Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone! 

Drac hanging out at the manor

We're busily preparing for a party for Sarah and her friends this afternoon before they go out trick or treating. No quilting photos today, but thought you'd enjoy seeing how Hirst Manor looks this year. Hope you're enjoying a haunting Halloween!

Jamie and Sarah decorating for Halloween

   

Not sure who's buried here - yikes!

I think this houseguest has been here a bit too long.

Waited a little too long for room service.

Don't think I'll be waking this guy up!

      




























Hope you're enjoying a haunting Halloween!

Accuquilt GO! Cutter tips

I haven't been playing with my GO! cutter this past week as I've been working on some hand stitchery, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been thinking up patterns that I can create with the various appliqué dies that I have. While I was at first a bit concerned that I would be limited by the size of the appliqué dies, I'm finding that this just isn't so. I can think of so many different projects where I can use these shapes, from home decor to kitchen items to book bags and book covers, well  you can see that the possibilities are truly only limited by your imagination.


When I'm not thinking up new uses for the die cuts from my GO! cutter, I enjoy watching the various videos that are on the internet about using it. Of course Accuquilt has lots of information available on their website, but there are also lots of independent videos with great ideas. I recently ran across a video from Judy Danz that I found particularly interesting. If you want to see how to use up your smallest scraps in the GO!, please watch this. Judy is using the Rose of Sharon die which was developed by a fellow Canadian, Sharon Pederson.


If you have any tips or hints about using the Accuquilt GO! cutter, please leave me a comment so I can share it with my readers.


Got to get GOing!

Wool Appliqué

While I love to appliqué with cotton fabrics, lately wool has been catching my eye. Such luscious colours and soft texture - what's not to like? Well, wool is a little more pricey, that's true, but considering you're only using small amounts of it it's actually affordable - at least that's the logic I'm using! I also like to do some hand embroidery on my projects, so wool would be perfect for this application.


Since I'm not used to working with wool, I was searching the internet for some wool appliqué tips and ran across this information. If you're considering adding wool to your stash, you might be interested in viewing and reading these before you start. Or you might be like me and buy your wool first and then try to find a project in which to use it! 


This wool appliqué tutorial is from the Cottons n' Wool blog by Anne.


This second article is from Kay Mackenzie's All About Appliqué blog and is an interview with Kaye Moore. 


I hope you enjoy these and give wool a try.

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle

Okay, maybe I won't be a monkey's uncle, but I'll be working with a chimp - MailChimp, that is. I'm still learning to wrangle this monkey as I'm trying out this new service which will allow customers to sign up for the Quilt Chatter newsletter by email, and help me keep in touch with my subscribers. 


While you might be receiving my blog posts by email, you may not know that I send out a separate newsletter every other month with special offers and information exclusively for my newsletter subscribers. I usually include a yummy recipe as well! 


If you aren't already a subscriber, please sign up to receive Quilt Chatter by email. You'll need to go to my blog to sign up. Just click at the top right side of the blog where it says "Subscribe to Quilt Chatter newsletter" and follow the instructions to start your free subscription. 


I hope you'll sign up for Quilt Chatter and leave a comment about the sign-up experience.


Back to stitching! 

Embroidery, you say

Last week I was showing you a new pattern combining stitching and embroidery. Well, while I was working on this little stuffie it occurred to me that there are reasons why there is such a selection of threads that you can use while embroidering. I know, it's probably obvious to most people, but I hadn't really considered the appropriate uses of embroidery floss and perle cotton. So, if you're like me, a little slow to catch on to things sometimes, this post may help you.

I was working on Screech, who is about 7 1/2" x 4". She's not too small, so I was able to choose from a variety of thread weights/thicknesses. As a matter of fact, it didn't really occur to me that my thread choice might be limited until I started work on a small pincushion. The image to be stitched was the same as for the stuffie, but reduced in size. This is really when I realized that the larger size perle cotton would be problematic as it would overwhelm the stitchery. Here's what I'm talking about:

You can see the difference in the stitchery sizes - the new one I want to work on is substantially smaller than Screech. If I used the same threads that I used for Screech, some of them would be too thick for this small stitchery which is only a fraction of her size.

Here are the threads that I used for Screech.  From the far left, there are No. 5, No. 8 and No. 12 perle cottons. I did not use the size 12, I've just provided it here for reference. On the right of Screech, you will see a blue variegated embroidery floss. I have separated out the strands so you can see what 1 strand looks like compared to 3 strands, which is what I used on Screech. You can use as many strands as you like; some people use all 6 at one time.

Here's a close-up of the various thread choices, both the perle cotton (on the left) and the embroidery floss (on the right), allowing you to see the difference in thicknesses.

So after reviewing my choices, I definitely won't be using the No. 5 or No. 8 perle cottons on this little girl. I may use a No. 12 perle cotton and will definitely using a few strands of embroidery floss. 

 I guess it's true that size does matter!

We have a winner!

Thanks to all of you who took the time to friend me on Facebook, follow my blog and offer suggestions for future blog posts. I will be trying to cover as many subjects as I can in the next few weeks.


Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for.... drum roll, please! The winner of the Fall into Fall Quilter Bloggers Giveaway at Chatterbox Quilts... Yes, the one who won the 4 Canadian fat quarters, 3 quilt patterns from Chatterbox Quilts and lots of fun pre-fused die cuts courtesy of the magic of the Accuquilt GO! cutter is:

Dolores from Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Congratulations, Dolores! I'm sure you're going to have lots of fun with all the goodies coming your way. I'll be getting these in the mail to you as soon as I can.

Dolores comments were:

"I'd like to know if you find the Go cutter easy to use. Is it conducive to scraps or do you have to use yardage?"


Well, Dolores, I can answer this one quickly right now - yes, the GO! cutter is very easy
to use - my daughter was whipping fabric through the other night cutting some 
appliqué shapes. I also find it very conducive to scraps and you don't have to use
yardage (check out SewCalGal's recent blog post about this very issue). Look for future posts addressing GO! uses and patterns.


I hope everyone enjoyed participating in this giveaway 
as much as I did. Look for more patterns, prizes and tips in upcoming posts.






Now, off to quilt!

It's the final day!

Yes, it's the final day to enter the Fall into Fall Quilter Bloggers Giveaway to win all the wonderful goodies from Chatterbox Quilts. You have until 11:59 p.m. MST (that's Mountain Standard Time) to enter by doing one or all of the following:


1.  Become a follower on my blog - and advise me by commenting here. Note, please sign up for posts by email on the right hand side of the blog, not Google reader, to be eligible.

2.  Become a fan of Chatterbox Quilts on Facebook - and advise me by commenting here. (If you are already a fan, just leave a comment telling me this).

3.  Post about this giveaway on your blog - and advise me by commenting here.

4.  Leave a comment here letting me know what information you would like to see in upcoming blog posts.

Remember, do not comment on this post, but ensure that you leave your comments here; otherwise you won't be entered in the contest.

So, while you're emailing your friends and reminding them to enter, I'll be off to work and then doing some early Christmas shopping from the Ujamaa Grandmas here in Calgary. 

Don't forget to check back here tomorrow to see if you're the lucky winner!

Fall into Fall Quilter Bloggers Giveaway - time is running out!

Just a quick post to remind you of the deadline for entering to win lots of great giveaways in the Fall into Fall Quilter Bloggers Giveaway. Some of the bloggers may already have closed their giveaway entries, but mine is still open until tomorrow night at 11:59 p.m. MST. Yes, you still have time to enter or tell your friends about this if you haven't already done so.


Just a quick reminder of how you can enter and what is up for grabs from Chatterbox Quilts.

1.  Become a follower on my blog - and advise me by commenting here. Note, please sign up for posts by email on the right hand side of the blog, not Google reader, to be eligible.

2.  Become a fan of Chatterbox Quilts on Facebook - and advise me by commenting here. (If you are already a fan, just leave a comment telling me this).

3.  Post about this giveaway on your blog - and advise me by commenting here.

4.  Leave a comment here letting me know what information you would like to see in upcoming blog posts.

Remember, do not comment on this post, but ensure that you leave your comments here; otherwise you won't be entered in the contest.

Here are the giveaways that I am offering.

3 patterns from Chatterbox Quilts

4 Canadian Fat Quarters

Assorted pre-fused die cuts made with the Accuquilt GO!

Good luck and look for the announcement of the grand prize winner from Chatterbox Quilts on October 16, 2010.

Screech - a Stitchery Stuffie Pattern

If you've been anywhere near a quilt store this past year you'll know that owls are all the rage. I don't know if this is a Harry Potter influence or comes from some other source, but they are every place you look: on fabric, in patterns, on totebags and journals. Luckily for me, I love owls and have several patterns using them already. I can't seem to stop drawing them and finding other projects in which to use them. So far, I have Hoot-mon!, a wall hanging and Hootie, a stuffie in 3 sizes, as well as It's a Hoot!, a FREE mini-quilt pattern. 

Now I'm working on a combination of a stitchery and stuffie owl pattern. You embroider the design and then stitch it to a backing, stuff it and voila, a stitchery stuffie!  As I currently have Screech in the design process, I thought you'd like to see how it's going so far.


As you can see, Screech is already embroidered and ready to go. First I traced her onto muslin using a water erasable pen. She was next outline stitched with a backstitch in No. 5 perle cotton and then I started to get a bit more creative. Her hair is actually two different colours of perle cotton stitched together to give a bit more oomph. I used a cross stitch in her eyes and this is worked in a variegated embroidery floss. French knots and running stitches were used to accent her bow. I'm not sure what kind of a stitch I used in her tummy - a made-up stitch, sort of like a chain stitch without continuing the chain. I could've embellished her more, but thought that this was enough for her.

This is the backing that I have chosen for the stuffie. I think it works well with the thread colours on the front and seems "girly" enough for Screech. Now I just have to put them together...

There is a template in the pattern for the back as it is not just a simple rectangle or square. The back is shaped, like Screech, just a bit larger. So what I need to do next is to trace this shape to the wrong side of the front of Screech. I put the front, stitched part of Screech, wrong side up over the back template and then trace it with a water erasible pen. It's important to ensure that your stitchery is centred over the back template. Once it is traced, you can then pin the two pieces of fabric, right sides together so they are ready to be stitched.

This is as far as I have gone with Screech today. I hope to have her stitched together and will then begin work on Hoot - her boyfriend. 

Watch for an upcoming post where I discuss thread selection for embroidery projects like these.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well today is the day that most Canadians are having turkey and stuffing for dinner. Yes, it's Thanksgiving here in Canada. Technically it's tomorrow, but today is the day that most people celebrate and do the big turkey dinner thing.

I love Thanksgiving in our house as it is the day that my hubby, Gary, does the dinner. Turkey is his favourite food (I know, even above chocolate!) and he is the one who gets everything ready for the big feast. Actually turkey dinner is the only dinner that both my children enjoy as well; usually what one likes, the other doesn't. So, it's going to be a great day with lots of full tummies by this evening.

I have really enjoyed reading all your comments and suggestions for future blog posts. I'll try to get to as many of these as I can - I am already working on several of these suggestions, such as projects for the GO! cutter. Some of you also mentioned that you like the book reviews and I am working on several of these. As a matter of fact, here's one for you now!

I recently bought a copy of Pinwheel Party by Ellen Pahl (2010, Martingale & Company). I was intrigued by the pinwheels on the quilt on the front cover as you don't see many patterns using these unless they are quilts for children. I like pinwheels as they are easy to construct but look much more complicated. So, I was interested to see what Ellen could do with these fun little blocks.


I was not disappointed. There are 12 projects in this book, combining piecing and appliqué, and I love how Ellen puts a fresh spin on a traditional block, giving it a modern "twist". The quilts in the book are mostly wall hanging and smaller size and are arranged in order from easiest to most difficult projects, allowing you to pick the project that is suited to your skill level.


While the quilts in the book are great, I was also impressed by the tips in Quilting Basics for making scrappy quilts. Ellen's instructions for cutting small pattern pieces by layering and cutting several fabrics at one time from fabric scraps was helpful and thrifty. I also liked the hand appliqué information provided in the book. I appreciate pattern books where I can envision the patterns in various fabric lines and I could definitely see these projects in both contemporary and more traditional fabrics.


I would have a hard time deciding on my favourite project from the book, but I really enjoyed Oklahoma Memories with the chickens and old-fashioned windmill. This wall hanging contrasts with Wind Farm, which reminds me of the giant wind turbines that we have in the southern part of our province, harnessing wind power. A great juxtaposition of the traditional and the modern.


I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a quick project with lots of punch.


Now I'm off to gorge on my turkey dinner and reflect on my many blessings on this Thanksgiving day.

Fall into Fall Quilter Bloggers Giveaway - again

Hi all!

Well, it's been a week now since this giveaway started and I've loved reading all the comments from everyone. It's always a pleasure to hear from other quilters and that's really the best result from holding a contest - making new friends! Don't forget to visit the other quilter bloggers who are also providing wonderful prizes in their giveaways. You can find a list of them here.

 When I was selecting the patterns for this giveaway, I guess I was influenced by my recent purchase of an Accuquilt GO! cutter. The colours I used in Hoot-mon! and Twirling Whirlies remind me of Accuquilt's company colours, even though these quilts were made long before I'd even heard of the GO! cutter.


My choice of my pattern, Chock-a-Block, as one of the prizes was influenced by the pre-fused appliqué dies that I cut with the GO! cutter. I think that these would be perfect scattered across this quilt. I may have to do up another Chock-a-Block just for myself with these appliqués.


Don't forget that you have several opportunities to enter my giveaway. You can do one or all of the following:

1.  Become a follower on my blog - and advise me by commenting here. Note, please sign up for posts by email on the right hand side of the blog, not Google reader, to be eligible.

2.  Become a fan of Chatterbox Quilts on Facebook - and advise me by commenting here. (If you are already a fan, just leave a comment telling me this).

3.  Post about this giveaway on your blog - and advise me by commenting here.

4.  Leave a comment here letting me know what information you would like to see in upcoming blog posts.

I'll be drawing the GRAND PRIZE contest winner on October 15, 2010 at midnight MST. You have until October 15, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. MST to enter.

Back to quilting!

Fall into Fall Quilter Blogger Giveaway - more!

Well, we're now a few days into the Fall into Fall Quilter Blogger giveaway and the momentum is building. I can't believe all the great prizes that are available from other bloggers - makes me want to enter myself! You can find the links to all the participating bloggers here.


While the prizes for this giveaway will be drawn on October 15, be sure to check for the entry deadlines as these can vary from blogger to blogger. The entry deadling for my own contest ends on October 15, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. MST, so for those of you east of me, this could mean 9:59 p.m. 


I'm looking forward to hearing from friends and meeting new ones through this contest. I'm especially anticipating hearing what you'd like to see in upcoming posts on Chatterbox Quilts Chitchat. So far I have several people who are interest in seeing what you can do with the Accuquilt GO! cutter. I am already working on various projects using my GO! cutter and will be posting some tutorials soon - after this giveaway is finished.


In case you've forgotten the prizes that Chatterbox Quilts is offering, here are some more images.

Chatterbox Quilts patterns
Hoot-mon!, Chock-a-Block
and Twirling Whirlies

Fat quarters from the 

Minny Muu collection 

by Lecien

     

24 circle appliqués cut by the
Accuquilt GO! cutter

24 heart appliqués die cut by
the Accuquilt Go! cutter

Keep checking back for more updates. Off to visit some other quilter bloggers sites now!

Fall into Fall Quilter Bloggers Giveaway

Well, it's finally here! Yes, the Fall into Fall Quilter Bloggers Giveaway is now officially underway!


I know you've been anxiously and eagerly waiting to see what you could win from Chatterbox Quilts. Well, the waiting is over! You'll have four chances to win by following the guidelines below, but first let's see what's up for grabs.


If you are my GRAND PRIZE winner on October 15, you will win:





3 patterns by Chatterbox Quilts -Twirling Whirlies, Chock-a-Block and Hoot-mon!


4 coordinating Canadian fat quarters from the Minny Muu collection by Lecien (a little wider and longer than the U.S. fat quarters)


1 set (48 individual appliqués) of circle and heart die cuts, already fused and ready to be used, cut with my new Accuquilt GO! cutter




Yes, all this could be yours and here's how to enter:


You will receive one entry for each of the following that you do:




1.  Become a follower on my blog - and advise me by commenting here. Note, please sign up for posts by email on the right hand side of the blog, not Google reader, to be eligible.

2.  Become a fan of Chatterbox Quilts on Facebook - and advise me by commenting here. (If you are already a fan, just leave a comment telling me this).

3.  Post about this giveaway on your blog - and advise me by commenting here.

4.  Leave a comment here letting me know what information you would like to see in upcoming blog posts.

Remember, do not comment on this post, but ensure that you leave your comments here; otherwise you won't be entered in the contest.


You'll receive an entry for every one of the above items that you do - so that's a possible four chances to win.  


You will need to do each of these separately - do not include all your information in one comment or that will only count as one entry. 


This contest is open to residents of Canada and the continental United States only; sorry no international entries. Your entries must be in by October 15 at 11:59 p.m. MST to be eligible for the draw.


Don't forget to visit the other quilter bloggers who will be offering other prizes. You can find a list of them here. 


I'll be drawing the lucky GRAND PRIZE winner at midnight MST on October 15, 2010, so get your entries in soon.

Good luck!