Weekend Super Special!

Weekend Super Special

Not Yet a Permanent Member of Victoriana Quilters?

An Exclusive - best deal - is available to you, this weekend only!

It includes this lovely gift!

Note to Permanent Members - This Super Special is available to you, too!

Interested?

~Click to see the Details~

Treat Yourself Today!

Learn to Quilt Online

Beginner's Sampler Quilt

This is my Beginners Sampler quilt pattern*.

Yes - It is an easy beginner's quilt pattern, that teaches the basics of quilting while you make this lovely wallhanging!

*With your membership you get this pattern and the Schoolhouse online sessions that help you through the process.

Week #1 ~ Basics & Hand Piecing

Week #2 ~ Making the Blocks

Week #3 ~ Paper Piecing

Week #4 ~ Quick Piecing Methods

Week #5 ~ Appliqué

Week #6 ~ Putting the Top Together

For additional inspiration check out the link to see some of the finished class quilts.

I love the different looks of this quilt!

Let's Sew!

In My World

Here's some of what's been going on in my world over the past few weeks...

I spent my Canada Day completely away from the internet, as I unexpectedly didn't have enough electricity.
It happened because of all the rainy days in a row, we had here the week before, which never let the system totally charge up.
It felt a little like my wintertime, needing to start the wood stove to make my coffee & cook my dinner!

I quickly adjusted and made progress by finishing Row #7 of my Stained Glass Strings quilt!
Plus I started joining the Row #8 blocks.

It's 'sew' relaxing!

I enjoy early morning hand stitching.

This picture is the back of my applique, showing my small stitches.

It was from a nice quiet morning, but they've not all been like that.

This happened to be the day after I had an early morning visit from a bear....and appreciated enjoying my stitching & coffee without incident!

[I was able to share a video of the bear visit on my Facebook page.]

Blue & White Tiles Quilt Pattern Series

That Blue & White Block #5 is now available here.

I'm always attracted to fabric that is printed with patchwork...

This flannel sheet is making my 'well-loved' comfy chair pretty again!

I almost squealed out-loud with delight, when I spotted these containers at my local thrift shop.

1. The ones on top are the same as a few I got the last time I was there - so was surprised/pleased to find more.

2. They are so helpful in keeping my blocks/sewing organized.

That's my next Blue & White Tiles block in the larger one.

3. The bottom one is a thread & bobbin storage from the Wilson Mfg. Corp.

I've had their sewing box (in blue) as long as I've had my sewing machine...and didn't even know they came in this lovely colour.

4. What's not to love about such a pretty, spring green colour - it makes my heart sing!

It was time to give myself (& you) a peek at the Postage Stamps with a Twist block progress.
Wheeeee - those squares are 1" (cut at 1 1/2") 

This hits my scrap happy spot - using up the tiniest squares of scrap fabrics!!!
Instructions are available on my site to Members here.

Squared Quilt Pattern

Thought you'd enjoy seeing this old picture, of one of my first commissions to make an original quilt.

He gave me a piece of his living room wallpaper and asked me to create a quilt, that he'd use on his couch.

'Squared' is available as a quilt pattern here.

My English Garden Quilt Pattern

This is My English Garden Quilt Pattern.
It's a great pattern to play with those flower and garden fabrics! 
I designed it as a cut and paste using the great garden and flower prints that are available on the market.
That's right...no sew!!
However, I also designed it with the idea that some might take the challenge and appliqué it or add silk ribbon embroidery flowers.
It could also be used as the centre motif to a larger quilt.
Available exclusively through my site here.

Progress is being made with my newest quilt.

I don't feel I have enough different white on white fabrics for this quilt, so my friend Sue shared some of her white on white fabrics with me - to add to the variety I have.

Variety is the spice of a quilt - even the subtle differences in white on white fabrics!

More progress to be made today...

Happy Stitching!

My Latest Quilt has me Hitting the Wall!

 Every single quilt I've ever worked on, somewhere between half and three quarters done the piecing (after the first rush of seeing what it will look like when done), I balk and don't want to continue for a while.
My interest in working on a quilt doesn't just die back a little bit, it just refuses to want to work on it anymore!
No matter how excited I am!!
It happens especially if I find something that distracts me. :)

I've come to believe, just like athlete's - quilters can hit the wall, too!

What I have learnt to do, to get myself to work past this feeling, has allowed me to finished dozens and dozens of quilts.
I start by taking a mini break from working on the quilt - a day or two.
And then I push my way through.
I don't make myself work hard or long on it, but a little bit, every single day.
And before too long, what always happens, is I see the end line - I see the quilt coming together.
Then I want to sew like crazy and finish it.

This trick has helped me avoid having any UFO's!

Does this happen to you, too?

Keep Calm and Sew On!

Patchwork & Progress

Good Sunday Morning!

As I was looking through my notes, of things I want to share with you, I was looking towards my large - old - wooden - double desk and realized I hadn't posted a picture of this beauty!
This was taken a few years ago, when I hadn't made my pretty Patchwork Sewing Machine Cover yet.
The left side is where I sew & cut fabrics, and the right is my office side.
I also have a very large surface, if I clear it all off, when needed.
[Those who also live in tiny spaces know all about the shuffle of things required.]
As you can see in the picture, I have a love of old wood boxes for my threads, organizing, papers & scraps of fabrics waiting to be cut down.

I'm now enjoying sewing together my newest quilt design, and will need to keep most of that secret until the reveal...but that doesn't mean I didn't take lots of pictures for the tutorial tips I'll be sharing later...and some good quilt tips that I get to share now!

My anchor cloth project helps me keep better organized, when I'm chain piecing batches of patches.
I stitch one in between two batches, so I know easily, when clipping them apart, where exactly the patches for the next block begin.

The arrows are pointing to my current anchor cloth patches (Postage Stamp with a Twist scrap quilt) and includes another finished block.

Coal & Ember keeping me company while I sew. :)

I shut the off-grid system down for a bit this week, while the thunderstorm went on overhead.
So instead of sewing, I trimmed a bunch of small 4-patch units, that are part of my Postage Stamp with a Twist anchor project.
It isn't pretty to repurpose older cutting mats into smaller, pieces - but they're oh so useful!!

My sewing was stalled for part of a day, until the sun came out - as the patches need pressing, before I could go further.
So I picked up my hand quilting (My Blue & White Tiles - quilt as you go method), to stitch instead.
I love using painters tape to mark a line to quilt along. 

A bunch of years ago, I thought I was going to buy myself a small pressing mat, to use near my sewing machine.
At the time I covered some folded, corrugated cardboard inside an older flannel sheet - to use temporarily.
It works well enough, I've never bothered to buy one.

In the top right corner you can see my 'thread catcher'.
I shared my tip about how to make one here.

This large pale grey/green spool has been in my box of threads for well over a decade - and I finally have the perfect project to use it.
It's working wonderfully as a neutral for the current quilt I'm sewing, melding well with all the colours.

These 5 Postage Stamp with a Twist blocks were completed while sewing the blocks for half of the quilt I'm currently working on.

All progress is good!

I've come to realize that sewing square patches is my favourite patchwork!
Squares into 4-Patches - 4-Patches into larger units - blocks - quilts!!

There's something about a bunch of squares of fabric sewn together that has always made my heart sing.
My first quilt top was squares (9-Patches) and the first quilt I completed was a queen size checkerboard quilt, with matching shams, that I made as a wedding gift (I never took a picture of that one).
I cut those 3" squares before I even knew there was a rotary cutter & mat tool, which was still pretty knew then.
The fact I made any more quilts after that, shows how much quilting is my bliss!!

Patchwork borders also add such a lovely finish to frame quilt blocks!

Summer Garden Quilt Pattern

This example is my Summer Garden quilt (Featured Quilt Pattern of the Month). 

It's one of my 'Sew Simple Samplers' quilt designs.

Note: There's a printable note card available of this quilt, too!

All My Weeds are Wildflowers

Happy Stitching!