An UFO ...

I have never talked much about my Granddaughter's Flower Garden hexagon project, until I was recently asked about it.  So, it is time that it came out-of-the-closet.

The pattern came from an on-line blog and the only link that I have to this pattern is here.  When I tried linking back to the original souce, the link to the pattern has disappeared. 

This is the how my hexagon should look ....

... but knowing me, it got changed.  :o) 

Since moving here, two hexagons got sewn together and the bottom one is almost sewn together.  Usually, one hexagon can be completed in an evening ... if I put my mind to it.

 

These pouches (which were bought at a $ store) hold the workings for my hexagons.

The yellow pouch holds all the basted pieces needed to make one hexagon.  With all the different tabs, this pouch can hold quite a number of hexagons to be sewn.  Yikes .... down to one hexagon .... time to make more.

My green pouch has all the pieces for basting using the English Paper Piecing method and I like how the individual compartments hold the different colours of fabric, the paper templates, etc.  This is a great way to keep me organized.

Also, making hexagons is a great travel project and after the addition of a small pair of scissors, a pin cushion, pins, needle and a spool of thread, this project and pouch is travel-ready.

Have a great day, eh!

Another hangup!

The other day, DH was not happy .... he was complaining .... the entrance looked just too bare.  The entrance needed some oomph.   It is a huge entrance (for us, anyway) and DH suggested a quilt would do the trick.  Not a problem.  Which quilt should we hang up?  Since it was his idea, he got to pick the quilt.  He wanted my Blazing Star quilt.  So, out to Home Depot we went to buy the pole and brackets (we are using a 10ft. long 1/2" electrical conduit pipe and 3/4" pipe brackets that he cut in half with a special hand metal cutting saw) to hold the pole up (3 brackets were needed).  Now, I tell you this was a c. h. o. r. e.  See the ladder?  That is how we have to hang up this quilt; plus another step ladder that is on the landing.  I'm nearly 6' tall and the quilt measures 98" long and you can see how much height there is above my head.  Someone had to climb up that ladder and it wasn't me!  :o)

My Blazing Star quilt is my first big quilt that I ever made.  Even back then (24 yrs. ago), I was playing around with the original pattern by making it my own.  See the outer star borders?  Yep, that is how I changed this pattern to make it into a good bed size quilt.  The quilt is wonky, to say the least, and a good bit of masking tape is helping to keep it straight and hanging correctly on the wall.

Since my quilt didn't have a sleeve and DH couldn't wait for me to sew a sleeve onto the back, we used curtain rings that have clips to hold the quilt up.  The quilt would look better with a sleeve; but there is no hurry to get that ladder out and take the quilt down and fix it.  As I said, this was a c.h.o.r.e.  Can you guess that this quilt will be hanging here for a while?

 Here is another view of how it looks coming from the living room.

 This view is from our front door and of course, Miss Ashes had to get into the photo!  :o)

Wonky or not .... I'm proud to display this old quilt of mine and it sure makes an entrance! 

Have a great day, eh!

Feels like ...

.... home!  Slowly, but surely, our new place is feeling like home.

Hello wall quilt!  We haven't seen you since February.

Hello quilt ladder!  You were so crowded at our old place, but now you have lots of room to show off your quilts.

Together, you make a fine pair!

The hectic days of deadlines, the rush to get things done is almost over.  Most of the rooms are finished and it feels so good to just sit back and relax and do a bit of handwork. 

The painting and cosmetic work will follow at some point but we are comfortable in our new home as it is right now and love it here very much.  Curtains need to be put up and chairs to be re-upholstered, etc.   The work can be done later ..... right now, we just need to chill out.  The last 3 months have been very stressful to our body and soul.

My studio is almost unpacked and it has been a joy to discover my old tops and projects as each box and bin gets opened and put away.  My sewing machine has been found and it will get set-up one day.  Hand piecing projects are a blessing to have around for me to work on in the meantime.

Have a great day, eh!

It is starting ....

... to feel like home ..... in a few places ...... but not in my studio.  It hasn't changed much since the time we moved in.

 Boxes and bins galore!

 DH has been busy getting shelving and cabinets set up so that I can start to unload boxes.

Our backyard is gorgeous.  Look at these flowers and the smell is wonderful.  Each day is a total surprise to see what new flower has bloomed.  Our backyard goes up, up, up a hill.  We do have a lovely view and I will show more of that at a later date.  We have met a few of our neighbours and they have warned us about bears, wolves and foxes.  We will have to be careful with the girls on a leash outside on the back patio.

Most of my quilts have been found and I'm starting to display them around our home.  I just love this huge basket for these quilts.  

Here is my origami (My Fantasy Garden) quilt in our living room hanging above a dresser that Debra gifted to us.  What a lovely statement this makes in our home.  Thank you so much, Debra .... we love it!

Finally, a wee hanging that Debra gave to me just before we moved.  This is my Xmas gift exchange for We 3 Quilters.  I love it!!!!  It was not the original piece that she showed me as she encountered a problem so gave this to me instead. Can you see her big stitch quilting?  Debra took a class just the day before and had it all quilted and bound and washed before giving it to me.  I think this big stitch quilting is something that I'm going to have to try for sure.   This quilt is now hanging in our upstairs landing.  Just awesome!

A member of the Near North Quilting Guild sent me a welcome email and has invited me to attend their upcoming meeting as well as a meeting for the Embroidery Guild.  What a lovely welcome .... thank you, Wendy.  I'm not able to go this time but come September, I will try the guild experience one more time.

There are boxes calling my name and I must go tackle them.

Have a great day, eh!