Winter Wonderland

this past Thursday

How appropriate that I am working on a quilt called winter wonderland when we seem to be living in one. Last week we received 8-10 inches of snow and the weatherman is calling for more this week. If you needed a good reason to stay in and sew that would be it...but who needs a reason!
I am checking my "to do list" and stroking things off it. I worked on this flimsy for a friend. She will be quilting and finishing it. She had the panel and gave me fabric to increase the size. She had some black but I didn't use it....WHY you ask? Well it ripped like paper...tissue paper. I have had this happen before and the fabric was rotten. I learned that black is especially bad for that because it is so over-dyed. Good to know and takes only  a second to check.
I have spent the last couple of days working on a baby quilt. Don't want the recipient seeing it so no pics or discussion about it but there is applique happening. It was a bit of a challenge for me, I only had a photo to make the patterns from and I am not a drawer/sketcher. I can take shapes and makes beautiful quilts but don't ask me to draw anything! I have a month to get it done so I should be okay.

In other happenings in the sewing room, I have a couple classes coming up. One is a curved pieced class next weekend(must pick out what fabric I am going to use) and the other is a One Block Wonder class(that fabric is chosen already). Like I need to start a new quilt!!!Oh well it keeps things interesting and I can't say I am bored.

Today is Sunday so that means joining Kathy with some slow stitching. I will be appliqueing the afternoon away watching Bonnie Hunter's quilt cam from the other night. Check in and see what she is up to and who is joining in on the fun.  First I have to do some snow removal!

Quilting Days

three baby tops with their backings to finish

I had one today, it was our annual baby quilt workshop. We get together and make small 24" square quilts for the neo-natal unit at our local hospital. I had one top finished and was going to quilt it there but instead I made two more tops and got the backing and batting ready for all three. That was a fun-filled day. As a guild member we are asked to make two of these each year.

Allietare is FINISHED!!! Well the top is and it is at my long arm quilter to be quilted. There was no way I wanted to quilt that one. I do think I will do the scalloped border but not sure what to use for binding as I have none of the outer border fabric left and the backing won't work(even if I had enough). So I am thinking a scrappy binding of the reds I used. I will look at that once it is back.

This week is production week. Well I am hoping for some productive time behind the sewing machine. I have started a list of the quilts and or projects I want to work on. I just have to settle down and pick one and get on with the business of sewing/quilting.

But for this evening I will be joining Kathy and doing some slow stitching on my winter wonderland blue work embroidery that I have been trying to finish. Peek in and see what others are slow stitching today. I think it is time for a chick flick and needle and thread! Enjoy!!!

Carnival weekend

Of course it is carnival weekend here in my little town. Good thing everything is indoors with a temperature of -34 this morning and only expected to rise to -25, it is a cold one.  I think it would be a good day to be ironing...something...anything just to stay warmer!!!
I have spent the week sewing up Allietare. WOW there is a lot of sewing to put this top together. I have also decided it will be going to my local longarm quilter for quilting. I am not going to wrestle with that large quilt and I am at a point now where I just want it finished. I have a few commission jobs on the horizon that need to get started and finished so that will free up time for me. I did get a small baby quilt top made and put together my star from the paper piecing class.

paper pieced hearts for a baby quilt

might be a pocket for a bag

My  sewing machine that I do my machine quilting on, was at the doctors for a checkup and cleaning and I just got her back. She is purring and ready to go. I have finished  some pieces from my paper piecing workshop from last week and they were waiting to be quilted and now I can do that.

I have picked up my embroidery project from last winter. I started it and thought I could finish it but decided no, I could get it done this winter. Hmm...well maybe it will be done for next winter. I forgot that embroidery is almost as slow as hand quilting. Oh did I mention I have a quilt basted and waiting for hand quilting too. How many irons(so to speak no pun intended) can one quilter have in the fire at once. Oh well it keeps life from getting boring.

Supper is going into the crockpot and I am off to work in the canteen at the carnival. Dressing warm even got the long johns on!!! Now I wonder if a vehicle will start or should I just walk...BRRRR!!!!

Adding a little here to complete the weekend. Sunday morning -37 and I had to go out and help make breakfast at the carnival. Cold morning..haven't seen one like that for over 20 years since I lived in Kapuskasing in Northern Ontario. Not much in the line of sewing or stitching got done today. It was an afternoon of napping and recouping for me. But check in with Kathy and see what others were slow stitching on.

Groundhog Day

starting point

2nd a little harder

some got to this point too

Yes I saw my shadow...6 more weeks of quilting!!!
This week I accomplished many things..and this is what I have to show! Yesterday I was teaching paper piece to some ladies from one of the guilds I belong to. We started out simply with a heart, moved onto a star that had 4 units and finally into arcs and a very detailed star. The ladies did wonderfully and picked up the process quite quickly. There was some grumbling and a few stitches taken out but at the end of the day...they were going home to try and finish their pieces. We weren't making anything in particular, just learning the technique. Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera but I might get some pics later from a friend who was there.

Along the way I have been sewing up my blocks from the Allietare mystery quilt.(check this link to Bonnie Hunter's blog to see some other quilts)They are actually going together quickly. Once laid out they are just a nine patch that needs sewn together except there are 50 blocks altogether.  I just wanted to get the little pieces sewn up before I lost some in my mess of a sewing room.

knitted afghan

This week I have really put the push on to get an afghan finished too. It was started by my DH's aunt(who passed away).She had many projects started that I am hoping to finish and this is the first. It is knitted and very large ...almost big enough for a double bed!! I am also amazed that our knitting styles are very similar. You would have a hard time knowing which panels I did and which she did. OR maybe she is watching over me. She was making these afghans for her 6 grandkids, so I am hoping to finish one for each of them.
I am bound and determined to finish projects this year and so far I am on course. With what got completed last week see here and what I have lined up, I should be well on my way. So today for slow stitching Sunday(no Superbowl fans here) along with some sewing of Allietare blocks, I am hoping to finally put some stitches in this pink and brown quilt I basted last week. I found a better coloured pink thread to quilt it with. Check  in with Kathy and the ladies and see what they are slow stitching this week.
Hope you all have a great week ahead!!

February 1st.....slow down already!!!

who I listened to while stitching away

How did that happen? Well I guess when you finally find your mojo after the holidays and you have your nose buried in fabric...time sure flies!!
I managed to get a lot accomplished this weekend. On Friday night DH and friends were practicing (jamming they call it) and I was able to enjoy the music from my sewing room while  I finished the binding on these two baby quilts. They might not get delivered for awhile but they are done!!

baby quilts finished

string quilt

Saturday it was time for this string wonder quilt. It is funny how the patches all looked similar but in the photo I can see where I could have put different fabrics to make it more blendy. But I like it and a good first attempt. I pinned it and quilted it with a meandering pattern and found just enough red for the binding. I would have loved to have bound it  in black but just didn't have enough to do it. Need to add black to the shopping list for the next quilt store visit!

top, backing and quilting thread choice

I like to save the binding for the evening while watching TV...so Sunday I went searching for backing. You know when you have an idea and you can't seem to find just the right fabric, never give up. Now I do have a bit of a stash to search through but I was thinking pink but couldn't find just the right one. As a last ditch effort I went into the brown box and VOILA...the perfect backing for a quilt for a young lady. Not only that but this particular piece was used before for a backing and had some cut out of it. There was just the perfect amount of fabric for the backing I needed without wasting any and it was a directional fabric. I love Karma and how it works in quilting.
My slow stitching this Sunday with Kathy was basting a quilt that now has the most perfect brown backing!!! haha  My poor little fingers are sore from all that basting too. I plan to do some hand quilting of baptist fans on the quilt to practice up for a couple other quilts I want to do this winter. I hope I can get them all done. One job or quilt at a time! Now to go and do something before I have to wander off to guild this evening. At least I will have lots to show during show and tell! Have a great week.