A Milestone to Mark...

Last September my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary!  This is truly a remarkable milestone in today's world.  The fact that this couple has honoured each other's vows and treated each other in a way that has encouraged their relationship is truly worth noting.  I find it so amazing that my parents continue to be role models for me in my adulthood.  I just thought that once I was married I'd find my own way and not 'need' their example as much.  Watching them go through life together, through the ups and downs and continue to treat each other with love and respect and to keep growing together, is an added blessing to my life.

I really wanted to do something special for them for their anniversary.  They aren't really big 'party' people and I already pulled that on them for their 25th, so it needed to be something unique. 

While I don't claim to have 'arrived' in the world of quilting, it is a hobby I love.  It's a hobby that allows me to turn a quilt into a labour of love.  This quilt was TRULY a labour of love for my parents.  I started in aaaaages ago.  In fact there's a few blog posts way back to prove it! ( here, here, here, and even here)

But finally, FINALLY, it was completed.  Not quite in time for their actual anniversary, but not too far behind.  

This quilt is a pattern by a local quilter by the name of Cheryl Wall.  Cheryl is a wonderful, gentle soul who designs quilts with such character.  Thanks Cheryl!  This particular quilt pattern is called 'Village Sampler'.  I knew it would be something my parents would enjoy.  To add my own mark on the quilt I incorporated nicknames, initials, birth dates, and anniversaries of my parents, Rob & I and the kiddos, and my brother, all over the quilt.  

This was the very, very, very first quilt I've ever had professionally quilted!  (insert cheering and applause here)  This is a BIG moment people!  I bundled this quilt and another (I'll blog that one soon) up and headed out to my dear friend Rhonda of Quilted Cats Hideaway.   I didn't know what to expect.  I knew she'd have to custom quilt it, as there is a lot of different themes going on in the quilt.  I had NO idea she'd put endless hours and love into going the extra mile to make this quilt truly unique! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the finished product.  The amount of long arm quilting on this quilt is phenomenal.  Thank you Rhonda! Rhonda did a special post on her blog with some wonderful close ups of her quilting on this quilt...check it out here.

Happy Anniversary Dad & Mom.  Know that every stitch was made with love for you both.  I am truly blessed to be your daughter.  Does anyone have a kleenex....?

Getting there...

I'm sure ya'll are getting tired of me posting swoon blocks, but hey, I luv em'!  Remember THIS pile of scraps and squares...well I finally transformed them into these.  I still have a bunch more to go and I'm not sure how I'm going to lay them all out and quilt them, but I'll figure it out when I get there.  I'm not nearly done with these swoon blocks...I'm gonna keep trying till I get the perfect quilt!

Custom Order...

Although I've somehow wandered away from the 'primitive' type colours of quilting,  (there's just too much fun new fabric out there!) I still get an order here and there for creations in the traditional colours.  This was a custom order I completed awhile back but it never made it to my blog.  This is a pattern by our local quilting sweetheart, Cheryl Wall.  I've made this pattern a few times now...although if I recall correctly, one time (years ago) I made a set of these for a relative and they all fell apart in the wash!!!  I never did figure out what the heck happened, but I think we narrowed it down to faulty thread that time.  Anyway...I'm happy to say that these came together, and stayed together, just fine!  These are pieced and embroidered one stitch at a time!  The embroidery states: 'Love makes a house a home'.  How true.


One of Cheryl's amazing books:

One piece at a time....

Another Birdie Sling...

Lately life has been crazy.  Like-Uber-Crazy.  I'm not quite ready to put crazy into words yet, but it's an all consuming-wish-I-could-get-away-from-it-for-awhile crazy.  I've neglected the blog a little, but 'family first' is the name of the game.
It's been nice to continue on with sewing.  Sewing and baking and my Bible are what are keeping me sane at the end of each day!  
I have always loved Amy Butler's Birdie Sling pattern.  It's a great pattern and a wonderful bag.  
So...here's my latest Birdie.  I love the bright, summer-ish feel to it.  Turquoise and Red are such great colours together.  Pair this bag with some great flip flops and a pair of sunglasses and I'm ready to call it summer...now if only for a beach and a slushy drink...

More Blogger's Blocks...

I recently posted here about a fun little bloggers block of the month I was following.  It's a great project for using up scraps.  I've completed a few more blocks since then and am anxiously awaiting the next block next week!  Here's the latest...

Going Retro...

There's something about these retro/reproduction 1930's fabrics that just draws me in every time I see them.  I've been 'drooling' over them for over a year now and picked up the odd one, but I found this beautiful set of fabric over at Bay Window Quilts Shop and couldn't resist!  These fabrics take me back to a simpler time, watching my Grandma bake pies in her kitchen and laying down under a quilt on her spare bed.  I have no idea what I'm going to create with these goodies, but I'll keep ya posted!  (Not the best picture, I know, but I snapped it with my phone:)

Tuesday Time Out

Ahh..Spring Break is here and snow is in the air.  Yup, snow.  Ugh.  Luckily the kiddos aren't too housebound yet.  Kim and I decided that we weren't going to let a thing like kids being home stop us from getting our Tuesday Time Out on!  Her kiddos had a craft day of their own at home and mine managed to keep themselves busy for a few hours.  Kim and I had chatted last night and decided to tackle the 'Bloggers Block of the Month' tutorial.  There's a gazillion out there and some of them cost $$ but we found this one and had fun making a few blocks today.   I'm working with the leftover scraps from American Jane's 'Punctuation' line that I used in my pinwheel quilt..which, by the way, is still waiting for me to finish it.  It's on my not-so-distant-finish-up list...honest!  Anyway..here's a few pics of the blocks.  Super easy, just time consuming.  Fun project for a rainy/snowy/sunny/crazy, but typical weather day here on the west coast.  

Just For Fun...

Last Saturday I decided to throw caution to the wind and have a sewing day!  I know, I live on the edge, baby.  Hubby had to work and I just didn't feel like doing the ever growing list of housework.  I called my partner in crime ( aka Kim) and she enabled me.  We sipped coffees and sewed the morning away!  I pulled out a purse pattern from Keyka Lou that I've been wanting to make.  I'd picked up the fabric at Joanne's a few weeks back and was itching to try them out.  They were super easy to make and I got them both DONE in the SAME day.  (Applause please.  This NEVER happens)  I'm very happy with how they turned out!

Blissful Swoon...

I have yet to grow tired of this lovely pattern, Swoon.  I've seen some beautiful fabric combinations for this block.  Here's my latest swoon done with some Bliss fabric that I had in my ever depleting stash.  I have 3 more blocks all cut and ready to go.  Now I just need the time...

I made a few swoon blocks last fall...you can see them here, here and here!

Thanks for popping by today...have a great day!

Popular Placemats...

I have made enough placemats in the past few months to set a table for the masses!  I have enjoyed creating different colour combos in these and recently completed a custom order for these black, grey and white placemats with a matching runner.  I think they have a fun, contemporary look to them. This order was for a set of six.  If you're looking for the name and source of these patterns go HERE to read about it in a previous post!

Tuesday Timeout

Kim and I decided to have our regular Tuesday Timeout yesterday because today I'm fieldtrippin' with my Grade 1 girl!  So I guess yesterday was more of a Make-it-Monday!  I hummed and hawed about what to make yesterday.  I have an order I still need to finish, but I rarely use Tuesday Timeouts for orders...they're more of a fun day!  I dug out a bag full of cuts I had ordered online from the 'Bliss' line.  I got the bag of fabric for uber-cheap but didn't know what to do with it.  They're not the exact cuts I would've chosen from the line, but hey, beggars can't be choosers!  I decided in the end to cut the fabric for more 'Swoon' blocks.  I've seen lots of beautiful swoon quilts made and although I liked the 4 blocks I previously made here, I didn't think the fabric was the best for the project.  So, I started cutting this bundle today and hope for different results this time!  The cutting for these blocks is insane, but I got it done!  Next week I hope to start sewing!

Here's a few pics....not much to look at...YET!

Cutting for 8 completed blocks, here's cut number 1:

And...cut number 2: (poor photo quality..didn't realize it at the time!

A glimpse of vintage...

For those of you who didn't have a chance to make it out to the vintage market you missed a great day!  It was cooooold, but fun.  Kim and I were bundled up and crowding the portable heaters!  A Starbucks egg nog latte was the perfect treat on a cold day!  We had a successful day and enjoyed seeing what all the other vendors had on display.  Lots of friendly, familiar faces to visit with made the day extra special.  Here's a glimpse of what the day held....click here

Looking forward to today...

Today Kim and I will be at our last vendor event for the season!  It is a local vintage market that has gained a remarkable following, for good reason!  I can't wait to go...even though the forecasted high is 5*celcius!  It should be a great day.  I'm looking forward to setting up, pre-event shopping, lots of coffee/hot chocolate, and visiting with friends and strangers alike!  Wish me luck!

Mini Tree Skirt...

I found a tutorial for this mini tree skirt a loooong time ago, and for the life of me I can't remember who did it.  But, to whomever did, my thanks and acknowledgement goes out to you sista, and I will try to dig through the archives and find you to give you proper thanks!
I had fun making this little tree skirt.  Many people have smaller trees these days and it can be hard to find a tree skirt for those little guys!  This pattern was fairly easy and fun to do.  I love how it joins with ribbon at the opening.  Well, Kim's on her way over to do set up for the open house so I'd better get out of my jammies and into work mode!

Runner Up...

Lovin' the Brights...

My habit is to quilt in subtle, softer tones, but I'm really learning to love the bright fabrics.  This cute strippy runner is one of a few I'll have at the open house.  Now, off the computer to finish the binding by hand on this one!
P.S...so apparently I took the picture upside down...oops!  Can I use crazy, busy as my excuse?  thanks...

Here Birdie, Birdie...

Up today is the ever loved Birdie Sling by Amy Butler!  I have made a few of these in the past, but there's always a new fabric combination that screams 'Make me into a Birdie Sling'!  These bags are a little time consuming to make, but the end result is always worth it.  These suckers are so durable that they'll last a lifetime!

I'm Hooked...

Hooked on a book.  When we were down in Washington on holidays this year I stopped in at a quilt shop in Marysville that I had visited a couple of years earlier.  It's a cute little shop with a variety of beautiful fabrics.  I stumbled upon a book called Sweetwater's Simple Home and fell in love!  I bought the book as a birthday prezzie to myself and have thoroughly enjoyed reading through it multiple times.  There are beautiful project patterns for every room in the house and I am determined to make at least one of everything out of the book!  One of my new favourite patterns in the book is for placemats.  I'm always on the look out for a great placemat pattern.  One that's functional but still contemporary.  These ones are perfect!  They will make perfect presents!  I'm having fun switching the pattern up a little and strip piecing some of the tops.  They're super easy, and not too time consuming.  Now, I realize that this should have been photographed with a lovely table setting showing off the beauty of the placemat, but at this point in time I can barely leave the sewing room to even do a blog post...so this is it for now!

T Minus 2 weeks and counting...

Yikes, Open House is creeping up fast, as it always does!  Check out my sidebar to the right for details.
I'm going to give a sneak peek each day leading up to the Open House to let you see what I've been working on.
Today, it's these chenille quilt tops that I recently pieced.  Now, I realize that the colours are a little 'old school' but there's something irresistable about a soft, snuggly blanket like this one for a newborn.
I still have to quilt them and bind them but here's the gist...

Final Swoon Block...(for now;)

I definitely want to do this project again, but with a line of fabric that is more conducive to this pattern.  I plan to finish each of these 4 swoon blocks individually as table mats.  They'll be available at our annual Christmas Open House...check out the 'deets' on my sidebar to the right!