Binding and more binding!

My hexagon wall hanging is all finished now.  Just need to cut the correct size rod and I can show you the final quilt hanging.  In the meantime, here is a sneak peek of my progress this week.

Binding got cut out and sewn onto the quilt.  Look at all that hand quilting!  Oh my!  My hands hurt like heck, but it was so worth it!  There are a few more smaller tops that will be brought out and basted for more hand quilting as I quite enjoyed the process.  I tried a massage gizmo that will be great for my hands after each session of hand quilting.  The before and after was amazing and with that gizmo, I feel confident of doing more hand quilting.

Once the binding was on, I couldn't stop myself until it was all done.  Sleeve and label went on next.

Next up in the binding cue is this Xmas quilt!  Love it!  There will be photos of three finished quilts to show you soon.

To round out my week, these items are all due for a couple coats of Varethane.  Chairs and cabinets.  The quilt rack you see will get transformed to white.  Just waiting for another nice day to spray paint.

We have had a few cool mornings and our daytime temps are in the mid-teen's.  Our gas fireplace has come on to give us a bit of heat in the morning.  Autumn is making it's presence known once again.

Have a great day!

Linking to:
http://www.esthersquiltblog.com/
https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

A little bit of this and that!

I'm hand quilting again after quite a hiatus.  My hands and fingers can't work like they used to, so in between sessions of hand quilting, other things were happening.

My lovely hexie wall hanging is the chosen project.  With all that embroidery, there was no way this was going to be machine quilted.  It would not have done justice to all that hand work.

After an hour here and there during the week, the centre is almost done.

In between sessions, binding got sewn onto this Xmas quilt.

Seriously .... that seam had to happen right in the corner!  LOL  Oh well, it was easy to fix and continue on. 

 Viola ... the centre is completed.  Now, onto the borders! 

Also, during the week, binding, sleeve and label were completed on this quilt.  Photos will be coming as soon as the leaves on the trees on our hill change colour .... and that should be happening within the next two weeks.   Sorry, but you will just have to wait until then.  I know, I know, I shouldn't tease you all! 

So, that was my week!

Have a great day!

Linking to:

http://www.esthersquiltblog.com/

https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

Not done with apple cores

You know, after making three apple core quilts, I thought that was it.  I was done with making them.  I was apple cored out!  Or so I thought.

So, what happened?  Well ...... do you remember reading about my friend Karin working on apple cores in the garage?  She rescued them from a friend's garbage and was determined to do something with them.  Well, that rescue didn't last long.  She up and gifted them to me!  LOL  Then, the friend (Cathy, Cathy, Cathy) found more apple cores in her studio and sent them up to Karin and Karin dropped them off to me.  So, I now have enough apple cores to make a small wall hanging.

That is what I've been working on lately.  It was a great project for the cottage to help keep me busy while sitting on the porch.

Now, I don't like freezer paper or glue.  All the cores were done using those methods.  What I did was remove everything and washed the apple cores to get rid of the glue and the markings.  One of you ladies used a permanent marker!  Tsk, tsk, tsk.  In order to get rid of the markings, a smaller template and papers were made to fit inside the markings.  Once they are sewn in place, those markings will not be seen.

So, that is how apple cores are once again in my life!

What else am I working on?

A bit of hand quilting in the evenings on this wall hanging.

More hexies have been made for the third section on this project but I hit a bit of snag for the applique and have to do a bit of math before assembling.  For now, this project is on hold.

One more row was sewn together on this project.   There is a need for me to get these blocks into a top.   I can't believe how hard it is to capture a good photo of this project.  Everything turns out hazy/blurry.

So, now you know what is keeping me busy.

Have a great day!

Linking to:
http://www.esthersquiltblog.com/
https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

Displaying my quilts

This cabinet finally got its' quilts for display!  I keep going into the bedroom off my studio and drool over my latest transformation.  I'm so happy with it and there is lots more space to hold many more quilts.  The top shelf holds my wall hangings that have been rolled up onto a pool noodle.  The bottom cabinet holds storage bins but will eventually hold quilts in there too.

The angel and doll were part of an exchange.  The angel is from Iceland and the doll is from Australia.

Waiting in the wings is another cabinet that has started the transformation.  In another week or so, depending on the weather, this cabinet too will display quilts.

Yep, happy summer days!

Have a great stitching day!

Darn ... not my quilt!

I just have to share this quilt with you!  It belongs to my friend Darlene (quilting in the garage owner).   We have both been working on hand projects and this is what she has been working on this past winter and summer.

Oh, and did I mention that is is hand quilted too!  She is using perle cotton and big stitching and  cotton batting with no scrim. 

Beautiful work, Darlene!  Perfect for your cottage to snuggle under when that lake breeze is a bit cool.

Darlene thought of me and how I am always on the lookout for nice spots to take quilt photos and her cottage has a lot of nice areas.

We are both working on a secret project and later in the year, we can both reveal our project.  More on that later. 

What are you stitching today?

Have a great day!

Wildflowers

Another quilt done .... yippee!!

My husband has been working hard on our terraced hill flower beds since we moved here seven years ago.  I drool over fabulous photos shown on blogs and on Pinterest and often wish that I had someplace nice too.  Well .... duh .... I do have a fabulous spot up the hill in our backyard now.

DH is holding the quilt.  Thanks Hon!

How about in the tree?  Oh yes!  I'm so glad that I persevered and put the applique in those setting triangle spaces.  The pattern did not have them, but the top just didn't look finished to me.

DH has often said that I should put a bigger quilt on this wall in our living room.  I always said 'no' too big would not look nice.  So, instead over the years only smaller wall hangings were hung there.  One day, I decided to take his advise and put up bigger quilts and they do look ok after all. 😻😻

Quilt Details:
Name of Quilt:  "Wildflowers"
Pattern Source:  "American Wildflowers" quilt by Audrey Hiers, McCall's Quilting Mar/Apr. 2015
Block size:  10"
Started:  March 2017
Top Finished:  July 2017
Quilt Finished:  August 2019
Quilt Size:  72" x 87" (top size before quilting, washing and drying:  73" x 89")
Batting:  Hobbs 80/20 cotton/polyester
Machine Quilted by:  Kat's Quilts

What else am I up to these days?  More spray painting.  This cabinet is about to get changed over to white.  A lot of sanding has been going on.  This is the time of year that is perfect to do these jobs and I'm taking advantage of the weather while I can.

There are other things that are being worked on, but that will be for another day.

Have a great day!

A little bit of this and that!

Where is the summer going?  Already August and I have noticed a few trees around the neighbourhood starting to take on a tinge of colour.

I've been back and forth to the cottage for most of the summer.  Another week and my sister will be back to work and I can do more things around the home and in my studio.

Handwork has been my companion this summer.  Pick up and go, go, go.

Hexie handwork.  A ufo from November 2018.  Time to pick this up again and continue the work.

Two sections are now done and two more to go.  I figured out what will be the applique and more will be revealed later.

 This cabinet is now done and ready for quilts.  Three coats of Varethane inside.

These are just some of the quilts to go in the cabinet.  It will be so nice to get my ironing station back up and running again.  I can get 18 quilts in the upper section.  Yeah!

More spray painting (done outside) has been done.  These chairs will replace ones at our cottage.  I brought one chair in to see if my husband could replace the seats.  He could but it would be a lot of work and since he has not been feeling well (vertigo spells and low blood pressure), I opted instead to go to a charity store and buy two chairs instead.  Sanding and spray painting and a couple coats of Varethane and these chairs will stand up to the weather on our cottage porch.  The discarded chair was put to the curb for garbage pick up and our neighbour called and asked if she could have the chair to put on her veranda for holding a plant.  Yes!  My garbage, her treasure.  Gotta love that!  My husband did say there was one more chair and she wants that one too. LOL

So, these are my summer projects so far!

Have a great stitching time.

Linking to:
http://www.esthersquiltblog.com/
https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/