Category Archives: Cards

Happy Valentine’s Day

Cards, Quilting

February 14, 2021

There were two heart-themed bonus blocks remaining in my Splendid Sampler series and this was the year to get them done.

These small hearts were meant to be pin cushions but I didn’t think my girls had much use for one. I enlarged the hearts slightly and made them into cards. The heart outline is made of French knots – a lot of French knots. Once the cards were put together I decided they would be too hard to machine quilt so I hand quilted them. I don’t hand quilt very often but on a small project I rather enjoyed it.

This was a larger pattern but there was something about the pattern I didn’t like so I changed it up and added a border. I had no problem making all those little blocks and it hardly made a dent in my string bucket. I struggled with the quilting but after ripping the stitches out three times I wasn’t changing it again. When I took a short break I thought maybe when I got back to it I’d be luckier – and then this thought came through my head – it isn’t luck, it’s skill.

Happy Birthday Kevin

Cards

February 10, 2021

New Glory (a Splendid Sampler Bonus Block)

Many of the blocks in both the Splendid Sampler series and on my calendar are red, white and blue because both are published in the United States. Normally I would change the colours to something (almost anything) else. I worked on this card on January 20th, while I watched and listened to the inauguration of President Biden so red, white and blue didn’t seem so odd.

There are 53 pieces in this block; I was very glad that it was paper pieced. I tried to do some ruler quilting on the block but there were just too many seams. After two attempts I went back to my tried-and-true star.

I clearly remember standing in the hallway of our Fort Smith apartment when I got the news of Kevin’s birth.

Trip to the Quilt Shop

Cards, Journal

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Trip to the Quilt Shop (from the Splendid Sampler 2 series)

I made this card awhile ago but I’ve been waiting until it was closer to my friend’s birthday to deliver it. Barb, a quilter from Texada, works in the new quilt shop and her birthday is on Sunday.

I took advantage of “having” to go to the shop to have my first peek at the new store. It is lovely. Not a lot of fabric but it is a bright and spacious area so maybe it just looks like there isn’t much. I’m not fond of most of the fabrics she has been getting in but it has been suggested that the fabric arriving now may have been choices Deb made several months ago.

That being said I managed to find what I was looking for. I got backings for two quilt tops that were recently finished and are on my UFO Challenge list for this year. There wasn’t enough of the first two fabrics I picked but I’m okay with what I got. I have also been looking at my Guild Log Cabin pattern and picked up a couple of pieces; only one will go into the top but I wasn’t sure which one would be better. When it doubt, get both!

I wasn’t there long enough to be tempted by anything that wasn’t on my list. Consider this trip a reconnoiter – I’ll be back!

I wanted 108″ wide fabric for my Guild Mystery Quilt but the new shop doesn’t carry it; I guess a decision was made somewhere along the line that Deb would continue to stock the extra wide backing fabric and the batting. Makes sense as Deb has a long-arm quilting business. I stopped in at Deb’s on my way home and purchased the purple on the bottom.

I’ve been working on Valentine cards today. I don’t know if I’ll get them done but tomorrow is a UFO Challenge day and the Splendid Sampler blocks (my cards) are on the list so I’ll have more time.

Happy Birthday Will

Cards
Shared Squares (from the Splendid Sampler 2 series)

I wish we could have a big celebration for Will’s 16th birthday but that is out of the question. At least he was in school today so he was able to receive birthday wishes from his friends.

There were way too many pieces in this small card. Do the designers do it on purpose just to make us struggle? It was paper pieced and should have been easier but when the fabric and paper are so small it is still hard.