A New Blog

Recently I have been taking some time to fill myself up with inspiration for creating new things.  I love to quilt and I want to share.  Today I created a new avenue for sharing my quilting journey:

The Farmhouse Quilter

It's forecasting freezing rain today and it looks ominous out there.  I can't wait until the kids are home safe from school.  I need to get back to preparing for the Christmas holidays - take care!

Jean's Quilt

For Jean's 6th birthday I decided to made this butterfly quilt.  

I admired a butterfly quilt that was hanging in my local quilt shop... I admired it for months thinking that it looked difficult to make but after chatting with the owner, she felt that I could definitely make this quilt on my own and if I needed any assistance, to just ask!  She had kits of fabric put together that included the quilt pattern so I took the plunge and bought what I thought Jean would love!  

Here is a link to the design studio that provided the pattern.

Brookshier Design Studio

I found the instructions and diagrams very easy to follow and before I knew it, I was done the blocks of the quilt.  It is so pretty!

I am so happy with how it turned out!  It was surprisingly very simple (I would say that I am an intermediate level quilter... passed the beginner stage which is exciting) and the blocks turned out really nice.  I love the fabric!  I chose to use flannel for the backing so it would be soft for cuddling with.  The only downside is that I chose to make the lap size quilt (it had instructions for a baby, lap or bed size) and it doesn't quite cover her bed but I have a large, warm, pink blanket for under this quilt and it looks nice.

By the way, Jean loves it and is looking forward to when we can paint her walls... purple!  I will be choosing white instead!

Just a Little Bit Crafty

I don't know what's gotten I to us lately (the girls in our house) but we are in crafty-mode!

Inspiration seems to be everywhere we turn... 

In any spare moment we can find, Grace, Jean and I are making something!  It's so much fun!

This is our craft cupboard. A few years ago I decided we needed a craft corner in our playroom. It turns out we are covering a few corners of the house but this is the main area for kids craft items. 

Last Christmas Grace got a set of looms from Uncle Ben and Marieve. Both Grace and I love to loom with yarn and very recently have picked it up again and we are going loom-crazy!  It turns out not only can we make scarves but Pinterest is loaded with ideas and instructions. We went to Michaels the other day and bought a set of round looms so we have almost every shape and size now. Shopping for yarn is almost as much fun as shopping for fabric and much less expensive!  Ha!  The other thing I love about looming is it is portable and easy.  I can bring it everywhere with us... such as waiting at dance class, watching hockey, in the van...anywhere we are just sitting around. I don't like to just sit with nothing to do and it turns out my daughters are the same!

My greatest passion is quilting. It may not be a home decorators good idea but my sewing area is set up in our livingroom. The reason is that the best room in the house for sewing is over-run with toys and is also our laundry room so the next best space is where we gather to relax. I usually sew in the evening so at least I can be where Ian is - watching tv. If my sewing machine and cutting table were elsewhere, I wouldn't be able to work at it so easily. Maybe someday I will have a quilting studio but that will most likely be when the kids are grown up.  

Right now I am working on a quilt for Jean's birthday. She turns 6 in a few weeks and this will be a sweet butterfly quilt to go with a redecorated room for her. This quilt is pushing me out of my comfort zone but I have two goals for myself this year 1) to learn some new quilting techniques and 2) to work on my quilting projects for at least 30 minutes a day (unless I am not at home). Hopefully my skills will become greater and I have more completed projects!  Wish me luck!

So it turns out this girl is a chip off the old block but she has more talents than I can imagine a 10 year old kid could have!  She is a great student, great dancer and very crafty. She isn't afraid to learn new things and just goes for it!  She lives in the age of information at her fingertips and knows how to use it. Like many girls her age, she rainbow loomed for hours with YouTube guiding her and now she is learning techniques for yarn looming the same way. She whipped up that hat in just a couple days...between school, dance classes and sleeping!  That blanket beside her is made by her as well. She likes to sew and even though it takes more time and guidance, she works away making up patterns or just practicing her sewing techniques. She learned a bit about mosaic recently and that's another craft she plans on taking up. She loves to paint and colour...the list goes on and on. 

Jean is learning to loom as well and I notice that she is able to do more fine motor skill work. She is interested in the rainbow loom as well.  We have so many craft supplies that she can do what she wants but roll-playing is still her favourite activity. That's perfectly fine with me. 

As for Grace and I, I can just see a craft supply shop in our future...hmmmm or just a place for inspiring others to create. It's so much fun!