Spring Stitches

Spring appears to have arrived just as the calendar turned over to April. The last couple of days have been bright and sunny and lots of snow is finally disappearing; now we are impatient for it to all go, and fast. Hand quilting is the perfect antidote for impatience, so it was back to the hoop yesterday.

Candied Hexagons is moving along beautifully.

I spread it out to get a sense of how much I might have quilted to day and it look like I might be almost half way there. This was the block that I got to work on - isn't that fabric beautiful?

This is one of the blocks where I experimented with a pattern other than the star motif - there are a few scattered throughout.

At the risk of repeating myself, this is going to be one quilt that I will miss when it comes off the hoop - it's a really nice one to work on - but I suspect that there will be more to come!...M

Ten Years Feels Like a Lifetime

The gals at the church were looking for another hand quilting project so the time seemed right to bring out Martha's Star. You may recall that this was a project that mom and were working on before she passed away. I finished up the stars and then made the Single Irish Chain blocks to finish it up,

and has been sitting in this bag, backing and all, for probably 6 - 7 years. Sheesh! I guess I could have asked them to quilt it sooner but they have done a few for me and I didn't want to monopolize their time because they only do a few a winter and their numbers are dwindling.

So I got busy and drafted out a pattern and then quickly got it marked. I was dreading the marking but it came together much faster than I had anticipated, which was a bonus.

The backing will be this cream floral, which will be a nice contrast to the geometry of the pattern. FYI, that blue fabric takes me waaaaaay back. It's a remnant from kimonos that we made for a high school musical, Tea House of the August Moon, and I still love it.

I've heard that the quilt went up on the frames earlier this week and yesterday they started to quilt, which was bittersweet, as it will be 10 years ago next month that mom passed away. It was quite sudden and a shock to us all. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her in some way and getting this quilt finished and ready to use will be another wonderful reminder of her in our lives....M

You Are What You Eat

Could it be any coincidence that as I work on this...

...I find myself munching on these?

They are multi-grain crackers that I've become a little addicted to lately, which I think could also be said of almost any size of hexie these days.

I've got big Candied Hexagons in the hoop,

medium ones going on around the edges for Anna Leven,

and lots and lots of little ones in the pile of pieces for Minnie. Guess you really are what you eat!....M

Red & White All Over

There's a flurry of red and white quilting going on for Canada's Big Quilt Bee these days, and not just by me.

I'm happy to say that I put the finishing touches on my little slab quilt and love both the backing and the binding.

I was all ready to bundle it up and ship it off when Anne decided that she might make a block or two.

Well, she made 12 blocks too, so this great little top will be added to the parcel.

She found some great Canada 150 fabrics for hers that are bright and playful and very patriotic.

Where were these when I was shopping???

And, of course, you need to include a beaver! Some little tyke will love sleeping under this one.

Jane is dipping her toes into the water on this one as well, and in more ways than one. She's the Creative Director for Ottawa Magazine and recently created this wonderful fabric map of Canada to promote a young fabric designer, Almonte's Grace Noel, that she met at FiberFest last September. Isn't it great? 'With Glowing Hearts - Celebrating 150 Years' is inspired by a love for Canada with maple leaves scattered throughout and classic Canadian icons like hockey sticks and beavers. An interior decorating grad (just last year), for several years she has been successfully entering contests for aspiring designers on Spoonflower. She's also a Dragon's Den winner! But it doesn't end there. Trend-Tex has made her collection the foundation of its annual quilt challenge with the winning designs to be featured at Quilt Market in Houston in the fall. Wow.

So, long story short, Jane is making slab blocks for Canada's Big Quilt Bee too, using the leftovers from the map art. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics to share yet but will see if  can get her to share a few. I'm loving how this Big Bee is touching so many in my circle! Just a reminder that if you are making blocks/quilts for this they are due May 30....M