What's in a name?

Long ago, a quilt on Sue Garman's blog caught my eye and I couldn't shake it off. I knew I would make such a quilt one day.  That day came in October of 2014. I did the math and started to assemble the blocks. They looked pretty good.

Then I did a whole lot more blocks.  This would be a good canditate block for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. (Are you listening Gayle? lol)

 Don't they look like little accordions? I think they do. Tired of always referring it as the "Sue Garman's don't-know-the-block-name quilt" I started to think of it as the music quilt.

The layout was really fun to plan too. It took me a while to decide which one I prefer. 

Then came the border and the same question had to be answered; which one works? which one I prefer?

Eventually, it became a top.  I so love it.

The quilting was something else since I wanted to machine quilt this one. Having very little experience with this technique I didn't have a lot of choices but to do the boring but very effective "Stitch in the Ditch" done in the center and on the Hourglass Blocks of the outer border.

As I quilted, I kept thinking about those little accordions and music in general. Nobody in my family had an accordion but my uncle played the violin and my father could tap dance to any kind of music. It was funny.

 A few months later, when all that was done, I realize it wasn't quilted enough. So I got a plate out and started to mark half circles in each accordion. The quilting of those circles, sewn with the walking foot on, kept me busy for another few weeks, still reminiscing of days gone by.

 We used to have parties at my parents' home with uncles, aunts and neighbors. We would push the kitchen table to the side, the violin and the spoons would come out and we would dance in the kitchen and laugh most of the night ... for no other reason than to have fun! Good times.

Okay so some of these half circles were not so ... round? Lol. I had to redo some and some I kept just to show my humble beginning.

All the while I was working on other projects too. One of them was calling for leaves so I decided to practice the leaves on this quilt since there was a gap between the center and the edges that needed ... something. 

Really? !!  You can barely follow a half circle and you think you can do leaves ?  Still, I decided to FMQ the leaves and see what happen!!  What do I have to lose?

I draw the leaves on and started to quilt ...  again!

Not too shabby. Well, okay ... not good but good enough lol.

Then the machine had enough of me thinking of parties, I think, because it got sick !!!

This is on the back of the quilt. It was no fun undoing this. As all good things have an end, so this ended too lol.

Tonight I am joining Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching as I stitch down the binding

 And the label, of course lol.

Kitchen Party - 2015

I will show more photos of the entire quilt when all is done and washed.

Thanks for visiting. Until next time ...


;^)

Linking with Cynthia for Oh Scrap!

Still catching up

Some of you might remember these blocks for this past summer, (did I just say the summer is past? Nooooo!!)

 These blocks were started with the encouragement of Judy from Patchwork Times.  It was the Scrap Challenge of 2014. It was cancelled back in May and I decided to continue the fun.

I did a Prairie Queen block to add some orange and green.  I also did this summer, two spool blocks more than shown in the pictures . 

And then they were put away because the inspiration and the fun had fizzed out. Well, this week end, I decided to get it done NOW!

All that was missing were three 9-patch blocks. That's it!! I chose some blocks and out came the scraps and I sat down at the sewing machine and look, it is done!! 

It was challenging to take pictures on Monday as it was very windy. 

I am pretty happy with how it turned out. It is just a lap size quilt. I know it is asking for a border, but the thing is I don't know which colour it wants.  As I am looking at the downloaded pictures, I think a beige and a green border would look good. Maybe?  Too much?  I know red would look good but I would like to keep it neutral.  My intention is to give this one to a charity and if it is giving to someone in a wheelchair, I would like a man to be as happy about it as a woman would be. You know I mean? Maybe just beige border and a darker binding? Oh the possibilities!!! 

Since I have other projects to work on, I will put this one on the back burner for the moment.  We'll see what it has to say for itself in a little while.  

Until next time .... SM;^)LE ... it's always possible. 

Monday's Options on Wednesday night!

(I know I am late ...My Internet is acting up or is it Blogger?)

Anyway, on Sunday, I've cleaned up the sewing room and ran the vacuum.  I've put everything away. EVERYTHING!!! After a stressful morning, a clean slate is what the doctor called for. All those fabrics around me were screaming to be use in this project or that project, others were reminding me that I have promised to do this quilt and that quilt and ... oh my! shut the front door! (Paste a deep slow relaxing sigh HERE.)

Now,

When things calmed down, I was able to accomplish a few things. Lots of baking for the boys and laundry too but I'll skip talking about that since it is so boooooring! In the sewing room, I did manage to stir a quilt in the right direction...I think.

Previously, I have made these blocks

They are scrappy and pretty bright.  Then I did the Spool blocks which used up the beige scraps and it gives them an "older" look, if you know what I mean. 

When I put the two together, it looked like a "whatever's left in the fridge" kind of stew. I didn't like it. So I tried to do some blocks with more beige and the spools with more whites. Like this. 

I think I am getting somewhere...

... but I 'm not there yet. 

So that was my Monday. Tuesday just vanished.  Pouff!!  And now it's Wednesday!  This evening, I will sew borders on the crumb quilt. Hope you too can find your inner peace and piece some fabric together. :)

Until next time ... SMiLE ... and be awesome!

Monday's options

Judy L from Patchwork Times was doing a scrappy BOM.  I said "was" because she, unfortunately,  had to stop due to technical problems with the linky thingy or something like that, things I don't truly understand yet. Anyway, it was the first time I'd joined a group and it was the first time I was challenging myself in using only scraps. Needless to say I was very sad to hear the news (and probably some of you too). These are my renditions of the blocks that Judy had proposed to us from January through May.

The last block was a Spool block which I love so I grabbed that idea and ran with it.

and ran some more .... (starting to sound like Forrest Gump!)

and then the news came that there will be no more.  :(

This past weekend I was looking at the blocks thinking "it's so sad.  All these beautiful blocks and nowhere to ... run.  But I can do this on my own. Yea why not? I know some 9 patch blocks! Go girl!!"
So I did!

Here is Prairie Queen in orange and green because I really don't have a lot of those colours in the quilt yet.

And tonight, I'll be working on another 9 patch of some kind. We'll see where it gets me. Oh! the thrills of the unknown. So this is my Monday's options; to make a quilt or leave the poor blocks on the shelf?  Yes, yes, I am running to my sewing machine to make a quilt out of them!

Until next time ...  SMiLe ... it sweetens the day!

It's May

... and Judy L at Patchwork Times has posted the block for May.  It's a spool block!  Love spool blocks so I might just do a lot of this one.

April's block was Contrary Wife and here is my block

which didn't impress me.  So I went back to Judy's blog and had a second look.  Oh boy! I did the block all wrong.  Back into the scrap bin I went.  A few minutes later, I had this one made up

Yes! Much better.
Take a few minutes for yourself and have a look at all the eye candy made by different people on Judy's link.
This is one for Marcia's May for Me too.  I didn't have to change my block.  Nobody would have said there was something wrong with it ... but me! I didn't like it and even though I don't like frog stitching (like everybody else I believe) I changed it ... just to please ME!  Now, I am happy and proud to show my little block.  Just a few minutes, it's all it took to make me feel better about myself.  You too, deserve a few minutes extra, so go ahead and take the extra time for you.

Until next time ... SM ;^) LE ... just for you.

Chantal

Some slow stitching time

I've decided to follow Judy L with a Scrappy Challenge 2014.  The March block is a split 9 patch

and one of the ladies in the challenge did more than one block.  She did eight blocks and sew them into a simple but effective pattern.  You can see her design at Pieceful Kingdom here .   It inspired me to do some of my own.  A few posts back, I talked about a friend whose house burned a few weeks ago.  She has since moved into an unfurnished house.  Furnitures from everywhere were brought in and she, and her family, are kind of settled in. They, of course, have a dining set and I know that she always, ALWAYS have placemats on her dining table so I decided to make her some. 

Today, I will finished stitching the binding.  As I downloaded this picture I laughed as I realized what my patterns are. My intentions were to do a positive and a negative of TWO different patterns.  Oh well, let's say I've changed my plans half way through! LOL. I whipped these up pretty quickly this week and machine quilted them.  (Not the best of work; I am still learning the "how-to"). I thought maybe some colours would help them have brighter mornings. I only have two and half placemats to bind so I am confident that she will have some placemats on her table tonight. I am linking with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching and hope that you too will find some time to slow stitch and join us.

Until next time... SM ;^) LE .... it's a long weekend!

Chantal

Playing with Scraps

The name of the game I love best is playing with scraps.  I love it almost as much as buying new fabric LOL!

I recently found a Scrap Challenge 2014 hosted by JudyL at Patchwork Times (link below).  I looked at the blocks presented by Judy and then at all the pretty blocks everyone made and ...  yep! I had to jump on that wagon eventhough I know I will fall off at one point or another during the year but heck... what is life if not challenged? This BOM has begun in January.  Obviously I was behind but it was very easy to catch up.  So, I have made the three blocks presented so far by Judy in the first three months of this year. 

Here is my January's block:

This is February's block:

And March's :

I have absolutely no idea what I will do with these, what it will be (big or small quilt), what colour? straight or on points? I just don't know ... I am strictly following Judy's instructions and I am enjoying every moments.  Period.
I am linking to Patchwork Times so you can see all the beautiful  March' scrappy blocks (and those done in January and February too) and maybe even join us.  There is still time and plenty of places left LOL.

Hope you have a chance (or two) to sew a few stitches today. I will now go and sew the April's block. Yeah! more pure bliss!

Until next time ... SM ;^) LE ... it's scrappy time!

Chantal