The day after....

current project but in blue/white

Although this year my birthday is lasting all month long(self-imposed)...yesterday was the actual day. And what a day it was!!! I was spoiled by my sweet husband. I received a new laptop which will keep me busy learning about but not so much that I don't see the inside of the sewing room ..I hope! He also took care of supper and the clean up(he hates doing dishes) so this was big. It was great not to have to worry about anything for a day! Now today is back to reality...well a little bit I guess. While the laundry is getting done...I am on here and later in my sewing room.

pieces cut and ready to sew today

This is what I have been working on. This is the pattern (pic above) but I made my quilt one row longer and wider. I will be teaching this pattern as a class in two weeks so today I finally have all the pieces cut out and am ready to start sewing them up. Of course leaving step outs to show the students in my class.

Once this class is done I can get back to the projects I was working on before Christmas. I was trying to get my tumbler-leader and ender quilt finished and also working on Bonnie Hunter's mystery. It stalled at clue #4 when the holidays hit!!http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2018/01/mystery-monday-link-up-part-6-7-8-9.html

On Ringo Lake will have to wait a bit

I have also been stitching away on my hexie quilt. I had it all laid out on the floor the other night and was trying to join things together. Somehow it is not as big as I thought it would be...hmmm! More stitching is required!!
That stitching will get done later today so I can join in with my friend Kathy for some New Year slow stitching. She promotes the needle and thread, no mechanical type of sewing for one day at least! Join in and see what others are working on today too!

January 1st...first day of my month long birthday!

I can blame this one on my daughter. She coined the event "birthday month". So I am going to celebrate all month long, starting today. Also celebrating along with Bonnie Hunter who has a birthday in January and believes in month long birthdays too!

16 patches of blue

Christmas has been put away for another year and I expect tomorrow I will find that one decoration I forgot to put away!
DH was out this afternoon so I spent the time sewing up this mound of 1.5 inch squares. They are for a quilt I am working on. They will be sewn into 16 patches...there are 1300+ squares so this is not going to happen in one afternoon or overnight. Where are those little elves when you need them!

On Ringo Lake waiting patently for me

Sitting on the sidelines is Bonnie Hunter's mystery On Ringo Lake. I got to clue 4 before Christmas and that is where it has stalled. It has been moved to the back burner for the time being. Also today as a little gift to me...I am following along on a one day mystery at Quiltbug.com My friend Kathy shared a link to it on her blog. She is doing the mystery too with some other friends. It is the perfect size for a charity quilt I want to make maybe later this week!
Day one of 2018 is almost finished and it has been a good one!Stay tuned for more!!

New Year's Eve

The year is coming to an end and I am going to finish it in style! While DH is out playing guitar at a party I will relax and get in some slow stitching hexie style! After all isn't having fun and bringing in the new year your own way what it is all about!And I can do it in my comfy PJs!!

Hexies are my party partner tonight. I wonder if I will ever be finished this project. It has grown a bit from the attached picture but still I keep stitching away. I have two quilt shows coming up in the next two years...maybe that is something to aim for! 

Do you make a list of things you wish to accomplish in the new year? If I did, I think finishing up the many UFOs would be at the top.Second would be the many quilts that I would like to make. Those ideas that have been lurking in the back of my mind.

slowly growing

I am checking in with my friend Kathy and all her friends for slow stitching Sunday. I am a little late but let's see what everyone is up to!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! Here's to finishing old projects, starting new ones and keeping our families always surrounded with our quilts!

Here I come...sewing room!

A little doll with her new dolly

the cook and her sous chef

With the holidays, packing and travelling, I have missed being in my sewing room. While we spent Christmas away at our daughter's house, I did get to knit and do some hexies to fill in the time between games, meals and visits but now for the hum of the machine to fill the air!
Now that the Christmas rush is over, I welcome the chance to sit in quiet and enjoy some sewing.
I did make a couple of things this year as gifts. They were all enjoyed I think

I am teaching a class in a couple of weeks so this will be the first quilt top on the agenda. That's right haven't even made the quilt for the class yet!! yikes!!After that I will try to catch up on Bonnie Hunter's current mystery quilt. I was almost caught up and with the holidays, I have fallen behind again. But remember ...it's not a race!!

Ugly sweaters? I think "seasonal"

Lake effect snow storm

So as the holidays end here's to fun times with family (DH bought us all sweaters)and not so fun times( the drive home was very snowy for part of the ride)open lakes in the winter are not a good thing! We eventually drove into sunshine and very cold temperatures. It's so good to be home!!

Checking my list

Christmas cookies

The shopping list is done and wrapped well that is except for groceries. Now this week I will be packing and getting ready to go visit my daughter for Christmas.I did a full day of baking yesterday and now it is all put away except for this box which Hubby and I have been munching on today.

in the middle of clue #3

With everything that is going on...there is still time to fit in some sewing. I have been trying to catch up on the clues on the mystery at Quiltville. I am in the middle of clue #3 and #4 came out on Friday. It will get done one way or another.


Today I will be slow stitching along with Kathy. I am working on a binding. I didn't think I would have this quilt till late January. But I received a call from my long arming friend and she had the quilt finished.

2 year challenge is done!

This was a two year project for me. It started as a challenge in American Patchwork and Quilting magazine. I liked Edyta Sitar's sample and so I started sewing little four patches together.That continued into 2016 and in 2017 I started adding the triangles. I was still doing that in October of 2017.  There was a lull in November as I tried to decide on the small sashing colour and finally a friend suggested red and it just popped.Then once that was done, it didn't take long to finish the quilt top and send it out to be quilted. It was far too large for me to attempt and with all those seams, I was not hand quilting this one. My long armer did large plumes in the columns. Once I got the quilt back I decided to quilt on either side of the red sashings. I did it on my machine. It was the finishing touch I think. The quilting on this quilt is wonderful and gives me a terrific reversible quilt.

back of quilt showing the plumes

So tonight I will be cuddling under it and finishing the binding. With temperatures at -29 Celcius this morning...cuddling is a necessity.

I would like to take this chance to wish everyone that visits my blog a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Here's to lots of quilty things under our trees and to more quilting in the new year whether it is starting new projects or finishing UFO's!
ENJOY

Winter wonderland

early last evening

That's what it looks like outside my door. The snow started on Wednesday and hasn't stopped. We have nearly 12 inches or more! Now it really feels like Christmas! I never get tired of the view of my creek!

I have one more little project to finish for Christmas but that will get done I am not worried.Then there is baking and Christmas cards to send out. How I wish I was this ready this early every year!
So with everything ready I have time to do some relaxing sewing. With Bonnie's clue #3 out, I will be doing it while using Clue #2 as my leader and enders or vise versa!!!

paint chip challenge

This is what I have worked on this week. My paint chip challenge is almost done. It just needs borders which will be piano keys(so that will wait till the new year). I have made this doll for a friend. I have made a couple of them. This one in this pic was my daughter's when she was little. I had to find it in a keepsake box of toys so I could remember how to make her. She is probably 25 years old!!!

daughter's doll  NOT dog's chew toy

new doll

 This afternoon while DH is out, I will be sitting and relaxing and enjoying some slow stitching and watching some Christmas movies(which he doesn't always like) I will also be joining Kathy and looking to see what everyone else is up to.

Getting in the spirit of the season

Now that it is December, I am allowed(at least at my house) to play the Christmas tunes!
So I broke them out of storage yesterday and listen to all my favorites while I sewed away the afternoon. Last night I also decorated the tree. It feels too early but I know the next couple of weeks will go by so quickly.
This year I only have one little project to finish for the big day. I am not putting pressure on myself this year and it feels so good!
I have been working on my tumblers again along side a paint chip challenge we have at guild. You can read more about the paint chips here.
I am still plugging away and stitching  on these blocks. I am on the last one and then I will put them into a quilt but that won't happen till the new year. This will be my slow stitching today as I join Kathy for some quiet time.