Blogathon Canada in Ontario!

Hello and welcome to all of you who are hopping along on Blogathon Canada. Thank you for stopping by.

I'm Carol and I live in Toronto - moved hear three years ago from India. I taught myself to quilt about 4 years ago while I still lived in India - even quit my full time job at an arts organization to do it! :) I remember going to my director and saying.. I think I need to move on... maybe teach... but I really feel like I want to touch fabric all the time.. and I see patterns every time I close my eyes... and I think I need to be a quilter! He didn't really know what to say but wished me luck and now here I am!

Here's some of my current W.I.Ps

And finishes

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll visit again!
Enjoy the Blogathon!

Carpenter's Star Wall Hanging - Top Done!

I think this turned out well.
Made with Basic Grey's Aspen Frost.

Linking up to:

Carpenter's Star - WIP

I bought Aspen Frost by Basic Grey for Moda last Christmas and wanted to make a Carpenter's Star wall hanging for our home. I drew up the pattern, figured everything out and for some reason didn't actually sew anything! Then of course once the season passes it's hard to motivate myself to sew for Christmas. This year I decided I would get this done! Aspen Frost is a beautiful collection. I wish I had more of this fabric. It's gorgeous.

I used a Charm Pack and yardage from the line.

Color Palette

I was putting together some pictures for my other blog and I really liked the colors of these pictures together.

So I went to the Palette Builder on the Play Crafts Blog and got myself a palette.

Quilting by the Lake!

I would have if it wasn't so cold and wet! :) But I took some pictures with my hexie quilt by the water. We went up to a cottage with some friends earlier this month and I took some sewing up. It was wonderful to sit by a wood fire stove and sew with good friends and wine. :) Had a lovely time. If we go up again I want to have some finished quilts to photograph.

Around the World Blog Hop

I'm very happy to be a part of the Around the World Blog Hop today!  I was invited by Leslie from Leslie Unfinished! If you haven't been on her blog before do stop by. She makes beautiful and interesting things and even shares some great recipes!

For the hop I'm supposed to answer a few questions and tag people to post next Monday, September 29th. 

Questions first!

1. What am I working on?
   Like many quilters I have a long list of WIPs but right now I am working on my Eastern Sunrise Quilt top.  This is a paper-pieced pattern that I designed.  You can download it for free here: Eastern Sunrise Quilt Block.
   
   
   
   
2.  Why do I create what I do?
   This is a long story but the gist of it is - I was turning 30. I was unhappy with the way my life was going. I took a year to find myself and what I wanted to do with my life. Asked the hard questions. Made difficult choices. Spent time figuring what I liked and did not like and what would make me happy for the next 30 years and Quilting came up on top!  I see patterns everywhere I go. I love to see and touch fabric and I love the sound of the sewing machine! Some nights, when I can't sleep I imagine I'm sewing and it calms me! So really - I can't help myself! I have to quilt - it is who I am now.
   
   I also quilt because quilts bring comfort, tell stories, and shape lives. I recently made a quilt for my mum and she tells me she thinks of me every night when she covers herself with the quilt and sends up a little prayer for me. Having the quilt makes her feel a little closer to me, and makes me feel a little closer to her. I think of the babies that are wrapped in my quilts when they are born, children who sleep under them as they grow, and friends and loved ones who (I hope) will receive some comfort and warmth from a quilt I give them and it makes me feel like I have done something beautiful in the world. Something small - but beautiful.
   
   
3. How does my creative process work?
   Sometimes I draw sketches and work out my pattern and yardage etc. Other times I feel like I just need to make something so I whip out some charm packs and sew them together! More often than not I see something and think - that could be a quilt so I work out a pattern for it.
   
   Eastern Sunrise was inspired by a young girl's jacket on the subway. I carry a little notebook/sketchpad with me all the time and when I see something that is interesting I start drawing/designing. The end result isn't always like the initial trigger but that's what's good about the process. You see something and then make something new with it.
   
   In the Pipeline was inspired by a game my aunt had on her phone. In the game you had to connect pipes so you get water to flow from Point A to Point B. I quite enjoyed the game and I love mazes so I thought it would be fun on a quilt! The maze on this quilt works - there will be a start and finish!

This quilt has been very interesting to make. I started with a sketch and then tried to work out the math and realized that it was quite pointless. So I make the quilt as I go... measuring and cutting and piecing (partial seams are very useful). 

Scrabble Star I got from playing with scrabble tile magnets on our fridge. My husband thought it would be nice for us to have these tiles and we could leave messages for each other. I of course, had to use the tiles to make a pattern. :) These are Quilt As You Go blocks made with Moda Candy Squares. I have a little how to post here: Scrabble Star

Thank You for taking the time to be here today! 

I'm tagging:

Sarah from mila+cuatro and Tina from Holy Scrap!

Sarah is from New Zealand and has a lovely blog and makes the most fun things. I love all the bright colours in her projects. 

Tina is from India and is very active in the quilting scene that is growing there. Having moved from my home in India to Toronto 3 years ago, and having begun my quilting journey there, I am so pleased to send you off to meet a Desi Quilter! :)

Sarah and Tina will be posting next Monday.

Many thanks again to Leslie from Leslie Unfinished!

Christmas Sewing!

Finished a couple of my Christmas Table Toppers.

Quilting on the Square had a free paper pieced block of the month program on their website - I don't think the patterns are available any more. They were all compass blocks but I thought they would look pretty with Christmas fabric.

This was interesting!

Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt Finish!

Made this Disappearing Nine Patch for my Mom with Mirabelle from Fig Tree and Co. 

I think I bought 8 Charm Packs. The quilt is 63" X 90".

Whirl Quilt Block

I thought Whirl would be nice in 4 colours rather than the two I had made it with.
So here's a little visual aid if you'd like to make one of your own.

Use your favorite way to make the flying geese in the size of your choice.

 

Drawstring Pouch - Attempt 1

This didn't turn out quite they way it should have! I made it as a gift bag/ gift for a friend and almost didn't give it to her. I messed up on the fold where the drawstring should go. I also made the strings too short. So I ended up with only one string and a bag that doesn't open or close too easily. :( Live and learn I guess.

I did however use a French Seam on the inside which I think turned out nicely. And I did a little decorative stitching on the drawstring and the top of the bag. All this would have been perfect if I hadn't goofed on the drawstring flap. But I didn't have the time to rip it out and start over.

Next time I'll pay more attention.

Dancing Squares - Quilt Block

Make some blocks.
And Play! So many possibilities!

Make sure you trim your blocks to one size when you're done. Unless you're a jedi at piecing and your fabric doesn't stretch - trimming blocks is essential. I trimmed mine to 8.5".

See the quilt top here: Dancing Squares

Dancing Squares - Baby Quilt Top

My fingers almost froze trying to take this picture! :)
I'll do better ones when it's not so cold out.

This baby quilt is made with Sandy Gervais' Snap Pop. I used one Charm Pack and 2 Candy Squares and a lot of Kona Snow!

It's a simple block and can be moved around to create different patterns.
I trimmed each block to measure 8.5" X 8.5" and used all 42 Charm Squares in a pack so it's a 6 X 7 layout. So the finished size will be 46" X 56".

Simple Marks Wall Hanging is on the Wall!

I finished this wall hanging a few months ago but hadn't put it up. I didn't want to call it a finish till I actually had it on my wall - so now, I can say - My wall hanging is finished! And now that it's on my wall I can't stop staring at it! :)

We got the rod from Ten Thousand Villages on The Danforth. Really love the rod and I think it goes really well with the rustic feel of  Malka Dubrawsky's Simple Marks.

A little Christmas Sewing

Quilting on the Square had a free paper pieced block of the month program on their website - I don't think the patterns are available anymore. They were all compass blocks but I thought they would look pretty with Christmas fabric. So I made this for our foster grandmother.

I pieced this one but haven't quilted it yet.

I feel like they look like stars and work for Christmas.

Happy 2014!

Here's to a year of designing, creating, sewing, and finishing (fingers crossed)!

Life got in the way in 2013. And I'm sure that isn't going to change in 2014 - but I going to try to find a way to keep sewing even through the demands of life.

My 2013 To Do list is now my 2014 To Do List!

Have a great year everybody!