happy halloween!

... courtesy of my daughters & the best gluten.free.chocolate.cake.mix ever.

thank you

Wow you guys!  I can hardly believe it.  Thank you so much.  I am both flattered and grateful. 

Maybe now I might start to believe I'm a little better than "just ok" with a camera. ;)  Honestly, I still feel like somewhat of a hack.  I only ever took one photography class once ... and that was over 20 years ago!  My favourite blogs are the ones that grab me by the eyeballs and don't let go - I know you know what I mean.  So I try very hard to give you something pretty to feast on in return.  It's very nice to know I'm getting it right.

But to my eye, there is still room for improvement and I will keep trying to get better, so you will keep coming back here to visit me. :)

almost finished ...

Just got THIS back from my longarmer.

In a word ... Eeeeeeeep! :)

I will show you LOTS of photos once I get the binding done, which won't take long because we just had our first snowfall yesterday (I know) and I'm in the mood to do little else but cozy things ... and binding a big quilt is just that very sort of thing.

Excuse me, but Netflix beckons.

persimmon & bordeaux

I know, I know.  More of my round pencil cases.  It's just that they are so fun for me to make.  And I really do prefer making gifts that are practical. 

You may be a little surprised to see these decidedly non-shabby chic colours here in pinkaqualand.  But I tailor the colours to suit the recipients. 

Besides, it's full-on Fall around here.  The ground is blanketed with layers of fallen leaves and I'm quite enjoying the warmth of these rich colours at the moment.  I even indulged myself last week with a very cozy, plum coloured, super-fine merino wool cardigan. 

Happy weekend!

what's pink & white & aqua all over?

The January Blogger's Choice Bundle I got to put together for Fat Quarter Shop!  You can sign up here to be notified when it's available.

Quick ... somebody pinch me! :)

ivory, taupe & wheat

As I slowly pack up the house for our impending move in about 5 months I've noticed a few "objets d'art" (sounds more impressive than "crafty sewy thingies") I made long before I started blogging.  So I thought I'd share some of them with you, starting with this little wallhanging that's been cheering up a corner in my kitchen for about 6 years.

The inspiration came from one of my favourite Japanese magazines - Patchwork Quilt Tsushin.  The project in the magazine was for a pillow.  I wasn't too crazy about the shape, but I was smitten with the combination of creamy neutral fabrics and the hexagon/courthouse steps blocks. 

I was fairly new to the soft, tranquil world of Japanese taupes at the time, but had started building a nice little taupe stash and was excited to use them ... mostly Yoko Saito & Mrs. March collections by Lecien and a bit of Daiwabo. 

But the embroidered wheat/daisy design?  That's what really hooked me in ... I had.to.make.them.  I even had the perfect wheat print for the block centers.  The embroidery stitches - done with a white/ivory variegated floss - obscure most of the print, but you can see the wheat desgin it if you look closely.

I don't know where it will go in our new house.  Not the kitchen.  Our main floor is open concept so the only  kitchen walls are reserved for cabinetry.  But at a diminutive 10" x 11.5", it won't need much space.

*     *     *     *     *

Congratulations Emily in Florida, you are the winner of a $50 gift certificate to Bear Creek Quilting Co.!  And thank you to everyone who played along. :)

i'm blushing

Well.  You could have knocked me over with a feather yesterday when I learned that not only had I been nominated as a "Best Photography in Embroidery" blog by Craftsy, I'd actually advanced to the second round!

Say what?!

Wow.  I consider that a super huge compliment, considering all the amazing people and stunning work out there in blogland.  For my little blog to be recognized like that ... well ... like they say in Hollywood, "It's an honour to be nominated." :)

You know, one of the things that motivated me to start blogging in the first place was because I was so inspired by the many dedicated and talented bloggers ... the whole craft blog thing just really excited me.  I've always loved teaching and sharing what I know with anyone who was interested.  The fact that you, my dear readers, keep coming to visit me here reaffirms that I'm doing something right.  So thank you for that.  Really. 

Anyhow, if you want to play along and vote for me - or for any one of the many wonderful blogs that are also nominated in the several categories - click on the button below!

Every time you vote (only once per category please) you are entered to win a free Crafty class.

:) k

same but different

Just working on a few little projects here.

I played around mixing both my Liberty Tana Lawns and Japanese Liberty-inspired prints.  They work so nicely together.

I'm proud of myself for actually using them ... for more than one project even!  Normally I hang on to my prettiest fabrics forever.

I couldn't settle on a top-stitching design, so I did two different ones ... 1/8" on either side of the seams & and cross-hatched.  Still don't know which one I like better.

bear creek quilting co. giveaway

No matter how busy life gets we always have time for a little giveaway fun, right?  Today I'm delighted to offer you a chance to win a $50 gift certificate from Bear Creek Quilting Company.

They're a terrific online shop with lots to offer including fabrics, kits, books & patterns, notions & tools ...  Here are just a few of my favourite finds:

Are you thinking about Christmas quilts yet?

I have this bundle ... you know how we love pink around here.

And I have this collection too ...

It's got really cute prints of vintage notions and haberdashery ... all in neutrals ... they look so good with all my Japanese taupes.

To enter the giveaway, hop over to Bear Creek Quilting Company and sign up for their newsletter (top right corner of their home page) and them come back here to leave me a comment.  If you already subscribe, just leave me a comment!  Easy.

Entries close on Sunday October 20th and I'll announce the winner Monday the 21st.  Good luck!

And Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians!

more stitch-a-long fun

Have you heard of the Temecula Quilt Company.  They are a fantastic quilt shop in sunny California.  Even way up here in Canada they're famous.  I have a lot of quilting friends who make a point of going to Temecula, just so they can go shopping there.

But they also have a terrific online service, if California isn't in your travel plans.

Well, it turns out they're starting up a weekly stitch-a-long with my book! They'll be posting their progress every Saturday on their blog.

Not only that, but you can order a starter kit from them (with or without the book, if you already have a copy).  The kit even comes with an adorable custom ruler box to hold all your floss and notions.  I'm going to order one I already ordered a few of those for myself. :)

They're taking orders now and will start stitching at the end of this month.  Hop over to their website for more details. It's gonna be a lot of fun!

lost & found

Remember this quilt I made last year?  It's become a family favourite.

And remember all those little scrap strips I had left over?

I started making a miniature quilt with them and managed to eke out a 12" x 15" slab.

Then I set it aside.

Then it got lost.

Under a big pile of stuff in my sewing room.

Well, the poor little thing finally got itself found the other day and it was perfect timing because I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.

(I was so excited that I started cutting it up before I thought to take a photo to show you!)

You know how it goes around here ... I'll show you when it's finished. ;)

in motion

I have a little tidbit of knowledge I wanted to share with you today.  It's about the "movement" of fabric and how it relates to quilting.

Before I go any further, let me clarify by saying I've never taken a class or anything on this subject ... I'm not an expert by any means ... these are just opinions I've developed over my quilting years.

When I started quilting, I'd hear the term used and was left scratching my head.  What the heck is fabric movement? 

Eventually, I learned that most prints have a direction (vertical, horizontal, diagonal, etc.).  Some are more obvious than others.  And this design element in the fabric can be used to enhance the design of a quilt.  Whether you are aware of it or not, the way you position any print in a quilt will affect the finished look ... sometimes in a very dramatic way, sometimes not so much. 

I quite enjoy using fabric direction as part of my own personal quilting style and I play around with it a lot.  (Sometimes maybe too much.)  My hexagon diamonds gave me the idea and inspiration to write about the importance of this subject.

Below are 4 diamonds made with the same small check.

Top left is diagonal, top right is vertical, bottom left is random.  Can you see how they all look different?  Ignoring the colour, each block has its own personality which results from the way I oriented the lines of the print.

The bottom right is also vertical, but if you notice the two hexagons that are side by side just above the bottom point, you'll see that the fabric was basted to the template a little crooked.  So even though most of the hexagons are vertical, those 2 slightly crooked ones affect the appearance of the entire diamond.  It looks a little wonky, doesn't it?

Ooh.  I just got an idea.  I'm going to make a block with all the lines going in the same direction ... except for one little errant hexagon.  :)

Here are 3 more diamonds with the same plaid print but the lines oriented differently.

Notice the first one ... it's supposed to be straight, but it looks really crooked.  That's because the strong red line is obviously misaligned from one hexagon to the next.  So even though all the lines are parallel there is a funky sort of attitude going on in that block.

In fact, the block on the left feels more tense to me ... like the hexagons don't quite fit together properly and were forced into position, whereas the block on the right looks and feels more relaxed, even though the lines of the plaid are going every which way.  (I actually worked a little on the green block, making the lines match up as best I could ... that's why it looks more orderly than the yellow one.)

As a quilter, do you notice that sort of thing?  If you do, does the wonky bother you or are you totally zen and let things go as they please?

My personal bent is towards order.  I can drive myself crazy trying to make sure the prints in my quilt are all going in the right direction.  It's sometimes like nails on a chalkboard to me if I see a print that's upside down.

That said, I've found myself more recently drawn to the playfulness of random.  This is hard for me to do.  But whenever I've studied antique quilts - or even just really interesting contemporary ones - and noticed how the makers didn't always care about "perfection", it makes me think that I should just relax and not be so controlling about things all the time.

Oh sweet irony ... this means I need to PRACTICE being DELIBERATELY random.

"Dear tooth-Fariy,"

I couldn't resist sharing this with you ...

It was almost bedtime (of course) when she asked me for a "scrap" of fabric.  Next thing I knew she was at my sewing machine whipping together this eensy-weensy-wee little purse as a gift for the Tooth Fairy ... because she was expecting a visit very soon.

I think it took her all of about 5 minutes.

Love.this.kid.

cutting fabric hexagons tutorial

I've had a lot of questions lately about how I cut my fabric hexagons so I thought I'd write a little tutorial for you.  This is a super easy way to cut a lot of hexagons quickly ... (recommended for English paper-piecing only).

Step 1

Measure the height of a hexagon template - mine is 7/8".

Step 2

Add 1/2" to the measurement from Step 1 (for seam allowance) and cut a strip of fabric that width - mine is 1-3/8".

Step 3

Lay a template, centered and a little bit away from the end of the strip.

Step 4

Measure 1/4" away from the top left edge of the hexagon. 

Trim the corner.

Step 5

Measure 1/4" away from the bottom left edge of the hexagon and trim.

Step 6

Repeat for the top and bottom right edges of the hexagon. 

You are essentially cutting an "X".  This "X" conveniently forms the left edges of the next hexagon. 

Nice, eh?

Step 7

Take the cut fabric hexagon and lay it on the strip of fabric, matching up the point on the left side.  Use this first hexagon as your cutting template from now on.

Step 8

Cut the next "X".

Step 9

Repeat as necessary.

By the way, I usually stack as many as 6 fabric strips at a time ... I can cut a lot of hexagons quickly!

Also, don't worry about being super duper accurate ... these fabric hexagons will be basted onto perfectly shaped English Paper Piecing templates so you don't need to be as accurate as if you were machine piecing them.

I hope you find this tutorial useful.

still hexagoning

I have another batch of 26 hexagon diamonds done. 

I can't make any more until I join these blocks into rows because I'm out of templates.  Again.  (I think maybe I should just go get some more.)

And this stack includes some of my new Liberty Tana Lawns ... 

You guys, this next one is reeeeeally really dark. 

As in really. 

Dark.

I wouldn't normally go for this print.  It's not quite me.  But I forced myself to buy it because I wanted to have some "edgy" fabrics in the mix.  It's hard for me to do this, but I so often find that the most interesting quilts are the ones that have those oddball colours & prints thrown in.  So I'm stepping a little outside my comfort zone with this one. 

I did a preliminary layout with my new diamonds and this one DEFINITELY stands out during "the squint test".  But I'm only slightly uncomfortable with it ... not overwhelmingly.  So I'm gonna use it.

And if I don't like it when the quilt is done, I'll tell myself to grow up and get over it already.

'Cause it is a beautiful fabric.

No matter how I feel about it.