Ghoul Friends

Halloween is just around the corner, so when I opened Jane's handmade card letting me know that she was so glad that we are 'ghoul friends' it seemed a good time to share a few 'spooky' projects that she, Linda, and I have been working on. 

We got together to swap fabrics and come up with a few hexie table toppers.

I'm not sure which was more fun - playing in everyone else's stash or seeing the toppers come together.

There were lots of different combinations and I found it interesting to see how they changed when they came together in the hexie.

Of course, with Jane and Linda both being speed demons, theirs came together quickly...

and are already hand quilted with a cobweb design, and ready to go.

Isn't this just the best backing?

I, on the other hand, brought mine home with good intentions thinking that several would be for the Holly Bazaar, but I never really found my mojo. It didn't help that I needed to turn my bazaar items around really quickly this year because of the new online format.

The layout we were following included sewing strip sets together, cutting 60 degree triangles and then alternating the two sets of triangles that are the result. For some reason, I just kept seeing a radioactive symbol when I laid mine out, so I sought expert advice from the Official Cookie Tester. He agreed.

I had prepped two sets of each strip set so I had enough triangles that I could just have all of my rings concentric. 

The long and the short of it is that I have six hexie toppers sewn together but none quilted. Ah well, maybe they will be the start of my 2021 Holly Bazaar making...

And here's one of Jane's scrappy endings. She used her trimmings to make a few sweet mug rugs; makes me smile. Aren't I lucky to have such creative ghoul friends? Happy Halloween everyone!....M

Holly Bazaar in a Hurry

Despite the pandemic restrictions the Holly Bazaar will go on but in a very modified form, so yesterday, thinking that I was ahead of the game, I finally got back to my sewing machine.

I pulled out a small bundle that I had bought from Linda's stash about a year ago - lush watermelons and a few coordinating prints - to make some placemats. 

Things went surprisingly well and I had lots of fun cutting and sewing flying geese. I even managed to get them quilted just before I rolled into bed last night. Needless to say, I thought I was doing great.

Then today I get an email advising that I had probably missed an earlier email and they need pics and details ASAP so that items can be promoted online. Yikes! Needless to say, tonight there will be some serious binding happening!!

Thank goodness the baking isn't due for a while...😀. 

Which reminds me - I made this delicious Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread Cake last week. To. Die. For. I always loved when mom made Gingerbread, probably in part because it was topped with whipped cream, and this one took me right back to to my youth. It is delicious, and probably best the day that it is baked (with whipped cream, of course), but we managed to choke down the leftovers a day or two later....M

Christmas is a Comin'

Believe it or not, I do still quilt (you wouldn't necessarily know it given everyone else's quilts that I've shared as of late) but I've got one more post from Miss Ivy about Roberta's beautiful work before I move on. She's not let any grass grow under her sewing foot during the pandemic, and it shows.

This is Chocolate Christmas Cookie by Lynette Anderson (there's also a vanilla version) using her Scandinavian Christmas II collection. Both versions are Y-seam free, which is a bonus. Roberta warned me that the fabrics were 'stinkin' cute', but seeing is believing. Adorable, but not nearly as adorable as Miss Ivy's toy collection at the top of her photo bomb 😉.

She used templates from Paper Pieces which made the cutting a lot easier; still tedious, but easier. The blocks are large so it went together fairly quickly. She was anxious to get this one finished quickly as her friend Chantal was also making it and she wanted to get the templates to her. Chantal is newer to quilting so Roberta wisely kept warning her about all of the bias edges in this one. Word has it that she did just fine.

This is a good look at the swirling stars panto that she quilted it with.

Here's a look at one of the other fabrics in the collection. OMG, stinkin' cute indeed!

The red Santa backing is from the same collection. She ordered it back in late December or early January and it almost looked like she wouldn't get it; the order kept showing as being backordered, which is never a good sign. Just as she was about ready to hang up on the project she suddenly received an email that it was shipped; both she and Chantal did the happy dance! 

Here's a close-up so that you can see why. Such a fun, rustic print.

Want to make your own Christmas Cookie? You can download the free pattern here.

And she's not done yet! She's using her leftovers to make Joyeux, a free pattern from Moda. There's not quite enough to make the full 36 blocks in the pattern but she'll be able to squeeze 30 out. 

The cornerstones and binding will be in red and she's using a pretty little cream swirl that she had in her stash for the background.

I show you these two pics to not only illustrate how thrifty she is, but how incredibly organized she is. Never in my wildest dreams! Regardless, I'd say she has a great head start on her Christmas quilting. Just as well because the closer we get to Christmas, the busier she gets quilting everyone else's work. Smart cookie....M

Boo-ti-ful

Miss Ivy continues her quilt parade with a lovely, seasonal pumpkin quilt called Hocus Pocus. 

Designed by Margot at The Pattern Basket, it's a showcase of pieced pumpkins, perfect for autumn and one that Roberta was keen to have quilted and bound to use this year in her entranceway. I'm happy to report that she met her deadline.

With the exception of the background fabric, this is another one where she used Fig Tree. This line is called All Hallows Eve and apparently was so tempting that as soon as it arrived Roberta started cutting. I can totally see why - it is gorgeous! (Me thinks it's time for a little online shopping...)

The Pattern Basket is a Canadian company and all of Margot's patterns are made with squares and rectangles, so not complicated at all. It was super fun to make and went together very quickly. I would never have thought to make black stars, but they work beautifully.

And don't you just love that striped binding? It's perfect.

This was the ideal quilt to use her little pumpkin panto on. I mean really - can you have too much pumpkin this time of year?

It appears that Miss Ivy would second that notion. As Roberta was working on the binding, guess who had to test drive it for a nap? Seems to work nicely.

And just because pumpkin happens to be a favourite of The Official Cookie Tester, I tried a new Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake recipe. It was fantastic. 

Moist with a crispy streusel topping and lots of crunchy pecans, it's great with a dollop of ice cream. Perfect for the season....M

Miss Ivy's Figgy Houses

I've got another beautiful quilt to share from Miss Ivy, a.k.a., Roberta - Figgy Houses. (Miss Ivy is proving to be a natural at this, isn't she?) 

Between the quilt name and the fabrics that she used, it's not hard to determine that it's inspired heavily by Fig Tree Quilts.

This quilt is made from two Fig Tree collections, Ella and Ollie and Scarlet and Sage. I always love seeing how Roberta quilts her quilts - she has a terrific eye for what design will work, and executes perfectly.

Roberta made this one in April/May to hang in their entrance for the summer - she has an amazing collection of quilts to greet her clients. Of course, with COVID-19, house quilts took on a whole new meaning!  

Aren't they just the most charming little houses?

The house block is from a Thimble Blossoms pattern called Summerville and the sashing is a favourite of hers from Snow Goose (I shared that quilt with you quite a while ago; mine has yet to be cut. Ahem.). It is a simple 9-patch but it has so much impact! I have used it on Country Charmer and have to admit that it's a fave as well.

If you are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, it will be a little smaller and a little quieter than usual as we all try and follow coronavirus protocols, but there is still so very much to be thankful for, including the fact that we have the comfort of our own little houses to help keep us save. Happy Thanksgiving!....M

Miss Ivy's Quilt Show

Anyone who has taken a quilt to be quilted by Roberta at Cocoa and Quilts knows Miss Ivy; she is the shop's Official Greeter and always very happy to make your acquaintance. 

It's been months since I have seen her, but last weekend Roberta and I were able to have a terrific socially-distanced gab on her front porch, and we were joined by Miss Ivy. Today, she is hosting a show of the first of a few of the beautiful quilts that Roberta has made recently, starting with Edyta's (Laundry Basket Quilts) mystery quilt from early on in the pandemic. (Yes, that's Miss Ivy in the upper left corner with her ball, directing the photo shoot...)

Roberta used an older 3 Sisters collection called Luna Notte that she has always loved and which I freely admit brought me to my knees when it saw it. 

I mean - seriously! Look at that taupe floral. And the hint of black is just perfect.

She bought the fabrics about eight or nine years ago and made a quilt for her parents for their 50th anniversary. These are the “leftovers”!! 

The only thing she needed was a backing, which is from a newer 3 Sisters collection called Rue 1800 and is a sateen. What a perfect choice. The fabrics in the top have a very different feel to them so the sateen is a great fit. She used a very light batting in it and has enjoyed using it this past summer when it was hot, hot, hot.

Apparently it was fun to make and finished at about 70" x 70", just the right size for the sofa. I think I need to negotiate for some time on her sofa!....M