Monday, April 3, 2017

Is this a Trend?

I wonder if this is becoming a trend...I seem to blog only when I am on the road. I said that to say this...I am on the road again! We have been home 2 and 1/2 months after all. Meeting up with friends at a resort for several days and then on to spend Easter week with our son and his family. Should be a nice relaxing time. It is always so stressful getting every thing ready, and packing should be second nature by now but I think it it is getting more and more distasteful to me. Next trip I think I will look into hiring someone to do that job....yeah right!

One of our "comfort" stops along the way always makes me smile. I forget about it as soon as I leave but the next time we stop there, Mr O fills the gas tank up and I hurry in to to empty my bladder and every single time I turn the corner and go down the hallway to the restroom, it makes me smile. Have a look
 

 

Isn't that hilarious? I am noticing now that the doors could use a coat of paint, but that is not my job. I am on vacation!

Are you wondering if I took my sewing machine with me? Well yes as a matter of fact I did. On a previous trip while travelling through South Dakota I had purchased a bundle of 40 fat 1/4's along with some yardage. It is a collection from one of my favourite fabric designers... Three Sisters and the collection is Luna Notte.
 
I'm not one to use a collection as it stands. Not because it is not beautiful on it's own , but I want to make mine a little different from everyone else so I tend to add some other fabrics to add a little change to the look. Several years ago Mr O put a small fat quarter bundle(8-10 fat 1/4's) in my stocking for Christmas. I really liked it but the right project just never surfaced until now. I am thinking it will play nicely with my Luna Notte fabrics. Time will tell.
The pattern? Oh I'm glad you asked...
Evangeline, by Bonnie Blue (Red Crinoline Quilts)
 

Evangeline is a poem byHenry Wadsworth Longfellow with part of the setting so very far from home.

 

Such a tragic, romantic love story with the setting right at home in the Maritimes. I know the original pattern uses civil world reproduction fabrics but I think the 3 Sisters fabric should work, because who does "romantic fabric" better than 3 Sisters?

I mentioned that I was only home 2 1/2 months, but I am kind of pleased with how much I accomplished in the quilting department...I am working away at reducing my stash.
I was commisioned to do a very large baby quilt. The nursery had a custom paint job on one wall
 

I have not seen the room but I am hoping I hit the colours okay. Here is the quilt..

 

  

I have made a couple charity quilts, and bound a couple more. Our guild made 12 quilts as our contribution to the 1000 quilt challenge for Ronald McDonald House in honour of Canada's 150th birthday.
We also made several quilts for Victoria's Quilts Canada
I made a mystery table runner also a Canada 150 project. It is not quilted yet, but hopefully soon

 

I'm not sure why it is such a blurry photo..itis clear on my phone, but you get the right idea.
I made a quilt for our grand daughter's 21st birthday. She had her eye on my Union Jack quilt and I was afraid it might go missing if I did not make her one of her own. It is not exactly like mine but it has the same feel. The pattern is called Asterisk and it is from a free Craftsy Block of The Month class from 2012 by Amy Gibson. It is a fun and easy quilt to make. In the class she says to square the block to 12.5" but I was able to square it to 14". I assume she suggested to square it to 12.5" because it needed to match up with the rest of the sampler blocks.
 


 

 

The smile makes the late nights worth it all.

I made one more  quilt. It is my second time doing this particular pattern. Itis a Miss Rosie pattern called Hubble, but I made it like she suggests on the closing pattern pages. I was inspired by a quilt by Lisa Bongean and pulled out some creams, greys, and beiges from my stash and then appliqued an anchor to the front. I am actually pretty pleased with my anchor drawing. I was all ready to buy Lisa's pattern and when I went to the website to order it, I read that the pattern was a 24" mini or a King sized quilt. The anchor was going to be way to big for a lap quilt so I was on my own. I got out my trusty freezer paper and folded it in half and proceeded to draw half an anchor and this is what I ended up with...
 

 
 

It is not finished in this photo but it sure looks different from the first one I made 3 years ago

 

It is a gift for our son and his wife for their new boat. They have an anniversary next week so I will get a pic of the finished product and show it off later.
I have been on a roll and and I am ready to start Evangeline. I have a feeling there are a few late nights in my future, but I will try to keep you up to speed with photos along the way.
My eyes are getting heavy and we still have a bit of a drive tomorrow. 
Time for me to say night night. I leave you with this photo I found online. I would love to give credit where it is due but I have no idea who took the picture or whose quote it is, however, I agree whole heartedly.