Blocks: Bee Sewcial and VMQG Block Lotto

This month's Bee Sewcial assignment is from Hillary Entropy Always Wins. Minimalist blocks in black and white, our choice of design but she asked that the design be meaningful to us.

After seeing a few blocks start to pop up in the Flickr pool, I noticed that they were all white with black designs so I knew right away I wanted to do a black background with a white design. I chose a plus sign for its symbolism of "positive" - having the white plus sign on the black background is about looking for the light in the darkness and that kind of thing.

 

Then with the second block, I stayed with the theme of positive, but maximized the engagement of the negative space to create the symbol.

Next month it's my turn to set the theme - stay tuned!

I also had some fun making some VMQG block lotto blocks. Cute I Spy economy blocks:

Improv Notebook Cover

The Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild is doing a notebook cover swap with our cousins across the Georgia Strait, Modern Quilt Guild Victoria. So fun!

Amy wrote a great tutorial, so my cover worked out absolutely perfectly. If you're looking to make a notebook cover, you'll definitely want to check out her instructions. Here's what I made for my partner, who - lucky for me - likes improv piecing:

I began with the grey triangle and wasn't too sure I liked it but then I added those aqua strips and all was right with the world. I continued on with adding some strips and then quilted it with a combination of concentric squares/triangles and straight lines.

The back is a little plainer than the front:

The red ribbon is a bookmark and the red strip you see in the photos is (bra) elastic with a cute scalloped edge that works to hold the whole thing together.

Here's what the front and back inside flaps look like - more red accents. The whole thing is lined with that red.

I hope my partner likes it!

And bonus - because this is made entirely from scraps, I get to link up this project to Scraptastic Tuesday with Leanne she can quilt and Nicky Mrs. Sew and Sow. Yay!

First Quilt Finish of 2014: Up Up and Away

Members of the Modern Quilt Guild received fabrics from Riley Blake's Basics collection for a challenge and Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild participated - yay!

I quite liked the set of fabrics we were given, and I was hoping to combine this challenge with my goal of making each of my nieces/nephews a quilt this year, so that drove the size of my project as well as my choice of fabric to add.

I've been wanting to do something with triangles for a while, and I decided this was the time. After a successful test run with this pillow cover project, I was all set.

First, I cut the triangles and the smaller side triangles using my Tri-Recs ruler, and pieced them into two long strips using Kona Nautical Blue as my solid:

Then I added more strips of solids:

I cut the solid strips on the lengthwise grain, parallel to the selvage. That way, I didn't have to piece them.

For the quilting, I turned to my Aurifil stash, of course! First, I quilted some wavy lines the length of the quilt using my walking foot and some 28 weight thread in a very, very dark blue (2785). I love the texture it created. Then, around the triangles, I did some loopy loops in a dark grey 50-weight (5004).

The binding used the leftover bits of fabric and solid. The finished pre-washed size is about 50" x 78". All in all, I am really pleased with this finish! And it's another one of my Q1 FAL projects - on a roll, baby!

Needle Book and a Burst of Colour

Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild had a needle book swap with the London (UK) Modern Quilt Guild and it was loads of fun!

This little goodie was what I made using Kerry Very Berry Handmade's tutorial:

It's a combo of Yarn Dyed in Black and some lovely Michael Miller Cotton Couture solids. I used those particular solids because it was my insurance plan in case I didn't get my VMQG Cotton Couture Challenge project completed on time. The needle book could do double duty if necessary.

But it wasn't necessary! I managed to complete my challenge project on time and I'm so very happy with it. Introducing Burst of Colour:

I love it. LOVE it! I was obviously very inspired by the colour placement that Krista Poppyprint used in her Full Circle quilt. And Berene made the brilliant suggestion to borrow Krista's Go!Baby cutter to make tumbler shapes. They give this quilt so much movement, and were a snap to piece together.

I used dark orange thread to quilt concentric circles (again with the Full Circle inspiration) and used a facing instead of a binding per Terry's tutorial. The quilt is 26" square.

While I didn't win Viewer's Choice at our meeting, I am really happy to have made this project and it will hang in my home where I'll see it every day.

Reading in my Garden: a 2013 Q4 Finish

I spent this past weekend at Loon Lake camp on the annual retreat Krista organizes each November. It was a fantastic time, as usual, except for the fact that I was hit by a really bad cold the night I arrived. That seriously cut into my quilting/partying/time, let me tell you. Still, I had lots of fun with quilting friends from near and afar.

Also as usual with these retreats, I overestimated how much I would get done (even assuming no illness), but at least I had lots of bits to choose from. This quilt was one of the first projects I tackled, and I'm so very pleased to have it done!

This WIP dates back to 2012! I won the blocks in a block lotto at VMQG, and pieced the top shortly thereafter. One seam was a bit foofy and I planned to unpick it but that's where progress halted. Then I came to my senses, and put the project on my 2013 Finish Along list for Q4.

I quilted it with a leafy, viny motif...

and added some flowers on the ends, with a nice big sun for some sunshine.

It's called Reading in my Garden because those stacked strip blocks really do look like books, don't they? The quilt measures about 57" by 53" and I think it will go in my daughter's room.

Hooray for longtime projects getting finished up! Stay tuned for another finish or two. I was productive!

Non-Quilty Sewing Part 2

Part 1 got a bit long, so in Part 2 of my Non-Quilty Sewing report, I want to share the tote bag I made for the VMQG tote bag swap that's happening at the September 16th meeting:

I used up the last of the paint dropcloth I purchased at Home Depot a while ago for the exterior of the tote and the straps. The bottom panels and the pocket were from a thrifted curtain panel. I love upcycling!

Inside, I lined the tote with some cute sewing pattern fabric that had been "curing" in ye olde stash for at least 6 years because I know I purchased it before having G. Time flies!

I also installed a zipper in the lining, which I must admit I balk at every time and then it turns out to be not so giant of a deal. Why oh why do I do that to myself?

This tote is definitely on the larger side. It's 15" tall x 12" wide x 6" deep and the handles rise 15" from the bag (for ease of shoulder-slinging) - in the photo of the interior, it's got a folded lap-sized quilt in it and there's lots of room! I made it larger so that it could be used to tote quilts and larger projects to our VMQG meetings for show and tell! I hope the recipient loves it. I had fun designing it and stitching it up.

Friday Felicities

Whew! Well, that was a busy month and a bit! The good news is that I had the opportunity to apply and interview for a new role at work - a permanent position in the training & development area where I've been working for the past year. I have had the same job for the past 15 years so I didn't even have a resume or anything like that. The application and interview were a lot of work but I'm thrilled to say that I got the job! Hooray! Felicity #1!
And Felicity #2 is that I won the VMQG block lotto again. This is the third time I've won - what can I say? VMQG brings me luck. That doesn't extend to the actual lottery, though, unfortunately. But I will have a chance to play with a bunch of these wonderful blocks:

We put together sets of 3 hexagons in a black/white plus a solid bright - these were the three I contributed:

They're assembled using Jacquie Tallgrass Prairie Studio's tutorial for piecing hexagons by machine without marking. I'm looking forward to piecing my 34 sets of three hexies together!
And now it's your turn!

Unintended Consequences

I am not sure if I mentioned this, and you may have noticed anyway, but I have sworn off all bees and most swaps this year in order to concentrate on projects for *me*.

The unintended consequence of this decision, however, is that I fell like I have less to share on the blog! Bigger projects take longer and the same project photos are really boring.

But having said that, I am happy to report that I did some quick sewing of some blocks for the VMQG block lotto/challenge.

This month, we're doing Japanese X Plus blocks (tutorial here). For every one you make, you get a ticket to win all of the submitted blocks.

Here are my three:

I started cutting the blocks out intending to use the same fabric for all four parts of the X, but then switched it up to make the blocks a bit scrappier. Hopefully when I win all the blocks (ha ha not really that much of a joke because admittedly I have excellent luck when it comes to VMQG door prize and block lotto draws), the fact that the same fabrics appear in all three blocks won't be as noticeable.

Have a happy Monday - I sure am because it's my day off work. And it's sunny (sorry, Winnipeg).

Recent Makes

So how was your Christmas? Even though my kid was up at 5:40 am, I have to say that mine was fabulous! Christmas is pretty special when you're seeing it through the eyes of a five-year-old. Santa brought her a pair of snowshoes and K took her up the mountain today - she's a natural!

I did get a couple of things stitched over the last while, including my project for VMQG's Scrap Bag Challenge and Swap. I read about this kind of fun guild activity on a blog but now I forget where (sorry about that!).

To participate, you fill a small ziploc baggie with about a FQ's worth of scraps, and tuck a slip of paper with your name inside. Then you choose someone else's bag, take it home and make something small with it.

So many things were made in the Scrap Bag Challenge and Swap

Here are the scraps I picked up.


They belonged to Janet! I had to ponder for a little while but then inspiration struck. Enter Noodlehead's Open Wide pouch tutorial.

I'm delighted to know that Janet loves her pouch! Here are a couple of her photos:

I also stitched up a couple of pillowcases to give to the drive in support of the children of Newtown, CT. I used a tutorial on Lovely Little Handmades and they came together beautifully:

On the Plus Side

This month, the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild celebrated its second anniversary. Well do I remember that first meeting - it was exhilarating, fun, and full of inspiration. It still is!

We usually have some kind of monthly block challenge, and this month, we riffed off the Quilt Con Block Challenge and used the VMQG logo colours to create 12½" by whatever blocks. 

The logo (designed by Cynthia Frenette of Green Couch Designs. Cynthia is also a fabric designer with Robert Kaufman!):

My block comprises several smaller free-pieced "plus" blocks. 

When I presented it at Show and Tell, I said that those plus signs symbolized all that belonging to VMQG has added to my life: friends, laughter, inspiration. Definitely "on the plus side" of things. 

Pouch Swap (Photo Heavy Post)

VMQG and PMQG are swappin' pouches - great idea, eh? I had a lot of fun making these pouches for my partners.

First up, is Pinky (as I've dubbed her):

Front

Back

I sketchy-stitched my partner's initial with the same blue thread I used on the front, then used PicMonkey to edit it out  of the photos so as not to give it away.

Interior - love those ladybugs!

Next, we have Grassy:

Front

Back

The wavy stitching was done with Aurifil 12 weight 100% cotton thread in colour 2310 (a nice cream) with 50 wt in the bobbin. It was an absolute DREAM to stitch with. I loooooove it.

Lining

And finally, both pouches' exteriors were made from cotton/linen blend fabric. I fused Pellon P971F Fusible Thermolam Plus to Pinky's exterior pieces, and Pellon SF101 Shape Flex to Grassy's exterior and lining pieces. Since the linen was already pretty bulky, it's my opinion that the Shape Flex was sufficient for giving the pouch body without bulk.

Both pouches finished up at around 7" square (and two whole days early - woot!). I'll be bringing them to the VMQG's second anniversary meeting/celebration tonight - two years old already! Paaaaartaaaay!

WIP Wednesday: All Pouched Out

Hello! I'm writing from the Felicity Quilts Pouch Sweatshop here in (not-at-all-sunny-didn't-you-get-the-memo-it's-June?) Vancouver. Lots of production this week - we've exceeded our quota! Three pouches for teacher gifts, and two more for the Vancouver Modern Quilts Guild's pouch swap with the Portland Modern Quilt Guild.

A full post on the swap pouches is forthcoming - for now, here's a sneak peek at one of them.

That's Aurifil 12wt 100% cotton thread - absolutely dreamy to stitch with.

That little tag with the "F" on it is my attempt at a DIY labeling strategy. I stamped the letters FQ on some cotton twill tape, folded it and sewed it into the side seam. I'm thinking I should just fall off my wallet and order some labels.

So while I was making the pouches, I wasn't doing anything else that remotely addressed my WIP situation. Not to worry - all that will change once I spend all day this Saturday at one of Krista's fabulous day retreats.

In other news, my Habitat pillows have made it into the finals of the Summer Sewing Contest at Ellison Lane! Lots of beautiful projects have been shortlisted - please do go have a look and vote for your favourites.

Friday Felicities

My husband has a theory that goes something like this: there is a finite amount of luck available to us as a family, so what luck I "use up" by winning blog giveaways and Guild door prizes is therefore not available for winning the Big Stuff like the lottery.

In unrelated news, who's got two thumbs and won 13 of the Stacked Strips blocks made by VMQG members for our February challenge? THIS GAL!

My own contribution to the challenge

Today's Felicity is....WINNING! Have a great weekend!