Appliqué - Pumpkin Patch

Round Robin Four Seasons

Beatrice | November 23, 2022 | 4 Comments

I just realized that I never posted pictures of my Covid Round Robin project. We started it in the fall of 2020 with the guild, to keep us occupied during the first winter of Covid when we couldn’t have any guild meetings. Four people formed a group, and there were basically no rules, each group could do whatever they wanted. Most did a real Round Robin, one group did a Row Robin and my group decided to just do a Block Robin. I picked the four seasons as my theme and made a spring block with flowers, Easter eggs and a butterfly. Connie was next and chose to make a poinsettia for the winter block. Evelyn’s block is an amazing summer garden scene with birds and sunflowers and another butterfly. Kim had to take what was left and created an autumn scene with pumpkins and a squirrel.

Round Robin Four Seasons Spring — Spring – Beatrice

Round Robin Four Seasons Summer — Summer – Evelyn

Round Robin Four Seasons Autumn — Autumn – Kim

Round Robin Four Seasons Winter — Winter – Connie

I actually finished the quilt rather quickly. I believe the last exchange was in March or April of 2021, and I had it assembled, quilted and bound by June 2021. Orange is not usually my favourite colour but with the blocks I had it seemed like the best choice for sashing and borders. I custom quilted it, trying to find background filler designs that matched the theme of the blocks. It was in the quilt show this October and is now hanging on the wall in front of me, over my desk which finally made me realize that I never took pictures of it, an oversight that I corrected immediately 🙂 I am quite happy with the way it turned out.

Pattern

New Pattern: Turkey Mug Rugs

Beatrice | November 18, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Our guild had a “Mug Rug in Autumn Colours” swap this month, and I was undecided if I wanted to participate. While working on another pattern I came up with this funky turkey and in the end decided not to use it for that particular pattern. Then it occurred to me that it would be perfect for the guild’s swap, and I started digging through my scraps and made two mug rugs, one for myself and one for the guild. The pattern has now been published and is available for purchase in the store section. The mug rugs come together fairly quickly, you can still finish them before Thanksgiving.

Für die deutsche Version mit metrischen Maßen bitte dem Kauflink unten für die englische Version folgen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke dann per email die Anleitung in der gewünschten Sprache.

Pattern

New Patterns: Jungle Monkeys Quilt & Hibiscus Pillow

Beatrice | November 7, 2022 | 2 Comments

After finishing the Monkey Business BOM I thought I should turn the monkey into a quilt that doesn’t feature human behaviour and is less complicated than the BOM quilt. So I took the first block with the monkey swinging on a vine with a banana and put together a completely different quilt with vibrant hibiscus flowers in the alternating blocks. And since I made the monkey pillow in fabrics matching the original Monkey Business quilt, I tried to make a second one with Jungle Monkeys colours but wasn’t really happy with the outcome. I guess I was bored by doing the same thing again, so instead I took the hibiscus block and turned it into a colourful pillow.

Both patterns are now available for purchase in the pattern store. I have also created a discount code, if you enter HIBISCUS you will get 20% off. The code is valid until Nov 14, 2022 (11.59 pm PST) and applies to the Jungle Monkeys and Hibiscus Pillow patterns only.

Die Anleitung für den Jungle Monkeys Quilt ist auf deutsch nicht verfügbar. Für die deutsche Version des Kissens mit metrischen Maßen bitte dem Kauflink unten für die englische Version folgen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke dann per email die Anleitung in der gewünschten Sprache.

If you want both patterns, I have also created a bundle at a discount price that is valid until further notice.

Block/Pattern of the Month

Hunny Bunnies BOM – Block #11

Beatrice | November 1, 2022 | 7 Comments

It’s November, and the vegetable garden is barely done. The weather is truly unbelievable this year, unfortunately not in a good way. I pulled everything before the big rain, and now arctic air is in the forecast, so that was the right decision, not much time left to clean up everything. But I still found two cucumbers growing on the vines, and I have lots of green tomatoes ripening inside. And I have so many carrots that I don’t know what to do with them… I have peeled and chopped and blanched and frozen so many over the weekend that my fingers seem to be permanently stained orange. If you are local and want some carrots, let me know, I have plenty.

This month’s block is the most complicated of the whole set. Feel free to simplify as much as you can. I debated taking out the bees but I think they are cute, and if you don’t want to fiddle with the small pieces, be creative. Find some bee buttons. Or fussy cut some bee fabric and appliqué. Or maybe embroider them. You have options 🙂 I really like my little beekeeper bunny and had fun putting it together. The pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store in December when the last block is released.

EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase. If you just need the finishing instructions, they are still available for free download.

Für die deutsche(n) Version(en) mit metrischen Maßen bitte dem/den Kauflink(s) unten für die englische(n) Version(en) folgen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke dann per email die Anleitung(en) in der gewünschten Sprache.

Wer nur die Anleitung zur Fertigstellung sucht, kann diese nun auch auf Deutsch kostenlos herunterladen.

Block/Pattern of the Month

Hunny Bunnies BOM – Block #10

Beatrice | October 1, 2022 | 5 Comments

And suddenly it’s October, and the last quarter of the year begins. We still have summer weather with pretty hot temperatures (by our standards) forecast for the whole week. On some level we certainly deserve this because June was so cold and wet but on the other hand it is not exactly normal and we really need some rain. But it is good for my butternut squash that has struggled in previous years and is doing exceptionally well now. I have seven more on the vine that need another two or three weeks without frost to be ready. And I gambled and planted a third crop of bush beans, and the first ones are ready to be picked now. After all my complaining in the beginning I have to admit that the garden season turned out quite well in the end.

Our bunny friend is also busy in the garden this month but not tending to flowers or veggies. The garden fence needed some maintenance, so he grabbed a brush and a can of paint and is doing his best to cover it with an even coat of paint without making too much of a mess. The last blocks are a little more detailed/complicated, so feel free to simplify or embroider small details. Once again the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the November block is realeased.

Wer nur die Anleitung zur Fertigstellung sucht, kann diese nun auch auf Deutsch kostenlos herunterladen.

Block/Pattern of the Month

Hunny Bunnies BOM – Block #9

Beatrice | September 1, 2022 | 5 Comments

Where did summer go? I can’t believe it’s already September. However we had cool and rainy weather until the end of June, so I guess it’s no surprise that only two months of proper summer weather feels a bit short. And while I don’t like that it is getting darker every morning, I do enjoy that it is cooler and doesn’t usually heat up as quickly anymore. My garden is doing great, and I seem to be able to keep the powdery mildew away for longer this year… keeping fingers crossed. With our climate here it usually takes over at some point, and while the squashes do mostly okay, last year I had to pull my second batch of peas in mid-August because all the plants were so heavily covered in mildew that they were just done. Somebody in my gardening group said that spraying them with a solution of half milk and half water every few days as a preventive measure works really well, something about the milk protein reacting with the sunlight (?). That sounded easy enough, and as soon as the second batch of peas emerged in July I have been spraying the peas, cucumbers and squash plants. Aside from the occasional sour mik smell and the fact that the milk residue builds up on the leaves which doesn’t look too pretty it seems to be working really well. The peas are flowering and producing pods, and I have more cucumbers and butternut squash than ever before.

Our bunny friend is using the garden for a different purpose this month, hanging up laundry. While it is so much easier to just stuff wet clothes into the dryer than hanging them on the line, nothing feels and smells as good as freshly sun/wind-dried laundry. As always, the pattern for this block will be free until the end of the month and then move to the pattern store when the next block is published in October.

Wer nur die Anleitung zur Fertigstellung sucht, kann diese nun auch auf Deutsch kostenlos herunterladen.

Pattern

New Pattern: Monkey Pillow

Beatrice | August 23, 2022 | Leave a Comment

I made this little pillow matching the Monkey Business quilt quite a while ago but then got sidetracked by having too much going on at the same time. I am now working on cleaning up all the different projects I have been working on, trying to take a more focused approach. I used to only work at one project at a time, and I am not sure when and where I strayed but I am determined to get back to my old ways because it works so much better for me. Anyway, I have finally published the pillow pattern, and I have also created a bundle for those who never had a chance to download the Monkey Business blocks last year when they were free.

Block/Pattern of the Month

Hunny Bunnies BOM – Block #8

Beatrice | August 1, 2022 | 7 Comments

Tomato season has arrived, yay! If I could grow only one thing, I would definitely choose tomatoes. Nothing tastes better than the first homegrown tomato of the year. I thought it would probably take a bit longer this year with the cool, wet weather in June but the cherry tomatoes have been going strong for almost three weeks now, and I harvested the first big tomato yesterday. I am also starting to drown in cucumbers, I have blanched and frozen quite a few loads of beans, and my butternut squash looks better than ever. After a very frustrating start, this gardening year turned around quickly, and with the hot weather we are having now, I am really enjoying our drip irrigation, it was so worth it.

This month’s bunny is feeding geese at the pond. It is a fairly simple block, at least by my standards 😀 I really tried to keep the number of pieces down this year but there are a few blocks coming up later where it just wasn’t possible, so enjoy it while you can. The pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the September block is released.

Wer nur die Anleitung zur Fertigstellung sucht, kann diese nun auch auf Deutsch kostenlos herunterladen.

Longarm

Fleur

Beatrice | July 13, 2022 | 2 Comments

“Fleur” is a quilt pattern by Susan Smith that has a little bit of everything… hexagons, appliqué, patchwork. Cynthia loves stitching by hand, and this is her beautiful version of the quilt.

Block/Pattern of the Month

Hunny Bunnies BOM – Block #7

Beatrice | July 1, 2022 | 3 Comments

Happy Canada Day! It seems it took forever this year for summer to arrive. With this crazy weather we have had, everyone in my gardening group is complaining about what went wrong for them this year, and I could also tell quite a few stories like that but have decided to instead talk about what worked well. The peas loved the cool weather, and I ended up with a wall of peas, higher than ever before. I have started picking the pods, and I will be very busy for the next few days blanching and freezing peas. The potatoes were also fine with the weather, the first variety has started flowering. And I managed to harvest some broccoli before it bolted. The head were fairly small but at least I caught them in time and was not greeted one morning by a field of yellow flowers, as so many others experienced this year.

And in the spirit of gardening, our bunny friend is planting seeds this month. The pieces for the seeds are big enough for fusible appliqué but you can always choose to embroider French knots or maybe use some beads or other embellishments instead. The block will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the August block is released.

Wer nur die Anleitung zur Fertigstellung sucht, kann diese nun auch auf Deutsch kostenlos herunterladen.