Clutter,clutter everywhere

We've decided to move, so a major tidy-up is happening. It seems that most of my activities come under the untidy heading in everyone's minds except mine! Actually, truthfully, I have to admit I often have to search under piles of papers or fabric for essentials like, say, scissors. So a reorganization is due.

 Most of the quilting stuff has been put away, but just look at these books! This isn't all of them either. There are stacks beside my bed, and I've taken down a large oak double bookcase.

I'm a huge library user now, and I have an ebook reader, but these volumes are favourites that I'm just not willing to part with. When I last moved, the comment on every box was "this is heavy, I wonder what it could be? Oh, I know, books!!"

I'm looking into better storage for fabric in my new home. Any ideas are welcome. I see one quilter uses a cube system that I think is from IKEA.

This is what Melody uses, doesn't it look tidy? Oh if only I could make my stash look like this!

http://fibermania.blogspot.com/2011/06/reclaiming-my-studio.html

I'll keep you posted with my progress.

Until next time

Sue

I left my heart in San Francisco...

Well, you know the song, and it sounds better running in my head than it ever would if I opened my mouth!

I'm just back from 4 days in the Golden Gate City. I went on a shopping trip with my two friends, fabric shopping! We had so much fun, there's such a lot to see and do.

Here's my friend Marilyn:

And here's Mary trying on her new boots!

We shopped till we dropped, and came back with great fabrics. I was hardly able to lift my carry on, but I couldn't let my new fabric out of my sight, could I ??

Here's a pic of just some of the fabrics I got. The bottom 3 fabrics are large pieces for quilt backs, and I am so pleased with them.

Call me crazy, (it has been said!), I sat in our room and fussy cut 200 4" squares for a fabric swap so that I could get it sent off. My wrists, arms and back ache, but it was well worth it! I can't wait to see what I get back.

Now don't get me wrong, I love Calgary, but just look at this view! It's a hard act to follow.

And here's a picture of me, sitting on the steps at 710 Ashbury.

Friends, fabric, food (and wine!)

I can't wait for our next visit!

Until next time

Sue

WIP Wednesday

Hi everyone!

Today's project is to finish piecing the back of Flower Fairyland and to sandwich it ready for quilting tomorrow.
It's more complicated than a quilt back usually is, because I wanted to use all the fussy cut fairy squares I made, and then I decided to border them first. So what might have been a simple task has turned into more!
I've nearly finished it, here's what it looks like so far:

And here's a picture of the quilt top with the borders:

Update: The quilt back and top are ready. Sandwiching must wait until tomorrow!

Until next time,

Sue

I Spy square swap

Hi everyone!

It's another rainy dull day today, even the dogs are napping and not insisting on their run. It seems like summer is coming on alternate days, yesterday was warm and sunny. That's alright if summer is twice as long, and we know how likely that is!

I'm dreaming of new quilt ideas, there are lots in my head, a positive cloud of them. Image of swarm of bees, all buzzing away busily!

After hearing about I Spy quilts, I keep coming across more references to them. You know how a new word will suddenly be in every book and newspaper you read? Well, like that. So I'm very excited to be taking part in the I Spy swap hosted by Mrs Sassy Crafter! The more of us who take part, the more choices there will be for I Spy fabrics. So why don't you make the resolution to join in, it'll be so much fun! I bet you've got lots of possible squares in your stash!

If you are looking for ideas for I Spy quilt layouts, I found this great collection of ideas at Quilt, Knit, Run, Sew . don't forget to look at all 3 pages, guaranteed you'll find one that you love!

And here's some pix of my gang of 3, all looking like mischief is something someone else does!

Until next time,

Sue

Loving Laurel

I absolutely love Laurel Burch fabrics! Everything about them, the vibrant colours, the whimsical, child-like graphics, the enigmatic cats, the dreamy feel to the subjects. It completely delights me! And when my favourite quilt store gets in a new line, I'm asking myself not whether to get it, but how much, and in which colourway!

So I was delighted when I found a pattern in Fons and Parter's Spring 2011 Easy Quilts using my fabric, and oh joy, I had enough.  That's the quilt behind my blog title, and here is another picture of it:

I think the fabric is called Celestial Dreams. It's waiting for me to quilt it. I started, wasn't happy and took it out again, and now I'm waiting to get up courage to try again!

It surprises me to find that not everyone loves Laurel like I do. Both my daughters looked doubtful; too colourful for one, the other finds the drawings "almost like a cartoon". A quilting friend says that Laurel's designs affect people strongly one way or the other, there is no "oh I quite like it" about her work. I think that's the mark of a real artist.

Imagine my delight to find there is a new Christmas fabric coming out. It's called Holiday Celebrations and contains all the features I love in Laurel's fabrics. It can be found at the Fat Quarter Shop among other great fabric stores. Take a look, I hope you like it, but leave some for me!

Until next time,

Sue

Fresh Sewing Day

                                                       

Today is the first day of June, and a chance to look back at the projects I worked on in May. This is an idea from Lily's Quilts, I love it! It's a chance to admire what other quilters have been making, and to reflect on my own quilting projects.

If there is a word to describe this month's quilting it would be "stalled", as in run out of gas during rush hour traffic!

My Flower Fairland quilt is still waiting for a half yd of fabric to finish the last 3 squares. The missing fabric is on the way, but if it doesn't come today or tomorrow it may get caught up in the threatened postal strike, oh dear. It could be stalled for a while. I've sashed about half of it, and that's as far as I can get.
Here's a picture of a few rows, as you see the centers of the blocks are 2 different shapes, so the sashing will deliberately not line up. I hope it looks OK when all put together, it's my own creation!

                                       These are pictures of some of my favourite blocks:

                                      Central Park is stalled too. Here's a picture of it so far:

        I've run out of the ivory background fabric, the quilt to date is 11 squares wide and 8 squares long. I calculate it should be 11 x 13, so lots more to do.

I'm also collecting fabric for an I Spy quilt, that should be a lot of fun to do! Here's a pic of one I saw at the Quilt Festival:

                           doesn't it look great?   Makes you want to play I Spy right away!

Until next time,

Sue