Birds, Dinos and a Solar Event

When we were in Colorado, Joe spotted this fabric.  He's a bird lover.  So I bought 1/2 yard, not really knowing what I'd do with it - because to be honest, I don't really like it all that much (hence not a full yard/meter, which is what I would normally get).  Last week I pulled out Tonya Ricucci's book Word Play Quilts, which I've had for some time, but haven't gotten around to reading.  Naturally, once read, I needed to try something out and this fabric seemed the perfect thing.  I like the "Twitter" idea - it's a "word play" on the social media Twitter thing that everyone but me (OK - maybe a few others, too) are all excited about. 

Our friends Marla and Marlow (yes - great names for a couple, eh?) are grandparents for the first time so I had Marla look through my stash and she chose the dinos in the quilt below.  (These pix are very poor - bad lighting - I'll have to try for better ones).  I've had the dots for quite awhile - picked them up for something else that didn't work out.  I love it when I find a "perfect" use for something that didn't work somewhere else!  I called this kids quilt "Dino Play Time" because I couldn't think of anything clever.  I usually make kids quilts about 40-43 inches wide so I can use one width of fabric on the back, but this one didn't work out quite right when I tried that so I had to add a row of blocks into the backing.  I like the way it turned out.

While we're on the dino theme, I picked up the fabric in the quilt below (which is only one fabric width) on spec.  My son Craig has been obsessed with dinos since he was old enough to point.  He's 31 and this obsession has not abated.  So I always find myself drawn to the dinos.  Anyway, I had this and had offered to make a quilt for the Calgary Zoo to use in a fund raiser.  They have a dinosaur theme park area at the Zoo and we were practically residents there when Craig was growing up.  So I thought it would be a nice way to "give back".  I used the fabric like a panel, although it isn't, but neither is it designed to cut into small pieces for quilting.  I just cut the meter piece lengthwise in two (so I have enough for another quilt) and set it into border blocks.  It's an easy way to make a fun quilt.  It's called "Thunder Lizards".

Finally, here is "Solar Flare".  This is made using some Mark Lipinski fabric that I've had kicking around for awhile.  Blue and yellow is a favourite colour combination of mine.  This is another experimental design. 

For my next trick, I shall be doing "Gotham" - an idea I've had rattling around my head for awhile now.  So once this post goes up - I'm on to the Batman!  :)

A New Divas Day, A New Diva!

Brenda joined us for our recent Divas Day.  She brought her machine and off she went.  I think we have a new Diva!

Here are a couple of our recent creations.  I really like these two.

Oh Canada!  We think this will go to the Vets. 

Here is Brenda - not camera shy either!

Then of course our Gourmet Diva provided "lunch" - probably the most exotic meal we'll have all week!

Joan and her pin cushion.  She's so clever, our Joan!  She numbered the pins to keep track of the rows!  It worked like a charm!

Fabric Reboot

I had fabric everywhere and my sewing area was/is a big mess.  It's too embarrassing to show you just how messy my sewing area had become, but this is a sample of what it looked like.  So I resolved to tidy it up (reboot), beginning with refolding and organizing the stash. 

I started with this (above) about a week and a bit ago - after finishing off Trade Winds.  Folding, folding, folding.  It took me until tonight to finish. 

Two rows deep times four on the counter, stacked as high as I could get it.

I bundled up all the discrete quilt projects I have - 14 of them - and tied them, put them up in the top cupboard - when I get sewing again, I'll start with those.

This is what it looked like after I'd folded everything up.

Then tied them up - either by colour or theme.  And put them away in the drawers.

 Sew... fabric fills the two upper cupboards and the two big drawers below.  I estimate about 350 pieces altogether. 

My next job is to clean up the rest of my sewing area.  I'm the first to admit it won't last too long, but it does need to get done from time to time. 

Then I get to start sewing again!  I have a lot of fabric to use up!

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And speaking of fabric, here are a few close up shots of the fabric used in my last two quilts (see previous post).

First - the nautical collection from Trade Winds.  Celtic knots, shells and sailboats.

Then the Partridge Family fabric. This is the one where the lady who cut it said it reminded her of the Partridge Family - I just picked it out because I liked it.  So that's what got me going on that particular quilt.  Then with that in mind, when I saw the next piece, I thought it sort of reminded me of feathers and the colour would work, so I picked it up, too. 

Partridges, Ships and Divas

I selected some fabric that I liked and the lady who cut it told me it reminded her of the Partridge Family.  Well -that was awhile ago so I had to look it up to figure out why she made this connection.  But when I did, I realized the fabric had the geometric feel of the painted bus in the TV series, so I decided to design a "Partridge Family" themed quilt, which I call "Come On - Get Happy" - after one on the songs. 

Just after I started quilting a couple-three years ago, I picked up some nautical themed fabric so I've had it kicking around for a couple of years now.  I really need to start turning my piles of fabric into quilts so designed another quilt to use this fabric.  I came up with "Trade Winds", below.

I had some left overs so decided instead of putting them in a bag an using them later, which is what I usually do (only "later" doesn't come all that often), that I would make a table runner out of them right away - so this is what I came up with. (front - then back)

Brenda joined us today as an Honourary Diva, but I think she had enough fun that she wants to become a full fledged Diva - hope so!  I gave her these two small table toppers or over-sized place mats as her retirement gift, as she's into the retirement count down. 

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So today was a Divas day.  Naturally we can't have a DD without Gourmet Diva Sue's culinary talents.  This was today's delicious lunch!  Savory muffins, salad, stuffed peppers and awesome mac and cheese.  We also had a fabulous dessert, which I failed to get pix of - not the first time!  Take my word for it - delicious. 

And we did actually do a bit of sewing - completed one quilt top and blocks for two others.  Just to prove I do some of the sewing, some Diva took this pix of me when I obviously wasn't paying attention! 

First 2012 Divas Day

 We started the quilt above before Christmas, but put it together today.  This is a pattern Joan found - a different spin on a log cabin.  We actually made enough blocks for two quilts, but didn't get the second top quite finished.  Next time.  Fun day as ususal.  Again, I didn't get food pix, but Gourmet Diva Sue was up to her usual excellent cullinary provisions so we certainly weren't hungry!

For show and tell, Joan brought this penquin.  I don't usually buy magazines, but just had to buy the one with this pattern in it.  I'll make it one of these days myself and seeing Joan's, just confirms the fact that I love this penguin portrait!  As usual, Joan did an excellent job.  

My contribution to show and tell were these two little table toppers, shown here on the tables I made them for.  Joe made these little end tables for our TV room and I wanted to get something on the tops to protect them ASAP!  I'm actually pretty pleased with the way they turned out considering I wanted to get them done quickly so they had to be a simple design and I also wanted to use up scraps, not cut into something new.  I think I did pretty well on both counts. 

 I also did the next two table toppers - or whatever.  These will go to Brenda, who is retiring soon.  They have a place in Texas and here live in the country with horses so I thought the western theme would be appropriate.

I also showed the Divas my Partridge Family quilt, but will get a pix of it when it's completely finished and put it in another post.