Cuddling up

Yes it is that kind of day..cold and damp which makes it feel even colder out. Waiting patiently for some snow as the rain the other day took most of our away!
Today is a stitching day. I am trying to get some socks and a shawl knit for Christmas presents. This is the closet to shopping that I have done. Guess next week I will have to take that leap to the mall and try to get some things off my list.
With all this knitting to do it is lucky that I don't have any sewing that needs to be completed. Quilting has hit the sideline for now but I hope to be back at it in January!!
I am linking up to Kathy's blog and checking out what everyone else is up to on the slow stitching Sunday.

December already!

Am I the only one wondering how it is December 2 already? I have been knitting Christmas presents, but guess I will have to start making those lists for shopping in the mall!! YIKES!!! I did a whole lot of baking yesterday and so no slow stitching of any kind  was accomplished. Today was a grocery and special trip to the bulk food store for ingredients for Christmas cake, that will be made tomorrow!
Tonight is the first of three guild Christmas parties. At least they are spread out, one each week for the next three weeks.
On the weekend we moved our daughter to her new apartment and settled her in. She started her new job this morning. During our drive home from her place, I got to go to one quilt store. DH stopped long enough for that! It was indeed a good choice as they were having a sale (20% off the whole store) oh if I had had more time!! lol But I did manage to get some black for that binding. I bought a couple different ones in case the first one wouldn't do. Also picked up two 1 meter cuts that were only $5 each! That is a bargain in my world.Only problem is they made it to my sewing room and I haven't had time to take them out of the bag or put them away!
Also on the weekend I picked up two panels that a friend ordered for me. I have a pattern and some coordinating fabric

sorry not sure how to turn this right side up

to make something, but while looking through a magazine I bought, I found another pattern that I like better so that will be done in the future! It is from Stonehenge.
This was indeed a busy weekend. Bonnie Hunter released the first clue in her new mystery quilt. I said I wasn't going to do it, but after looking at her link up today, I am feeling left out. Should I or shouldn't I.......hmmmm! Stay tuned to find out.

Never Enough!!

needs binding yet

Another UFO almost done! I was in a mood yesterday and could've had it finished except for....WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE NO BLACK!!!
That's right, it seems that with all the black and shades of black that are in this quilt, there was nothing leftover. After much searching in my sewing room, there was nothing that I could use...hmmm quilt store here I come.

pile of scraps

So setting this quilt aside for now, I wondered what I was going to do today! I wanted to do some piecing. This pile of scraps was just sitting there talking to me...saying  "pick us, pick us!!!" So I did. Now what to do with them. Well one of the guild I belong to, makes baby quilts for the NICU. So now I know the size but what pattern. I turned around and grabbed a book off my shelf and found a star pattern that I thought I would like to try. It worked out great, 9" blocks with a border would get me the size I needed. I had just enough of the dark pink for sashing and binding. I just love it when a plan comes together. With supper in the oven I had just enough time to machine quilt it. Boy my free motioning needs lots more practice! I think I would call this pattern very wobbly hearts or something to that effect!!

finished product which needs binding finished

That is probably the end of my sewing week. We have to move our daughter starting Thursday from her apartment to our home then the next day to her new apartment, 5 hours away!! She is starting her new full time job on Monday...exciting and nervous times for her and mom and dad!!
I can only hope that in my travels I will get to slip into one just one quilt store to get some BLACK fabric!!!

First snowy blast

view out my front door this morning

Well I think winter has arrived!!! It started snowing on Friday afternoon and has snowed off and on all day yesterday. So it was a a good day to sew and do the mounds of laundry...ours and what our daughter brought with her. This is her last weekend home before she moves. Everything else she has is packed so she needed some clean things and this mom was willing to oblige! Daughter and her cousin decided to do some Christmas cookies... yet another reason to escape to my sewing room!!

this was on my design wall from the other day

So while there, I finished putting the borders on my dresdan plate. I mitred the corners and after worrying about getting the stripes to match, not a single corner is the same and only one had perfectly matched stripes. Whatcha gonna do!!! And as luck would have it(hubby somehow knew I would find it)I found some backing fabric in my stash for it too. So I sewed the pieces together. The quilt is 86 x100 ...yikes what was I thinking. I was even going to put it on the frame to hand quilt but I think I will wait till after the holidays now.
So the plan for today is fold and put all the laundry away, early dinner with daughter and send her on her way home and then a relaxing afternoon and evening catching up on some knitting. Got to get those Christmas presents finished!So slow stitching Sunday with Kathy will be knitting for me and maybe a movie or two!
Heads up that is not a parking lot, that is our driveway, and there is one car missing. Always looks like a party is going on!!!

Back to a routine!

Dresdan Plates

Well hunting season is over for another year and DH is back home! Hmmm means making suppers and packing lunches for me! The weather has been dreary here which means the ambition level is not high. It is easier to sit down and knit then head down to the sewing room and try to get something done. But last weekend  I wanted to work on yet another UFO, so this is the one I dug out!It is 10-12 year old. I think the blocks had to sit and age gracefully for awhile.  But now I find the fabrics and colours are dated. So I am hoping that the cornerstones and sashing along with the outside border(on the far right) help it to be a little less old!!!  The outside border is striped and I had a fun time joining all those pieces together!! Hate matching lines.Although I love the pattern, these are definitely not my colours but for some reason I do love it. I intend to hand quilt it too!!

Watcing over my computer 

It is getting to be late November. Have you started Christmas shopping?  I know I haven't. But I have put up outdoor Christmas lights and some indoor wallhangings. This is one of my favourites!Makes you think of snowy days to come and mugs of hot chocolate!!
Also this week I talked at my guild about blogs with another member Rose Marie. If you are visiting for the first time welcome and  to those of you who keep coming back even though I don't blog as often as others ..thank you!!

Wintery Deer Season

Our creek

Well I did want it to snow and it did ...all day Monday! The ground is covered  and looks very pretty!  With DH gone for the last week of hunting season...this is my last week at home alone to do nothing but sew!!
I played on my featherweight the other day and finished this little 15" square mini. It was made from scraps that I had and I wanted to try one of Bonnie Hunter's patterns. This one is based on Pfefferneuse, although I rearranged the string pieces to make stars. I love how the browns and teals go together. These are the scraps  that I had laying on my ironing board the other day. Also I have finished the hand quilting on this quilt and just have the binding to do. So I spent last evening curled up on the couch to try and finish these two things!This little guy is done and just one more side to go on the larger quilt.Then there will be  a couple more things off my bucket list of UFO'S.

about 15" square

Rain, rain go away ...I want snow!

challenge fabric on left 

Yes it is raining in my neighbourhood today and I would rather have snow. It seems so dreary. So what is a girl to do but play with some fabric and her new sewing machine and try to brighten the day.First order of business was to put together the Christmas stocking that I started yesterday and did some decorative stitching on last night.It is a challenge for one of the guilds I belong to.

 I have to complete it now as I will be very busy moving my daughter the week before it is due. No time like the present. I think it turned out cute and will be given to my daughter for a decoration for her new apartment.

I will post more pics to help you guess

Then I had just a bit more time to waste so I continued sewing on these scraps. And they are scraps leftover from a bag I made and a quilt that a friend made. I am making one of Bonnie Hunter's quilts in minature. Can you guess which one it is? They are small but not as small as the pieces my friend Kathy likes to play with. See what she has been doing...I think she is crazy to work on things that small but I love her to bits ( no pun intended)
Hope you are doing something to make you smile today. I am having lunch and then off to see my knitting friends!