What was I thinking?

As I write this today, I am the day after having my 4 wisdom teeth removed. I was lucky(if you call it that) to be able to have it done at my dentist office ...no surgery! That however doesn't make it any less uncomfortable. My hygienist better appreciate not having to clean them anymore. BUT with every bad thing something good should happen. I am getting a lot of couch time and hand quilting.

one block wonder with fighter jets

This past week I have also finished machine quilting two smaller quilts. My one block wonder is complete and that is one pattern I won't be repeating...been there done that!!! I also completed this colourful quilt from a curved piecing workshop. After finishing these it was apparent that something was not working correctly on my husquvarna sewing machine.It hasn't been working quite right for awhile but I thought it was just me not holding my mouth right or just the fact that I am not a fan of machine quilting. It just came back from a tune up and cleaning and now the feed dogs seemed to not be working correctly. Back to the sewing doctor to find out I need a "step motor" for my machine that sends messages to the feed dogs. Well I nailed that one...but that doesn't make the part any cheaper! Luckily I am not in need of that machine for a bit as it is going to be at the doctors for awhile.

great backing choice

free hand curves

hand quilting on a frame

On Tuesday I was giving a demo on hand quilting.Something I like to think I could do in my sleep. It was a 20 minute, all I know  about hand quilting. I talked tools of the trade and had this frame and quilt set up, then a fellow guild member finished the talk with showing how the stitching is actually done and some of her methods and techniques. So now I have this little quilt to finish for next month. I was quite surprised how many of the ladies were interested in hand quilting. Of course that didn't mean they were going home to put one on a frame or in a hoop....I don't know why not!!!
I started a list of 12 UFO that I wanted to get completed or at least work on. This week, I was able to take two of the off the list and a third is not far behind. So I am hoping with the return of my newly repaired sewing machine in a couple of weeks that I will be able to eliminate a few more off the list.
I am road tripping this weekend and hoping to hit at least one quilt store. I am with DH so one store would be a good thing!! If not I will at least get to see my baby girl who returned last week from an Australian holiday. Can't wait to see her pics and see all the things she brought home with her.

Also adding to check in with Kathy and see what everyone is slow stitching today. I will be hexie sewing in the car.

April Showers....

filler'up we're hungry

bring snowplowers in our neighbourhood!! Yes we have had snow again, last week 8-10 inches and we got a couple more over night. It is looking more like early December. I have to say it is prettier than all that yucky brown Spring stuff but enough already ...it is April. Even the poor little birds are confused!!

Oh well it just means I have more time to sew and that if what we did on the weekend. We had a workshop with the subject being  the "one block wonder"! I have to admit, not one of my favorite quilts but I was willing to try. Sorry to say but they are seem to look like a "dog's breakfast" or a hodge podge of blocks with no rhyme or reason. I made my blocks and needed a few more to fill in so I added the cubed blocks and this will be the end except for the fillers on the two sides. I am thinking right now they will be a solid black. Maybe it will have a couple borders too, so there will be more pictures as it moves along and more decisions are made.
I also finished the binding on my Allietare mystery from Bonnie Hunter. I even went the distance and did the wavy outside border. That is what I was working on last evening for my slow stitching with my friend Kathy


Today will be spent sewing one block wonder rows together. One seam at a time till it is all joined together. Turning on the tunes and getting it done!!

Hello again

our little Belle

On a good week, I am only posting once so it has been awhile! Like most people in the north I took a vacation for a week. Now don't laugh!!! I went to my DH hunt camp with him and our dog to collect sap and boil it down into a delicious treat of maple syrup.

abandon nest close to the ground

It is something he and my brother in law have wanted to do and now they can stroke that off their bucket list. Although the time there was relaxing and I got lots of knitting done...I did miss my sewing machine and quilting. With a 20 minute four wheeler ride into the bush, I was packing light and took only hand work to do. On the warmer days(not many) I sat outside knitting and watched as the sap slowly boiled away and got darker....till finally we were able to bottle our hard work to enjoy later.Did you know that warm(rather hot) sap is delicious with a tea bag in it or just alone. Talk about a sugar high though!!

moving sap from one barrel to another

So after getting home and getting caught up on laundry, groceries and all those other things we have to do, I am settling in to do some sewing. I hope my machine remembers me. My Allietare quilt came back from the long arm quilter and I got the wavy border marked and now I just have to make bias binding and sew it on. I also want to machine quilt a curvy quilt that has been waiting in the wings to be finished.So hopefully by the weekend I will have more to show quilting-wise but for now I hope you enjoy a peek at maple syrup making!!

our sugar maple bush

playing with my camera-our sap evaporator

The final result

boiling in progress

The view out the front window of the hunt camp shows we still have snow and more on the way this week. I am hoping Spring arrives soon! Have a great week.