Yesterday I got the sweetest mail from the lovely Joy (no blog) up in Bundaberg. She read my post about my love of birdies and sent me the most gorgeous gift of a little painting of a Fairy Blue Wren painted by her very talented husband Dave....it is so sweet.
Also speaking of gifts our very own Swap Queen Cheryll sent me a couple of her quilt labels a while ago and I was very happy to use it on my sneaky peek project.
Ok I must go and help that little faerie find my drawing and then hopefully I might get to do a little stitching.
Oh! Before I go. Can you lovely ladies that do lots of cutting and piecing please tell me which cutting mat you use. I had a lovely Olfa for years which died a year ago. I bought another variety and it is shocking. It is furrowed already and blunts my rotary cutter blades constantly and as I have neck and shoulder issues I can't do a lot of cutting battling with blunt blades. Please help!!!! Love to know your thoughts.
Love and enjoy the special people in your life. Have a great weekend.
Blessings Michelle xxx
Olfa cutting mat.....definitely stick with Olfa. What a lovely painting of the little blue wren - and your circles have come together very well, haven't they!
ReplyDeleteWow love your circles are impressive,well done. The biggest size Olfa mat from Spotlight I find has been the best. So happy you love Daves little bird,he is so sweet(as Dave is) . Cheers.
ReplyDeleteYour circles are looking fantastic. I say stay with the Olfa too.
ReplyDeleteYour circles are great.. coming together nicely and I just love the blue wren... they are positively my favourite birdie.. hope the fairy finds your lost drawings... My main mat is Sew Easy... I have used it for a few years and it is doing very well... it was just the one recommended from the sewing shop when I first started
ReplyDeleteHugz
My OLFA mat is 23"x35" and it is only my second mat since the 80's. The first one I left in the car on a hot day and it rippled and had to be thrown away. This one came from Walmart in USA many years ago but is still going strong. The little bird is so sweet, lucky you!
ReplyDeletexx debbie
I think Olfa is the best. Your circle quilt is looking good. Hugs......
ReplyDeleteI also use Olfa and have had it for quite sometime now and it is still great . Your circles are looking great and I often piece borders , in fact most of the time . Oh the little bird painting is just delightful , lucky you . Hugs Sheila
ReplyDeleteLove your circles Michelle - great way to showcase those beautiful fabrics
ReplyDeleteCircles look great - and yes I hate joins like that too - you just have to "quilt it out" as "they" tell me!!!
ReplyDeletegreat question about the cutting mat - I need a new one - when I used the one I have now (Birch) at retreat a year ago, someone said mine felt really hard and was dulling their blade, so I might treat myself to an olfa one soon too - thanks everyone for the input!!!
Beautiful circle quilt and your painting gift is delightful.
ReplyDeleteLove your circles quilt! What a sweet painting of the little bird-delightful gift, indeed.
ReplyDeleteOlfa is my favorite brand of mat.
Your circles top looks fantastic Michelle. The backing block fabric is the perfect backdrop for the circles. Makes them stand out.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when I have to cobble together borders but honestly once its quilted nobody but you will notice.
I hear Olfa is very good ...I have a Birch cutting mat and its holding up well but I change my mats every couple of years because it gets used almost daily.
Your circles look great Michelle. Isn't that little blue wren gorgeous! I've been using the same Olfa mat since I started quilting back in 1993 (oh, that's 20 years ago)! It is a large one (35" x 25"). I did knock it putting it away last year and it cracked about 3 inches on the bottom but still works perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThat circle quilt looks amazing together. Love the wren painting too.
ReplyDeleteThe circle quilt is looking fabulous...
ReplyDeleteOlfa, definitely Olfa - self-healing, good cushioning for cutting on, doesn't dull the blades as fast because it isn't such a hard surface as the cheaper mats are and will last you for years so ends up being cheaper in the long term than constantly replacing (and you save money with blades lasting longer too!).
HI! REALLY LIKE OLFA!
ReplyDeleteLIKE YOUR LITTLE QUILT LABEL,IS THAT A STAMP? CAN IT BE ORDERED?
HAPPY STITCHING!
msstitcher1948@yahoo.com
The painting is so lovely - a beautiful thoughtful gift. I love the Olfa mat - we tried a different sort at work (cant remember the brand name) and I really don't like it!! Get the biggest you can!!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see your progress with the pattern writing and the circle quilt.
ReplyDeleteAnd it looks like you and your daughter had a lovely day from what I have read in your next post. Good entertainment, food and company - jackpot!
Your circle quilt is looking fantastic and your little wren painting is beautiful, lucky you!
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