Pressing Issues

I need a new iron.

This one is, literally, out of steam. And I like my steam.

Any irons you LOVE out there? I've frankly always gone to Canadian Tire and just grabbed something that looked decent enough. I pay attention to where the cord emerges and whether it will stand easily. It must also have an automatic shut off. But the last two irons haven't lasted long so it might be time to look a little more closely.

Any suggestions?

Pretty Thing

 

Pretty Thing

42'' by 54''

For my latest niece, the pretty thing in question. Modelling her quilt with her 12 days younger cousin, my babe. A summer night just chillin' on the lawn at Baba's house.

Inspired entirely by Malka Dubrawsky's Whirligig quilt from her book Fresh Quilting, only made on a much smaller scale.

Random fabrics including solids (yes, solids for me!), some Lotta Jansdotter, some Amy Butler dots, and a bunch of other loverly greens, greys, yellows, and light turquoise. I mixed up the scale of prints, as well as the intensity of the colours. It was great shopping in the stash for this one.

Quilted with Aurifil 50wt thread with some straight lines 1 1/2'' apart.

Friday Favourites - Sympatico

In my entire quilting career (14 years now) I've only ever purchased an entire quilt line twice. It never so happens that every print, every colour in a line grabs me and makes me excited to create. I've been rather impatiently waiting for Sympatico from Cloud 9 Fabrics to arrive ever since Michelle and Gina posted the previews of the line.

(Interesting side note: the only other line I've gathered in its entirety was another organic line: Shades of Grey from Daisy Janie.)

I waited until I finished a bucketload of work this summer to treat myself to these fabrics. 1/2 yard of each print. I think I need even more of the stripes because they would make such wonderful bindings. Now I impatiently wait for some solids to match so I can get sewing. No hoarding going on here, I'm desperate to cut into those prints!

Not being able to sew myself with the fabric didn't stop me from buying something made from Sympatico. After 10 years with a decent camera I finally picked up a camera strap. It's thick and padded and looks like a little too much for a camera strap, but it is perfect because the girls are constantly borrowing the camera now. This big strap makes me less nervous when they are around. I picked this up from Sew Fantastic. Another Friday Favourite.

Mountain Meadows

I have this quilt in mind. In fact, I've had it in mind for a year. We went on our first family hike in the mountains near us. It was a gorgeous day, everyone had fun, and I was completely taken with the mountain meadows. One usually focuses on the view, but I couldn't stop staring at the little bits of colour in the flowers all around us.  And now I hope to capture some of that magic in a quilt.

The inspiration:

Gathering fabrics, courtesy of Modern Quilt Guild members who responded to a plea for solid green scraps. Yes, solids. I'm pushing myself here! Now, let's see where this goes.