Eve of a New Beginning

#6 and 5

parts to go with #6

As I sit and write this, it is the day before the beginning of not just a new year but a new decade as well. Remember when we were young and thinking of 2020 brought thoughts of flying cars, robots and other Jetson family related things. Although our cars are faster, they still have tires on the ground. How can it be that it has been 20 years since 2000 when we thought all sorts of strange things were going to happen. Enough with pondering the past, let's look to the future.

Today I cut and cut some more. Bonnie Hunter release another clue for her mystery today. If you missed it or thought you would have to wait till Friday, better get on it. I am a bit behind because I was away for Christmas but intend on getting caught up fast. I also have two BOM to do for guild. Once those are all done, I will be onto quilting. Getting my new machine up and running. I will have to baste a quilt first. There isn't a shortage of UFO to get finished!

After a bit of  rain/sleet/snow yesterday it has been snowing here today. It will make going to watch the fireworks(for new years eve) tonight even nicer. I love watching it snow.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Tomorrow is clean slate, a new page, in a book of 365 pages, let's write a good book for ourselves!!

Clean up!!

our little family

The Christmas holiday is over and the new year is on the horizon. We returned yesterday from our daughter's where we were for after Christmas.There is a winter storm looming so we left for home a day early just in case. So today I was putting away the gifts we received and straightening up the house. I received a large and very much wanted gift for Christmas...a new sewing machine! After playing with my friend's machine...there was no doubt that I wanted/ needed one of my very own!
So my Santa(daughter and hubby) got me a Juki 2010. Watch those UFO get quilted and disappear in the new year! Her name is Judy and she and I will be spending lots of time together!!

Ms. Judy juki

HIS

HERS

Also from Christmas I gave two quilts to my daughter and her boyfriend. Almost identical quilts but each with their own names on them...keeping the peace!! By the picture, I think they love them and they are just too cute together!! We got in a visit with some good family friends while at our daughter's too. Five hours is just too far away most days.

We are headed out for supper with DH's family tonight. We don't get together that often so these dinners together are nice. I will get to spend time with some great nieces that I haven't seen for a few months. I even have a quilt gift for one. She isn't 1 year old YET....been slacking in the new baby gifting department on that one!

So needless to say there will be no slow stitching today except for the label on the baby quilt. That won't stop me from checking in with my friend Kathy and seeing what everyone is slow stitching on today. It is the last Sunday for this year...enjoy and come back and visit in the new year!!

Little bits of time...

Trying to fit everything in and still get in some sewing time. It is working so far. Last night I cut out the pieces for clue #4 of the mystery Frolic. I had just the right amount of wonder clips too. That was a lot of triangles....but luckily I had time to sew the hst together today. The pressing will happen....just not sure when.
Is anyone else trying to figure out the layout or is it still too soon. With 41 sets required, seems to me a strange number. Oh well time will tell!!!

one set ready only 40 more to press and trim

Along with the other Bonnie followers, I have convinced at least 3 friends in my quilting group to join me in making this mystery. We will be getting together after the new year and see what clue each is up to!!

Tomorrow is Christmas eve, how did that get here so fast. Hope you are all ready and find time for a little sewing/quilting!

Tis the season!!

yummy butter tarts

Gifts purchased and made are wrapped...check! Laundry,house cleaning and baking caught up and done...check! Groceries bought and meals planned...checked! So what is a girl to do now...sew!! Yes I have time to sit down and do Bonnie's mystery clue #4 this evening. I also have two BOM from guild to catch up on. I have been staying caught up on all these projects and don't want to fall behind now. I will  have to do  some catching up next week with all the holiday chaos!

With cleaning up the sewing room I found more tumbler blocks. It is time to be done with them. So this is a top created from the found pieces...it will be for charity once completed in the new year!

Supper is starting to smell yummy so I must cut this short. I will be sewing this evening and some slow stitching with Kathy will happen as well, it will be knitting but that is slow and relaxing at this busy time of year!

I would like to take this chance to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy your holiday time with family and friends and be safe wherever you are travelling.

Crunch Time!!

Every year I say I will start earlier...every year I am shaking my head. The shopping is almost done but I have left the making of gifts to now!!yikes!!Actually I am only behind by two projects of knitting which is really not that bad!!
Labels are going on quilts today then those gifts will be done. One more quilt needs its binding finished then it will be time to knit!

Wouldn't you know it though, as I was finishing a quilt and putting the leftover fabrics away...I found another quilt to start. So it is sitting on a table patiently waiting for the right time for me to continue on it!! There will be more on this in the new year.

looking a little red actually more pink

I have started on Bonnie's "frolic"! Are any of my readers joining in? I know I have convinced 3 friends to join me. It took a week for me to do the four patches(a little at a time) then this week clue 2 was done in no time. So now I wait for Friday...I am sure it will be here before I know it.The box is filling up, can't wait to see what will be next!!
I will be joining in with Kathy for some slow stitching a little later. Binding is on the agenda and then picking up those knitting needles!

All ready....

I have my work done, dog has been walked(and me too) and now I am settling in for a day of sewing. Well just as soon as I get this blog post written and shared!

pebbles

There is apparently a storm brewing in southern Ontario and it is headed our way. So I am prepping by having lots of hand work to do in case we lose power( anything is possible).

layout I didn't like

My time with my friend's Juki machine is coming to an end. It has been a productive couple of weeks. Three quilts of valor, one quilt for youth mental health ward at our local hospital and three quilts for myself. It is amazing what you can get done when the machine is working correctly and can do the job. Also working on a deadline, I do have to return the machine to its rightful owner!! Thanks so much Bernadette for letting me borrow your machine!! :)

shells

new layout

I have been able to finish up a couple UFO in the process that have been sitting for awhile. I am especially proud of the job I did on the shell quilt. It was a mystery from a couple years ago at guild. I  chose one of the layouts(there were several to chose from) I sewed up the quilt top, and still didn't think the layout did  justice to the fabric. I finally and with much reluctance took the quilt top apart...yes the whole top!!! I designed another layout which meant I had to make a few more hst but that was okay and I am much happier with the layout now. I even decided to do some unique machine quilting on it...free motion shells and pebbles along with some walking foot work.

River Rocks

This red quilt is called River Rocks by Carla Alexiuk. She taught this quilt at a workshop at guild two years ago. She is a friend and we were part of the same guild(in the last town I lived in) some 12 years ago....we must have been young young girls when we first met!!! I am going to be binding it today. I have just enough fabric to do a two colour binding...red on the back(to brighten up that swirly black) and black on the front. Love doing the two colour binding...adds many options to completing your quilt.

binding for River Rocks

A girl can't quilt all day...she needs some down time too so that is when I knit. It is relaxing and look at the wonderful gifts it produces. When asked about payment for rental of the sewing machine from my friend Bernadette, she said she would love some home made knitted socks. I have done one pair and the red ones are the second pair. The blue pair in the photo are for me!!






Now if time allows, I will finally get to sewing up the 1st clue in Bonnie Hunter's mystery. I finally decided on fabrics. My plan was to use one fabric for each colour...which was good till I tried to find light teal in my stash...it will have to be several fabrics as will the white background I am using. I also switched out the green for a bright yellow.  I think it fits in well...thinking sunshine on those bluebonnets!!
Slow stitching will be later today with Kathy. I have another quilt(which is a gift so no showing yet) to bind as well as the River Rocks.

Oh well coffee is done and it is time to rock and roll...well maybe it is time for Christmas music instead!!! Have a great day!
Side note...I decided to add the layout of the first shell quilt...which lead to a clean out of my computer...2 hours spent doing computer work and not sewing....arrrgggg!!!!!