His & Hers Sheet Set (entry 21)

Lisa Jones and I put together this set of sheets for a couple that is getting married - we wanted to personalize them and they turned out so cute!! I'm writing the pattern now...should be up in my store shortly.

We know they will love them!! Who wouldn't?

Update: Just got back from the wedding and these were an absolute hit!! - We knew they would be ;)

Update on Friday, January 8, 2010 by Valerie

Update on these adorable sheets my sister and I made for my cousin and his new wife...

They sure turned out good...pattern to come!

Feedback on Camera Bag, Comments (entry 20)

So I'm waiting on my cousin Amie and a friend of mine Shannon M to send me pictures of the Cutest Camera Bag completed projects so I can post them for all of you to read...hu hum ladies. I'm excited and want to see what you came up with ;)

Here's my cousin Amie's comments from Facebook so now you know why I want to see the finished bags so bad :D

Here's her Cutest Camera Bag pic - so adorable;)

Also, I got the cutest email from a friend of mine with regards to my BLOG and I wanted to share this with you all - thanks Eileen L.

"That was fun. I love quilts with all of my heart and wish I was a quilter. My grandma did quilting all of our lives and just looking at them is like eating comfort food."

Thanks!

E."

Podcasts and BLOGS (entry 19)

Hi Ladies, I wanted to share a few of my favourite Podcasts & BLOGS with you that I listen to on a regular basis and love.

First: Alison Rosen puts out this excellent BLOG called Within a Quarter Inch - she always has so many good ideas and I love her sense of humour - just a good down to earth person with a creative heart - I can relate, can you? Here's the link to her Podcast - it's completely free listen to her while commuting into work and you will have a blast!!

Second: I also listen to Gene's called Quilted Cupcake she's also great to listen to - just very down to earth. She just did this fab one on aprons.

Third: Rachel Griffith called p.s. I Quilt she is quite gifted and creative - I like her short & sweet blog postings.

Fourth: Is my sister Lisa Jones's BLOG called Urbane Bliss. This isn't a BLOG about quilting or crafting although she is quite creative and is becoming more involved in the whole Pastimes Online Biz and she is an excellent sewer. She writes about her kids, natural parenting, massage as she is a massage therapist and owns her own business called Urban Therapeutics which is mobile massage. I always learn something from her...

Log Cabin Tutorial, Pizza Box Challenge (entry 18)

Hi Ya'll, (I just like saying that as you Texan's always sound so fun with your drawl accent)

As you know I've started a pizza box challenge (thanks to Boston Pizza for donation the boxes for us - so generous of them). I'm on my way to a retreat on the 2 & 3 of October so I had to get my block completed for the pizza box challenge.

I've always wanted a log cabin quilt but never seem to get around to making one - helping my mum right now make this beautiful one...can't wait to see that one finished.

So I thought since I'm making one now for my Pizza Box Challenge I would do a tutorial on piecing them together the easy way.

First I found one of my favourite quilting books on blocks

Found the log cabin option pages

The block I wanted to complete (Diagram 7) and figured out my final size which will be 9" and I wanted the one with the contrasting from one side to the other with the red block in the middle. The red center block dates back to civil war times and it generally means heart of the home. I chose 1.5" widths for my strips.

I chose subtle blues (4)

red for the center square and tans and browns for the light side of the block

a) sew your center square 1.5" x 1.5" to the 1st tan as in Diagram 7

b) line up your ruler and cut the excess of this first strip off so it's straight

c) finished center

d) add your next strip on (unfortunately I cut mine prior to taking the photo)

c) add you next 1/2 round of blues on both sides (see Diagram 7)

c) cut excess of blue off

make sure you press well on the wrong side keeping everything nice and straight

d) next 1/2 round of tans

e) remember to do both sides of the half

f) continue on until you have the desired size or equal rounds or both ;)

g) final round - press well and your done!!

any questions email me or leave a comment

Freebie 15, Block 11, Upcoming Challenges, Aprons (entry 17)

I absolutely loved this block - it is so cheery and fun!!

I was a bit worried by the amount of pieces we had to piece together but in the end, step by step, it worked out awesome.

Here's my pile of pieces after I cut them following instructions...

Here's my finished block - I love it!!

Valerie

Now that September is upon us...all of the Guilds have started back up again and I belong to 2: Lakeside Quilters (my home town Guild in Chestermere, AB) & Flying Needles which is out in Millarville, AB. 

Lakeside Quilters I'm working on some of their projects - mystery quilt (this is when you get cutting instructions, amounts/values of fabrics and block instructions but you don't know what the final quilt will be), Raffle Quilt project of some sort as we do this one every year.

Flying Needles Quilt Group I'm working on quite a few things - maybe over extended myself just a little ;)

Mystery Quilt - which I don't know what it is this year as in the past I have helped with them, Jan B has redesigned this one and will be sending the instructions to me to lead

This is a mystery that we did a few years back - I embellished with the bias vine around the outside border and leaves but you get the idea.

Pizza Box Challenge: this is when you come up with the first block or the "theme" of the quilt you want add .5m of fabric and pass it onto the next person. There is usually about 9 blocks completed at the end that are yours, then you come up with the finished quilt. Here's a pic of mine from several years ago.

9 blocks in total, the block I started with is the top left

This was my very first time with free motion quilting, here's the close up - I'm pretty proud of my first time;)

Here's the back I strip pieced it to use up the rest of the fabric. I also have this one for sale on Etsy if you are interested.

Apron Challenge: I made this one apron a while back and it's hanging in my kitchen but I'm going to go hog-wild with this new challenge - not sure yet what I'm going to do but I love how big aprons are now - don't you?

Here's the one that is hanging in my kitchen.

My mom loves to make aprons and I know she is making a whole bunch more when we go on our retreat Oct 2nd to Rustlers Lodge, Sundre, Alberta. but here's a bit of a preview of some of her other aprons..

Left to Right: SIL Colleen M, MIL Sandy M and me. Arn't these the cutest aprons!! Thanks Mum!!

More to come...Valerie

Update on Thursday, September 17, 2009 by Valerie

Here's a mystery quilt I've done with other guilds and love how they have turned out

This is a mystery quilt I did in 2004 and I called it Mysterious Hearts at first I didn't like so much background but in the end I was really happy with it.

Here's a close up of the quilting

Here's another mystery quilt that Beth S complete - I think there was about 17 of us in the group I headed up the project but I didn't have time to complete the quilt but boy did I love the way it turned out!!

I'm not sure if Beth has named this one as of yet but it's gorgeous.

Check out her amazing quilting - I know she loves this one and now I know why - nice job Beth;)