It Is Hot! and other odds and ends

We've finally got a heat wave here in southern Ontario - I wasn't looking for one, but here it is. It is almost too hot to sew - almost, but not entirely.

I took these photos much earlier this week, then got sidetracked and now I'm going to get them posted.

I'm on Instagram as @howmytimeflies. Last week I posted the pillowcases I made for me nieces - here they are again in case you've forgotten (or need cooling off by thinking about cold weather)

All the fabric is by Ann Kelle and I used her name as a hashtag on the post. I was thrilled when she liked them - she is second from the top. 

This week I've been working on quilting the swoon quilt I pieced last summer. It's for my cousin's daughter who is now five. They are home for a bit this summer and I'm trying to finish it so they can take it home on the plane (and I don't have to pay for shipping). I've been using my stencils and a frixion iron off pen. I thought about FMQing it but it's too hot. It's going well - except for the odd bobble (see photo below)

I've been trying out this mat that I borrowed from someone. It's pretty slick and I'm going to invest in one myself. I'd seen them in an Angela Walters Craftsy class and I wanted to try it out before I invested in one (the cheapest I've found is about $35 for an 8" x 11"). It's silicone and sticks to the machine bed with magic of some kind - not static and not glue - maybe its a property of the silicone. It has reduced the drag on the quilt and I'm happy with that. My arms and shoulders and wrists don't get so sore or tight either. One caution - it is more slippery and sometimes the quilting got away from me - see photo above. Here's the product info

I've also made some progress on the wedding quilt for the cousin mentioned above. She's only been married 7 or 8 years now. It's a red and white hunter's star and is actually half pieced already. Here are the remaining pieces in triangles:

And this is the next sewing step. I've actually got some into a square since I took this photo. Stay tuned for more to follow.

Stay cool and keep sewing!