The Mystery Unfolds

This block is called Tippecanoe. Sheila, the mastermind behind the Mystery Quilt QAL, explained that this block was one of the blocks that were designed as a tribute to William Henry Harrison (1773-1841), who was the ninth President of the United States.



This is a close up of another, I think they are wonderful. They are paper pieced but so much easier paper piecing than some of my other recent attempts so I only made a few silly mistakes. Like cutting off the fabric I had just sewn on. Sigh.



Here are the 7 tippecanoe blocks I made over the last two days, attached to the first block of the QAL. These are hard to sew on because there is a big blob of seams at the pointy ends. Although I was imagining a quilt of just tippecanoe blocks sewn together, I think it would be tiresome to try to join them.



Here are my Mystery QAL blocks all together, sun dappled on the deck. I still have some left over homework from the last lesson, but I think they look nice so far.

Today is a day for being outside in the garden, it is beautiful already. And I am almost done with the plum jam (56 jars so far), and just in time as the blackberries are ripening!

Best,

Leanne

Playing with fabric, and the winner is...

I am thinking and designing.



Playing and testing.



With this group of solids, for the Love of Solids [a modern swap]. So you might notice that these are not my usual brighter than bright colours or the sweet Amy Butler pastels from my Mystery QAL blocks. Yet another palette to work with. This one is perfect for use at my cottage which has a garden and sunbleached land as well as beaches and an ocean. I am not exactly sure what it will turn into yet, but I am having fun figuring that out.

More importantly, the winner of my give away to celebrate reaching and exceeding 100 followers and 5 months of blogging is Melissa!

Melissa blogs at A Child of the Wild Blue Yonder, she posts the most amazing blocks on flickr under the name Mama Missa, she is the organizer of the Aqua and Orange Bee that I am in and she is a member of my other online sewing bee, the Twelve Month Quilting Bee. And I would never have met her but for the internet.  I can't wait to see what she makes with that fabric!

Also, her win has restored my faith in random number generators. She was the last entry, which I have been in other contests and I always assumed that meant I had no chance. Look:

I want to thank everyone who reads my blog for the support, encouragement, and inspiration that you have provided me. I am so pleased by how the internet quilting community has helped me to enjoy my quilting journey.  So, again, thank you for being a friend!

I hope to get some actual progress to show you soon, but the garden, the fruit, the beach all are taking more than their share of my time it seems. I have finished making about 48 jars of the plum jam, hopefully there are not that many more to make.

Best,

Leanne

DQS11 in the mail and I am extending the give away until Wednesday night.

Well, there it is, my finished mini-quilt for the DQS11 Swap. It is about 16.5" x 13.5" (I, of course, forgot to take a final measurement.) The prints are cotton and the background is linen (might be 50/50 cotton linen but I am thinking it is just linen). The background scorches with a hot iron, in seconds, without warning. I put a big tag on the front to warn my partner and also sent a tester bit of fabric.

I decided in the end that white binding was best. I did actually sew on one of the prints that I had in the running but it just did not give the right look.



The back is a Kaffee Fassett print.  You can see the label (edited for now). I was having nightmares about the label, but hopefully this one will do. My partner can just take if off if she prefers.



The quilt is being a barn quilt here. The old barn holds only firewood but I love its run down falling apartness. Maybe I should make it a barn quilt of its own.

The quilt is in the mail, off to my partner. I hope that she likes it as much as I do. I learned a lot about mini-quilts making this and it reflects a learning process, not perfection. I will show you the extras I sent once the quilt has arrived at its new home.

I have decided it was unfair to have a give away to celebrate exceeding 100 followers that opened on Friday and ended on Monday in the summer. Hopefully many of you get away on summer weekends and enjoy some time with family, or outdoors. I have extended entries until Wednesday night. I will draw Thursday morning, so if you have not yet entered, please click here and do so.

Enjoy your day.

Best,

Leanne

Mostly about the Farmer's Wife.

I cut up the 5" squares to put in the zippered bag I made for my give away to celebrate reaching and exceeding 100 followers. If you have not yet entered, please do so by going here. I will be drawing tomorrow night.



I have been working on the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt. This block is Rainbow Flowers, #73.  A lovely 1/4 log cabin block. I pieced it as a log cabin block, not as illustrated in the book.



This is Autumn Tints, #2. I was not really considering autumn when I picked the colours.



This is Squash Blossom, #86 (which I posted earlier). It is less striking turned on pointe, I think, but still a great block.



Here is Windmill, #108. I love the simplicity of this block.



These are my 18 blocks so far. I am still loving making these small blocks, each one teaches me something, not always what I expect to learn.

You may want to visit  the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt QAL to check everyone's progress. I am off to do some gardening and then back to plum jam making. I hope you enjoy your Sunday!

Best,

Leanne

Thank you for being a friend.

I had some small bits left over from making my DQS11 mini quilt so I made this zippered bag. The sort-of-wonky nine patches have tiny 1/2" squares. It is has a bright lining. It could be yours.



To celebrate reaching and exceeding 100 followers of this blog, I am giving away a couple of things. First, a fat quarter pack of some of my favourite fabrics, Shades of Grey designed by Daisy Janie. It is organic fabric and it is wonderful to work with. I used it in the Big Little George wall quilt I made this spring.

Pink Chalk Fabrics have agreed to help me to avoid a huge shipping delay (from them in the USA to me in Canada to you wherever that may be) for this bundle I have purchased, and instead they will ship it directly to the winner.

I am also sending you the zippered bag. And I am going to cut up some some charm squares cut from my bright fabric stack to put inside. You have seen these fabrics in all my projects in the last two months, the modern crosses quilt, the farmer's wife blocks, the We can do it! Skill Builder Sampler blocks, my doll quilt swap quilt and this zippered bag. These bright colours are a treat to work with, maybe they will inspire you too. And they look great with the Shades of Grey!

To win, just leave me a comment, no hoops or obligations, although if you are not a follower I would love it if you became one. In your comment, let me know what you are quilting right now, what you excited about quilting next and/or what you had fun quilting over the last year. I will make the draw on Monday night and post the winner on Tuesday, August 16, 2011. (Please make sure I can reach you, if you are a no-reply blogger then put your email in the comment.)

This celebration is to thank you for being a friend. I really do appreciate the support, guidance and friendship the followers of my blog give to me. You inspire me and make me laugh. And I am still surprised to have over 100 followers!

By the way, today is also a blog-versary of sorts, this blog started on March 12, 2011, 5 months ago today.

Best,

Leanne

ps, I am still making plum jam, I have made 5 batches so far, more tonight. Too bad it is so hard to ship or I could give some of it away too.