The beginning of a New Year

 Happy New Year and I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday.

I feel like I need to introduce myself and tell  a little about myself as I have been absent for far too long. I couldn't believe, when I looked, that it has been 1 1/2 years. Much too long! Maybe that should have been a clue for me. 

As most of you know I lost my hubby in February of 2021. Life goes on  and and it did and so did I or so I thought. After 4 years it all caught up to me and life stopped for a couple months this Spring. Grief isn't something you go through but something that is with you for the rest of your life. I am learning to allow the grief in because where there is grief there was a great love. I truly believe that and hope sharing my story will help someone else.

So with that all said it took me a long time to get back into sewing. I did do embroidery when I finally felt like doing something. That lead to hand quilting and slowly I am getting back to my hobbies. There are days when I just want to sit and do nothing and other days when hand quilting gets me going and I don't want to stop.

 I have a few deadlines of projects that I have to get done. Nothing like a deadline to get you moving. First up is a baby quilt made from a great grandfather's shirts. A little hard as I don't know if it is a boy or girl. After that memory bear, finishing a quilt for a friend that her mother started and repairing 2 quilts that my grandmother made. Add to that some work for my guild, I am part of the program committee and samples have to be made.

I am trying to make this year a positive one and year of small changes that will move me forward. Not with leaps and bounds but baby steps. So come along for the ride with me and see what is going to happen!

Getting it done!

3quilt from gift box

not enough binding

 

This week has been a week of designing, my favourite thing I think! I was "gifted" two boxes of a quilter's sewing room. They were filled with some books, rulers and lots of fabric. Not all the fabric was 100 percent cotton but it does make nice quilts regardless. Polycotton is where I started on my quilting journey and it makes you very thankful for real cotton when doing projects. Seasoned quilters will know what I mean! There were also some blocks already made so I decided to create two quilts. They will go to my niece's two girls whose great grandmother made them(she was also where the boxes came from). I also made a smaller quilt for the NICU at my local hospital. I just couldn't let that little poodle panel go! My niece also asked if I could make a baby quilt for a little girl. It will also come from the gifted box of fabric. There was a panel I found that I will add blocks to but I haven't got that one done yet. It is still in the designing stage. I also included a pic of some binding, I didn't have quite enough by 1/2"...argggh!! Luckily I had more fabric and just had to add in a bit!

birthday gift

My other finishes include a quilt for my brother-in-law for his 70th birthday! He is a hunter so this was very appropriate. And OMG my hexie quilt top is finished. It seems like I have been working on this one forever. I have been blogging since 2013 and I had already started it then by a couple of years. You can read about that here. Although I didn't work on it full time, in the last three years I have put the push on to get it done. It will be going on the quilting frame soon.

The summer is continuing and I have a couple projects that I have to work on and get done before September. A friend and I put together a mystery quilt for our guild to do over the summer and the final reveal will be in September. So I want to have my first sample finished and have the second sample at least put together!

OMG so excited to start handquilting

                                                                                                                         

I visited my friend Kathy  and she is stitching up a storm.  I always feel like I am not doing enough when I see all that she is up to. Today is slow stitching day, so put some thread to fabric and relax!

Things to do....Squirrel!!

Beautiful eyeliner lilies

garden is growing

Popping in to visit when I should be binding, sewing or stitching. The hot weather has taken a break and I have all the windows open even though it is a bit chilly. The fresh air feels so good and thought it would help me to get moving but here I am typing on my blog and playing catch up with all of you!

Everyone said it was going to be a hot summer, so far hot and muggy  spells mixed with rainy days a nice mix. All that rain is making the garden grow. I can already see a difference from May blog post to today. I am finally eating fresh lettuce and onions and the peas have become pods and are growing!

blocks done, top to come

The sewing room has been buzzing. I pieced a toddler quilt and it sits blocks done waiting to become a top. My hand quilting has become a Wednesday with the girls project and is about half done. Two friends and

hand quilting in Q-snap frame

 I are doing the 365 blocks quilt with Kathryn Kerr. I have fallen behind and hope to be caught up by this weekend. You can read about my start here. There is another finish about to happen but will share more on that after it is gifted.

My long term hexie

 project is nearing completion. I have a small part of the last border to attach and complete a section of one of the other borders and the top will be done. Then I will have to think about how I would like to finish it. I do believe with all the hand stitching I have done on it, that it should be hand quilted. My quandary is do I follow the lines of the quilt or do an all over pattern like Baptist fans? I do not want to go around each hexie!

August will be prepping for guild in September as a friend and I are the program committee. We plan all the projects we will be doing for the coming year. We left them in June with the start of a mystery quilt. They got to see the quilt top but they are getting clues each month of the summer to finish and in September we will give them the layout. I have made two of these quilts and hope to have at least one done for the reveal in September.

Hope your summer is going well and that you fit in some quilting/sewing around vacay and family gatherings!

Holiday weekend

 The first long weekend that signals the beginning of summer. While I was suppose to travel to visit my daughter, plans changed and I am home getting lots of things done. I have been working on my gardens and have only a few more things to  plant. My body however has other plans and is warning me to sit and rest. So once again in my favourite chair on the front porch enjoying the gentle breeze and the shade(for now till the sun comes around the house). Been here too long the bugs have found me!

mini quilts for stuffys

This past week I was part of a mini retreat. We rented a banquet area of the local golf course and had 3 days of sewing. I unfortunately could only go Monday and Wednesday. My furry critter doesn't like me being gone that many days in a row. I didn't do any sewing by machine at this retreat, I set up my Qsnap frame and did hand quilting for the two days. Oh how I have forgotten how much I enjoy hand quilting. This might be the kickstart I need to getting one onto the big frame soon! While at retreat I was given a couple baggies of scrap triangles. I have turned most of them into little stuffy quilts. Last night I sandwiched, quilted and bound them. Quick work fun and done!

lilacs almost ready

Today after working outside a bit and then cleaning inside, how does it get so messy if I am outside!?! I am planning on catching up on my 365 blocks. I am about a week behind.

After I see what Kathy is slow stitching today, I will be heading indoors where it is much cooler. I like the sunshine but not the hot temperatures anymore.
Have a great week!

forget me nots in bloom

Let me introduce myself....

 It would seem that maybe I should re-introduce myself as I have been away from blogland for way too long. I have heard from some of my readers that they thought I disappeared. Let me catch you up!

March was a warmer than usual month, well our whole winter was warm with not much snow so when the temperatures started to rise it didn't take long for the snow to leave. So in March when the snow starts to melt I start thinking of maple syrup production and this year it happen early. I started around March 2 and was all done in two weeks. The week I finished was the same week last year that I began so that tells you how early sapping season was this year. Before I knew it March was over and we were into April.

April was a crappy weather month. You just didn't know from one day to the next or even from morning to afternoon what was going to happen. I spent April catching up in my sewing room. I took on the 365 day challenge, doing a block a day for one year. Friends Mallory and Pearl are also working on the same challenge with me. Took most of April but I did get caught up and now I wait each day for the next block to come out. If you haven't heard of this Kathryn Kerr has been doing it for a few years. Check it out! This is my top so far, no surprises I am working in blue.

stuffies with quilts

charity quilt

 I have also finished a couple quilts for gifts for friends, some charity quilts and even completed a few of my own UFOs. My friend Natalie and I are doing a sort of mystery quilt for our guild ladies. We have started the installments and they will continue to receive them all summer. Our hope is they will play along and in September we will give them the final instructions on how to put all the blocks together. Pics of that quilt will come at the end of summer. I have already made one top and the blocks are made for a second one. Luckily it is not a large quilt.

playing with scraps

Call it Spring fever or cabin fever, but this Spring I have found myself "squirreling" a lot! My mind is wandering and I can't seem to settle. So it is no surprise when rereading all that I have done in April that I now find myself in May!! Now my sewing/quilting will have to share time with gardening and lawn mowing!

tulips about to open

spent some sitting time

Fighting a head cold, I couldn't resist going outside for a bit yesterday. I installed  the wooden screen door and brought out my favorite chair. I even planted some gladiola bulbs that had started to grow in my garage. Thought the fresh air would make me feel better and it did, also aired out the house and hoping to chase those nasty cold germs away.

Although I have been MIA, I am still very much a blog reader. Keeping up with the goings on here and there and especially with my friend Kathy and her slow stitching day. Sunday afternoons are my stitching time while I watch the Nascar races!! Will check in with Kathy and all her followers once I get this long post up!!

Spring runoff just about done

You just never know!

 The other day a friend texted me and asked if I recognized the photo she sent me. It was a photo of a quilt, one that I had made last year and donated to our local hospital. She told me her granddaughter was at the hospital for a procedure and it was the little one's birthday so the hospital gave her the quilt. When my friend saw the quilt and the label she just had to let me know. It feels good to know these quilts I make and donate do find a home. For the most part I don't know where they go or who has them. Needless to say that made my day!! You can read about this quilt from a previous post here.

mystery clues almost done

This week I have been catching up on my Bonnie Hunter mystery. I thought I had 3 clues done, nope only 2 completed. I now have up to clue 6 done and clue 7 is on the machine to work on today. That is my daytime work and for the evening I usually am found watching a movie and knitting. I have finished my socks so I started a sweater I bought the yarn for last Fall. I think it is time to get to it!

A couple friends and I are also starting the 365 challenge quilt. It started January 1 so we are a bit behind!!They are small blocks mostly 6 inch finished but the starting blocks are 3 inch finished. Shouldn't take long to catch up. I have a bushel basket full of scraps and my intention is to use it only to complete this quilt. Wonder if I can do that!?! We are planning to only work on these blocks on Wednesday when we sew together. I will keep you posted how things go with that.

Once this is posted I will pop in and visit Kathy and all the slow stitchers.

Hope you have a great week!

P.S. short post as the computer isn't cooperating!

Batting has arrived!!

 Why is the fact that batting has arrived important...before Christmas I ran out! I did not even have big enough pieces to sew together for a quilt. I was fortunate to be gifted some for Christmas (thanks Louise) and some for a birthday gift(thanks Barb). My piranhas are so good to me!! Then another friend played pick up and delivery service for an order of two rolls. I should be good for a bit!!

latest finish

So to put the batting to use I finished a quilt for a friend to gift. I made the quilt and she put the words on it. Looks pretty good, the words make it even more special. You can read more about this quilt here. Also the socks in that blog post are finished too! Then I moved onto finishing a quilt of valour as I needed the safety pins that it was basted with. This week I have finished a lap quilt that I will be gifting in February and have basted a toddler quilt for my great nephew that I hope to get to today. Wow that seems like a lot but in between there I have been curling and there was one full week of shovelling. Seems more like Spring here right now but I know winter isn't done with us yet!

Here is a fun thing that I have done for a couple of years now. I save all the thread spools that I empty and see what I have at the end of the year. Of course not totally accurate as some were used in the previous year and some spools aren't empty yet but it is a good showing of the sewing I have done. A couple of those spools are hand quilting thread too.

It is getting to be that time of the year for me, I usually set up a quilt to hand quilt during February and March so I can quilt and watch curling championships on TV. I wonder which one in my pile I will chose...might be next week's post when I get to that!! But for now going to get a coffee and sit and see what the slow stitchers and Kathy are up to today.

Have a great week everyone and remember there is always something, however small, to be grateful for!