I'm sooo excited!!

quilt needs to be added to the wall

sewing area  with some storage

Why you ask am I so excited? Well if you read my last post(you can see it here) renovations got underway. Today the biggest part of the work is done, with just a few extras that need to be added(light fixture and curtain rod). I also want to hang a quilt on the bare wall above the ironing board. The room is very bright and airy so much so that you almost need sunglasses on the sunny days. It looks very sterile and white but is actually an off white colour with white trim. After much thinking and pondering, I figured a way to layout the furniture so I could make good use of the space and also bring upstairs my large ironing surface. My large cutting table will double as a flat area when I am machine quilting. Feeling very excited to get to work in my new space. So what is the first project...that pile on the table is a whole cloth quilt that I have had for a few years. It is time for it to be finished. I will be slow stitching with Kathy on that today...all day....as I watch curling on you tube.

our view from the sewing area of The Loft

l-r Bernadette, Trudy and me great supper

My other news is I was away with two friends last weekend. Hey Kathy we were retreating on the same weekend...great minds!! |My friend Carla of Quilting by the River has a loft that she rents out. It is a quiet, tranquil place to relax for a weekend and get some sewing/quilting projects done. No television or internet but there is cell service if you need it.I decided to take only hand work. So I had two smaller quilts to finish the binding on and then there was the whole cloth quilt. I knew I would never finish it but took my hexies and some knitting just in case I got bored. I went with my friends Bernadette and Trudy and Bernadette was our cook all weekend and everything was delicious!! We were the first "Lofters" as Carla's hubby named the users of the space.We will definitely being going back...soon!!

Well I must hurry hurry!!!(curling lingo) as the rocks are calling!! Have a great week!

Renovations!!

Tis the season! Christmas and holidays are over and the winter is stretching out before us. So DH gave me the warning I told him he would have to. I need a week to clear things away and get the room ready for him to work in. So today began the chore. It actually was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I thought to take some pics after I started cleaning so it doesn't really show the creative mess it was!!It is amazing how much dust and lint there is around on the floor and tables. New floor, fresh coat of paint and maybe new curtains and I will have a new-to-me sewing studio!
I am sure there will be some purging as things go back into place. You will have to wait till then for "after" pics!!
I am keeping a machine and work space just in case but everything else has found a new temporary home.I have a couple BOM that need to get done and preparations for a workshop that I am teaching in March. So those projects have been left readily available.

Quilting along....

binding choices(gray day here=bad photos)

but quilting lines really show up

Yesterday was a quilting day. I had spent several hours(wasted more like it) looking for a pattern or way to quilt my brightly pieced quilt. Finally I said to DH, even if I find something I am not near ready to sit down and quilt. So prep work began...find a backing and baste the quilt. Now I have heard quilters say their quilts talk to them and I have never had that happen till yesterday. While basting, the quilt talked to me about how it wanted to be quilted. I am using the walking foot and can and did do lots of continuous lines, not too many starts and stops. I was finished last night and said it just needs a  little more, so I have 12 more stars in the center of the blocks to finish today. Then it will be time to make the binding and attach it. I am doing a two coloured binding with lime green on the back and a dark pink on the front.I couldn't find a single colour that would work as the backing is a bit lighter in colour than the colours on the front of the quilt. You can see the whole quilt top from a previous post.

Now this could be my slow stitching for today but I am saving up some hand stitching for a weekend away that I am going on in a couple weeks. This will be my second binding project I get to take with me. I have started an applique project(was in my last post here) and it will be coming along too! Then there is always my hexies and some knitting.


Although I will be checking in with Kathy today, this afternoon hand stitching time will be on hold till after supper.
Love quilting on my new machine, so watch for more finishes in the coming weeks!! Enjoy your day and here's hoping that groundhog is nice to us!!!