More Little Critters Plus Birdseye Mercantile

Posted on November 10, 2014 by thequiltedcat

A few weeks ago, I posted about creating a little forest critter out of flannel. Later in October, I had a chance to visit with my sister and we set out to make more critters using wool in place of the flannel.

These little critters are from the book Countryside Softies by Amy Adams. They are really quick and easy to make!

We made 2 foxes, a robin, a swan, and a dragonfly. We stayed up late each night having fun stitching these little guys together, and then we did some quilt shop hopping during the days.

Here’s a look at our critter collection:

Critters on a Bench

Critters in the Ponderosa Pines

Here’a close-up of my fox wearing his cool heart-shaped shades. He’s going to be my little sewing room buddy!

Fox Critter with Cool Shades

One afternoon, we took a little drive to visit Birdseye Mercantile in the little town of Avon, Montana located between Missoula and Helena. This adorable quilt shop has low overhead so they price all their quilting cottons at $7.50 per yard. Batiks are a little more. What a bargain! I took the opportunity to add a few pieces to my stash.

Birdseye Mercantile

If you are in the area, be sure to stop by and take a peek at this store. They are only open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays so it is always a good idea to call first.

From Avon, we headed towards Seeley Lake to visit another favorite quilt shop, Deer Country Quilts. They have a beautiful log cabin building with over 6000 bolts of fabric!

On the way to Deer Country Quilts, I took this picture of a lake reflecting the tamarack trees and their yellow autumn splendor. I didn’t have my good camera so this picture does not do them justice. They were just beautiful!

Tamarack Trees

I wish that I had brought a quilt to photograph at the end of that dock! What a spectacular back drop for a quilt.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

New Quilt Shop in Oregon

Posted on September 3, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Recently, my son and I visited a local pet store to pick up some supplies. While parking the car, I saw the word “sew” out of the corner of my eye! Wait, what?

With 9-year-old in tow, I walked down the sidewalk and found that a new quilt shop has opened in Oregon, specifically in Wilsonville. The store is called Sewn Loverly and has its grand opening this Saturday, September 6th starting at 10:00 a.m. This store is owned and operated by a mother/daughter duo, and I’ve already stopped in 3 or 4 times. They know me now, ha, ha!

Here’s the store front:

Sewn Loverly

I picked up some fun Halloween fabrics to use in a blog hop that I’m participating in this October. I’ve got a cute project in mind, but can’t reveal it quite yet. I posted this photo earlier to Instagram:

New Halloween Fabrics

If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by and say hello to the wonderful gals at Sewn Loverly!

Happy quilting,
Jennifer

Supernova Friendship Block Swap Update + Broken Top Hike

Posted on August 27, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Hi quilty friends,

Summer is quickly ending so I hope to have more time this fall and winter to catch up on my many projects in progress.

One project that I’m working on this year with a partner, Cindy, from What’s One More Project is the Friendship Supernova Block Exchange. You can read more about this unique swap in my first post here. In my first post, I have pictures of our month 1 blocks.

In this post, I’m happy to say that we have now swapped 2 more blocks (July and August) for a total of 6 blocks all together. We have 2 more months (September and October) for the blocks before we finish sewing our quilt tops together.

Here are the blocks that I made for July and August (1 to keep and 1 for my partner):

July Supernova Blocks

August Supernova Blocks

I took a picture of the first 6 blocks on my design wall in random order (3 made by me and 3 made by Cindy):

Supernova, First 6 blocks

Isn’t it looking fabulous??!! I just love how this quilt is coming together so far.

For those of you who have visited or are familiar with the Sisters, Oregon area (home of the fabulous Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show), you might be familiar with one of the mountains called Broken Top. This mountain is next to the Three Sisters and is featured in many patterns, including the row-by-row pattern by the Stitchin’ Post this year. I used this row as the top row in my quilt here.

My family decided to squeeze in one last camping/hiking trip before school starts here next week. We camped near Broken Top and took a moderate to aggressive, 4-mile roundtrip hike to a beautiful glacier lake near the top of the mountain. The color of the lake water is amazing – a sort of blue/green/turquoise color and absolutely gorgeous!

The road to the trail head is very rough and not really suitable for passenger cars. You need a vehicle with higher clearance to navigate some sections. Broken Top itself is 9,177 feet. I’m not sure what the elevation is here at the lake, but I’d guess around 7,500 feet or so.

Unnamed Glacier Lake at Broken Top

Another view looking back at the lake from farther up the trail:

View of Broken Top and Unnamed Glacier Lake

If you turn from this viewpoint in the opposite direction, you are rewarded with a stunning, up-close view of the Three Sisters. Here’s my dog with his hiking boots to protect his paw pads:

Broken Top Hike with View of the Three Sisters (and Brutus the dog)

My 9-year-old did great on this hike and had a great time. I think we wore out the dog because he slept for about 2 days straight after the hike! If you are ever in the central Oregon area, I’d highly recommend this hike for the impressive views.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Row by Row Winner + Vancouver Island

Posted on August 21, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Happy Thursday, quilty friends!

I was on a family camping trip to Vancouver Island this past week and missed sewing and blogging. We did have some wonderful hikes and sightseeing adventures while on the island.

In Strathcona Provincial Park, we did a strenuous hike up to Baby Bedwell Lake and Bedwell Lake. It was about 4 miles one way and about a 2000 foot elevation gain!

Baby Bedwell Lake, Strathcona Provincial Park, BC

Bedwell Lake, Strathcona Provincial Park, BC

Near Tofino, we spent some time walking on the beach at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. This part of the island definitely reminded us of the Oregon Coast. We spotted some black bears, bald eagles, and other critters on a tour from Tofino and had a great time!

Driftwood and seagulls at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

Sunset and Mist in Tofino

Black bear near Tofino, BC

We returned home several days ago, and I have so many projects to catch up on before returning to work next week. I decided to finish up my quilt for the Row by Row Experience so I could have a chance at winning a prize. I finished about 5 of the rows before our vacation so I spent 2 feverish days stitching together 3 more rows before joining the rows, quilting the sandwich, and binding the whole project.

For the back, I used my label plus some of the Row by Row license plates from stores whose rows I used in the quilt. Unfortunately, only 5 of the 8 stores carried the license plates. I neglected to take a picture of the quilt back before heading out to the Pine Needle this morning to claim my prize.

Once at the Pine Needle, I ran into Dawn of First Light Designs. We’ve been visiting each other’s quilting blogs so it was great to meet in person! Dawn kindly agreed to hold up the quilt (it is taller than me at 5 feet, 4 inches!!) while one of the store employees took my photo.

Here’s a look at the quilt flimsy:

Row by Row Flimsy

Here’s a picture of me with the completed quilt:

Row by Row 2014 Experience – Finished Quilt!

I visited more than 8 shops but decided to stick with “nature” themed rows for my quilt. I have some other adorable rows (including some chicken rows) that I will make into fun table runners. I used Aurifil thread for the piecing and quilting and Hobbs 80/20 for the batting.

My row by row quilt contains rows from the following quilt stores, in order from the top of the quilt to the bottom:
1. Mt. Washington, Three Sisters and Broken Top from the Stitchin’ Post in Sisters, OR
2. Pine Trees from the Pine Needle in Lake Oswego, OR
3. Cabin and scene from Homestead Quilts in La Pine, OR
4. Wonky trees from Greenbaum’s Quilted Forest in Salem, OR
5. Oregon plants from A Common Thread in Portland, OR
6. Stars by Hollyhill Quilt Shoppe in West Linn, OR
7. Hearts by Quilting Delights in Clackamas, OR
8. Cascade Mountains by BJ’s Quilt Basket in Bend, OR

Since I was the first person to bring in a finished row by row quilt at the Pine Needle, I won the 25 fat quarter prize. In addition, I won the bonus prize since I used that shop’s row in my quilt. I left my finished quilt at the Pine Needle so it will be on display for the next few weeks. If you are in the area, stop by and take a look!

My prizes:

Row by Row Prize

I had fun participating in the Row by Row Experience this year and hope that it returns next year! Now, I’m off to finish up a few more blocks before exhaustion sets in this evening.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Chicken Challenge Class at a Quilter’s Affair in Sisters

Posted on July 14, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Happy Monday, everyone!

Last week, I was able to take 2 classes at the Quilter’s Affair event leading up to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. I took the classes with my sister and we had so much fun! We did stay for the quilt show, and I will upload some pictures of the show later this week.

We took a 2-day class called “Chicken Challenge” taught by Ann Shaw. Students could choose from several of Ann’s chicken patterns to use in the class. Ann is a fun and entertaining instructor who really helped the class understand the importance of fabric selection and placement in creating these unique pieced quilts. Yes, these quilts are pieced and not appliqued! Ann teaches a straight-line sewing technique based on Ruth McDowell’s wonderful art quilt methodologies.

Here’s a look at my chicken part way through the fabric audition process. The pattern is Gallus Gallus by Ann Shaw.

Gallus Gallus Fabric Auditions

Although we both selected the same pattern, my sister and I selected different fabrics to create 2 equally colorful roosters:

Side-by-Side Roosters

We brought a variety of fabrics for the class, but naturally found ourselves shopping for more fabric yumminess from the Stitchin’ Post after class. With Ann’s help, I decided that my chicken needed to have a black and white background so I found myself petting bolt after bolt on Thursday afternoon before choosing a few pieces. I also picked up a wonderful Kaffe Fasset print for the ground.

My sister picked a great white-on-black print for her ground and used a neutral gray sketch fabric for her background that we had in our stash. I just finished piecing my chicken with about 30 minutes or so to spare in class. My sister almost finished her chicken and only has a couple of seams left to sew at home.

Here are our pieced roosters with backgrounds:

Pieced Roosters

I plan on changing my borders slightly this week and will then quilt up my Gallus Gallus!

I did get a chance to snap a few pictures of some of the other chickens created by our fellow class members. I’m missing a few of the chickens, but these pictures will give you a good idea of how the fabric selections can really change the look of the pattern. Whenever possible, I tried to include the participant’s name in the photo. If you were in the class, please leave a comment!

Rooster by Michele Dore

Rooster by Christine

Rooster by Unknown

Rooster by Leslie

Rooster by Susie Linford

Rooster by Sheryl Kock

Rooster by Barbara

Rooster by Claire Christiansen

Here’s a sample that Ann had finished using the Gallus Gallus pattern. This quilt was on display at the mini store inside Sisters High School.

Completed Gallus Gallus by Ann Shaw

My thanks goes to Ann for teaching such a wonderful class! Can’t wait for next year.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Row by Row Experience 2014!

Posted on July 2, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Have you heard about the Row by Row Experience hosted by quilt shops nation wide? This event started on July 1st and runs through September 2nd. The idea is that each participating quilt shop will give you a free pattern for a quilt row. You can collect as many rows as you want to create your own unique quilt!

Read more about the shop hop and to find out what stores in your state are participating by clicking the button below.

Row by Row Experience

If the button link does not work, here is the direct link to the Row by Row Experience.

In Oregon, there are over 40 shops participating. On my lunch break yesterday, I stopped in at the Pine Needle. I just love their wonderful pine tree row! You also have the option of purchasing a collective fabric plate designed by Zebra Patterns with a unique phrase for that particular quilt shop.

Here’s a look at the first row pattern that I picked up:

The Pine Needle Row

I did purchase the fabric plate as well. My idea is to use the fabric plates on the quilt back. Here’s a look:

Fabric Plate for the Pine Needle

If you are traveling this summer, this shop hop is a fun one to participate in because you do not need a shop hop passport and you do not need to purchase anything! You do need to collect the free row pattern in person so have fun hopping!

Enjoy,
~Jennifer

Aviatrix Medallion Border 2 + Oregon Coast

Posted on May 26, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

My Aviatrix Medallion quilt now has colorful border 2 added, and I’m working on stitching the units together for border 3 today. You can purchase the pattern and follow the quilt-along on Elizabeth’s blog, Oh Fransson.

Border 2 went together fairly quickly as the piecing was simple.

Aviatrix Medallion, Border 2 Added

Before I had the chance to add the sashing border to border 2, my cat inspectors arrived. I think my little grey kitty likes it!

Cats Inspect Aviatrix Medallion

My family and I took a nice day trip this holiday weekend to visit the Oregon Coast, specifically the Newport area to tour several tall ships, the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain. The weather was gorgeous!

Tall Ship – the Lady Washington

Later that afternoon, the tall ships were scheduled to take ticketed passengers on special tours. We drove over to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse Natural Area to see if we could see the ships. Although we didn’t have binoculars, we did spot them out in the ocean.

Yaquina Head Natural Area with Tall Ships in the Distance

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse is a great place to visit with walking paths, tidepools, a visitor’s center, and the light itself. The fee is $7 per car. Near the lighthouse, we spotted 2 bald eagles on a tree. We saw them in flight carrying meals back to the tree. I wish I had a better camera lens for close-up photos!

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

We walked down to the tide pool area. Our 8-year-old loved this part of our trip! We saw quite a few critters in the tide pools.

Tide Pool Area and Agate Beach in the Distance

Tide pool critters

We ended our day trip by walking along Agate Beach, searching for treasures. We didn’t find any agates, but we had a fun time walking the tall ships sail out for a second excursion. The dog loved it too!

Dog on Agate Beach

Hope you had a safe and happy holiday weekend! Thanks to all who have served our country.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Scott Lake Quilted Postcard, Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

Posted on April 11, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Each year, the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show has a special fundraiser called Wish Upon a Card. Participants make fabric postcards to be auctioned during the quilt show week.

This year, I decided to make a fabric postcard featuring Scott Lake with the Three Sisters in the background. For inspiration, I used a photograph that I took at Scott Lake last fall during a camping trip.

Here’s my original picture:

Scott Lake at Sunset

It’s such a beautiful place and worth the short drive from Sisters if you are visiting the area.

I printed out my photo and then started to look in my scrap bin for fabrics to use. I’m entering the Michael Miller fabric challenge with this postcard so I needed to incorporate a piece of the Beadwork fabric into my design.

I decided to use the Beadwork fabric to represent the green meadow on the far side of the lake.

I built my postcard by layering the sky and water to form a solid foundation piece. Next, I carefully cut out and appliqued the mountain, lake, and tree shapes to this foundation using various colors of Aurifil thread. I added rocks to the water, a cloud to the sky, and a stick along the grass in the foreground.

Once all the shapes were appliqued, I used embroidery floss to add extra details such as the hint of tree trunks and late summer snow on the mountains. Finally, I layered the completed fabric postcard top with interfacing and cardstock and bound the edges using a black color weave fabric by P&B Textiles.

Here’s a look at the finished fabric postcard side-by-side with my printed photo:

Scott Lake Fabric Postcard and Picture

Here’s a close-up look of the fabric postcard:

Scott Lake Fabric Postcard for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

I really love how this fabric postcard turned out, and I’d be so thrilled to be one of the finalists!

I plan to attend the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show this year, and I always stop by the wonderful postcard exhibit and auction.

Happy quilting!
~Jennifer

A Weekend of Rocky Hiking!

Posted on March 26, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Last weekend, we decided to spend the first part of spring break doing some short hikes in central Oregon. The weather was perfect for hiking with bright sunshine and highs in the 60s.

On our first hike, we visited Balanced Rocks. These rocks were revealed in 2002 when a wildfire burned down the surrounding forest. Since then, the Forest Service has established a short 1/2 mile walk to the balanced rock overlook. Once at the overlook, you can walk down into the balanced rocks to explore them up close, if you don’t mind a little scrambling along the loose terrain.

Behind the rocks, you can see part of the Cascade Range including Mt. Jefferson in the foreground and Mt. Hood way in the distance.

Balanced Rocks Hike with Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood

The short walk out to the rocks is suitable for all ages. Older kids can easily scramble down with you to view the formations up close.

A Kid-Friendly Hike

Here are some up-close views of the balanced rocks:

Balanced Rock and Mt. Hood

Balanced Rock Close-Up

Balanced Rocks with Tree in the Middle

To get to the Balanced Rock hike from Cove Palisades State Park, follow the signs towards Perry South campground. You’ll be on a paved road for about 12.2 miles until it turns to gravel. Drive another 0.3 miles and you’ll see a small turn-out on the right. Park here for the trailhead. The trailhead sign seems to have disappeared but you will see some posts, boulders, and a gravel path:

Balanced Rocks Trailhead

The next day, we decided to hike up Misery Ridge Trail at Smith Rocks State Park near Redmond. Yes, the trail is actually called Misery Ridge due to the steep switchbacks. The trail is about 2/3 mile up to the top with stunning views of the Cascade Range.

Smith Rocks with Black Butte in the Background

Although the trail is steep, kids can definitely do this hike with you provided you have plenty of water and snacks. I highly recommend doing this hike before it is too hot outside. The trail down is often slippery due to the loose rock so take your time and watch your kids.

View along Misery Ridge Hike

A Little Hiking Dude!

Once on top, enjoy some snacks and the view of Cascade Range!

Cascade Range from Smith Rocks

A great family hike!

Misery Ridge Trail loops around the top

These 2 small hikes were the perfect start to spring. We really enjoy exploring all the beautiful places here in Oregon. If you have a favorite hike, let me know!

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Giveaway Winner!

Posted on February 24, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Last week, I blogged about a Downton Abbey tea party and fabric trunk show that I attended at the amazing Fabric Depot in Portland.

I had a Downton Abbey themed thread pack to giveaway and used a random number generator to pick the winner today.

The winner is . . .
Alexis from Cob Cottage Craft- congratulations!!!

Alexis, please email me your contact details at quiltedcat07@gmail.com, and I will get the thread in the mail to you.

On Sunday, we took an impromptu drive to the Oregon coast to enjoy a walk before the rain moved back in to the area. We got about 2 hours of dry conditions before the rain and winds prompted us to go have lunch. The temperature was about 50 degrees so a little chilly, but very nice for February!

I saw a flock of seagulls perched just inside the surf and snapped this photo: