Embroidery done and big stitch quilting

Well, well, well!  The embroidery is finally DONE.  Lordy, but that was a long process but so worth every stitch.

The hexies are all marked and the hand quilting has started.  Oh, so happy to be doing this.  Mind you, I'm not so happy with my quilting.  My fingers don't want to work the way they used to, so that is something that may stop eventually.  This quilt can not be machine quilted.  It just has to have hand quilting.

Big stitch quilting.  My niece did a bit on her first quilt.  This is how she does it.  She doesn't have the strength to maneuver the needle.  Not yet, anyway.  Time will tell down the road if she wants to try it again.  Some of her stitches were quite wonky and I pointed them out to her.  Her answer:  "I don't care, it is my quilt."  Yes, it is your quilt.

 Yes, yes, yes .... my studio is a mess right now.  What is new, eh!  LOL

I marked the top where the big stitches were to go and all she had to do was follow the markings.  Same with machine quilting.  She did some of both and so did I.

Her quilt has two rows of big stitch quilting, straight line machine quilting and some ties.  She looks pretty proud of herself.  Binding, sleeve and a label and her quilt will be ready for our quilt show in September.

While she was here for that day, she had to use the bathroom.  She came back in and said "OMG" and had a look of utter astonishment on her face.  Why is she OMGing?  "Your shower", she said and I started to laugh.  What made her look in the shower?  The shower curtain was bulging out a bit and she was curious.

In that shower that is hardly ever used, are bags and bags of batting scraps.  They had to go somewhere and why not there.  Right?!  I'm still chuckling over that.  Anyway, one day they too will get sorted out and sewn together.

So, that is my week.  Busy at the cottage and busy at home.  Just enjoying summer.

Have a great stitching day!

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

Snowballs

No, we are not in winter here .... not yet.  But, snowballs?  That is the name of my latest quilt finish!  It was made during a quilt-along by Temecula Company and I absolutely loved making this quilt.  The border design is my own and I would do it again in a flash!

After the binding got finished, it was late at night and I just had to snap this photo taken in the lamp light at the cottage.

Here is the other side of the bridge on our cottage road.

The bridge is a one vehicle lane only and has great appeal for taking quilt photos.  The flies are still bad.

Then back at home, this is on our hill looking down.

Over a swing on our patio.

Yep, love this one too!

Quilt details:
Block size:  4" finished
Started:  December 2017
Top finished:  August 2018
Quilt finished:  July 2019
Quilt size:  67-1/2" x 83" (before quilting, washing and drying:  69-1/2" x 85")
Batting:  Hobbs polyester
Machine quilted by:  Kat's Quilts

For the quilt-along we needed to make 16 blocks each week.  Eight dark blocks and eight light blocks.  Each Wednesday, we were reminded about our blocks.  I actually kept with the program and then got ahead of the process and finished the blocks before the end of their quilt-along.  The border kept me busy for a while but it was so worth the wait.

Have a great stitching day!

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

Border flowers

I absolutely love this quilt!

That scroll work on the top and bottom is different and sure sets off the whole look.  It looks so dainty!  Those are tiny hexagon flowers in the scroll work.

A close up of some of the flowers:

Marcie Patch .... what do you think of your hexagon flowers now?  I call this quilt "Border Flowers" in honour of you and me (U.S.A. and Canada)

To those that don't know the story behind the above comment, Marcie Patch (designer of quilts in McCall's Quilting Magazine) wrote on her blog (no longer active) Apr. 10, 2009 that she had hexagon flowers to giveaway.  She and her aunt started them but Marcie didn't want them anymore.  I won them!  Yeah me!

When the package arrived, I tried to sew the flowers together but they just wouldn't lay flat no matter what I did.  So, I TOOK them all apart, washed the fabric pieces and using my own templates, redid the whole lot.  The white pieces were added from my stash.

When I looked at her templates, Lordy, there were three different sizes.  No wonder there were problems in sewing the flowers together.   BTW, Marcie knows about this because a photo and email was sent to her after the top was finished explaining what I did to make them work.

So, her castoff is now my TREASURE!  Can you see me doing the happy dance?

Quilt details:
Quilt started:  April 2009
Quilt top finished:  February 2018
Quilt finished:  July 2019
Quilt size:  59" x 87-1/4" (top size before quilting, washing and drying:  64" x 87-1/4")
Batting:  Hobbs cotton poly 80/20
Machine quilted by:  Kat's Quilts

Now that summer is here, it was time to take down the July 1 quilts and out came all the summer quilts.  Take a peek at what is on display in our foyer, dining room and living room. 

Have a great day!

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

Roses

It is that time of year when roses are starting to bloom.

My "Roses" quilt is done.  My sister's elderly neighbour just had surgery for breast cancer and she has been gifted this quilt to enjoy and help to keep her warm.  She said to me that she is always cold.  Perfect gift!

This quilt was started by Andree M. and it was passed to me in her bags of scraps.  There was no pattern included in the bag.  So, I pulled out all the pieces and formed a plan.  Some of the pieces had to be sewn together to make longer pieces to work in the blocks.   There is a mix of cotton and poly/cotton fabrics in this quilt.   Still, I do think the quilt turned out quite lovely.

Again, a photo at our cottage lake.  By the time we get out there again, these daisies will be gone until next June.  It was good while they lasted.

Those field of daisies belong to our neighbour and from our front porch, we could see a mass of white flowers.  So, we just went over and did some quick photos.  Again, the mosquitoes are awful.

Hanging onto the window sill of the old shed.

Back at home, a couple of rocks are holding my quilt on the wall so that you can get a better look at the design.

Another quilt done.  How lovely is that!

Quilt details:
Quilt source:  unknown block name
Quilt started:  May 2018
Quilt top finished:  June 2018
Quilt finished:  June 2019
Quilt size:  60-1/2" x 69-3/4" (before quilting, washing and drying:  62-1/4" x 72-1/4")
Quilt batting:  Hobbs 80/20 cotton/poly
Machine quilted by:  Kat's Quilts

There are more quilts ready and waiting for binding and one will be chosen.

Have a great stitching time on whatever you are doing!