Rolling right along

Another week and a couple of days...but who's counting, I am joining Slow stitching Sunday a bit late!! I have more things finished and showed them at guild today. So happy to be moving along onto more projects. Our theme challenge is complete. I used a pattern idea from Quiltmaker magazine to make my wallhanging. We were given one fat quarter (blue print) and we could add as many more as we wanted but had to include the themes of each month. Bird, flower, heart, insect, any thing, any block were the themes. I really love the finished product and it is already hanging over my computer table in the family room. Also completed the Kleenex box challenge. Think it will make the perfect baby quilt for someone!!


Kleenex box challenge

Also finished  and sent away, a baby quilt for my great nephew. This is the photo I got back.
I think he likes it!!

 Now because I have finished these I am in a place now wondering what and which project to do next. I am going to visit my friend Susan this weekend to sew, so maybe that will be the starting day. Until then I am working on an on going quilt.168  4 1/2" string blocks and 840 half square triangles finishing at 2"...YIKES!!!

 These are pics of the quilting on my large quilt I just finished. Kathy wanted to see the quilting up close. I must say I am not very good at it but it is hard to capture quilting. Just in case I also included a pic of the actual stencil. She will get to see it later this summer when she comes for a visit...I am so excited about that, the last part of my 50th birthday present. There will be four of us, Barb, Louise, Kathy and myself. Will be a very entertaining weekend! But that is not for a few weeks so many more projects to get done between now and then. Happy sewing!!

A week of finishes

finally done the quilting

I might be playing while DH is away during the week but I am getting some quilting done! I was determined not to write this post till the quilt was off the poles and it happened today. It is finally finished. I always start out with good intentions and they get lost somewhere about half through quilting a quilt, then I can see the end is near and go all crazy. My poor fingers are full of pin pricks!! Now this week while DH is gone I will be putting on the binding and starting to put together these 6" blocks.

little one's quilt, big boy toy in background

I also got a baby quilt done this week and shipped off to its new owner...my great nephew. I hope he will love all the trucks and the roads to drive his little trucks on! I had the truck pattern and fabric picked out and then I found this panel that was so perfect!
The gardens are finally all in so I am hoping for more sewing/quilting time. Check in with kathy and see what others are up  to today on slow stitching Sunday. My slow stitching has been all afternoon so tonight ...relaxing I think!! Maybe I will get reaquainted with my knitting project that has been put on the back burner of late.

Where is the timing going?

It is the first day of June...how did that happen? Well things have certainly been changing around here.Warmer temperatures have given me the itch to get outside. An itch in one than one way. Seems the mosquitos are especially hungry and plentiful this year ...thank God for bug coats. I have been working in the garden and DH and I have added two veggie gardens although they are not right at the house. One is a 5 minute drive away and the other is way out in the country.It will be for potatoes and root veggies that just have to grow and don't need much tending.We are headed there today to plant the last of things, so my stitching today will have to wait till later on. Just have to add a pic of one of my flowerbeds. The oak tree we moved last year. My dad planted it from an acorn and it has been moved two other times. We are so glad it has survived and it doing well. The flowers I just added yesterday for colour and when those poppies start to bloom, this bed will be very colourful.

Mama Robin has returned to our lean-to off the garage again. These pics are only 1 1/2 weeks apart. The little ones sure do grow fast. They are almost falling out of the nest!

With the warmer temperatures, I am finding my basement sewing room to cold for comfort so like last year I have moved temporarily upstairs. We don't use this living room much since we have a family room so here I am...it works for me! The wooden table I rescued. It is a solid sturdy table and works well for sewing on.As you can see I still have a bit to go on the quilt on the frame. Along with that, if I get any time to sit, I will be stitching on "love blooms here" a challenge piece for one of my guilds. We are to bring it tomorrow night to show. It won't be finished but that is okay!Check out what everyone else is up to who is joining Kathy on slow stitching Sunday!                                                                                                                    

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing all my quilty friends and new friends in blogland a Happy Mother's day! We are having a gorgeous day here in Northern Ontario.The sun is shining and there is a nice breeze to dry my clothes that I have put on the line for the first time this year. I even have some windows open but had to turn down the furnace that want to run! So I guess it isn't quite summer yet!

I have managed to get quite a few projects a step closer to being down. A baby quilt that is headed to North Northern Ontario(I think they still have snow) is complete. Not sure if it is a girl or boy so went somewhat neutral although after I started cutting found out the focus fabric is all little farm boys...oh well I think she is having a boy! And that my story and I am sticking to it!!!

The "love blooms here" letters are for a challenge for one of the guilds that I am finishing up. I only have one more block to make and then put the top together. And aren't these little trucks cute. They are going with a panel to make it larger for another baby quilt I am making for a great nephew.
Now I just have to find time to get downstairs and complete these projects. Add to that an armful of fabric I just brought home from my mother's house. She was at a yard sale and bought a big box of fabric. Lots of VIP but I managed to find some nice Northcott in the pile.

I was feeling pretty special yesterday when I received a delivery of flowers for Mother's Day. My daughter sent them to me as she was not coming home this weekend. Special because I don't normally get flowers. DH idea of flowers would be picking wild ones but since it is early I should be glad he didn't pick the few daffodils that I have blooming instead he gave me a little stash of cash. It is to be used this week when I go to my fav quilt  store for her annual May sale!!!
I hope you are all having a wonderful day and enjoying your stitching on whatever you are working on. I am linking kathy up with  for slow stitching Sunday. Join her and see what everyone else is doing today!!

Sunny Slow Stitching Sunday

doggie quilt #2

Auction quilt

Well that is definitely a mouthful!! haha  Another week is behind us and I waited till Saturday to get busy. I have so many projects that I have to get completed. I made a list (I work better that way) and yesterday I was able to get two things almost off it. The second doggie quilt is finished and just needs binding. I am headed to finish that when this post is done. I also put the binding on and need to hand sew it in place on a turning twenty variation quilt that I put together for a friend and she quilted it. It will be part of an auction in May to raise funds for a local service group. I have had this bundle of fabric together for a few weeks, and it has been staring at me on my cutting table. It is to be a quilt for my new great nephew. Hope I can get it done and to him before he turns one!! I also have these blocks to put together into a quilt top...still haven't figured out what to do with them.

won't these trucks be perfect for a little boy

pink/white blocks...what to do!?!?

On another note this week at guild we had a yard sale. I scored big. One bag of homespuns for $10(had to be near 5 meters in the bag), a large piece of backing fabric for $10 and some other smaller pieces for $10.  I figure I saved as much as I spent.
So today is finish up in the sewing room and sit down and do some slow stitching with Kathy, that will be binding for me. Maybe I will put some more stitches in my quilt on the frame too. While I am stitching I watch netflix or DVD of my own. This week I got a mittful of movies from the library to watch, that should keep me stitching for a few hours anyways!! Enjoy your day, the sun is shining here and the birds are just a singing!! Although we had snow yesterday...I do believe Spring may finally be willing to arrive and stay!

Miss you Nikki

Sweet Nikki

But mom I love laying on quilts

I have delayed posting about this but think no amount of time will make it easier. My friend called me a couple of weeks ago to tell me that her sweet dog was very sick and that she had to let her go. Now you will remember Nikki as our mascot on the weekends that Susan and I got together to quilt, sew and catch up. She would always be up early looking for her cookies at breakfast. You could tell she was up as her nails went click click click on the hardwood floor and she didn't mind your morning breath (yuck) as you talked to her with her nose resting on the edge of the bed. The last weekend I was up there, I got up with her in the morning and gave her cookies and then Susan gave her more....it was quite funny! My only regret was Nikki never got a quilt from me. Lots of my doggie friends have quilts. But she enjoyed laying on the ones we spread out on the floor. I remember this one visit when she was outside barking and barking and this is what we found when we went outside! Hope you are happy in doggie heaven!! Susan if you read this hope you don't cry more than I did writing it! Hugs

Happy Easter Weekend

It is the calm before the storm so to speak. My daughter is on her way home today with a girlfriend and hubby is off helping a friend butcher a piggie! Me I am doing computer fun stuff(blog hopping) and plan to do some sewing waiting for my baby to arrive. Tomorrow will be a busy day. Baby shower in the afternoon and a stag and doe party in the evening. Sunday can't come fast enough!!!
This week has been a week of finishing up things. My guild projects are coming to an end and with June(the end of guild year) just around the corner, I have a few loose ends to tie up. We have been working on 6" blocks for a kleenex box challenge.Pick a kleenex box and use only those colours. I think it is going to make a pretty baby quilt!
 I have finished another challenge too but can't show that one just yet. There will be voting next week among the members and then I will be able to show it.
I have to get the next clue for my mystery quilt ready too. In between all that, I have been slowly working away on the hand quilting of this quilt. I am just a little over half way done. Hoping to finish it to show in June at our wrap up meeting. I have also been working on blocks(60 degree triangles) for a second dog quilt. This all sounds ambitious but I put in an hour here and there to do things!

 My kleenex box blocks are pink,green and white and I am going to use a very dark green for a cornerstone. On the left you can see some of the triangle blocks for the dog quilt. Looks difficult but very simple to put together.

The weather this Spring has the local wildlife very confused. By this time of the year they have left and gone deep into the bush. But the bush still has lots of snow and is not safe for them so they are travelling throughout the neighbourhood. These two young ones walked right up my street and into my side yard. I could watch them all day. Myself, if it stays snowy and wet I get to stay indoors doing more sewing but I know eventually I will have to go out and start the gardening and getting the yard ready for summer! Enjoy your holiday weekend!