Pizza Box Challenge

Another finish!  Yeah!

In the fall of 2015, the day guild (Near North Quilter's Guild) had a challenge using a pizza box.  Instructions were inside the box on what to do.  We were urged to sign up and have fun.

Where did the pizza boxes come from?  Karen K went to a pizza store and bought a whole bunch of empty boxes.  They must have thought she was a little crazy. 

I signed up and my focus fabric was a 1 metre of blue fabric (quel surprise!) that we had to put inside our pizza box along with one block (two blocks by me because I started one month late) that was made by me and a blank label for each person to sign.  I requested colours that I would like other people taking my box to use.  Shades of green, red, gold, yellow, rust and orange.  Autumn colours.  I had a plan.

Each month, my pizza box was moved around to other people.  Each box had a number (to keep the person a secret) and we could not take the same number box twice.   A different pizza box was taken home by me and a block made and brought back the following month.  We did this for seven/eight months.  Seven months for me because of the late start.

At the end, we were all curious to see what other people did for us.  On reveal day at guild, we could finally claim our pizza box and open it.  It was exciting.  All the participants showed the blocks in their box that day.

I was thrilled, to say the least.  Only a few months later, my top was finished and it did get shown at guild.

For my design, I wanted 12 blocks and ended up making three more blocks to make my quilt larger.  Then 12 leaf blocks were made and then assembled in a different way.  Something different.  You know me by now.  Yes, something different.

So, here we go with a bunch of photos.

I tried taking a photo of my quilt on the huge snowbank outside our back door.  Nope, that didn't work.  It kept falling down.

Over a snowbank.  Doesn't my quilt look good in the snow?  LOL

On top of a snowy and icy patio.  I had to be careful not to slip and fall and hurt myself.

Close up of the blocks.  A number of guild members stayed away from the challenge because they thought they would get wonky blocks.  None of my blocks came back wonky.  They were perfect 12-1/2" square.

I love that leaf block.  It was found in an old quilting magazine and I knew that it would be used on one of my quilts, one day.  This was the quilt.

I had to finally stop taking photos.  It started snowing quite heavily.  These will have to do.

Quilt Detail:
Started:  October 2015
Top Finished:  June 2016
Quilt Finished:  March 2019
Quilt Size:  71-1/4" x 99" (before washing and drying:  73" x 100-3/4")
Batting:  Polyester
Machine Quilted by:  Kat's Quilts

Thank you to Karen K and Evelyn C for organizing the challenge and to Marga, Louise, Mallory, Laura, Jennifer, Cathy and Marilyn for making your blocks.

It was a great challenge and I now have a gorgeous quilt for the fall.  My plan worked out very well! Other members have showed off their finished challenge quilts at guild and now my quilt can be shown too.

On another note, to conclude the story about the elderly lady and her quilt that I finished hand quilting for, she loved her quilt.  She received it in time for her 91st birthday.  Only after it was delivered by my friend to her son and DIL, was it revealed that day was her birthday.  See, there was a reason why I was so consumed in getting her quilt finished.

Here is Dorothy and her quilt.  Perfect for her, don't you agree?  Now, I don't know this lady at all.  Living away in Rouyn/Noranda, Quebec and Toronto for the past 30+ years, there are many people here in town that I don't know.  Perhaps one day we shall meet.  Who knows.  This is a small city after all.

Today, the sun is shining and the temperature is starting to climb.  I think, possibly, that spring might just be coming to our corner of the world.

Have a great day!

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

Binding away ....

I've been busy finishing the hand quilting on the quilt for the elderly lady and as it turns out today is her birthday and she is 91 years young.  She will get her quilt today.  Here it is drying on my design wall.  It was a bit hard to match her hand quilting and I hope that she is happy with her quilt and that it is finally finished.  What a delightful surprise it will be for this lady.  I didn't know it was her birthday today but something was telling me to FINISH it.

My fee?  Her small box of hand quilting stuff that came with the quilt.  That is it.  I love tins and this one called to me to keep.  The lady doesn't want it anymore and I was very happy to take it and to me, this box is a treasure.  Funny, eh, how such small things matter more than money.

I was running out of her quilting thread and my garage friend, Darlene, came to the rescue.  No, actually, it was her Grandma's sewing box that came to my rescue.  I brought the quilt with me to sew in the garage and when I mentioned that the thread was running out, Darlene went into the house and came back with a spool that matched the colour.  Thank you Grandma!

This lady's quilt was weighing on my mind and not much else has been worked on lately.  Now that it is done and gone to her, it was time to do something for me.  Sewing binding onto a quilt.

Hand sewing the binding in place. I was able to finish the binding late last night.  Now, it is just needs a sleeve and the label sewn on and washing and drying before I can show you.  That will be for next post.

Ah, yes, it is a good day!

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

A new top

I've been busy making a new top for a little niece.  Her birthday is in May.  To get me started, her Mom sent me a photo and colour ideas to base the quilt around.

The colours are jade greens and pinks with grey.  Yep, I can do that.  The greens are first up.

Next were pink and grey HST's laid out as per the quilt photo she sent me.

This is when a twist was added.  Every second HST's got turned around so that the look zig zagged.  Both photos were sent and this is the look that was agreed upon.  The twist.

Sewing of the rows started but I did have a slight problem with one row.  Yikes, how did that happen?

Three days later, a complete top!  That was really quick!  No borders.  Maybe that is why?  The colours are much brighter than shown in the photos.  I'm using my ipad for photos and am wondering if there is a way to add a flash. 

 A closer look at the fabrics.

Now, for something entirely different.  Watch for it ...

A neighbour riding behind his machine called a 'snow dog'.

Pulling another sleigh with another neighbour who is in her early 80's and she was having a ball waving to everyone.  LOL

And walking another neighbour's dog at the same time.  We are a very friendly street.

Here he is again on his way to the end of the street to give a group of kids a ride.   Young and old are game for a ride up and down the street.  My husband had a ride a few weeks ago.  He was shovelling the snow on the driveway and he was offered a ride.  Giddy up, let's go!   With all this snow, we have to find ways to make fun.

To add to our snow .... guess what .... it is snowing again!

We are so glad to have had our roof shovelled a month ago because there are reports of roofs starting to collapse in town. 

Have a great day!

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

Another month ... another finish

March is here already ..... and the snow is still falling.  No time to lament about the snow.  Just grin and bare it because soon it will start to melt.

In the meantime, here is another finish.

My apple core quilt which I call "Red Delicious".

Why?  See the red border before the outer border?  Red skin for the red delicious apple.  Get it?  LOL

 Done!

Quilt details:

Started:  May 2014

Top Finished:  December 2015

Quilt finished:  February 2019  Hand pieced!

Quilt size:  57" x 81-1/4" (before washing and drying: 58" x 82-1/4")  This quilt was washed and dried on a rack.

Batting:  80/20 poly cotton

Machine quilted by:  Kat's Quilts (a new LAer to our area).

So, that is two finishes for this year so far.  Three more quilts in waiting for binding.

Are you up for some garage photos?

Claudia's hexagon top by Edyta Sitar.  Claudia has been working on this for a while now.  Isn't it just gorgeous!  Darlene has been working on a wedding ring that you can see on the left side.  Yellow and blues.

 A close-up of the broderie perse.

Claudia and a new project.  Lovely!

Darlene is hand quilting a hexagon top.  Can't show photos yet.

Darlene is showing a rug hooking that Karin wanted to get rid of and Darlene is now the happy recipient and will be turning this piece into a sofa cushion for her cottage.

Karin was busy redoing a block that she had issues with.  Wool work applique.  We are all hoping to see a finished top soon.  Eh, Karin?

 

We do have a new member, but for some reason, I didn't take any photos of what she was working on.  I guess I was just admiring and drooling over everyone's projects that I forgot.  My bad!

Here is me and Coach.  I'm trying to work on my embroidery.  We manage.  LOL

This is where I'm at with my embroidery.  February was a good month and this is what I've been bringing with me to the garage.  Stitch-by-stitch .... inch-by-inch ..... this is getting done.

February was a good month.  We all kept busy.  Let's see what March does.

Have a great day!

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