On with the Show!

The wind doth blow...

And blow and blow and blow.... 

We've been gearing up for our local quilt show these past couple of weeks, slogging through snow & ice - rain & ice - ice & more ice... Now the winds blow (taking away all the ice and everything you are holding in your hands...) and they haven't stopped for the last 3 days! BUT!!! The show must go on!

I have chosen to show 2 of my quilts:

Broken Diamonds

Giant Granny Panties

I haven't had the opportunity to attend many quilt shows (2 as a matter of fact... :/) there is just something special about all those quilts, it's akin to reading a really great book that you just can't put down.  I am super excited to be able to help our guild show off our skills. 

On a personal level it's a real milestone for me to be able to show my quilts, I didn't have anything to show last year.. well that I was comfortable showing...  it's amazing to see how far I have come as a quilter and as a person, I do think that there is a fundamental change to your personality when you begin quilting. For me the difference is prominently with my level of patience, I am by far a much calmer person and less stressed as well as becoming more confident with myself.

Now that I professed to being more patient, I confess that I've been impatiently itching to complete some projects on my table, mainly the scrappy trip along but I've been continuously quilting charity quilts for the guild and haven't made too much progress on my own work. Not that I am complaining!!!!! Practice makes perfect as we all know and I have been jumping on the opportunities that have come my way. Now the only thing I have to do is start remembering to take pictures! 

5 Charity quilts down and 3 more to go!

Passionately quilting the world.

Chris.

The Madness of Quilting

Lazy Spring Days...

Are a myth, I swear it!

I have been remiss in keeping up with my blog, mainly because I totally forgot to pay my internet bill, because I thought I had paid it already */facepalm* So we were without internet for over a week, most people would gasp in horror at such a happening but it was very refreshing to be unplugged and unaware for awhile. 

$3 a metre!!

Do you realize how much time is wasted with gadgets and television? I also realized how out of touch with each we have become because of these things. It was really uplifting to go out and visit people and really spend some quality connecting time with my kids.

 I even managed to sneak away for a "Mom" day.. by myself! How rare is that?! 

Of course, I had to tour all the quilt shops on my little getaway and brought home some absolute treasures, all of the fabrics came off the sale racks, and the striped ones came out of the bargain bin! 15 metres for $45, and the original price? $20-$22/m.  Doesn't that just make you cringe?  

I posted this teaser pic awhile ago and realized I totally forgot to show off the end result!!! 

Here they are, 2 pillows made from 1 pillow panel that I had stuffed in some deep dark recess of my basement years ago, I batted and backed the panels with extra puffy batt and then quilted Minnie and the various shapes in the panel, my girls are trying to convince me that they have not grown out of Minnie mouse and they should be able to keep these pillows, lol. Unfortunately for my daughters these will be gifted to a pair of special little girls with the quilts I am making for them ;) My girls will just have to wait for Christmas for their next goodies!!

 Speaking of which, I've made some serious progress on the quilt tops, I was hoping to have them done already but for the longest time I wasn't sure if I liked them, then decided I might as well add the rest of my idea and sure enough the applique made all the difference, they have a more complete look and feel.  It didn't help to have them hanging in the basement where I don't have the best light, bringing them up into the sunshine made me more confident that I was achieving the look and feel I was going for.  I think I will add a small border to both and then I can baste and quilt them. (Finally!!)

I am also pleased to pick up applique as a skill, I am definitely not a master but I like doing it quite a bit and I feel it adds that little bit of something to a project, you know what I mean?
The best part is I am not stuck in a box with applique, if I can draw it or even visualize it, I can make it in fabric.  Speaking of which, I have fallen in love with Misty fuze, I absolutely hate Heat'n'Bond (horrid stuff), steam a seam isn't bad but it still leaves residue on my needle. I still adore fusible fleece but Misty fuze is fantastic! A little hint, it doesn't have the paper like steam a seam so you will need a non stick applique surface (I can't remember with the board is called) or you can do what I did, I just cut off little bits put them on the wrong side of my shapes, then hovered my iron over them and gave them a burst of steam to melt the fuze a little so it would stick to the shape a bit and then I was able to place my shape or batt it and then a quick press was all that was needed to get the shape to adhere. I also did not have to worry about over pressing.  Zero Residue. ZERO! (Happy dance!)

Last but certainly not least, I've had some progress on my scrappy trip along, I ended up having to make more blocks since I have utterly fantastic adding skills... 12+8=30 ..... moving along.
I've only got the 4 blocks sewn together and I am dying to see what the whole thing will look like when it's all together, I really love...love.. how these blocks are turning out and I only have 26 more to go.. is it to much to think I can have it done and ready to hang for the quilt show on the 28th?!

Quick quilt show plug: Mile '0' Quilters Guild is hosting a Strawberry Tea and Quilt show - Dawson Creek BC, April 28th at the KPAC centre (corner of 95th ave and 11th street). Entry fee is $5, there is a door prize and vendors from all over the Peace area. If your nearby or in the area, join us! 

(End of plug)

Whew!!
Passionately going mad,

Chris.