So Thankful!

With the political craziness that is going on between Canada and the U.S.A., I am so thankful that I can sink into my quilting to help keep me sane and my hands occupied. 

I'm so thankful that there is a healthy stash and lots of bins of scraps to pawn through in my studio.  With the cost of cotton fabric and all the accessories, there is no way with the added cost of tariffs that I could afford to buy new stuff.  Good thing I stocked up years ago.

So, with that in mind, back to the scraps I went and after a day, blocks started appearing.  Another Rail Fence quilt was started.

After all the blocks were made, I decided that the bright yellow blocks just had to go.

So, more scraps were pulled, the yellow blocks taken out and viola .... a top that just needs borders.  

Cherish your day, cherish your life and cherish your country .... and my country will always be CANADA!

Quilts in Demand

My little great nieces have each separately asked me for another quilt.  So, guess what I will be doing next year for their birthdays.  Something simple and I will be going through my mags and Pinterest photos for some ideas.

Then my sister asked if I had a spare queen size quilt for her husband.  I looked but none that are masculine.  Then, going through my ufo's, there are two that can made into that size.  So, he will be getting this one .....

... or this one.  Not sure yet, but hope to have one done for Xmas.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Making progress

Progress has been made on this project.  So glad to see this coming along.  Originally, the pattern was to use all those star blocks.  They finish at 16".  I got bored after making just two blocks and that is why it got shelved .... oh, so many years ago.  Then along came the idea of making some more crazy blocks and using them as alternative blocks.  To make the top longer, some 2-1/2" blocks are being cut out and used for each side of the top.  An outer border will be added to make this top the perfect size.

I'm loving this layout and my stash and scraps are getting a good workout.  My bags and bins of scraps are getting sorted through and are being cut down to usable squares and strips.  Progress there too!  Happy times!

Cherish your day!

Last bit to do ....

I'm trying to get this last section of embroidery done for this top and it is slowly getting there.

Here is a better look at that last section.

The photos don't do my work justice .... because it is absolutely beautiful in person.  Soon, my lovely, soon you will be done and then hand quilting can start.

Not much has been happening lately in my studio.  Too busy with other things.  It is nearly the end of May and cottage time will take me away from my studio.  Hand work will come with me and slowly over the summer months you will see what gets done during this time.

But .... there is always a but, isn't there?  In going through my scraps, if a large piece (6"+) is found, then 6" x 6" squares are cut out and made into these blocks.  I'm just making rows of blocks.  Maybe these rows will be in the same quilt and maybe not.  These will be made into donation quilts.  I'm just making them and putting them in a bin for later.  Pattern is called Winding Trails by Karen Griska.

Oh, and I'm also working on two secret projects which cannot be revealed until much later.  So, I guess I am working on more than first thought.  LOL

Next week, my sister, her youngest daughter and I will be off for a week in Costa Rica.  We have never been there and we are so looking forward to sun and hot temperatures.  It has been a very long winter and a wet spring.

Have a great day!

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

One of Two

I have two finishes for the year .... but will talk about just one today.  The one that the swan is sitting on.  Isn't that swan sweet or what!  It was bought at a yard sale for $2.00 a few years ago when I was down in Toronto visiting my friend Debra.  We were on our way to a quilt store and passed by a yard sale and we stopped.   The lady wanted $2.00 and that is what I paid.  There was no way I was going to haggle over that amount.  It made my day and it now graces my home!

Scrappy Churn Dash blocks and crazy blocks.  Made mostly from scraps.  I have seen these Churn Dash blocks on Pinterest and knew that I just had to make a few to help use up some scraps.  Toss in crazy blocks and a tiny wee dent was made in my scraps. 

 In this photo, you can see the bright fabrics that were used to give it zing.

This quilt didn't linger too long on my shelf.  It was started, made and finished ..... lickety-split!

Quilt Details:
Started:  January 8, 2019
Finished:  February 16, 2019
Size:  55-1/2" x 79" (top size before washing and drying:  58-1/4" x 82-1/2")
Batting:  80/20 cotton poly
Machine Quilted by:  Kat's Quilts

I'm having a great day!

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

All churned up

Well, have I been busy or what!  It took me just nine days to make a brand new top.  Here is how it got started.

Browsing Pinterest is always interesting.  I have seen churn dash blocks done scrappy and since I'm drowning in scraps, what better way to get started and tackle some of them.  Notice I said 'some' because I'm still drowning in those scraps.  LOL

Anyway, here are a few of those churn dash blocks.  Then, I decided why not do some crazy blocks to be used as an alternative block?  They would use up even more scraps.  Now we're talking!  No sashing here.  Just by adding tan fabric strips around the crazy blocks makes it look like there is sashing.

Making progress.  Then the light bulb came on.  Why not make a border of scrappy strips?

Oh yes, that will use up even more scraps.  Out came my 1-1/2" and 2-1/2" strips.

Getting there.  Only one more border to assemble.

Now, working the scraps is a very messy job.  I'm not kidding when I say 'messy'.  But is it worth it?

Oh yes!  Here is my top .... all done.  Only took nine days.  Whew, I think that is a record for me.  The top size is 58-1/4" x 82-1/2".  I'll be working those scraps again on another new top.  No pattern yet, but something will come to me.

A closer look at some of the blocks.  For the crazy patch blocks, I used my EQ7 program and printed out some paper piecing blocks.  This did take extra work to make them, but the look is very satisfying.  The crazy block size is 8-1/2" x 8-1/2" and a 2-1/2" border was added on all sides to bring the size to 12" finished.  That is the same size as the churn dash blocks.

This is the backing fabric that will be used.  Nice and colourful to go with the top.

I can't leave today without talking about our snow and our weather.  It has been brutally cold.  One night it got down to -33C (-27.4F) and with the wind chill it was -48C (-54.4F).  Extra blankets were pulled out that night.  What about the snow?  This ruler shows 14" of snow and that is the third time that my husband has snow blowed our back patio.

So much snow.  The snow banks along the city streets are high and it is difficult to see oncoming traffic when turning left or right to get onto another street.

The weather is going to warm up a bit and another snow storm is expected.  Oh my word ... where are we going to put the snow?  We may have to seriously think about taking some of the snow from our roof.

Have a great day.

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

Scrap progress

Progress on this scrappy project is moving along quite nicely.  Six blocks are done on the center section.

Oh. what the heck .... might as well get the other blocks made and then the center will be done and ready for the striped border blocks.  That is exactly what I did.  🐱🐱   Now, those striped blocks are giving me a bit of grief trying to sew them together.  They will need to be worked on a bit, but I will figure out something and show a photo of before and after.

The other project on my design wall is my EPP Xmas take-a-long.  All the bottom pieces are now sewn together (a photo and a post about this project will be coming soon).  This project came with me to the cottage this weekend.  Since it was raining and cold, this was a welcome project to sew while sitting beside the wood stove.

The other job that needs to get done are these glass items to hang on our apple tree in our backyard.  How did these get started?  Ruth Kennedy came twice to our day guild.  Once for a trunk show and we were so impressed with her quilts that we invited her back the following year to do a workshop.  Each time Ruth came, she stayed with my husband and I and she brought the brown oval glass balls that you see on the right.  The glass hearts came from my sister each time she visited Mexico and the large green/yellow glass ball on the top was a Xmas gift from a nephew and his family.  I foresee more of these popping up every now and then since a collection has been started.  So lovely!

It is hard to see, but all these glass balls are hanging in our apple tree.  They shine ever so delightfully as they twirl in the sun.  There was even a hummingbird that had to come and investigate.  It didn't stay, but found the balls interesting, especially anything with red on them.  Our hill is slowly coming to life after a very long winter and spring.  So nice to see green once again.

Have a great stitching day!

A stash quilt

Our night guild (Northern Lights Quilter's Guild) has a challenge this year (quilt to be finished by July 2018) to make a scrap quilt using only our stash.  Well, that will not be hard to do!

So, I dug into my stash of 2-1/2" squares and before I knew it, this came to be very quickly.

This is a free pattern from Pat Sloan called "Traffic Jam".

So, my finished tops has just been increased.  LOL LOL LOL

Have a super great day!

Chevrons

So ..... well ..... darn ..... I did it again.  Started a new project.  Chevron Legacy.  I have been drooling over this pattern since I first saw it.  We are talking serious drooling.

It is in McCall's Quilting November/December 2013.

Before my other scrap project even has outer borders on it, I was pulling scraps and cutting to my heart's content.  The cutting took longer because enough strips were cut into five piles for each length in the pattern.  Extra time in the beginning, but quicker later at the sewing stage.  Then the sewing started.

My Strofoam board comes in handy for laying out the strips to see how well they will look before any sewing is done.

Masking tape on the floor is handy for me to see when to stop sewing on strips and the trimming to size can start.  Very handy indeed.

On a good day, a length can be sewn.  A few strips here and there were removed and replaced after they had been sewn together.  The replaced fabric just did not go with the look or it was just too close to the same fabric that was exactly in the same place on another length.  It is a bit tricky to replace one strip in the middle, but it can be done carefully.

After doing this project and the American Wildflowers, my bin has greatly reduced in size.  This bin was full before these two projects even started.  Oh my word, how wonderful to see this.  Is my bin half full or half empty?

Well, it doesn't matter which way I want to think about it, because this trunk that has been hiding scraps has been emptied into that plastic bin and we are back to being full again.

 See .... full again!  I'm sure that another new project will have me dipping into those scraps again.  There are still another three bins of scraps waiting in the wings once this bin has been reduced in size. LOL  The scraps never end and they seem to multiply on their own, but Lordy, what treasures they can be made into.  Scrappy quilts.  Gotta love scrappy!

Before I can even think about playing  sewing, Miss Ashes is on a mission ..... she wants treats!  See the stare.  She is definitely on a mission.

Have a great day, eh!

Fast or what?

While going through books and magazines to thin them out for donation, I came across this pattern in McCall's Quilting March/April 2015.  What a perfect pattern to use up my 2-1/2" scraps!

I started working on this on Mar.22 (I keep a journal, so I know when start dates happen).  A bout with a stomach bug that was going around had me grounded for a number of days.  Then I got back to working on the blocks on Mar. 29 (as per my camera date).  This photo was taken at 10:37 a.m. that morning.

Plugging away at it off and on that day, this was taken at 10:43 p.m. that night.  Holy scrap, this is fast ... fast for me, that is.   I can't believe how much got done in one day!

I thought the blocks were all made, but when I looked at the layout, I was short by 5 blocks.  My husband was in my studio when the shortage was discovered and he asked if I had enough fabric to make the remaining blocks.  Well .... I laughed until I almost chocked.  Did I have enough fabric?  LOL LOL LOL

Then, slowly the setting triangles, corners and flange got made and the rows sewn together.

A week later and borders are being auditioned.

My big scrap bin has reduced in size.  Bonus!  I have almost a top.  Double bonus!

Have a great day!

What was she looking at?

On Monday, this week, I had family over for dinner.  This is the quilt that is hanging in our dining room right now.  I always have considered this our Xmas quilt and it gets hung up end of November.

As we were tidying up the table, my niece picked up her 14 month old daughter and when the baby looked at the quilt, she let out a big OHHHHHHH.  This photo would have been at her eye level.  What did she see that made her remark so?   My little niece doesn't say much, but this caught us by surprise.  My sister, niece and I started to chuckle.  Yep, another family member is hooked onto my quilts.

You have seen all my ribbons that I have acquired throughout the years.  Some people think I'm famous (I have to giggle at that) and some people think I'm really good at what I make.  Thank you for those thoughts.  The best reaction I have ever received was from my little grand niece.  If she was that impressed at her young age, well, I guess you are all right.

So, as I go about making this quilt (of course, I'm doing my own thing) for her ...

and as I add piece

after piece

after piece

and some more, what will her reaction be when she opens her gift?  Time will tell.  I'm anxious to find out.

Questions have been asked about my studio.  It is functioning but still in a transition stage.  In other words, it is a mess, but I can finally do some sewing.

The photos below are at different stages.  I so love bead board and I finally got some in my studio.

 Shelves ready to store my bins.

 They are loaded.

Curtains help to hide the mess.  A bit more of sorting still needs to be done before I can call this section complete.

My sewing table has been changed around.

Against the window wall, there is 10 feet of cutting space.  My big ironing board is on one of the tables and it is so nice to use the full length of the board.  Just this change has made a huge difference in my life.  Things have gotten easier.  How do you like my window curtain?  A big piece of styrofoam does the trick for now.  The window frame needs to be painted and then I can add curtains.

 This wall is complete

My design wall is back in place and being used.

 There is one more wall to paint (the wall on the right) and once that is done, then I can finish sorting.  I'm so happy with my paint colour.  It adds such charm to the room.

My stash has been used this past year and two bins were emptied into a third bin.  That was thrilling to see.  Two bins emptied.  Hallelujah!

Wait, Aunt Rosie don't get so thrilled just yet.  Holy scraps .... Houston we have a problem!   I'm awash with scraps ...

I can see a lot of sorting coming soon .... LOL .... oh well!

Time to link this post to The Needlework and Thread Network.

Have a great day, eh!