking at my daughter Cynthia's, who lives on Candy Cane Lane. A little fund raiser for Slow Food Edmonton and the Edmonton Food Bank. The RULE is to make sugar cookie, but I never have been known to colour within the lines. So I made Double Chocolate Chip cookies (the recipe right off the Chipits bag), which took less time to get on the cookie sheet and a lot less room on the cookie making counter with 5 other busy cookie makers rolling away.

The dozens of fresh baked cookies were whisked out of the kitchen to the crew at the sidewalk who were also serving hot chocolate to those enjoying the light displays of residents up and down 148 st (aka Candy Cane Lane).

Check out what other Mystery Quilters around the world are doing over at Bonnie Hunter's Part 4 Link Up

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas


Hugs
Kathy

Sewing along...

Salvaged Hearts: at last year's garage sale Kim Caskey donated several expired inspirations. In fairness to Kim, she probably taught this class at Earthly Goods and these were some of the myriad of samples that she had produced. Anyhooooo, I bought this package and made a few more pieces and by sundown tonight I will have a fabulous new wall hanging ready for quilting and then displaying at my office at the University of Alberta.

Birch Bark: now how much fun is this. A 45 piece random collection of 2.5" strips, with bright orange 1" orange nuggets inserted at random spots and then sewn together in that 1600" quilt fashion, but then the strata is sub-cut and rearranged. Thanks for the design goes to Hunter's Designs Studios for the pattern and to the Edmonton & District Quilters' Guild and their Charity Committee for the pre-cut strips package. This quilt will be used to support the K-Pic Program run at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton. Hope to be quilted, bound and ready to hand off at the February guild meeting at the Royal Alberta Museum.

Farm Girl at Heart: This is the established name for my Sow-a-long blocks that has been featured by Randy over that the Barrister's Block.  Given the use of the word heart, this will make it easier for my LAQ when it comes to quilting designs. She always does an amazing job and I need to get this finished and into the queue.

#71 Lemoyne Star

#72 Flutter Wheel

Several more to go, then it is time to think about setting and sashing...

Wishing you all the very best
kas

I'm BACK

Hello everyone
No I have not dropped off the planet.  Just been away being very very busy, with just some highlights shown. Since I was last here, I have been on an amazing holiday(s) starting in Western Newfoundland/Labrador


Iceberg in Gulf of St. Lawrence. That is Labrador on the horizon, the picture taken by the side of the road in Western Newfoundland.

A visit to Fogo Island

Summer garden chores,

a week in Halifax at the Canadian Quilters' Association conference,


My Rainy Day Umbrellas...a start...in Joyce O'Connell's class

a week in New Brunswick visiting my very good friend Rhonda Reid.  While there we created this 'door plaque' for her son Shea serving in Afganishtan.

spending time visiting my precious grandchildren on the farm

Finishing a summer-time birthday quilt for my Odessa

a wedding in Whitecourt Alberta for my nephew Billy to marry his beautiful Nancy

a quilt show in a Duncan British Columbia sheep pasture

a weekend on Campbell River/Vancouver Island at my nephew James' wedding to his beautiful Stephanie,

a quilter's retreat in Jasper : Quilting in the Lazy Bear Lounge (aka Pine Bungalows, Jasper National Park)

Welcoming committee to Quilting in the Lazy Bear Lounge

and busy busy planning for a trip to Ireland in June 2013 with my good friend Kim Caskey.

 It is time to get caught up!!!
I will be visiting you more often now.
cheers
Kathy