Busy, busy!

I've been busy lately.  A few projects got borders on and are now at the LAer.  I'll be getting them back in a few weeks.

First up .... this "I Spy" top.  It was in strips for quite some time and after a few days of concentration, viola a completed top.

Then, my "Xmas Stars" finally got the last two borders on.  It is not really what I wanted, but I'm happy with my decision.  This top is also with the LAer as well.

It feels good to get a few more projects off the shelf.

So far, Covid has not visited me.  Today is day 12 and still no symptoms and when tested, it came back negative.

My sister was not so lucky.  She says it is like a very bad cold.  Hopefully, the antibodies from the two vaccinations she received will help her.

Soon, it will be the start of cottage season.  There is still too much snow on our property to venture in.  A neighbour did the trek, got stuck in one place and took photos and sent them to my brother.  Yep, way too much snow there.  Whereas, where I live, the snow has mostly melted except where there is a lot of shade.  Tulips are starting to venture out of the ground and soon, I will put down some dryer sheets where my tulips are growing so that the deer don't come by and munch on them.  The deer do not like the dryer sheets and they have worked for me for a few years now since I first read about that tip.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Goal is Met!

Whew ..... I was striving for a year-end (more like a decade) goal and it got achieved yesterday!  Time to celebrate!

Yesterday, the last of my tops got dropped off to my lovely LAer.

These are the last three tops.  What started off on a journey of 31 tops are now down to zero.  ZERO!  The journey took a number of years but in the process I've learned that it is more pleasurable to actually see finished quilts rather than tops sitting on a shelf.  When I look around my home, there on display are quilts that I longed to have hand quilted myself, but knew, in my heart, that they would never get done.  So, off to the LAer they go!

Of course, in the new year, there will be more tops and they will be delivered to the LAer in a timely manner.  No more sitting around gathering dust.  My UFO's have increased but more on that in 2022.

This was the dump of snow that fell Monday afternoon into the evening hours.  Accidents, accidents everywhere.  This was our vision Tuesday morning.  A winter wonderland.  We had more snow overnight and it is still snowing as I type up this post.  

With the Omicron variant going crazy, our Xmas celebrations will be curtailed yet again this year.  We still wear our masks, wash our hands and we are trying to book our booster shots.

So, however you celebrate ...... stay safe!

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

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/

Humble Christmas

One UFO is now a top!   Now that is good progress to start the year off.

Started way back in 2015 from a scrap box that I bought from a guild lady that was moving to Barrie.  Wendy, I know you read my blog.  This is what your scraps made and there are still more in the box!

I got stalled on the side borders.  Since it was my decision to add trees to the borders, I got a bit frustrated that my trees would just not add up to something decent looking .... so this project got binned .... for, oh four years.  Oh well, who's counting!  LOL

Since taking it out at the beginning of this year and putting it up on my design wall, I was determined to make it work somehow.  There was a bit of fudging to do with those two skinny trees that are side-by-side on the right side border, but finally that side border got done and now I can proceed with the other two borders.  If you look closely, you can see my paper tree foundations hanging on the two remaining borders.  That is where that tree had to go when completed.

Finally, this is now a top and I'm very pleased with the look!   It was gloomy outside when I took this photo and even with the lights on, my photo is still dark.  It truly is nice and bright and cheery.  Right now, my design wall on something on it, so I will have to go with this photo for now.  Oh well ....

You are probably wondering why this top is called Humble Christmas?  Take a close look at this photo below and see all the arrows pointing to block sections that were pieced to make the correct size needed.  Waste not, want not.  I was determined to use only scraps from Wendy's scrap box and I succeeded.   I'm wondering what in the world will people down the years think when they see this quilt?  Was she a lady that didn't have much money to spend on more fabric or did she really make errors on cutting her fabric and didn't want to spend any more on this project?  It will give someone pause to think about this, for sure!  It is giving me quite the chuckle when I look as I had forgotten how many pieces had to be sewn together.  When I took this photo, it reminded me that .... well, there are a lot!  LOL

Cross off one UFO from my list.  Only 34 more to go.

Have a great day!

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

Roses top

After I got back from my Grenada vacation, I actually was at a loss of what to do in my studio.  It seemed that my mojo was still in Grenada.  LOL

The centre of this top was done and three of the borders.  It was on my design wall and I kept looking and looking and looking at it.  My brain kept saying to me "it won't get done if you just keep looking at it".  That did it.  My mojo was back!  This project needed to get finished!  I needed to make one more strip block (because of an oopsie by me) and just get that LAST strip border on.  So, it got done.  Then the assembly started and finally, this top is now a flimsy.

My goal this month is to get this top quilted and hand it over to our QOV representative.  A lady veteran will be the recipient.

What started as a cast off from a guild lady, turned out to be a lovely top.  Amazing what we can accomplish when we set our mind and hands to it.

Have a great day!

Second finish

This top was originally finished in August 2010 ..... put on a shelf because something just didn't fit right.

Another border was needed and it finally got put on.

Now, it will get hung for the holidays and I will enjoy it even more!

Have a great day!

Something different

Something totally different for me.

This type of pattern is not my usual style ... but what the heck ... why not try it out.  Our day guild is making this pattern and I had a bin full of blue fabric scraps.

Gumballs from McCall's Quilting, April 2008.

Guess what?  Before I knew it, one border got sewn on and then the outer borders.  Bonus ..... this top didn't sit on the shelf at all waiting for borders.  That is not like me at all.  What is going on????

Since I'm on a roll, I really should get this top marked up for machine quilting and just get it done!

Top size:  63-1/4" x 87-1/2"  

Have a great day!

Fall Equinox

Another top and just in time for fall.  It will be hung on the wall and will be perfect once my bin of pumpkins come out of storage.  Now that Fall is officially here, it is time to swap out the summer quilts and decorate with fall quilts.

I was so stumped with the borders for this top, but my friend Debra came to the rescue.

Why Fall Equinox?  The name of the striped fabric is called Equinox.  So now you know where the name evolved from.

My top count is now 18. 

I will have to find another UFO that needs borders .... there are probably 6 ... at least!


Have a great day!    

Borders make a difference

I had a vision what my borders would be for Oh Wonderful, Summer's Here and they did not disappoint me. 

After sewing on two borders, my top was hung onto the design wall, I stepped back and "oh my" were the words that came out of my mouth. I knew those borders would enhance my top, but not as much as shown below.  I'm doing the happy, happy dance.  :o)

The next photo shows the other two borders sewn on.  This project is now a completed top.  The size:  99-1/2" x 99-1/2".  Love it!!!!

The journey was a long one, but what a thrill to have it all done. 

You want to know something?   I feel absolutely lost now that this project is done!  It was started in April 2011 and has been my summer project since then.


Have a day!

FQ Challenge

With my Oh Wonderful, Summer's Here project, it is at the stage where more prepping work has to be done.  Perhaps by the end of our summer, you might see new photos of it.  The last section is so tantalizing close to being finished!

While I prep, there will be other projects that are being worked on.  Do you want to see a new top that I've been playing with?


I haven't shown this piece before and my story needs to be backed up a bit for explanation.  Below is how it got started.

One of the guilds that I belong to, Northern Lights Quilter's Guild, had a FQ challenge using this fabric:

 and from it, we had to do the following:

• make a flower
• make an insect
• make a heart
• make an object
• make a block

At our guild's December 2013 meeting, everyone was given a FQ and the challenge was explained.  The challenge started in December 2013 and each month we were given the different items to make.  I waited until the last item (at our guild's May 2014 meeting) was announced and then got busy.

This is my block.  It measures 25-1/2" x 25-1/2" and the center is 15" x 15".  There will be outer borders, but this was the starting point.

For my insect, the butterfly in the fabric was fussy cut  and made into circles:

For my heart, what about a yo-yo heart (can you see my three insects)?

For my object, a bias strip of fabric was sewn onto some ribbon to make a bow:

For my flower, I might as well stick with the yo-yo theme:

The heart and flowers were backed with red so that they would stand out and not fade into the background fabric.

Then we were given a choice of fabrics (this was my choice) to make a bird:

My bird just didn't fit in the overall look, so I decided to make it into a label.  We just had to make a bird and there was no rule on the placement.  We are always encouraged to think outside the box and I did just that!  :o)  For my bird, the back side of the fabric was used.  Details will be added to the label once the quilt is finished and then the label will be sewn onto the back of the quilt.

This is what my block looked like before outer borders were added:

Borders really help define the look and I can't believe how quickly this top went together.

In my close-up shots, you can see a lot of drawings/scribblings.  This is where embellishment comes into play and that is what I'm doing now.  Playing with beads and buttons and embroidery.

Working on this new challenge reminded me of a swap that I did way back in May 2008.  This is the little wall hanging that was made and I have always wanted to make another one for myself.  Time slipped away and I never did make one for me until now. 

Have a great day!

Granddaughter's Garden is topped up!

I did it .... got those striped borders to work.  One corner gave me a bit of trouble, but it got sorted out very quickly.

Top size:  97" x 99"

This project was started in the fall of 2011 and the pattern came from an on-line source that I can't find now.

Another empty bin .... hooray!  

Have a great day!

Scrappy Majestic Mountains

I finally was able to get a full photo of this top:

This pattern is from Bonnie Hunter and you can find it here.  I loved making this pattern and will make another one down the road using a different layout.

The stars were an unexpected addition .... no, who is kidding here .... they are my trademark now.  This is the 6th top that has these stars in them.  I'm not finished with this star.  It will have to run its' course.

Speaking of stars .... guess what is gracing our living room window?  Yes, my star templates.  They are there to prevent birds from crashing into our window and they are working.  Yesterday, I saw a bird hovering in front of the window before flying up and away.   The black cat cut-out wasn't doing the job, so with the addition of the stars, birds now think twice before trying to fly through our window.

One green striped border is on my Granddaughter's Garden.  I think the math has been figured out for mitered corners, but we will see once another border gets attached.

 Have a great day!

Virtual Retreat

Please see the bottom of my post for an update on the completion of this top!

Did you know that Chookyblue is having a worldwide quilt retreat at her chook shed in Australia?  Everyone has been invited .... but those too far away to attend can do so by internet.  The date:  May 31/June 1.

You can go to this post to see who else is sewing along (go to the comment section and everyone who left a comment are joining in).  Over the course of one weekend, it will be amazing to see and read what quilters around the world are working on.  I look forward to doing just that when a break is needed.

Here in Canada, I am way behind the others in Australia as there is quite the time difference.  While I am gearing up for sew .... sew .... sewing .... they are winding down or in bed sound asleep.

Regardless, the time has come to start the retreat and my first goal is to put borders onto this top:

On this same post, an update will be made once the borders are on.

Updated:  9:56 p.m. May 31, 2014

Well, what a day ..... my borders are on!  This top would have been completed sooner, except for an excursion to see our grand niece at gymnastics this morning; a visit to a gardening nursery to check out some perennials to replace those that were lost this past winter; our routine after-supper walk with Miss Ashes around our home and up our back hill; and a walk at the waterfront in our city.

There was a bit of unsewing in the striped border, but once that was corrected, it was smooth sailing.

This photo shows only half of the top.  I will need to arrange a proper photo of the whole top so that you can get the complete look.  Please don't think me being conceited, but this top looks amazing!

This concludes my retreat and now it is time to go visit all the other quilters that left a comment on Chookyblue's post and check out what they did today.


Have a great day!

Just a few hours ....

... is all it took to get borders onto my Pressed Flowers top.

This photo shows the inner border:

Now that the outer border is on, I can get busy and add applique to it.  This is a large queen size top (99" x 99") and I needed my step ladder to pin it onto my design wall.  DH took my other step ladder away and gave me this one instead.  He was afraid of me falling off the green one (as seen in previous post), but this one has something for me to hold onto as I'm pinning things onto my design wall.

 

Below, you can see the fabrics for the inner and outer borders:

 

Miss Hank just had to get in on the action.  She was sitting on the stairs leading to an upper level, but as soon as she saw DH and I laying the top out to measure for the borders, she came running to help us.  She is doing OK, but her kidneys have been damaged and we will have to watch her carefully.  In the spring, we will be removing all lily plants in the backyard.  That was a hard-learned lesson. 

 

I am on a mission to get more tops done.  Darn those borders!  On the bright side, I have become a pro at getting them on fairly quickly!  :o)

Have a great day!