Sanity Sewing

Sometimes you just have to get 'er done.

This quilt has been in the works for a few years now... And I got on top of finishing it a few months ago (well, finishing the top). I was making good progress with some commitment when I hit a snag. I'd made a mistake. My very last block in the very last row was the wrong one. There are two block styles in this quilt and I used the wrong one in this spot. And all I had to do at that point was sew the rows together to finish the top. Annoyed with myself and frustrated, the quilt top sat for weeks at that juncture. Because all I had to do was make a slab, draw a foundation, sew a new block, remove the old one, attach it, and then sew the rows together. It sounds like a lot of work, but it wasn't. I was just in a mood about it.

This week I found myself in a real need to sew. After a few weeks of a bad cold that wouldn't go away I longed to get to the machine. Those are the moments when I usually start something new or default to random improv. Instead I forced myself to make that last block. And it took me about 30 minutes, if that. Not counting a break for Hot Wheels with my boy.

Then I was struggling to get the rows sewn together. With all those slabs, the angles, and some skinny bits on the edges each row is bulky and lining things up was tough. Not to mention that I kept the freezer paper foundation on each block because of the crazy amount of bias edges. Then I caught Bari J. Ackerman on a Periscope broadcast extolling the virtues of glue basting (a la Christie Fincher). Bingo!

I've used glue basting before for Paperless Paper Piecing in a class with Christie. And I've heard of other people glue basting for regular piecing. It did not occur to me to use it this way. I'm so happy I saw that Scope because it totally made it easy to get this top together. A thin line of glue in the seam allowance instead of pinning (or hoping for the best) holds the fabric in place, once heat set. Then you can go ahead and sew your seam.

And get the quilt top done.

Right now this top has the temporary name of Shh....

Quilts in the Wild - Of My Home

While I was cleaning up and sorting quilts to put them on my awesome new racks, I decided to take inventory of the quilts at home. These are the quilts being used, abused, loved, cuddled, and slept with in our home. I did not style any of those photos. Just making that clear.

This guy lives for the kids. Needless to say we can't keep him off either of the girls' beds. All day, all night, when he isn't following them around. We rotate the quilts on the bed a lot.

My other daughter's bed. With two quilts, one ostensibly to keep the dog from dirtying the other one, but I usually find it on the floor.

My son's bed. The neatest of the bunch, but when you only weigh 35 pounds and have a full size bed only a small portion gets messy. This particular quilt is from A Month of Sundays.

Two quilts for two people. I've been quite chilly at night lately, so I have my voile quilt layered on top of my QuiltCon quilt.

And, just for the record, the beds usually get made in this house. One of the morning chores for everyone. But the day I took these pictures it was The Evil Genius' birthday and all rules went out the window. She may have had a bowl of whipped cream for breakfast too.

Books and quilts, a perfect combination. My little guy was snuggling with his gift from Amanda Jean and reading this particular morning, when not running around like a maniac screaming.

On the basement couch. Full on TV watching and family snuggles happen here. A baby quilt gifted when the Monster was born coordinates perfectly with one of the quilts from You Inspire Me To Quilt. Photograph by Christy Swanberg.

And upstairs in the living room. The only somewhat neat spot, but I have a habit of straightening it up after I do the dishes every night. Good old Missing U hanging out there, from Sunday Morning Quilts. Shh, but it is covering up a rip in the upholstery.

Between the quilts on the racks, this collection, and various quilts hanging in stores as class samples and promotions, as well as those out for publication, I have 51 quilts in my possession. Woah.

Quilt Storage Solution

Forgive me for being cocky, but I have too many quilts. My husband has been saying that for years, but I'm finally cluing in. There are only so many beds in the house, so many forts to be built, so many little legs to cover. I do give away quite a few quilts too, but the supply at home continues to grow. There is just no stopping the compulsion to create.

Over the winter the spot to store the quilts became the table in the family room. It is supposed to be a table for playing games, doing puzzles, and gathering around as an alternative to the TV. We've used it as a fort or secret TV watching space as well. In truth, it's main function was to hold the precarious stack of quilts.



Nothing was functional - including the quilts themselves.

Then I discovered these racks. Long story short, I found myself with unexpected free time and a case of the grumps. So I went to Home Sense, which is a discount home wares store along the lines of TJ Maxx or Marshalls for my US readers. I went in hoping to find a little table for my son's room, but found these racks instead. I picked up the two they had to test out at home.

(See, I thought I had a genius idea for quilt racks that my husband could make, but I also wanted the quilts off the table before 2017. His business builds cabinets so he has all the tools, but not the time. We are the cobbler's kids with no shoes.)

The racks are PERFECT. Each one easily holds 10-15 quilts. I was so pleased with them that I drove across the city (something I hate doing) to another HomeSense, fingers crossed, to get another one. I'm a firm believer that instead of getting more and more storage one should have less stuff, so three will be my maximum.

As for the brand, to direct you to get your own, if so inclined, I can be of no help. They simply have 'Organise' on the label. I've done a quick search on line and can find nothing. Maybe you will have better luck. For reference, they seem to be a painted or powder coated lightweight steel.



There are currently 32 quilts on these racks.

I should address the sheer volume of quilts. As soon as your write books, have trunk shows, and teach, the quilts pile up. And you can't give them away because you need them. Not always, but enough to need them readily accessible. There will come a time when I don't need to pull out every single quilt from Sunday Morning Quilts, but for now I still need all that scrappy goodness around.

Not to mention that I'm still making, still trying new things. And we won't mention what would happen if I actually finished the quilts on my Quilts Under Construction list!

Quilting With Low Volume Fabrics - on CreativeLive

Let's talk Low-Volume. (You can whisper if you want to, I am.)

Low volume fabrics remain trendy. You see them popping up in fabric collections, shop bundles, and in quilts. When I pitched A Month of Sundays nearly 4 years ago the term and the fabrics were just starting to emerge into quilters' consciousness. Now, you can hardly look anywhere without seeing these gorgeous fabric options.

There are so many people, however, who stop me to ask questions about just how to use them. Some people think low volume can only means black and whites, or only tone on tones, or only colours. Some people only think you can use low volume prints as backgrounds as a completely scrappy look. Some still believe that low volume only means light fabrics or that there is no contrast in a quilt made from low volume fabrics.

In both A Month of Sundays and my CreativeLive class, Quilting With Low Volume Fabrics, you can learn that all of these things are small little pigeonholes in the possibility of using low volume fabrics. By following along we learn that the principles of colour, value, scale, and texture still apply with low volume fabrics. We learn that while there are no wrong ways to use these fabrics, there are better ways to use them in order to enhance your quilt design.

In the class you can also sew along with us. I chose the famous X-Plus block as our exercise. We go through different fabric combinations to illustrate all the lessons of the class. The studio audience is learning right along with you. That means you get their insight and A Ha! moments too. It truly is a learning by doing exercise.

At the end of the class you will be very comfortable using low volume fabrics effectively in your quilts. You really can't go wrong with these fabrics. They are a great alternative to white, cream, or grey backgrounds, but they are so much more. Knowing how to pick and use them means that your options for fabrics opens up tremendously.

This was my goal in A Month of Sundays as well. But for those of you who learn by doing or watching, grab the class. Then you can hit the book for some inspiring quilt designs.

Oh, and all the Craft and Maker classes are on sale at CreativeLive until March 15. That means you can grab any of my classes for just $19.

Caterpillar from Sherbet in A Month of Sundays

Caterpillar

66'' x 85''

One day my nephew will understand exactly how much I love him because I put all this Charlie Harper cardinals fabric on the back of his quilt. For now he knows that I think he is pretty awesome and funny and cute and full of spirit. And he knows I want him to be warm and snuggly and have bright things around him. All because Aunty Cheryl made him a quilt.

This isn't his first quilt from me, he did get a baby quilt when he was born. But this is his first quilt as a boy. He's nearly 4 and within second of giving it to him he was running around the house with it as a cape, wrestling with his brother on it, and has slept with it every night since. Now that is a quilt success!

This quilt started off as a class sample for teaching Sherbet (from A Month of Sundays) last year at Quilt Canada. The class was great as I walked everyone through the steps for making this quilt. It is an easy quilt to make, but it takes some time with the cutting, strip piecing, cutting again, and assembly. It is worth every bit of effort.

When I decided to appropriate my class sample for my nephew I adjusted only the size of the final borders, making it more fitting for a twin bed.

With the original made in a lovely palette of low volume fabrics with a solid Snow background this version stands in sharp contrast. I definitely turned up the volume on this one! I think it works wonderfully both ways. Just shows that the patterns in A Month of Sundays don't have to be limited to low volume fabrics.

This quilt was quilted (by me) on the APQS long arm, rented at my LQS. I used a variegated thread in reds. oranges, and yellows from Wonderfil. In the end we called the pattern a watery meander. It came together quite quickly and worked perfectly.

As I said, one day my nephew will appreciate the depth of my love through this quilt (and my actions) but right now I think I can sense his total appreciation too.

Low Volume Shoeman's Puzzle Update

This week's old project to work on was these Shoeman's Puzzle blocks. I was originally inspired by Denyse Schmidt's version in Modern Quilts Traditional Inspirations. Hers, however, is a two colour quilt.

The low volume prints mean the pattern is quite subtle, but it is there. That's because I used various shades of solid white for contrast. Print will always contrast with solid (as long as it isn't too tiny of a print) so the design still comes through.

I am so in love with these blocks. A lot of the quilts I've finished in the last while I've given away, or they are for teaching. This one, this quilt will be mine. With the slabs it captures the essence of my first book, especially because it is mostly made with the scraps from second book. Most of the slabs get made while I'm teaching - I use these as demo sewing. I feel it represents everything about my quilting as a career to this point. There is no way anyone else will get this quilt.

There are still more blocks to make. How many, however, is still up for debate. In my head I'd always pictured it 70'' x 70''. A generous lap quilt for me. For a brief moment I considered making it 80'' x 80'' so it could go on one of the girls' beds, but thought better of that. When the rows are an odd number the pattern is even. Normally I am all about the symmetry, but I kind of prefer the look with the uneven number. 50'' x 70'' is fine for a lap quilt, but I don't think that is enough to get the full effect of all the secondary patterns formed by this pattern.

So, I guess that means I have at least 21 more blocks to make. At least.

Caterpillar Top - From A Month of Sundays

My husband called it Caterpillar so that name will kind of stick. But I also think of it as zippers or confetti strips. The original quilt, published in A Month of Sundays, was called Sherbet. In that case it was for the colours of the quilt.

Originally, I started this quilt simply to be step outs for a class I was teaching. It isn't often that I cut out the whole quilt before sewing a stitch, but with an already published pattern that is certainly the thing to do! So I demoed the piecing and assembly back in June, then it sat.

A few months ago my SIL asked if I would make quilts for her boys, my nephews. Of course the answer was yes. So we let the 5 year old pick out fabric, I grabbed what I had from their baby quilts, and we talked about patterns. When I started this particular quilt I wasn't intending it for any purpose other than a class sample. In the end though - and not just because I'm a multitasker - I thought it was perfect for my nephew.

I made two changes from the original pattern. One small, one significant. The small one was cutting the side borders narrower. In the original pattern they are 12 1/2'' wide. Because this was intended for a single bed I trimmed them down to 6 1/2''. That means the quilt finishes out at 66 1/2'' wide instead of 78 1/2''.

The big change was in the colour scheme for the quilt. Coming from A Month of Sundays the original quilt was full of low volume fabrics on a creamy, solid background. It shows the success of using scale of print to get value differences even with low volume fabrics. In this version I chose a coloured background. It's a Kona, but I'm not sure which colour (my colour card has gone missing). When I bought it I thought I would use some creamy prints, perhaps like these ones. In the end, the whole thing begged to be nice and bright. Now that's a way to turn up the volume!

Cirrus Solids at Play

It is a very good day when new fabric arrives. It is especially good when that fabric is the new organic solid range from Cloud 9 Fabrics.

When Cloud 9 contacted me and asked me if I wanted a bundle to play with I totally hesitated. With so many quilts under construction I didn't exactly need more fabric, nor the obligation to make something. But I was intensely curious and I've always been quite impressed with Cloud 9's fabrics. At worst, I thought, I can add them to my Solid Sunday Morning.

Then the fabrics arrived. What glorious colours. Some great greys and neutrals and those deep blues and turquoises. I was smitten. And I had an idea percolating in my head after teaching a Values class in September. The only thing that stopped me from cutting into them right away was my trip to Alabama.

As soon as I could, though, I started sorting piles. Lights and darks, darks and lights, darks and lights and medium. I used the black and white feature on the camera to really get a good handle on the distinctions. My plan was based on the Pinwheel quilt from A Month of Sundays, with a twist. Value distinctions were going to be very important. Instead of the big swath of white triangles as in the original, I wanted more pieced HSTs. But if those didn't look different than the pinwheel section the design would be lost.

In the end, I made all my half square triangle blocks based on the piles above. Just random HSTs. Some with light/dark, most with dark/dark. I grabbed whatever came next and didn't worry at all about the combinations other than my values.

And, it didn't work. There were just too many medium values muddying things up. If I had kept them out it might have worked. The quilt would have been small in that case and that's just not how I work. I'm going to keep the concept out there and maybe play with it again at some point over the winter.

For now, however, it is still fall. A glorious fall. And in the last few days I played with all my HST blocks made for the original idea. The pinwheel concept stayed, but it looks radically different. I shared a few layout options via Instagram and received some great feedback. My initial pinwheels were the typical four patch pinwheel block, but that smart lady Victoria Gertenbach suggested some scale changes. I tried it and it was perfect. Thanks Victoria!

The Cirrus Solids were great to work with. They frayed no more than any other solid, which was nice. The hand on them is amazing! So soft cut right from the bolt. This quilt is going to be a dream to cuddle with when it is all done.

Right now Cirrus Solids are available in these 21 colours. All are cross-weaves, which means it is two different colour threads that make up the fabric. But they aren't obvious cross weaves like the kinds where two very different colours are used. Subtle, but the texture of a cross weave is definitely there.

I do not know what Cloud 9's plans are for these, but I hope they take off at Quilt Market so that more colours arrive. Personally, I would love to see oranges, more lemony/buttery yellows, and grassy/minty greens. Solids aren't generally my thing, but I can definitely see these becoming a go-to source for me.

Update on ALL the Quilts Under Construction

Periodically, I must take stock of all the quilts Under Construction. I actually find it quite freeing, not depressing. It's a good exercise for me - what have I been doing, am I still interested in what is here? The last time I did this was 18 months ago, so it was definitely time for a check-in. And yes, the list got bigger.

Check out Sew Mama Sew's Slow Sewing series for my post on embracing all the quilts under construction, no more UFOs versus WIPs!

Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting

1. Cosmos Blocks - I initially thought I donated this for Quilts for Calgary, but it still sits in my closet.
2. Improv Sampler - still sitting there, waiting for it's turn on long arm rental day.
3. Checkerboard from Sunday Morning Quilts - again, nothing to see here...
4. Slaveship Quilt - nope, nothing here either...
5. Old Amy Butler quilt top - still sitting there...
6. The Evil Genius' Triangle Quilt - she wanted it big enough for her bed, but that was when she was getting a single bed. We recently got her a double, so we may have to add to this.
7. A low volume rainbow mini quilt that I've never shared with you.
8. Alturas - waiting for the floors to be cleaned for basting. Much harder with a dog in the house again.
9. Giant Hexagons - waiting for me to decide how to quilt it.
10. One intended for a magazine that I can't share

Quilts Being Quilted

11. Low Volume Circles - I'm plugging away on the hand quilting, slowly. Actually, I don't think I've touched this in 2 years. Maybe this winter?
12. QuiltCon Quilt - based on my work in Denyse Schmidt's Improv Class. Currently in line with Urban Quiltworks for her magic on the long arm.
13. All voile quilt - also at Urban Quiltworks
14. Antonio's Quilt - For some reason I've stalled on the quilting, yet I don't have much more to do.

Blocks and Process

15. Mid Mod Bee - Blocks to be assembled into a top
16. Hand Pieced Diamonds - I think I'm done with these, but I would like to get it into a quilt top.
17. More Cosmic Burst blocks - I have a whole other set of blocks for a baby quilt
18. Name quilt for my daughter - still haven't done anything on this. It might become the back for a new bed quilt for her. Maybe.
19. Chandelier quilt - was so close, then discovered a big mistake and have never fixed it
20. Liberty Circles - These have sat, but I was recently thinking about them. Maybe this winter?
21. Blue and green Christmas Tree quilt - I cut the pieces, then promptly put them away
22. Respite - a project started in a Bill Kerr design workshop
23. Pieced Stars - a BOM I started years ago when I wanted to do some precision piecing breaks when doing a lot of improv
24. The Water Quilt
25. Low Volume Shoeman's Puzzle/Slab blocks
26. A values quilt in neutrals (Class sample, so I keep adding more blocks each time I teach the class)
27. Green/Yellow/Orange Improv blocks (Class sample, so I keep adding more blocks each time I teach the class)
28. Sunday Morning in Solids
29. Edges/Studio Stash Play - I do hope to finish this for a friend. It requires a day or two with no deadlines/kids in the studio
30. One red/purple turquoise quilt intended for magazine publication
31. Sherbet, with more volume for my nephew - need to pull this out for my piecing without thinking as everything is cut and started
32. Beach Grass Take 2 - this would make a perfect bed quilt for the girls and their new beds. And it goes together so quickly...
33. Y2K quilt - slowly, slowly with this one as I piece it as leaders and enders
34. Another leaders and enders project, intended to be like Up, Up, and Away from Sunday Morning Quilts
35. Round and Round blocks - these are addictive and I wish I could make them all day long
36. Snippets on Dates
37. Circle Lattice
38. Leftovers from Modern Paris
39. Orange Circles from Craftsy/Perfect Circles class samples
40. New Cirrus Solids from Cloud 9 Fabrics bundle is being cut now
41. Started some blocks after being so inspired on my trip to Alabama.

Intentions

42. A new quilt for one of my other nephews in yellow, orange, and turquoise

So close...

(43.) Mountain Meadows - Just finishing the hand stitching on the binding here. One side left to do.

Finished

Giant Dresdens
Playground
Modern Paris
Improv Sewing Machines
Oh Canada
One Day
Compose Yourself
Shimmer Table Runner
Indian Pillow
Mid-Century Circle Pillow
Gum on Concrete
Girlie Quilt

If you compare this list with the last one, you can see that some, only some, projects moved around. Some I gave away, some I finished. In looking at this I realize I haven't even posted a few finished quilts! And a few were for publication that I can't share yet.

Most of these were started, and finished in between now and the last update. That might be telling of my process and call to inspiration. Or, of my sewing machine that doesn't want to quilt anymore.

Beach Days in Fabric

What a sunny, summery pile of fabric. Perfect as fall is in its peak of colours and winter is probably only a few weeks away. Yes, I am pretending I'm in Australia.

What started as a need to create some samples for a class I'm teaching on my Beach Grass quilt has turned into this. This colour combo has been on my brain for a long time. I thought it was because I saw a few colour pins on Pinterest. That certainly was what got me pulling fabric the other day. That's how that stack above came to be.

I always start this way when colour of fabric is the initial inspiration - just a big, big pile of fabric. I have no idea if I have enough that I might need, or if all of these fabrics will stay. But it is all about that initial burst and frenzied search through the stash. I just need to get it all out, then I can stop and regroup.

Once the initial grab is done I take a breath, often sleep on it, then see what I have and don't have. Is there more structure to be found, some order, a running theme in the fabric I chose? At this point I might also look at my pattern, sketch, or examine my influence to see if I think the fabric will well and truly capture it. (Sometimes I start over at this point.)

With this quilt I decided I wanted to make some value distinctions within the colours. So I started sorting my colours by value, to see how much range I had. I don't want huge value jumps, but I did want some distinctions.

As I did this I also thought this pile looked awfully familiar. So I went into the reserves - the stacks of fabric I made and set aside for a specific quilt. And sometimes those piles sit for a very, very long time. That doesn't mean they are forgotten or abandoned. They are just 'in waiting'. And one of my favourite fabric lines of recent years was waiting for the right project. Turns out, this was it.

Sympatico is now being cut and used and I couldn't be happier. It is a gorgeous organic fabric. And the colours in the line - save for the peach - are exactly what I picked out in my initial fabric pull. Serendipity.

I'm quite excited now to see if what I had in my brain for this version of the quilt comes out. It is such a simple design and easy construction that I hope my fabric selection turns it on its head, just a little.

Sign up for the two day class at My Sewing Room. October 14 and 21, 10-4.

Great New Local Gig

My attempt to have a quieter fall has been thwarted by a few things. One, the snow that is still here! Two, a community project stealing all my weekends. And three, a full slate of teaching.

Join me at My Sewing Room for a whole slew of classes.

Slab Workshop
September 18 and 25 10am - 4pm
(If you've taken a short slab workshop from me before, this will still be a great class as you have plenty of time to sew and a lot of input from me as we put the technique into a whole quilt top.)

Values Quilts
September 23 and 30 6 - 9 pm
Full of tips and tricks for mastering value when choosing fabric, using half square triangles to play. Will also include a demo of a brand new values technique.

Beach Grass
October 14 and 21 10am - 4 pm
This is a great quilt from A Month of Sundays. Very fat quarter friendly too!

Sunday Morning
October 16 and 23 6 - 9 pm
Maybe one of the most popular quilts from Sunday Morning Quilts. We'll make blocks and assemble a top. Go low volume like the original or change it up. Watch for my new samples for other colour ideas.

Scrap Management Workshop
November 22 and 23 10am - 4pm and 11am - 5 pm
Show up with a suitcase or laundry basket or whatever filled with scraps. We'll tackled sorting, storage, and get going on your own individual quilt. Make one of the designs from Sunday Morning Quilts or be inspired by your scraps in a whole new way.

To register for any of the classes call My Sewing Room at 403-252-3711

Sherbet, Take 2

Last month I had the privilege of teaching at Quilt Canada. This is the national event of the Canadian Quilters' Association. I've already spoken about my amazing experience in my Improv class, but I also had the chance to teach my Sherbet quilt.

Sherbet is a quilt from A Month of Sundays. It is a straightforward quilt design, but it takes a few steps to get there. Strip piecing, cutting, sewing together, long strips. A day wasn't nearly enough to get the whole top together, unfortunately. But my students sewed and sewed and cut and cut. I pressed for them and cut for them (I'm a hands on teacher!). And we chatted all day. I had a lot of fun, I hope they did too.

The quilt that I cut is destined for one of my nephews. He's a bright, energetic kid who loves colour. So we went quite the opposite of low-volume for him. Not to toot my own horn, but this just goes to show that just because the quilts in the book are low-volume, it doesn't mean you have to stick to low-volume fabrics to make them yours. Turn it up!

Check out the fabric choices and work of my students.

This one is destined to be a king sized bright and pretty version. We played with the math of the pattern to size it up, making the columns a bit longer and adding some. But I can't wait to see a finished top from this!

My modern quilter in the group had an amazing fabric selection for her quilt, paired with this grey. The longer I am in the industry the more excited I get when I see people using friends' fabric in quilts. She had so many fun fabrics and the purple, navy, pale blue, and grey combo was dreamy.

Bright fabrics in candy colours with a pale blue background. This comes very close to my original inspiration for this quilt. I saw a store window from a cab. I couldn't say exactly what was in the window, but the bright colours hanging down are what caught my imagination.

I am a total sucker for a green and white quilt. That's why there is one in Sunday Morning Quilts and one in A Month of Sundays. Needless to say I was thrilled when this student started her quilt! What a great version of the design.

Sherbet is a bold quilt. It isn't difficult so you get great impact for straightforward techniques. But it takes a bit of time. Now that I have all my fabric cut, I just need to sit down and sew. That's the best part anyway!

Floral Wraps from A Month of Sundays

With no offence to my awesome kids, the best present for me is a day of no-obligation sewing. Just me and the chance to play. So when Hubby offered that up one afternoon on Mother's Day weekend I took advantage. Sure, it was tempting to sip tea and read but I decided I needed to flex my muscles and take something off the very long want-to-do list: Floral Wraps.

In one long afternoon I got five of them cut and nearly all sewn to completion. I was an assembly line machine. Barely took a washroom break. And it was so worth it. Not only was it satisfying, but now I have these great gifts.

The pattern comes from my book, A Month of Sundays. These days we have reusable totes, shopping bags, and even snack bags. But I'd never seen a reusable floral wrap. Sure, the flowers are gorgeous, but the paper and plastic they come wrapped in, not so much. Now you can buy your own flowers and bring them home safely and in style. Or, you can make a wrap and give it as part of the gift!

The floral wrap uses laminated cottons. There are so many available these days. You could, if you preferred, make your own by laminating vinyl to your favourite material. I am lucky, though, in having a few local shops with a good stash of laminated cottons. (In fact, I may need to stock up a bit more now.) Oil cloth works too, but it is a bit stiffer to work with. If you can't source them locally, make sure to check out your favourite online retailers.

Each wrap contains a pocket to hold the stems and ties to keep it all together. By using the laminated cottons your wrap can be simply wiped dry when you load the flowers into a vase, not to mention the ability to keep them moist as you transport.

These are what my girls' teachers are getting this year as gifts. And perhaps a few other people in our lives. Think of these for Mother's Day, birthdays, hostess gifts, just because...

Talking Low Volume with Alex Anderson

)

Here is the second part of my interview with Alex Anderson. This time we are chatting all about low volume fabric.

Thank you so much Alex for the great conversation!

See Part 1 here.

Me and C&T Publishing - An Instagram Takeover

This is going to be a fun week! Not to say that the last few weeks haven't been. But this week is pretty full and I am going to share it all with the world in the pretty - not the gory - detail. This week I am taking over C&T Publishing Instagram feed. 

From the Arctic to my basement. From a teaching gig to a book deadline. From being a tourist to being a mom. You can see it all through my experience, and lens. At the end of it, not only will you know more about me and what I actually do to get it all done, you've got a chance to prizes! 


To follow along, check out the Instagram feed here.


And check out these prizes! C&T will be giving away a full set. Details will be announced on all their social media streams.
Sunday Morning Quilts
A Month of Sundays
fast2clean™ 2-Piece Modern Dot Mini Microfiber Static-Cling Cleaners
Sunday Morning Quilts Eco Pouch Set


I'm not going to lie, it all feels kind of like bragging. But I am proud of the work I've done and proud of the audience that wants to share my life. That's you! I hope you join me on my adventures this week.

Good Times with Alex Anderson

Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Alex Anderson about my books, quilts, non-obligation sewing and finding the pleasure in quilting and the craziness of life. This first bit includes a lot about how I like to slow down and sew, and how you can too. Not to mention some gorgeousness and advice from the book.

Check it out here! And stay tuned for the second part.

Cataloguing the Scraps

So I designed a quilt. It uses 36 fat quarters but there are some leftovers and scraps. Such pretty scraps. I know people hate to see waste and overly generous yardage requirements in patterns. I do too. When I made the quilt I made a point to keep and organize all the scraps. Here they are.

They could combine to do some really fun and beautiful things. Instead of using the extra blocks on the back I kept them aside and they will be used in a baby quilt. There are all those circles cut from the back of larger circles appliqués. They could be another small quilt if appliquéd on a background. Then there are strips and snippets and trimmings. The fabrics are this Vanity Fair bundle from Dear Stella plus a lot of additions from my stash. All pretty. All useful.

Oh the possibilities!

When the pattern comes out in the Spring issue of Quilter's Connection we can talk more about the scraps - how they came to be and what I may have even done with them by then.

A Month of Sundays in Use

Thank you for sharing the past Month of Sundays with me. I've quite enjoyed learning a bit more about each of you. And I'm very happy to discover so many tea drinkers amongst us! I put together a few giveaways and take aways from A Month of Sundays. 

First, the take aways.

A Month of Sundays is truly a unique quilting book. And I appreciate all your comments about how you are enjoying reading it. Especially when you say you pick it up again and again. And as much as I LOVED writing the book, remember that you can sew from it too. There are all the quilt, of course, but there are also the 8 sewing projects. Projects that are perfect for gift giving season...

Oh yes, simple, sweet projects that will be perfect for teachers, moms, kids, families, hosts. A project that will be perfect for spending some quiet Sunday mornings together with your little ones. Projects for little adventures. Projects for sewing together and giving together. Projects for throwing a little celebration. So, even if you don't want to read the book, there is a lot there to keep you sewing.

I do hope you will be inspired not just to take back your weekends, but to sew.

When you do sew, please share your projects! Send me photos. Blog, share on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #slowdownandsew all the time.

Now, for the giveaways. I've got four.

A complete kit for Crossword. All the charms cut and ready for use.

This goes to: Sarah! That first Sunday she was doing this:

I loved your first book so I'm sure I will enjoy your second! I actually prefer when pattern books have stories as well. I went to church Sunday morning, and then got busy doing housework. Nothing special on, but a nice day at home.

This lovely bundle of tea party inspired fabric.

This goes to: Miggsie! These were her Sunday dinner comments:

Your brisket looks yummy! We have dinner together as a family almost every night, and the favored topics are sharing what each of us did that day, and sharing all the cool stories we each heard on NPR that day.

And two books!

These go to: Susan

For me? Coffee, please. Loved the photos of your fabric pulls. Just delightful eye candy.

And Quilter Kathy

I like all hot beverages, tea, coffee and hot chocolate in that order!

I will email all winners. In the event that I can't get a hold of someone I will draw a new winner.

Thank you so much for joining me for this A Month of Sundays. I am toasting you this morning with my cup of tea. Take back your weekend.

Slabs Meet Low Volume

No doubt about it, scraps get overwhelming at times. And other times the scraps are so inspiring and excited. This time it is the latter.

When I was working on A Month of Sundays all my scraps ended up together in one large messy pile. Then that pile moved to a bag. And that bag moved around and was shoved in different corners. I'm not sure why I felt the need to keep these all together, but I'm glad I did.

Ever so slowly I've been sewing together slabs from the scraps. It is like both my books are colliding into a beautiful mess. I'm in love! I didn't, however, want to just make slabs. I wanted to be a bit more creative, experiment a little.

At some point I read Denyse Schmidt's Modern Quilts Traditional Inspirations. Her interpretation of Shoeman's Puzzle struck me the most of all the quilts. Without a moment's hesitation I started turning my slabs into Shorman's Puzzle blocks. She uses templates, as she usually does. Because of the slabs and the proliferation of bias edges I chose a different route. My blocks are paper pieced. Each block has three seams, about one of the easiest paper pieced options ever. It was a smart choice as it is keeping the blocks in check.

Now, to find the time to make more. I've got more slabs sitting there waiting. When I teach a slab class this is the demo fabric I use. I just need a bit more time and some freezer paper patterns. I made the blocks 10'' square which means I can't print them. So freeze paper it is.

Aren't they fun?

Sunday Dinners

It's a Brisket kind of day. Well, to me, most Sundays in the winter are Brisket kind of days. Dinner that I can put in the oven and forget about. We can go sledding, curl up with a book, or even get some quilting in and I have to do nothing but boil and mash potatoes close to dinner time. Then, when we sit down to eat, it feels like I put a good effort in because we have this rich, comforting dinner.

For those of you who may not know, A Month of Sundays includes recipes for a full Sunday dinner. It was really important to me to have the recipes in the book. For one, food is an important aspect of my life. I love to cook, I put myself through school, in part, by cooking, and working as a food writer is how my books came to be. Food and writing about food is just a fundamental part of me.

Secondly, I strongly believe in the power of the family meal. Sitting down together, whether it is over something as simple as bread and cheese or as big as the Sunday dinner is one of the best ways to be as a family. In our house dinners are loud, messy, and sometimes frustrating, but it is the moment when we all take a breath and just be. And we do that together. The girls open up about their day, The Garbage Truck opens his mouth and shovels it all in, my Husband and I decompress a little together. Whether it is wine or milk, we drink in the company and the conversations.

Finally, food, good food, is just damn good. And taking the time to make good food is always worth it. Even if it means a little less quilting time on the weekends.

Our dining room table sees all our dinners. It is where I wrote both books, where I quilted everything until this past year. It is even where all three of our kids spent the first six months of their lives sleeping. My life really is ruled from the Dining Room Empire.

I nearly put a Brisket recipe in the book. This is the one I make often, the one my family asks for. And if they don't ask for it there is often a little involuntary jump and clapping of hands when they realize what we're having. Usually after the smell hits them when they come in the door. It is dead easy. Brisket is a cut of meat that needs to be braised - cooked long and low in liquids. At the end of the afternoon it is fall apart tender and full of flavour. If you have any sauce left after dinner use it for Monday leftovers on pasta, meat optional.

Maple Cider Brisket
Serves 4-6 (depending on appetite)

1 large onion
1tbsp bacon drippings or oil
5 cloves garlic
2 1/2 - 3 pounds beef brisket
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup tomato sauce or 1 large tomato chopped
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 water or broth
1 tbsp dijon mustard

Cut the onion in half then slice into strips. Heat the bacon drippings or oil in a large oven proof pan with a tight fitting lid, like a braiser or a dutch oven. (If you don't have a pan that fits the bill, use what you have and transfer everything to a baking dish that you can cover with foil.) Cook the onions for 5-6 minutes until soft and slightly golden.

While the onions are cooking finely chop 3 cloves of garlic. Thinly slice the remaining two cloves. Cut slits all over the brisket and poke the garlic slices into them. Season the brisket well with salt and pepper. Set the brisket aside for the time being.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the onions are soft, stir in the chopped garlic, oregano, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil.

Add the brisket to the sauce. Cover with the lid of  the pan and place in the oven. Braise for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 275 degrees F and continue to braise for 4 hours.

Let the meat rest 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with the sauce.

This is the last post for entering the giveaways which will come next week. Think books, fabric, and treats. 

Tell us your favourite dinner conversation topics.