Raindrops

This was my February binding challenge and so glad it is done and hanging up this month.   It is so bright and cheery and brightens up the corner by the door to our garage.

This quilt started out as a paper bag challenge with our night guild.  There was a fat quarter in the bag and we had to make a quilt from it along with other fabrics from our stash or bought fabric.  Patterns were available each month and the designer had the patterns set for beginner, intermediate and expert.  I can't remember what level I took for each block, but am happy with the result.

This was the fabric in the bag.   Not much left!  When I look at the fabric pattern ..... I see raindrops or balloons ..... but decided that Raindrops was a nice name for my quilt.

I used the fabric to make all the pinwheels and wherever else that I could.

Eventually, I was able to find a matching fabric (darker colour) in a quilt store.   The rest of the fabrics came from my stash.

The darker version was used in all the cornerstones.

This quilt was shown at this month's night guild meeting and the designer happened to be there that night.  She was happy to see what I did with her patterns.

Quilt Details: 

Designer:  Janice Stewart from Northern Lights Quilt Guild

Block size:  12"

Started:  October 2015

Top Finished:  April 2023

Quilt Finished:  February 2024

Quilt Size:  49-1/2" x 70-1/2" (top size before quilting, washing & drying:  53" x 73"

Batting:  Hobbs 80/20

Machine Quilted by:  Kathy Wareham using Aspden Leaf design by Deb Geissier

So, Raindrops is the name of my quilt and that is what we have been experiencing for most of our winter this year.  Then, in the last few days, we have had snow.  Not a lot, but down it came.

Here is a montage of photos from the last few days:

The deer have been busy visiting our front yard and have eaten all the leaves off my euonymus shrub.  The leaves are evergreen and the deer love them.  See the arrow?  Nothing now but sticks sticking through the snow.

Then, this morning, we woke up to this amount of freshly fallen snow.

The thing is .... under all this snow are two more huge euonymus shrubs that the deer ate last winter.  The leaves grew back and are ready for the tasting.  The deer haven't touched these shrubs this year.

Again, this morning, the deer came back but there is nothing to munch on.  Off to the neighbours they went.

Now that hubby is finding it hard to do the snow blowing, I've taken over the task.  We have a small electric snowblower that I can handle and I've been enjoying the chore.  It is like quilting ..... sewing or blowing one row at a time.  Perfect for me!  We do have a monster snowblower sitting in our garage, but it is too powerful for me to handle.  

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

... and another squirrel!

Yes, I did it ..... started another project.  You would think that squirrels hibernate during winter ..... but no, they do not and they stopped by and had a few chats with me!  LOL

It all started with cleaning out some piles of fabrics and papers and that is when I saw this pattern and knew that it just had to be made.

What got me started on this squirrel was a need for a couple more small wall quilts to go with my February red/neutral quilts.  My bins of red fabrics and my neutral/red fabrics were a tad overflowing and viola .... this project got started.  This is my project so far.  If one block a day gets done, then this project should be ready for sashings and borders by the end of this month.  Only nine blocks to go.  So, we shall see ....

In the meantime, this quilt .... which I really love .... has been bugging me.  Why?  I want to make another circle quilt and why not do the same quilt but in red and neutrals?  So, that is what is being done.

This is my progress so far.  Not much to see, but in time there will be more blocks.

There have been two more squirrels that got made into tops this month.  They will be shown on another post.  It has been a productive month so far!

There may be another new squirrel or two, but nothing has been done with those yet!

Oh squirrels .... just go and stay away and leave me alone!  LOL  Can't really complain as it does help with clearing out stash and helps to keep the creative juices flowing!

Our winter has been up and down lately.  Bitter, bitter cold and warm balmy days around 0C.  Our winter has been too warm lately because bears have been coming out of hibernation.  This week, there was a report of a bear around a few schools in the east end of our city and the schools had to go into lockdown.  There is no food for bears right now and a child would be just a tad too tempting to pass up for a meal.

This week, we had freezing rain followed by snow and it left our backyard looking like a wonderland.  For those of you enduring very hot temps ..... here is some ice and snow for you to drool over!

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Snow, snow go away!

This is what we woke up to this morning ..... we are so tired of snow!  Still, snow or rain is welcome because we didn't have a whole lot of snow over the winter and the prediction for forest fires this summer is real.  Still ...... 

In case any of you are wondering what the flags are for, they are there to indicate that bulbs were planted in the fall and we should start to see some spring flowers coming up .... hopefully!  LOL  The flags will stay there until we finish doing whatever planting has been done and then that should be it for planting.  Our hill just gets better and better every year.

This is where I'm at with my hexie project.  All the hexies have been made and after a few tweaks here and there for colour placement, the sewing together of rows has commenced.  All the three panels are being worked on simultaneously so that I won't feel like this project will take forever to finish.  By the time I get to the top, all the panels will be done and then the work on the flower sections can start.  

On a scary note, my sister was diagnosed with colon cancer.  For those of you who think they should have a colonoscopy, do it NOW!  Don't wait!

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Done, done, done!

OMG ..... can you see me doing the happy dance way up here?

Slowly, but surely, the applique borders were worked on and before I knew it ..... this was the last bit to do!

The top is DONE!  Started in July 2009.  This only took 10 years to finish, but who's counting!  Well .... me!   LOL

I'm so thrilled with how it turned out and so glad that I finally figured out my problem.  That applique stencil has been tucked away because I can see doing that again on another top.   Oh, happy, happy, happy!

  

Another  UFO crossed off the list.  Only 33 more to go .....

What else has been worked on?  The embroidery for this hanging is slowly coming along.

This is not my quilt.  It belongs to a 92 yr. old lady and I'm finishing it for her.  She can't quilt anymore and she can hardly see as well.  She has offered to pay for the hand quilting, but she won't be charged for it.  I just want to get it done for her to use and enjoy now.  There are just a few blocks to do and a bunch of cornerstones and then the outer border.

Oh, the weather.  Usually, I don't talk about the weather, but this year is an exception.  This photo is looking out at the amount of snow outside my studio window.  See the railing in the upper right side?

Where did it go?  There is about five to six feet of snow there right now.  We had our roof shovelled last week and the snow is piled up around the sides of our home.  Good thing we had that done because there is another foot of snow coming today and it is snowing as I write this post.

Groceries have been bought and this will be a good time to stay indoors and quilt away.

Have a great day!

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

An oldie, but goodie!

I'm on a mission to get another UFO to the top stage.  Seven UFO's have been chosen to tackle this year and one of them is already done.  This was on the list and I might as well get it done.  I'm on a five-year plan to tackle my 35 UFO's.  Seven a year will do it.  There will definitely be new starts but ones that can quickly become finished tops.

Pressed Flowers.  This UFO has been hanging around for a long time.  Back in May 2011 and November 2011, I posted about getting borders on.  That didn't happen.

Then finally in January 2013, outer borders finally got added.  Then it got shelved again.

How do I know about all these dates?  My blog posts keeps me informed.   Which is embarrassing, also.  Sheeesh .... I'm such a procrastinator!

Now it is back out again and applique is finally getting added.  My garage friends are helping lots in keeping me on schedule and they are so happy whenever an UFO comes with me to the garage to work on. 

The top left section is done!  The right hand section is being sewn.  Finally, progress is happening!

So, why was I hesitant to do the applique on the borders when that is one of my favourite things to do?  It was the fabric that was the problem.  Too dark for me to use either a light box or a window to trace the applique design onto the fabric. 

There has to be a solution to this problem.  I'll show that in my next post because soon I will be ready to prep another border, but not today.

Winter, winter go away!  This is the winter of cold and snow.  Really, really cold weather.  Lots of snow!  My husband had to remove snow from the shed roof.   Next is our house roof, but we will hire someone to do that for us.

Have a great day!

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

Elf busy

Nothing exciting in my corner of the world.  I've just been busy working like an elf.

A lot of appliqueing has been going on.

Some hand quilting, too, when I need to wind down at night.

I did make a Christmas stocking and two pillowcases (only one shown here as the other one has been gifted).

A sheep got prepped for machine applique.

So nice and fuzzy.

Here is a photo of the back.  A piece of knit interfacing was sewn around the edges before the piece was turned inside out and then the interfacing was cut away to leave a bit to stablize the sheep for sewing.  Talk about fuzz .... ugggh.  It was everywhere until I learned to put my sheep in a bag and just pull at the edges and grabbing any extra fuzz that wanted to fly away.

Winter in our neck of the woods is here to stay.  Very cold weather is expected by the end of this week.  A good time to just stay indoors and sew!

I'm linking up the The Needle and Thread Network to join other Canadian bloggers this week.

Have a great day!

Brrr ....

-30C and -42C with the wind chill.  That is the temperature forecast for this morning.  Damn .... that is cold.  Those temps are cold enough to freeze your nostrils together if your nose is not covered up.  Watch out for frost bite.  That could happen in the matter of minutes.

This wall hanging says it all.  This is an oldie, but perfect for this morning.  (In case anyone asks, this is my design and there is no pattern available.  I've been asked often about this quilt.  Thank you!).

We have LOTS of snow.

We only venture outside if we have to.  Ashes, the cat, knows where to get warm.  Right in front of the fire.

 She also has a tent that she can escape to to stay warm.  It is well padded, dark, warm and cosy.

What about the humans in this house.  Yes, we are nice and warm too.

I've been hunkering down and sewing on my appliqué guild top.  The border pieces have all been sewn together.  I'm just sewing the tabs onto a piece of background fabric.  It is hard to see here.  My intention is for the centre to float.  That is why the outer border is cream coloured.

Well, it is time for a nice cup of hot tea.

Have a great day!

Winter is Not Over! - Part 1

Jeez …. Spring has been here for a while now; but we’ve been having temperatures just below freezing lately and there have been some snow flurries reported in areas in Southern Ontario. So, on that note …. here is my ‘Winters of My Life’.

Done is a wonderful word. I would have thought that doing both machine quilting and hand quilting that this quilt would have been finished sooner …. but life got in the way.

This quilt was started back in November 2007 when Tonya offered an on-line class. I had wanted to do a word quilt and this class just fit the bill for me. The whole quilt was done free-form (with a few exceptions in the hand-quilting of trees and straight lines). The Baptist fan was a blast to do (something else that I have wanted to try). Just sitting down with a marker pen and drawing random arcs was very easy to do and stress-free as compared to working with a stencil.

Winter – I bought a packet of snowflake buttons at Wal-Mart and they have been used throughout this quilt

Igloo – Well, I do live in Canada, eh! As youngsters, we tried building igloos; but never could get the top part to stay in place. Do you like my inukshuk pin?












Icicles – Our house did not have insulation in the attic, so we grew marvelous icicles each winter.


















Blizzard – Oh, how do I love a blizzard ….. let me count the ways. Even today, I just love to hear the wind howling and watch the snow coming down. Mind you, indoors is a great way to experience this event. I used to love walking in a blizzard ….. everything was so quiet between the gusts of wind and there were never many people out and about except for my sister and her friend and I.



See next post for continuation ….

Winter is Not Over! - Part 2

-45F - That was the coldest day of my life.
Snow Angels – What is winter without snow angels?
Blue Spruce – They are my favourite winter trees.


Home – Or as my niece calls it ‘icicle house’. We prefer our house temperature around 70F and whenever she visits, she is always freezing. Good thing there are a bunch of quilts just waiting to be used.

























Jack Frost – Growing up in our little house, the windows used to frost up terribly during the cold winter months. My Mom would always say that ‘Jack Frost’ visited during the night. With the heat from the sun, the frost would always melt away during the day.

Brr – Well, that says it all!



See next post for continuation ….