No More Blogging

It's been a long time since I've been here.

After a break over the summer from blogging I have decided that I was finding the effort of keeping up my blog, along with looking after my family and business too much and have decided I will be not be continuing with this blog. I feel it is time to step back from the blog and look after my self and my family. I want to thank everyone who has been reading and commenting, you have all been a great source of encouragement to me.

Even though I will be backing off a bit on flckr too, you can still find me there. I will be finishing out 3 bees until my commitments are met and will also be completing round 2 of Hoop Up! Stitch and Send.

 

My flckr username is maripenquiltmom!

Pinwheel Sampler Top Done

I finished my pinwheel sampler which I made following Rachel's, p.s.i quilt, quilt along.

When I saw Rachel's first 2 blocks I could no longer resist joining in and knew I had the perfect fabrics for it. In 2007 I bought a Moda line of fabric called Visions by Sandy Gervais. I loved it so much I couldn't cut into it. When I saw the first blocks for the quilt along I knew I had to use it. The solid fabric I used is a Patrick Lose Marbles color.

 

My first 2 blocks.

I went ahead and made all the blocks and then realized I did not have enough of the Marbles fabric for sashing but I did have enough of the blue to sash it with that. I like the effect. I think the quilt looks very soft and subtle and the blue sashing allows each block to shine.

I usually don't love yellow but in this quilt I am just loving the yellow, especially together with the blue.

I've had the top done for about 2 weeks but am stumped on how to quilt it. Any quilting suggestions would be great.

May Bee Blocks

The Maple Leaf Quilter's Bee

I've been putting off Spiderweb blocks, as lately I've been trying to avoid paperpiecing, but this month Lesly sent us some templates with the starting kites and asked for spiderweb blocks using some scraps she sent us along with some scraps from our own bins.

It actually turned out to be quite a fun block to make and I can now see myself making more of these.

Sew Modern Bee

May was my month and the starting month for this bee (a group of 12 Canadian women). I sent out some packets with large cuts of "Flourish" from Studio E along with some solids (half the group got off white and half chocolate).

I asked everyone to make me a miniquilt as a block  and for it to be 16.5 inches unfinished. Some examples I gave them to look at were theblock along tutorials Elizabeth Hartman did up for Sew, Mama, Sew's quilt month.

I decided I would like to use up all of the fabric I have for this line so I have been making blocks with the scraps that have been sent back.

 My fourth block is a disappearing 9 patch row 3 block 4 below.

Here is a photo of the blocks I have received to-date along with the 4 I have made too.

I think they are looking amazing together. I'm still waiting for a couple of blocks and then I have to decide to sash or not to sash and if I sash what color to use. Any advice would be very welcome.

Pillowtalk 3 Underway

It's been a while since I posted here, and pillowtalk is well underway. I got my partner info and was having some trouble coming up with inspiration in the color combos she specified, and then all of the sudden I decided on two designs. I'm not sure yet which one I will send but here is what I have so far.

Here is the front
This was inspired by a tutorial by The Sometimes Crafter block found here.
2 inch Hexagons handpieced then trimmed

The Back

Closeup of Quilting Detail

Currently working on a Second Option

You should check out the flckr pool; there is some amazing work being displayed there!

Pillowtalk 3 Partners Have Been Assigned

Pillowtalk 3 Inspiration
Originally uploaded by maripenquiltmom

I am so excited to be participating in Pillowtalk Swap Round 3. I received my partner info today, so the stalking begins.

Here is the mosaic I made for inspiration for my partner.

Watch all the fun on flckr here.

Pets and Quilts - A Match Made in Heaven!

What is it about pets and quilts? Our own 2 schnauzers love my quilts and seem to know the difference between a store bought blanket and a quilt. And bonus, both pets and quilts are cuddly!

Quilts and pet photos below are flckr finds!

To see the credits please visit my flckr photostream!

April Bee Blocks

I was featured on Quilting Bee Blocks Green Edition for 1 of the Maple Leaf Bee Blocks I made for my own month. To see more of these blocks go here.

Sadly, due to family commitments I have had to resign out of 2 of the 4 bees I was in. I've decided to stick with the 2 Canadian bee's (as Canadian bees are a little harder to fill).

Here are the blocks I completed for Heather (feltartistic) of the Maple Leaf Bee. Heather sent us some vintage sheeting fabric and asked us to make 2 blocks using the tutorials Rachel of p.s. i quilt has put on her blog for the Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along.

May is the first month of the Sew Modern Bee and happens to be my month. It's a really great group and I think it will be a lot of fun! I sent out 11 packages containing prints from Studio E "Flourish" line and asked for a mini quilt as a block in a 16.5 inch square.

I did up 1 block so that I end up with 12 blocks. I used the Oh, Fransson tutorial for Wonky Crosses that was done up for Sew, Mama, Sew's quilting month. I used scraps that were returned from two other members of the group who sent me some pretty cool blocks.

 

Below is a mosaic of blocks completed by my fellow bee members!

Ryan's Awesome Tutorial

Ryan Walsh of "I'm Just a Guy Who Quilts" put together a great tutorial on a pillow he completed for round 2 of Pillow Talk Swap (tutorials). I just couldn't resist giving it a try with some bits of Ginger Blossoms which I had left over after piecing a quilt top which I will show you soon.

I love the result, as it's in my favorite colors, and I decided to go with a more symetrical style which is definitely more me.

I also made a pillow for my daughter's best friend who loves Amy Butler fabrics (she's only 13!). I was inspired by a pillow I had previously seen on flckr here but I decided to hand embroider the dahlia onto the front of the pillow. My daughter's friend loved it.

Finished Final "Hoop Up" Piece

The deadline for Hoop Up is April 30th and 2 weeks ago I still had no idea what I would do for my final piece. I was completely stumped by Nicole's (Follow the White Bunny) Paris/France theme but as soon as I saw two of my teammates, cathygaubert and marilynk, pieces I was inspired. I tried to use peacock blues and green as Nicole loves those colors as well as a little pink which she also likes.

I decided to stitch up a street theme of a pet grooming shop with lots of pets outside visiting on the street. All elements of my design came from elements on separate designs within "A Rainbow of Stitches".

Nicole stitched a really cool piece for me which I just love; it's so serene and peaceful to look at with it's subtle colors. Nicole design's some pretty amazing embroidery patterns which can be seen in her etsy shop here.

Hoop Up! Update

On Friday, I finished another embroidery for one of my group members in the Hoop Up! swap.

Missy asked for a Nursery Rhyme themed embroidery piece. She sent along red, green/aqua, and pink floss. I decided to fore go the pink and do this vintage inspired piece in mostly red with aqua accents.

I found a free Hansel and Gretel vintage pattern with a candy house. I made some changes to the pattern, which can be seen here. I added a water well, hill, mushroom, grass and stripes to the boy's socks and voila, it became a Jack and Jill embroidery. Missy commented that she LOVED it, and I'm so glad. It always feels so nice to make something that the recipient really enjoys.

Made by me for my initial inspirational piece and for my "Jackrabbit" group members!

 

This means I am finished 5 out of 6 embroideries for my group! Only 1 more to go. I've been working on a piece for Nicole, followthewhitebunny. Her theme is Paris/France. I should be able to show it to you before the end of the week.

Made for me or wip for me by my "Jackrabbit" Friends

It's Here - Pillow talk 2 Received

It felt like forever but my pillow is here. I sent off the pillow cover I made for flossyblossy in early March since it was going to the UK, I wanted to make sure she got it before the deadline, but then the waiting began.

Every day I checked the flckr pool to see what was being sent off and what pillows others were receiving. I stalked my mail lady. A few times I even beat her to the mailbox at the end of my street. I think she thought I was a little bit nuts. It got to the point where my mail lady was almost waiting as anxiously as me.

Last week it finally arrived and it was really worth the wait. Jen, the messy nest, made me a fantastic pillow cover in Kokka linen in some of my favorite colors of peacock blue, chartreuse, and red.

 

She even included some goodies, extra linen print and some hand-dyed fabric she used in the cover, as well as a felt pumpkin pouch she made.

Thanks so much Jen, we are using it lots already!

Pillowtalk 3 should be beginning soon. I am not sure if I will do it this time as my life has been crazy busy and the waiting nearly did me in but I will definitely be doing this swap again sometime in the near future!

p. s. i quilt - Pinwheel Sampler Quilt-Along

I have so much to do but at the last minute I decided to join in on Rachel of "p.s. i quilt" Pinwheel Sampler Quilt-Along. I was trying to resist but I had the perfect fabric for it in my stash and Rachel's instructions for the first block looked so great that I just gave in.

I was a little behind but caught up this week. We just finished week 6 but Rachel is taking a 1 week Easter break so now would be a good time to start and catchup if you didn't know about it before.

In 2007 I bought a FQ set along with some yardage of "Visions" by Sandy Gervais at the LQS. It was so beautiful I just didn't want to cut into and I couldn't find a project worthy of it. When I saw Week 1 instructions of Rachel's quilt-along I just knew it would be perfect for it. I am loving my blocks so far. There are a lot of amazing block photos in the flckr pool for you to check out here.

My Blocks

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

All the blocks together so far

March Bee's and Swaps

March has been super busy. I have been very busy longarming quilts for others but I thought I'd stop in and show you the blocks I made for bee this month and an embroidery I finished up the Hoop Up! Stitch & Send swap.

Here are the blocks:

Beatnik Bee: Katie asked us to make improv style blocks for a quilt she will be putting together for her daughter. I did add the green solid in each of the blocks as I thought it would compliment the fabrics nicely.

I wanted to make this one look like a window scene!

This one is just a basic log cabin done improv style.

The Maple Leaf Quilters Bee: Cate asked for a Crossed Canoes paperpieced block using fabrics she had sent. There wasn't enough of the print so I added the green print in 2 of the canoes.

TISQ Bee: Suzanna asked for a wonky shoofly block using fabric she had sent.

 

Hoop Up! Stitch & Send: I received a wonderful piece from Cathy Gaubert which you can view on her photostream here.  Cathy was inspired by my theme "Found in an Oriental Garden" and designed a beautiful piece for me. Thanks so much Cathy, it's beautiful. I plan on using the pieces I receive for this swap in a quilted wallhanging.

I am not quite the designer she is but I also designed a piece for her "Into the Woods" theme. The fabric it is stitched on is repurposed green linen sent to me by Cathy.

 Partial close-up View

Full view

That is four embroidery pieces done for this swap, only 2 to go!

Crazy 9 Lattice Quilt - February UFO Finished!

Crazy 9 Lattice Quilt
Originally uploaded by maripenquiltmom

I finished this last week and today is sunny so I managed to get a picture.

When I posted this to flckr originally I asked for advice on which fabric to use for binding and it was unanimous for the teal fabric.

So here it is! I love the colors in this; these were all stash fabrics that I've loved at some point. I chose to quilt it using Waterworld pantograph. It's all washed and pleasantly wrinkly.

February Bee Blocks

Beatnik Bee - here are the Amish Diamond and Pinwheel blocks I made for Tracy. She asked that we fussy cut the corners to get a nice flower in the center. The fabric was very nice and these were fun.

The ISQ Bee - Here is the new York Beauty block I made for Jen using the great fabrics she sent. The dark grey fabric was my own and the batik in the inner ring were my additions.

The Maple Leaf Bee - February was my own month so I made a few more blocks so I'll be ready to put it together when the rest of the blocks come in. I previously made some mainly green ones which I posted about here. 

For most of these blocks I used a tutorial by Elizbeth Hartman of Oh,Fransson.