Log Cabin Christmas Wreath Wall Hanging

I'm not exactly sure when I started to make this wreath.  The paper that I printed off the Internet that was with it was dated November 2010...... I tried to find the website again, but I couldn't.  It is basically log cabin blocks made using 1.5" strips with some flippy diagonal corners on them so they finish at 1".  I had gotten to this point and was kind of stumped as to how to proceed since I was just going by a picture and didn't want just a plain square like the picture had:

I knew I wanted to have some sort of ribbon border so first thing was to figure out what to add to square up the corners.  Of course, the original background fabric had been used in another project, so I had to use something else and decided to use a pine cone print:

Yeah! All squared up:

I originally wanted a ribbon loop in the corners, but it was too complicated, maybe next time.  I figured out a simpler next row with just the ribbon tips crisscrossing:

I then added a final row of pine cone fabric making it 28" square and bound it with one of the green prints from the wreath:

Here is a close up of the pantograph I used called Wild Cherries made by Patricia Ritter and DIGI-TECH.  Hey, I just noticed that some of the fabric has cherries in it too!  I love details like that.  I chose yellow thread so it blended into the background but the leaves and berries showed up on the wreath:

I even remembered to add two triangular corners before sewing the binding down on the back which double as the label and holding a dowel for hanging it up.  Since I was just making it for myself I kept the label pretty simple.  The other corner has my name and my blog address.

I plan to hang it up on Friday, December 1st which will be my first piece of Christmas decorating this year!

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts for finish it up Friday 1 Dec 2017 (http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.ca/2017/12/almost-finished-and-some-wool-garland.html)

Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville Mystery "On Ringo Lake" Part 1

I have been reading Bonnie Hunter's Blog (http://quiltville.blogspot.ca/) for awhile now and decided that I would do her next mystery quilt.  Well the instructions for Part 1 came out today.  I cut my strips:

And even made a few more blocks than required. Here is a sampling: (edited to remove numbers)

If you want to check out the Mystery Quilt here's the link (http://quiltville.blogspot.ca/2017/11/on-ringo-lakepart-1.html)  There was also a previous post which gave colours and amounts of fabrics required (http://quiltville.blogspot.ca/2017/10/on-ringo-lake-quiltville-mystery.html).

Do my blocks look like Bonnie's?  You'll have to go check it out to tell...

Updated to add #quiltvillemystery and #onringolakequilt

Linking to http://quiltville.blogspot.ca/2017/11/on-ringo-lake-mystery-monday-link-up.html

Throwback Thursday - My First Baby Quilt

When I was expecting my first baby, I decided I had to make a baby quilt.  I purchased a panel and did a bit of machine quilting on it (on the straight lines) and hand quilting around the figures and alphabet.  Instead of binding, I edged it with a ruffle:

My mother also made me a baby quilt using the same pattern she had used for her first baby.  It had embroidered and appliqued blocks which she hand quilted:

Here is a detail shot of one of the blocks.  I love that she embroidered the flowers on the rabbit's head with the same colours as in the fabric of it's jacket:

When I was looking for these quilts, I also found a hexagonal blanket I had crocheted:

Here is a close up of a couple hexagons so you can see that the middle of the blocks is a brown bear with a bow around his neck:

My "babies" are now 27 and 25!

Fat Quarter Shop 2017 Patchwork Quilt Along - Eleventh Month

Here are my Spinning Tops blocks for November:

And here are all my blocks so far:

Only one more month to go!

Weekend Sewing

My friend Marilyn came over from mid morning til mid afternoon so we could sew together on Saturday.  I can't show what I was working on because it is a present, however I had been inspired by Jenny's new Dream Weaver Quilt Tutorial (https://www.missouriquiltco.com/land/tutorials/dreamweaver-quilt/index.html) to throw this up on the design wall.  I think the strips need to be in a different order and am thinking of grey background fabric where the white of the design wall is showing:

Marilyn was working on this really cute comfort quilt which she is quilting in strips and then joining together after:

I put the ingredients for chili in the slow cooker at breakfast so we wouldn't have to take long for lunch and my husband made garlic bread and dessert for us!

Another Sew Together Bag

I'm continuing with getting some smaller projects completed.  I had three Sew Together Bags cut out and now one is finished, another is almost finished and the third is started. I made an Anchors Aweigh quilt for my father for his birthday in June (http://allikatquilts.blogspot.ca/2017/06/anchors-aweigh.html) and my friend Marilyn kindly gave me her stash of nautical fabrics which became the setting triangles on the front of the quilt and the majority of the backing of the quilt.  As a thank you to Marilyn for sharing her fabric stash, I have made a Sew Together Bag out of some of the bits and pieces of left over fabric.  Here it is fully zipped up:

Opened, showing the three inner zippered pockets:

All pockets opened, with a different anchor fabric in each:

Here's the previous Sew Together Bag I made as well as a link to that post if you want information on the pattern (http://allikatquilts.blogspot.ca/2017/07/sew-together-bag-and-bonnie-hunters.html)

It seems I do like a red binding! I am hoping I will see Marilyn at the guild meeting tonight so I can give her the bag.  If you see her first, don't tell her, it's meant to be a surprise.

Linked to Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday 2017-11-17  http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.ca/2017/11/5-ways-to-upcycle-linen-jumper.html

Canada 150 Quilt & More Canada Flag Cushions

As previously mentioned, I am a member of the Mayflower Quilters' Guild.  This year I volunteered to be co-chair of Program. Last spring our guild requested members to make blocks related to Canada 150 for a quilt to donate to Camp Hill Veterans Hospital in Halifax.  The blocks were put together by the person who I replaced so it was then my turn to quilt and bind the quilt.  Here it is:

I quilted it with a pantograph from Apricot Moon Designs called Maple Sugar and bound it with a red and white striped fabric.  Here is a close up which shows some of the maple leaf pantograph and the binding:

As mentioned in my previous blog, I am trying to clear up some odds and ends of projects to make way for Christmas sewing.  I had previously blogged about a cushion I made for Canada Day.  I had actually started a few more of them but just hadn't gotten the backs put on or the pillow forms made.  I got them finished this past weekend. The original one (http://allikatquilts.blogspot.ca/2017/07/150th-anniversary-canada-day-pillow.html) went to my husband's cousin's family because they hosted a family reunion which we attended on the July 1st long weekend.  I gave one to my father and will keep another one.  Here's several of them together:

And here is the quilt with a couple of the pillows, just because:

I really like that red plaid flannel - it is just so cosy!

Another Chicken Basket

I thought it would be a good idea to finish up a few odds and ends hanging around to clear my sewing space for Christmas sewing.  I made a basket back in January (http://allikatquilts.blogspot.ca/2017/01/skype-sewing-more-chicken-egg.html) and at that time I had cut out a second basket and partially sewed it but just hadn't finished it.  Yesterday I finally finished it.  Here it is with the original basket which I am currently using for a knitted shawl project. 

I chose to quilt the second basket and decided to roll a bit of the lining up as a faux binding effect.  I might even take the first basket apart and quilt it too.  The second basket is more stable.

In the background you can see our dog Raven photobombing!

Fall Maple Leaf Cushion Cover

I really like the fall colours.  I have made more fall coloured quilts, wall hangings and table runners than for any other season, but I don't have any fall cushion covers.  I also just visited the newly opened Ikea in our area and discovered feather 20" x 20" cushion innards for $8 and polyester 20" x 20" cushion innards for $5.  The local quilt store sells the polyester ones for $13, so I have found my new source for cushion forms...

I used a free Autumn Leaf Quilt Block tutorial and pattern from Generations Quilt Patterns:
https://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/autumn-leaf-quilt-block.html
I used the 5" pattern, there are are also 10" and 15" patterns.

I made nine maple leaves and put them together with 1.5" sashing and corner stones.  Here it is before quilting:

I quilted it on my sewing machine using my walking foot by ditch stitching all the sashing and then quilting 1/4" inside each maple leaf:

I made the cushion back with a flap to cover the zipper for the first time.  It is was very easy. The only thing I would do differently is make sure my bobbin thread was the right colour before I sewed the flap down...  I then bound the cushion just like a quilt with the same fabric as the backing.

Thanks to my friend Marilyn for the backing fabric.  There was an auction while we were at the Pictou Retreat and Marilyn bid on a bundle of mostly neutral fabrics and got it.  She gifted me with the brown leaf fabric as it wasn't to her taste.  Thank you Marilyn!