Smaller and Bigger

Smaller: There's been a few turns taken and now I think I'll work on this side just so I can quilt something besides trees and rectangles with Xs in them.

I mark my quilting lines with a pencil crayon. It usually fades during the quilting process. I made a boo boo on one side border a couple of days ago and I knew I didn't have a really good eraser so I went to Staples to see what they had. I could have gone to my local art store which is just around the corner but I didn't think of it.

I did buy a Pentel product also but decided to try this one first. It comes in a two pack and it worked extremely well. Not much eraser residue either. I must remember to let my quilting buddies know. We have used a couple of different erasers and they did an OK job but this one got every mark out.

Bigger: I needed a break from quilting. It's dark here because it's raining and I needed a colour infusion so I sewed up a couple more blocks. The dark green is scraps left over from cutting up the border for the quilt above. The squares sat around for a while because I had the light green in my mind for the other squares but it wasn't handy at the time. I have some red to cut up and some dusty pink. I like making these because they don't take long to do at all and I get to pair up fabrics. I love using up small pieces too. The red block above has one square that's different because I ran out of the other fabric.

Have a great and safe weekend whatever you're doing.

Another quilt on the frame

Juniper Hollow was a free online pattern from McCall's Quilt Magazine or Quick Quilts. It needed a border.

I had an odd scrap of some dark green that I framed the quilt with and then I auditioned various beige fabrics that I had.

This backing fabric just jumped off the shelf so I had to wash it and iron it before using it. There's still enough left for a smaller quilt or to use as a border for another quilt.

It's on the frame now and I just started quilting it. The star blocks just needed some extra quilting put in them.

A close-up of the quilting I plan on using for the sides.

This is what I used for the end of the quilt. I don't always use different quilt designs for borders but in this case I did. Sometimes the hardest thing for me in quilting is deciding on how to quilt it. With this one, I just wanted to have fun.

Since it's that time of the week again, I am linking up with the Needle and Thread Network and with Esther's blog. Go have a look at what other people are doing. You may get inspired.

Wednesday update

When I have some time I am putting fabrics together (scraps, really) and cutting 2.5" squares for these 16-patch blocks. I really liked the one that was at the outdoor quilt show. There is another scrap quilt that I liked too but that one will have to wait. 

I'm also adding borders on a quilt that I plan to put on the frame shortly but I will take a photo of it once the top is done.

A blogging friend, Hetty, was kind enough to send me some wonderful floral fabrics so I can...

make my bow tie quilt bigger. Pop on over for a visit. she has some lovely hexagon blocks completed.

Since it's Wednesday, I am linking up with

The Needle and Thread Network

and with

Esther's blog.

Baby pinwheels and knitting

It's off the frame and the binding is finished. It's done. Now I guess I'll go serge some receiving blankets to go along with this.

 

I have a bit of knitting to do. I started this in April and other projects got in the way. I am now  hoping to finish it and then I will put another quilt on the frame. The sweater is for little Luc. The yarn is a bulky blend of acrylic and nylon by Red Heart called Artesano and the colour is purple mist. It is so nice and soft and since the size is a 2, he should fit into it this year and next year.

My own medal winners

Last Sunday three of my children (Ayla, Eric and Mark) competed (in the heat and humidity) in the Warrior Dash 2012 which took place in Barrie, about an hour north of here. It was not just a race but an endurance race complete with ski hills and obstacle courses - which they all finished. The Warrior Dash is held in various locations in Canada, the United States and Australia. The winner came in at just 20+ minutes whereas the norm was more like 40+ minutes. Eric competed with a swollen eye and right side of his face because he had an allergic reaction to what may have been a spider bite. Just before heading up to the race he went to a walk-in clinic to get it checked out and ended up with antihistamine medication. 

Note: This is a photo of a photo and that's why there is some glare.

Every once in a while my children do things like this. A couple of months ago (in April?) Ayla and her sister Maili, along with Maili's boyfriend Casey, competed in the 5/10 km race in Montreal.