Saturday Snippets of Joy

I'm working on putting my 2013 Aurifil blocks together.
I'm using one of the large prints from Pat Bravo's Rock 'n Romance line to make the quilt bigger.I should have enough to add a small border of the fabric so the blocks look like they are 'floating'. Then I'll add the other fabric you see on the left as a final border.



A cool coincidence that this fabric almost reads Radiant Orchid - Pantone's color of the year.

Lots of pretty links to look at - if you like purple!

Pat Sloan did a review of Radiant Orchid.

Etsy has some pretty sights to see too.

And if you are not into purple this year, that's okay.

There are lots of other colours in the rainbow to enjoy.

Here's a pinterest board for Rainbow Quilts.

 This rainbow might come and live with me!

Sarah Vee

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December Aurifil Block

I finished the December Aurifil block before the end of the month, even before Christmas!
This month's block was designed by Pat Sloan.
You can find the pattern on the Aurifil blog here.

The blocks are all up on my design wall. I'm debating whether I want to add more blocks to make it a bigger quilt.

You should go and take a look at these blocks done up in some different fabrics by Scott Hansen at Blue Nickel Studios. I didn't even recognize some of the blocks! 
Here's a link to Day 7 of the 12 Days of Color.

I did buy extra yardage of two of the prints (two fabrics on the left) and some of two different prints that I haven't used yet.

Pat Sloan did post a setting for these blocks. {same link as for the block - the setting is at the end!}

My plans for these blocks will definitely wait now - until next year!!



Merry Christmas!

Sarah Vee

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Sewing in Sunlight - Nov Aurifil BOM

I enjoyed a wonderful sunlit day in my quilting space.

My Aurifil block for November is finished. I tried highlighting some of the other fabrics in the collection this month.

My block turned out a bit darker than some of the others. I'm looking forward to the last block and seeing what the setting plans are for the quilt top. 

You can see more Aurifil blocks at the flickr pool.

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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I Came Home to a New Quilt Space!

While I was away at teacher's college for the latest block of classes, my husband started moving around the furniture.
Big time!
I've been trying to find everything (ahem) and setting up my new space so I can actually quilt!!
I do like how the lighting is so much better on this side of the room  - I could sew all night{wink}

I've put up a few little finishes and my basket quilt top. I really love coming into this space:)

My shelves are still in a bit of disarray and you can see a small pile of things still to find new homes. To the right of the space is open to the family room. I like how I've been able to make it a 'room' for myself but still be near everybody.

I put up the design wall again behind the table I sew at. You can see all of my machines lined up - my sewing machine, iPad mini and my Mac. I sit here and write lesson plans and now I think now that my room is a bit more set up. . .
I might even quilt!

I spent time today cutting out the November Aurifil block of the month. I still have to resolve some lighting issues here - probably add a light to the right as well.



Hope you are enjoying some quilting time!

Sarah Vee

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Quilting Plans for October

I finished my October Aurifil block while I was home on practicum for teacher's college. I'm still in love with these fabrics and hope I can make the quilt top in a timely fashion! Maybe it will be my graduation gift to myself ;)


I didn't bring my Aurifil fabrics back with me to school as I'm only here until the first week of November and I have LOTS of assignments due that week. Instead, I looked in my quilt space and found my shoeboxes full of selvages.

This will be my sewing therapy for the next few weeks. If I'm lucky it will produce some Christmas gifts at the same time!

How lucky am I? When I returned to my parents this weekend this lovely stack of quilt magazines was waiting for me. My sister purged and I am going to enjoy the results! Thanks sis, they won't go to waste!

That's my quilting plans for the rest of October. . .
I hope you find some time to quilt too!
With Joy,

Sarah Vee

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End of September Update

I got my September Aurifil block finished just in time. Some of the flowers at my parent's house are still blooming so I thought this was a fun place to take a picture.

I enjoyed making this block. {Can you see the shoo fly?}
Part of what made making this block so fun, was that I WON last month's prize at the Aurifil flickr page!

  Yes, I won the BIG box of Pat Sloan's thread!!

 Inside the box - quilter's candy! Beautiful thread including a variegated spool {bottom right}

 Not a great picture, but a great find! I got this whole kit of fabrics, from a Holly Holderman Lakehouse Goods line, and the pattern for $4.00 at a local thrift store. It was still tied up with the ribbon from a quilt store with the price - $48.99. Not just a great deal, but I love these fabrics. The black is a print which will make it's way into my Halloween 1904 quilt. I might even use the orange and pink gingham. Maybe!

 My final photo shows how many mini spools I have made for the final quilty barn block. I need to cut the rest of the mini spools still. 


Now it's October! Enjoy some early Fall Quilting!

Sarah Vee

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Hand Piecing July Aurifil BOM

I'm looking back at March's block for fabric placement ideas this month.

Aurifil July BOM link

I cheat a little bit with templates. I always measure more than twice, but the speed is worth it.

Pieces are all cut and laid out.
 But instead of looking similar there is some tension between these blocks.

Changing the positions of the blue and pale purple squares makes all the difference - it gives the block a background.

Sew far, so good!


Aurifil BOM flickr pool - some people are already done!




With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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Finishing up June and Finding UFOs

June Aurifil Block of the Month
Aurifil flickr link - view pics and find links to block instructions for each month

6 inch chicken feet block

for my Quilty Barn Door block!

Quilty Barn Along flickr pool - links to Lori's blog posts are here too


This morning I went on a hunt for some fabric I KNEW I had! I found it and quite a few more little UFOs to add to my list. They might be my summer pile, or teacher's college pile, or they might just get added to the list (wink!)

In no particular order. . . 

 A fused swan scene, made up a few years ago now with fused fabric scraps from the Layer Cake Quilt Along and my Prayer Flag fabric.  I will machine quilt this I think. It's less than 12 inches big.

My Follow Your Bliss Makealong top! Ugh! Is this from last summer (or the one before!) Most of it is quilted down now. I think I was considering more embellishing, and adding some purple stitching to the yellow words.

North scraps. Again I know this started out using fused scrap leftovers. Quilty Cat just made this  amazing prairie point pillow which has given me some inspiration for what I want to add to this. I think it will become a pillow too!



And the last one, which has been on my mind lately,

Blessings Baskets from Temecula Quilt Co.

Look at the fun stash of fabrics I have tucked away with these blocks! Another incentive to finish!


If you got this far, remember to enter my Canada Day Giveaway!

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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Progress on Picking Block Fabric for Aurifil BOM

I started working on the June Aurifil BOM on the weekend. My fabrics were brought upstairs by my daughter so I could play in bed!

 Pat Sloan went through her process of picking fabrics this month on her blog. You can see her process here. I thought I'd share mine too.

I keep my  fabrics for the blocks in a pile and put the fabrics I used for the last block on the bottom. This way my fabrics are already in rotation so that, hopefully, all of them get a fair shot at being in the blocks equally. 

 In this photo you can see my fabric pile on the left and my small leftover cuttings from previous blocks on the right.

I looked at the block next and checked how many fabrics it uses, plus a background. 
Here's the next 5 fabrics in my pile. The blue is my background.

Then I looked at the block again and compared its design composition to the first five blocks.

Sorry for the glare on the photo I can't seem to edit it away (remember I am using my bed for my design wall!)

I sorted the blocks and discovered that there are already 3 blocks (the bottom row) with a lot of background showing and only 2 with very little background (the top row). 
This month's block falls into the category of having a lot of background. 

How did this affect my fabric choices?

Well, it did and it didn't!
 I wanted to make sure that fabrics that had dominant roles in those blocks in the top row didn't take over in this block.
 I wanted fabrics to look different in this block because they are each going to have to hold their own against the background and in relation to each other.
 The designer used a lot of 'fuzzy' cutting in this block, which I like.
 I'm trying to look at different parts of the patterns in these fabrics and showcase them in this block.


We'll see how I do! I had to stop after cutting a few pieces. The motion still hurt my abdomen which is healing, but still quite tender (sneezing and hiccups hurt!) It may be a bit before I go any further, but I wanted to share my process - and progress - before it slipped away from me.


With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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May Aurifil BOM

This month's block was easy peasy quick.
Especially if you follow Pat Sloan's tutorial! Thanks, Pat!

The Aurifil Flickr pool has even more blocks to enjoy.

Sarah Vee

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April Aurifil BOM

A sweet, simple block this month.
Most of my squares were already waiting for me as leftover strips from cutting the previous months' blocks.

You can see more Heart and Soul blocks at the Aurifil BOM flickr group.
Link to April Aurifil BOM block.

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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March Aurifil BOM

I found time to make this pretty and simple block. 
I think it looks like spring!
You can find the pattern at the Aurifil blog.
Check out the flickr pool to see how changing the colour placement can bring the churn dashes in this block to life!
I just may have to make another one:)

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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February Aurifil BOM - Heavy Crosses

I cut into some new fabrics in the Rock and Romance line for this month's Aurifil BOM. 

I changed to contrast a bit in the block to emphasize the cross, since the name of the block is Heavy Crosses. The block instructions can be found at the Aurifil blog here: February designer of the month

You can check out all the lovely variations of both blocks at the flickr page for Aurifil BOM.


I'm happy to be caught up so early in the month!
Another snow day here. Perhaps I will get a chance to work on my Halloween 1904 panels. . .



With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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Romancing the Aurifil BOM for 2013

This is the January block for the Aurifil BOM this year.
It's called Jumpin' Jack Flash and was designed by Erin Russek.
You can visit the Aurifil website to find her instructions for this block.

 

Pat Sloan is the hostess for the Block of the Month with Aurifil. I was beyond thrilled when I found out that she had picked out Pat Bravo's Rock and Romance fabric for this project!

A perfect excuse for me to buy some because I fell in love the moment I saw it.

I'm not using the colourway chosen by Pat, but the other one!

 

I bought some yardage too as Pat has already planned out which fabrics she will use for the borders. The light one on the right will be the binding. 

 

 I even made a bonus block by sewing an extra seam allowance on the long rectangles.

Of course, I'm saving my selvages and the wheels are already turning as to what I will make with them to complement this quilt!

 Have you started a NEW Block of the Month for 2013?

With Joy,

Sarah Vee

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