LottaLove

This is my entry for the Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild's collective artist show at the Brushstrokes Gallery in Carleton Place, Ontario in January.

    Exact dates when I get them.

This is a small table runner or wall hanging - approx. 10"  x   23". Still have to get the dowel and hooks for hanging and have it ready for the Monday guild meeting.

The fabric squares are designed by Lotta Jansdotter - let me check the spelling - hence the name of the piece LottaLove.

Can't wait to see what everyone has entered for the show.

Attempting to claim my blog now...

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Merry Quilting Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you. 

An array of stockings I sewed  last year. 

Thanks for looking at my blog here and I look forward to more interaction in the New Year.

I'm still getting used to the controls on this blogship.

But I promise to not accidentally erase any comments, as I did once this year.....(M-R left a lovely one when my grandson was born and I somehow accidentally hit the wrong key and deleted it. Though it now  looks like she said something I didn't want you to see,  what she actually wrote was approximately: 'Yay! Congratulations!')

I'll also finally get the right size header at the top of the blog in the new year. 

Hope you have a safe and joyful holiday. 

A Jolly Finish

Does this look familiar?

It's the finished product of the Fast and Easy HST tutorial - a jolly bright table runner. I admit the colours are not Christmas traditional but more mid-century. More...modern, eh? :)

For the quilting I did wavy lines on the ends, echo quilting of the triangles and a centre radiating circle. The small size of this project made it fun to do, not a monumental chore. 

It's backed with a multi-toned heart and spiral print. I thought the top was a Sherri Berri print but now I think it's another designer who used the same pallette as some Sherri Berri prints I bought a few years back - which I love almost too much!

Waiting for Downton

Yes, I'm hooked. I've already replayed the 3 dvd's multiple times, though can't really watch the ending of the last episode. The 4th season starts in January but here's some fab fun stuff I found on etsy in a shop called   toadbriar .

                                                       

                                                   Mrs. Patmore the Persian Cat.
                                                   [ Kim Parkhurst ] is the artist.

She has a section of her shop called  [ Houndton Tabby ] with more amazing animal likenesses of the main characters, 13 in all. They make you pause. I think she got most of them - actually ALL- just right.
Especially ole blue eyes Matthew Crawley. And Anna and Bates. Carson, Lady Mary...and of course the Dowager Lady Violet.

Home Again, to Mutchmor November 30th

Saturday November 30th is a great day to be in the Glebe. There's lots going on.

I will be participating in one craft sale this year - the Mutchmor Holiday Craft Fair at Mutchmor public school in the Glebe on November 30th.

The fair runs from 10 a.m. til 3. I think it's the third or 4th year for this new show.

The more-than-a-century-old school is currently undergoing a major reno in the west school yard so the 185 Fifth Avenue side, with it's impressive arched doorway, is closed.
Entry is around the building through the Fourth Avenue door, which is nonetheless grand.

There are a few other events in the neighbourhood that day , including the wildly packed Abbotsford Bazaar, so come on out and have a shopping day in the Glebe.

If you can't find parking, come over to Ella Street - there are usually spots there and it's just a short walk to Mutchmor, one of my daughter's old schools. There are also lots of side streets on the south side of Fifth Avenue.

Looking forward to a fun day!
:)

Happy happy joy joy

Well, sooner than we thought...baby grandson arrived safely this morning at 6 a.m.
 Everything is  A-ok. :)
My daughter again delivered with  no interventions.  Awe-inspiring, that woman.
All of them - Mother, Father, first daughter and new son are doing well and all catching some shut-eye.

Whew.
We came down yesterday to help out and bring things for my extended stay. Little did we realize that the stay would start now. He was due Nov. 17.
:)

Very relieved, very happy, very thankful that all went well.
New big sister was puzzled that her parents weren't home this morning but not worried. She was so sweet at the hospital too though she got a bit over-tired.

I will sleep well tonight, recalling the beautiful sight of my radiant daughter cuddling with her 2 children in the hospital bed.

It's a wonderful life.

On...vacation?

                                            Lovely little cherubs. Re-appearing after Dec. 28th.

I've put my 2 etsy stores "On Vacation".
It seems so counter-productive to stop "retailing" at this time of year but c'est la vie - family matters matter more right now as we wait for the new baby and both his parents are under the weather.
The stores will be back in action after Christmas, around the 28th.
I likely won't make the November nor the December OMQG meetings, which is why I haven't signed up for the three fun things they are doing now...oh well, there's next year!

Oh, but then I will be putting my house up for sale, so....who knows?
All is in flux atm, so I'm going "On Vacation".
:D

Always get 3 Estimates, darling

But first....coming soon to studiozuzu.etsy.com...
quilter's mug rugs made from selvedge edges.



Your Public Service Announcement for today....
Bit the bullet and shelled out for a new exhaust system. (See preceding post about muffler troubles)
My (very old but otherwise fit) car once again runs smoothly and quietly.
I only mention this to urge you to always get at least 3 estimates for expensive car repairs. There was a two thousand dollar difference, folks. Not  $200 but   $2000. Outrageous.
The best value was also the most convenient.
Same thing happened with a house repair I needed done. 3 Estimates. A 100% difference in the quotes. Again the best value was the most local.

Now. If only I still had a beautiful local quilt shop!! This is why I need my car most of all - to run hither and yon, coveting fabric, rulers, thread and sewing machines....And to visit my beautiful family of course.

One Baby is Two, One Baby is Coming Soon

Here's a little quilt I made for my soon-to-arrive first grandson.

:)

Maybe this is called 9 squares, or divided 9 patch. Just squares separated by sashing. I got this fabric a few moons ago at the late and great Dragonfly Fabrics. I still really miss that lovely shop, the beautiful stock, the store lay-out, the classes and always seeing Linda Doyle and Sherry there.

Back here in the present, he's due in mid-November. :)

His Big Sister turned 2 over the weekend. The Sesame Street themed family party - 8 adults, 5 kids - was filled with Pure joy. Another party is coming this weekend with her friends who understandably couldn't make it on her actual birth day which was on Thanksgiving Sunday. 

It was beautiful weather for a long distance drive but the muffler needed a temporary repair along the way...yeah, you probably heard us driving by!

:)

OMQG

Laura Piggott, president, presents her work - the first quilt shown at the first meeting of the Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild, Sept. 23, 2013

The Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild became a reality at a fine first gathering last Monday, with about 35 quilters on hand. We all had to tell 2 Truths and 1 Lie about ourselves, and show an item if we brought one.  This took up most of the 2-hour meeting and was well worth it, for the laughs and some eye-opening info. 

There was some small discussion about trying to define what "modern quilting" is, or can be within this Guild. Generalities were cited - negative space, geometric shapes, bold colours, etc . but nothing is etched in stone.

One thing already in the works is a Guild Show in January at a small art gallery in Carleton Place.

Most of the Guild contact will be online through [ the blog ] and  [ flickr group ]

The members are a mix of ages and stages of quilting experience. 

After several quilts were shown, it felt a little funny to show  my modest little Glimma table runner but it is probably the most "modern" thing  in my recent finishes. I have found the only way I will complete things is if I stay small. 

One perk we got was a limited-time 2 for 1 coupon from the Running Stitch quilt shop in Kanata. Nice! Since the demise of  Dragonfly in Ottawa, I go there more often.

 Kaffe Fassett is in Ottawa this weekend, brought in by the shop for a workshop and a lecture. I found out about this too late, alas...

Start of something new! 
MONDAY September 23rd is the first open meeting of the Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild.
An executive committee is already in place and this will be the first chance for quilters to meet and join the guild. The meeting will be at the Ottawa Citizen building on Baxter Road, with entry at 7:20 pm for a meeting start time of 7:30. It will run 'til 9:30.
I'm going to check it out .
:)
It will be weird for me to be back at Baxter Road. I was a freelance writer with the Citizen for 13 years, with a weekly column covering music as well as doing feature stories and interviews, etc, and would often be rushing in late at night to file concert reviews in those pre Wi-Fi days.

Over-Quilting?

No, we're not "over" quilting, as in finished.
Especially now that researchers in Scotland have found that quilting has health benefits that exercise can't give you - : D.
I mean "over-quilting", as in - to my own taste - over-doing it on one piece.

I see some amazing things, many  truly accomplished and spectacular  but I am also baffled by super heavily quilted pieces.
I always wonder - why?
I guess that's a silly question - one could ask Why? about all kinds of art. Maybe being Amazing is the sum total answer to Why.
Someone else might rightfully ask- Why Not?

But as for me,  minimalism is cool.

This is a finished snack mat/mug rug.

It is not "waiting to be quilted"; it is quilted, with an outline and 2 straight lines.I consider it  Done.

(The only other thing I might do here is some straight line stitching horizontally in the border fabric.

But not between every line.)  lol

If , like me, you quilt for fun, satisfaction, relaxation, and small (very small) profit, life is too short! I have a pretty hefty stash to plough through!!

I just want to make things. Lots of things. 

My rallying cry is: "Go to your studio and Make Something" .

Today.

Right now.

So - catch you later. 

But do weigh in with your own thoughts on the subject of over-quilting.

Joyful words from an almost 2-year old

With apologies to the non-grandmothers ( non-Mimi's) out there who couldn't care less about this topic - heh.

This past weekend at my daughter and son-in-law's house we heard my little granddaughter call this joyful message down from upstairs:
"I did it!!! I did it!!"
Yay! Good job!

In the meantime, here are some new items going into my studiozuzu etsy shop this week.

Flag Finishes for Lac-Megantic

Edited Aug 17:

 I mailed these today.

First, I made the one that is second from the right - *then* read the directions more closely. I accidentally put batting into it where none is the requirement. Heh.
I was very happy to find a good way to use some of the quilt top I made with Aviary fabric awhile ago for the 3 other flags. Machined appliqued a batik heart on each one.
The backs of the flags are the same colour as the acidy-green ties. The outline of the hearts shows up nicely on the back too. Forgot to take a picture of them...

Original post:

Today I can report 4 finishes.

Similar to the To Boston With Love project, banner flags are being made to send to the Quebec town that was so horribly devastated by the railway accident a month ago.
Flags are being collected by [ courtepointeclaire.ca ], a sewing store in Laval.
Note: The deadline is  Saturday August 24th.  (I erred in a previous mention.)
They hope to have a display hung sometime in September.
I'll upload the pictures of my flags later; just wanted to add this link now, since I am a little late to the sew-in.

Fast & Easy HST's, 4 at a time

This is a fast fast easy easy way to make 4 half-square triangles in one go, with no fuss.

Place 2 squared fabric pieces right sides together and sew all around the square. My squares here are 9 X 9 inches.

quilting

Prepare to cut on the diagonal from corner to corner.

Be sure to align the ruler from stitched corner to corner.

Cut :)

Cut one of the triangles along the Red Line I photoshopped onto the picture. In real life, just use your ruler and cutting mat lines.

Open.

Repeat with the other triangle.
Open them all, finger-press or iron and arrange as desired , here as a pinwheel.

There - 4 fast and easy easy easy HST's with no fuss - no chain piecing, no drawing, no double line sewing.
:)

Translate the Translations and a Promise

I put the Translate box on this blog because I appreciated it in the past on other blogs I've visited.

But, having read some "translations" of other blogs yesterday and today, let me just say "Sorry" in advance for anything you may read here in translation.

Some translations were  funny - such as "pave the straight seam"; others were totally messed up and made no sense at all.

Why can't Google do a better job with translations? I do not know.

I Promise - for any projects I show in the future, I will use more photos and fewer words.

A bientot. 
Ciao. 
Bye for now.

P.s. - To be fair - I just translated this post into French, which I can read especially if I know what it's supposed to say :) - it wasn't perfect but I could certainly understand all of it; and into Italian - which I can only barely read - but it looked OK. 

Fearless Hexies and first time Machine Applique

Hexagons, everywhere these days - including here now.
Way back when I first tried quilting - many many years ago - I tried to make a hexagon piece but bombed spectacularly.  It's haunted me since! (Not really, but sort of.) This time, I used 2 secret weapons.

After finding a template on line, I printed it then traced out a variety of hexagons, about 10, with no plan in mind. 

I then fearlessly (and somewhat  messily, I admit) used my first secret weapon spraying them with Easy-On Speed Starch which I got at Home Hardware for $4.29. A similar product in the big chain fabric store here cost $8.98 so yay me. 

I actually over-saturated the cut outs and they sat in a bubbly pool of white water on the back of one of my purple cutting mats. I finally put the dripping hexies on top of paper towels to dry, a bit.

After that I fearlessly eye-balled a 1/4 inch seam and began turning the edges down, finger pressing as I went along. Let me tell you - finger pressing sopping fabric is no picnic but I am impatient! I wanted some guideline before I used the (auxiliary) iron. Not using the Good Iron on these soppy, starched pieces.

As I ironed them the fabric began to dry. The seam took best for me when the fabric was about 50/50 wet/dry. The instructions say "damp or dry"

I cleaned up the mat using a paper towel - easy. 

I decided to arrange a few hexies to make the top of a new pot holder/mug rug. And go Bold with the colour. This was my first venture into machine applique, again just eye-balling things not measuring.

I offset one hexagon for more design interest. And used my second secret weapon: to position the hexies without using pins for top stitching -

I dabbed this in the middle of each hexagon then sewed each one down. The Lapel Stick was bought at a quilt show but is probably available in stores or on line. I'll definitely be using it more in the future.

The finished applique.

I had the red thread in for the hexies and due to impatience - or laziness - I kept going with it onto the turquoise chevron background which had some natural design lines to follow.

Here's the finished mug rug. The actual colours are truest in the previous picture, the close up above this one.

I now feel fully cured of my hexagon haunting!

:D

Best Laundry Days

The nicest kind of laundry - washing the new purchases - except for those pesky loose threads afterwards.
I've tried using a pinking blade and cutting off a corner on the diagonal - neither made that much difference for me.  Any suggestions?

OVQG Festival of Quillts May 2013

First Set of treasures from my photos of the Ottawa Valley Quilter's Guild Festival of Quilts held on Mother's Day weekend in Ottawa. Strangely enough, they all feature amazing applique work which I don't do at all.
(Edited: June 9 to add another name)
(Edited May 20 to add 2 new larger views)

Like this traditional but fresh Double Wedding Ring. It was a huge bed quilt. (If there are no names attached to some of the following pictures it's because I didn't write them down and the OVQG website has not yet put pictures up. When they do, everyone will be attributed here.)

I loved this beautiful applique wall hanging. The red-orange batik is so vivid and so perfect with the cream.This was all hand-pieced and hand quilted by Lynda Smyth. It won 4 ribbons.  It was fresh and modern without being minimalist.Not sure if I got a full photo or just detail shots like these...open border! The name of the quilt is Sunset Rose.

I found a larger view ; still not the whole quilt but so gorgeous.

This huge star quilt was composed with Kaffe Fassett fabrics on a background with tiny blue dots. I believe this is the winning large bed quilt - Garden Flowers by Brenda Davidson Payer.

Close-up of the applique block on the lower left.

And this was among my favourites. It's just fun, friendly and fresh. I t's by Evelyne Power and won a Viewer's Choice ribbon. The pattern is called Love Birds, designed by Don't Look Now.

A close-up of the right hand center panel gives a better idea of  the intricacy of the machine quilting by Jan Kittle and the joy in the applique piecing. 

You can visit the  OVQG website  for a full list of winners.

:)

all photos (c) 2013 Susan Beyer. 

Welcome

This will now be my quilting/fabric blog.

What makes more sense than to name it after the all-purpose childhood nickname (that  all girls named Susan get)...but SusieQ was taken. And many variations thereof.

So the name to bookmark is: allsuziQ.blogspot.ca

I started quilting in 2009, I think.
Photos of some of my earliest stuff can be found here.
You'll see some of the baby quilts I made for the Ottawa Valley Quilter's Guild when I was a member there for a few years and a quilt that was exhibited in their last  show in 2011. I dropped out for a number of reasons and wasn't sewing too much.
And yet, I am pleased to say that I was able to inspire at least one very good and natural quilter - my daughter. :)
Her blog And Sew Forth is [ here ]
The arrival of her first child has put her quilting on hold for awhile, after she made a batch of quilts and blankets for the little one.

The good news is that I am re-inspired on the quilting front after going to the
 OVQG's Festival of Quilts on Mother's Day weekend. My logo above shows a fdew of my most recent mug rugs, soon to be available at [ my etsy store ]
This time, it was nice to go merely as an interested observer...and shopper!

The bad news which I knew before the weekend is that my favourite closest local quilt shop Dragonfly Fabrics is closing at the end of May. Owner Linda Doyle feels it's time to move on and so she is.
It was Dragonfly that made a quilter out of me. I didn't even know what a fat quarter was when I first walked in to the bright, clean, open space filled with wonderful colours and patterns. I took a number of classes there too. It's where I learned free motion quilting, and lived to tell the tale. Made tumbling blocks, did elementary paper piecing (pass), more advanced paper piecing (fail), tried to do a photo-realistic poppy - made 1/4 of it, was done.

Meanwhile, back the quilt show it was great seeing a bunch of  people that I know now from my first rush in to quilting. That including Sue Shute from the Quilting Quarters in Almonte. She  and the store are the only Canadian store currently featured in the Better Homes Shop Hop issue. Richly deserved.

Photos from the OVQG quilt show to come.