Book Review and Giveaway WINNER!!!

Hi peeps! 

I thought I would share a book I received for Christmas, as I realized it has been ages since my last book review! This is Make+Love QUILTS, by Mary Fons. Does her last name sound familiar? Well it is, because her mom is Marianne Fons of the dynamic quilting duo Fons & Porter! Mary Fons is also the Editor of Quilty magasine, which has become a new favourite!

The book is very well-written with lots of colour photos, and is a Stash Books publication(a niche division of C & T Publishing)…I own several Stash quilting books and have never been disappointed by their quality and attention to detail. 

The first 39 pages are dedicated to Theory + Practice; fabric, design fundamental and construction basics, then you move on to the 12 quilt projects.

This is the quilt from the cover…and my main reason for putting this book on my Christmas List! Each quilt photo is paired with colour suggestions. This one is the biggest quilt in the book, as-is the measurements are 108" x 126", but it is easy enough to adjust your quilt to be smaller.

I should note that all of the quilts in this book are made with scraps, but you don't have to use only scraps, you could go with a more controlled palette.

As you already know, I am a big fan of COLOUR! Not so much a fan of low-volume, but what attracted me to this quilt is the use of right-angle triangles. I also have the Accuquilt right-angle triangle die, so I knew I would be able to cut the pieces for this quilt easily…and from my scraps of course!

I must confess that the Bow Tie block is a top ten favourite block(Churn Dash wins hands down!!). It would be fun to make this quilt using the pictured black background with a multitude of scraps for the bow ties.

You gotta love a quilt named "My Dear" right? Those simple Nine-Patches mixed with a row of Rolling Stones blocks really give this quilt a modern edge while still making the blocks accessible to any skill level.

What can I say??? Of course I chose this Churn Dash quilt as the final quilt to show you!!! So easy to do up in scraps or with a coordinating 4-fabric bundle plus border!

As I said above, there are 12 quilts in this book. I have only shown you my favourites.

In my last post I showed you the cover of my Moleskine block ideas/design book. I though that you might want to have a glimpse at what I do when I am sketching and designing! 

You can find a design book for yourself at Massdrop.

This is a block I have been working on re; the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris earlier this year. I also included the two towers of 911 in New York as I felt that both horrific incidents were connected by tragedy. 

I don't yet know if I will be doing a tutorial of this block…some bugs to work out!!!

This is not an original design. I was working on changing the measurements of the finished block and also of the first square and resulting logs.

Here you can see where the first idea got trashed and the second attempt is so much better. I prefer to work on unlined paper, even though I have to draw the lines myself. That way I can play with the dimensions a bit more.

One thing I forgot to mention about Connecting Threads are the cute little postcards they include with each order. They have the Customer Service phone number on them so you can easily reach them if there is a problem.

After many years of no-trouble purchases I had a minor issue with one this year and called the Customer Service Department. The person on the phone looked up my order and listened to my problem, then corrected it quickly and politely, just like that. No hassles whatsoever! Gold Star to them!!!

I was on the Connecting Threads website yesterday and I noticed that Make+Love QUILTS(reviewed above) was in their Clearance section, at $10.33, which is 55% off!!! Woo-hoo!!!

Also in the Clearance section is this week's Weekly Deals, which are website-only specials that usual offer great discounted prices. This week's deals are on marking tools and acrylic rulers!

Now for the giveaway winner!!!

Wow, there were several hundred comments(YAY!!!) and it was hard to choose, so I asked Mr. Random(aka my Hubs) to choose a number and he chose…

#154. sherryberrybim, who wrote:

sherryberrybimSaturday, March 7, 2015 at 6:28:00 PM PST

I would make a lap quilt with this bundle of Luminescence.

I have sent an email!

Thanks so very much to all of you who entered and made this giveaway a big success!! Thanks also to my many new/continuing(can't say 'old'…just didn't sound right) followers who choose to allow me to come to their mailboxes a few times a week! I will endeavour to keep you entertained!!

Sharing is caring!!!
Don't forget that I am happy to share…feel free to pin to Pinterest, post on Google+ and Facebook, and Tweet away! Just please make sure your posts link back to this blog. 

*If you mouse/hover over the top right corner of my photos, a red pin-it button will show up and all you have to do is click it to be taken to Pinterest. There is also another red button right beside it for posting to Facebook and Twitter. Or, you could always use the little grey square buttons just below my signature. 

Thanks for reading and have a great day! 

Quilty Huggs, 

Jacqueline 

PLEASE NOTE: This post may contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Thanks!

A Parade, Some Web Specials and the giveaway winner!

Hi peeps!

photo, vancouversun.com

There was no sewing done chez moi on Sunday, as the Hubs and I decided to go see the Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver's Chinatown. We braved the bus...all 90 minutes and two transfers of it, though the Hubs was a little nauseous by the time we arrived. I have to sit down on the bus as I walk with a cane and can lose my balance, but he had to stand and was jostled around like a milkshake. I got some Gatorade into him and he started feeling better.

This is a photo of me just as the parade started. You can see the ornately decorated gate to Chinatown to the above right. The parade started with an ear-splitting barrage of firecrackers…almost 5 minutes long! That was a treat as fireworks have been banned where we live for years. The air was blue with smoke and some people closer started choking from the gunpowder(?).

These dragon dance guys were waiting for the parade to start. They usually walk further apart and make the dragon "dance" by moving the poles up and down, this way and that. There is another guy following who is banging on a metal drum on wheels. If there are a few dragons in a row, it can get deafening.

I wanted to show you how busy it was, there were throngs of people from every walk of life there. You can see that the parade stretches for blocks…and this photo was taken at about the half way point.

These teen girls did an intricate dance…fancy footwork with fans!!!!

Sorry this one is blurry…by the time I had turned my camera on(it has auto-shutoff), I only had a few short seconds to get the shot.

These ladies also did a lovely, artistic fan dance.

The lions here, in red and gold have 2 guys underneath them. When the front guy gets tired, he switches off with another guy walking behind.

The parade was so long that after about an hour we decided to go find somewhere to eat. After the parade winds up, there is no room anywhere to sit and have a meal.

We had Dim Sum-which is like a tasting menu  and got 5 things to try…wish I had taken a picture, as it sure was tasty! Our favourites were the steamed BBQ pork buns…I could have had more. To be honest, I have had them before…but it that was about 20 years ago!!! YUMM!

I went to check out my favourite cookwear store and they were having a 25% off sale, but I managed to exit without a shopping bag full of neat things! 

Just as I was leaving, the lions came up to do a blessing for prosperity in the New Year. They do it in front all of the stores in Chinatown and there is usually such a big crowd around that you can't see. I had ring-side seats, so to speak and managed to get a good shot.

Here I am at the gate again, as we were leaving. As you can see, the crowds of people had noticeably thinned out.

I did make one purchase though. The White Rabbit candy on the left was something my parents used to buy me when I was little. It is made out of sweetened condensed milk, has a chewy texture and each piece is individually wrapped in a layer of (edible)rice paper. I also bought about a cup's worth of Goji berries. They are very healthy and have a tart-fruit taste.

We had a really nice time but were so ready to go home. The buses were a lot less crowded, but the Hubs still had to offer his seat to an elderly person.

Here's some deals I found on the web(links included):

Woo-hoo! You can enter to win Craftsy's #Secret Stash contest here. 
Contest runs till March 15, 2015

Any stash or sewing room welcome!

Prizes include a box of secret stash goodies and a Craftsy class of your choice!



Accuquilt is offering 30% off 30 items till Feb. 28, 2015. No code needed.

Bow Tie Die Reg. $49.99, now only $34.99!

Fons & Porter are having a 20% off Customer Appreciation Sale! 
Code is: FPSAVE20
Ends Feb. 26, 2015

Sister's Together Kit, reg $109.99, now 20% off!

Zulilly always has amazing sales going on, especially for Women's Plus-size clothing. I found this slimming tunic for $37.99(CA$)…reg. price $89.00(CA$). That is more than 40% off and I've seen dresses @ 70% off!

on sale for $37.99 CA$

And now for my Giveaway winner(s)…

 I asked the Hubs to pick the winner(s) and so, the winner of the 8-piece fat quarter bundle from Sew Sister's Quilt Shop is:

GranChris!

I have sent her an email and hope to hear from her soon.

I decided to have a second prize winner as my blog has recently surpassed 100 followers via Bloglovin' and I thought that was something to celebrate!!!

The second prize winner is:

MMK!

I have sent a message and hope to be sending a little package of treats soon.

I would like to thank each and every one of you for commenting…there were so many great ideas mentioned and some I hadn't thought of too! Win, win!!!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Quilty Huggs,

Jacqueline

Happy day!

Hi all!

I decided that my new camera needed a case or bag of some kind and I remembered that one of my favourite blogs had a cute, but largish zippy bag tutorial, and you know that I'm all about trying free tutorials!!! The Bella Clutch, by Clover and Violet fit the bill! 

You can find the link on my Cute Tute links page.

I did change it up a bit. Remember all those 2.5" squares I cut with my AccuQuilt cutter the other day? I thought that since the tute called for 2.5" strips, I could substitute my squares. I made mine a bit longer, to account for the width of my camera.

I did some basic straight-line quilting in purple variegated thread, using my presser foot for the width from the seams. I am lining it in flannel, to protect the screen from scratches. I am making just one set of slip pockets(pink dice flannel scrap), and am making them deeper, as well. That way I can slip in a small pack of batteries, bank card, my keys and a pack of cigs. No need for a purse!

What do you think of the lime green zipper??? Now I have to sew it in, yikes!

Today is the day of our annual town-named festival. There is a parade(going on right now), as well as a bandstand for local bands, musicians and dance groups.  

There are tones of booths selling food and arts and crafts, as well as Community Service booths(i.e.; local Community Policing etc.). 

It is a beautiful hot, sunny day and the hubs and I are about to head over to the park to see the goings on!

Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!

Jacqueline

A cuttin' machine!

Hi peeps!

Here's a close-up of my appliqué wall-hanging I shared a few days ago.

I was in a cutting mood yesterday, so I got out my trusty AccuQuilt Go Baby and the Econo die(love it, has 3 different shapes to cut on the same die) and went to work on this pile of scraps from my stash!

They were sent to me by my dear, dear friend L in Arizona. She is a prodigious quilter and sends me a big box of her beautiful scraps a couple times a year. I love that peacock fabric near the middle of the pile! 

It looks like my hubs' empty booze bottles have done a little photo bombing!!! *sorry*

I got out my old loaf pans to keep the unruly piles of cuts from falling off my ironing board. I use my cutter on my ironing board as it is easier on my back, and I can place the board in front of the balcony doors to keep cool. I got a bunch of  2.5" HSTs, 2.5" squares and 4.5" squares done. I will probably add the 2.5" squares to my hexie shoebox for the Kid's quilt. I am thinking that the HSTs would make a great border for the Paper Bag charity quilt!

Here's an old pillowcase full of my off-cuts. Once it is full, I will sew the opening shut and donate to a local kitty cat shelter, for use as a kitty bed.

I had a hankering to make a Paper Bag quilt! Do you know what that is? You put your cut squares in a paper bag and mix it all up. Then you close your eyes and choose the next squares to piece together. I will be piecing mine with Kona-snow as my alternate, making a checkerboard quilt for charity. I still have A LOT of squares to cut(thank you Go Baby!!! It's one of the best investments I have ever made for quilting tools, other than rotary cutting supplies). I kinda over-did it yesterday, so have to take a breather today.

This is my sweet baby, GRACIE. She has had a bit of a rough time. She was the runt of her pack and never quite learned how to cover her litter box additions. She was two years old before she learned how to meow!!! She recently had a nasty infection and I really thought we were going to lose her, but she pulled through. Thank you, Lord Jesus!

I couldn't find GEORGE at the time of this post, so look forward to seeing a picture of him sometime soon.

It is such a beautiful day today, I think I will go outside and read a quilt mag in the shade!

Have a super day and thanks so much for reading!

Jacqueline

Just a wee note

Hi all!

Look what I won in the latest SEW MAMA SEW GIVEAWAY!

This is a mug rug, key fob and cute little FPP lapel pin! These were made and offered up for grabs by the lovely Tina @ Seaside Stitches. Have a look at her fun website and tell her I sent you! I can't wait till they arrive!. Now I have 2 things to wait for…

Netflix was on the fritz last night so no binge-watching for us. The hubs found a Criminal Minds marathon, so we watched that until Lewis came on(PBS) at 9.         

Got a bunch more hexies basted. I have to say that I am now used to the(much smaller) seam allowance on the hexie pieces I cut with my AccuQuilt Hexie die.

That's all for me today,

Jacqueline

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Day 2!

*This is me, at 9 years old!!!

Hi all!!!

Last night, we were watching Netflix(Contraband, starring Mark Walberg), I started basting the hexie fabric I cut with my Accuquilt cutter and new, $80 hexie die. The die has 2 sizes of hexies, one for cutting the actual-sized hexies out of card stock and the other(which is larger by about a scant quarter inch on all sides), for the fabric pieces. Now, before I got my new die, I had always cut my fabric pieces at 2.5" square, which allows for a generous fold over. Not any more!!! I now have to get used to a much smaller fold over. As I had been using up the remained of my 2.5" square pieces from my last hexie quilt, it wasn't until last night that I actually started on the new pre-cut pieces(of which I have already cut about 3,000!). Oh my goodness, what a change. I used to mindlessly baste, but now I have to pay attention as the very last fold/baste stitch is a bit tricky with less fabric to work with. I managed, and by the end of the evening(we also watched Frost on PBS), I had got the hang of it. I did have a scary moment…what if I can't get the hang of it and I have already cut a shoe box full of them???…but, as you now know, that has not come to pass! Whew!

We had to get some groceries, so we walked over to the grocery store. Boy-oh-boy, is it ever muggy today. It is overcast and I thought it was going to be cold, and put on a jacket…big mistake! In 5 minutes I was steaming! We got our groceries and then hit the chain pharmacy as I had some coupons for things that were also on sale. Talk about a double savings…that's my all time favourite way to shop! Got my fave ice cream(BREYER'S Mint Chocolate Chip) on sale and bonus store points too! I am saving up my points, as for one month in the summer you can get extra items(to the tune of an extra $50 worth of free items!!!). Every little bit helps! I wobbled home, and that was it for me and the stairs today(I have a bad knee, waiting for surgery).

Well, gotta put the leg up and hope the swelling isn't too bad...