Squishy mail...

I got the loveliest surprise in the mail today.....

all the way from the U.K.

I couldn't imagine what it could be!

That sweetheart Benta, who I only know from the SoA bee, sent me something I badly needed and can't get here!

Colour Catchers!!!

I am completely thrilled!

Thank you Benta! xxoo

Catching Up!

We had a spectacular long week-end for Victoria Day this year. Lots of yard work got done, the mower and BBQ are is working order, the dandelions got fertilized :-(.

I still managed to get some sewing time in too.

Marcelle Medallion has taken over my life and my sewing room!

Fabric scattered everywhere!

I ended up changing out 2 more flying geese due to the red fabric fiasco.

Now, I have added 2 more borders.

I used a collection of Spot On for the brick row, and a really nice New Moon print for the wide border, and a bit of Glimma in the corners.

For the plus row, I'm using Carnaby Street, which was the original inspiration for this quilt!

*********

I did manage to take a few moments out of my quality Marcelle time to do up some bee blocks, mail finished blocks, and finish some charity blocks.

In the Star of Africa bee, I made a paper pieced block for Brinda, and mailed it before I changed my mind and tore it all apart!

It was such a huge block @ 15", that I didn't have enough dark blue to complete it.

I feel bad about this block, but it took me hours and hours to paper piece , so I decided to send it as is and offer a sincere apology!

********

For our Happiness Circle @ dGS, Chelsea is doing a huge patchwork heart surrounded by low volume blocks. It is going to be absolutely spectacular!

As I don't have a large stash of pink/red fabrics, I got to do both blocks in the low volume background.

By the way, is the new Flickr format freaking anybody else out!!

I don't like change people!!

First Google Reader, and now this! :-)

********

I'm really loving the Simply Solids bee on Flickr, and for May, Shena sent us a tutorial for an Alberta Star.

I love this block, and so many different colour combinations are showing up.

 I took the brighter is better route!

******

Finally, our Saskatoon MQG decided to piece together a couple of quilts for charity using a bundle of Snap Pop that I was fortunate to win.

We chopped up the 36 FQ's and divided it amongst those who wanted to participate.

We could do any 12" blocks we wanted!

I did 4 blocks and used some of my own solids.

This last block served a double purpose!

I'm planning to use this Rolling Stone block when my turn comes up in August for the Simply Solids bee. so I thought this would be a good time to test out the construction!

I'm quite happy with, my wonky colours aside!

Well, that's a catch up (mostly for myself!) on what I have been working on the last few weeks!

Now, back to Marcelle!

The Cat Who Saved A Quilt

No, this isn't a new Lilian Jackson Braun book!
But I must admit to loving those goofy cat stories!
This story is about a cat, a quilt, an ironing board and a puked up furball......
do you need a minute ?
Here is the cat...
Sheriti...

Aw, isn't she a cutie! She is such a cuddly girl too!
Here is the quilt (in progress)
Marcelle Medallion

Here is the ironing board....

and here is....
No! I didn't take a photo of the puked up furball!!!
You'll just need to use your imagination for that one!
Finally, here is the story...:-)
I was minding my own business, and sewing a border on my Marcelle Medallion, when Sheriti coughed puked up a hairball on my ironing table!
 I was not a happy camper, as you can imagine!
After I gently shooed her away.( pause for visual effect),
I started cleaning up the mess.
Look what I discovered...

the red colour started to run!!!!
If you just said "holy crap", well so did I!
I just used some of this very red fabric in the quilt......

and I was pretty pleased about it too!
So, I had no choice but to undo my quilt...again....and remove the offending piece!
Luckily, it was at the top of the row, and didn't take all that long to do.
And that's how The Cat Saved a Quilt.
and, she got treats and kisses!
the end

Blogger's Quilt Festival- Spring 2013

This is a fun time of year, where I get so much inspiration from the fabulous work of other quilters.

As in previous Blogger's Quilt Festivals, our hostess is Amy @ Amy's Creative Side.

My first entry this year is Starry, Starry Night.
in the Favourite Scrap Quilt category-entry #12

This is the first string quilt using scraps I have ever done, and also the first time I used Navy as a primary colour in a quilt!
Who knew I would love navy so much!
This is a throw quilt measuring 61"x67".
For the backing, I used AMH voile and really love the feel of it.

 I really enjoyed quilting this one!

I quilted 1/4" on each side of the coloured seams, then used yellow, green and purple thread to quilt the intersections in the navy parts.
For the border, I quilted a tetris pattern.

I am also placing an entry into the
Favourite Quilt Photographer category.
This quilt is No Name Triangle-entry #3

I'm entering it because I went out into a snow storm to take these photos!
It is a lap quilt measuring 51"x55" using Chicopee.
I used a red 28wt. Auriful thread to do the circular quilting.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you are enjoying the Festival!

Marcelle love....

I having the best time working on the Marcelle Medallion, to the exclusion of almost everything else!

Well, I did manage to clean windows this week-end, but that's about it!

I almost made a huge mistake with Marcelle that would have made me absolutely nuts...

I didn't even notice it in the photo...

do you see it??

it wasn't until I was adding the next border that I realized that one row of triangles was going in the wrong direction!!

EEK!!!

When I looked at the pattern, it turns out that the one that looked wrong, was the only one that was right!

So, a dilemma.....

do I change the one row, or change 3 rows.

Well, I never coloured outside the lines as a child either, so I ripped out the 3 rows and turned them around! :-)

Then I spent way too much time deciding on the fabric for the third border, before just going with the Hope Valley.

I pulled out all of my text fabric to do the flying geese, and I love how it looks!

For the background I use Kona flesh, which has a slight pink tone to it.

and look.....

I didn't even plan that one!

on to the next round......

WIP Wednesday 08-05-2013

Well, it seems that the stars aligned and led me on a path to learn something new, but also to abandon something I was already doing!

First, the WIP I abandoned.....

it has really surprised me how quickly I packed this one away....

I had been dreaming of doing the 12 trees quilt using the Oakshott shot cottons I purchased just for this project!

For some reason, I wasn't really loving this.

Or maybe this is where the stars come in! 

:-) :-)

Two converging wins!

First, a magazine from Lynne at Lily's Quilts.....

The Marcelle Medallion on the cover has been a quilt I've wanted to do!

Yay!

Then I won a FQ bundle of Carnaby Street from Fabricworm

 It was just meant to be, right!

I used this print as a jumping off point for fabric colours...

and so I began

sewing!

I won't rehash my troubles with inset seams because I'm completely over it!

Day #2 

I have added two borders...

I used those Oakshott shot cottons in the triangle border....love!

I'm not sure if I like the pink corners, but I'll leave it until I add the next border.

and this is why I abandoned everything else!!!

Who could blame me!

I do have to put this aside for a couple days to get Bee blocks done, but I can hardly wait to get back at it!

So, that's about it for WIP Wednesday.

I'll link up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced

 

and The Needle and Thread Network.

Want a laugh??

Have a great sewing week!

I think I get the joke.....!

I have been seeing a few Marcelle Medallion quilts around the blogs lately, and kept thinking I'd put it somewhere on a list for sometime later.

Check these out-Red Pepper Quilts,  Live A Colorful Life, sotka handmade.

Then, in the mail, arrived this magazine which I won from Lynne @ Lily's Quilts.-thanks Lynne!!!!

Really!!!

Yup, on the cover!

Even I could take that hint!

So, I gathered up a pile of fabric, cut a bunch of templates and started in.

Oh, oh.......y seams...eek!

No problem, I told my stupid self.

Read some tutorials, and watched some u-tube videos.

They all said it was easier than it looks, and fun.

Who are these people!!??

Then I realized they must have all gotten together and decided to have a go at me!

Just for laughs!

It was not easy, and most certainly not fun.

 I lost count of the number of times I unpicked stitches.

Finally, with a little help from some fishing line, hot glue and a stapler, it got put together.

Not exactly beautifully, but it will hold up.

 Moving on to the next part...thank goodness!