Spring On Safari

   Safari Oh Goodie, oh goodie it's here. It makes me feel like spring. This hard to get fabric is in house Wednesday. Would be a really cool One Block Wonder or Stack 'n Whack or kid's quilt.  

24" xwof continuous repeat yardage.

stripes run parallel to selvedge

   Oh my three more weeks. I had planned on having the blocks all put together by now. Another wishful thinking. This week it's wonderful to have a Cuppa and watch the Winter Flower

turn into a Scatter of Split Hexie Flowers. (Hmm not a bad ditty if I say so myself.)

   Also this week we've been entering fabric, notions and precuts like crazy on Quiltnasium's website. Our faces are very tired at the end of the day.

Showering

   Again, the daily snow showering. But we've counteracted this with Showering Stars by Robin Pickens. This week we'll be working on the quilt. Come on in to Quiltnasium to see the to put your kit and pattern together. Or, message us here.

Plus, we've been writing up and testing the pattern Ribbons for the Limoncello fabric that's here. Wonderful yellow, gray and pearlized white.

   This week I noticed that the we've been writing a little ditty about each week's Splendid Sampler II blocks. So in keeping with tradition here is the next ditty. Get To The Point, by Rhonda Pierce, Sailor Collar, by Jenni Smith,

 because I'm Out On A Limb, by Carrie Nelson, and want to go on My Road Trip, By Terry Atkinson.

Tata for now.
Enjoy!

My Turn

   It's been an exciting and wonderful week to see everyone's version of my block, Fresh Start. Last Thursday my block, Fresh Start and three other fabulous designer blocks in the Splendid Sampler II were introduced to you.

   Fresh Start by myself is great for experimenting with texture. The next fun block, Pack Your Bags, by Jodie Carlton made me think I should be booking a winter break getaway very soon.

Blue Ribbon by Melissa Mortenson, was harder but well worth the persistence. Mine is still 3D. The outside edges will be sewn down when the surrounding blocks are attached. Lastly, Lauren's Flower Basket, by Annette Plog gave way to wishing the winter away. I can hardly wait for spring.

   Quiltnasium is now open Wednesday to Sunday 10a-4p. Come and investigate what is behind door 4. We are ready to start post the retro fabric on Quiltnasium's facebook page for sale so that we can bring in more new. Check it out on Thursday. Be sure to like us and follow us so you can see the fabric.

Enjoy!

Splendid Sampler II Fresh Start Block

   First, I was very excited, honoured and grateful when contacted to participate in the Splendid Sampler II program. To be among these wonderful quilt designers is awesome and humbling.

It is very interesting that my block, Fresh Start, on page 44 in The Splendid Sampler 2 book, is being presented this week because on Wednesday we opened the quilt studio for Next Step Quilt Designs, Quiltnasium. Another fresh start, scary and exciting at the same time.

The block in the book uses lots of texture. The sunny yellow version above plays with value and texture. Be brave and experiment.

Remember to post your version of the Fresh Start block  to get your name in for an Aurifil Thread box.

Our giveaway from January 24 to 30 at 23:59 is $4.00 CAD off one of Next Step's patterns in PDF form that will be processed and emailed to you within 24 hours in PDF form. Enter splendid2 in the coupon box in checkout cart area. Charges will be adjusted at our end.

Enjoy!

A Block Here A Block There Studio

   Who spent today cyber mondaying beside me. Oh my the credit card took a beating. But I helped in keeping the economy going.
   A busy last few days. We are at the block a day this week. Here are three of them.

And how many of you are still working on the Splendid Sampler II blocks. Did you get Thursday's bonus block? Here is my Sunny Side Up version.

   Next Step studio - scraping glue off the floor. walls surrounded the perimeter of the glue and cubicles were all around.

After day 1.

Ice on the Lake

   Oh no, winter is really coming. Ice is beginning to form on the lake, there is frost in the mornings and we shoveled three times last week. Every year I say we're only going to shovel the front sidewalk and a path from the front door to the front sidewalk. So far so good. The new vehicle is bigger and higher off the ground so, will see how it goes.

  We are into week one of the next 80 Splendid Sampler II blocks. You can get your book in softcover or kindle version.

Here is my Sunny Side Up version breakfast for four. (top left clockwise) Curves Forever by Jenny Pedigo & Helen Robinson. We think this cool block would make a great border as well. Estelle by Joyce Beenes. Oh how I love the smaller pieced blocks and so easy to make. You can really change the block look by changing the values. Next is Hashtag Love by Jane Davidson. A wonderfully simple yet effective block. We all love the hashtags. Was hashtag even a word before social media? 😄 It definitely is better than pound love. Lastly, Ticker Tape by Debbie Brown. Check out her blog Higheredhands Debbie Brown Quilts .

  Do you see that white stuff? Who put it there? Brr. Hm! Since I can't go outside without getting a chill and my feet wet, I think I'll just lay in the sun till Spring.

The Final Block

  This is it. The 20th and last free block from the Splendid Sampler II. Thanks to Lissa Alexander for her block, Big Sun.

We found it tricky making the quarter square rectangle.

It was tricky making the rectangular quarter triangles. 

Lay out all the triangles.

Sew the triangles together. After pressing the seam so the white fabric was on top, the yellow fabric was showing at the edge (was wider in the seam allowance so that one could see it). We had to trim the seam a smidgen. The picture shows the scissors at an angle. This causes the white fabric to be a bit wider than the yellow fabric. Therefore the yellow fabric does not show.

Pin the center point to align when sewing the two halves together.

Open center, spin and press seams.

Align the triangle marked paper on the quarter rectangle and trim around the outside edge.

   Spent an extra long long weekend at Quilt Market in Houston. Outside the convention there is a beautiful park that is used for many events. Last weekend there were also street vendors. Look at what I found! Pac men carrying the garden gnome away. 

We are always amazed at the amount of fabric collections the are produced each year. And now with digitally printed collections they are enticing that much more. Aye E!
We've all seen Hoffman's big flower. Look what Cindy McCracken has done with her flower. This gives me so many ideas for my own design. So stay tuned.

Enjoy!   

   So while mom's been either on the computer or sewing, I've discovered birds in the front rose bushes. The continuous crashing of blinds one morning made mom raise them. So now they are raised each morning. (She's still in training you know and coming along just fine.) Now I can see all the birds. Unfortunately for me and fortunately for the birds, when they land on the window sill all I can do is slap the window.  It's so frustrating. I sit there and chirp call them but cannot grab them. What to do, what to do. I guess it's called practice.

Where are you my sweet birdie.

Here birdie, birdie. Come to my window sill.

More Quilt Alongs

   Is it good to have enough quilt alongs and block of the months so that you can call it block of the day? Hum. Call me crazy. Yes, I've joined 3 more. Two from Stitchin' Tree

and Freshly Pieced's new 2019 BOM.

   Besides all this I'm working on the remaining 80 Splendid Sampler II's blocks. Since applique is not my forte, these blocks are being done first. This prevents having to continuously change the decorative thread. Ugh.  That being said here is the next free block. It's Radio Waves by Pat Sloan. Very easy.

The corner triangles were cut larger so that the block could be trimmed to the correct size.

   Ah, the life of Riley. What more can anyone ask for? R and R in the sun. 

I see you taking my picture.

Over 70

   The other day I just had to read Maclean's, Canada's happiest people are teenage boys and women over 70 article. Women over 70 are healthy, happy and enriched by life experience. The boys are' self-deluded' in their own bliss, and that's another story.

Me, I claim to be an intermediate senior, not quite 65, and definitely enjoy my semi-retired life. What is better than sitting down at a sewing machine and stitching to one's heart content, especially with Kitty or puppy by your side? Nothing, well okay, playing with grand children or pets, and visiting with friends, especially quilting friends, and family. Accordingly, we reap the benefits of having a strong sense of belonging and accomplishment. You bet we do. There is nothing better than sitting with a group of quilters and making the last stitch on a binding.

   This brings me to the next free Splendid Sampler II block, Flower Child by Carolee McMullin, owner of ADORNit.

I have to say I'm getting very proficient at applique and using more decorative stitches.  Two hints: 1) press center seams open, 2) to get the stripe going in the same direction, place the two squares either wrong or right sides together and cut diagonally.

   For those of you who have never been to Calgary or have just come during one season, ie winter or Calgary Stampede, here is a link to Maggie Ssuzzy's pictures. The music is strange for Calgary so I recommend that you watch the video with the music off.

   Splendid Sampler Block 17, Pineapple by Jane Davidson.  A little pineapple to go with the bacon. This block was much easier if you machine embroidered the little squares. Then did french or colonial knots. I definitely wasn't going to fuse or needle turn the squares. Unh-unh, nada, no way Jose. And it was even easier if you had the right fabric. Just so happens we did. Fussy cut then add colonial knot in the darker circles. WooHoo!

   If you asked me years ago to make 6" blocks I'd have laughed and said no way. And now, after making the 150 Canadian Women quilt, I love the smaller squares. Check out the latest block for the 2018 Murder Mystery quilt. Five, yes FIVE, inches square. Oh so cute. I'm finding that nothing larger than 9" squares are my favorite.

The only problem was trimming 100, yes ONE HUNDRED, hst's to 1.5" square.
Way too cute.

   We are now back in warm fall weather. Maybe, what they call, indian summer.

Good evening everyone. Last week was dreadful. It snowed and snowed and snowed. I might get my paws wet and cold. However, it was fun bugging mom to let me outside even though I had no plans to go outside. She is such a sucker. But, you know there is always a but, when the weather finally warmed up, mom let me outside unsupervised. I think she went to get her coat and forgot about me. Anyways, the door shut and I scratched and scratched and scratched. When the door opened she was so apologetic. I got a treat. Then ignored her.