Saturday 31 October 2015

Saturday Sew Day!

Stop the presses! I sewed something today! Been busy lately and am just not getting the sewing time I would like / need. Today I needed to get settled with some custom orders I have on the "must get done" list. First, a new flag pillow. This time, Dutch!


I started this at last week's MMQG Sew In by getting the background Konas sewed up and quilted. I used matching thread and wavy lines - it is a flag after all, my MMQG quilty consult friends pointed out.

Now to get that lion on there. Not too difficult a process but the cutting out of the bugger was some time I will never get back. First I printed out the lion and cut him out. Then I fused a piece of Kona Pepper to some fusible interfacing, glued my lion to the paper on the back and cut him out again.



Then I fused the wee bugger to the flag and top stitch appliqued all of his tiny pointy bits. I gave the Janome a proper Pivoting workout!



That lion is impressive, if I do say so myself, even from the back! Speaking of the back. Nothing too exciting on the back. I really should jazz those up sometime...

I am pretty happy with how this project turned out. Ready to deliver to it's forever home on Monday!



In other news I worked on a second order today as well. Some Quilt As You Go Christmas stockings. I have been documenting my process all day, so look for a tutorial on these lovelies soon!


Oh and this week I learned to knit! Tell you more about that later too!


Now, back to the trick or treaters. And what I mean by that is "back to eating all of the small chocolate bars left over after we had two kids come to the door".

Happy Halloween!
Adrienne

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Where's Carlos?

I had a busy quilty time this past weekend...and so did Carlos.



You remember Carlos? He has been all finished up for a while now, but he has been living in my office and yet to get out for a photo shoot. But when he heard I was going to Amherst for the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival... He was all in.

So, we picked up Miss Purple Boots and Pigtails (clearly she was excited) and we were off to my wee guild's second Quilting Modern quilt show!


I am here to tell you that Carlos was impressed by the talent in the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild. Every time you turned around in the display there was quilty fabulousness to drool over. But he was even more impressed with my quilty peeps. Man we had some fun!





Val aka Miss Purple Boots showed the crowds how to imporv letters. Kona Silver...yummmmm
Myself rolling out the machine to do a little Quilt as You Go. Many folks liked this technique!

Linda the Scrapmaster and Lesley the Cuddle Quilter show off  Linda's stunning quilt that she sold!
Linda and Val. This photo sums up my weekend. Fun!
Of course we also took some time to visit the LQS and get some treasures. Just a few.

If you would like to see all of the quilts at the show you can head over here to the MMQG Blog for a special Festival Post. Now back to Carlos...that stare...he demands attention.


While the gals kept the show running, Carlos and I ran out into the streets of Amherst for his photo shoot. It really is quite a sweet town.


Always after the ladies
This guy tried to abscond with the bird, but I was not having it


I had big quilting plans for Carlos, namely I was going to do an all over grid, real close together like. But a broken walking foot, some shifty linen, and poor judgement (my stitch lines were way too close for comfort) I ended up graduating my quilting lines from skinny to wide on a diagonal and that was it. In the end I like the effect. Even though the whole piece reminds me of something that should be on a '70s living room wall. Maybe that's why I like it? hmmmm....

Oh, and to finish up his trip, Carlos met up with Hazel for a wee chat before he got back in the car and got himself home. He may or may not have had her number. What happens in Amherst stays in Amherst.


So yeah, it was a large weekend for me and the owl. Quilt road trip, shopping, and most importantly time with friends. Can't wait to do it again next year!

Have you been on any quilting adventures lately? Tell me everything, and don't leave out the good stuff!
Adrienne

I'm heading over to visit with Lorna to Bee Social. You should drop by!


Monday 12 October 2015

That's Right...Zombies

So do you get caught up in Holiday making? Maybe "caught up" is a harsh way to put it. Does a holiday come around and you want the special theme fabric and patterns and maybe a new ruler? I do. I am particularity enamored with Halloween and Christmas (yeah I know I am not alone) and this year I went through my same mania.

Zombie Apocalypse, Riley Blake
I ordered a BIG skull quilt pattern. Started pulling fabric. Had the rotary cutter in my hand and then I stopped myself. Woman are you crazy? You have a WiP/ to do list the length of four arms and you are going to start a whole new something because it is October!? Like every other year I talk myself off the ledge. I feel ok. But then, sad that I still didn't make anything "seasony". Mania. Repeat.

This year I got smart! I had this Zombie Apocalypse Fabric pulled for the giant skull which has been sitting in my stash for exactly one year, and I need a new pouch to hold all of my Quilting Class Supplies.


I made the large size of the Noodelhead Open Wide Zipper Pouch. I have made about thirty of these babies in the medium size and I love them because of the wide mouth, so you can see everything inside.  For the outside, Zombies on top of linen. I stabilized the linen and quilted the hoard in a grid pattern.  p.s. I am officially addicted to Aurifil.

I love these guys

For the inside I went with a brighter bit of dot so that I could be sure to see everything in a glance. This is a BIG pouch, but that is exactly what I wanted. One stop shop. But for gifts I think I will stick with the medium size. It is just perfect.

Zipper Tab Ghoul

And then I remembered. Last year when I bought this fabric at Mrs. Pugsleys Emporium during the NS Fibre Arts Festival in Amherst - I had bought it to make something for my nephew. He and I share the love of the ghosties. So, I made him a pouch too! Same treatment, but the medium size, no quilting, more stabilizing, a neon zipper, and skulls inside! Rad.

All in all I feel for the first time that I have broken my holiday cycle! I made something with a theme! Go Me!
And you... you should come see me!


Come see me and the MMQG at the


The 8th Annual Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival takes place from October 13 - 17th in Amherst.
Maritime Modern Quilt Guild is very proud and happy to participate in this fabulous 5 day festival dedicated to everything fibre.Our lovely little guild will be displaying modern quilts and quilty items created by our members .

Our display, called "Quilting Modern", will be held on Friday, the 16th and Saturday, the 17th, from 10 am til 4 pm at Amherst Town Hall, 98 East Victoria St. (Festival Headquarters)

Guild members will be present to answer all questions. Free admission.

New at our show this year, a free demonstration on how to "quilt as you go". Guild President, Adrienne Klenck invites you to stop by and check out this amazing quilting technique. She and her trusty sewing machine will be set up and ready for action on Saturday morning from 10:30 - 11:30.
THAT LAST BIT SOMEONE ELSE WROTE!!!! :)

Hope to see you in Amherst!
Adrienne

pps. Did you catch the season premier of The Walking Dead? Best show ever!!!!

Friday 2 October 2015

A Special Friday Finish

It's Friday and I have a finish hot out of the dryer!

Last night I finished off the binding on my Charity Quilt for The Lodge that Gives, a complex that for more than 20 years has been a refuge for Nova Scotians travelling to Halifax for cancer treatment and appointments.



My sweet Maritime Modern Quilt Guild took on Charity quilting for the first time this year. All year we have been making and collecting HST blocks using a specific color palette. This past Saturday we met for our regular Sew In, and we focused our efforts on putting those HSTs together into twin sized tops, basting, quilting and binding. We had quite a time. I cannot say how much I love making with these amazing ladies.


Linda from Scrapmaster fame, Dena and Lesley, the Cuddle Quilter working away. Lesley came all the way from Cape Breton to sew with us. So great to meet her!

Betsy showing off her completed top. Great design! Betsy also came in from away, Annapolis Royal, to lend a hand. Such generosity in our group.
I was so excited by all that we had accomplished that day that I ran right home and threw a sample of the quilts we had on the go on the line to share with the world! Look at all of that goodness! So fun to see what designs came out...


Since Saturday I needed to get my contribution finished up, so last night binding was on the agenda. This morning I took her right from the dryer and back out to the line. Now we are in a middle of a two day (so far) rain storm here so no proper photo shoot, but I did get a wee break in the rain drops to get a couple half decent pics.


Of course - wavy line quilting treatment! Works every time :)




This is been a really fun and rewarding project to work on. We will have at least nine completed quilts to donate, but before they go to their forever homes they are going to go to our Second Annual Quilt Show at the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival. You should really come and see them in person, along with other amazing quilty works of our members. We will be in the Town Hall in Amherst on October 16th and 17th. Come say hi!

I hope you find some time for quilty fun this weekend. I am linking up today with TGIFF! and Fabric Frenzy Friday at Fortworth Studio.

Happy Friday!
Adrienne