I picked up this pattern during the CQA quilt show in Vancouver in 2022. I had seen a number of Jen Kingwell’s patterns but really liked the idea of this one. I didn’t read carefully enough though as it wasn’t one of Jen’s, but rather one of her daughters.

I have to admit that I struggled with this one. There were scads of templates that I had to draw and cut onto sandpaper. I didn’t follow the steps as listed in the pattern book (yes, it was a book) but went block by block. In hindsight it might have been better if I’d followed the instructions. As I went along, I had to redo a few of the blocks, and I added a few clouds to the sky.

On a trip to Panorama, Stacia and Deloise helped me pick out the backing for the quilt and it is perfect. I searched through all my fabrics until I found a binding that I was happy with.

It wasn’t until the call for the Guild’s 2025 quilt show came out that I got down to finishing the top.

Can you find the six fairy tales in the quilt?

Someday I hope to have great grandchildren that I can share fairy tales with as we cuddle under this quilt. I quilted it on my domestic Janome.

I was playing catch-up for the February sewing session with Stacia and Deloise so I was happy that this one was small. It may have been small but there were a lot of small pieces that went into it – 152 to be precise. I admit to having a bit of a head start on my cutting because I used squares that I had already cut for my Postage Stamp quilt. Still, it took some time to get enough pieces cut.

Once the pieces were done it was relatively simple to put them all together. Plus, I had some helpful hints from Deloise who had already done the project.

Quilting was very simple straight lines and I had plenty of time to finish up the January project during our two days of sewing.

This was my January sewing project with Stacia and Deloise, but I didn’t finish it until our February sewing day.

Appliqué isn’t my favourite technique but I happen to like stars so this was a mixture of the two. I had everything done but the quilting when I set it aside to work on quilt show projects.

When I got back to the quilting I found a method to do what looks like free-motion quilting but all done with my walking foot. I’ll use this technique often in the future.

When the Guild requested more items for the show I decided to enter this one. Except for that darker than neutral square I’m happy with it (and to be honest I never noticed that until just now).

For several years I have enjoyed virtual monthly sewing sessions with my sisters. This year we are all working from the same book (Little Handfuls of Scraps) but we each pick and choose which pattern we want to do in any given month. I look forward to an in-person sewing session with them this fall. It was quilted on my domestic Janome.

Author: Elizabeth George

Goodreads says I’ve read the book twice but I’ve never written a review (that I could find). Although the book was good I don’t want to make the mistake of reading it again.

I always like the Inspector Lynley novels; this one is the 17th in the series. It doesn’t matter a whole lot the order you read them in, although there are often hints at characters that appeared in previous books.

Lynley is working undercover, at the request of a senior officer, to verify that the death of the nephew of a wealthy family was truly an accident. He brings along Simon and Deborah St. James to help him with his inquiries. There are a number of secrets revealed along the way and there are several storylines going at the same time – all involving the Fairclough’s.

I enjoyed the book but thought it could have been better with just one less web of intrigue.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *