Connecting Threads

What do this quilt...

and this quilt....
have in common?

Well they're not quilts at all!

well, not yet anyway!!

Have you ever visited Connecting Threads??
you should!

Both of these quilts are designs that I made using their on site Kit Builder and both quilts made honourable mentions in their most recent Kit Builder Quilt Contest!!

Their fabrics are affordable, beautiful and quality cottons!

They offer sampler packs in fat quarters, stacks (10" squares), and charms (5"squares) as well as yardage in solids and prints, funky and traditional.

They also have thread, quilting tools and this amazing option of the Kit Builder on their site.

You just download a pattern, and it lets you pick and choose how to make that design with any of their fabrics and then calculates fabric amounts and puts it right into your shopping cart if you choose!

Both of these quilts were free downloads but they are now adding quilt designs by designers!!!

so cool!

Connecting Threads is sending me a fabric stack (10"squares) of their entire solid collection.

OOOOOOOOOH I cannot wait!!

Thank you Connecting Threads!

BASTE

the joy
of a nearly finished quilt
and the excitement of one little boy anticipating a new quilt on his bed.

catching up

I have been embarrassingly behind on my blocks...

both in making them and blogging about them!

So here goes!

Coffee Improv Blocks for Jan of Hip 2 Bee Square


These were for January 2011

Next up: 3x6 BEE blocks

In this bee you make 7 of the same blocks using your own fabric and the colours choices by your fellow bee mates...
aqua, red and white

pink, red and white

a baby quilt inspired block of green, yellow and white

black, white and yellow

a baby boy quilt block--no specified colours

and this was for my friend Tong (from the Great White North Bee) and was my favourite...

blue, yellow and gray

My colours for this swap were yellow and grey but I've yet to make myself a block.

I'll show you my blocks from my fellow bees another day, once I get my last one :)

The following block was made for Quynh in the Hip 2 Bee Square

The theme was bubbles and I had a terrible time with the circles!

But mine looked like most of the other ladies so I guess I didn't do too badly.

This was November's block.

For the December blocks of the Great White North Bee

Jen entrusted us with some much coveted Heather Ross fabrics to make confetti blocks

using this tutorial...

I got super behind on these because they scared me!

Alot of seams! Not my forte...

Barb asked for pink stars for January's blocks for the GWNBee

I love the look of the ohio star quilt block and used this tutorial from the Moda Bake Shop.
(this is the same tutorial I used for the blocks above)

The pinks she sent were so pretty :)

now I want a pink quilt!

I'm still behind on the last block for the Tethered Threads 2 bee and then I'm caught up for 2 weeks...

Then more fabric will arrive...

Mug Rug Swap 3

I can't believe I forgot to blog about this!

Back in December I took part once again in the Scrappy Mug Rug Swap on Flickr.

You might remember my first swap in this group and I loved it!

So I did it again.

Only this time I was shaking in my boots a bit.

My partner wasn't just anybody.

She was a somebody...

Kaye Prince to be exact.

of Miss Print blog fame!

If you don't know of her,

you soon will.

She is the next up and comer in the quilting world of blogging and Moda Bake Shop

and she's CANADIAN!!

This is my most favourite of her quilt designs HERE.

so I set to it and came up with this design...

(mug rug front)
(mug rug back)
I was pretty happy with it in the end --however my machine was having a serious hissy fit so the quilting isn't what I had envisioned.

I think Kaye was pleased, however :)

It was hard to let that one go but soon enough mine arrived in the mail from
Katy! I had asked for a winter/Christmas mug rug and she delivered!
Thanks Katy!

So here's the thing--
I signed up again to do the 3rd swap and it's due to be sent by February 14th....

I have lots of ideas but so far nothing concrete put together so I'd best get a move on!

What was that about not joining any more swaps?
*wink*

Love Nest

My new "friend" is Carina Gardner.

Have you ever heard of her?

She's a fabulous new designer for Northcott Fabrics and her second line is called Love Nest.

This is my favourite new novelty line of fabric!
Isn't it fabulous?

It's all hearts and flowers and paisley's but my fave is those birdies up there.

When I came across this fabric I knew I had to have some!
so I right away called my LQS who is now looking into carrying some of Carina's new lines for the spring/summer but couldn't get me any Love Nest.

I was bummed and then Carina herself sent me a 12 fat quarter set!
Can you believe it!

I'm planning on making a table runner for Valentine's Day with it but in the mean time...
look who got into it first!

She's so proud to be sewing--
and yes--
she did pick this out fit out herself! :)

this little quilt is the beginnings of a 100 days project for school.

more on that later...

but a BIG THANK YOU to Carina Gardner!!!

p.s. check out this quilt that Carina just designed!!!
fabulous!