Snowy Girl's Weekend

For the second year in a row, I spent the weekend with my good friend Susan at her home on the river. DH was a little dubious about me going as there was an impending snow storm on the horizon and maybe freezing rain but I was determined to go, and I did. The drive there wasn't bad, I had to take it a little slower but got there no problem. We spent the weekend catching up after the holidays. Since my move 7 years ago we have remained friends and try to get together monthly if we can! We haven't seen each other since October so all the more reason to go. I took a few things to work on but mostly I just wanted to hand quilt which is what I did. I only got two blocks finished but there is a lot of quilting in those blocks and with all the talking and movie watching...well you know!!!

The drive home today was not as quick. What should have been a 1.5 hours drive turned into 2.5 hours. It was snowing heavily when I left and turned into almost clear skies closer to home. I was not travelling on a highway but more like a two lane paved country road and driving at 50 kmph, you get to see and look at all the pretty vistas. Lucky for me not many others were travelling today! This was the view I had today for awhile!!!

DH had supper ready to go when I got home so after dishes I am settling in to do more hand quilting in my hoop and slow stitching  along with Kathy. I am working on the Autumn dresdan plate. The first of my "wanna get done" for 2015!
It will be an early bed as there is a busy week ahead!

Happy New Year!!

Out with the old and in with the new! That could apply to years and quilting projects!
Some of us make a list of the projects we hope to get finished in a year....and that can be successful but what about a  new thought. What if someone else would want your project? Let's face it...I feel like my quilts are like my babies! I have them(buy the fabric) raise them(cut and sew the pieces)prepare them for life(make the top and quilt it). Then it is time to send them out into the world(giving them away as a gift or whatever other  reason). So for me giving away an unfinished quilt isn't an option but how I would love to finish all those tops in my sewing room.

fall coloured desdan plate, beige with pink backing whole cloth,
scrappy with navy background mystery quilt.

top left-right
blocks ready need one more fabric, log cabin star,
pastel sampler, redwork I am doing in blue

So...for this new year, I am continuing with the decluttering of my life.Letting go of these projects. I would love to hand quilt them all but that is not realistic so I will be finishing them however I can. This is a pic of the ones I have to finish...I am hoping by posting this it will help me to forge ahead and get them finished. You will be seeing lots of pics of these in the future....fingers crossed!! Now with all these to finish...these don't include the new projects that might come along or those programs at guild...yikes!!! FOCUS FOCUS  no squirreling allowed!!! This is my mission this year. Stay tuned and see how well I do!!
These are seven projects I would like to see done. Plus two quilts from Bonnie Hunter. A string one that is in too many pieces to find and her latest mystery.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a new beginning to a promising year ahead!!

Deanna

Quiet Holidays

Yes that is what it has been a quiet one. My DD has been home and DH has two weeks off...so we have had lots of family time. We are looking forward to New Year's eve as we have a wedding to attend and that should both end and start the year off great!

My baby girl and our two fur babies(who are waiting for cookies)

With family dinners and the rush of Christmas behind us...I am looking to the new year with all it possibilities! oh and endless projects that I have on the go!!

Today is about getting to sit at my sewing machine and get caught up on my clues for Bonnie Hunter's Mystery. Okay maybe a little laundry too!!! Tonight I am thinking might be family movie night but I will have to see how the day goes if that will happen or not! Regardless there will be some slow stitching with Kathy of some kind so I can sit and relax.Enjoy your Sunday and whatever you chose to do!!

Christmas Eve linky party!!

my favorite wallhanging

Well only one more sleep to go and the morning of ohhhs and ahhhs. I already received a Christmas surprise. My baby girl came home a day early and only told her father about it. I wasn't expecting her till Christmas eve. I am all set and ready for the holiday. I even have time to sew today. Working on Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. Need to get caught up on the clues before the next one comes out on boxing day.I scaled way back this year and I am not rushing or working on last minute things although I have lots of projects on the go.

snowflakes galore

Speaking of Bonnie Hunter...she is hosting a linky party  today with all things Christmas.In the middle of a holiday she is dong more!!! So I am linking up with pics of projects I have completed that are wintery or Christmasy!!

wallhanging

tablerunner

top-delectable mountains,bottom-Christmas lights

Mr.Splat(door draft dodger)

 Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and new projects and completed UFOs in 2015!!

Only 4 more sleeps!!

left-right clue 1,2 &3 in progress!

As I sit typing away and having a coffee...it is definitely a slow stitching day. I am all ready for Christmas except for one trip to the grocery store tomorrow. Today is all about me and spending some time with my sewing machine and getting more clues done on Bonnie Hunter's mystery. Not slow stitching with Kathy but some relaxing time for me all the same. Okay so I will also be doing laundry too!!! My day started with being able to sleep in until the puppy jumped up on the bed and needed some attention...no sleeping now! Then as I was getting dressed I looked out my window to see this deer crossing our bridge in the backyard. He has been showing up on my DH trailcam but this is the first time I have gotten to see him in person. He still has his rack which he should be losing soon.

8 point buck regular visitor to our yard

I can't wait for the new year to start when all the decorations are put away and life gets back to a routine. Don't get me wrong I love the holidays but I love my sewing and quilting too and they seem to take a backseat during the holidays! I am hoping to set up a quilt to hand quilt in the new year. I have really missed quilting. I usually have one up in the fall but didn't do that this year. Things just seemed to fly by and there was no time!Speaking of time flying...DH will retire in March. Wonder how that will effect my sewing time. 2015 is definitely going to be an exciting year!!!

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and all the best in the New Year!

Our puppy Belle waiting for Santa

Another Slow Sunday!

Another week has past and we are getting closer to Christmas!My friends hosted a open house where they sold their gooodies..everything from jewellery to baking, tshirts, cards, sauce both sweet and savory, jams and jellies. The best part was there was lots of samples. I managed to check a few more gifts off the Christmas list and even bought myself a beautiful necklace!I can't seem to get to the mall to shop...not crazy about all the crowds this year! I am trying something different this year and shopping in smaller locales where crowds aren't as big. So yesterday was great!!
Today I am doing some baking while the laundry is going. DH is playing guitar for a Christmas pageant this afternoon so I have to get my work done this morning. My sewing machine is just out of eye shot and I am hoping to get some time to finish up clue 2 of Bonnie Hunter's mystery. Clue 3 came out friday but it might have to wait till later this week.

This picture is for Kathy, I hope to be slow stitching along with her today at some point!! She posted pics of Tim Horton's coffee cups for the winter in different patterns. Well  I think this one matches my colour choices for the mystery nicely, don't you!?!

We have snow on the ground again which makes it at least feel like winter is here! Snowflakes are gently falling today and I have a Christmas music channel playing on the radio!!Might even get the tree decorated today. The bare tree has been up for a couple of days to see what the puppy would do but she seems to be ignoring it except for the occasional nap under it!!
Happy slow stitching Sunday to you all!!Enjoy the calm before the chaos!!

Who turned that calendar page over?

plus two pans of fudge!

So it is December and just to make sure I remember Christmas is around the corner...today I am baking with hopefully a chance to do some slow stitching later tonight.I took advantage of having DH home today, while I was baking away and lost track of time.he got supper ready. A great help!!!
So now to put dishes in the dishwasher and clean things up. I also want to put up the tree tonight but not decorate it. My thinking is it will give the puppy a chance to get use to it before the decorations go on. She sure is growing, almost the size of our older retriever. This photo is a rare shot of them laying quietly beside each other!!

Add caption

This week I had some time to get started on Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. I have clue one done and  the second clue cut out. I have changed up some of the colours too! So this week it is going to be getting more Christmas present finished and the house decorated. Check in later this week and see how I did!?!?!

clue 1 on left, clue2 to do on right

      Also this week it became official....I am the wife of the deputy mayor of our town. He was sworn into office this past Monday. I take a little good-natured ribbing from my friends, so on Wednesday I hosted lunch with them. I broke out the good china and dishes. We had homemade soup and goodies followed by an afternoon of knitting! And I polished up my tiara so they had lunch with a princess!! haha Only wished I had remembered to take pictures.

Dessert is all gone

table ready for company