Friday, July 31, 2015

A quilt challenge

Needle and I Quilt Shop has a summer challenge.  Here is my challenge entry...

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

WIP Wednesday ~ Onto the Longarm ~ Row by Row 2015

Using Curve Piecing
With a lighthouse....
This is my lighthouse quilt block.  The the fabrics are leftovers from the kits I bought.   I started with the water, building up the layers of sand and rock, then adding clouds and sky.   The technique I used is detailed at Red Pepper Quilts.

After I had a finished the background, I started building my lighthouse.

My completed blocks.
My scrap pile from the kits.... some of this
is still usable.  I will cut it into small pieces
later.....
At this point I packed up my temporary sewing space and drove home with the kids from camp..... The quilt now needed boarders.... I stopped by a local store and picked up some black for sashing.  And then used the background from the crab, seahorse and octopus for a thin accent.

Complete top with sashing
Loaded on the frame
On the last row of sashing quilting. 
Next back to quilt the blocks

A cute little horse.....

While I was away 2 of my machines were in for a cleaning and checkup.  So when getting my embroidery machine back I had to test it out.....

The right is the test stitch out from the shop!  I love that they chose the same design that I go to when having problems..... If I can't get a design to work, then I will often clean the machine, then stitch out this same butterfly!

The kids sewing machine is in the shop and I'll pick it up Friday (its ready, just don't have time to drive out!)












Thursday, July 16, 2015

WIP Wednesday ~ Row by Row ~ More blocks

These fish need some friends!
After finishing 8 rows for row by row Experience, I decided I needed some friends for my Angel Fish, Clown Fish and Puffer fish....

Right or Wrong Side?
Since I am at Piping Camp, my selection of background fabric is limited..... so I had this wonderful green and blue verigated, but it has silvery flowers dashed around it... but the back is beautiful.... So sometimes the wrong side is RIGHT for a project!




So digging through my fabrics leftover from the kits.... I came up with some friends ~ an Octopus, Seahorse and crab...  Some sketching, then cutting, and soon I had some more fish!
And ocean full of sea creatures!

So what is next for my Row by Row?   A lighthouse!

NOTE: My crab, seahorse and octopus are SELF DESIGNED and are NOT part of the Row by Row Experience.

Tonight my daughters competed in a dance choreography competition.... and my oldest daughter and son competed last nigth in a piping competition.   Last night there were 2 2nd place finishers, and tonight my oldest daughter won the competition! 


Wednesday, July 15, 2015

WIP Wednesday ~~ More Row by Row


I am working on the rows from the Row by Row Experience.

I have completed the assembly and applique for 5 more blocks.  I haven't done any of the stitching around the objects yet....   But I haven't decided if they all "fit" in one quilt.... 

Why am I struggling to get these to all fit in the same quilt?  Some is fabric, some is pattern and mostly trying to figure out a good shape.... I don't want a quilt 36"x72".....  For those quilt shops, maybe a few more quilt shops could create vertical rows next year!    Or the shape could change?  

Row 3:  From Country Folk Fabrics.   The middle row with the paper pieced waves....



My first 3 rows complete

Row 4: From Hamel's Fabrics:  Just noticed that one of the blocks isn't sailing the correct way.... Oops.... but I'm not putting them as a whole row.  Probably independent blocks to make the quilt  a better shape......

Boats!


On Friday we drove to Kamloops for the Highland Games on Saturday.  On our way down, we managed to find 3 more quilt stores.  I picked up 2 kits and one patterm..... The kids did great.  My 9yo placed 2nd in her drumming, my 12yo got a 3rd and 6th in Grade 5 Piping and my 14yo son got a 1st, 2nd & 4th for Grade 2 Piping and got the aggregate for his grade for the 3rd year in a row at this games!  Their bands each placed first


Grade 2 Piping SolosGrade 5 Piping solosBeginner Drumming Solos
Band PerformanceBeautiful clouds rolled in to keep us cool.... but they also got us wet! Band at the line



Row 5: From Quited Treasures in Coquitlam.   I decided after making the whole row to cut this into thirds for a row down the side.... I think I will design 3 more fish along these ideas to complete one for each row of my finished quilt....



Row 6:From Katja's Quilt Shoppe in Kamloops, BC.  This is a beautiful wave block. 


Row 7: From A Great Notion in Abbotsford.   Each location of A Great Notion has different blocks.  I didn't go to the Surrey/Langley store to pick up their blocks because I'm not a fan of sunbonnnet Sue....  But I love this BC River Block!


All blocks laid out together.... 
Really wish I had a VERTICAL block!
So I'm making my own....


Row 8: From Thread and Paper, I struggled a little with this block as the insturctions weren't clear (to me as a novice to appliqué).  And a piece of fabric was missing.  So I modified to pattern a little to use the pieces of browns I had.   They did offer to send me the missing fabric, but I had already finished the block!   So great customer service. 




Next step is to sash the blocks in the quilt.... and probably design some other blocks.....  I think I need a lighthouse silhouette block.... 

Other Activities: I am also designing a quilt for the Anniversary Contest at Needle & I Quilt Shop.... I am going to use my embroidery machine when I get home. Currently "playing" in Embird....

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and WIP Wednesdy at Needle and Thread Network.....






Wednesday, July 8, 2015

WIP Wednesday ~ Row by Row!

I am working on the rows from the Row by Row Experience.

This week I have completed the assembly and applique for 2 blocks.  I haven't done any of the stitching around the objects yet....  I have started the 3rd row and am slowly making my way through the paper piecing....Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Row 1: From Poppin's Quilt Parlour

Row 2:  From Cherry Tree Quilts


Row 3: I am currently working on the 3rd row..... From Country Folk Fabrics





Sewing from Piping & Dance Camp!



Friday, July 3, 2015

A Row by Row quilt shop hop

We shopped our way following the Row by Row Experience   to the next highland games..... 

  http://www.rowbyrowexperience.com/





posted from Bloggeroid

Thursday, July 2, 2015

WIP Wednesday ~ Happy Canada Day

Today was a busy Canada Day!   The Pipeband performed at the local Legion.... with a small parade!   And then the dancers had a dance out....

I'm getting two machines ready to take into the "spa" and one will head with me to piping and dancing camp......
I'm working on two pieces of clothing.... a dress for my youngest using the Katydid pattern at Imagine Gnats

And a top for me.... an Ottobre pattern, but I've removed the sleeves!
and I dug out a maple leaf project..... hope to get this done while I'm away......
 
Maple leaf project!

I picked up one of the blocks from the Row by Row Experience..... and will be picking up more over the next week or so. Hope to come home with a completed quilt to from the challenge!