Lunch at the Fraserview Golf Course

 A rare day without quilts to share but we discovered a new place to go for lunch.  We wanted to take Marybeth out to thank her for hosting our meetings and she suggested we try out the Fraserview Golf Course.

The talk was all about the Olympics and quilting, of course and about finding hand projects to do in front of the TV while watching even more skilled individuals than ourselves.  A good week for getting those bindings on so there may be some good show and tell next week.  We didn't think to take any photos.

Not much to report except that we all enjoyed our get together with a misty view over the golf course.

Garden view on a sunny day

Two easy and accurate ways to do the final join of binding pieces

 This is the method that Colleen and I both use.  At one point the instructor warns you to be careful to cut on the correct side of the binding to avoid an error but that can easily be avoided by folding the long binding edge back on itself and cutting it from that side.  I hope that will be clear when you watch the video.  Colleen or I can demo it when we have our demo workshop.

Here is another video (less than a minute long) for a method that is even easier.

Perfect Mitered Corners

If you are not 100% happy with your mitered corners this little tutorial will help.  Each step is clearly photographed.  If winging it hasn't resulted in success every time you might want to incorporate some of these steps.  It works whether you finish off your binding by machine or hand.  One thing to note--if you adjust your seam allowance to wider than 1/4 inch (I use 3/8") you will need to mark the corner the same.  You will understand that when you get to that part of the tutorial.

Easy Quilt Option

 I came across this quilt on the internet yesterday.  If you're always looking for simple but attractive quilts this might be one for your list.  The whole quilt is just made with quarter snowball blocks, ie a plain square with a triangle in one corner.  That is about as simple as a quilt could be.  Quite a nice modern pattern, too.

I’m sorry I missed today’s meeting!! Thank you for all the pictures!! i definitely want to have a workshop day!!

Get together July 23, 2024

Lots to see so I will just let the photos and captions speak for themselves.

Not a keeper?  One of Malcolm's grandmother's quilts.  The condition is very poor so Sue will probably pass this one along.  Update--I might be turning this into dog beds so it will live on.

Another of Malcolm's quilts.  A whole cloth quilt completely hand quilted and still in good condition except for the binding.  Probably a keeper.  Click on the image to see a larger picture.

Detail of quilting.  

Very charming hand appliqued quilt.  Probably made between the 30's and 50's judging by the fabrics and pattern.

Detail  of applique motifs

Great striped border/binding.  Machine stitched on the back and hand sewn on the front.

Sharon working on the binding of her sweet flannel baby quilt.

A selection of Sharon's sashiko projects.  Please click on the image for a better look at the stitching.

Two different traditional threads and some indigo dyed sashiko fabric purchased on the shop hop from Chitter Chatter Fabrics

Sharon's sample pieces illustrating the first steps in her Cathedral Windows blocks

This is how the center is formed.  We are planning a workshop day and Sharon will give us a hands on demo

This is the pattern for Nancy's Duck quilt shown in the next photo.  You can see the quilt in a post from the previous week.  Nancy sent off the photo to Canada Paula Brasil (brasilanapaula@yahoo.com.br) and she received back the pattern and worksheets via a PDF

Everything is figured out for you--the number of squares of each colour as well as the number of squares you can cut from one yard of fabric.  Nancy, I am still not sure how you assembled all the 3000+ tiny pieces in this 22.8" x 22"quilt.  Did you press them down as you went?  Where did you start?  I hope you will explain in a Post or in the Comments below.

Fabrics numbered and waiting to be cut

If you want to immortalize a favourite photo here is the contact info.

Nancy's wonky blocks that she used in the border of her round robin quilt.  See Post from July 16 get together to see the quilt.  Nancy will give us a hands on demo during our workshop day

Nancy's tip:  use a sticky arrow to mark your measuring line.  I'm definitely going to get some of these.  Nancy recommended the Quilters Select rulers.  They have a coating on the back and don't slip.

Marybeth's lovely Sawtooth Star quilt--nearly finished.  Quilted with concentric chevrons started at each corner and meeting at the center.

Detail of quilting.  How did you mark that Marybeth?

Another of Leng's awesome applique quilts.  This is a quilt that you have to see in person.  A photo just cannot do it justice.  Impeccable work, Leng!

Close up of block.  Note the perfect hand embroidery on Leng's quilt.  

Detail of the teeny tiny blanket stitch used in the applique.  Note that every unit in the flower has matching thread.  Can you imagine how many times Leng had to change the thread in her machine?  Note the perfect embroidery stitching too.

Leng's label.  Perfect backing fabric, too.

Thanks for all the Show and Tell, everyone.  Yes, we really do want to see all your quilts and projects.  I think we learn something new every week.  As Colleen always says, Every Day is a School Day.  

Here is a question for Sharon from last week:  Is the quilt of the Periodic Table still on display in the Science Dept at Simon Fraser?  We were wondering that last week.

Also, we are going to have a workshop day where we can learn some new blocks and other great things.  We can do some hands on work and some demos so if you have a clever trick think about giving us a demo or if there is something you want to learn from someone in the group let us know.  No date has been set but it will be after our luncheon when Colleen gets back.

Sashiko Supplies

This is the local online shop that specializes in Sashiko and hand stitching supplies. She previously lived on the Sunshine Coast and particpated as a vendor at local shows. I've haven't seen her recently at any local shows, so assume she is online only. She sends out occasional emails when you subscribe to her newsletters, which have lots of information about stitching. https://www.athreadedneedle.com/

Twenty Basic Hand Embroidery Stitches for Absolute Beginners

 This is an excellent video if you want to learn or review basic embroidery techniques.  Why not use your sit and stitch time when we get together to practice some stitches.  I'll add this one to our Tutorial Page

Many more embroidery videos at this Youtube channel

Easy Five Minute Block

 This interesting block is worth a look.  The video is only six minutes long and gives lots of options for different layouts.  

Click on this link to watch video  Image above is just a screen shot and won't start the video

If you think you might use this block one day, here is another video which shows the same block made with charm squares.  It's a little longer but shows the construction in more detail with options about how to reduce the bulk.  Click this link to watch.

Pauline, your pillows would be so appreciated! thanks for the new videos!!

Have you heard of Prequilt?

 I intend to get three stroller quilts pieced this afternoon but I couldn't shut down my computer without passing this new discovery along.  I often see patterns on the internet that I want to make and I can usually recreate the pattern by just dissecting the blocks and drawing them out in my gridded quilt planner.  There is software available to do this called EQ but it's pricey at $330 CAD so I am still drawing everything out with a pencil (or pen if I am feeling confident) in my planner.

But I've just discovered another option when I was having a look at Karen Brown's Stashbuster quilt patterns which all come with Colouring Pages.  One click led to another and I ended up at the website for Prequilt.  Here is the link to the demo version which is free.  if you click on the Learn Block Editor link at the bottom left you will find the tutorial.  

I would definitely want to explore this on a desktop/laptop computer and think you would need to be pretty comfortable with computers to find this useful.  Dotty showed me how to do all this using the drawing feature in Word.  I could even scan my fabrics and use the scans to fill in the units in the blocks.  But using software designed for that purpose is a lot quicker.  I avoided a big mistake in a Christmas quilt I designed this way when I discovered the gold fabric I had chosen to use in one of the blocks completely overwhelmed the quilt.  Not easy to see when you are just looking at yardage.  

Five Ways to use Ugly Fabric with Free Pattern

 You are probably all familiar with Karen Brown's Youtube Channel, Just Get it Done Quilts.  She is a well known Canadian Quilter and has lots of useful videos.  Here is one about using up "ugly fabric" and it comes with a free pattern which is Stashbuster #5 at this link.

Quilt block from free pattern.  

Would make a good I Spy too.

Mastectomy Pillows Delivered

 I delivered six single and four double mastectomy pillows to the Burnaby Hospital Cancer Clinic on Thursday.  Here is a photo of Easter Tocol, the Oncology Social Worker holding one of the pillows and standing in front of a beautiful wall quilt made and donated by five unnamed quilters from Burnaby.  There is a nice label on the back identifying then only as five shop hoppers from the 2005 Shop Hop.

Scraps, scraps, drowning in scraps...

I am thinking about committing half an hour every day to making scrap blocks.  I have been very productive lately but all those quilt tops are producing lots of scraps.  Two years ago I decided not to keep anything smaller than a fat quarter in my stash.  Emptying all those bits and pieces out of my fabric drawers produced a lot of space and a lot of scraps.  And I have made a lot of scrap projects since then.  Scrap quilting is a good way to work with colour and value and to create something beautiful out of discordant fabrics.  And sometimes I make something discordant out of beautiful fabrics...  For me it's a lot of fun.  But looking at that humongous bag of scraps causes me a bit of anxiety as I watch it grow.  

When we were on the shop hop I bought a panel for dinosaur stuffies from Chitter Chatter:

Four dinos

It just so happened that I also had a huge bag of Poly Fil left from the mastectomy pillows so was happy to get it out of the box and into these.  I have a couple of panels like those Penny has been working on that I will pair them with.

But I still have a big bag of stuffing and a big bag of scraps so what to do?  I've been looking for some gnome stuffies for a PSQG project that is coming in December and found these two patterns online:

Download pattern free from Shannon Fabrics or ask me for a copy.

   

Teacup gnomes with teacup or feet.  I have pattern.

I made a trip out to The Stitchery in Port Moody on Friday to get some white batting.  Normally my unbleached batting works under white but not with my latest white top and I want to get it quilted asap and out of my sewing room.  They have a huge selection of Liberty quilting cottons and Tana Lawns.  I noticed a really charming Teddy bear made up in different Liberty fabrics and thought that would make a good scrap project.  The pattern was really impressive--very detailed with links to many tutorials and photos at the designer's website.

Visit funkyfriendsfactory.com for some awesome stuffie patterns

I took a photo of the face embroidery--chain stitch, blanket stitch and two French knots 

And one last project to add to my list, I think I have to make these Funky Friends Mix and Match Monsters to go with a Monster Quilt which is also on my future quilts list:

July 16 Get together

 There were six of  us at Marybeth's today:  Nancy, Joyce, Sue, Betty, Marybeth and me.  Joyce brought cinnamon buns which Marybeth served hot from the oven.  Then later we celebrated Sue's 52nd birthday with this fabulous watermelon cake made by Joyce.  We were all completely taken by surprise by this delicious masterpiece--the perfect cake for a Sue's July birthday.

Happy Birthday, Sue!

Joyce's Shop and Tell.  Fabric for three or four baby quilts.

Auditioning borders for Joyce's latest baby quilt

Marybeth's baby quilt.  She's planning to quilt with chevrons

Betty's Mom's quilt

Sue's Mom's quilt

Nancy's Maintain the Distance Covid quilt

Nancy's Connected quilt

All paper pieced.  We loved the wonky border squares.  A FVQG Covid project.

A guild Round Robin project

Nancy's wonky Christmas trees.

Nancy's pixelated duck.  Nancy sent off the photo and received a pattern back.  Can you let us know the service you used, Nancy.

Detail of duck.  "Pixels" fused onto background and then secured with quilting.

Nancy's Indian Kawandi projects.  See Tutorials Page for Youtube video.

New Year's Wishes.  Translation?

Korean Bojagi or Pojagi maple leaf project.  Seams finished on both sides.  From
  Elizabeth de Croos  pattern.  

Detail of seams