Thursday 28 March 2019

Finished!!

it is a bright one but cheerfully Spring
 This one was a labor...but not love, maybe like. I do love the colours and especially the fabric in the set in triangles but the pattern had a few design flaws.They were found before any cutting happened but little did I realize the flaws would follow right to the end with the set in triangles and the final trimming of the quilt.I also switched the position of four blocks different from the pattern...no one would ever know!!! But it is a finished quilt top and that is a good thing!!

Now does anyone want to buy a finished quilt top!?!?!

Sunday 24 March 2019

Argggg...what was I thinking!!

first blocks completed last October
A bad sewing day...sort of like a bad fishing day...is there such a thing?!?! Well today was a bit of a "if it could go wrong it did"!!
one of these corners is a little OFF!!!!
Have you ever started a quilt pattern knowing there was an error in the pattern. How did you feel, did you want to stop or carry on? Well I did the latter...jumped in with both feet. I knew of the error and made the necessary corrections.  BUT today I am fighting a bit of lack of sleep and little things kept happening to me. First I cut too many pieces, I had enough for 8 blocks instead of 4. Then once I started sewing them together and pressed them so seams would be butting, I found a seam that wasn't playing nice?!! One look told me why, I had sewn the block in the wrong way(see the green block above). But I persevered and got the four blocks done. Take a second look, these blocks are pieced the same but the colour placement is different. I must add that this quilt has been sitting on my cutting table since the Fall, so I decided it needed finishing. I am aiming to have it done to show at our June banquet.

one day 4 blocks-shouldn't be that hard
After all that mind-boggling sewing...I just want to sit down with some easy peasy hand sewing with my hexies. I will be checking in with Kathy and checking in to see what everyone else is doing on this slow stitching Sunday!

Sunday 17 March 2019

Happy St. Paddy's Day

Some green content for the day
creek is thawing
The wearing of the green, Irish blessings and drinking of green beer(not one of my favs) happens today! A sign that Spring is around the corner. Unfortunately I think I am living on a circle....no corners for miles and lots of snow that has to leave before we will see Springlike conditions.The creek in our backyard has opened up and is flowing. Two otters were playing on the snow and left their mark overnight.
golden retreiver/mountain goat!!
banks were almost my height 5'2",rain has taken them down
The snow has come off our garage too. To the point where the dog can get up on the roof (which is about 8feet high on the short side)




I continue to work on my tumbler quilt top, not working with green fabric today. I could/should be trying to finish the quilt above which would fit the theme of the day but a quilter must follow her moods. My mood says tumblers today!!

I have checked in with Kathy and slow stitching Sunday which for me will happen later this afternoon. A friend (who sells Sipology Teas) is having a tea party and I am taking along my hexies to stitch on while we enjoy a cup and some sure to be lively conversation!

Enjoy your day and the week ahead.

In the words of the Irish Rovers"may you be a half an hour in heaven before the devil knows you're dead!"


Saturday 16 March 2019

International or World Wide Quilt Day

We don't really need a special day but it is a good excuse and what is a girl to do but sew patchwork...of course after all the snow shoveling is done! We have had all kinds of weather since Thursday....rain, sleet, more rain and then snow!Not complaining because all this snow has to go away slowly or we will be building arcs pairing up!!!haha DH even made supper so I could keep sewing...I was in the zone !

The last few days I have been helping my sister make a baby quilt. I supplied the fabric, design ideas and the cutting and she has been sewing the top together. Mitered borders were added last night. I didn't even take a photo. She will be basting it here as well as quilting it on my machine. So hopefully I will have a chance to take a pic later.



        I know I should be quilting and finishing a project myself...but this is what I want to work on today. Tumblers that were left over from Bonnie Hunter's leader ender from a couple of years ago. I threw caution to the wind and just sewed the pieces together without worrying about placement and now trying to put them in rows without similar ones touching.....well let's just say the seam ripper isn't far away!!
Hope you all found some time to fit in some quilting today! Come visit tomorrow when I visit my friend Kathy and her slow stitching movement!!

Sunday 10 March 2019

Spring ahead.....cruel joke!!

March and I still love a snowfall
Spring ahead to warmer temps and Springlike weather.....NOT!!! Definitely a cruel joke this morning with freezing rain hitting the window hard enough to wake me. It has been switching from snow to rain and back again all day. Good reason to stay indoors and sew...well a nap did happen too!
basting hexies
After my last post, I have been feeling better although the cough is still hanging on.Thanks for all the well wishes I received. I hate being sick!! DH found a way for me to watch Canadian men's curling(we don't have TV anymore) so many hexies were made this week and sewn into diamonds for my quilt that has been a work in progress for many years....5 or 6!!This was my view that I missed putting in a post last Sunday. I was stitching along with Kathy and everyone else too!
tumblers getting put all in a line/row
In between waiting for matches to appear on you tube...I got to do some sewing. I made a tumbler quilt a couple years ago when Bonnie Hunter had it as her leader and ender challenge. Recently my daughter mentioned how she liked the quilt and could I make her one. Well, I had enough already cut to get started, only had to cut some of the muslin ones to keep sewing. So some time was spent sewing them up this weekend.
I have finished this large quilt that was a somewhat mystery quilt for guild. I have had the pattern sitting on my cutting table for a couple years and really wanted to do it. Being on the program for the guild, I brought it up as a project we could do and it was accepted. I took it a step further, summoning my inner Bonnie Hunter...I did string piecing on the background pieces. This used up a lot of scraps that would otherwise be sitting in my bushel basket still. It also added to the length of time it took me to do the quilt..but what character it also added.
my Sara Joe..aka Samatha Claire
I am checking in with my friend Kathy and looking at what everyone is slow stitching on today. Great to see some hand quilting happening. I love hand quilting and would love to have one on the poles but renovations are underway right now and it just isn't a good time for that. So I will have to settle for sewing and maybe some machine quilting!

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 ...