Checking in with a Winner and a Finish!

Janet is the winner of my wool rotary cutter ornament. Congratulations, Janet!

The football season is over and I'm happy to report that I finished binding this quilt during the first half of the Superbowl. I met my goal and this 12 year old UFO is finished!!

Sorry for my absence here. I am currently working at 2 different jobs outside of the home in addition to raising my children, keeping dishes and clothes clean and all that jazz. Quilting has become a joy that is captured in scattered moments throughout my week. I'm hoping to catch up on some blogging real soon!

With Joy,

Sarah Vee

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Giveaway Photo and My Big Panel Quilts

Here's the promised photo for you of the giveaway prize. ONE of these wool rotary cutter ornaments - the other one is for me!

You still have time to comment on yesterday's post to enter.

So far it looks like quilters have a 'thing' for specialty rulers. Not surprising I guess as how you cut your fabric is one of the first steps in making a quilt.

I must admit I own very few rulers - on purpose! I have always had a small quilting space and wondered about how I would store rulers and still have access to them. Out of sight, out of mind for me:)

The ruler in the photo above is called Speedy Strips and copyrighted to Jackie Black. I inherited it from my husband's granny and really love how long it is - 22.5 inches. In this photo I'm using it to cut the angled lines of a liberated churn dash.

I keep this one and my Omnigrid 18 inch long ruler on my cutting table above my cutting mat.

I'll share more rulers in another post, but wanted to show you what happens for me when I don't have the specialty rulers. . .

 I design blocks without them! This is my attempt at a dresden with no rulers. The blades are 2.5 inch strips. It's a large block - 18 inches square. This is going to be my next panel quilt - and maybe a tutorial for those who want to play along!

But not next week! I'm still binding away on Maeve, my latest panel quilt.

Latest is relative as this quilt is a 12 year long UFO. My plan is to have it finished for the Super Bowl!

 

This is a peek of what she will look like when I finish the binding. She's a smaller queen than my Liberated Churn Dash quilt which you can see hanging out below.

Back to binding,

Sarah Vee

p.s. Remember to check out my poll too - where do you find quilting inspiration online?

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Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

 Here's to celebrating the harvest! 

A small {15 x17 inches} wallhanging from LAST fall that I hung up by pinning some leftover ribbon to the top.

 Here's to preparing for the treats yet to come!

Another project from last year that I just needed to finish some blanket stitching on.

Here's to finishing small projects and

taking small steps to get

the BIG ones finished!

I finally finished stitching the back seam for my third row of Lady of the Lake blocks. One more row is needed {whose blocks still need to be quilted and sewn to each other}

I plan to celebrate with family and a turkey dinner. 

And maybe a few more small finishes while watching sports;)

With Joy,

Sarah Vee

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First Football Finish of the Season

 Even though there isn't technically Football games on Tuesday night, we watched one of the channels where you can watch all the highlight plays of the games from the past weekend. I finished sewing down the last part of the hanging sleeve last night.

This wasn't supposed to end up as a wallhanging! These are some of the Lady of the Lake blocks that some of my friends at Pat Sloan's Quilt Mashup Forum made for me to help me finish my Lady of the Lake quilt. But, because I was quite the novice quilter when I started this project {ahem. . .11 years ago!} my original blocks finished smaller than these ones. Correct seam allowances matter!!!

Here's the same photo adjusted to black and white. You can really see how value makes the design come alive. The dark on point squares in the background really make me happy. I love when a design that I've only played with on paper "works" in fabric.

 For now it will hang in our dining room, directly across from my chair:) The plan is to hang it over our bed when the Lady of the Lake quilt is completed. I will have matching decor!LOL

Lots more to blog about, just not the time to blog AND quilt. The choices we must make some days, eh?! Hope you are enjoying some early Fall finishes. I was at the quilt store yesterday and the one woman who works there said she isn't sewing gifts for Christmas this year. This year it will be cookbooks for her family! I think this will keep the JOY in her quilting this season - a trend I think I'm going to follow:)

With Joy,

Sarah Vee

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A Blog Break

I've been taking a bit of a blog break. Actually when I went to type the title I spelled it "brake" and that would be accurate as well! Life is busy outside of blogland - who knew;)

I am still working away at my Lady of the Lake quilt. My header photo is from two years ago when I laid out my blocks across my bed! I'm much farther along now and did a big sprint last night. I'm not sure I will make my July 6 deadline, but I'm hopeful! My biggest mental stumbling block right now is trying to decide what to use for binding.
My biggest Physical stumbling block is exhaustion after working outside the home and then INSIDE the home when I'm done! I know you know what I mean!



My mom knows me pretty well, don't you think? I love both of these almost equally! One is a package of BRIGHT paisley napkins and the other - a layer cake of Wildflower Serenade. Thanks, mom - I have plans for both!

Don't you LOVE plans? I keep making them and the more I'm at my machine quilting, the more I make!

I haven't forgot about the quilt along. In fact, I've given it a name:

Follow Your Bliss Make Along

I'm gonna say it's a 3 month adventure - July 18 to September 18.
I'm planning a blog roll of participants, so if you know you want to join me, let me know through email or a comment and leave me a link to your blog.

Stay tuned for more from me next week!

Enjoy the Long Weekend!
Happy Canada Day AND Fourth of July!

Sarah Vee

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Drowning in my Lady of the Lake - Quilt Along, Anyone?

Okay, maybe I shouldn't be so dramatic. I am so close to a finish.
Some of my friends over at Pat Sloan's Quilt Mashup Forum even made blocks for me.




Enough that I will have another row in my quilt.




Enough so that I didn't have to do much at all to get this 11 year project that much closer to completion.



Enough so that I only had to make a few half square triangles to put this set of blocks together.
And that's it!


I have one more set of blocks to put together.


I have 2 rows of panels completely quilted and joined together.


A third is almost ready. The fourth is almost ready to be basted. The fifth is waiting in the wings.


I am cheering myself on with this post.
So many ideas are trying not so patiently to take me away from this project - again.

I am seriously thinking about a QUILT ALONG
- almost a challenge/artsy quilt along.

{My idea machine has tentatively called it My Hurry UP and WAIT Quilt Along. ahem}

But-the-ideas-are- flowing-so-fast-that- I -have-nothing- to-really-show-you.
I just wanted to tell you that I'm excited about it!

Would you Join Me?
Wanna Know More?

Leave me a comment and we'll see how quickly I can get this
Lady Quilted and on to
the Next Joyful Adventure:)

Sarah Vee

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Lady of the Lake Progress

I am making progress on my Lady of the Lake quilt.
Each quilted panel is made up of 4 blocks.
Each row is made up of 5 panels.
There are {or will be!} 5 rows.

Quick! How many blocks total?!?


I am once again using a directional backing.
I find it helpful if there is a directional fabric to just place it correctly when I'm pinning the panel for quilting. Then I know it will be right way up from then on.




In the photo above you can see one complete row on the left. The next one only needs one more panel and has it now:)



This photo gives you a closer look at what the final setting will look like.
When the rows join, there will be light squares on point between the dark squares on point.
With this setting, the half triangles also become flying geese, zooming all over my quilt!


This quilt's due date is July 6 - my 15th wedding anniversary.
It's getting close!



With Joy,
Sarah Vee


answer: 100 blocks to make this quilt top! :)

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