Hands to Help finale, some more scrap quilts ready to donate

Both Hands to Hands quilt tops finished, washed and ready to donate. With the ridiculously high postage rates, especially to the US, these two quilts will be donated to the Scrap Bag Quilters of Saugeen Shores for local distribution as needed. It was nice to have two holders so the quilts could go up beside each other. Each quilt is made from the same pattern and totally made from scraps, except for the backings. It is a pattern I called 9 patch bricks but as you look at it you can see many other possible organizers for the scraps. I stitched two bricks together along the long side and generally pressed towards the darker of the two bricks. Then I made 9 patch blocks using a pair of bricks as one of the patches. I altered the orientation of the bricks within the block and also rotated every other block when organizing the top. I find that making the smaller units and building to a larger unit helps me scatter the colours throughout the top more easily.
I have been trying to make more finishes rather than tops, but I am like a kid in a candy shop when I see new ideas, I just need to try it. Piecefully, Joanne

Linking up with Cynthia at Oh Scrap! (here) and Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict (here) for the finale of this year's Hands to Help challenge. J

New day, new things to do

Yesterday was a tough one but looking on the bright side I did finish my Book so I can go to Book Club and discuss it. I started the day with an email that my best friend had suffered a stroke and finished it with an email that my 100 year old Aunt had passed.
On to quilty things. I taught a Scrap Quilt workshop for my guild on Wednesday afternoon. Not sure I like an afternoon workshop but they were trying it this year. The workshop was just getting underway at nap time. Over the course of this year I have shown a different quilt that uses the brick shape at each monthly meeting. So the workshop was yet another brick friendly quilt. I had a table set up with one of each sample so participants could review the year's collection. And in my handout I provided a link to the source and some places for further exploration. Apparently the concept was popular and next year they would like me to do the same thing but with 5" squares (charms or nickels).
Today is a day for tidying up some scraps and stitching some bindings in place. Piecefully, Joanne

Linking with Cynthia at Oh Scrap! (here)

Harper Collins Canada, PJ Party

Harper Collins, the publisher, is having a PJ party today. The original premise is that this is a day to stay in your PJ's and read all day. What a great concept, I signed up. Then the landscape starts to shift. So I am dressed, there is a load of wash in the machine, I have a small but absolutely necessary grocery list to buy and then I get to read. This is the book I would really like to finish today. I am about a third of the way through it and it is due back at the library at the end of the week. It is our next Book Club selection. Not a "new" book but a well written 16 year old book. Says a lot about culture and cross culture between India and Canada. Very detailed so not a "quick" read. Our Book Club has two criteria that must be met and the rest is flexible. The book must be available through the local library and it must be available through the CNIB as one of our members is visually impaired. This sometimes takes a newer book off the list. We are currently voting for next year's list. We are going to go for 6 Fiction and 3 Non-fiction titles next year. So this book is going beside my chair in the family room and I will read at it over the day today. Piecefully, Joanne