Signature Quilt

This signature quilt was a last year common project of our quilting bee group. Each person did two blocks and then we organized a lottery. Michele was the happy winner! Once the blocks sewn together, We embroider our names on our blocks.

Hum... it should have been finished last year! However, I think this is a lovely souvenir for Michele,
our beloved friend!

Cheers!
Christine

Tomato Red

Antique quilt

It's amazing how everyday life can be inspiring if only we open our eyes. Coming back from the market with some plum tomatoes in my basket, I found attractive the combo red and beige. And I instantaneously built a project of a quilt with red fabric mixed with all the hues of beige, going from off-white to dark brown.

Plum tomatoes

However, the purpose was not to quilt, but to prepare a tomato paste! But look how beautiful is the contrast between the red of the tomato jars and the dark brown of my old rusted saucepans!

Tomato paste

For those who are interested, here is how I prepare my tomato paste :

I wash the tomatoes and leave them for 3mn covered with boiling water.

I peel them, cut them in four and put them in a high saucepan with salt, a little sugar and a little olive oil.

I let them boil without lid for about 1/2 hour, until the juice evaporated.

I mix and pour the sauce in glass jars, adding a little olive oil just to cover the sauce.

Ripe tomatoes

During summer time in Greece, the tomatoes are absolutely delicious. I love them best the simpliest way :

cut in slices with olive oil, coarse salt and oregano.

Tomato salad

Oh! I forgot : wonderful with a slice of grilled bread rubbed with a little garlic!

Tomato salad

Enjoy your lunch... and your stitches!

Christine

Flying Geese Binding

My baby girl quilt came back from Eleni's quilting, and I am preparing it for binding as shown in 

MY TUTORIAL

Triming the sides.

Border ready.

I machine sew the border on the front side, and then I hand sew it on the wrong side.

Sewing with slip stitches as shown in
MY TUTORIAL

Happy stitches!
Christine

Manon's Quilt

This is the last episode of the String Quilt series! Manon came home and received her present.

It was such a pleasure to see how happy she was with her quilt!

As you can see, she is expecting a baby! Such a happiness! It's her first child, a baby boy

expected beginning of December... This means of course another baby quilt project!

Manon is going back to her house with her quilt under the arm. It will cheer up

 her neutral tune lounge when spread on her white sofa.

Have a wonderful Sunday!
Christine

Miniature Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt

Mini Log Cabin quilt

In the summer time I enjoy doing miniature quilts, using my scraps.

They are quickly done, and it's a pleasure to hand quilt them early in the morning, before the heat arrives!

 I tried to give this mini scrappy Log Cabin an antique country style. It measures 12 1/4" x 8 1/2".

Log Cabin detail

Log Cabin detail

Backing

Happy summer stitches!
Christine

My Second Tutorial

The second tutorial I posted last April on my blog (Tutorial for a Quick and Easy Chevron Zig Zag Quilt) was recently featured on FaveQuilts!

Your little baby will adore this Down Home Chevron Baby Quilt. If you've been searching for a good chevron baby quilt tutorial, then this one will definitely hit the spot. The country and rustic vibe of this quilt make it ...READ MORE

  

A wonderful Sunday to all of you! 

Christine

Easy Log Cabin Tutorial

Today I will show you the EASIEST possible way to make a LOG CABIN block.

WITHOUT measuring any strip length!

Finished block

The finished block measures 7 1/4" x 7 1/4"

Selected fabrics

My fabric selection : a red center, three dark pink and three light beige. 

You can use any colors, but always a dark side and a light side.

Center

For the central square, cut 1 1/2" x 1 1/2"

Strips ready

Cut your strips from the Cross Grain (from selvage to selvage), width 1 1/2".

Two squares

The first piece to add to the red center is a square, same dimensions as the center.

Two squares pieced

 Piece those two squares right side against right side. Open and press. Turn once CLOCKWISE.

Add the strip of the same fabric, sew right side against right side.

Cut the remaining length of the strip.

First row

Open and press. Turn once CLOCKWISE

Add the light color strip for the second row.

Cut the remain. 

Go on the same way all the time for the other rows, always turning ONCE CLOCKWISE

 and ALTERNATING two dark strips and two light strips.

Second row

Third row

Fourth row

Fifth row

Sixth row

Press hot without moving your iron.

Your block is now finished, you may just need to trim the sides to get an accurate square of 7 1/2".

Enjoy your Log Cabin!

Christine

String Quilt Finished!

I am so happy to have my string quilt finished! 

Very early in the morning, before too much sun and too much heat,

I went to the garden to take some pictures of this quilt that I will offer

to my daughter, as she "fell in love" with it at first sight!

If I highlight this block, it's because I remember that when I started to select my fabrics for this project, I hesitated and almost decided to put this yellow one away... thanks God I did'nt, it appears to be THE ONE!

It seems to bring sun to my quilt.

Have a sunny Sunday!

Christine