On the cusp of a New Year

 There is a saying I've heard many times that has taken on unique meaning this year:  HINDSIGHT IS 2020!

As I look back, this year I definitely had a turning point in my quilting journey.  I lost some of the zest for my projects and it seemed I could never finish a project.   In fact, for 2020 I finished nothing but managed to start 3 new quilt projects and umpteen (that's a technical number I often refer to whenever I've lost count) masks.  My beloved sewing machine had a motor burn out that controlled zig-zag stitching and it froze off centre, so machine quilting became more of a challenge.

But I meet once a month with a lovely group of women who moved to Skype with global pandemic.  They also increased the times to meet from once a month, to almost daily.  These ladies have been such a blessing in this pandemic.  We don't always talk, but we always support each other in our quilting journey and they certainly served to inspire me often. 

One of the ladies found a quilt in a bag opportunity for us all.  It was a class on using machine quilting rulers that would result in a finished quilt and a whole lot of learning.  I've only ever done stitch in the ditch type quilting and it was high time I expanded my repertoire. I got talked into joining in and adding a fourth quilt to my start list (in all fairness, my arm did not take much twisting).   For several weeks, we would watch the video tutorials on my laptop over the Skype connection.  We all bought the kit individually and each of us had the videos, but it made sense to watch together so we could stop and start it as needed to discuss key points.  I learned a lot, despite the frustration with my machine and my skeewiff needle position (another technical term that most quilters will understand).

The highlight of 2020 for quilting would come in two distinct events. One was the completion of a Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt top.  I have yet to sandwich and quilt it, but I completed the assembly of the "Frolic" quilt top.  I was really proud of myself for getting this far and having this beautiful quilt completed in 2021 is definitely a goal. 

The second was my "new to me" sewing machine.  I got a Husqvarna Viking Epic 980Q.  I call it my "Ferrari" as it is definitely a high-end machine that I didn't have on my radar to consider purchasing, but when an opportunity came to get a one-year-old used machine at the store that sold me my previous machine (and it had been purchased and maintained by this shop too), I leapt at the chance (with my husband actually being the one to insist that I deserved it).

So here's to 2021, and continuing the quilting journey as I build my skills and complete projects (I'll be updating the UFO page tomorrow!!).  To everyone, I wish you all the best for a new year and here's hoping 2021 brings more quilting adventures for us all!

Starting "Grassy Creek"

 It is that time of year again:  Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt.  This year's theme is "Grassy Creek".  Each year, Bonnie generously creates a unique quilt pattern for which she releases weekly clues starting on "Black Friday".

This year, I challenged myself to not use her colours.  Of course, she puts out some of my favourite colours in her recommendations, so don't be too surprised if mine are not too far away from hers.  I started with a photo of my father and used a free application online to pick out colours.

This version of the colours is slightly different than Bonnie's but enough that it is going to make it a challenge.  

I took this page and the colours to a local quilt shop and went to town with picking out fabrics.  I ended up pulling the following fabrics 

I look forward to the challenge of a Bonnie Hunter mystery.  If you are curious about joining in, check out her website at:  Quiltville Blog - Grassy Creek Mystery

Learning to use rulers with machine quilting!

 In this era of COVID, learning new skills can be a real challenge.  I am very fortunate to have a group of quilting friends who discovered a "Ruler Class in a Bag".  It is DVD of lessons from the creator of Westalee rulers, the rulers, and a project guide booklet.`

We arranged for a number of us to purchase this "Ruler Class in a Bag" kit and then have weekly Skype calls where we play one lesson in the video and work while on the call with the block of the week.  We would encourage and support each other as some weeks were very clear and made sense and others were a little tricky.  We would be there if someone had to pull out a seam ripper (which I did often, especially since this was my first time working with rulers and those first few weeks seemed extra challenging).

I am amazed with myself.  Even though I have a beloved sewing machine that has a seized side-to-side motor and an off-centre needle position (which means some of my quilting is wonky), I am so happy to have already learned so much about working with rulers.  Below are two of the blocks I created:

One note of caution I would share:  If you don't have a ruler foot for your machine, you will need to purchase one separately.  It comes in low shank, high shank, and longarm versions, so it is important you check out what type of machine you have.  If you already have one, you'll also need a curved ruler that Westalee sends out with their ruler feet.  Confused you yet?  Well, check out the link from where we purchased the class in a bag (though other stores that carry Westalee rulers may also have this).  I should mention that I have no vested interest in this link, but here is where we purchased this kit:  https://www.stitchintheditch.com/Quilt-Class-in-a-Bag-s/1196.htm

Have you challenged yourself to expand your skills with quilting?  How did you do it?  I'd love to hear from you about that.

Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilts - The Saga Continues

 I am fortunate to have a group of quilting friends who introduced me to Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilts.  If you have never heard of them, they are an annual right of passage for quilters around the world.  On Halloween, Bonnie releases her theme for that year's project along with fabric requirements and colour inspiration.  She then waits for US Thanksgiving to release one clue a week until early in the new year.

These quilts are not for the faint of heart, but you will learn a lot.  I know I have!

I mention Bonnie Hunter quilts today for two reasons:

1)  The second Bonnie Hunter mystery I've attempted, Frolic, is now got a complete top.  The piecing is done.  It may be more accurately described as piecing, ripping apart, piecing more, ripping apart more, and so on until I got this:

I can not even begin to say how proud I am of myself on this.  This is the largest quilt I have made yet.  Now to figure out how to quilt it!!

2)  This year's Bonnie Hunter has been announced and the race is on to decide on fabrics.  For those new to Bonnie, it is always safest to use her colour recommendations.  Some brave souls decide to do a variation on her colour selection.  Even though I love her colours this year, I decided I was going to challenge myself to change it up.  For inspiration, I used a picture of my father from Christmas's past and I entered into an online tool that would pick out colours in the picture for me.  Here is what I got.

I took this to my local quilt shop, and was able to select the following fabrics:

I'm a little scared, but also very excited to take on this challenge.  As you'll see in the coming posts, this is one of the three mystery quilts I am undertaking.  No one could ever say I wasn't a glutton for this kind of punishment, but I love it and in these days of COVID, quilting is a source of positivity in my life.

Fun with Colour Wheels

My local quilt guild is lucky enough to have a wonderful quilter who designs a mystery quilt project for us each year for the last few years.  I have decided to join in on this year's mystery, but to challenge myself to use the colour wheel theory to help me with colour choices. 

I am working with split complementary colours (which I'll reveal in my next post).  By using colour theory, I've assembled a palette of colours that I never would have put together before myself.  The fun I've had with colour wheel is something I've even been asked to share with one additional quilters guild as well as my local one.

I like to use three websites to help me with colour theory:

The first is a paint site - Dulux paints (Dulux Colour Wheel - This is Dulux's Australia site, but I prefer it over the Canadian version for this topic).   In it, they introduce some basic colour theory with descriptions of Monochromatic, Complementary, Split Complementary, Contrasting and Triadic descriptions and why you might want to consider one over the other.  If you have never worked with colour theory, this is a good place to start.

The better site (but warning, you can spend time on it) is the Canva colour wheel.

With the Canva site, you don't need an account in order to use the colour wheel.  Select your first colour by moving the larger white circle to somewhere on the colour wheel, and then select from the drop-down menu as to which combination you would like.  You can also use the small white circle on the outer ring of the large colour wheel to be able to select the exact shade and tone.

Now if you really want to get inspired with different combinations of colours, one place to look is Design-Seeds.com.  While Design-Seeds site provides inspiration primarily aimed at decorating projects, they all put swatches of colours together that you might not have thought of before and give you some inspiration in your colour selections. 

I would love to hear about your colour choices - both actual choices and what references do you use to pick your colours and stretch your creative boundaries. I hope you check these links and get inspired to try something new.

Welcome October!

 A new month means a new chance to set goals.  COVID-19 has had one positive effect for me - time to quilt.  I've found a renewed energy in my quilting and it helps that a group of quilting friends who normally meet monthly to quilt together have set up daily Skype calls where we chat, encourage, and keep each other company.  It is a casual affair.  If you can't make it one day, or one week, not to worry.  The group inspires each other with the projects we work on as individuals.  I am so blessed to have these ladies in my life.

Once again, I'm going to try to complete the One Monthly Goal challenge from Elm Street Quilts.  In this case, I'm trying to complete my Loon Mystery quilt.

Wish me luck!  If you want to know about this challenge, go to https://www.elmstreetquilts.com/2020/10/one-monthly-goal-october.html

When "Frolic" takes on a whole new meaning

 I think of the day that will come in the future when I can look back on this quilt and think about what fun it was and how satisfying it was.  Today is not that day.

"Frolic" is a Bonnie Hunter Mystery and somewhere along the way, I took a wrong turn.  There are two main blocks you are instructed to build, with alternating tones of light and dark blue.  You needed to create 25 of these blocks to make the center of the quilt.  Somehow, in my head, I'm sure I did the math right, but I ended up with 10 of one and 15 of the other.  Have you ever been left scratching your head when you make up blocks, wondering how you went wrong?

To complicate matters, the light blue had been exhausted in making these 25 blocks.  Time to become best friends with my seam ripper.  5 blocks torn apart and re-assembled in full and partial blocks.  The good news is the ripping is done and the assembly is back in gear.  I am back to feeling optimistic about this project and looking forward to the day this portion is completed.  So while I return to the assembly process, let me leave you with this snapshot of the first half of the center completed.

COVID-19 Update

How the world has changed in the last 9 months!  One day we will look back and wonder at having come through a global pandemic, at least, I hope that day comes for all of us.

Like many quilters, I've been diverted into mask production.  I have not been as prolific as many, but I have made over a dozen already with more cut and ready to sew.  Rather than focusing on my sewing in pictures, I thought I would share something I found in the news.

The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario is curating a museum exhibit of masks.  Not only are these masks reflective of our collective battle with COVID-19, but they also are a story of the changing social times we are also witnessing.

If you have a moment, I encourage you to check this link out:  Chronicling the pandemic through masks

Stay Safe!