Springtime....new beginnings

creek is open and roaring

As the rain continues to fall and the snow is disappearing, you start to see the start of new life. Seems almost poetic that this is happening now in my life too. A new way of life, learning I can do more than I thought and relying on others when I do need help. Things are coming to life under what's left of the winter. I have daffodils poking up in the flowerbed and seedlings are growing under lamps in the house. This week I saw my first robin, that's a sure sign that Spring is here.

Even in our little town, there has been three buildings demolished. Sounds opposite to what I have been saying but this is cleaning and beautifying our town. They were old buildings way past usefulness and needed to be cleaned up. Paving the way for new opportunities and new buildings to be built.

My friend Bernadette came for an afternoon visit yesterday. We mostly talked but did get a little stitching done...well she did. I was trying to cut out pieces for a quilt and realized I had cut wrong. Now I just hope I have enough fabric to finish the quilt. It is the first day that I have managed to sew on the machine. My mind and heart haven't been there but I have to start somewhere. I will try again today and will work on the blocks for the quilt along with Carla. I am way behind but I am making my quilt smaller so I might be able to catch up quickly.

pieces cut and ready to sew

Although sewing isn't high on my to-do list, I still keep up with blogs and facebook quilt groups. I am hoping that they inspire me to get going. I especially love reading what my friend Kathy is up to. We have missed getting together for our Piranha weekend. I am so hoping we will be able to do it this summer.

Kathy has slow stitching Sunday going on and encouraging everyone to settle in with needle and thread and stitch the day away. She has quite the following and I love reading what everyone is up to.

I would like to thank everyone for their kind words of comfort and encouragement. It means a lot to know others are thinking of me and it helps me to keep going.

Breathe.....Slow and Steady

 That has been what has been keeping me going. Today marks one month since I lost the love of my life, my best friend. But life goes on and I have put on my big girl panties and am working through all that needs to be done. I have sat back and reflected on those first days and have let go of all those initial expectations. Now I look at each day and take what is given to me. You can't plan for a situation like this and now I can just do what I can do. One day at a time, one hour at a time, knowing he is by my side in all I do.

a few of the tapped trees

I have been knitting and a little hand quilting but honestly I have been so busy with tapping trees for maple syrup, walking the dog and keeping her busy and planting seedlings for the garden that the time seems to have flown by.

my spring colours for Carla's quilt-along

                       Yesterday was International Quilting day, but I spent the day out in the sunshine, just soaking up the rays. I have not gotten back into my studio to sew but with time....that too will come. I have many projects I want to get to. I have fabric all set out for a quilt along with Carla at Quilting by the river but haven't cut it yet. I have printed the instructions and it will be my first project to tackle when my heart and mind are ready. For now I have started a sweater from Sweet Yarns knitting store in Sudbury
and will work on that...should be ready for next Fall!

our creek opening up

        Although I haven't been sewing, I am still checking in with my friend Kathy and all the slow stitchers to keep me interested and see what you are all doing. It warms my heart to read all the comments you left me on my last post. Quilters really are amazing people. Friends, strangers and quilters from all over the world sent love and comfort which lifted my spirit. For that I am glad I am part of such a great group of people.

This is my journey and I hope you don't mind being along for the ride with me.

My world is shattered

 Maybe not the right place to do this but my blog is about me. All facets of my life and in the past two weeks my life has been shattered and changed forever. On February 21, the love of my life and best friend, my husband died of a sudden heart attack. It has taken my world and turned it upside down. My daughter has been with me since that day.

I know it will take time and the days ahead will be long. I have many family and friends that are there with a hug, food or whatever we may need. I am not sure what the future holds  but I am hoping that with faith, hope and love we will make it.

I also know that keeping busy is best. I have not been able to attempt anything sewing or quilting wise. I have put  labels on two quilts for two special people who helped us with the funeral preparations.  My hubby understood my love of fabric and thread and even encouraged my passion. So with that in mind, I know he would want me to carry on....so many projects to finish. I know the day will come when my heart doesn't hurt so much, that bright fabrics and fun looking quilts will be my medicine. But also joining in with my friend Kathy for slow stitching Sunday and reading all your blog posts will help me to not feel alone and encourage me to get busy quilting!

Happy Valentine's Day

 For hubby and I, it is spending the day together or at least in the same house doing what each of us enjoys, me sewing and him running to the garage to keep the fire on. We have had a cold temperature week around here....-31C being the coldest morning! We will be watching the first Nascar race later today! That is when I will get in my slow stitching for today! Join Kathy and see what others are up to today!

hand quilting coming along

Sadly our area will remain in lockdown while most of the province will be opening later this week. We have had an outbreak that is very serious. This doesn't change our life greatly except our daughter is unable to visit as yet. At this rate we might be celebrating Christmas at Easter!

a quilt to be

This week has been filled with a little bit of everything. Hand quilting continues on the frame. I am almost to the half way point!  I pin basted a quilt and am working on machine quilting that. I have been knitting a scarf for my mom that didn't get done for Christmas maybe it will be an early start for next year! I also finished the binding on that large quilt from last week! I have dug fabric out for a quilt for a little person I know...worked up a layout and now just need to set aside some time to get it done!!

machine quilt is getting there

I also started to cut apart some shirts to make some memory pillows. My uncle passed away at the end of January and his family have asked if I could do this for them. With not being able to attend the funeral, I felt honoured to be able to do something. I sewed up one pillow for practice. Now I have to buy some pillow forms so I know what size to cut the remaining shirts so they fit the pillows.

My friend Carla at Quilting by the River will be starting her Spring quilt along this week.(See facebook "Spring quilt along with Carla") Everyone is welcomed to join in the fun but there is a $10 fee to be paid up front before you can be part of the facebook group. She gives lots of tips and tricks to do the blocks and you may learn other things too! Do I really need to start another new quilt project....well I have to use up that fabric somehow!?!? 

So here's to another week at home getting quality sewing time in!!!


 

Snowfall Lockdown

In the middle of a squall

Who wants or can go anywhere with the weather we have been having.  The sun is finally shining after two and half days of snow and snow squalls. At times it was sure pretty to watch from the sewing studio through the big picture window.  I felt like someone had locked me in a snow globe of my own. But all that snow meant at some point I would have to help do some clean up.  I thought I would take a pic of my snowman I made before Christmas. He was at least 6' tall, I am 5'2" and I was looking up at him. Well needless to say he isn't shrinking but the snow is piling up.

He won't fall over now!

In between all the falling flakes I did get my Morewood designs mystery put together. I was going to add borders but thought no and glad I did. There was just enough of the background I used to make a backing. Win win!!

Morewood mystery

                    I also finished a Christmas present. We haven't seen our daughter as yet so our Christmas is going to be late this year! We are so hoping the lockdown will be lifted this week so we can get together. I am also trying to finish the binding on a quilt. It is a big 96" square quilt so the stitching is for evening TV watching and is going slowly! Love the bias check for this quilt, it was perfect!!

binding waiting 

My friend Carla at Quilting by the River is starting a quilt along this coming week. Check out her facebook page(Quilting by the River) to join in the fun. There is a small $10 fee to join. Every two weeks she does a facebook live and helps with hints and tricks and can answer questions you may have. Her last quilt along I finished in half size blocks. You can see it here.

Slow sunday stitching...well what is left of Sunday, will be some hand quilting for me. I am nearing the end of a row and will be able to roll the quilt again. Perhaps by next Sunday I might be at the center of the quilt!!!

Have a great week everyone!

Sewing and stitching

flower border is quilted now into the stars

 I have spent several days of stitching and sewing this week. I got started on the blocks for my newest scrappy challenge quilt. Started with the log cabin blocks and used the nine patches as leaders. I have soooo many nine patches to make! Half way through sewing the blocks I realized I hadn't cut enough strips for the quilt. I needed to cut more strips and they were the longer ones. argggg!! This meant that I would have to add a couple more fat quarters to my pile and try to incorporate them into the quilt so they didn't look like a last minute add on! Luckily I noticed this mistake early in the sewing process.

I have also finished another pass on the hand quilting frame. I have the tender fingertips to prove it. I need to build up those callouses. So I go from frame to sewing machine when the fingers start to hurt too much.

down-sized large frame

Kathy asked today what our favourite quilting  hoop is. While I have a 10"round one and a 14" squareish one, the newest favourite of mine is this hand quilting frame. I use to hand quilt like grandma, on the huge frame that takes up a whole room. I loved being able to look at the whole quilt spread out before me, just waiting to be quilted. But these days this roll up frame is better and it can sit for months if necessary and not be in the way. It is a home made frame so the cog wheels are not finely tuned but I can work with it. The quilt top does move(floats around) so I am trying different ways of setting up the three layers. Instead of trying to guess or center the top on the backing, I start the quilt very close to the bottom edge, where I start hand quilting. That way the excess of the quilt top will float towards the opposite edge and hopefully there will be enough batting and backing when I get there. I allowed 4" all around for the backing so there should be enough. This is only the second time using this frame and during the first attempt I almost ran out of backing!!

Join in with Kathy and see what others are up to. I am trying to stay warm this morning and heading out ice fishing this afternoon! Hope that sun warms things up as it was -27Celcius this morning brrrr!!!

 

New Project!

leftovers after cutting

 I spent yesterday afternoon and late into the evening cutting out pieces for my newest quilt. A couple friends and I are doing a pattern from a magazine together. We will each have our own quilt. I was going to throw caution to the wind and go very scrappy but have now changed my mind. I sorted through my boxes of fabrics, picking out anything less than a fat quarter. I then had to go back and grab a couple fat quarters as I didn't have enough fabric. So I started out with 14 fat quarters or equivalent there of, in colours medium and dark shades. Then I had to find neutrals, beige, cream all the way to yellowish shades, 17 fat quarters of them.

pieces ready for sewing

After cutting all that I think I need, there isn't much fabric left. I sure cleared out some small pieces. Although this quilt will be sort of controlled scrappy...it will be all kinds of scrappy.

Here is a small pic of the pattern we are doing. I hope I am not infringing on any copyright! We found several mistakes in the pattern so we will correct them as we go along and we are changing the sizes anyway from the pattern.

Today is the start of the sewing...this should be fun!