As if I didn’t have enough to do…..

Why not use up itty bitty 1/2 square triangle cut offs?  Am I totally nuts?  While working on my Three’s Company BOM quilt there were a ton of  1/2 square triangle cut offs from the blocks. It seemed such a waste to throw them away so I started tucking them  in a baggie and when all the blocks were finished I had accumulated 114 of the little nasties. So what do you do with all of them? Well you sew them across, square them up to 1.25 inch  and design a mini quilt. Ya really, I have way too much time on my hands.  I added a couple of small borders, quilted it up and voilà its a cute little table mat measuring about 18X20. The finished squares ended up at 3/4 of an inch.  Tiny, and so is my common sense as I could have finished a whole king size quilt in the time it took me to do this little guy.

The Center of it All

My Thimbleberries, Three’s a Crowd BOM Quilt. Finally the center is complete!…12 large blocks, 18 small blocks and 22 cheater blocks. Rows and rows of matching seams and points. Now all it needs is to be wrapped in all the borders. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this………………………………..

I wanted to Hangout all Day

At Quilt Lovers Hangout that is….We drove to Fort Myers as Dear Hubby wanted to visit an arena in the area and the trade off was that I could visit a quilt shop.

Quilt Lovers Hangout was amazing…the friendliest staff, fabulous samples and a bevy of fabric, patterns, notions and wool.  No wonder they were a shop highlighted in the Quilt Sampler Ultimate Shop Hop in 2011.

I did pick up a few things….a couple of patterns that I had not seen before, a few fat quarters and adorable printed quilt sayings that will make up into some amazing little projects……

Three’s not Company, Three’s a Crowd

I brought this BOM with me to Florida to work on as I have not touched  it since 2009…that’s right…2009. Shame on me. I started the classes and after I completed the first month, making 4 blocks…1-12 inch block and 3- 6 inch blocks… I lost interest.  Each month after that I just picked up the fabric and pattern packages till I had them al and tucked them away. I loved the quilt when I first saw it, it’s a Thimbleberries BOM design, but the blocks were intricate and I just wasn’t up to it.  The pattern is called Three’s Company.

It cost a small fortune to purchase the whole kit, so I knew I was going to have to get it finished. Florida vacation seemed like a good opportunity to slowly work through all the blocks with patience. There are a total of 48 blocks to complete for the main quilt then several borders as well.

I am delighted to say that ALL the blocks are now complete and I will start to get the quilt top together. I worked a full week on the blocks, doing the large blocks in the mornings and the smaller ones during the evenings. It feels so good to have them all pieced.

Quilts from the Heart Show- Tampa

I had the opportunity to attend the Quilters Workshop of Tampa Bay Quilt Show while we visited the Tampa area and it was a great treat. I think I’ve actually seen more quilt shops and shows in the last month  than I have the last six months.

Dear Hubby went to play hockey(yes in Tampa) and dropped me at the show. I had a few hours of delightful freedom to look, shop and get my fill before he picked me up.

The quilts were lovely and a wide variety of patterns and designs. Always inspirational…to see what other quilters are up to.

Picked up some fat 8’s for that I Spy Quilt I’m going to start,  a yard of  a basic blue, and a charm pack.

Canada Geese Wading

Well it’s all together….not quilted yet, but all attached ready to go. Wasn’t as much of a challenge as I thought, I think the 20 baggies I used to keep organized helped. It does call for an inner and outer border, however I’m debating quilting it, then having it stretched over canvas and framed instead…
Still debating…
The pattern is from Heather Soos at Bigfork Bay Cotton Company.

Six Years in the Making

I have finally finished my Pumpkin Seed Quilt. I haven’t really been working on it for the last six years…it’s like I started it six years ago, worked on it a couple of years later, then finally said come on…let’s get er’ done.  Trouble is that sometimes when you leave it so long, you loose interest in the quilt itself, the fabric becomes out-dated and so does the style…but I persevered and did finish it. It’s not quilted yet, that I’ll have to do once I think about how I’ll custom quilt it. Custom really is the only choice.

It was done with a fusible lining that you stitch around the shape, slit, then turn right side out, baste the edge, fuse to your background fabric then machine stitch around. Getting the seeds to line up was a bit of a challenge but I’m happy it’s done. Not one of my favourites, but sometimes that happens. I did get a blue and white backing which will be a good choice once I start customing it.

Fun at the Florida State Fair

Got a nice surprise at the Florida State Fair by viewing the Quilt Competition. The pics aren’t the best as the quilts were displayed behind glass.  I was delighted to find a Tisket a Tasket Quilt which I have done myself.

We had a ton of fun…it’s been years since we’ve done anything like this…we saw a circus show, animals galore, baby chicks hatching, an alligator show and had fun walking the midway.

Plus it’s no fun unless you try all the fabulous (low cal) foods everywhere! Awesome day.