Thursday, November 05, 2026

Missy, Slow Stitching and I Quilted This Linking Party!

Hi and welcome 😄It's been an incredibly busy week here, but not of the stitching kind. I'm sorry that the post is late, but it's here, and so is the party!

Missy


I'd love you to meet Missy 🐕, the newest member of our family. Missy is a rescue from North Carolina. She is a mix of miniature pinscher and chihuahua. We got her November 1st. We were told that she was possibly 8 years old. When we took her to our vet, we were pleasantly surprised that she's more around 2 years old!😍 We are thrilled - hopefully we have many more years together.

Missy found her favourite couch!

She's a gentle sweetheart and is a real Missy! After three days, we seem to have a routine down. I might not be a night owl anymore....we'll see. We've been going out for short walks each day. It's going to do me a lot of good 😊

Missy in the back yard

 Slow Stitching

Here are three new squares in my almost daily or not-so daily stitching. This first one was created when we were applying for a rescue dog - it's a chain stitch jail....and it's got an opening for our future dog.

Get out of jail or the pound

Grasses gleaming in the sunlight

This one is an experiment with couching. I couched three different yarns and then filled in the spaces made in between. I think that it's got a lot of fun potential, although maybe without the black!

Couching experiment with potential!


Mindful Slow Stitching

This slow stitching is restful, even if it's not always done mindfully. In my swirling and slightly muddled mind, stitching a few scraps of fabric with different threads and yarns is amazing. 

I started another pouch, with this one laid out on the wrong side of the jean fabric. I'm considering making an even larger one, a bag, that I could use to carry my scraps to keep making more of them😍

Slow stitching a second pouch

November's One Monthly Goal (OMG)

I need to start on the second baby quilt. This one will have some maple leaves along with fun novelty fabrics. I borrowed my friend's pattern book for the maple leaves - they are different from the usual maple leaf block.

You can see them on the cover of Modern Holiday Table Runners, Vol. 2

In November I'd like to plan, draft and start the baby quilt.



What I learned 
  • There are so many things happening around me that it's been difficult to stop, slow down, or concentrate. The Buddhist meditation class I'm taking helped a lot yesterday so I have to remember to breath and be mindful.
  • Life with a dog is busier but mostly in a good way. I've been wanting to be active for a while, so this is a great excuse to go for walks.
  • I did get some FMQ on my July Aqua Fairy house. It's going to look even better with all of that stitching 😍
Related links
Linking parties
I'll be linking up to many fun linking parties, including November's OMG. You may want to check some out. Design Wall Monday, Sew & Tell, Put your foot down, 


I Quilted This!


Welcome to the I Quilted This! linking party that celebrates quilting on a domestic machine or custom quilting on a long-arm. Feel free to link up and share any recent project, even if you're not quilting it! 

Here are the posts that included FMQ, ruler work and walking foot quilting last week. Thanks for linking up 😊 and consider grabbing the button. 

Vicki from Vicki's Crafts and Quilting made another lovely Valentine's runner. Look at that delicious FMQ!

Vicki's FMQ of her Valentine's runner

Vicki's latest Valentine's runner

Marie-Anne finished her Jimothy pillow with freehand quilting. Very cute!

Marie-Anne's Jimothy free hand quilted pillow

Diann from Little Penguin Quilts made a great pumpkin/Thanksgiving runner.

Quilting on Diann's Thanksgiving runner

Diann's Thanksgiving runner

From Preeti of Sew Preeti Quilts, we have three great quilts! The large on is named Rosy Pussytoes (after a flower), the smaller pink baby quilt is Mini Pussytoes and the baby quilt made from a jungle panel is Bear Hugs, revisited. You'll want to read Preeti's blog and see all of those lovely quilt pictures!

Here are both of Preeti's lovely scrappy pink quilts.

Preeti's Bear Hugs, revisited

Gwyned Trefethen has been inspired to start a new project with thread painting. She also finished her Cats in the Attic quilt.
Gwyned's finished Cats in the Attic quilt

Gwyned's new thread painted project

Melva of Melva Loves Scraps had a photo shoot of her two Lala quilts at their old house. What lovely quilts and quilt-along! You'll want to check out her post.

Details of one of Lala's quilts by Melva

Both Lala quilts made by Melva and originally by Lala

It's now your turn! 😍

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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Friday, October 30, 2026

Ancestral Home in the Quilter's Cove

Hi and welcome to our monthly Quilter's Cove link up. We've been making colourful houses based on the Rainbow Scraps Challenge colours. We're now on the October house, which is in neutral colours. I seem to think that every house I make is my favourite, and this one is no exception 😍  I'm collaborating with Kat of Scrapbox Quilts. She organised it and I'm hosting. Come check out October's homes.


Ancestral Home Under the Hunter Moon


I've been wanting to make a house that is typical of the earlier style in French Canadian settlers. Although my ancestors left Quebec several generations ago, I still feel a pull to those beautiful homes. They consist of very steep rooves that extended beyond the edge of the house to let the snow slide off (but away from the building), and dormer windows for the upper floor rooms. Chimneys were located at both ends of the rectangular shaped house. They were often made with very thick stone walls.

I'm not sure that my ancestors would have had the money to build such a house, but it's a nice thought. Since we're at the end of October and the Hunter Moon is only a few days old, my block is a night scene with the moon shining bright.

Chez mes ancêtres sous la lune du chasseur
Ancestral home under the Hunter's Moon

Here is a process photo. I was sure that I had taken more, but if I did, they're gone!....Found them 😀

All the pieces for the house - getting fusible webbing

Setting the elements up

Under the Hunter's Moon - just before FMQ

Finally, here is the back. I just love it!

The back of Ancestral Home

I got another of my blocks FMQ. Here is the June pastel house. I was looking forward to FMQ it since the pastels were rather drab. I knew that the FMQ would make it shine! I butted it next to another block to see what the borders will look like on all sides. I couldn't find my original bird, so I added another 🐦

FMQ June's pastel house

What a difference FMQ makes!

Project update
What I learned 
  • I'm happy to say that after ten houses, the process for making them is getting easier, once I have my idea.
  • I hope you don't mind my Project Update section above. It'll help keep me organised and it includes the links to the posts.
  • I'm relieved that I was started to frame and FMQ the houses since August. That means less of them to FMQ at the end of A Quilter's Cove QAL.
  • I really debated using the black thread to FMQ the tree (I have to invest in variations of gray thread). I wasn't really happy with it but now that I see the picture, it's fine. I have to remember that this is one of 12 blocks - it's all good 😁
  • If I can get at least one extra block FMQ each month, it won't be that difficult to finish once the end of the QAL arrives.
  • I don't want to start sewing all of the blocks together until they are all completed. That will ensure that I put them together consistently, given the learning curve.
Related links
Linking parties
I'll be linking up to many fun parties. You may want to check some out! I Quilted This!, Monday Musings, Sew & Tell, Put your foot down, 




You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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Thursday, October 29, 2026

A Finished Square Dance Baby Quilt on I Quilted This!

Hello and welcome 😃 I hope that you're doing well and enjoying the Fall. I managed to finish Square Dance, the first of three baby quilts for JJ's friends. I always want to keep it simple when FMQ but I can't help myself! So here is Square Dance in all of its glory. 😍

Square Dance Ready for a Baby!


It's done! I really love this pattern, it was perfect for showcasing pretty fabrics. I used Kona cottons for the blocks and then novelty fabric in the centre using fabric that depicted things that the parents love to do - there's adventure, pickle ball, dinosaurs, Star Wars, etc. Of course there's a lot of just very cute baby fabric. JJ helped me design the quilt. They have a wonderful sense of colour 😊

Square Dance baby quilt

As you can see from the photo, I made a scrappy binding for the quilt. I just ensured that the binding fabric wasn't against the same colour in the quilt - otherwise it disappears and looks off. I machine quilted it using white Bottom Line thread. It's not the best job I've ever done but I was able to fix it so that it's respectable.

The last thing that I did was FMQ the centre blocks with the same Bottom Line thread. I used a FriXion pen when possible to draw the stencil, and chalk pen on dark fabric. It's pretty difficult to see, but here's the adventure square that is FMQ. The next image shows the stencil.

A lovely sun stencil for the centre squares

The sun stencil used

Since I took the time to share with you most of the blocks, here are the ones that haven't been posted yet. You can see better if you enlarge them by clicking on the photo.

This block was FMQ with ice cream at the top and flower chains for the rest.

Ice cream at the top and flower chains 

FMQ with flowers

Geometric FMQ and birds!

Fun designs from Lorri Kennedy

The glamour shot 

The back of the quilt

What I learned
  • I love FMQ, until I'm fed up! Unfortunately the quilt finish and the fed-up feelings often don't synchronize! 
  • I will have to try to remember, for the next baby quilt, that simple quilting can be elegant and lovely. I don't need to go crazy with every quilt 😁
  • I wasn't very happy with my machine binding - I'll have to be more mindful for the next one.
  • As I looked at the quilt after taking pictures, I realised that I haven't FMQ one of the centre blocks! I'll get to that tomorrow, as well as prepare the label.
  • This quilt was my October OMG (and September's). I'm thrilled that it's finished and will be gifted to JJ's friend and her baby.
  • I've been working on my October Quilter's Cove house - it's almost done but I still need to quilt it. Please come back on Saturday for the linking party 😍
Related links
Linking parties

Project details


Square Dance baby quilt
Pattern from Modern Baby, Martingale
Size: 42" x 45"
Materials: Kona solids, novelty quilting fabric
Techniques: piecing, FMQ, stencil







I Quilted This!


Welcome to the I Quilted This! linking party that celebrates quilting on a domestic machine or custom quilting on a long-arm. Feel free to link up and share any recent project, even if you're not quilting it! 

Here are the posts that included FMQ, ruler work and walking foot quilting last week. Thanks for linking up 😊 and consider grabbing the button. 

Viridian from Viridian's Blog finished a jellyroll quilt UFO from 2021 called Three at a Time by Moda. She stitched it in the ditch. 

Viridian's latest finish, Three at a Time

Kat from Scrapbox Quilts quilted up a baby top donated through Heartstrings group. Kat backed it with a fleece fabric and quilted it using a circular grid.

Kat backed and quilted a baby donation quilt

Diann from Little Penguin Quilts made another placemat with the scraps left over from the previous two made last week. The placemat got a very cute penguin backing - what's not to love!

Diann's third scrappy placemat

The back of Diann's scrappy placemat

Vicki of Vicki's Crafts and Quilting made two very cool Valentine's runners. I love those unusual shapes!

Circular Valentine's runner

Serpentine Valentine's runner

It's now your turn 😍

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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Thursday, October 22, 2026

Fall Fling with OOTB and I Quilted This!

Hi and welcome 🌞 It's been an amazing fall weather week. We are busy getting things ready for the Out Of the Box (OOTB) Fibre Artists' Fall Fling Show & Sale. No, it's not the royal "we" it's the Andrée and JJ "we" 😍. We're both participating this year and looking forward to it.

Fall Fling 2026


It's that time of the year again. OOTB is having its Fall Fling. JJ and I will be volunteering on Saturday from 10am to noon. Hope we see some familiar faces there 😊

Free admission -
donations accepted for the Ottawa Food Bank

Here is JJ's (my youngest child) Frankenstein's Heart tote bag. JJ loves all things gothic and spooky - this is very much in their style. JJ has been embroidering for several years now and just learned to do beading. I'm looking forward to sharing some of their work with you as they are finished. 😍

We had the photoshoot outside this afternoon with the tote bag against the brambles in the backyard. 

"It's Alive" Frankenstein's mended heart, appliquéd,
embroidered and beaded by JJ

The other side - "It's Alive" Frankenstein tote bag by JJ

This week I lined the bag - it's a really well-made cotton bag and was easy enough to line!

The inside of the lined tote bag

My two small art pieces will also be at the show.

Backyard Senses

Water and Light

We are also having a small themed exhibition about the sea/ocean. I'll be bringing in my "Islas Canarias" art quilt. I thought I had more sea related art but I guess they've all been given away 😉

Islas Canarias travel art quilt

What I learned / What I've been up to
  • Getting art ready for a show can be a lot of work. There are always a couple of hours involved in placing the hanging wire, getting the forms and tags ready, etc. We'll be dropping off our pieces Thursday morning and then going to visit Poppy. Yay!!!
  • I've been working on the Square Dance baby quilt. I'm putting together the scrappy binding and then I'll be FMQ the centre squares. It'll be ready for next week - the last Thursday of October and ready for the October One Monthly Goal (OMG).
  • Some of my Quilter's Cove QAL blocks are getting FMQ. It's amazing how the FMQ adds to each block. I'll be sharing my progress on Saturday, October 30th at the Quilter's Cove QAL linkup party. Needless to say, I also have to create and FMQ my October house 😁
Related links
Linking parties



I Quilted This!


Welcome to the I Quilted This! linking party that celebrates quilting on a domestic machine or custom quilting on a long-arm. Feel free to link up and share any recent project, even if you're not quilting it! 

Here are the posts that included FMQ, ruler work and walking foot quilting last week. Thanks for linking up 😊 and consider grabbing the button. 

Diann at Little Penguin Quilts participated in the Fall Fortnight Placemat Blog Hop and made two very lovely quilt-as-you-go placemats. You'll want to check out her post for more details!

Two lovely QAYG placemats by Diann

Terry from On Going Projects wrote a post about the quilts that she submitted in the Quiltfest Northwest Quilt Show. Two of her quilts won ribbons and she included the judge's comments on all of them. You'll want to check out her post. Here are the two quilts that won ribbons. Congratulations Terry!

Dash by Terry won a ribbon

Grow by Terry won two ribbons!

Preeti of Sew Preeti Quilts created another beauty, Let It Shine, that was published in the Quilter's World Winter 2026 Issue. You'll want to check out her post.

Preeti's Let It Shine

Vicki of Vicki's Crafts and Quilting finished a UFO with some FMQ stippling. She also appliquéd her bunnies on the runners that she had quilted last week. Too cute!

Lovely UFO quilt finished by Vicki

Cute bunny runners by Vicki

Gail of Quilting Gail finished FMQ a mystery runner that she and her sister had started. Gail quilted her runner with LOTS of pebbles in the background, some lines using the Rocket ruler and even used a fancy stitch on the binding that looks like pebbles. Very cool! Check out her post for more details.

Look at all those pebbles, lines and fancy stitching on Gail's runner!

Gail's Mystery Runner

It's now your turn!😍


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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