I Swear, it wasn't that big yesterday

My to do pile that is. It seems when I started my day yesterday I did not have THAT many projects underway or wanting to be underway, and yet when I came home from the MMQG Sew In last night and really started looking at what I got this morning...I have all of this going on

You see our local LQS Atlantic Fabrics was gracious enough to host our March Sew In AND give us a special shopping discount for the day. So from my shopping list I got this...a super cute ribbon to go with the petite house fabric I have to make a Fairy Tooth pillow for a special little girl

A couple of zippers, because all of a sudden those mermaids need to be a pencil case. Like STAT.

Some navy and red for a custom flag pillow order I just got.

And then, there was this...all the way from Qatar, Five meters of coveted IKEA Nummers. Thanks Scrapmaster for hooking a girl up!

And then, I finally made a decision about what to make with my coveted jelly roll of Botanics, so I got the solids that I need to make a top. Kona Ash and White.

And then I needed to replace one of my favorite rules my 9 1/2 Square. Somehow it must have been heated and it is warped. So sad to see my 13 year old buddy go. But I got this shiny new 71/2 square.

Oh and I might have also got some actual sewing done...perhaps I finished my Riley Blake Challenge Quilt top...

Man I love Sew Ins, and Sew Ins with shopping are extra special :) Thank you Atlantic Fabrics for a great day.

I am linking up with Molly at Sunday Stash since it looks like mine might be just a bit bigger today.
How did your stash do this weekend?
Adrienne

A Little Hope

It's Friday. This week has been full of serious highs and serious lows. I will not bore you with the details but lets just say that I am stoked that the week is nearly over!

With all the hoopla I have not had much time to get to the machine, but I did finish this little flimsy off...

If you remember, Hope is from the improv piecing class that I took earlier this month. I had a house and some trees too, but when I tried to put them all together it just did not "work". But Hope was the important thing for me, so I quilted and bound it and hung it up so that I could see it as I walked into the room.

Sometimes you just heed a little hope.
Adrienne

Linking up this week with Janet over at Simply Pieced for TGIFF!

Giant Star Part II: A Finish

We are expecting yet another winter storm here in good old Nova Scotia tonight so today I sewed up a storm...quilting and binding complete and here is a giant star lovely.

This quilt is the sister to this Giant Star that I made almost a year ago using this tutorial. Yes, it has been in the closet, waiting for it's perfect home.

I am pretty over the winter weather and the havoc it is playing with my quilty photo shoots. They are not too pretty to be honest, but Star quilts need bloggy love too, bad pictures or not.

After this little marathon binge, I still have some stitches left in me, so off to finish a wee baby quilt. Maybe I will have a Sunday finish too! Or, I might keep on with this bottle of wine and watch tv. It's hard to tell...

Are you having a quilty weekend?
Adrienne

Linking up at Show off Saturday

You want me to do what?

This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend my Guild's workshop on Improv Piecing taught by Val from Purple Boots and Pigtails. I was excited and terrified by the prospect of improv piecing. You read about people who are freed by the process, who throw away patterns for the creativity of piecing something original and all of their own.

Let's be real here people, I love me a pattern. I feel creative through patterns and am ok with it. Am I less of a creative person because of it? Who knows, but I really don't care. I like what I like! That being said, I wanted to challenge myself, step outside of the proverbial comfort zone and try something new.

Our first piece was trees. Val wanted us to piece a tree. Not scary, until it became clear that I would not be provided with measurements. Just cut a trunk about "so big". You want me to do what? But how do I know if it will work? How will I cope without my ruler? I wanted to sneak up to the teachers table and measure her sample. Legit right? NOT! I needed to break out!

So we had trees, and I did not spontaneously combust, my ruler did not hold a grudge, things were looking up. Then a house was born...and a churn dash...all bravely without measurements. But then, things really started to cook. Letters!

This was when I found my groove. Truth be told, this is really why I wanted to take the class. I want to make word quilts and wanted to know how to piece letters. By the time letters came I had put my ruler under the table and was slicing randomly. I felt awesome! The whole process gave me hope - hope that I could be creative without a pattern!

These are all of the components that we made in class. Next step will be to make some "joiner" pieces and make this into something. It may be a wall hanging, it may be a quilt. Who knows? My ruler doesn't know, and is wishing me luck!

I have to thank Val for such a wonderful class. This was her first foray into teaching and I think she was sweatin' it! But she was born to be at the head of a class, I can't wait for the next one.

Are you a pattern girl, improv girl? Either way, have fun out there!
Adrienne

And the winner is...

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments you left on my Blogversary post. I love my people! 

The lucky winner of the fabric bundle is....

Lucky number 13!....Barbara Konkle

Thanks to everyone who played along.  Have a fabulous quilty week.

Adrienne