Nine Patch Puzzle

This quilt was made with the help of many of the ladies who attended our annual quilting retreat in February.  They were asked to bring a colourful nine-patch block, any size up to 9 1/2 inches.

This is what I came up with.  It was a good challenge trying to fit them all in one quilt.  It took lots of stitching and trimming.  It was fun though!

This quilt will be given to our local Crisis Pregnancy Centre.  My husband remarked that whoever got this quilt would be getting one very special quilt and I agree.  So many hands helped to make it.

The back has a strip with some leftover blocks as well as some 9 patch blocks that were just too big for the front.

It bugs me that I had my setting wrong on my camera, but I am not going to take these photos again. 

3 Dresses - Done!

Back in April I was all excited to make some new Sunday dresses for our girls. Found patterns, materials and then tried to figure out what fabric to put where. They slowly evolved with two different patterns coming into the picture and a couple of flops but they're done!

1.  Trumpet Flower Dress from Ottobre Summer 2012 size 146/152
It's a very nice dress, all lined and it drapes beautifully but it just fits Anneke.  I had both the bodice front and back measure an inch narrower than the waist and skirt.  Not sure what I did wrong or if the pattern is wrong but that extra inch would've made it fit much better.  Hopefully it'll fit this whole summer.

2. Based on Oliver & S Family Reunion Dress size 7
This is the last one I finished.  I've never bought such an expensive pattern but I'm glad I did!!  I wanted to make a drop waist dress and had a Dutch Knippe pattern that a friends Mom translated for me (very nice!).  I sewed the bodice and the fit was really strange - too tight around the tummy and way to much fabric in the chest.  Then I made a skirt with a peasant style top that just looked awful!  After talking to Alisa and looking around at patterns I thought I could alter the Family Reunion pattern to make what I wanted and it worked!
Great directions and I'm sure I'll be able to use the pattern a few more times.

3. Burda 9545 size 5
This one I could've made a size bigger but it does fit.  I've made this pattern a couple times before a few years ago but with the sleeves.  I love how it's so nicely finished on the inside with no seams showing.

"Going in Circles" for Karen and Will

Three weeks from today our baby sister is getting married!

We've had the privilege of seeing her grow up from baby to 21 years old.   Suzanne and I have had some influence in her life.  We know that for a fact because she quilts. :-)  She's even made a big king size quilt for their new bed.

 I didn't think I would make them a quilt for their wedding.   They do have several quilts already.  But when I suggested that I not make one, Karen made this really pouty face and told me that she still wanted one from me.  I didn't need too much encouragement after that!

I had so much fun making this quilt.  I had wanted to make Drunkard's Path Blocks for some time and had pinned a bunch of quilts in this style.  I decided on a colour scheme similar to their wedding colours with the addition of gray and yellow.

 I love the quilt and it turned out close to what I had envisioned (sometimes that doesn't happen.)

For the back I used up some pieces of fabric I've had in my stash.  I especially love the keys fabric but I've had it on my shelf for about 4 years and haven't used it yet, so it was time to use it!

I can't wait to visit them in their little basement suite and drink tea and snuggle under this quilt!  (Maybe the snuggling won't happen until winter.)

I do believe they love the quilt too!

I just noticed something about this photo - I see 4 quilted/sewn things in this little piece of my house!  I love it!

That's what I've been working on the last little bit.  It was a labour of love!

Next on my sewing list - sashes for my girl's dresses and a few more table runners for the wedding.

Resurfacing...

...into the blogasphere for a moment.  Life is so busy I haven't even thought of blogging - I've been spending my time outside!!  Yay!  Hard to believe that just over four weeks ago we had snow on the ground and now it's summer weather.  Our spring was lots of melting and now the trees and plants are bursting with growth.  I'm loving the green after 6 months of white!

I have been spending a bit of time sewing though.  I finished this Kaffe Fasset runner for the girls room.  I quilted it using this method from Oh, Fansson! as a practice for my Scrappy Trip.  I may need to practice again by the time I quilt that one!

I've also been working on summer dresses for the girls.  My deadline is coming closer and closer as we're heading to BC in 4 weeks!!  One done, one needing to be hemmed and one to start.

I'll leave you with a few pictures of where we've been spending our time...

So happy to see colour in the yard again!

We celebrated our three oldest's birthdays in the past 2 weeks - this was their big gift.

They actually slept out there all night :)

My Prairie Girl

Melissa is going on a class trip to Barkerville in a couple of weeks.  They all have to dress in period costume so I took the opportunity to make her something.  As an added bonus, I do have three girls so they can all wear this outfit when they have their turn.

Aside from purchasing the pattern, I didn't spend anything on the outfit.  I've had the fabric on my shelf for quite a few years - it was given to me (do you recognize the fabric, Jennifer?)  The apron fabric is from a sheet.  Even the lace on the apron was from the sheet. 

The pattern is a McCall's Costume pattern M9424.  I used the pattern for the dress, but the apron is just my own 'design'.  To be honest I just started cutting and ripping and sewing and this is how it turned out. :-)

She is very happy about the outfit and super excited about the trip.

A Random Bullet Post

My life seems to be random right now so here goes...

• First of all, the winner for the Bias Tape Giveaway is Jeannie D!  I will be contacting you very soon for your address.

• I was floored that so many people signed up to win this little pile of bias tape.  Seems to me that people love fun and colourful bias tape and would have loved to win this pile.  Thanks for stopping by our little blog!

• We've had gorgeous sunny weather as of late.  Great for gardening, not so much for housework (or homework.)

• I am sewing, I just can't show you any of it right now.

• And the 24 table runners for my sister aren't going to be that exciting to show you.  But I did learn how to make a rolled hem on my serger.  (Thanks for the idea, Karen.)

• And equally boring to show you would be the many jeans made into shorts, long leggings made into short leggings and even a few long sleeve t-shirts made into short sleeved ones.  Saves a lot of money!

• My sister is getting married in less than 2 months!  We are all very excited about that.

• Yesterday I did something I've been wanting to do for a long time.  Together with my mom and sister I participated in the March for Life in Victoria, BC.  In Canada we have no laws regarding abortion.  A baby can be aborted at any stage in pregnancy.  And it happens that babies are aborted at the 40 week mark.
I'm a mother with 5 children.  I've also experienced a miscarriage at the 15 week mark.  I held that little baby and marveled at her completeness.  She was most definitely a human being, a person with her own unique features.  Made in God's image and now with her heavenly Father.  Thousands of babies are killed each year in Canada.  It is heartbreaking and sickening to think of it.  It needs to stop!  It was great to hear my brother speak on the steps of the Parliament Buildings.  May God bless the efforts of all in the Pro-Life movement!

• Aside from the March for Life we had a lovely day wandering around the gorgeous city of Victoria, BC.

On the ferry

On the ferry - Me, my mom, Karen, Mike

The ferry on the way home.

Giveaway Closed Giveaway Day - Bias Tape

Hi there!  I'm Alisa, wife to Gord, mom to 5 (4-12 years) and maker of many things.  I have a small etsy shop  - the Busy Quilt Mom where I sell the odd quilt, my bib pattern and my favourite, bias tape.  As a result I have piles of odds and end bias tape and I am going to give it to one of our readers.  Kind of an odd giveaway, but I trust that some of you are making things that could use or need some colourful bias tape. 

I'll be throwing in some extra bits of fun trim from my sewing room as well.  Kind of a surprise package for you!

To enter just leave a comment!  Tell me something you have made or would like to make that includes bias tape/binding.  If that's too hard, just tell me where you are from and what kind of weather you are having lately.  Thanks for stopping by!

Just thought to add that I have a video on YouTube on how to apply bias binding.  Here's the link!