Magpie Quilts

Last year I wrote a post about Granny Square quilts here . These were inspired by Jolene at Blue Elephant Stitches whose blog I've been following for a while. She has updated her tutorial and it is up at the Moda Bake Shop and the new tutorial uses pre-cut jelly roll strips. Granny Square Quilt at Moda Bake Shop This is a quilt pattern that still catches my eye and I've been collecting 2.5" squares to make a scrappy version sometime in the future. Here's a version I made using Moda's American Banner line of fabrics Granny Square Table Topper - FOR SALE And here's a few more examples that I've found in the last few days: photo from Holly and Olive photo from SewCraftyJess Doesn't that just inspire you to bring out the bright colours and start sewing? --Ann

Busy week for me this week. I have a custom order for 8 placemats - almost done, just need to pop into my local quilt shop for fabric for binding. The placemats are made from a fun fat quarter pack called "Cinnamon Spice" by Blackbird Designs from Moda fabrics. I have lots of fabric left, so watch for more items made from this fabric line in the near future! Cinnamon Spice Placemats Quilting Cinnamon Spice Placemats I also finished the friendship star border on my blue & white quilt and added the final blue print border, bringing it up to a nice lap/twin size quilt top. Just need to look for a backing and this one is ready to go out for quilting! Blue and White Sampler Quilt And finally, I had 5 friendship stars left over after I pieced the border for the bigger blue and white quilt and put them together into a table runner that's now listed for sale in my shop here! Blue and White Table Runner - FOR SALE HERE So, that's what's happening in ...

I belong to the Dalemead Quilt Guild that meets just outside of the city in a small hamlet called Indus. Members come from nearby and from far away - some drive more than an hour to meet with us! This year, Peggy introduced us to the Tinner's Challenge. We each brought a tin and $10. The following week, we each received a different tin containing a piece of fabric, a list of people in our group and a theme or a pattern. The object was to complete a block using the fabric and the instructions or theme provided and then pass the tin on to the next person on the list. Here's the one's I've had so far: Tin #1 - Theme: Christmas. This tin had no instructions, just a piece of lovely Christmas fabric. Because it wasn't specified, I decided to make a 9" block rather than a traditional 12" block. Christmas quilt block Tin #2 - Theme: Jewels of the Sea. No instructions in this tin either. The first block was a Storm at Sea block. Going with the Jewel theme...

Here's what's been happening in my sewing room this week:  I've started basting some little 1.5" hexies from my scraps - not sure what they'll be when they grow up, but I've got plenty of time to decide! (Actually, this is NOT my sewing room - I was watching TV in my PJ's and was quite comfy on the sofa!)   And last week I started quilting this baby quilt on my machine, but for some reason, still unknown, when the bobbin thread ran out, my machine needle hit the plastic on the free-motion foot and broke the needle. The main shaft on the free-motion foot is slightly bent and my landscaper son did a quick fix by filing a bit off the plastic so I could finish. I have made this pattern a few times and I think I need to up the challenge by quilting something other than an all-over meander or loopy stitch. Any ideas?  And today, I sewed at my friend's house and this is what she's been working on - a paper-pieced Harry Potter quilt. The pattern i...

Do you remember these blocks from the Flickr 3x6 Bee Quilt Block exchange? I pulled out the quilt blocks that had yellow and purple in them and made this quilt with batik sashing and borders. And I had 6 blue and white blocks left that I thought I could make into a baby quilt, but when I got it together, it didn't look very baby-ish to me. And then it was put aside until I could figure out what I wanted to do with it. I decided I would add a pieced border and another border of the same blue I had already used to sash and border the original quilt blocks. I like how it's coming together so far! I think when I have this blue and white quilt finished, I will go back and join the next exchange again. It's a great challenge for me to work with someone else's colour choices and it's fun to find a unique quilt block to make. --Ann