Fall Resolutions

 Happy Monday, here in our house it is the final day of Summer Vacation, and tomorrow three of my boys are off to school again. I both like and dislike the start of a new school season, I like getting back into a normal routine but I do miss having my kids home with me, just not enough to start Homeschooling ;)

I will say that I do usually find myself in a mood to get organized. Going through all those cupboards that get neglected over Summer and deep cleaning everything now that there is fewer distractions always feels so refreshing. 

It also carries over to my quilting room. I like to go through all the projects that are sitting on the shelves or in the closet and take note of how far along they are and what they need to be completed, am I done just a few blocks, does it need borders, is it ready for quilting, that kind of thing. I will stack them up with the ones I want to or need to finish first on top and the least important down at the bottom. I also like to make lists, so I will write a little note about each project so that at a quick glance I know where I am at on each one. 

I also get all my notions organized again, putting each of them away properly and making sure they are still in good condition. I double check my rulers and cutting mat to see if any need replacing. I check how many fresh blades and needles I have on hand or if I should remember to get them the next time I am at the quilt shop. I take note of my Pressing Spray and if my bottle is low I will add that to my shopping list to. 

Not only do I like to go through the projects that I have on the go, I also like to look back at the list I made at the beginning of the year and see if there are any bucket list projects for the year that I have completed yet. With September right around the corner there is still a little time left in the year to get one or more of those done too. I may also look over at some other things I had hoped to accomplish and see how I am doing on those, for example have I spent any time learning a new technique, have I been better at staying on track on a Quilt Along, how have I been doing at using up some of my stash. 

One last thing I like to do at this time of year is start thinking about what I would like to do for Christmas Gifts. I usually make something for my Boys School Teachers, so I will start coming up with ideas for that, as well as gift ideas for friends and family. These last 4 months of the year can go by really quickly, so I like to at least have an idea of what I will be making and about how long each will take to make. Tote bags for example go together pretty quickly and I just need a couple evenings, but if I decide to make table runners, that is a little more time consuming when you factor in the quilting and binding. And quilts is another level on top of that yet. Getting prepared now is definitely worth it in the long run. 

Do you feel ready for a fresh start at the end of Summer?

Kayla

New Samples

 Happy Monday. I am back from our family camping trip. It was cold for most of the trip but it was great to spend a week with my husband, boys and extended family members. 

Today I want to share with you some of the new samples that we have hanging in the shop. Esther, Carrie and I have all finished up several projects in the last few weeks and there are several new quilts hanging on our walls which means there are also plenty of new kits available as well. Clicking on any of the photos will take you directly to the kit on our website. 

We have a few new Fig Tree samples in the shop. Esther stitched up this one using Catalina and the pattern Chintz. 

I made this quilt using Strawberries and Rhubarb and the pattern is called Sweet Pea by The Pattern Basket. 

Esther is working on a Pumpkin quilt using Pumpkins and Blossoms and I believe it just needs to be quilted and bound and than it will be in the shop as well. We do have kits available now for it. 

Esther just finished her Scrappy Happy Village Quilt using Cozy Up by Corey Yoder. The pattern is a free download from Moda Bakeshop. The yardage of Cozy Up is not available yet but we have Early Precuts of the collection and the pattern calls for a Layer Cake and some Solids. Kits are available and yardage should be shipping soon.  

Carrie finished up this fun Tumbler Quilt using Across the Universe. The quilt finishes at 66"x80" and is the perfect size for a little boy or girl that loves monsters and outer space. I have a 6 year old that just loves this fabric!

Flea Market Fresh is a fun line inspired by Flea Market finds. I put together this quilt which is a free pattern from Moda. It went together fairly quickly and I love how the side borders are different from the top and bottom, we always seem to do the borders all in the same print, but this is a great option too!

Carrie finished up her Ava Kate quilt and it is hanging in the shop too. There is one kit left for this quilt. I love how the mix of plus blocks and solid squares and how well they show off all the prints in this collection!

We also have two new and quick Summer Quilts in the shop. Esther made them both as beach blankets, one to use here in Alberta, and a second to take to Florida. 

They both go together really quick, one is a tumbler the other just 10" squares. 

Have you been getting any quilting in this summer? 

Kayla

New Fabric: August

 I hope everyone had a good weekend, Kayla and her family took off this week to go camping, and she left me here to do the blog this week. 

I just want to share with you some of the new collections that have come into the shop lately, there has been a few. 

I'm going to share my favorite new collection first. I'm pretty sure Esther, Kayla nd I all have a few projects planed out of this collection. Songbook by Fancy That Designs. I just love the classic hymns in this one. I plan to make a quilt for my fiance's grandma and also a few things for my new kitchen, like hot pads, a table runner, and valances. 

The Large Multi Panel

Small Multi Panel

Small Navy Panel. She also designed this one in the aqua

Another new fun line we got in is Magic of Serengeti by RJR Fabrics. 

This collection is so fun and wild when it is all put together, but the colors and prints are also accentuated when you break it down into the color groupings. Kayla plans to make a Tumbler quilt using all the prints and a couple solids. 

We have one more new collection from RJR, Pond Life. I just love the frogs in this line. Come into the store or check it out online to get a better look at all the prints and the colors.

The Christmas fabrics have started to trickle in, and it is always good to get a head start on those projects.  

First we have Starflower Christmas from Create Joy Project. I love this one because it is "Christmasy", but you can keep it out all winter, not just for the month of December. I know Esther has a table runner picked from this one. 

Next we have Christmas Morning from Lella Boutique. This collection is a very classy Christmas collection, having the reds and greens. I love the large panel that they have with this collection that looks to have a pieced border around it, but the blocks are actually just printed on the panel. This would make a super fast Christmas gift for a friend, the panel just needs to be quilted and bound. 

We also have a few more Christmas collections in early precuts. so keep checking that 'Early Release Precut' tab on the website.

We have precuts from Hustle and Bustle from Basic Grey and the yardage should be in the shop soon. 

And we also have early precuts from Home Sweet Holidays by Deb Strain. 

All these collections are so much more amazing in person, so be sure to stop in the store to check them out, or check our website to get a better look at all the individual lines. 

The Bonnie and Camille Quilt Bee: Month 7

 Welcome to another month of our Bonnie and Camille Quilt Bee. While last month we had it quite easy with just 3 simple blocks all in the same pattern this month we have a little more work ahead of us. 

We need to make 4 different blocks, and they all vary in size which is fun. 

We need to make Flutter on page 104, Friendship Star on page 105, Good Times on page 106 and Happy Day on page 108. 

We haven't made many half square triangles yet during this quilt along, but this month there are some in every block. I used my 4-in-1 Half Square Triangle Ruler from Creative Grids to trim my units to the correct size each time. 

First up Flutter. This one came together fairly quick. I chose a print that I hadn't used much of yet. It only takes one print and the background so choosing the fabric didn't take as long as it normally does. 

As mentioned above I used the 4-in-1 ruler to trim the Half Square Triangle Units to the correct size. For this block I made them as directed, pressed to the dark, and than trimmed all 4 sides of the unit, using the guide lines on the ruler. 

Friendship Star. I love making Friendship Star blocks, they are definitely in the top 10 of my favorite blocks to make. I again used the 4-in-1 ruler to trim up my HST units, than assembled the block as directed. 

I like how for all the HST units the pattern instructs us to oversize the units to allow for trimming room, it definitely helps me with accuracy and getting nice points. 

Good Times. This block is a little more work. It is a large block and there is quite a few Half Square Triangles to make. 

I screwed up when making my block and had one HST facing the wrong direction in each Corner Unit. It was probably because I was making this block at 10:30 on a Saturday Night, needless to say I spent a lot of time unsewing those blocks and than sewing them back together correctly. Be sure to watch the orientation of each HST to avoid making the same mistake as I did. 

OOPS!

Another tip is to choose fabric that is not directional, I spent a lot of time making sure my prints would go in the same direction throughout the block, and it would have been a lot quicker to use a print that was not directional. Now if you really want to use a directional print and want all your pieces going the same way, mark your blocks as shown in the photo below. Than make the Half Square Triangles as directed, lay them out as shown on the top of page 107 and see what way you need your last unit to go than mark that block and sew it. I gave mine a good finger press so I wouldn't mess it up. (Don't sew your blocks as mine are pictured because that is where I made a mistake, the directional prints are correct, but my floral should be spun 180 degrees)

I sewed my four HSTs together into corner units but than assembled the block in rows rather than quadrants, I find it a little easier to press it flat this way. 

Happy Day. This block was fairly quick to make, just a few Half Square Triangles and nice big squares. For this block I trimmed my HSTs before pressing them. It is a little quicker this way, and you just need to line up the correct line on your seam. This block I assembled in rows as well, and I just pressed each row in an alternate direction so each of my seams nested nicely. 

Have fun making your blocks, and enjoy the rest of Summer. 

Kayla

Garden Sampler BOM: Block 8

 It is August already!! I am sitting here trying to decide if I'm happy with how fast this summer is going or not. I am a little bit sad because summer is my absolute favourite time of the year, I will take all the heat and sunshine I can get. On the other hand I am super excited because my wedding is coming up super fast, so I am beyond excited for September to get here!!!

Anyways, it being a new month means it is time to pull the block of the month projects out again. I was worried I wasn't going to get my block done with all the waterskiing and wedding planning, but I carved out some time today to make it. 

This block is pretty simple, just a couple flip and stitches and a nine-patch assembly and it is finished. 

Below are my cut and labeled pieces. 

I just cut and labeled as the book said. 

Now that we are this far, I am super glad that I cut a sample of my fabrics as I used them and put them with the coordinating fabric chart at the beginning of the book, it makes pulling and cutting my fabrics each month so much easier. 

For the flip and stitch corners I used my Diagonal Seam Tape from CluckCluckSew. I love this product, it makes these flip and stitches so much easier and more accurate for me. 

The Components

When doing the nine patch assembly, be sure to watch where you are going to stitch on the flip and stitch corners, so you do not lose the star points in the center of the block.

See in the picture above how the seams all cross over eachother, I know when I go to press it I will have a nice clean point there. 

My Block 8

I am getting so excited to see all these blocks together in my finished quilt. I am having to stop myself from just making the rest of the blocks and finishing it up. 

Have a great weekend everyone, and we hope to see you at our quilt show collaborating with the town for Celebrate Main. Weather permitting we will be setting up a large quilt display on the North and East side of our building and would love to have you guys check it out.