A finished quilt! Alert the press!!

I went to a quilt retreat last weekend organized by a wonderful retreat hostess. It was her first time hosting a retreat at a hotel and it turned out to be a great venue! We had shared accommodations and the sewing was set up in a conference room. The lighting was excellent and everyone had their own six-foot table. There were lots of design walls so it was like an evolving quilt show as new projects were laid out and shared!

One of our goodies was this really cool threader from https://snagmagic.com/. It allows you to quickly bury your loose threads in your quilt. It makes this task so quick and easy! (Not affiliated, just like this product!) https://www.facebook.com/Snagmagic/ 

There were 32 retreaters from all over the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley and I was thrilled to get reacquainted with a number of ladies from a guild I used to belong to. Small world! 

It was a lot of fun and there was so much creativity and inspiration! The best part was, I sat beside my friend, Deb. She encouraged and coaxed me to persevere and finish the quilting on this quilt . She might have complimented me on my whining, too! Ha! 

I quilted it with an overall meander loopy pattern. Done is better than perfect!

And it’s done! And I am sooo happy! Now that it is finished, I really like it! I finished hand stitching the binding when I got home and finally got a chance to get pictures outside (well, for my husband to take pictures!). And what better way to spend Family Day than going for a walk with two of the grands!

All ready to gift! After three years, my only concern is this little girl may have a sibling by now! 😊 This quilt is number 2 on my Q1 2019 Finish-A-Long list! 

I also made progress on these two sets of blocks on my and got them sewn to the flimsy stage! Yay!

I had a little helper to hold the quilt with me today. So fun! Her little brother was sleepy and just chilled (literally) in the stroller. 

Happy quilting!

~ Kat

Linking up with: 

Sew Fresh Quilts - Let's Bee Social

Busy Hands - Finished or Not Friday

Confessions of a Fabric Addict | Can I get a Whoop Whoop?
Free Motion by the River - Linky Tuesday

Cherry Pit Heating Bags

I made six cherry pit bags for our upcoming quilt show boutique! These are number 4 on my Q1 2019 Finish-A-Long list. My goal was to make 4! Woot!

Why use cherry pits you ask? 

Cherry pit bags can be used hot or cold. The pits have a centre (seed) inside the hard shell that has moisture and natural oil. The centre heats up and the shell holds the heat, providing a moist penetrating heat to soothe aches and pains. And, the bags can be washed by hand or on the gentle cycle in your washing machine. You can’t do that with a rice bag!

I bought 3 boxes of cherry pits back in 2012 (here's one of the bags here). I have made and gifted lots of bags, and they have been really appreciated by everyone who's received them. I used this tutorial by V and CO.. These six bags have finally used up the last of my supply of cherry pits. Unfortunately, the farm/website I bought them from no longer appears to be in business.

I haven’t yet found another supplier in BC yet, but I'll keep searching. Cherry pits seem to be much more available in the US, and although they’re not cheap, the benefits are so worth the extra cost.

This is our little Bella! Have you ever seen a kitty resting their head on a table, and falling asleep? 

Happy Quilting!

~ Kat

My First Finish for the Q1 FAL 2019!

Yay, my first project to check off my list! Key fob wristlets for our quilt show boutique! 

These are #9 on my Q1 2019 Finish-A-Long List!

I was planning to make 6, but I ended up making 17! And I only had one blooper where I messed up the hardware. I’d say that’s pretty good! 

I also started organizing my sewing room and I hung up all the quilt tops that need to be finished. Bella thought these would be great fun to lie underneath and start shredding and kicking. Um, no, little one! 

Linking up with: 

Quilting is More Fun than Housework! Oh Scrap!

Sew Fresh Quilts - Let's Bee Social

Busy Hands - Finished or Not Friday

Confessions of a Fabric Addict | Can I get a Whoop Whoop?

First Finish for 2019!

My daughter mentioned that when she is cleaning up the house, chasing after two toddlers, she is contstantly picking up after them, toys, socks and the like, and shoving these in her pockets to put away later.

She said, “I need something with pockets. I know this sounds silly, but I need an apron I can wear around the house with pockets for holding all these little bits and pieces.”

I knew just the thing! I recently purchased the book, Make It, Take It by Krista Hennebury of Poppyprint. It has a pattern for the cutest Crafter’s Retreat Apron. I knew it would be exactly what my daughter needed!

I used denim for the apron body and a single Cotton and Steel apple print for the pockets, rather than piecing it. The original pattern has the pocket divided into a number of smaller sections to hold sewing related items. I decided to make three larger pockets to hold larger items and toys.

The pattern is very easy to follow and includes some cute details, like a loop to hold your glasses and a swivel clasp. I figured these might come in handy for other household items, too.

I hope she likes it!

Happy quilting!

~ Kat