i'll admit

I really don't like squaring quilt blocks. And I really don't like sewing hsts. But I am loving the progress on my zigzag quilts. I have the tops almost completed; tomorrow I'll head over to Hamels to hopefully find a matching white print to go with the fabric in my zigzag quilt. I used stash fabrics and am short enough for a border. fingers crossed I can find something that works. So until I have the tops completed, you'll have to wait to see them ;)

Cheryl is the owner of Country Quilts. She came to us a few months ago with some new quilts that she needed done asap for market and display in quilt stores.

The first quilt is Cinnamon Roll Swirl.


Cheryl requested a simple swirl pattern to mimic a cinnamon bun. This quilt will be hanging in Kansas Trouble's booth at Market.



I loooooove this next one, Garden Pathways.


I quilted Wildflower in the body of the quilt and did a meander around the applique in the borders. I added a freehanded flower in the 9patches in the corners.



Lastly,this fun scrappy quilt.


Quilted with one of my favorites, Folk Heart.

I love how Cheryl pieced the backing for this one,


I'm really really looking forward to getting back to work in the next few weeks. I'm surprised at how much I've missed it!

wordless wednesday

i won!

Dawn's fat quarter giveaway! Thanx Dawn!!

time flies

Today marks the one month mark since my surgery. I've been feeling pretty good up until Saturday when I was hit with a sinus infection. With that and the antibiotics I am now on, I've basically been sleeping since Saturday. I'm frustrated because I was just starting to feel 100% again when this hit; sometimes it feels never ending.

I was surprised, and disappointed, to look at my sewing table yesterday. I had a few projects planned to do while I was recovering. And I haven't completed one of them yet.

They aren't huge projects; I just need to get my butt back into gear and get working on them. Have you guessed yet that I am not the most patient person?

Today I'm sewing my zig zag quilts together. And I'm very glad I took a picture of this one since I noticed a mistake and was able to fix it before I sewed the top together. And I even retook the picture ;)


Now the sun is coming out and chasing the rain away. That's a reason to smile. Another reason to smile? Jim finished off our bathroom renos on the weekend. All 3 bathrooms in 3.5 months. Totally gutted and redone. Every spare moment he's had, he's been slaving away. And the results? Outstanding. Here's a peek at the main bathroom, I loves it.

snack saturday

Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Bites

1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
2 oz (56 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup (75 mL) unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup (125 mL) seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
3/4 cup (175 mL) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped walnuts
24 walnut halves


1. In glass bowl, melt butter and chocolate in microwave, stirring once, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in applesauce, jam and sugar until well blended. Lightly beat egg with egg white and vanilla. Stir into chocolate mixture. Gently stir in flour and walnuts.

2. Use light cooking spray to grease mini muffin pan. Spoon batter into pan, filling to top. Top each brownie with one walnut half. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until tester comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Let cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to rack and cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.

card friday

wordless wednesday

to custom or not to custom

I get asked this question a lot; would you custom this quilt? Why didn't you custom this/that one? Most of the times custom/freehanding quilting comes down to cost; it can get pretty pricey depending on what you have done.

When I was at Quilts Canada last year, I went to Mark Lipinski's trunk show and was shocked to see that most of his quilts are not customed. They were quilted with simple pantographs or meandered. Why? It doesn't take away from the fabrics/piecing.

Tilly brought in this Judy Niemeyer quilt. Judy is another quilter who mainly pantos her quilts and I did the same with Tilly's quilt. In fact, the pattern I put on Tilly's is the same pattern that was quilted on one of Judy's quilts.

See how the quilting doesn't take away from the quilt?



I love it. Another fabulous quilt from Tilly.