Monday sewing Madness!!

Piranhas-Barb,Kathy,Louise ad Me

Well we are still sewing away, enjoying the fun and friendship although we had to say good-bye to one of the piranhas. Kathy had to return to reality otherwise known as home/work!!
We are plugging away on our various projects today. Louise and Barb have gone to collect a row by row at a quilt store, while I stay behind to keep sewing. I have way too many UFOs to start something new. Tomorrow we are going on a short road trip. I will be their navigator to a couple more quilt stores and maybe lunch while we are out. It has been very warm here so we have made good use of my gazebo for supper and a little slow stitching on Sunday.

Barb was eager to help with some binding and Kathy was staying caught up on her blog. Maybe that is what I have to do...get a laptop so I can  post more often. I have been teased about not posting as much as Kathy. I just don't do as much and figure blog readers would get bored with the same old same old.

Dear Hubby has been a good sport too from keeping the wet dog outside to even BBQing for us and eating a little later than usual. He has even added to the fair share the laughter and giggles that have been going on since Friday!! But for the most part he just hides out in his garage!!

Here I am working away on my Jamestown Landing quilt. There are so many pieces and seams to match....yikes!!!I have pretty much only worked on this but I have some tumbler blocks I am using as leaders and enders. It is a Bonnie Hunter sewing weekend for me!! And hard to believe...there is more threads and strings on the floor than dog fur...and that is saying a lot!! Happy sewing, I know my Monday is a good one!!!

Piranha Weekend

Our work space...don't we look productive!

Well life is continuing on its journey and what better way to start a new chapter than to have friends around you. I have  three quilt buddies here for a few days of sewing, quilting, chatting and laughter...my sides are hurting.
I have sewn 5 fox blocks for a special gift that another group of quilters is working on. Now I am onto my Jamestown Landing quilt from Bonnie Hunter's book. This was a leaders and enders for me for awhile but now the push is on to finish it. After that who knows what I may get into.

Joining Kathy today for some slow stitching in my gazebo...she is here in person..at my house!!!

I have lots of binding to do for slow stitching but do I really want all that flannel quilt on my lap...NOT!!! So maybe some hexies or embroidery will be in the works for me.

Another milestone this week...little (not so little) Belle is 1 year old!!! Happy Birthday girlie!!Here she is enjoying her toy...it didn't last long! That tennis ball was in pieces and the rope was chewed to bits...back to her KONG toy which she hasn't managed to destroy yet!!

Caution...curve ahead!!!

Almost 14 years old

She loved the snow

Curve indeed.... You just never know what life will throw your way. Last week was not a good one in our household. We had to make the most difficult decision to put down our older dog Zoe . Her health in the last week had been getting worse. She wasn't eating much and her mobility was getting bad. The last straw was when she refused to eat a milkbone...her treats she never turned down.She needed help to get up off the floor. We spent a heartbreaking weekend with her and on Monday called the vet. Our fur babies are such a part of our lives...but we knew it was the best thing.

Luckily I was kept busy the rest of the week getting the trailer ready to go to my family reunion. It was a weekend full of laughter and catching up. So now another week has begun and I am playing catch up, trying to get all the work done so that this weekend I can relax. Why?!?! Three friends are coming...three quilting buddies and we have three days of sewing ahead of us! I think this might actually become an annual event, now wouldn't that be great!!

So I haven't been sewing but I do have lots of binding to do. This quilt has been increased from 60x80 to 82x96 and the machine quilting has been extended to cover the additional borders. I just have to attach the binding and sew it down. But with it being a flannel quilt, I am looking for a few cool days to do that.

For those regular blog readers...I will try to write more often...don't want to disappoint my followers. Stay tuned I am sure this weekend will hold lots of fun. Thanks for hanging in there!!

Back on Track!

needs last border of plaid then backing border

Well it has been a busy week but not in the sewing department. Lots of meeting and goings on! But I did fit in some sewing on friday....well!! I sewed 4 borders on and then an hour later had to rip them out as I had put them on the wrong sides. I am making a quilt wider and a bit longer, I had a 50/50 chance of doing it right and lost. I did get them back on correctly and called it a night. So today my task is to finished putting on the last border and increasing the backing. I think it would have been easier to make the top from scratch. There will need to be some quilting done too and I am thinking of continuing the machine quilting that is on the quilt now. That will require some practicing as I am not proficient in machine quilting. Wish me luck!!

doing this one is more fun

I am also wanting to put a few more stitches in this baby quilt today. That will be my slow stitching with Kathy.

Yesterday I spent the day putting in the last of the bedding plants for the garden and adding some flowers to the front of my house. Now we need some warm weather to get everything growing healthy!

veggie garden is coming along

Miss Belle inspecting flowers

1st peony blossoms

My dad(will be 18 years this December he past away)

 Today while I work away I will be thinking of my dad and wishing him a Happy Father's day. I remember him fondly, his sneaky grin  and love of anything sweet especially date squares!

playing with some friends

Also wishing another special man in my life a Happy Father's day....my hubby.

Quilting friends are the best

24" square

I really do believe this! I had one of mine come for a visit this weekend. We spent Friday night hand stitching and watching "Outlander" on her pvr. She got me hooked on the series. All day Saturday we sewed away. I must say she got way more accomplished than I did. All I have to show for the weekend is this small baby quilt and pin basted this other baby quilt that I am going to hand quilt. The small baby quilt was made from scraps and bonus triangles from 2 gals at the retreat I went to the other weekend.
Today I am pin basting a couple of small quilts that I want to machine quilt and hopefully I will get something done on those.
I am linking up with Kathy and slow stitching did get done on the weekend and that is why I am linking up a day late. Better late (with quilting done) than not at all.

The weather has been rainy and cool lately so all this sewing is getting done cause I know the warm weather is headed our way and I will be spending more time outside in the garden. My flowers are starting. These are the first crop of poppies to bloom. A later variety will bloom in July.

Retreat Roundup

Retreats are relaxing, enjoyable and busy, not to mention exhausting!! Yes it has taken a few days to get back into the routine of life at home. Now that things are caught up and my sewing things unpacked, I have time to update my blog with the goings-on of the weekend.

Northridge Inn -lakeside

There were 11 of us at the retreat with 9 of us sewing in the main lodge so we had lots of room to spread out. We were at the Northridge Inn just outside of Sundridge, where new owners are working their magic to freshen up but still keep the rustic feel of the inn.With views and sunsets like this how can you go wrong! Even the wildlife was friendly. I wanted to take pics of these two Mallards so I tried to sneak up on them only to find out they would follow you just about anywhere!

view from my room

I was able to sew up two baby quilt tops, one large lap top and I did more hst piecing on a quilt of Bonnie Hunter's that I have been working on as a leader and ender. They will pop up on the blog as I finish them in the weeks to come. So I think it was a productive weekend. I even got in some hexie time one evening when I was just to tired to sit at the machine any longer.

our room

lobby

Our last evening was a beauty!!

My roommate taking a break from her sewing machine

friendly wildlife

Perfect ending

While I was away DH put in the garden. Well except for plants that would freeze, we are still waiting for warmer weather. It is overcast and grey here today so looks like I might get some sewing in yet!!!Looking forward to this weekend when my friend is coming for a visit and we get to chat and sew together. Happy sewing!!!

Packing day!!

Why do today what you can put off till tomorrow...well it is tomorrow now! Yup packing today! I really am excited to go to quilt retreat but just haven't figured out what projects to take. I have a couple that are almost done and a few(lots) that I would like to start. But do I really want to start something and not be able to finish it? Besides some of those are kits and I don't want to start cutting into kits when there is so much chatting to be done...you know that is when mistakes happen!!
I do need a baby boy quilt for a great nephew who is due to arrive in July. There does seem to be a baby boom going on in our area. Also I was thinking of making a quilt for a gift for someone...just a scrappy one so that might be an option too! Oh decisions,,,,decisions!!

1st block sampler

So while I am away here are some more pics from my show and tell. I can't believe how many quilts I have in the cupboard and around my house.

2" squares-pattern taken from a kerchief

blue challenge fabric 

taught this class a couple of year ago

simple pattern-lots of space to quilt

my very own pattern, was a mystery quilt

Debbie Caffrey mystery

starting to sew up my hexies!

 So I don't want to have to cut up any more paper hexies so I have started joining my pieces. I am not sure how big I will be able to go before it becomes unmanageable. I will do it in 4 quads but still that could be very large. I may still have to make more papers but will try this for now. This pic also showed up on Bonnie Hunter's quilt cam on Tuesday June 2, check it out!!
Well typing here is not getting me packed. Have a great rest of the week and weekend. Come back on Sunday and see what happened while I was on retreat!!!