Piper Stars:: A Finish

A second finish for the year and it is not even February! Meet Piper Stars. A couple of weeks ago a friend asked for a quilt for a new Babe. Now, said friend lives in New York and I live in Nova Scotia. How do quilter and client connect to get the order just right?

It actually was pretty easy! Say what you want about social media, but by using facebook we were able to decide on pattern and fabric just by posting pictures in an album on facebook!

First, the pattern. I used Reverse Hopscotch from Vanessa at V and Co. and together we chose a bundle of Piper by Dear Stella. The good news, this fabric was in my stash! So the update on the Fabric Fasting is that I am still good, no weakness! I did have to by 3 meters of flannel for the pieced back, but that is ok with the rules :)

pieced backing, the cream is super soft flannel

 

I made a pieced binding and did simple straight line quilting to finish it off.

Now, here is the thing. For a Lovely Year of Finishes my January goal was to finish my other commission quilt - postage stamps...

 

Weeeelll, when I made that goal, I did not have this rush baby order. Sooooo, Postage Stamps moves to a February goal and Piper Stars is the winner for January! 

So, to make this post all official like, I am linking up with Rebecca for Fabriholics Anonymous since I am keeping to my fabric fasting goals, and with Shanna and Melissa for A Lovely Year of Finishes for the January Linky Party. 

How are your January goals going?

Adrienne

The Library Project:: Here We Go!

Today is the day! Time to share your picks for The Library Project.

Let's do it - here are my Picks for the year...

1. First up - Emily Cier's Scrap Republic: 8 Quilt Projects for Those who Love Color. This book is just amazing! So much inspiration for all of those scraps. The Project I have picked in the book is Volume.

2. This next pick has been on my shelf for awhile and I think is the book I pick up the most to paw through. It intrigues and frightens me all at the same time. Cherri House City Quilts:12 Dramatic Projects Inspired by Urban Views. Not sure if it is all of the solids, or the graphic modern designs, but I love this book, so I had to include it. The Project will be City Tracks. I already have a fabric bundle ready to go!

3. I am really excited to make something out of this next book, Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts by Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen. It was hard to chose, but I am going with the Urban Garden Quilt.

4. This book is brand new to the library (seriously, bought this last week!). Quilt Improv: Incredible Quilts form Everyday Inspirations by Lucie Summers. This book is gorgeous! I am going to make the cover project Building Blocks Quilt. Oh I hope my version turns out that cool!

5. This next choice was one I knew from the beginning. Denyse Schmidt Modern Quilts: Traditional Inspiration. I love every single quilt in this book, so choosing just one was HARD!

As you can see I want to make more than one project from this one! Maybe a little over-ambitious :). So I am going to save my final choice for when I actually get to the book. Gonna wait to see how I feel at the time. But here are the delicious quilts I will choose from

Don't Forget, here is how TLP works:

1. Dig out your quilt books (or magazine, or pattern, whatever you consider a part of your Modern Quilting Library) and select as few or as many projects as you would like to make from January to December 2014 - one per book. I leave the number of projects you chose up to you, as I know how busy life can be. BUT - I would like to challenge you to at least 4 projects :)
2. Each month come back here to link up with my update post and tell us about your progress.
3. At the end of the year I will host a final link up party where you show all of your finished projects for the year. From these posts I will randomly chose a winner for a prize. (this is likely very unprofessional but I don't know what the prize will be yet - just haven't gotten that far. But I promise it will be good, and open to international participants!)

The link up schedule:

• January 17th, 2014 - Write and link up your first post with you book / project choices
• February through November - Monthly links ups on the third Friday of every month with progress on your projects
• December 2014 - Final post to show off all of your finishes and link up to be eligible for the prize! 

AND, what is a Quilt Along without meeting new friends? So why not visits the links before and after yours and see what everyone is up to!

AND AND, if you are an Instagram junkie (like me) connect with #TheLibraryProject

Now it is time to hear from all of you! Link up your posts below and share your picks - can't wait to browse through the stacks of your Library!
Adrienne

TLP - What Counts as "Library"

A quick post tonight to shed some clarification on The Library Project.

As you have been getting ready for Friday's link up on your Library Project picks I have had lots of questions about if projects can come from sources other than books. For example, some people have individual patterns on their shelves, or patterns in Magazines that have been earmarked for years...

Since I am making the rules...I say everything goes! If your library includes books, magazines, or patterns that you have been wanting to make, now is the time! So if you are a new quilter and your library is a couple of books, don't let that hold you back :)

See you all on Friday!
Adrienne

Getting Things Done & Getting Ready

Are you ready? The Library Project starts this Friday - January 17th! I have been pawing through my books this weekend, re-evaluating my picks for the Project, I can't wait to show you what I chose.

The link up schedule:

• January 17th, 2014 - Write and link up your first post with you book / project choices
• February through November - Monthly links ups on the third Friday of every month with progress on your projects
• December 2014 - Final post to show off all of your finishes and link up to be eligible for the prize!

I have a button on my side bar which you can grab. Grab and go!

Besides getting ready for TLP (yeah that's right, I am throwing a new acronym out there), I needed to get some stuff done this weekend! First off, Bee Blocks! This month for ModQImprov Canada Nicole over at Snips Snippets asked for some cool little improv blocks from 42 Quilts. She chose a dark color palette that I really like - greys, blues and everything in between! Here is my fabric pull and the finished blocks.

 

I'm starting to get a little more comfortable with Improv. I wonder if one of my Library Picks will be improv? Next up, for Global Scrap Bee, more little blocks with some paper piecing! I love me some paper piecing.

These kaleidoscope blocks are a pattern from Red Pepper Quilts which you can download here for free on Craftsy.

And now, it's confession time. Last year I got on the bandwagon to make The Penny Sampler through Stitched in Color. I bought the on-line class, read a lot on the blog posts, pulled fabric, and, well, that was it. Not one cut or stitch was made. How did this happen you ask? Well I did not start when the class started. As each week went by I got further and further behind and the option to catch up just got away from me. I do feel bad about this, but ultimately it was a project for fun, so not TOO bad. My lesson learned is that if I am going to join any kind of class or Quilt Along, I know I need to stick to the timetable with the rest of the group. I won't catch up, I just won't.

But, all is not lost. That fabric I pulled, it got re-purposed today.

My quilty friend Leigh Anne from Ella's Cottage and I have issued a personal challenge to one another to complete the City Sampler Quilt from Tula Pink's Book 100 Modern Quilt Blocks. Yup, 100 blocks people, 100! Our plan is a chapter a month (which equals about 15 blocks) for six months, with plans for the finished quilt in the Fall.

So today I started! Three blocks under my belt. This is quite a challenge! But at the end, we get to pick some fabric out of our stashes to trade. Fun! We are also both fabric fasting this year so this trade will be an extra special treat!

Well I think that is it for now. I need to get off line and get some Maritime Modern Quilt Guild work done. We had a great meeting this week, focusing on Quilting As You Go. You can check out the meeting here... now I need to get ready for the next meeting! This group is so fun. Getting this going was a a great decision!

Can't wait to see your Library picks at the end of the week! So excited!
Adrienne

I Will Finish! another lofty goal

I have made a lot of quilty commitments this year. A lot. Let's sum up:

• Fabriholics Anonymous Fabric Fast with Making Rebecca Lynne
• The Library Project Quilt Along here
• Finish my UFOs = there are eight quilts and a tote!
• Global Scrap Bee and ModQImprovB Canada
• Getting the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild Going

Maybe this is too many. Maybe. But I think I need to add one more. One more good one. So that all of the others can happen. I need motivation to keep those finishes happening because with the eight UFOs and six Library Project Picks, that makes fourteen - 14!- needed finishes. (holy lord people!)

So I am going to join Melissa from Sew BitterSweet Designs and Shanna at Fiber of All Sorts for A Lovely Year of Finishes. At the start of each month you linky party your finish goal for the month, and then at the end of the month you link up your finish. There are prizes and stuff too, but I am more interested in just keeping to the schedule!

Let's get started shall we? For January, my goal is to finish my Postage Stamps III Quilt. This is a commissioned quilt with a history and I would really like to get it to it's new happy home soon!

Today I pieced all 20 stamp blocks for the top so I am feeling confident that I will get this baby done by the end of the month.

Thanks for dropping in to witness more of my crazy-time goal setting. Be sure to check out the other entries in the goal setting link-up party.

Oh and since you are here - how are your New Year's goals coming? All set? Would love to hear of other crazy folks out there!
Adrienne

Summer Wheels:: A Finish

Yesterday we had a good old fashioned blizzard here in Nova Scotia. It was awesome! Today dawned bright and sunny, albeit a tad frigid. But I was determined to show off my first finish for 2014. So I bundled up and headed out into the yard, where there is now enough snow to make most things picturesque:)

The wind made these types of shots not so great. Good thing my hubby is a good sport!

The Patchwork Wheel blocks, based on Don't Call Me Betsy's Tutorial were all made by my Global Scrap Bee Mates. I love putting a Bee quilt together. So much thought and dare I say sewing love goes into each block and when they come in the mail I am just tickled. I hope they all like this finish as much as I do.

 

Summer Wheels you say? Kind of a funny title for a quilt finished in the dead of winter. But this Palette was the inspiration for my bee mates to put their blocks together.

I definitely had summer in mind. But I think it will look as great at the beach as it does in the snow...

This quilt was all about showcasing some Quilting As You Go. For the blocks, I quilted circles, which I did a tutorial on here, and the sashing I quilted as well before joining everything together. After a wash, and the flannel on the back, it turned out nice and cozy crinkly.

I also tried a Zig Zag binding this time, I think I like it!

All in all, a good start to the year. Thank you again to all of the gals at the Global Scrap Bee. I love this quilt!
Adrienne 

WiP Wednesday: the one with a bag

Not even one day into the new year and I am all atwitter with my new project: A bag! Yes people, I am taking the plunge and making something with stuff like "stay seams", "facing" and zippers!(I have no idea what a stay seam is!).  I have been wanting to make Elizabeth Hartman's Sewing Circle Tote for quite awhile now, but lacked the courage to start.

The supplies! Finally cutting into my stack of Shelburne Falls

However, in January the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild is starting monthly sew-ins. I for sure need a new bag to tote around my quilting projects/supplies. So I talked my quilty friend Jennifer from A Quarter Inch from the Edge, into making one with me. I was trying to be sneaky about the whole thing, but in the end told Jenn that I just needed her to do this. I don't have the sewing skills to tackle a project like this, and Jenn does! So we get a couple Stitch and Bitch(s) in AND we both have fancy new bags. Win. Win.

One page of cutting instructions. Everything gets a letter classification in my world. I know, Geek is the word.

So on Saturday we started. We started cutting. Cutting and Cutting. Four hours of ruler and rotary cutter later, we had all of the pieces ready to go.

Jenn tackling cutting

I will admit that I was getting more and more anxious about putting the pieces together as I cut, but the directions were very clear, and now that all of that leg work is done, I think putting the components together will be smooth. Wow, that fake confidence sounds good right!?

First came the straps. If the straps are any indication, this bag is going to be sturdy! The we got into doing some Quilt As You Go piecing for the outside pockets.

So far so good. I am loving the Essex Linen with the prints. Oh and pleasant surprise, when I pulled out the stack of Sheburne Falls from my stash, I thought they were fat quarters. But when I opened them up, they were 1/2 yard cuts. Merry Christmas to me!!!

We are both anxious to keep working on this, so Jenn will be back on Saturday to keep at it. I am likely a bit delusional, but hoping we can finish this weekend!

So what are you working on this week? I have seen such amazing "wrap up" and resolution posts today. So great to see all of the amazing accomplishments for the year and have a chance to get excited about the new!
Adrienne

ps - must include a photo of our helper

Penny loves a good scrap bin,and apparently the Christmas lights which I just caught her trying to eat in this pic. She looks guilty doesn't she!

pps
I am inspired by these words I saw today:
“For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.”
― T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets