Fab Bee Blocks

thank goodness for long weekends and bursts of inspiration!  Here are my latest fab bee blocks that have been sent out in the mail.  These are LATE, but nevertheless I am happy with the results.  I was definitely working out of my comfort zone for both and yet I just trusted my instincts and hope that their recipients will be happy with them.

 This block is traveling to Vancouver to a member of the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild; I have entitled this work "Vancouver Rain".  No mystery why.  It has been the wettest May & June that I can recall.

This block is going home to a fabulous fibre artist; this one was a bit intimidating, let me tell you! I was using the inspiration (as requested) of Nancy Crow & Agnes Martin (OMG!!) But I did catch a vibe while envisioning this work and have entitled it "My favourite sweater", as I seem to remember a Shetland wool sweater from the 70's with these colored stripes!  So thanks for the 'stretch' Barb!

Ode to a rainy weekend - June 2012

This is what happens when it is a rainy weekend - not so much gardening, but I do start to forage around in my craft closet....Look what I found!  This is a WIP (work in progress) from the early 1990's. Good grief!  I took one look at that button hair and fell in love all over again. Good news is that I still have the pattern... anyone remember this cutie from the 80's?  I made this 'Amish' doll dozens of times.  Those were the days without internet, blogs or Pinterest. Yup, I spent hours in the fabric stores going through the pattern catalogues for inspiration!

As you can see, I 'added' the button detail hair and will stitch a face on my dollie.  Also I am happy to be making doll clothes now, in 2012 as I have the cutest vintage-style fabrics to choose from....

Running errands yesterday - shopping for kitten supplies when I found myself in the checkout at Walmart...It was the title of this magazine that took my eye. I admit it, but how cute and it is filled with reader recipes!

OK, this is the situation in the garden... very, very wet and rainy...

Our new kitten has a name; hub named him Specks. And so it shall be. He is very sweet and will be a lovely addition to our household.

Ode to sunny Saturday - May 2012

Oh I am sitting in glorious sunshine on our back deck, with a fresh cup o' jo.  I am giving myself another 30 minutes of lounge time and then I will get to work!  This will be a gardening Saturday, oh yeah.

I am feeling very happy and grateful. Look at my lovely 'early garden bounty'.

This rhubarb made a lovely coffee cake, and also provided over 4 cups of stewed fruit for our cereal and yogourt this week. Love rhubarb! 

Lilacs, from a 'forgotten' shrub on the side of our house.  So many times have I contemplated having the shrub removed.... and every May I am glad that it remains.

Further things to mull over on a sunny Saturday.... I attended the Langley Quilters Guild Quilt Show last night; it was breath-taking. So much talent. My contribution was shopping in their Merchant's market:

Loving how nicely these 1930's prints match my lilacs!

And in closing, just wanted to post a few pictures of my all time favourite pick from the Langley Quilters Show last night!  A very colorful Pickle Dish!!

Snap

I am in love with Prairie points, and it is because of Jodi Nelson at Pleasant Home that I do! 

Praire points are a sweet way to use up little scraps of fabric.

This was what I worked on Sunday; and yes I should have been gardening but it rained pretty hard all afternoon - typical spring weather here.  So this is what I worked on instead. 

 I like having a bowl of vegies on the counter - rather than apples lately, I think it is because of the colors, Great, aren't they?  These fabrics are bits n' bobs from my sewing room; a nice blue piece of Moda Sanae and some colorful Anna Marie Horner for the prairie points!   

and they all go nicely with the IKEA snaps (or whatchma'callits) that we use to close up the potato chip bags.

HAPPY SEWING ALL !

Easter is coming

Work has been busy,  I need a break.... here is the plan for the upcoming weekend!   (Four days!) To reconnect with family: my hub, Ms. Freshface, my tiny sewing-room, and especially my garden.  The Weather Network is calling for sunshine this Easter weekend!  So I plan to spend half my time indoors and half out of doors, in the garden!  I plan to visit my mother; spend hours in my tiny sewing-room; write long loving emails to our number 1 who is currently in Australia; make pancakes for hub; go to church; plant up my geranium pots, weed the garden; scrub down our patio furniture!    Ah, it will be glorious!

HAPPY SEWING & GARDENING ALL !!

Mod Mosaic Saturday

Awesome workshop this Saturday!  Paul from the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild hosted  an all day workshop entitled "Mod Mosaic".  

This workshop is based on Elizabeth Hartman's Mod Mosaic quilt block technique.  It was so fun. 

Here is the beginning of some of my blocks.... chose an aqua-red theme for my mosaic. Plus cups of Stash mint tea... it turned out to be a very lovely afternoon.

This quilt top by Paul - loved the examples of 1/2  inch sashing between fabrics. This tiny sashing which we called 'grout' had a really big impact.

This quilt featured was made in 2011, in a collaborative bee  by the Vancouver Modern Guild,  - the block arrangement by Paul.  This block design is so versatile. Look how graphic and bold it looks with the reds, greys & blacks.

But look at Vera's blocks in soft reds and greys, so soft:

Here is one of Kat's blocks in fresh greens and blues:

Cheryl used bright juvenile prints - very sweet:

I have completed several blocks and haven't been able to decide what fabric to use as a background for my aqua-red blocks. Here is what I have come up with so far....

Above is a pale aqua print by Lecien which I like.

Above are some of my blocks on light grey background.  I like this too.

Above, again, on this teal solid by Moda.  Hmmm.  

 And with yellow solid and below with lime green.

I actually like them all only I imagined using a print as my background. Just an idea that I can't shake but haven't found the right fabric for.... 

Happy Sewing All.

Spring SEW-IN

The Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild is hosting a Spring SEW-IN  Saturday, April 21st from 11:00am until 5pm at the University of the Fraser Valley campus in Abbotsford. We will be in room B121 (just down the hall from the cafeteria).
If you’re looking for some social sewing time then treat yourself to an open sewing time with other quilters / sewers to work on your own projects in a blissful atmosphere of quilting and chatting! We supply the tables and chairs, irons, cutting mats, and tea or coffee. Donations of treats are always welcomed!
WHAT TO BRING: You need to bring your machine, projects, extension cord, power bar, tools, and lunch/dinner. Please feel free to bring a friend! There is something very satisfying about spending an afternoon in a room full of whirring sewing machines and other creative people. We are extending this invitation to all of our guild members, other guilds and sewers/quilters in the valley and lower mainland!
There is a $5 drop-in fee for this SEW-IN. The room booked is large, bright, sunny with lots of windows.  Also there is  a nominal fee for parking at the University of the Fraser Valley; $2 for 4 hours.
Please contact Darlene (darlene.rosner@ufv.ca) (that's me!) to register.

ScrapQuilt found @ Pleasant Home

Ode to Saturday & my quilty week

Another rainy Saturday morning; but I will take it.  A great chance to stay in and putter around the house.  But I must admit that the temperature outside has warmed up and although the back yard is very soggy I do have a bit of the 'gardening bug'.  I can see my herb garden come back to life along with many weeds that need to be pulled..... ah another weekend.

This week was another quilty week:

This bunting draped on our bookcase was designed by Cynthia Frenette, a member of our Modern Quilt Guild. Our guild will have a booth this March 23 - 24 for the Creative Stitches show at Tradex in Abbotsford. Love that font! These will decorate the booth. Plus we will be displaying many quilts, handing out buttons, business cards and keychains!  The show will be a wonderland for the modern sewist.  Come check it out!

Here are some of the lovely fabrics that showed up in my mailbox this week!  Do you notice a trend? Seasonal influences perhaps?  Dreaming of summer? Yes, yes, yes!  But I am in love with the line of fabric by Choe's Closet "Fruit Cocktail".  (bottom bolt)  very vintage vibe - the colors are lovely.

And I wanted to include a picture of my lovely magnets that I won as a doorprize at our Thursday night guild meeting.  These are handmade by another talented member of our Modern quilt guild, the fabulous Amy Dame.
Today, on this rainy Saturday I plan to work on 'rug mug' designs for an upcoming 'rug mug' swap with the Vancouver Modern quilt guild.  I have a few ideas.  One is based on this lovely photo:

I love scrappy quilts. I made a smaller version of this quilt last year and I have always wanted to make individual blocks.  Check out the link to Freida's Hive for the tutorial.  I love the block!
Other rug mug ideas.....

This lovely was featured on Pleasant Home.  Love whirligigs!

This beauty from Flossy Bossy (on Flickr)

Basically, any block from this fab book.  Every project is a 'keeper' in this one!  Really good.

Happy Sewing All !!

IKEA plastic frame + orphan block = Sewing Treasure

 Ms Freshface and I went to IKEA last weekend; this plastic frame was  one of the little items I tossed into my big plastic yellow bag as we moved through the IKEA marketplace.  Cost ?  approximately $1.99 (I think).  I noticed it was possible to display something on both sides (!)....

I didn't attend a 'Sewing Day' (or SEW IN as I call them) with other guild members on Saturday.  Instead I stayed home to catch up on laundry... blah, blah, blah....  All the same, I did get some sewing projects done as well as 'played' with some ideas.  So this was my idea; what could I put into this plastic IKEA frame, besides photos?!

Here is what I came up with...... a tiny (4") 'orphan' block, a double hourglass block that I added some lovely selvages to the top and bottom -   

    and the other side of the display has a scrap piece of fabric with the little tag that came with my 'Recipe for Friendship' layer cake.  This tag was so pretty that I hung onto it.  Now it has a new way to hang out in my sewing room.  I have just realized that framed 'artful' arrangements of salvages plus fabric would be perfect additions to the walls of my sewing room!