To my dear family (August 7th, 2014)

You know I love you very much but for the next two days (August 8th & 9th)  I’ll be in my happy place sewing and learning with Barb Mortell. There is peanut butter and bread in the cupboard.

See you soon, XO

August 8th- Day 1, Barb Mortell swooped in from Denman Island to give our guild two workshops. The first workshop was about colour and triangles. I should mention two years ago, Barb had given a workshop to our guild.  I overheard Helen telling Barb that, that improv workshop really transformed her quilting life and I have to agree… it changed mine too. I think we were all really looking forward to this!

It all started off with a little show and tell of Barb’s work. Darlene lost her mind when she saw some of Barb’s work, which was sooo Darlene, so cute and so enduring!

We were given instructions and a demo.

With Barb’s assistance, we sewed our butt’s off. This is Cathy Mackay’s work. (We noticed through out the two days, we often were sewing with the colours we wore! Does that make us predictable? Predictability cute!)

Sadly, because I was sewing my butt off,  I didn’t get photos of everyone’s work the first day. My apologies to everyone. I can assure you their work was pretty impressive. Although on the second day I did remember to take photos of everyone’s work.

Side note, luckily Barb is a rule breaker, which fit in perfectly to my quiet anarchy. Barb saw me thinking after she gave her talk and told me not to over think. (which is great advice!) I then showed Barb my inspiration and how I wanted to incorporate blocks from a workshop I took from Denyse Shcmidt two years ago. She said, sure, go for it-yesssss! This is what I had by the end if the first day.

August 9th- Second workshop, building on the first day, working with more colour and more triangles. Again the class started off with show and tell of Barb’s work. This is one of my favourites! It’s called ” The Joke is on You”. It’s a piece Barb made at a Nancy Crow workshop.  The oranges flip between glowing and flat. They play off each other in such an interesting way. The photo here really doesn’t do it any justice.

Then we were given inspiration and instruction.

People jumped in head first. Ellen here cut some blocks that she’s been sewing on for years into diamonds. Such a brave soul! And some people had to be brave because they cut their finger-Jean! By the yelp at the other end of the classroom you could tell it was a doosy!

…But luckily we had Christine, who is turning out to be our guild nurse, attending the workshops. (Christine, ended up doing  CPR on their bus driver when a crew of guild members went down to Sisters this year.)  Yup, Christine is pretty awesome to have around. You can see her awesome blocks behind her. Oh and to the left you can see Hedda’s blocks too. I missed taking a full on shot of her blocks. they were really cool. Hedda’s blocks looked like they were braiding. And here’s Hedda on the right, looking through all the yummy inspirational books Barb brought for us to look at.

It was an intense two days of sewing our pants off. Well, not literately but… These are Sky’s blocks on the left and Ellen pondering her blocks on the right. Beside Ellen’s blocks are Barb Macleod’s.

Barb did promise us at the beginning of the day, if we worked hard she’d give us all A’s. Here is Sherri’s A and on the right is Norma’s A.

Jenneke got an A. As you can tell she worked really hard!  And Phyllis, that’s her A on the right!

Darlene got an A, and Ellen was very happy about her A too, as you can see. Yup, it was A’s for everyone!

A’s  for being AWESOME that is, Tee Hee!

Many, many thanks Barb! I’ve learned from you to be fearless and to sew as though I’m leaving my signature all over my quilts. Just as you’ve left your signature on our guild again. We love you!

It’s August 1st, which means it’s Warp & Weft Calendar Day!

I made this downloadable calendar especially for you!

Let me start by stating, “I love TRIANGLES!” It’s this month’s theme for the calendar and in real life! Our guild is bringing in Barb Mortell (back by popular demand) to do a couple of workshops with us.

What are the workshops about?

Funny you should ask.

Triangles!

Last week I mentioned, I took a Deynse Schmidt workshop in Portland two years ago. In the workshop we de-constructed triangles.  I never did make the blocks into a quilt. I’m glad I waited though. Now I have a plan that I’m really excited about and I can’t wait to play with it in Barb’s workshops.

Our guild also has our Warp & Weft’s Challenge due this month. I snuck some of the fabric in this month’s calendar. Shh, don’t tell anyone, wink wink!

Oh and P.S., did you know Warp & Weft now has an $8 (within Canada) flat shipping fee! And it’s FREE if you spend over $100! How’s that for snazzy? I must add, Esmari sends the prettiest packages too! She’s the best!

In my last blog post I told you about our Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild in conjunction with Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild bringing out quilter and author Cheryl Arkison from Calgary. Well, she came, she talked and she taught! It’s hard to believe it already came and went! When she was here she did a wonderful trunk show (a talk where she showed off her quilts). Cheryl also provided us with two incredible workshops, one called “The Missing U” (an improve quilt) and another workshop called “Perfect Circles”! Guessed what we made in that workshop?

You guessed it! Circles! THE most perfect-y circle-y circles ever!

Not only did I learn a lot and get a chance to make some blocks for Cheryl’s ‘“Just One Slab” project in the “Missing U”  workshop and how to make perfect circles, I also learned five things I will always think… okay maybe not think but remind myself as I sew:

#1. Stop thinking! Yup, I’m an over thinker, it’s true! My first “Missing U” block was absolutely painful. I’ve done improve blocks before but always found them a bit tedious and looking a little log cabin-y. Luckily Cheryl came to my rescue and jumped in to help me sew my block after she gave me the advice to stop thinking so much. This was enough for me to let go, dive in and… stop thinking!

#2 .“Just match up chunks!“ Not thinking helped but I did have another light-bulb moment when Cheryl said ,”just match up chunks!” Yup, just match up chunks! That was my aha moment, so I sewed chunks of fabric together while not thinking! Which was probably why I had no problem introducing Mr. Kaffe Fassett to Mr John Deere!

#3. Press don’t iron! This is one I always forget and I need to remind myself not to do. I’m always ironing back-and-forth, back-and-forth. I need to remember not to do that. I’m thinking it might be because my iron is really light I feel like I really have to make that seam stay! I did fall in love with an iron at the workshop that was really heavy and found I was  pressing with it more than ironing with it. Regardless, no excuses, I must remember to press not iron!

#4. Work on a second quilt using leaders and enders. It’s such a simple idea! What this means is when you’re working on the quilt with bigger blocks, before you start to sew on your big block you sew two small pieces of scraps before your block. Likewise, then you sew two small pieces at the end of your block . That way you don’t get the little threads bunching up (a nest of threads) at the beginning of your large blocks or at the end. Plus you don’t have to lose your mind sewing little tiny pieces together all at once, if you’re making a small pieced scrappy quilt. Brilliant!

Cheryl’s Missing U Quilt

#5. How to sew a block quilt together efficiently. Cheryl also passed along a method to sew a block quilt like her “The missing U” quilt. It becomes pretty clear, pretty quickly Cheryl is a smart cookie that works smarter not harder. As you might have guessed with the over thinking, harder is usually the avenue I go down. However, now that I know this I can do a u-turn and join in the smarter parade!

By the end of the three days my mind had been blown.  I felt as though was able to take my quilting to a whole new place. So to you, Cheryl thanks so much! It was lovely to meet you and thanks for your time, knowledge and inspiration!

This next couple of days are going to be packed full for those of us at the FVMQG and VMQG. Jointly we’re bringing out quilter and author Cheryl Arkison. Tomorrow she’s giving a trunk show at the Langara campus (tickets are still available for $10 each at the door). Friday she’s teaching a workshop called “the Missing U” (3 spots are still available, email me if you’re interested). Then on Saturday Cheryl is teaching a “Perfect Circles” class at the University of the  Fraser Valley, Abbotsford campus. I can’t wait, it’s going to be awesome!

I’ve double checked all my supplies but as you can’t tell I tend to over pack. I don’t want to miss anything, so I think I’m good to go! I’ll be whipped Sunday but it will all worth it!

STASH OF : Berene Campbell (Happy Sew Lucky)

Organized Chaos
Berene’s fabric is in a beautiful cabinet in her office. As we entered she made me promise to put blinders on and not look at the mess. Mess? What mess? Her office radiated with creativity, as it should! – March 2012

Yup I can totally identify I feel like everything has been one big mess of a month all mashed together, mixed in with some creativity! So much has happened but here is an update in a nut shell.

Our guild put on a workshop by our very own Cynthia Frenette and I made this!

Sadly I discovered I’m still having problems with me free-motion on my Bernina. It’s never worked quite right since I got it and I tried to get it looked at last year but not much has changed. I thought it was just me and my inexperience but after using Cynthia’s machine I know something is still up. I’m not sure how to deal with it though. I just keep getting told it’s fine, it’s fine. Sigh!

A week later we were off the LA on business, like we do every year. We stayed at The Standard, which was awesome! They had little stickers and icons, clever sayings placed all over the hotel.

Have you seen “Get Him to the Greek” ? The pool he jumps into, that’s The Standard’s pool. Unfortunately this trip lined up in such a way that I missed both the FVMQG meeting and the LAMQG meeting. Which also meant I missed going to Sew Modern-Love that store!

And after we had rushed home from that trip we were full on getting ready for our eldest son’s Graduation. Sure it was only grade 7 but in their school it is a really, REALLY big deal! It turned out fabulous and he had a great time! Luckily Carol Browne came to take photos so all us parents could sit back and relax and watch the ceremony unfold. Thank you so much Carol!
Now we are looking forward to summer and all it has to offer us! Phew!

A snow flake!

In hindsight I don’t think a snowflake really show’s off the technique Paul was teaching us. Perhaps paper piecing might be more the way to go for snowflakes. I’m really glad I have learned this technique, it has inspired me for a future project. All in all it was a really fun day to sit and sew in good company!

What did you get up to this weekend? I bet, if there was a blue sky in sight, you weren’t thinking about snowflakes!

I took some time after realizing my list was very similar to last year’s, and I decided to throw it out! Just like that, BAM! Done! Instead I’ve decided NOT to focus on checking things off my lists and to not hammer through projects to git’r done, just to get them checked off the old list (clearly that wasn’t working anyways). Instead I will enjoy and savour the projects that do get done. Truly, will my projects that I have in the wings ever be complete? Most likely not. It seems like once one is completed, it’s replaced by three new projects anyways, or at least it feels that way. So instead of feeling like I’m always behind, I’m going to strive to take a cup half full approach this year and appreciate the things I am able to complete!

Although I didn’t complete my list from 2012, I’d like to share with you a few highlights of things I did accomplish. I’d love to hear what some of your highlights from 2012 were. Was it a swap, a workshop or a trip? Let me guess you got all caught up on your projects maybe? Wink, wink!

January – In January I started drawing other people’s stashes! The first stash I drew was Berene’s!

February – Our guild had a treat and this was one of the quilts I worked on. It’s called Rainbows and Lollipops, I gave it to Raeanne in exchange for some photos she did for me!

March – Every March my husband and I go to San Fransisco. He goes to a conference and I go to Britex, an awesome store. Four floors of fabric!

April – I was invited to join the Fab Bee!

May – Lesley allowed me to draw her lovely fabric stash!

June – Every June my husband and I go to LA for work. With the timing just right again, I was able to attend for the second year, another LAMQG meeting at Sew Modern! I donated this drawing to their door prizes but they decided to hang it in Sew Modern instead.  This photo was emailed to me by Latifah, their groups co-leader. Wasn’t that nice of her! This particular meeting was really cute because EVERYONE was pregnant. I made sure I didn’t drink the water just in case!

July – Both my husband and I turned… lets just say it was a milestone birthday year. He jumped out of a plane I attended a Deynse Schmidt workshop. Those are my quilt blocks next to her quilt! Hee, hee!

August – I was able to finally deliver my cousin Jennifer’s Wedding present. I drew her Wedding dress for her!

September – Our guild the Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild turned 2!

October – My first quilt bee, Unscripted ended. This was from Amy’s block.

November – Bye, bye Red Spotted Patch Heeeelllo lysa flower! The launch of this here website!

December – A month of straight craziness! My in laws and their dog, Raffy (the elf) helped out at our kids school with their Santa Store this year, which was loads of fun!

So there you go 2012 in a nut shell! Here’s to you and yours, wishing you a very happy and healthy 2013!

I finally finished my gnome, mushroom and fox bag! Back in early October our guild, the Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild, had the pleasure of having Sonja Callaghan teach a paper piecing workshop and it was great! Sonja blogged about it here.

We didn’t finish the bag in the workshop since it was an introductory class. However, the next day I was determined to finish my bag! I knew if I didn’t do it right away it would sit there nagging me, “Finish me! Finish me!”

I decided to stick with Sonja’s pattern and keep the gnomes and mushroom together on the one side! Feeling pretty inspired from the day before, I thought, I’ll just whip up a little flower to go with the fox.

FIVE HOURS LATER! No joke, five hours, I finished my flower! Talk about trying to run before you can walk! But I have to admit I’m pretty happy with how my flower turned out and even if it did take me five hours, it was a fun puzzle to figure out!

I heard a rumor that Sonja my have a “How to design paper piecing blocks” class in the works. I’m so stoked and can’t wait! If it’s something you think you’d be interested in, feel free to let her know by sending her a message at sonja(dot)callaghan(at)gmail(dot)com.

I added pockets inside the bag and a key clip. The key clip was inspired by Smidgebox Design bags. I love her bags! I have two of them! I love the key holder feature and when I change bags I really, really miss it!

So there you go, that’s one of my first attempts at paper piecing and my first attempt at designing one as well! TA-DA!!!