Sew Modern Bee Quilt done!!!

Today I finished my Sew Modern Bee Quilt.

I had added a bigger border to the quilt top in order to make this a bed size quilt.

It's now a long twin size.

I'm going to donate this quilt to my Quilt Guild's Community Quilts Project.

Every year this group tries to gather twin size quilts to send to orphanages around Chernobyl, Ukraine.

I thought this quilt would be perfect for that.

I had fun trying a bunch of different free motion quilting designs.

Some I really loved and others....well, they are okay.

The border fabric I had won in a giveaway from Contemporary Cloth and the backing is also from my stash.

I haven't washed it yet, but it should crinkle up nicely!!

I hope you like it.

One more UFO off my list.

And an OPAM finish for May.

Hugs

Brittany's quilt top...

Hi everyone!!

I want to thank you all for all the wonderful comments about the top I made myself.

I haven't had that many comments in a long time, and it really means a lot to me.

Today, I helped my daughter Brittany finish her book report quilt top.

She decided to make a quilt for a book report on "The Lost Quilter" by Jennifer Chiaverini.

She did all the drawings for the blocks.

Then she transferred the drawings to fabric using the light box method.

She outlined her drawings with ultra fine Sharpie permanent marker and used colouring pencils to colour them.

She then painted on textile medium over the coloured areas of her blocks.

I then heat set them all for her.

I cut 1.5 inch strips of the fat quarters she selected from my stash.

She picked ones from my reproduction stash.

She then sashed each block with one of the 12 fabrics she chose.

With my help, I showed her how to pin the blocks together and sew them.

She sewed the first border to the top.

I'm the one who pieced and sewed the outer border to the top for her.

This part was a bit trickier for her.

I'm really amazed at how well this quilt top turned out.

Her drawings are so good for her age (12).

It was a fun project to watch her do.

It really made me proud, that she wanted to do this.

Especially knowing how much I love quilting.

And like she told me tonight: " I did good, eh Ma!!! I didn't give up on this project!!"

I laughed when she said that.

Now all we have to do is baste it and quilt it.

Not tonight though, I'm too tired!!

Hugs

I made myself a top!!

Hi everyone!

I hope you are all well.

Today, I felt better.

Yeah!!!

This afternoon I was ambitious and decided to make myself a top.

A couple weeks ago, I bought some really soft cotton lawn from Fabricland.

It was a buy 1 get 2 free sale.

So, I bought 3 fabric for $10 each and got 3 metres of each fabric.

That's a steal.

My intentions was to make myself a few summer tops.

I just want to let you know that I have tried to make myself clothes several times without success.

Commercial patterns don't fit me.

I'm a plus size, and take a size 2X or 3X depending on the brand.

(Did I just write my size on my blog? Yup!!! Ughhhhh.......just go with it)

Anyways, I'm not an average plus size.

I usually have a hard time finding tops that fit properly.

I have a small chest and I'm bigger in the middle.

I'm sure there are many plus size ladies who have the same problem as me.

Most tops are way to low cut and not fitted enough at the chest.

But, I have to go up a size to fit my middle.

It can be very frustrating to shop for clothes.

So, after making a top last week using a commercial pattern and totally blowing it....

I decided to make my own pattern.

I got my freezer paper out, grabbed my favourite tank top, and made myself a template of the front and the back piece.

 I sewed the pieces together using French seams.

This fabric frayed a lot, so I thought this would be best.

I made some bias tape out of cotton fabric to decorate the neck line. 

I can't believe it fit.

The arm holes are not too big. The neck is not too low. It's not too tight around my waist.

I did it!!

This is not stretchy fabric either.

I'm so proud of myself.

The best part though, was my husband loved it!!

He said I should make a few more.

So. I had a happy day!!!

Hugs

Making a bag....

Hi everyone!!

I hope you are all doing well.

I've been doing okay!

I had an extremely busy weekend.

My daughter was auditioning for a singing competition in Toronto last Saturday.

So after working a 12 hour shift Friday, I got a quick 2 hours of sleep before driving 3 hours to Toronto.

We arrived at 3:00 am, then stood in line until 8 am just to register. She finally had her audition at 12 noon.

Then, we drove back to Kingston. She didn't make it.

We had to stop for an hour on our way back because we were too tired to drive.

Then, when we got home I rested a bit. 

But I had to drive my oldest son to an outing then pick him up later that evening.

Lets just say I was exhausted!!!

The rest of the weekend was better, but still very busy with running around.

Did I mention that I was still sick.

Yup, I still have that nasty cold virus, turned lung, ear and sinus infection, 

that I've had since the Friday before Mother's Day (May 11th).

I finally went to the Doctors today and they gave me antibiotics.

I just wasn't getting better.

Okay!!

On a happier note,

I was on strike yesterday,

from doing any running around!

You know, napping if I want too......no cleaning....no working....

no driving.....

So guess want I did, between napping, etc....

I made a bag and two zippy pouches.

Here they are.

The fabric used is Sanctuary by Patty Young.

I've had this fabric in my stash forever.

I used a pattern in a magazine to make the bag.

I didn't like how the straps and the body fit together.

If I make it again, I will change that.

I also added the large rectangle closure.

I didn't want people to see everything in the bag.

The two zippy pouches are made from some of the scraps.

Well, that's all for today.

Hugs

Bloggers' Quilt Festival 2012

Hi everyone!

Amy from Amy's Creative Side, is hosting the Bloggers Quilt Festival again.

This  is such a fun event.

I love seeing all the quilts that are shared.

The quilt I'm sharing today is:

My A+ lap quilt

This quilt is my own design.

I shared a tutorial here on how to make the simple blocks.

I wanted a quilt that was easy and fast to piece,

that had little fabric waste and could use fat quarters.

This quilt top used 12 fat quarters to make.

It can also be made using regular 1/4 yard cuts.

I dug into my Art Gallery fabric stash for the top, and used a coordinating fabric from my stash for the back and binding.

I quilted this quilt myself on my old Kenmore domestic sewing machine.

I love the way the quilting turned out.

I used a variegated purple thread.

Here's a close-up.

Here's the back;

I am proud to say that I only bought one fat quarter to finish this quilt.

The rest of the fabric is from my stash.

And this quilt never became a UFO for me.

I got it done over a few weeks.

This quilt is 48" X 64".

Well, have fun checking out all the quilts in the festival.

Hugs

The Lost Quilter - a book report...

Hi everyone!

I hope you are all well.

Today, I'm sharing a project that my daughter Brittany is working on.

She is doing a school project for English class.

This project requires that she reads a book of her choice,

and makes a presentation to the class using unconventional methods of presenting a book report.

The book she has chosen is: "The Lost Quilter" by Jennifer Chiaverini

She's read this book a few times now, and loves it.

She decided to make a quilt with blocks showing each section that needs to be presented.

She told me it needed to be done by next Tuesday.

Oh! not much time.....I thought to myself.

She had a lot of the work done on paper already.

I told her to draw her pictures on 8.5 inch square papers, 

then we would use the light box method to get the images on the fabric blocks.

She made 12 blocks.

She has 6 of the blocks transferred to fabric, outlined with an ultra fine black Sharpie marker,

then coloured in with colouring pencils. 

I then painted on textile medium over the coloured sections, and heat set them.

I will help her sash the blocks this weekend, and then quilt it.

I'm really impressed with her drawings.

She put a lot of work and detail into them.

Once she has all her blocks done, this will make a very special wall hanging quilt.

While she's been working on this, I just had to play a bit too!

Here is a Zentangle on fabric.

Coloured with colouring pencils, outlines done using a brown fine line Prismacolor perminent marker.

I've never tried this type of marker on fabric before.

I really like the way it covers and it does not bleed at all. 

I haven't tried to wash it yet. But I will test it and let you know.

The vine on the side was done with the Sharpie marker.

Well, I'm still fighting that nasty virus.

But now, I'm coughing more, still congested like crazy....

walking around with a box of tissue in my hands (or a roll of toilet paper),

and coughing into my elbow every few minutes.

I know.....not the most attractive.

I am on the road to recovery though.

I am feeling a bit better.

I'm still smiling...see...

My new profile picture....taken this morning.

Hugs

Happy Mother's Day and Zentangles

Hi everyone!

I hope you are all well.

I'd like to wish all Mother's a very Happy Mother's Day!!

I had a good day.

I got to spend some quiet time with the family.

I am sick with a bad cold right now.

So, we didn't venture out anywhere.

At our last Quilt Guild meeting, 

we had a Certified Zentangle Instructor do a presentation.

I was quite intrigued. 

So, I bought one of the books she was selling.

I decided to try making my own tangles this week.

These are my first three attempts.

I used a ultra thin Sharpie to make my tangles.

I didn't add any shading, which would really enhance them.

But they were my first try at this and were a lot of fun.

Last night, I decided to pick up my sketch pad again.

I wasn't feeling well, so this was the perfect project to keep me occupied.

This is what I made.

Well, That's it!!

I hope you like it.

I'm definitely loving this technique.

It's very fun and relaxing.

Hugs