Friday 1 July 2016

Updates on two projects. Happy Canada Day!

Today is the day for updates on two QALs.  First up is the Gwennie QAL.  I decided to add a childhood memory of ice cream cones as my border.  Often in the summer we would pack into the car and drive out to Peter Ice Cream on Spanish Banks in Vancouver.  My pick would be black licorice.  I free cut my triangle cones and used a cream on cream with a script similar but not the same as my charcoal grey background that was used for my tulip basket medallion.
 Next up was my first more Gwen inspired baskets with a checkerboard border.  I used to love playing checkers with a childhood friend often outside under the fruit trees in her back yard.
Then for my second Gwen basket I did another set of ice cream borders in a different colour way.  Again both the checkerboard border and the ice cream triangles were freehand cut. I have not trimmed these down to size but cropped them to give the illusion of having done so.
My friend Ethel's medallion that I shared last month has gone in another direction so I won't be sharing it with you this month.  I am linking up with Cynthia of Wab-sabi Quilts who chose the childhood theme for this month/   Then I'm off to Cathy at Big Lake Quilter to see what the next inspiration will be!

Addendum, Ethel just e-mailed me and said to add hers into the mix.  She is calling it Sandcastles now and thought it had departed a bit from the theme; but after seeing some of the other blocks she decided to let me share it.
 A cropped version so you can see it a bit better.

 My second update is on the 366 project.  I'm caught up on this project this month despite having not stitched any circles while away at my Mary Lou Weidman retreat earlier in the month.
 A closer look at a couple of the squares. One of the swaps we've done in the past with Mary Lou was a sand pail swap so I fussy cut one for this month along with some other Mary Lou inspired images.
 We also did a watering can swap.  Mary Lou and I both love polka dots as do many of her students.
 Cherries are a favourite of hers and riding in the car on family vacations was a common summer family activity for us and that print is one of her designs.
 Peacocks, flamingos and bicycles are favourites of mine.  Although I've not ridden a bike for some time.
 Tangled threads are part of sewing with all the trimmings and hand sewing.  The pink and green abstract print was used in a border of a round robin I did and is similar to my Ruth B. McDowell inspired hollyhock centre I designed.
Here are all my blocks for the past three months.
And here are all the blocks for my first three months.  I've been packing them away quarterly.  That means I'm half way through the year.

Im linking up to Quilty Folk July 365 Linkup Party today.

Happy Canada Day to you all.


23 comments:

Cynthia@wabi-sabi-quilts said...

Hurray for ice cream cones - your borders are both terrific. I am woefully behind on my circles!!

Béa said...

I love ALL your projects XXX

Lori said...

Wow! What a fun interpretation!!

Magpie Sue said...

Happy Canada Day to you! You've accomplished a good deal in spite of being gone to the Mary Lou workshop! I especially like the baskets with the checkerboard border. I hope we'll get to continue to see how Ethel develops her basket project.

Wendy Caton Reed said...

I can't believe how many have used the cone shaped border. Some represent trees, others represent tenting and now ice cream cones. There is a lot of creativity floating around out there! Love both of these.

Karen in Breezy Point said...

Fun border--I don't think I've ever had black licorice ice cream--sound interesting!

Robin said...

Such a bright and happy quilt. I love it!

Rebecca in AK said...

Working on these borders has brought back so many wonderful memories for all of us! Love your medallions and their fun borders.

WoolenSails said...

I like how you incorporated designs that have a meaning for you, something special when you look at them.
Happy Canada Day!

Debbie

Bonnie said...

Love your circles! Thank you for explaining your fabric choices...very interesting!!!

gayle said...

I really love your medallions - they were terrific before the borders and are even more gorgeous now!
(I've lost my way with the Quilty 365 - I got hopeless behind in May. I need to revisit and see where I stand - especially after seeing you circles for inspiration!)
Encourage Ethel to keep sharing! Her medallion is so much fun!

Lori said...

Love the sandcastle medallion! I'm glad she decided to let you post. It fits perfectly!

The little book of Nessie said...

You are going well with your projects. Enjoy Canada Day. Regards, Nessie

Rachaeldaisy said...

You've been busy sewing wonderful projects! I'm loving your Gwen baskets so much they look great with the hot colours of the checkerboard borders.

KaHolly said...

Wow! All so wonderful! I am especially smitten with your Gwen baskets! Hope you enjoyed Canada Day! We had perfect weather (for a nice change)!

Nancy said...

I'm impressed that you made three centers and three first borders! You go!!! I think all three quilts look awesome but I like the one with green triangles best. When you made the border triangles did you find it at all challenging? They look great!

I almost chose ice cream cones, too. There was a small ice cream shop a block away from our home and it figured heavily into my summer childhood memories.

--Nancy. (ndmessier @ aol.com, joyforgrace.blogspot.com)

Karen said...

Very creative use of the ice-cream shapes. We used to have Isaly dairy stores where I grew up. They had a special ice-cream scoop that created a skyscraper shape. Loved those skyscraper cones as we called them.

Susan said...

I love each of your baskets. The results will be so different by the end! Your 366 project is coming along swimmingly. I love how you keep up with it, and the huge variety of fabrics you've used - even swapping some. I love polka dots, too. They are just so useful in many projects! I like your friend's sandcastles border. I think it fits the theme perfectly. Everyone was free to interpret things as they wished, and that's a great interpretation!

Marle said...

I love your funny fabrics!

Unknown said...

You've certainly been busy! The baskets are really neat! I love Gwen Marston's work.
I really enjoy reading your blog.

Sharon said...

I love your ice cream borders. And your free-pieced borders make me smile, as they're my fave. I love your Gwennie-inspired quilts the best....those colors are so fun. I thought I was a little crazy to work on 2 tops, but you're doing 3!!

I love your circles. I like the alternating b&w backgrounds, and you've got some fun fabrics going on in there. You're doing great to keep up with that project!

Debra @ Life is a Stitch said...

LOVE both the ice cream cones and the checker borders! Great ideas, and fond memories for me, too. Thanks for sharing!!!

Angie in SoCal said...

So Gwennie! Love your circles, too. Thanks for sharing.