My Secret Garden - It's only a top!

"It's only a top" was the remark my quilt holder made as we stepped outside to take photos today.
Good thing he was already holding the quilt top! 

The border makes me smile. It works so well with the rest of the fabrics I used- probably because it's another print from Tula Pink! The inner border fabric is only in that border and the outside nine patches that are hard to see in this photo thanks to the windy fall day we're having here.

The nine patch corners are impossible to see in this photo too! Pat Sloan went light with her border fabric colour and I tried to do the same. My original plan was to use a dark blue/indigo print. I really like how the light border 'lifts' the quilt blocks into view.

I took photos of the quilt top laid out on my queen size bed. I like how the inner border lays at the edge of the top of the mattress. This picture already suggests that the top doesn't have much drop on the queen size bed. Here's another look:

This photo gives a peek at a corner nine patch block. It also shows how much larger my Halloween 1904 quilt is than this one. I'm okay with that - my original intention was for the My Secret Garden quilt to be a lap quilt for me and it's more than big enough for that!

I finished in time to add my quilt to Pat's challenge. You can see all the different garden quilts at this link - it's always enjoyable to see what other quilters have created.

Now onto Christmas making?!

With Joy,

Sarah V.

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Final Secret Garden Block and Sashings

The final block for Pat Sloan's mystery called My Secret Garden {hosted at FreeQuiltPatterns} is out and finished. The block above is last month's bonus block that I didn't share here before. 

This month's block has a frame of squares around it. If you look at Pat's blocks you'll see she used squares in two different colors - blue and red. At this point I didn't have enough of two colors, but I did have pieces of several different dark blue fabrics. I decided to alternate dark blue with the other fabrics I still had left. 

Here are my blocks sewn together with the inner sashings. I decided to only use shades of blue, purple and green instead of going "rainbow" like I showed in my last Secret Garden post. I still need to add the final sashing and border.

Pat mentioned that she's currently having a "thing" for light borders. Interesting, eh? I was still in shopping mode for my border when I watched this month's video so I hadn't actually purchased any of the dark blue fabrics that I'd been looking at online for my border. Lucky for me some of my favourite online quilt shops decided to have sales at the beginning of the month!

I lucked out and found the light green colorway of this butterfly print from Tula Pink - it's the same as the middle on the top block of this post. I realized this could be my border print and I could trying going light too ;)

I bought the other print because it reminds me of the favourite blue print I've been using in this quilt - and it's also a Denyse Scmidt print. I'm going to use it as binding as it's a really fun dot print but would still blend a bit with the border fabric.

Unfortunately it means the fabric strips I had set aside for the final outer sashings will blend in too - so it's back to the fabric stash for that!!

Pat has incentivized getting the top done this month with a giveaway. Needless to say I'm working on it;)

I'm linking up with The Needle and Thread Network

and Freemotion by the River

With Joy,

Sarah V.

p.s. I've also finally listed my Sam's Basket wall hanging pattern. It's at a special *New Release* price of $1.50 US until October 25. A great opportunity to try out one of my patterns if you haven't yet;)

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My Secret Garden in September

We spent the last weekend before school started at Chutes Provincial Park. The weather was perfect and resulted in some wonderful photos and no mosquito bites!

The trees. The sky. It was a great idea to be in nature and connect and get grounded before the whirlwind of school catches us in its grasp. 

Beginning of September means another My Secret Garden block release by Pat Sloan. I had this idea of using up some of my Tula Pink true colors 2 1/2" strips for the sashing last month. I got some out to see what it looked like. The plan would be to use the coral/pink as the cornerstones, but I don't have much of it left!

I finished the September block. Love the suggestion of shoefly blocks in the corners. A bonus block was released too - I still have to make that one;)

I have enough of the orange/pink strip to go all the way across the top and another purple print that I can use across the bottom. Without putting in cornerstones across the top and bottom I have enough of the corals to use as cornerstones, but probably won't add any to the last two blocks. We'll see what happens!

Looking forward to having this one finished soon - next month the last block will be revealed. Trying to resist joining (too many) new things as I have a lot of my own designs waiting to be made ;)

Linking up to The Needle and Thread Network

 and Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River

What are you working on this week?

With Joy,

Sarah V.

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Mid-August Update: Splendid Sampler, Secret Garden and Scrap JOY

Last week went by in a blur! Where has the summer gone? Actually, I've been savouring the summer and finding that it's almost time to pick up the pace again as the new school year approaches. But before that happens I plan to spend a lot of time quilting!

I did get to enjoy visiting blogs of several Splendid Sampler block designers last week as the 50th of 100 blocks was released. I took some time to make my block 50 and one more pieced block.

Block 46 was fun to do, playing with the lights, darks and medium prints in this line to get some of the swirling effect going. I will spend some more time catching up in another week or so - I have quite a bit of writing and designing to do in the mean time.

Of course I did take some time to make this month's My Secret Garden block too! I actually wanted to use some of the blue Denyse Schmidt fabric that I'm using as the background in this block for another project so it was the perfect excuse to cut out this block at the same time.

Here are my My Secret Garden blocks. Remember last month Pat gave out two blocks - the one in the bottom row is the first bonus block. I have a plan now for the sashing that I started cutting this week. Hopefully I'll add it to my blocks next month ;)

THIS is what I was cutting scraps for - Four Patch-Work by Temecula Quilt Co. I find it irresistible! The pattern is free on their blog  until the Olympics are over. It has been absolutely delightful to cut patches from fabrics I'm using now in various projects as well as from my scrap bin to get this many blocks made. I might get to another post this week with some more progress. The next step is cutting more than 500 11/2" squares to make into four patches.

Did I mention I was busy writing too?!

Yes, a new PFAFF machine arrived for me to review! Plus we worked on renovating the bathroom last week and I ended up with this new-to-my-space storage cabinet. This photo shows me trying to get the right light on the sewing machine without any shadows behind it. On the design wall behind it is all the 8" four patches from the Four Patch-Work top.

It seems like my sewing space has picked up the pace. I'll get my writing done so I can get back to quilting - and sharing here! 

How are you spending the rest of August?


With Joy and Gratitude,

Sarah V.

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Two My Secret Garden Blocks for July

This month Pat Sloan gave us two blocks to make for the My Secret Garden mystery block of the month. I really love the print in the background star and hope to get a chance to use it as a feature fabric in another block.

I took advantage of the design wall I added this month to put up all of my Secret Garden blocks. The one on the bottom is the bonus block for this month. Pat has it laid out here in her plan so I decided to do the same. This column of the quilt seems to have the same blue background!

Here's a closer look at the bonus block. It's actually the same block as the first one with the fabric placement changed.

This is my block 1 - can you see the changes? I changed mine from the bonus directions that Pat gave out. 

I wonder how many different ways you could play with this one block!

Looking forward to August!

With Joy,

Sarah V

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Two Months of Secret Garden Blocks

May got really busy for me somehow - procrastinating on projects put me behind on the quilts I'm making for me. This is the May block from Pat Sloan's My Secret Garden block of the month. 

My Secret Garden May Block

I really wanted to use the blue Denyse Schmidt print that I've been holding onto as the background. Using 4 different colors for the pinwheels really adds some movement to the block. This is the first block the fabric in the darker inner border has made an appearance - I will have to start including it in more!

I'm really happy with how my June block turned out. Pat showed two fabric placement variations which you can see here. I wanted to try and make my center star float so I chose two different light fabrics for the star background fabrics. 

My Secret Garden June Block

I also took another design cue from Pat - I noticed one of her blocks used the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow.)  I have a tendency to use the secondary colors a lot - green, orange, and purple. I went through my stash of fabrics set aside for this project and got as close to the secondary colors as I could! Fun to see how the coral Tula pink fabric has played several different roles for me in these blocks. 

Now I'm caught up on this project until next month;)

How are you doing with your Block of the Month projects?


With Joy,

Sarah V.

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Everything is Progress - WIP Wednesday

This week I am still working at quilting my Wish Upon a Star for Spring quilt. Once I got the first quarter section finished on the bottom left, it was much easier to keep going. I am basically going to do the same thing in each quadrant!

Wish Upon a Star for Spring Quilt tutorial at QUILTsocial.com

Can you see the hearts?

This quilt will be gifted to my daughter who just had her 15th birthday. I am quilting 4 hearts in each quadrant which gives her "one to grow on";) You might be able to see my attempt at writing in the quilting. The biggest heart has the word *sleep* quilted in it. I've got the top two quadrants to go then I plan to do some simple scallops around the outside. 

The quilting is taking me longer than planned and I can only do so much at a time. I gave myself a scare today quilting this quadrant and ending up all bloated and sore. Almost three weeks ago (maybe a few days more) I had a medical emergency and stayed in hospital overnight. Blood transfusions, the whole bit. I am okay, but still healing. Miraculously. 

Don't let anyone tell you that quilting isn't physically demanding!

Learning to listen to my body - and heed it's warnings! - is the memory that I'm stitching into this quilt. I definitely wouldn't be able to do what I am doing as far as quilting goes without the amazing PFAFF machine that I've been fortunate to review. It has really helped me keep creating and feeling like myself through this time.

The FUN thing about this quilt is that Connie featured it this week in her Linky Tuesday Party! So neat:) Be sure to check out the links there this week too!

I spent some time quilting on Mother's Day and did the fusible applique on two of the Splendid Sampler blocks that I am behind on. The stitching one I took with me to medical appointments - was it ever nice to have something to do while waiting (and waiting!) Now it's ready to take outside and finish in the sunshine!

I also did up my block 4 in Pat Sloan's My Secret Garden BOM. Not sure how I missed April!?!  I still have time to do May's so maybe this weekend?;)

I am not the only quilter in Canada who has felt the urge to help out the people of Fort McMurray Alberta. Please visit my tutorial post for more info on where to donate blocks and quilts if you are so inclined. 

Maple Leaf Block Tutorial

Linking up this week with 

The Needle and Thread Network

Connie's Linky Tuesday Party at Freemotion by the River

With Joy,

Sarah V.

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