And that's a wrap...or a finish!

One month, 25 days(but who's counting) and the quilt I have been hand quilting is done and off the frame. That was the easy part apparently. Yesterday I started the binding and knew I would have a bit of an issue but OMG it was the first time I have had so much trouble putting a binding on.

how it looked on frame

While the quilt was on the frame, the outside border got stretched a bit(I use crosswise grain borders). This left the outside of the quilt on the two long sides a bit wonky! While I was sewing the binding on, I got puckers in the border. I ripped it out twice and then decided to hand baste the border to the batting. I helped a bit. The worst part was  in the area where I had to join the two ends. I should have made that join on a side that wasn't wonky. I realize that now.

In my head I could hear Angela Walters saying "a finished quilt is better than a perfect quilt" or whatever that line is she says! I have decided I will be keeping this one for myself anyways. I just love all the quilting in it. With no helpers to hold the quilt, the best I can do is the front lawn and climb on a chair on the deck. I did however get a couple good shots of the quilting as the sun was setting the evening I took it off the poles.

quilting on back

more of quilting on back

So today after getting the binding all on and in place that quilt was set aside and I worked mostly on my hexie quilt. That was a lot of slow slow stitching for today. I now have a permanent hole in my one finger and oh does it hurt. So thimble is needed for any hand stitching even binding.That was my playing along with Kathy and slow stitching for today.

finished quilt without binding

Check in with Kathy's blog and see what everyone is doing to keep busy. We are doing well in my area and I am hoping that by summer's end if not before we will be back to regular life!! Take care!

Happy Father's Day

Wishing all the fathers, dads, stepdads and father figures a happy day. To those near, far, and no longer with us, they are all special!

veggies are growing

poppies done but more flowers coming

It has been a busy couple of weeks. The gardens are a lot of work but they are starting to pay off. The onions and lettuce are ready for salads, and other things are growing and enjoying this hot weather but we could really use some rain. My lilacs are done and now my other flowers are starting to bloom. This flowerbed was covered with poppies in bloom but they are all done now too. I add flowering annuals to this bed with the hope that it will be more colourful in the coming months.

daughter and DH

Our daughter and her boyfriend came home last weekend for a visit. We have not seen each other since Christmas. It was a fun weekend filled with lots of fishing, a Saturday night fish fry and birthday homecoming cake. She thought of it as her birthday which is in July but as it is, she celebrates for the whole month. We weren't letting her start too early!! Got to mention those shirts. She gave us each one as a late Easter gift. My friend's daughter sells them under the brand " Bear and Fox Apparel."Nice shirts and very warm as it was a cold weekend...almost needing winter coats to fish in! Quite a change to this week with temps in the 90's!

working in other direction

So with all that not much quilting was getting done. I have worked on my hexies while fishing and that is a growing quilt. I have flipped the frame for hand quilting as I got to the point of not being able to turn it anymore. So now I have to work from the other side. I figure two more weeks and I should be putting binding on it!! I am so excited to have this one finished. If this isolation keeps up I may just put another one on the frame to work on. It is very relaxing doing hand quilting.

The sunset the other night was beautiful. It is hard to get a good pic with houses, hydro lines and other man-made things in the way, but I try!

I be will checking in with Kathy who had a birthday this past week. Check her blog and send her some birthday wishes and see what everyone is slow stitching on today!

Have a great week!

Relaxing Sunday morning

lake view

 

 

DH has headed out to do some errands and hit a store or two before everyone even gets out of bed. It is quieter and there are less people. I am not minding letting him go to the store while I stay at home.

I worked a bit in the garden yesterday, no bending, so crawling on hands and knees. It saved my back a bit but today will still be a relaxing day for me and quilting will be on the agenda.

 I can almost see the other end of the quilt on the frame. You can read more about it here as I had a mid week roll and will hopefully get another one done today! That would put me 3 weeks ahead of schedule....yahooo!

I have also been working on my hexies again. I take them out every now and again. This week we were out fishing from shore and while watching and hoping the bobber would duck underwater(meaning I caught a fish)I finished 4 more hexie diamonds for my top. It is the perfect take-along sewing that I can drop in a flash to reel in the big one!! I did catch one pike!

This is my second post with the new blogger format. Is anyone 

else using it and having problems or issues. Once I found the new post button, I was okay. There are a few new things and just learning where all those needed buttons and keys are will take some getting use to.This old dog is going to have to learn some new tricks!!I know it is hard changing and learning new things but lets see what we can do!

With coffee in hand I will be sitting here after I post to see what is happening in Kathy's world and those that join her for slow stitching Sunday. Hope you all have a great day and allow yourself to do something nice for you, we deserve it!!

New Things

My friend Kathy wrote today on her blog about blogger changing. I wasn't even aware but after reading a bit, it was in the header of my account, I decided to give the new one a shot. Some ladies commented on Kathy's blog that they found it new and not too much different but we will see. I am writing this post as a trial.

pink border at wall is almost finished

So yesterday I had another sort of mid week roll of the quilt. Now I am 2 weeks ahead of schedule. I can also  see the other end of the quilt. I had to turn the frame all the way to the end to straighten out the quilt top, pinned it and rolled the frame back to where I left off. I was fearful that I might run out of backing but I will be okay, thankfully!!

I picked some lilacs yesterday and put them in a vase and with the warm weather we are expecting today...their fragrance is filling my sewing room!! Heaven!! So that is where I will be spending the day, quilting away!

smell so pretty