Previously On This Week: 26 June

I've had an idea for a regular feature on my blog that I'm going to try out - I'm going to keep it really simple and do a weekly post 'Previously On This Week'.  No words just a few links back to posts from the same week in previous years that are still relevant or might be fun to revisit.

Here's the first collection, just click on an image to take you to the original post:

Friday, 15 June 2012

Did Thursday And Friday Sparkle? Yes, Plenty!

Sunday, 17 June 2012

And The Winner Is ... Oh My, It's Me!!!!!

Saturday, 23 June 2012

FP's Taxi Quilt

Tuesday, 26 June 2012

A Weekend Full of Sunshine

Looking Back At My Week

Thursday - visited Karen Haynes, my tutor for the Sparkle Plenty quilt, who has since become a good friend.  Karen was home on bed rest awaiting the arrival of her twin babies so we spent the afternoon talking all things quilty and baby and girly.  I did marvel at Karen's rented apartment wall - I've never heard of this before - dare I say it "only in NY"? ... great idea though!  By Saturday those babies refused to wait any longer and thrilled everyone with their arrival - a huge welcome to Georgia Maeve and Weston Michael :)

Friday - Daughter, F, had her hair cut and dyed again - here's a peek at how it looks this time, I love, love, love it

Hair by Peter & Jess at Toni & Guy, Maxwell Place, Hoboken

Saturday - Got smashing news from my eldest son, JA, that this week he'll successfully complete his CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and has accepted at job at a language school in the centre of Seville, Spain, starting next week through to June/July next year.  Excellent news and we're all really thrilled for you JA, you deserve everything for all your hard work xxx

Took my first trip out to 2 Stix & a String, a new wool shop on York Street, Jersey City with E & M from my Jersey City Crafty Knitters Meetup group.  The shop is fab - Karen, the owner, is very welcoming as are the farmhouse kitchen table and chairs so you can sit, chat and knit and the yarns are sooooo delicious, I was spoilt for choice.  I finally settled on a great knit and crochet hat book imaginatively titled Hats!  I stayed a while at the shop and started crocheting the Bobbly beanie using Rowan Cocoon in Lavender Ice - it's an 80/20 Merino wool and Kid mohair mix and scrummy to use.  Finished the hat later on Saturday evening, it's going to be a gift for someone very soon so can't share photos just yet.

That's me outside 2 Stix & a String, 234 York Street Jersey City

Monday - October Bee Block fabric and instructions arrived.  Another great month with Queen Bee Bernadette giving us lots of freedom with the design so I'm already well underway with my planning.  I'll post about it separately once the block's completed.

Tuesday - Since I started blogging I've made some great blogging friends and one of these is Sarah of Sarah Sews Quilting Blog.  A few weeks ago we were discussing the merits of air erasable pens and I mentioned that my pen had run out of ink and I was having a bit of difficulty getting hold of the identical pen here in the States.  Turned out Sarah was having a similar problem on Jersey, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy.  Within days a friend of Sarah's had picked up a couple of the pens in England for the two of us and Sarah posted it off to me, how fab is that?

Well this morning the pen arrived, but not just the pen ... Sarah also sent me these goodies - how cute are they and I'm loving the Kath Kidston Notecard?  Thank you, thank you, thank you Sarah, your timing is perfect - I need the pen to draw quilting designs on my Dad's Memory Quilt and also my Double Irish Chain Quilt, I'm so happy and grateful :)

Pop over to Sarah's blog and her Flickr page and take a look, she's studying for the City and Guilds Design and Craft Level 3 Certificate in Patchwork and Quilting with the The School of Stitched Textiles and her work is so fun, cute, crisp and simply perfect.

My parcel of goodies - thank you Sarah :)

The rest of the week - every day I've been doing some quilting on my Dad's Memory Quilt for my Mum.  My right shoulder is giving me some pain at the moment and each time I quilt it aggravates it further, so I've been doing it a little at a time but I'm not moving on with it as fast as I'd like.

Tomorrow - I'm so excited about meeting fabric designer Tula Pink at 12 noon when she does her trunk show in Manhattan - I'll take pics to share if I can

TULA PINK 

The fabric designer, quilter, sewer extradinaire, Tula Pink will give an insightful
talk about her love of sewing and the creative process that has allowed her to produce four fabric
collections, and become a national spokesperson for Bernina. Along with sewing and talking,
Tula will have an extensive trunk show to share during these free sessions.

And finally, for my round-up of the last week here's the latest posts and tutorials for you to check out as part of Plum and June's Let's Get Acquainted! Blog Hop:

10 Tips For Better Blog Photos from Holly at Bijou Lovely

Peak Hour Quilt tutorial from Jen at Closet Quilter

Reversible Coaster tutorial from Amanda at Fabric Engineer

Charming Hexagonal Table Topper tutorial from Amanda at Material Girl Quilts

Anna at Pink Padme
 Lina at Smultronbo's Pieceful

A Weekend Full of Sunshine

This past weekend I've completed three quilts and done a six quilt photoshoot on our roof garden in crazy, hot sunshine.  Needless to say, I'm shattered but very glad to have everything finished, especially as two of the quilts, Surprise Projects I & II, are on a very tight deadline.  The third is my Sparkle Plenty Quilt, designed by Loft Creations.

The pattern is easy and fast, especially when you use the two tools I introduced you to in my tutorials, Charm Squares - An Easy Way To Cut Multiples Quickly and Using A Bloc-Loc To Cut Half-Square Triangle (HST) Squares.  What's also amazing about the pattern is how different it looks depending on the fabrics chosen.  There were 7 quilts well on their way to completion in our final class, and not one looked like another, and it was all down to the fabrics - but one thing they had in common, besides the pattern, is that they all looked great.  

And here she is; I know she's mine, but I think she's stunning, and I'm delighted with her.  I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

 

And here's a late addition to my post in response to Leo's comment - a photo of the full view from my roof garden :)

and finally, a view from my living room and, yes, we can't wait for Macy's 4th July fireworks - it's our first year here for Independence Day, and I think we've got the best seats in the house :)

Related Posts:

Tutorial: Charm Squares - An Easy Way To Cut Multiples Quickly

Tutorial: Using a Bloc-Loc To Cut Half Square Triangle (HST) Squares 

Did Thursday and Friday Sparkle? Yes, Plenty! 

Disclaimer:

This post is for informational purposes only; no payment or commission is received on click-throughs, and opinions are my own.

   

Let's Get Acquainted!

I've spent the last two evenings and day hand binding two quilts - my Surprise Project II quilt and my Sparkle Plenty quilt.  Almost there now but the light has faded too far and my eye sight just isn't up to it so another hour in the morning should see it all done.  One thing I must remind myself of in the future though is not to quilt a black binding onto a black border with black thread - it's very, very hard work and the weather has conspired against me all day with darkened skies and thunder and lightening storms.

 

My day was brightened up though by discovering the 'Let's Get Acquainted! Blog Hop over at Plum and June.  The idea is that twice a week all of us involved in the Blog Hop visit two named blogs who will have done a post related to a quilting project - it doesn't have to be a full tutorial but will have photos and descriptions so that others can have a go at making the same thing.  If we're not already, then we'll sign up to 'follow' the blogs and we'll leave lots and lots of comments.

My assigned date on the schedule is the final week - 12 November, so I have some time to prepare and just enjoy meeting everyone else and reading all their posts.

The Blog Hop started back on 21st May and with 4 blogs a week I've got some catching up to do on what's gone before but I've made a head start and today visited:

Kelsey from Kelsey Sews - The Dress Shirt Dish Mat Tutorial

Erin from Billy Button Designs - Cup Hugger Tutorial

Nik from Bold Goods - Sugar and Spice Baby Blanket Tutorial

Suzanne from SuzClaas - Bean Bag Tutorial

Mina from Kindaquilty - Stretch Quilt

You too can catch up with everyone via their blogs (as above) and I've also linked to them on my 

Pinterest Board 'Blog Hop - Let's Get Acquainted!

And The Winner Is ... Oh My, It's Me!!!!!

My battered Bernina Day flyer

In my last post I did mention to you all that yesterday I'd be popping along to the Bernina Day at The City Quilter and then making my first ever visit to Purl Soho. Well I headed along to CQ and had so much fun there that I never left so my visit to Purl Soho has, yet again, been postponed!

Well, if you headed over to CQ yourself yesterday, you'll know exactly why I didn't move any further than having a bite of lunch with my friend, A, at my favourite Manhattan cafe, The Blue Dog on 25th, there was just too much going on and it would have been a shame to miss any of it. Every half hour a raffle prize was drawn - I didn't win one myself but A won a pack of 3 quilt patterns and my other friend, M, won a charm pack. Then every hour there was a Bernina foot demonstration by Gayle Schliemann, Bernina's Regional Manager, and a raffle drawn amongst those who attended the session for the Bernina foot that was just demo'd. Again, I didn't win a foot but A also won a cording foot - wasn't it her lucky day?!

Photo taken by CQ in the Bernina Demo Room

I did buy lots of goodies though:

My collection of goodies

• Add a Quarter ruler as recommended to me by Kati in her comment on my New York Beauty post;
• lime green thread to free motion quilt part of my Sparkle Plenty quilt;
• Clover fork pins - going to give these a go to see what they're like for holding down multiple seam joins;
• Batiks - yes I was so taken with my June Bee Block I want to have another go at making New York Beauty blocks for myself;
• walking foot sole with central guide - I already have the walking foot that came with my Bernina 440QE but my model is before they made included this central guide sole and it's going to be fab for quilting in the ditch;
• and a straight stitch needle plate - I'm reliably informed that this will change my sewing and stop my fabric ever getting dragged down under the sewing plate.

Here's CQ's facebook photo album from the day.

But the best bit of the day - and what I've been holding back from telling you about, is that I did win something -  

I took 1st prize in the Creative Challenge!!!!!

The brief was:

Anyone can submit any finished product they've created on a Bernina to be judged for a first, second and third prize of City Quilter gift certificates.  We'll be looking for the best examples of these machines' exceptional capabilities.

I entered 2 book covers that I've made using a variety of techniques, hand and machine sewing and I won - I'm very, very thrilled.  A big thank you has to go to my friend, I, who mentioned the competition to me last week and without whom I would never have thought to enter - thank you!  By the way, she has her own fab knitting blog that you might want to check out - Chiagu and she's also launching an internet version of Ravelry for us quilters called Quiltfolio which I think will be amazing.

So here's a photo of my prize and also some of my book covers.

 

For details of other fabric, yarn, trim and notion stores that I've visited around the world along with the NYC stores I love, exhibitions and events I've attended and wonderful people I've been lucky to meet click the links below or in my side bar :D

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.

I've Been Shopping ...

What's in the bag?

Had to make a trip to my LQS in Manhattan to collect supplies for 2 courses that I've got coming up over the next week and also for more Transparency Quilt fabric - note my use of 'had to' like it's a hardship!

Here's my bag of goodies - bought so much I had a brown paper carrier today instead of the smaller plastic bag and fortunately I had husband, S, with me to carry it all.

 My shopping list:

2 yards Michael Miller Hone-D and 1 yard Kona - Stone for Transparency Quilt

Heirloom Machine Quilting Book by Harriet Hargrave Spiral-bound for Free Motion class (love, love, love, spiral-bound books, they're so much easier to work with that a standard paperback)

Quilter's Dream Request batting - to fit 2 quilts 55 x 55 & 50 x 30

1 yard muslin for Free Motion class

Quilt n Sew ruler

Size 70 & 80 needles - sharps

Basting safety pins - size 1  (you can't have too many basting pins, ever!!!)

12" x 12" Olfa Rotating Cutting Mat

'Sparkle Plenty' quilt pattern by Loft Creations

2 yards main fabric (b&w on pattern) & 2 3/4 yards backing fabric for Sparkle Plenty Quilt

2 x 5" charm packs or 1.5 yards accent fabric for Sparkle Plenty Quilt

aurifil for 'Sparkle Plenty' fabrics and white 2024

Bernina CB Hook bobbins

And here's photos of the best bits - the fabric

Just look at those fabrics working together, I'm very, very excited about making the Sparkle Star Quilt

Kaffe Fassett for Rowan.  Westminster Fibers#GP108 'Rustic Floral'

Philip Jacobs for Rowan.  Westminster Fibers #PWPJ42 'Primula'

Benadictus Victoria and Albert Museum, London for Rowan Westminster Fibers #PWVA02 'Leaves'

Early Birds by Jane Sassaman for Westminster Fibers #PWJS34 'Poka Dot'

These colours just sing together and there were lots of words of admiration from staff and shoppers alike at my LQS which is always so wonderful to hear.

Sparkle Plenty Quilt pattern by Loft Creations and available at
http://www.etsy.com/listing/85808856/sparkle-plenty-quilt-pattern

The florals are for the coloured sections and I'm going to use Poka Dot (and yes it is spelt Poka and not Polka!) for the black sections and the backing.  I might do a scrappy border with the florals on the back to break up the poka dots a bit but I'll think that through a bit more over the next 2 weeks.  Now I have to get on and cut 144 squares by Thursday.  Rotary cutter anyone ... ?