Good morning

We didn't have access to internet for the last days so I am soooo glad I can finally catch up with everyone's news today. And I have a few things of my own to show you. First, a winning.

Rhonda from Ravelly 1 did a gorgeous mug rug and decided to give it away.  I won!

Isn't it pretty? I think it is too cute to put a cup of coffee on it so it will go up on my wall next to my little Abundance quilt.  I love when quilters show their walls all decorated with little mini quilts. Slowly but surely, I will get one too. And Rhonda's little birdhouse will rest on my wall of fame, it flew all the way from Texas. I will add a little label at the back lest I forget where it came from. Thank you soooo much Rhonda. I love it and the little note too.


Second.
Yesterday, I picked up my quilt from the quilter. OH MY!! I am so pleased but soooooooooo pleased!! First, let me remind you that it is my first time asking someone else to quilt my quilt and this particular quilt is for my in-laws. There is a big deal of trust involved in this business you understand. My mistake was to take a quilt that didn't belong to me for my first try with a quilter. What if she does a sloppy job? What if I don't like it; can I give away something I don't like? Can I put my label on something I don't like? Will I have time to make another quilt? So many doubts and fears went through my overworked imaginative mind. Then Julie posted about her experience with a new professional quilter and how unhappy she was with the job.

                                                Oh ....

my ....

                        heart ....

                                                 sank !!!

It is not my imagination: it does happen!! 

Anyway, I got to her place and she opens the door with such a lovely and honest smile, I just can't help but feel comfortable with her.  So we talked and she showed me the quilt and oh my beating heart!!! It's GOOOORRRRGEOUS!!! 

I am sooooo pleased!  It is nothing too fancy, just a simple allover panto that I had chosen with her help and suggestion, but it makes the quilt look so much nicer. 

Blooming Star : 85 X 102

All I need to do is the binding in dark blue.  All the threads are tucked in already and the edge has been cut and basted by her. Wonderful! It is so lovely.  I didn't really like this quilt at first because it is not the kind of quilt I do ... usually. I love scrappy, busy, with lots of things to look at or movement in a quilt. This one I find ... well ... boring but... not anymore!  Needless to say, she is now allowed to quilt any quilts of mine!! She also told me that they (her and hubby) bought a house in Arnprior for quilting retreats! Guess who is saving up to go on a retreat?  She is that kind of person, the kind who is so comfortable you immediately feel comfortable with her as if you had known her for a long time. Not like me, I am shy and awkward with strangers (believe it or not) but ... I want to try a quilting retreat at least once in my lifetime.
Anyway.... here is the back of the quilt. 

Did I mentioned I am pleased with it? 

It is raining this morning so it makes a darker picture.

Today, I will add my "famous" hexies flower label and attach the binding while reading what the other wonderful slow stitchers are up to on Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching. 

Until next time ... SMiLE ... please!  

P.S. If you want more info about this quilters' retreat, you can find it here.  If you want more info about her as a professional quilter, let me know and I will give you her contact number. 

Adding border ... borders?

Is it still Wednesday evening?  Am I too late to do a WIP Wednesday post?  I did manage to do a little bit of sewing today; sewing borders on  Blooming Stars.

After this skinny blue border, I would like to add a white one.  How do you determine how wide the border should be? I usually decide what I will quilt in the border so I cut it big enough for the pattern.  But this quilt,  someone else will do the quilting so how to decide the width of the last border? It is my first time with a long arm quilter and I think I am overthinking this. Or am I? What if she suggests a pattern that I love more (than the one I had in mind) and the border is not wide enough?  How do you do it?

Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to leave a comment.  I truly appreciate it.
Until next time ... smile ...   it's hump day   ;^)

Chantal

On a sunny day

TA DAH!

The In-laws' quilt blue "Blooming Star" is a flimsy. YEAH !
I think it needs more borders. I think a small blue one then a larger white one and to finish it a dark blue binder. Or maybe not?

The more I look at it the more I think they will like it.

It was such a beautiful (windy) day, I couldn't resist taking a few pictures outside.  Now I wish I had taken a closer one.  Sorry.  Next time. I promise.  

Hope you find some time to sew this weekend too.

Until next time. ... ;^) Smile ... it's free!

Chantal

Work, work, work and ...

Play, play, play!! This is basically how I feel at the moment.
I am "working" on a quilt for my in-laws (which I love BTW) but this quilt doesn't love me.  Or I took more than I can chew. I am starting to believe I don't have the necessary ability/experience to tackle such a project so it feels like  WORK! It is not a very complicated pattern as you can see:

it consists of HSTS and squares.  My problem  My challenge is sewing them straight. Let me explain, please. It is my first attempt to do a monocolour quilt; I have always made ♫ SCRAAAPPY ♪ quilts. With those, even if you have a point that is 1/8 of an inch off, it is ok/good enough because, in the big picture, it usually disappears blends in.  In this blue quilt, if I have 1/16" off, it jumps right out at me, screaming "I am ugly!!".  :-(     I have frogged these blocks so often I could surely make a block or two with the threads I have wasted.  BUT!  I've said I would make a quilt for my Wonderful Parents In-Law and I WILL!! I know my MIL is so sweet she will genuinely love it no matter what it looks like and because she is a crafty person too, she will appreciate the time and effort involved in the making of such a quilt. But, I, yes ME, want it to be perfect.  The pattern is called Heavenly Star and it was spotted on the Quilter's Cache website.

Here, I am testing corner blocks for effects. (If you have spotted my mistake let me assure you that is has been fixed). The stars are sitting on a large piece of white flannel.  It will be a monster of a quilt (if my calculations are exact) finishing at around 87 X 112 inches. I will NOT hand quilt this one. And this is also a first for me; I have never used the services of a professional machine quilter. I am learning so much with this WORK in progress.

But ... there is also PLAY!! or FIP as in "FUN in progress". :)

I have so much fun with the ♫ SCRAAAPPY ♪ quilt, it makes my heart ♫ sing ♪.  This Leader/Ender quilt (like Bonnie K. Hunter taught us to do) is inspired by Natasha at Scraps-a-Plenty.  It is soooooooo easy to sew and to put the blocks together that sometimes I just sew those blocks and neglect give the blue quilt a break. (Got to find a better name than The blue quilt or the In-laws' quilt!) Anyway, these little blocks are made with flannel scraps from when I was sewing pajamas for the boys. I would like to make 3 quilts so I need 210 blocks and so far I have 97 blocks done. I have (was it 23 or 25 blocks) ... some blocks all cut up and ready for assembly.  The middle part of  the blocks are crumbs (little pieces of fabric) sewn together till it reaches 4.5 inches or bigger. Then I trim it and turn it into a star or an uneven 9 patch.  Because it's made of flannel, the little pieces can't be too small but still I am using alot of scraps. Some squares, made with a favorite fabric, are not pieced at all.  (Wish I could crop the carpet from the picture.  Another thing I have to learn.) 

Ok!?! For some reason, the picture is now sideways LOL but it gives you an idea of what it will look like.  Meanwhile, I am having FUUUUNNN sewing this one up!  

Until next time...  ;^)    Smile! ... 'cuz it looks good on you.

Chantal