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.

Bright Birch Trees Giveaway

I have been following Crazy Mom Quilts for several years.  I love the bright colours she uses and her creativity in using up scrap fabric.  One of her quilts that I particularly like is her Bright Birch Trees - the pattern really captures the look and feel of the birch tree.  It is on my list of quilts I would like to make, but I don't have suitable scraps.  Most of the quilts I have made are baby quilts in flannel or pastels.  I don't have a single brightly coloured scrap.

Today she has posted that she is giving away a bright birch trees starter quilt, complete with a pile of brightly coloured scraps.  What a wonderful kit to win.

The Dreaded Request - Can you sew, mend, make ...

Today my brother mentioned in passing that his girlfriend had a dress she wanted me to hem.  I responded with a look of horror and pleaded "Please don't make me!".

I absolutely HATE mending.  Yes, that's right, I shouted out in all caps my immense dislike for mending.  It's tedious.  There are also techniques involved that I have never learned, and likely special tools that I don't have. 

It seems that when you quilt and make gifts for others that people think you are open to taking requests, such as mending clothes.  I don't like mending my own clothes.  Doing so for others is that much worse.  It also has the added pressure of what if you make a mistake?  It happens.  I have more than once hemmed pants too short, then been stuck with the mistake as there was not enough fabric to let down the hem.

I quilt and sew for enjoyment.  I like the flexibility of putting down a project and picking up again when it suits me.  It may be a few days, weeks, months, or even years.   Yes, years.  Like many crafters I have a stash of patterns and fabric waiting to be used.  I have pants that need to be mended.  I also have a pair of pajamas my mom asked me to make her.  All that's left to complete them is to add elastic to the waistband and button holes to the top.  They have been 90% finished for 10 years, but I don't mend.  I don't know how to tailor clothes to make them fit.  And, I don't know how to make button holes that are the right size.  So I put the pajamas aside and made her a quilt instead.  Hours more work then finishing the pajamas, but the quilt wasn't a request.  I sewed at my own pace and I sewed something that inspired me.

Starting to Blog

Today is the day I start to blog.   For real.  You may have noticed that this blog was created in 2012.  It is now 2016 and this is my first post.  Why?  I have been waiting until I created a logo/page header, waiting until I had finished quilts to post, waiting until I had set up the blog layout, waiting until I had ideas to write about, waiting until I had photos of quilts to post.  I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

Well, today I decided to stop waiting and start writing.  This is quite a departure for me as I like to have everything in place before 'going live'.  However, since this is a personal project it has been too easy to procrastinate and wait until I have time.  So I decided to flip things around and start with posting content.  The rest will follow in the coming weeks and months.