Friday Favourite: fast2clean Mini Microfiber Cleaners

*Giveaway is now closed*

The Missing U is one of my favourite quilts from Sunday Morning Quilts. It came together with Amanda Jean's contribution and really was the start of our collaboration on the book. Right now it is living on our bed, keeping me warm when I fall asleep and soaking up the almost spring sun's warmth during the day.

Because it is a favourite I was thrilled when C&T contacted me about using images of the quilt in a new product. The fast2clean Microfiber Cleaners are pretty cool. At first I thought it was kind of cheesy and pointless. But they arrived right around the time I started using a certain fruit based music device. Between my fingertips and the greasy fingers of my kidlets on the face of it, the thing was a mess. 

Then I pulled out my handy little microfiber cleaner. Through the wonders of static it sticks to the back of the device. Then I can pull it off and clean the face every time the grubby fingerprints get to be too much. It really works well for that. I've even used it for my computer monitor in a pinch!

And once I discovered that I can access Instagram through this device the whole thing gets used a lot more than for hard-core dance fests with the girls. The camera on this thing is only marginally better than my cell phone and I'm still trying to figure out even some of the potential, but feel free to follow me there for some snippets of daily life, and sneak peeks at projects that end up here.

The other quilt featured is by Kim Shaefer.

C&T very generously sent me extras of this product. So, if you can't find them in your LQS or don't want to order them on Amazon, try your hand at this little give-away!

Leave a comment on this post between now and Sunday 11:59 pm MST for your chance to win. Make sure I have a way to reach you by email through your profile or comment, I'm not going to chase down no-reply comments. Tell me your favourite colour to work with or live with. Or point me in the direction of some favourite photographs. Or just say hi.

I will pick 4 winners and and send out a pack of these little treats next week.

Oh Canada

Oh Canada

72" by 48"

The Maple Leaf quilt is finally done! (Sorry, it's been done for months but it took me forever to get photos I liked.)

Made in complete proportion to the real Maple Leaf Canadian flag. All the coloured sections are made from slabs - scraps pieced together to make fabric. The technique is in our book, Sunday Morning Quilts. I wanted to show that the slabs can be used for more than straight blocks. I also wanted to share a little patriotism to show the Brits that the Union Jack isn't the only flag worth making into a quilt.

How awesomely Canadian of me to snap the photos on Lake Louise as we skated on a snowy days. Hockey skates, fires, mountain, snow... Damn, I love where I live!

Seriously, I do love where I live. Even when I have to pay my taxes and deal with dumb politicians (but those are everywhere, right?). I love our spaces, our vistas, our social leanings, our multi-culturalism, our healthcare (even when flawed), our cities, our variety in everything. I even love my accent. And that's PROgress if you know me.

For the quilting on this I used a combination of Aurifil 50w in white - to densely quilt the white sections with a lot of texture - and Presencia in coordinating colours for each flag section. There were a lot of threads to bury at the end, but it was so worth it.

I will be developing this into a pattern, I promise. Hopefully before Canada Day. I'll keep you posted.

Wine Gums

Winegums

40'' by 55''

Look, I finished something!

This is my version of Amanda's quilt from our book, Sunday Morning Quilts. Such a fun piece. Little scraps, some raw edge appliqué, and really casual quilting. And look at that Washi fabric from Rashida on the back! Because of that I went with a grey and white dotty binding, instead of a harsher contrast with black and white.

I started this quilt off on the wrong foot, when I didn't read Amanda's actual pattern in the book. That left me to come up with a different way to stabilize my little pieces. It wasn't a big deal and I'd happily use glue again. But I did follow her directions for quilting the piece. One straight stitch underneath each row to keep it all in place and make the rest of the quilting easier. Then free motion stitching following each arc - over, back, and over again. If you don't love little frayed edges after washing then this might be a challenge to your sensibilities, but it is worth it. Think of it as another layer of texture.

Pre-washing above, post-washing below.

There is a part of me that wishes I had made it bigger, like my original plan. That will just have to be another quilt. I'm sure I'll have scraps enough!

Considering that I never made my son a baby quilt I think he may lay claim on this one, if he ever stops his commando crawl long enough to savour it.

(PS Sorry about those top two photos, they get all blurry when I put them here... working on it.)

They Never Stop

Gee, maybe I should write a book about scrap quilts?

(This is the top of a queen size bed, for reference.)

I started looking through my bags of scraps this morning, all in search of one particular fabric for a stocking I started. After getting through 2 unsorted bags from recent work (yes, I don't always listen to my own advice) I remembered that I'd used it. Sigh.

Well, no time like the present to enlist my 4 year old in a colour game.