Brrrrr......

this morning!!it had warmed a bit -30 Celcius

Yes it has been a cold couple of weeks, with a few milder days in there too! Although I have been hand quilting and knitting...no projects are getting finished. I am in the middle of some large projects that just need time to get finished. There are a few events coming up that quilts will be required for. A guild show and tell day, our quilt show in Fall 2016 and I have lots of babies that are going to be born in the next year. Just last week I also received a request for a quilt for someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. So life is very busy!!! Good thing cause it is a good way to keep warm in these crazy cold temperatures.
There are those days when a little surprise warms your day and your heart. My friend sent me a birthday present. We are always sending each other late birthdays gifts as we live a few hours from each other. I have been enjoying my new mug and tea and the soaps smell almost good enough to eat! I will have to find a special pattern for that soft romantical fabric too!
This past weekend I was at the French River not to be mistaken for the French Riviera, although just as pretty.I spent the weekend with my friend at her house on the river. We quilted, knitted, watched movies and chatted a lot. It was like a mini holiday for me.  I never remember to take pictures.  On the way to her house I got to do some shopping. I stopped at my most favourite quilt store and bought an armful of fabric, including a fabric I have needed since last October to finish a quilt top. I also picked up a belt for my newly acquired sewing machine so I will be able to use "Penelope" this week and see how she sews.
So this morning well almost afternoon...I will clean up the house and see what mischief I can get into in my sewing room while trying to keep warm!!

P.S. I am going to link my post to Kathy's  slow stitching Sunday so you can see what everyone else has been up to lately!

Baby Quilt Day

One of the guilds I belong to hosts a baby workshop each year. We get together to make baby quilts for the neo-natal unit of our local hospital. I should have packed last night but no I waited till this morning and that is never a good thing. As I was setting up I realized I only had a walking foot and no other attachments and I had a limited supply of coloured thread with me. It seemed that my quilting MOJO was a little off this morning,but I pushed ahead and was able to get these two made. One is quilted and has the binding on and the other one needs a little more quilting and binding. Today my fellow sewing table mates learned that you can free motion quilt without a foot. Just don't get your fingers too close to that needle!!! So this evening I will be joining Kathy and slow stitching the bindings on these and finishing up the binding on my Grand Illusion quilt. I will show that later this week when it is finished!!


While uploading pictures, I came across one of our two dogs together. The puppy(on the right) is 7 months old now and weighs almost as much as the 13 year old. Where has that cute LITTLE puppy gone!?!?!?

Grand Illusion Mystery Linkup

So Bonnie Hunter  is having a linky party so we can all show off our mysteries. My top is completed and I hope by the end of this weekend it will be well on the way to being quilted too!
I went with a different colour scheme than she did and all of it was from my stash too!! I only did half the units but when it came time to put it altogether the way I did, I had to make a few more units for the border and sashing to complete it.
Now to decide how to quilt it.

A big thank you to Bonnie Hunter for another successful mystery quilt!! Looking forward to next year's!!!

I think camera needs cleaning

stack&whack stars

This week I have also finished two baby quilts and put the binding on a charity quilt. Six of us worked to get the top done, one quilted it and I put the binding on. A group effort for sure. The quilt is made of 2 1/2"and  1 1/2" squares and 1 1/2 x 2 1/2" rectangles. A shout out to Mallory,Linda,Sandra, Jackie and Jessica, our quilt looks beautiful!!

It has been a lucky week!!

Untitled art work

Well it has definitely been a winning week! On Tuesday we had an artist come into guild to talk to us about modern painting and how that related to modern quilting. He gave away a framed painting of his and I won it!!!






                                                   

Penelope will require a good spa day,case and machine

On facebook this week my cousin showed me a sewing machine that was being auctioned off. After a few comments...the price dropped from a starting bid of $30 to $10. I thought $10 wouldn't be too much for a door stop if it was that bad. Going on a picture only, I have never even touched the machine, I bid $10 and won! On Saturday I picked her up and brought her home. She requires a belt and a minor electrical wire repair but other than that she works and sews a nice seam. She is a "Piedmont". Has anyone heard of this machine? I am not able to find too much information on the internet about her. And as is customary...I have named her Penelope!!

How is it that you plan to wear your PJs and sew all day and all you have to show for your day is ....a clean shoveled driveway, 4 loads of laundry washed and dried, supper made and dishes done, manicure for one dog...OH and I got 7 of 12 blocks made, sashing and borders cut for a baby quilt. YIKES!!! I just can't seem to accomplish as much sewing wise as I use too!! haha
These are the rest of the whack and stack star blocks.  There was an extensive search for just the right colour for the sashing...leave it to DH to suggest blue! Of course it was the right choice but do you realize how many shades of blue there really are! OMG So this is how they sit on my living room floor. An open invitation of course for the puppy to come and lay down on them.

Add caption

So this evening will be my time to sit down and get some slow stitching done. I have a baby quilt to bind and if that gets done, there is always a few more blocks to go on the quilt that I am hand quilting. I have 11 of 30 blocks quilted. I started out so well doing a block a day...seems I have falled off track somehow!!
 Here's hoping the "time fairy" is good to you this week and you get lots done!!

Busy WeekS

So much for my resolution this year to blog more than once a week...blew it this week! But I do have lots to show for staying away from the computer!!

star whack and stack blocks

Last Saturday I attend a workshop at guild on whack and stack and yesterday was the second part of the workshop. I had my blocks sewn together and made into a top. So yesterday I tried my hand at whack and stack with stars instead of pinwheels. I think I like the stars more. So today I am hoping to sandwich the quilt and get a head start on the quilting. I would like to see it done for Tuesday so I can take it to another guild and it will be recorded as my first finish of 2015!!



It is very mild here today with fine snow and at time almost rain falling. I cleared the driveway of snow that fell yesterday and decided since it was mild I would take down the outdoor Christmas decorations. With all that done, I treated myself to a large mug of hot chocolate and it just isn't right without marshmallows!!
So sitting here writing my blog and linking up with Kathy for slow stitching Sunday and enjoying my mug!!She asked us to include a picture of our hand doing the work. I gotta say that is no easy task when you are right handed and only have a camera with the button on the right!!





I am a sucker for sunsets and pretty coloured skies! Yesterday morning I caught this. It really doesn't do it justice but I was lucky I got the pic at all...10 minutes later the sky was grey/blue!

Sewing Saturday and slow stitching Sunday!!

focus fabric in center & my 6 blocks so far

too cute

Now that is a weekend I can enjoy! Yesterday I attended a whack and stack class. I have never done one of these quilts.  Well I can't say that anymore and they can be addictive! After watching everyone's blocks coming together, I started thinking of all the different fabric I have that I could use! I like to make a quilt with a purpose usually. I didn't need to add to my UFO pile so I chose to do a baby quilt. This fabric has been in my stash for (let's just say awhile). I just love how the little faces of the bugs are showing up in the blocks...you can't help but smile!!I downsized my blocks too so they would be a smaller size for a baby quilt.
I have some dark fabric with fighter jets in primary colours...oh how they would make a great block!!! Stay tuned that could happen. We have part 2 of our class next Saturday!!

a few more parts must be made 

After class yesterday I was in a mood to sew. So I thought I would continue on with the Bonnie Hunter mystery. Now I was only doing half the units...BUT a bit of a problem has come to light! I find I have to go back and make a couple more units(more than half of the required blocks). Guess it is not so bad. Just something to keep in mind for the future if you think you will just make half of the units for a quilt.
I am continuing to hand quilt on my quilt. It is definitely a work in progress and I find I am enjoying my time with my hoop and needle and thread. I don't even miss my knitting. The sweater I wanted to make is at a standstill cause the wool I have is to thick for the pattern. I must find a different pattern but I really like the pattern I have. Just a bit disappointing!!!

So today will find me bopping back and forth between the sewing machine,ironing board and the hoop doing some hand quilting. Join Kathy
and the others and see what they are up to on this slow stitching Sunday!!

Christmas, New Years, My Birthday!

whack & stack fabric

Bonnie Hunter Mystery

It is always a busy time of year and to top off the holiday season my birthday. Another year older and only a bit wiser. I say only a little wiser cause by now a very wise quilter would have stopped buying fabric, kits and patterns and would have completed all those UFO's!!! I have a feeling that I am not alone in this!

Having said that, this weekend I am headed to a class at guild. We are doing whack and stack. In all the years I have quilted, I have not done one and it is time! I am in need of a few baby quilts so this will be the first one!
I am continuing to work on Bonnie Hunter's mystery. It is not going together as fast as I would like it to but if I stayed home that might help.

It has been very cold here this past week and you would think that huddling under a quilt and doing some hand quilting would be a good thing!
Even with the cold weather is doesn't seem to deter these two deer from munching at the bird feeder in my neighbour's yard!