Humble Xmas Quilt

I've been promising photos of this quilt for a while now and finally got around to taking it outside looking for that perfect shot.  The day was dreary and my quilt sort of gleams against the brick wall and the wee bit of snow on the ground.

The backing on my quilt has deers on it.  So sweet!

Quilt Details:
Block size:  8" finished
No pattern name/source available.  Had the pattern, adjusted it to my taste and added the trees and then lost the pattern.  Oh well, that happens, eh!
Started:  April 2015
Top Finished:  January 2019
Quilt Finished:  September 2019
Quilt Size:  55-1/4" x 73-3/4" (before quilting, washing and drying:  58-1/2" x 74-3/4")
Quilt Batting:  Hobbs poly/cotton 80/20
Machine pieced by me.
Machine quilted by Kat's Quilts

This was a fun quilt to make.  It is amazing what one can make out of scraps from a lady who was moving to another city and wanted to have a purge of her quilting stuff.  With the help of her friends (Karin and Jeanne) they asked if I wanted some of her scraps.  YES!  Some of the fabric pieces in this quilt had to be sewn together to make the exact size strip/square needed.  To me, this is a humility or a very humble quilt.  Just make do with what you have and go from there and unless you look really close, no one will ever know.  Absolutely fun!

So, there you have it, my "Humble Xmas" quilt.

A few days after taking these photos outside, this is what it looks like now .... a Winter Wonderland.

 Oh look, a deer!

Have a great day!

A runner took off

2019.  Good Lord .... where did 2018 go?  It went by ever so quickly.  The year started off at a fast pace and just kept on speeding along.  Like a runner.

Well, my niece that received this table runner is a runner and has a couple marathons under her belt.  So, what better person to receive this?  It was gifted to her for Xmas 2018.

Batiks.  It is not often that I work with batik fabrics and I actually went out shopping for this runner.  Now, there are batiks in my stash .... but not many.  I'm not really a fan of batiks but it is good to have some to add into my scrap quilts.

The fabric colours were chosen based on this painting in their dining room.

Close ups of the machine quilting and for the first time ever for me .... machine applique.  Yes, by machine!  Will wonders never cease?

Now, this table runner didn't go quite so smoothly.  This photo looks like two blocks on top of each other.  Well, yes that is correct .... but they are sewn together.  What the heck did I do?  I don't know, but somehow when I did the machine applique, two blocks were picked up at the same time towards the end when I finished sewing the last edge of the leaf.  The block felt thick when it was removed from under the needle and lo and behold .... sewn together.

I tell you .... there were some blue words that came out of my mouth at that point.  Out came the seam ripper and very carefully, the errant stitches were removed and then it was carefully re-positioned and sewn again.

I'm very pleased with the look of this runner.  All by machine.  Well, I never expected that would ever happen!  By completing this runner, another ufo is crossed off my list.  Singing .... amen, amen, amen ......

Details:
Pattern Name:  Leaves (pattern name:  Autumn Leaves)
Pattern Source:  Workshop by Ruth Kennedy of Dancing Threads from Fergus, Ontario.
Pattern Started:  April 2017
Runner finished:  December 2018
Runner size:  16-1/4" x 45-1/4" (after washing and drying)
Block Size: 8-1/2" square
Machine applique and machine quilting
Batting:  poly/cotton

Could I see myself doing this leaf block again?  Absolutely.  In a bigger quilt for autumn.

My niece sent me photos of how this runner looks on their dining room table.  Lovely.

She also sent me a photo of their Xmas stockings that I made for them over the past twelve years (first ones made in 2006, then 2012 and 2015).  The smaller stockings were made for them after they first married (on the left and right).  Then as they had children, they requested they be made bigger and that is why the ones in between are bigger.  They all match in colours because fabric was stored away in a bin so that as each child came along, the bin was pulled out and the pattern and fabrics to match were all there.  I had my thinking cap on way back then.  Smart, eh! 

What else did I do for Xmas?  A bathroom storage shelf for another niece.  My niece had been pinning shelves on Pinterest and because I follow her, an idea was born for a Xmas gift.  Hubby and I made the shelf and the final coat of sealer was applied just a few days ago and she was able to take it home with her in her car.

It had to be custom made because she has an electrical outlet that is high up on the wall and she needed to be able to put her hand behind the slant of the shelf to plug in whatever she was using.  So, with instructions to her for what kind of measurements to take and photos, we got there in the end.   This is the first time my husband and I made anything like this and we surprised ourselves at how well the shelf turned out.  There is not much storage in my niece's apartment and this shelf will help her in many ways.  She is happy.  We are happy too.

So what did these two nieces and their families get for me?  This.  Boy, was I ever surprised when I opened my gift on Xmas morning to tell me that two months of this quilty box was coming.  I knew that something was coming beforehand and it was being delivered by UPS and to accept the parcel.  But not exactly what was coming.  The box arrived on Dec. 31 from Fat Quarter Shop and I can use everything.  What will January's box contain?  I tell you, this was exciting to open.  How did they think of this?  One niece said that she was doing some surfing on the net and noticed quilters showing photos of different quilting boxes and bingo, she knew this would be perfect for me.  Yep, she got that right!

So 2019 .... bring it on!  Let's see what can be done this year.  New and old projects.

Have a great stitching day!

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

Celestial Stars or Xmas Stars

Oh my, how I love this quilt.  EPP.  What more is there to say?

With all the snow in our backyard, it is hard to get a good quilt photo.  So, let's put the thinking cap on and find a way!

This is ok .... but I need a better angle for my quilt journal.

 Not bad, but how about a straight on photo?

 This would be the perfect straight on position.

 Except those vertical bars and the plant are in the way.

Better, but now the chandelier is in the way!

Enter my husband with a long stick ..... to carefully move the chandelier out of the way.  Perfect.

Here are some close-up of my blocks and the custom quilting by my friend Tella in Scarborough.  Tella knows that I don't like tight machine quilting and she worked her magic by giving me what I like.

Now, this quilt.  When you Google the book (see below), the pattern for my quilt is on the front cover.  Except, I did a lot of changes to it.  Made it my own.  Definitely my own.  Google it and see for yourself and then compare the difference.  Sharon's book is gorgeous.  I'll be dipping into it again and taking another of her patterns and then making changes again.  Sorry, but I can't help myself ..... 

Quilt details:
Quilt Name:  Xmas Stars (original pattern name:  Celestial Stars)
Pattern source:  Quilting on the Go .... English Paper Piecing book by Sharon Burgess but with many adaptations (by me) to the original pattern.
Started:  Mar. 12, 2018
Top Finished:  July 25, 2018
Quilt Finished:  September 2018
Quilt Size:  83-3/4" x 83-3/4" (size before washing and drying:  89-1/2" x 89-1/2")
Batting:  Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 on bottom and a layer of Pellon Nature's Touch 100% Wool on top.
Custom machine quilted by Tella in Scarborough.

This quilt never got to be a ufo.  I was determined to get it made and quilted so that it could be part of my trunk shows that I participated in in September and October.  So there.  All EPP with a lot of fussy cutting and it can be done in a timely manner .... not years.... only 4 months from start to top stage!   This quilt proved that point.

In a few days, it will be 2019.  Wishing you all the best and lots of happy stitching for the year to come!

Have a great day!

Latest Happenings

Not too much in the way of quilting is getting done this week.

Instead, the paint brush has come out of hiding and that is keeping me busy.  Odds and ends around the house that has been on hold for a year or two or three.  What can I say.  I'm a quilter and that is what I prefer to be doing!  The reason for this surge of house work is that our friends from Australia are coming to spend a week with us in October.  They just can't see the same blue painter's tape around the house that was there three years ago. 🐱🐱

Still, I need to do some kind of hand work.  Why not some binding?  It is starting to cool down and having a quilt on my lap will keep me warm.  But first though, I am machine quilting the borders.  Stitch-in-the-ditch (SITD).  For some reason, when my quilts come back from the LAer, I like to SITD to finish them off.  I find the quilts look better.  The extra quilting helps to anchor the quilt.  Am I the only one that does this?

So, binding has finally been made for this quilt and as soon as the borders are done, the binding will be sewn on and I can spend time sewing the binding down and watching t.v. in the evenings.  This is a very large quilt and it will take me a few evenings, for sure.

Slowly, but surely, the applique on the borders is getting done on this top.

Next up is some more upholstery.  Between painting, some hand work and upholstery, I'm keeping myself busy and motivated.  Often times, I feel that not much gets done.  Browsing through my blog says otherwise.  Good thing my blog is there for me to see my progress through the years. 

Have a great day!

Linking to: http://estheraliu.blogspot.com/ and http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

Working on different things

We are almost at the end of August.  Whew, that month flew by quickly!

August and September mean renovations and fixing things up around the house.  Well, the renovations are all done, just a bit of fixing things up to do.

First, though, this quilt is being machine quilted by me.  It is twin size and that I can manage.  This quilt is for a wee niece who is turning 3 soon and has moved to a big girl bed.  More on this quilt later.

Last week DH and I redid this office chair.  It turned out mighty fine!  I'm trying to clean out my upholstery stash and whatever can't be used will be donated to a lady who makes bags.

Next up is this fabric for this footstool.  I've been wanting to recover this stool for years and finally bought the fabric yesterday.  Nothing in my stash worked, so I bought a metre to do the job.

 If I'm careful with the fabric, there might be enough leftover to do this little stool.

 Then, this quilt ladder will get three coats of Varethane to prevent any transfer of wood resin.

September also means spray painting time for me.  There are a few pieces that need to get done.  September usually offers days of less humidity which is perfect for spray painting.  So, I do need to get my butt into gear because cooler days will be coming soon.

The next few photos are Decorating with Quilts.  My bookcase is starting to fill up very nicely but I will run out of space soonish.  There are still 19 tops to be quilted.  Some of those tops will be donated or gifted, but the majority will stay with me. 

The second shelf from the top has most of my EPP quilts, wall hangings and tops.  Yes, EPP.  One day, I will have to do a show of all my EPP projects.   There are still six EPP projects in different stages.  Most of them just need borders and they will get done soon.   In case anyone is wondering, there are two coats of primer and three coats of Varethane on the bookcase shelves to stop any wood resin from coming through.

What's on my bed?  EPP quilt, of course!  There is also an EPP on the ladder.  My ladder also has primer, paint and three coats of Varethane.  Got to protect my quilts!  I will be making sleeves out of leftover batting to cover the rungs on both ladders.   Maybe a bit overkill, but protection, protection is the name of the game.

Soon, my September quilts will get changed on the beds and walls.  Autumn is coming.  There are already some leaves changing colour.  After our summer drought, I'm not sure what the display will be like this year.

On another note, this feline would really love to become our cat.  She tried last year after our dear Miss Ashes passed on and she is trying again this year.  When she sees us, she comes running and meowing to greet us.  As you can imagine, she gets much attention from us.  Problem is ..... she belongs to the neighbours next door.  They have a young child plus a dog and I can only imagine how busy and noisy it can be for this feline.  Our place is very quiet.  Oh dear, it is going to get rough as the weather gets colder and she will want to be inside our place.  Maybe we should keep the extra  container of litter after all?

Have a great day!
Linking to: http://estheraliu.blogspot.com/ and http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

Oh Wonderful ...

The full name of this quilt is 'Oh Wonderful, Summer's Here'.  How lovely it turned out to be.

Below is a behind-the-scene photo of my friend Debra (from Toronto) and I getting ready to move the quilt up the hill so that my hubby could get a photo of the quilt.  Little did we know that he snapped photos of us telling each other what to do to get ready.  It was early morning and the photo had to be taken before we got ready to go back to Toronto.  Everyone was still in their pj's.  LOL

A little bit of peek-a-boo before the serious photo taking could take place!  We did this session quickly because the air quality (forest fire smoke) was pretty bad that morning.

Quilt details:

The centre is all English Paper Piecing.  It took a long time but my scrap bins sure got a good cleaning out during the process.  Every kind of fabric was used.  Civil War, Asian, Repro, modern .... whatever looked good was used.

Pattern source:  BlockBase software and No. D046 is the block name.  It is also known as Puzzle Tile.  I kept talking about my quilt as D046 again and again and mentioned on a post that a better name was needed.    Help from my followers came and the name was changed to 'Oh Wonderful, Summer's Here'.  How delightful that name is!  🐱🐱

Size:  97" x 97-1/2" (99-1/2" x 99-1/2" before being quilted and washed/dried).

Batting:  80/20 cotton/poly

Started:  Apr. 7, 2011
Top Finished:  Sept. 3, 2014
Quilt Finished:  July 19, 2018

This was machine quilted by my LAer friend, Tella in Scarborough.

My friend, Debra drove up from Toronto on Thursday to drop off a trundle bed for our cottage and to pick me up and drive us back to Toronto for a weekend visit.  We shopped and shopped and shopped and went to our favourite quilt show at Black Creek Village.  While I loved the show, it was a tad disappointing.  There were a lot of miniature quilts that was done for a challenge and a  long,low fence had lots of portrait quilts hanging on it.  I'm not really into either and that is why the show wasn't as interesting to me. 

Back home, the air quality is quite bad here again today.  We can't open our windows or doors again.  The little rain we had is helping, but fires are still burning and the smoke is drifting to our city.  Oh no, that means I HAVE to stay indoors!  Let's see what can be worked on ...... 😉

Have a great day!

Linking to: http://estheraliu.blogspot.com/ and http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

Angles and Squares

Another quilt ..... another finish!  Oh, how happy am I to finally have this quilt done.

I really do need to thank my garage girl friends again and again and again for pushing me to get my quilts done by either me or by someone else.  They are so happy to see a finished quilt and that means my list is dwindling.  Any top that a LAer can do, off they go now.  No more hoarding with wishful thinking that it can be hand quilted.  Sadly, those days are fading into the sunset and only the special ones I hold onto in the hopes that I will do them myself continue to stay on the shelf.

Now, let's look at this quilt.  I fell in love with this design when it was first on the design wall and I can't believe how well it turned out.

This quilt started with a workshop that was given by Heather Stewart.  At the end of the class, Heather asked us to do something different with the final layout.  She did give us examples to get us started.

At the time, I was in the "star" mode and that is how stars appeared on this quilt.  Still love those stars!   The quilt is straight ... it is the photo taker (me) that can't get her act together!

Quilt details:
Started:  October 18, 2012 in a workshop presented by Heather Stewart
Top finished:  January 9, 2013
Quilt finished:  April 9, 2018

Top size:  67" x 83" (before quilting and washing:  70-1/4" x 86")
Batting:  polyester

Machine quilted (using Swiralot pattern) by Tella in Scarborough, Ontario.  I did add additional machine quilting on the diagonal lines and on the vertical and horizontal rows.  Using polyester batting made those areas too puffy and I just didn't like how they looked.  So, I took the time to fix the look and I'm so glad that I did.  Also, hand quilting was added around the stars and circles.  Why not, it is my quilt.

Label and sleeve on?  Tick and tick!

DONE!

What a glorious word.

Have a great day!

Linking to:  http://estheraliu.blogspot.ca/

Cherry on Top

Another quilt done!  Can you see me doing the happy, happy dance?

Label and sleeve on?  Tick and tick.  Done!

Quilt details:
Pattern source:  internet free pattern (source is no longer available)
Hand pieced using EPP method (except for borders which were machine sewn)
Started:  Fall 2011
Top finished:  June 2014
Quilt finished:  April 2018
Quilt Size:  94-1/4" x 93" (size before quilting and washing:  97" x 99")
Batting used:  80/20 poly/cotton
Edge to edge pattern:  Baptist Fan
Machine Quilted by:  Tella in Scarborough, Ontario ..... thank you once again Tella for making my quilt come alive!

I don't know about you, but I'm having a great day!