Just One Slab: Quilters Supporting Alberta

As we play lawn games and BBQ, celebrating all that is Canada this weekend, there are thousands of people in Southern Alberta who are still recovering from the devastating floods. This is a quick shout out to all of the quilters, whether you are Canadian, American, Alien - would you like to help?

Cheryl from Dining Room Empire, who lives in Calgary,  is organizing Just One Slab to help the victims of this terrible natural disaster

Maybe you can't spare the fabric or time or postage to send a whole quilt but maybe you can make just one block. And the more of you that can make and send just one block, the more quilts they'll be able to donate. Cheryl will put all the blocks together into quilts. With an army of local long armers lined up to donate their time they will get some beds and hearts covered in no time.

Please head over to Cheryl's Blog for more details and share this post too! The more that know, the more we can do.
Adrienne

Picking Fabric & New Hop Stops

Guess what? It's time to start a new project! I can feel my rotary cutter radiating happiness right now (seriously). A friend of mine, let's call her the "Fabulous Ms. D" has asked me to make a quilt for her guest bedroom. Said quilt will be on the wall above the bed, I have free reign in design, and she gave me a couple of fabrics that spoke to her to start from

This is some glorious gingham and a lovely blue plaid. Very summery no? Ms. D wanted something "beachy and Nova Scotia-ee". Obviously the plan is to pair this with some fresh Kona White as a start.

For the design, I decided to try a new pattern, one that has been on my "I want to do" list - Crooked Cabins from The Blue Chair

I just LOVE this design and I am fairly certain that the Log Cabin block, in all it's versatile yumminess is my very favorite.

Next step of course is to pick some more fabric to go with Ms. D's start. I have read different blog posts on how folks pick fabric. Some seem very scientific, and others just instinct. I get the whole color theory thing, but honestly I just start throwing things together and see what I like. Should I be admitting this? Sometimes I do this, take pictures of various combos and then go through the pictures to see what "works" or just what I like.

So here are some combos to go with Ms D's reds and blue



Option One -  some more reds and some brighter blues

Option Two - adding some grey to the mix

Option Three - Adding some "orange", what I though was red when I ordered on-line to the mix

Option Four - Get rid of the grey

Option Five - Changing up the blues to some softer options

Option Six - Adding grey back in with the softer blues



Option Seven - Grey and Orange with the soft blues

Option Eight - Orange with the soft blues

After all of that, I am not sure that I have my final pick yet, but there are a couple in the running...

What do you think? Any of these combos speak to you?
How do you pick fabric? Science or gut?

It's Friday! That means it's time for more fun stops on the Plum and June Let's Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop

Friday, June 28

Green @ So Sew Green

Gwendellyn @ The Rainbow Revolts

Jessica @ Stitched In Thyme

Amira @ Little Mushroom Cap

Kathy @ Kayak Quilting

Michelle @ Factotum Of Arts

Paula @ The Sassy Quilter

Kris @ Sew Sunshine

Camilla @ Faffling

Happy Canada Day All!
Adrienne

Bliangles

Don't you wish I would finish this crazy Triangle quilt? I do! I finished the top since we last spoke, and yes, it may be a hot mess, but I figured I now have a new design, the "Bliangle", a blunt tipped triangle. Who said I wasn't a designer?!

Regardless of the mess, I am in love with this baby. In just under a week I will be moving into my new house, so stitching will be on hold for a little bit. But that doesn't mean I am going anywhere, stay tuned for some conversations about stashing, picking fabrics, maybe some other interesting stuff!

Oh and in case you wanted to see some of the fun from the weekend...

There was beach combing...


 Check out my sea glass haul!

There was lobster eating - this is the only evidence left. We ate 'em!

There was hot tubing, which is even better in the rain...

And there was picture taking

Thanks for stopping by! Today I am linking up at

 

Adrienne

It's the freakin' weekend & I'm about to have me some fun...

TGIF! It has been a busy week. The day job is rockin' and I have been having some fun with quilts and friends. I am headed to the beach this weekend, and (scarily enough) I am going to leave the computer behind. Two and a half days, not connected. Scary and exciting all at the same time :)

BUT, I am taking my finished Triangle Quilt top with me, so there will be some good pictures come Tuesday... in the mean time, there is still lots of fun to be had - this weeks instalment of the Plum and June Let's Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop

Here is this weeks list

Leigh Anne @ Ella's Cottage

Stacey @ The Tilted Quilt

Sarah @ Quilt Candy

Jackie @ NW Patchwork

Liz @ Beadqueene's Bits And Baubles

Erica @ Happy Fabric

Stephanie @ Simple Sewendipity

Lauren @ Seraphym

Amy @ Cloud CouCou Crafts

 

Hop on over why don't you and let me know what you find. I do know that The Tilted Quilt is hosting a giveaway.... tempting I know. Off you go. See you after the weekend!
Adrienne

WiP Wednesday: The one where I am frustrated

OK you heard it here first, I am soooo frustrated! No surprise, my WiP this week is the Triangle Quilt. The surprise is that I am running into this

Right! those are some blunt mismatched triangles right there! Why oh why is this happening? I cut precisely, I pieced the rows precisely, but when the rows started coming together I hit this. Ugh! Here is some more of the injustice...

Oh the humanity! I feel like I am letting fabric down everywhere, that Carnaby Street is crying silent tears. I am making a bad name for triangles everywhere!

Ok, taking a deep breath. I mean this is not an international crisis, it is not like 100% cotton is becoming obsolete (oh the horror!), but I am disappointed that this is not turning out as I had hoped. It seems like this is happening a lot lately.

With so many more rows to go, and so many already put together, I have decided (right or wrong) to soldier on. This quilt is just for me, it will cuddle me on the couch, regardless of it's imperfect points. But I do wish I can figure out the issue. Any advice would be welcome...

On a happier note, I did finish my second orb block this week. This one will be a pillow when my pillow forms make their final journey from Ontario to my new home...please come home pillow forms, I miss you!

Well, I am off to stare at the blunt triangle tips for just a bit longer. Little buggers. Thanks for visiting and listening to me vent, aren't you glad you tuned in!

I'm Linking up with Freshly Pieced, flaws and all :)
Adrienne

Rain vs. triangles: you decide

It's raining. It's cold. It's dark. I mean come on! Nearly the end of June and I am kind of not friends with mother nature anymore. I needed something to brighten my day. Carnaby Street and Triangles. Let the sunshine in!

 

 

Yeah yeah, my rows are numbered. Why do we have to be so precise to get a scrappy look?!

Another bright thing for today. It's time for this weeks stops on the Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop. I cannot tell you how much fun I am having on this hop. You should check out this weeks posters

 

Julie @ Jolie Maxtin

Melissa @ Melia Mae Quilting

Adrianne @ On The Windy Side

Molli @ Molli Sparkles

Laura @ Little And Lots

Sarah @ Duck Egg Threads

Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

Cari @ There's A Thread

Valerie @ Between Quilts

 

Something else to consider before I go. While I was outside taking triangle pictures, I noticed that even rainy yards can be beautiful.

Just for fun I am linking up today for Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict since I finally got started on my triangle rows. Can I get a whoop whoop!

Happy Friday!
Adrienne

It's a modern mini challenge

If you haven't heard, Jennifer over at Ellison Lane Quilts is hosting the Modern Mini Quilt Challenge.

I was all like "oh I have nothing to contribute, I have made ONE mini quilt in all of the my years, and it isn't even an original design". And then I was like "You did not enter the Bloggers Quilt Festival this year, and you regret it" Yes I talk to myself a lot. I am basically ok with it. 

So, to calm the voices, here I am entering my very first (and only to date) mini quilt - Star burst

As I said, all of the credit goes to Megan over at Canoe Ridge Creations. Star burst is part of her Fresh Mini Quilt Club. I joined the club so that I could focus on learning some new techniques in both piecing and quilting.

 

My particular goal with this project was to learn more about straight line quilting. You can find more about my lessons learned here on my original post. Bottom line, I was super stoked about how my quilting lines came out, and it gave me more confidence to do this in other projects.

I ended up sending this quilt to a friend as part of a creative pay it forward. No matter how it does in this challenge, I know that it is in a good home and is loved!

Good luck to all of the other "challengers"! I cannot wait to see them and get inspired to make more minis :)
Adrienne