Autumn Jacket

I'm participating once again in Amy's Blogger's Creative Festival and my entry is my flannel jacket in autumn colours. I just love wearing this jacket .... so nice and cozy warm and bright! Bright ... oh yes ....

I went through my jacket sewing patterns and picked one that was simple and just started cutting out my flannels and making some 4-patch blocks. The pattern was enlarged slightly (about 1" overall) because once it was machine quilted there would be a decrease in the finished size. One thing that is missing is pockets. That is something that will be added as I really do miss putting my hands in my pockets to keep them warm when out for walks. Now what kind of pockets that will not interfere with the overall look of the jacket? Will have to think about that. DH and I were out for a walk and he commented that I blend in well with all the swirling leaves that are on the ground.

So, go and take many peeks at Amy's post and enjoy all the other quilts that are being shown. So, so, so many gorgeous quilts!

Have a great day!

New Stuff

Recently, I received this dreamy book from Jennifer. She lives close to Nundle (which I have heard so much about from Aussie girls)and she bought this book for me from Kerry Swain's quilt shop. A year ago this month, Jennifer and her DH visited their son in Toronto and we met up and the rest is history. We had a few lovely outings around Toronto. Thank you, my friend, for this lovely book.

Snow has already showed up in places just north of the city. Autumn is definitely here and winter is soon to follow. The temps. are getting colder (mind you we are to have a few nice days this week). So, the question remains: 'will we have a white Christmas?'

On Friday, I visited the Creative Festival here in Toronto. Besides picking up backing fabrics and some FQ's and a scallop ruler and books, this new ruler was on my list to buy.

So, to check out this ruler to see if it lives up to the hype, I had to start cutting fabrics and started on this new pattern. These fabrics were already laying out in my studio and since pumpkins are my favourite autumn items .... well I just had to start this pattern that I also bought at the Festival. More to follow on the ruler and this pattern.

Have a great day!

Just Blessings again

Here is my progress with this layout. Slowly, but surely, I am making headway with my blocks. My side setting triangles will be white (the blue and pink parts that you see is just my design wall). Five blocks are completed with 8 more to finish. This is the back of my rings. I use English Paper Piecing method and whatever scrap paper on hand gets used. My fabric gets basted onto the paper template and then hand sewn together.

I have tried so many different applique methods; but find myself coming back to English Paper Piecing. Whatever works for us is the way to go.

DH and I had company this past weekend. My niece, Nicole (she is wearing the wine top), ran in the Good Life Fitness Marathon and she completed 21k. Congratulations!! This was her first marathon and she breezed through the finish.

In the background, you can see some of the fall foliage that we saw when we were waiting at the Finish line at Queen's Park in downtown Toronto.

Have a great day!

Pumpkin pattern

Someone asked if my pumpkin pattern was my design .... wish I was that clever! :o) Nope, this is the book that the pattern came from.

When I did the pumpkins, I followed the templates for some .... and then .... the shape of two of the pumpkins (the large one and the small flatish pumpkin) were slightly altered as well as some of the stems. You will have to go down to my post below this one to see the differences. Just click onto the photo and see if you can spot them.

Very rarely do I follow a pattern. I need to make it my own. When I first started to quilt, one quilt pattern was followed exactly and everytime I look at it now, it reminds me to do any future patterns my way.

Have a great day!

Pumpkin time

These pumpkins were the fastest applique job that I have ever done! I just can't believe how quick they were to do! Once my blocks were done, I sewed the blocks into rows and then the rows got washed to remove any markings (Crayola washable markers). I just did not want to tempt fate and iron those markings. Once the rows were dry and ironed, they all got sewn together. Usually for me, this is where borders and procrastination come into play ..... .... but with Miss Ashes cheering me on .....

.... those borders got done! :o)

.... then with the help of Miss Hank (she always shows up when I play on the design wall and sits on the chair), the leaves got pinned in place and the vines for embroidery were drawn .....

.... and this is where my top is at today. The leaves have all been appliqued and some of the vines embroidered.

Here in Canada, today is our Thanksgiving holiday and we have so much to be thankful for.

So, to my fellow Canadians ... Happy Thanksgiving.

Change ....

Do you remember this hanging from a few posts back? Well, there was something in the large star that was bugging me and I decided to make a change. Better now than later. Below, do you see those two pieces with the flower pins .... I've decided to take them out and replace them with other fabrics. Since the backing behind the star circle has already been cut away, it is a bit more complicated and I will show you how it was done.

First, I took my Crayola Washable marker and where you see all the arrows, I traced the edge so that when I applique the new edges together there will be a line to follow.

Then, do small basting stitches (see long arrows) as these edges need to be stablised for sewing the new patches to them.

I'm doing English Paper Piecing method and my new patches have been sewn together and they are now ready to be sewn to the large star. Where you see the large asterisk (*) that is the point to start sewing. The arrow down the one edge shows the direction to sew.

Below, looking at the back of the new insert, you can see that the one edge has been sewn. I've put an arrow on the back of the insert and also an arrow on the next edge that need to be sewn together.

Next, the new insert has been pinned to the background fabric (navy blue) by following that line that was marked with my Crayola marker. This edge will now be appliqued to the background fabric.

Below, you can see the back of the star with the paper pieces still in place. They will be removed and the process is done.

... and there you have it. The change has taken place. I've started to mark up this hanging and soon will start to hand quilt it.

Have a great day!

Charming

... and that is the name that I've given my latest finish. It is finally done!

Why 'Charming'? This whole wall hanging was made out of charm squares. I changed the pattern a bit (what else is new, eh?) as all those squares were to be appliqued onto a piece of background fabric so that the fabric showed up as sashing. Too fussy for me. This is a side view so that you can see the hand quilting.

This close-up shows more of my hand quilting and it also picks up the beads in the flowers.

Pattern Source: McCall's Quilting, April 2007

Have a great day!

Pumpkin time

Now that it is October, the time has come to gather up some pumpkins. I have a nice collection of different size pumpkins for display which will be put out soon. I need to change around my summer decorations for my fall decorations. I don't have many large fall wall hangings and decided it was time to make a pumpkin quilt.

Below are some of my pumpkins that I've made using the English Paper Piecing method. I cut out paper templates and basted them to my fabric.
This is what they look like once appliqued to fabric and contour lines on the pumpkins have been embroidered.

There will be only 25 blocks in this hanging .... so it won't be long before this hanging will be finished.

Have a great day!