Sneak Peek - Black Birds Quilt

Well I have a few WIPs (work in progress) on the go. Two are in the final stages (Quilting & Binding) so as a kudos for near completion I started a new project! Not entirely sure if that logic makes sense... but it does to me

As you know I love the quilt designs of Lorna with Sew Fresh Quilts. I just recently finished her Dog Gone Cute quilt and was eager to start her Black Birds pattern. I am way to excited to wait until I have more completed on this quilt, I just had to share.

I finally made my way into the city to pick out the fabric for the Black Birds quilt. I was visiting my grandmother who just so happens to live one block away from my favorite quilt shop. You know what they say "When in Rome" ... you buy fabric ha-ha.

With out further adieu here is a sneak peek of my new project. I hope you are as excited about it as I am!!!

I felt like a princess at the fabric store. I had my own personal fabric specialist help me pick out my colours for the quilt. The entire store was mine, it was a great day of retail therapy.

I have all my fabric cut and ready to go! Instructions to the left and fabric to the right (what can go wrong). I honestly have to say the cutting for this project really was a breeze. I did it on Christmas Day while my Hubby and Brother relaxed by the fire drinking hot chocolate.

 

Don't look too close this was the very first birdy I made, they have gotten progressively better the more I make.


Seeing that I am so eager to share my new project with everyone I have linked up this post to the Fort Worth Fabric Studio and Busy Hands Quilts link party. It's always nice to find gracious link up party hosts.

Have a look at the Link ups, there are some fantastic projects there to spark your inspiration.

Until Next Time

-The Youngest-

Irish Chain - Quilt Class

I think we are starting a new trend! As you know we proudly post our WIPs and finished projects through social media and our blog. I never realized the reach we had through social media until our friends started contacting us inquiring about quilting.

Momma here....Morgan's friends have been asking her for-eeevver to teach them to quilt!

People were showing such an interest in quilting that "Quilting Momma" decided to host a quilting class at her house!!! KUDOS Mom... I just came along for the ride.

....and I jumped at the chance to bring some new peeps into our fold! Hee hee...to join the "Crazy" fabricadabra spell that Quilter's fall under!

My very first quilt I ever made was an Irish Chain quilt, my mother registered me into a quilting class on the weekends when I was ... I think 14 (can't really remember exactly) It was around the time that we moved to the big city and I had zero friends and nothing to do on the weekends!!! In all honesty I think my Mom registered me into the class because I was driving her crazy.

...oh be still my heart my Youngest! I never once felt you driving me crazy, but to be honest, you really did need something to do! You were soooo little....so teeny...even the gym teacher thought you were too much of a risk to have in any gym groups {picture Morgan, the size of a kid in Grade 4, with the kids in Grade 7 - playing any team sport...she would have been squished!} so, "Hey Morgan, what do you think about making a quilt for yourself?" PS..it wasn't too long after this that she made some amazing friends [ Britt...her bestie and recent Maid of Honor, was one of the first to want to learn how to quilt!]

I knew absolutely nothing about quilting asides from watching my Mom, so this was a challenge. I remember walking into the classroom with my mom seeing all these well versed ladies sitting at their stations. I think half of them welcomed my Mom to the class where she corrected them stating it was actually me who had registered. Bit of an awkward start ha-ha.

Those very same ladies were so eager to help her! God Bless Anne of My Sewing Room, here in Calgary, that took Morgan under her wing and taught her. I can bet there are a lot of you out there that know exactly what it is like trying to teach your child something that they really are not too keen on when they are 13 or so! Every one of those ladies were in awe of Morgan week after week as she had all her homework done and was ready for the next step!

I was a bit intimidated by all these ladies who had amazing sewing machines, beautiful fabric, and a general air of knowing. I was experiencing so many new things lately since we moved to the big city, it felt like I had a constant swarm of butterflies in my stomach.

I kept my mouth shut when she choose her fabrics! They were NOTHING like I would choose, but...I had to let that go! This was HERS and hers alone! She had to LOVE what she was working with!

There was no turning back so as the saying goes I "Jumped in with both feet". This was one of those key moments where my passion for sewing ignited.

Thank goodness I learned to keep my mouth shut at that time. It was a good lesson for me too, because I didn't want her to be turned off of quilting. She was a natural!

When my mom sent me her syllabus for the lesson and the Irish Chain quilt was the project I was immediately on board (yes she had a syllabus). My mom has always been diligent and patient with me as I expand my knowledge of sewing. She's is an amazing teacher, just comes natural to her. You could see the passion exude from her as she was teaching her class.

Awwww... thanks honey! I do LOVE it. One thing that you taught ME was to be patient and to wait for my students to ask ME questions rather than budge in! Trust me....that part is still a work in progress!

One of the best parts is seeing all the progress updates pour in from the new quilters. They are all eager and determined. It honestly is shocking how fast they have put their tops together and with such accuracy!

I am seriously proud of all of our students. We had ONE...read it...ONE class. There was a flurry of information and I am sure their heads were spinning the very first class! I am hoping they will continue to grow in their quilting and not take this one class as the FIRST and ONLY! After the first day was over, I was thinking they would have given up.

Check out our sneak peeks of the Irish Chain quilt below.

AHHHH - mazing I say!

Fabric choices and nesting seam samples

Break time!

Getting them to practice what I preach! Stabilize that ruler..

put the blade back in anytime you stop cutting! Measure twice or three times..

then cut!

lovely new fabric - beautiful stitching, cutting and of course supplies!

Julie! love the teal!

The Youngest using her 'stash'

Our first star student who never quilted was the first to post on Facebook!

Bravo Britt!

Look at that precision piecing! And the PRESSING! Bliss!

I can't brag enough about these students!

  

See that quilt behind me? That was MY first quilt that I STARTED in 1996

 and finally finished in 2006! I'm thinking my teacher was a bit over-enthusiastic!

The final quilt class will be happening in the New Year where Mom will be teaching how to Baste, Machine Quilt and Bind the quilts. 

....and we are going to do a pot-luck to celebrate our accomplishments!

Keep checking back you don't want to miss our Show & Tell blog post!!! 

I'm thinking that maybe we need to do a lunch somewhere and do a big reveal? 

heehee...sounds like a plan!

Until Next Time

-The Youngest-

and Quilting Momma

Rising Star Quilt

I love my job and the company I work for, I am so lucky to have met so many great people and life long friends through work. One of those friends announced they were expecting a baby. I love anything "baby" and was over the moon when hearing this news.

... and so the quilting began. I have about a gazillion quilts I want to do and have them stowed away for the right time. I am sure every quilter can relate to the "wish list" of quilts they want to create.

I had a jelly roll and did not know what to do with it (very normal for me, I tend to purchase any jelly roll that spikes my interest... no matter if I have a project or not.) When I stumbled upon the tutorial from Jenny at Missouri Star Quilt Company I knew this lost jelly roll would now find a home.

I think my motto should be KISS "Keep it Simple Silly". The reason being: keeping it simple is the main criteria I use when selecting a quilt project. This quilt definitely upheld the KISS motto, seriously check out the tutorial to see for yourself how simple it was. Rising Star - Tutorial

*Drum Roll* Here is the final product and the introduction of the CUTEST baby ever !!!

 

Ashton Matteo Drapeau

I have to say that the name for this quilt is very fitting as Ashton is a rising star.

  

 

 

Until Next Time

-The Youngest-

 

Don't forget to leave us a comment, we love hearing from you!

We're hitched!

We planned this last summer, but kept "Mum" when the Youngest and her love announced their wedding to be! They deserve all the excitement and planning! We're much too old for all of that! We are so happy that all that excitement is left with The Youngest and my future son-in-law!

The Youngest had her bachelorette planned, then the date got changed [to the day before our nuptials!] We were sad that The Youngest and my oldest daughter and her son [our grandson] couldn't make it but the rest of  our kids and their partners did! Despite it all we really did have a perfect day!

Chef and I wanted to focus on our promises to each other. We both love the mountains and try to get there when we can. We found an absolutely breathtaking spot in Canmore, Alberta at Quarry Lake.

Our elopement was simple and relaxed! My best friend, a retired judge, was there to marry us! We will remember it forever and have a very special day in our hearts!

How could we NOT have a quilt with us? LOL... This is the quilt that my lovely husband encouraged me to finish when he gifted me with my Baby Lock shortly after we met! This is one of the "fun" photo's! We had such a great time on "our" day!

Now on to the next wedding for The Youngest! Jamaica here we come!!

Happy Quilting from Quilting Momma LEIB!

xoxoxo

Therapy...the way I like it!

 

It's like he's hanging on for dear life!What better way to do therapy than quilting!

It's been a year since my surgery and I am back at it. Albeit, not in huge chunks of time, but smaller bits -- spread out over days, weeks and months! The biggest challenge I have now is furry lips!

Seriously! How can you resist a guy like this?

I tell him to move and he looks at me like this!

"What?"

"I'm not in your way honest!"

I am sure that he wants to make sure that I am doing all this right!

It's very sloooooooooooooow stitching. My bad hand is flat, which is a great thing! I just have to guide the fabric around and stitch the outside.

I could feel him purr while he was resting on my arm.

He finally gets off me and just lays next to me as close as possible so that he can touch me a bit.

Yes.....that's the same piece I am working on! Trust me, I'm stitching super slow!

I love this little beaver! There's a raccoon, fox, rabbit, owl, bear to name a few!

I signed up for a Craftsy Class called "Fusible Applique Made Easy" by Wendi Gratz.

I LOVE it! She is such a great instructor and this little quilt is so adorable with the cartoon outlining. Very simple and perfect for this project!

It has really given me a chance to try out some fusible's that I was a little apprehensive about. I feel more confident now that I have had this class and Wendi Gratz makes all of it so simple that any beginner can tackle this class!

Even if you are well-seasoned, you can try out all those fancy stitches to decorate these little woodland wonders!

You can't see it too well in these photo's, but all the squares are pre-quilted. It allowed me to practice my free-motion stitching [which again I need more practice with!] That again, is something that Wendi will walk you through in the class!

I love how the blocks are turning out!

The best thing is that it's already quilted, so it should be a quick job to put together!





This quilt is for our family doctor who is having her first baby! I was so excited for her! She has been key to helping me get back to quilting, so I think it couldn't be better timing to show her how happy I am for the new arrival!

I'll post the whole quilt once I have it completed!

Happy trails everyone!



Check out Craftsy! It's the best bargain for classes and you can view the lessons over and over again! Which in this day and age is pretty spectacular!

Here is the final project! I am dropping it off with my doctor on Wednesday! I hope she loves it as much as I do!

Happy Quilting Everyone!
Margo

Dog Gone Cute - Topper

I believe I started this back in November 2015. I stumbled upon the Dog Gone Cute blog hop from Sew Fresh Quilts and it was too cute to pass up.

 

I have never done a blog hop and this actually was the 1st I have even heard of such a thing. It was too much commitment then what I was ready for so I decided to purchase the pattern and slowly pluck away at it in my own time.

This was the first time I really stepped out of my comfort zone and tackled something so intricate ... well intricate for me. I have read all your blogs don't worry I have seen what intricate really is (there are some amazingly talented quilters our there)

Check out the Dog Gone Cute link up party to see all the other fantastic completed projects. Dog Gone Cute - Link up party blog post - By Sew Fresh Quilts

 

The above picture was all it took to get me hooked. It draws you in with all its cuteness.

I love Lorna's Sew Fresh Quilts blog her creativity is inspiring. When I tell people I am a quilter a majority of the people assume I make boring "grandma" quilts. As I am just learning most of my quilts thus far have been quite simple however I would never say they are boring.

You can create amazing things out of fabric. After tackling the Dog Gone Cute quilt I am revitalized and willing to take on more daring and shall I say "slightly" more challenging projects. With some coaching & moral support from my Mother of course. 

I have decided that since I have put so much work into this quilt I will be keeping it for myself. There are so many options for backing I will be taking my time selecting the perfect one, possibly a cute modern print. Enough with my rambling check out my Dong Gone Cute topper.

 

 

If you would like to purchase this Dog Gone Cute pattern or persuse more adorable patterns from Sew Fresh Quilts you can click this link to the Sew Fresh Quilts Etsy shop.

 

 

As always make sure to leave a comment.

 

Until next time

-The Youngest-

Impulse purchase - Winter Themed Table Runner

Guilty as charged I am an impulse buyer, especially when it comes to fabric that catches my eye. Last year we went to the Heritage Park Quilt Festival where they always have huge tents setup on the grounds with all the new bits and bobbles.

As we were wandering through the vast tents we come up to a display with all these cute mini charm packs. Lately I have been sewing things that use smaller and smaller pieces, so naturally these tiny squares grabbed my attention. On this display they had a bright table runner, very summery.

The next 30 minutes was spent going through all the charm packs to find the perfect ones. My mom selected one with some nice oranges (true to her she went right for the bright ones). I settled on a  winter themed charm pack.

I always head to my Moms with a small tote of all my WIPs, and when I get there I grab the first thing in the tote that strikes my fancy. On this particular day it was the winter themed mini charm packs.

My Mom had already made her table runner months prior so she already knew all the tips &tricks to make this in a jiffy. I beleive I finished the whole thing in one day, binding included.

We spray basted the top and used some left over black script fabric for the back. This was my second time doing the quilting. This was made worlds easier by my Moms amazing sewing machine. I chose to do a nice wave pattern running lengthwise.

I would definitely make this table runner again, it was very simple and most importantly QUICK. This would be a great project for quilting beginners - Highly recommended.

 

 

Hope you enjoy the final product as much as I do.

Don't forget to leave a comment

Until Next time

-The Youngest-

Highland Dance - Sword Bag

This next project was a bit of an experiment. A good friend of mine asked if I could make a Bag for her daughters Highland Dance practice swords. This was a first, I think I can safely say that I have never made a sword bag before.



 

 

As usual  Tigger always comes to help. He was my cheerleader for this project.

He even came over to hold my hand while I was sewing!

The instructions were pretty simple. The bag had to hold the swords and close that was it ☺ Alright I think I can handle that. I went through my stash and found some fabric I thought would work well and still look relatively cute. The last thing I wanted was this bag to look like a mish-mash of left over fabric.

 

 

I ended up using the black script fabric from the quilt I made my mom and the flannel tartan fabric I had from the Christmas infinity scarfs. Also my Mom was kind enough to gift me some muslin fabric for the lining.

 

I ended up placing two grommets on underside of the tartan and used a "Robert Kaufman" ribbon which I found in my Moms craft drawer for the drawstring closure. While digging though my Moms craft drawer I came across all these great beads. I threaded a Groovy peace sign bead onto the drawstring to add a little flare.

 

Then lastly with my Moms advice the carrying strap was attached. The strap was a little long at first but with quick thinking that extra length was turned into a handy hook to hang the sword bag by.

To make sure the bag and its strap worked I give it a little test drive☺

 

Until next time

- The Youngest-

 

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