Buyer's Regret

You may have read about the fabric I had ordered to make a birthday gift for a friend's daughter that wend missing.  You can read about it here.

In my rush to replace the missing fabric, I bought some at a local store.  Two different stores in fact, purchased days apart.  And not just any store.  They were quilt stores.  Both carrying hundreds of bolts of quality quilt fabric.  Each time I thought I was happy with my fabric selection and each time I regretted my choice within minutes of leaving the store.

Since I no longer like the fabrics bought to make this gift (I cannot share details until after it has been given) they won't be used, at least not for this project.  So much for my goal of reducing inventory. 

La Conner Quilt & Fiber Arts Festival

I was inspired to make my first quilt while visiting La Conner.  Little did I know at the time that La Conner, known for its tulip festival, is home to The Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum.  It is celebrating it's 20th year in 2017.

Now that I am a quilter, and know there is a quilt museum in La Conner, I will be stopping by the next time I am there.  Perhaps I'll plan a visit when they are hosting their annual Quilt & Fiber Arts Festival.

Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum, La Conner

Lost in the mail ... say it isn't so!

Inspiration arrived early for a gift I want to make for my friend's daughter who is having a birthday in November.  It's a small project.  Plenty of time to order fabric, make it, then mail it.  Or, so I thought until I went to check if the package had arrived.

According to the postal service it had been delivered.  According to the mailbox, it had not been received.  Unlike the mailboxes above, the package was sent to a community mailbox that requires a key to be opened.

Urggh!  I often order fabric on-line and have never had packages go astray.

One of those days ...

Some friends were stopping by to visit so I decided to bake some cookies.  They arrived just as I was putting the cookies in the oven.  I forgot to set the timer.  This was the result. 

 

In the photo they look like double chocolate cookies.  In reality they were completely burnt.

 

A few days later I tried again.  This is what I had been planning to share with my friends.  Instead, I had the whole batch for myself. 

Summer Painting Projects

I like projects and bargains.  I am often inspired by Young House Love and have been on the hunt for a wooden high chair since reading their post on how they updated a wooden high chair with sunny, yellow paint.  I finally found one - it was a bargain at $10.  I turned it into a project by cleaning, sanding, then painting it.

A few weeks later I found a pair of toddler chairs also for $10.  Another successful bargain and project!

Then I was given a pair of wooden stools that had been in storage at a family member's since their kitchen renovation in the '80s.  As I had been wanting some counter stools for my kitchen I was happy to receive them.  A couple coats of paint and they have now been given a new life.

My First Quilt

It started with a visit to La Conner in Washington state.  My mom was looking at some quilts in a gift shop ... while she was looking, I was thinking that I could make one for her.  It would be a great Christmas gift and there would be lots of time.  It was summer after all.

A few months later I found the perfect pattern on the cover of McCall's Quick Quilts.  The fall colours were perfect for my parent's home and the mountains in the background reminded me of where they lived.

March 2001 Edition

 

I was fortunate to find similar colours.  Some of the squares have faded a bit from the sun, but overall it has held up well to regular use and regular washes over the past 15 years.

 

My First Quilt - 2001

In comparing the quilt I made to the one in the photo it appears I modified it and added an extra row of stars. 

Happy Canada Day!

To celebrate Canada turning 150 in 2017 Trend-Tex Fabrics commissioned Canadian designer Grace Noel to design an exclusive fabric collection, With Glowing Hearts.

The fabric features iconic Canadian images such as beavers, inukshuks, lumber, Canadian geese and maple leafs.

Trend-Tex is also hosting a With Glowing Hearts Quilt Challenge.  The 1st place winning projects will be displayed by Moda at the International Fall Quilt Market 2017.