From K - Finished Salt Water Swoon Quilt

This past weekend when I was home for Thanksgiving, I gifted one of my favourite quilts to someone I am especially thankful for. This Salt Water Swoon Quilt was made specifically with my grandma in mind and I was so excited to finally share it with her.

For as long as I can remember, my grandma has had an extensive sea shell collection. Meticulously selected, each shell represents a place, an experience, a trip she has taken with my grandpa. When I spotted Tula Pink's Salt Water line, I knew it was exactly the line I had been waiting for.

She married my grandfather in a time and place when raising four kids and managing a family farm was the rule and not the exception. While I see my grandmother as strong, proud and grateful for the beautiful life she created, my mind often goes back to a conversation we had a few years back...

...my grandma loves to garden and more than anything, she loves flowers. She once told me me that had she been born in another time, she would have simply loved to arrange floral bouquets. Knowing that, Thimble Blossoms' Swoon Pattern seemed like an obvious choice when deciding what to whip up with the Salt Water bundles I ordered.

This is the first top that I have made that I didn't quilt myself. Instead I opted to send this to a local long arm quilter, who also happens to know my grandma. She did a fabulous job I think it reflects my grandma's aesthetic perfectly. Swirls, flowers and hearts all over.

 

For the backing I chose to feature the seashell print in the blue colourway, as that just so happens to be one of my grandma's favourite colours. I decided to bind it in a darker blue print from the same line to help ground the linen background of the quilt top.

Final Quilt Details:

• Quilt Name: Salt Water Swoon Quilt
• Finished Size: queen sized (80" x 80")
• Fabric: Salt Water by Tula Pink (flowers, backing and binding) and a mystery linen from my LQS that looks just like sand (background)
• Pattern: Swoon by Thimble Blossoms
• Quilting: a long arm quilter from my home town

My goal for this quilt was to make it fit her taste and aesthetic, but also I wanted to ensure it was something really wonderful to snuggle under. Although the linen background made for quite a challenge at times, I am thrilled with how soft to the touch it is, and I may just be tempted to work with linen again.

This is my first completed project for the Q4 2013 Finish A-Long - read more about my other goals here.

Linking up to TGIFF and Finish it up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts.

From A - Open Wide

Both Kelsey and I were fortunate enough to spend last weekend in Manitoba with the family celebrating Thanksgiving. We spent some time hanging with the family pets.

We ate way too much delicious grandma food and had a blast at the much anticipated 90th birthday party for our favourite great aunt.

It was a whirlwind of a weekend (always the best kind) and after coming home, I feel refreshed and renewed. So much so that I actually managed to knock something off of the moan and complain list.

Noodlehead's Open Wide Pouch. Much better than a trip to the dentist.

 

I took Jessie's mini dresden class at Sewing Summit and made this little beauty. Anyone who was actually at Sewing Summit has probably already seen it since I was showing it off like a proud mother to anyone who would smile and nod. Look at the duck, the owl...at 4" in diameter it is way too cute!

Although Jessie suggested mounting it on some canvas and framing it, a weekend spent toting around my rotary cutter in a plastic grocery store bag while ogling all of the gorgeous handmade bags of my fellow attendees made me determined to turn that piece of canvas into a notions pouch.

Add a rainbow zipper and a colourful scrap from the stash for the lining and I am now the proud owner of the perfect thing to store my rotary cutter, pins, marking tools and thread.

Hope all of my fellow Canadians had equally wonderful weekends!

From K - Q4 Finish-A-Long Goals

With a number of big celebrations quickly approaching, and Christmas on the horizon, my quilting 'to-sew list' doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. To keep me focused and on track again this quarter, I'm setting some Q4 Finish-A-Long goals.

 

 

1. Wonky Star Quilt
 

Amanda and I put this top together while we were at Sewing Summit a few weeks back, and now I need to get it quilted and bound before our great aunt turns 90 this weekend (talk about a tight deadline).

 

2. Salt Water Swoon Quilt
 

 

I recently finished this top and mailed it to a long arm quilter to let her polish it off. I hope to get this quilt back soon so I can bind it and deliver it to my grandma when I'm home for Canadian Thanksgiving.

 

3. Equilateral Triangle Quilt
 

 

This quilt has been on my to-do list for what feels like eons. I pulled a baby girl quilt stack from my stash last November and it sat untouched until last month when I found out that I was in Jeni Baker's Equilateral Triangle Quilt class at Sewing Summit. I have cut all of my triangles and have started piecing together this quilt for my brand new baby niece! I am reeeeeaaaally excited to make more progress but number #1 and #2 have been monopolizing my time as of late.

 

4. Christmas Quilt
 

 

Four years ago when I married my husband, I started thinking about our Christmas traditions and how we could create our own memories together. On our first year, I made a tree skirt and some stockings, but was too nervous to start a quilt. Since this Christmas will mark our fifth together as a little married couple, I figure there is no better time than to finish a quilt. I showed a peek of this stack last week but haven't taken any progress shots yet. Mostly it's a pile of tiny squares at the moment. So. Many. Tiny. Squares!

 

5. Manly Plus Quilt
 

 

When I finished up my Pink Pluses donation quilt last month my husband kept commenting on how 'cool' it was. He also lamented multiple times that week that I have yet to 'make and keep' a single quilt to date. I decided then and there I could do something to fix this problem so I've added a secret quilt on my to-sew list this quarter - and don't worry he doesn't read our blog so no spoilers here! Here is a shot of my fabric pull. Most of the strips have already been cut when I was able to a moment at home by myself but it's pretty slow going so far.

 

6. Magic Wax Print Quilt
 

 

I finished this quilt top more than a year ago but have yet to actually quilt it. Since I mentioned in #5 that I haven't kept a quilt yet for myself, I'd like to prioritize this one just for me. It's a sentimental quilt and I truly love it. It's time to fit in a little selfish quilt now - amiright?!

 

Linking up this week to WiP Wednesday.