The New Neutral

Here's another project that Linda was working on at the cottage - a quilt for her youngest daughter Allie and her husband Corey who just got married two weeks ago.

The background is a collection of wonderful grey prints, or, as Linda refers to them, the new neutral. I thought I had a pic of several of them together but I guess I got so busy fondling them that I forgot to snap a pic! Bold, bright floral flowers and vines will be appliquéd over top and you can see how fabulously well it all works.

I think that all of the leaves are basted now so she started working on the circles for the flowers.

All of the 9-patch strips are pieced with wonderful, rich batiks and interesting prints...

Love this combination. You can see some of the great grey prints that she is using alongside these blocks too.
















Here's a few more...

and this. Luv, luv, luv....M

Summer Fun

When it's as hot and humid as it has been this past week the water is the place to be, so we headed out to Jane's cottage for the weekend to try and stay cool, but only after stopping at the farmers' market to pick up our first basket of fresh strawberries for the season. And that meant only one thing - we were having Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. A little bittersweet chocolate with sea salt was a new garnish this time around. Yum!

I'll have a few posts to share from the weekend and the first is some of Linda's work for her newest granddaughter, Hannah. It's the prettiest little quilt filled with pinks and yellows and polka dots and pretty prints that any little girl would just love to have. The blocks are cut from a print based on the children's book, The Paper Bag Princess, and create a bit of an 'I Spy' theme as each one is different.

Aren't they just the cutest?

The handywoman...

And of course, a little retail therapy...you wear a crown shopping, don't you?

The blue lines that you see are a few flowers that still have to be quilted.

Such attention to detail...lovely little yoyos are scattered throughout, covering the centres of 4-patches - there will be lots to keep little eyes busy.

What makes it particularly pretty is the eyelet trim that she has edged it with.

Did I say how adorable it was? And the feathered circles quilted into the border are just the icing on the cake. Lucky Hannah....M

Workin' My Way Back To You...

Things don't always work out as planned and this weekend has proven that again. My wonderful plans to bind my Dresden Plate went nowhere, primarily because we had a lovely weekend for sitting out on the deck and gardening, neither of which is good binding territory. And, since it was Canada Day I wanted to work on something a little patriotic, so in the evenings I found myself back quilting Confetti. It has a nice celebratory name and the red & white in it seemed perfect nod to the weekend's festivities.

We went to see the musical Jersey Boys on Saturday so for the rest of the weekend Frankie Valli tunes have been humming through our heads, hence the 'workin' my way back to you...' theme. It seemed appropriate to sit down at the hoop after a bit of a hiatus.

I have to say that I didn't realize how far along I am in finishing the quilting - the centre is at least 3/4 finished. I'll need to figure out how to quilt the edges yet.

It was fun to get back at it, and really encouraging to think that I might actually get this off the hoop some day soon! A belated happy Canada Day, everyone....M

Auditioning

Mom's Dresden Plate has been folded in the living room, patiently waiting for its binding. I had planned to do the binding in the same yellow polka dot as the backing but when Betty dropped in and had a look at it she suggested going with something either blue or turquoise, so down to the stash I went.

This blue is a gorgeous colour, almost periwinkle, and would work nicely...

...but I think this blue & green check even more so. I luv a bias check binding and really like that the scale of this check is considerably larger than the gingham that mom used for the stems in the so it won't be matchy matchy (is that even a word?). I like a bias binding but the check is woven on the bias so I will need to cut it with the grain to get the bias look that I want.

Today is the start of a long weekend for us so, with any luck at all, by Monday night I'll be well on my way to having this baby finished!....M