Half-way done and we're bored ...

Recently, this pattern came in the mail for me. Teresa had asked me (when I first started making klosjes) if she could use my idea for making klosjes for a class and I gave her my blessings. It just warms my heart when a person gets inspired by something I've shown on my blog. This pattern is adorable and it is one that will have to be made to go along with my klosjes quilt.

Any of you wanting this pattern, please contact Teresa direct. Speaking of my klosjes quilt .... it is half done. Hallelujah and wax more thread as there are miles to go before this quilt is done.

While I was snapping photos of my klosjes quilt, I could hear some noise to my left in the dining room. Ashes was pulling herself over to be closer to Miss Hank. Right .... I know where this is going and it involves a bit of fur flying.

Getting closer ....

.... and closer ....

.... and away they go. DH and I step in when it becomes a tad too tense but for a little skirmish, we just let them go at each other. Better to do it where we can see them. During the night, they have little battles because we find chunks of Ashes' hair on the carpet in the morning.

It has been a long winter. The girls are bored. They want to go outside, but it has just been too cold. Miss Hank usually sits in front of the floor grate to catch any heat that the furnace gives off.

For me ... the winter has been long too. On that note, I'll soon be leaving for a week in the sun.

Have a great day!

School-house blues

Five years ago, at the Kingston, Ontario quilt show, this school-house quilt captivated my attention. It was a raffle quilt but I didn't win it. Oh darn! Still, it has been on my mind to make my own one day. Debra was also at that quilt show and she bought $40.00 worth of raffle tickets and didn't win either. Double darn! Since we started getting together a few years ago, we have been talking and talking about this quilt and decided to make our own.
March 2, 2013 - Update:  At last, the original designer and copyright holder of this pattern is Andrea Blackhurst and the pattern appeared in 'Quilt' magazine, fall 1996.  Thank you, Andrea for contacting me so that credit can finally be given to you. 

So, last Saturday, Debra and Mary (no blog) came to my house and we sewed. Below is my progress to date. For our meeting, I just had the middle house block done. I'm making the small alternative blocks using EQ7 and am having quite the time (fun) making them. Some of my blocks are paper pieced and others (the more intricate ones) I am doing them the English Paper Piecing method. The school-house block finish size is 12" x 12" and the small alternative block finish size is 6" x 6". My quilt will have 25 blocks (5 x 5) and will finish approx. 84" square. I'm not sure what size Debra's and Mary's will be. Time will reveal all our blocks and quilt sizes.

Now, for my 'show and tell', I had quilts in 3 separate piles around my house. There was no way they could be shown all at once as it would have been quilt overload. Miss Hank had to be coaxed off this pile. Ummm ... can we say princess and the pea ... but she sure does look cozy.

This is the aftermath of one showing. To all those ladies who have given me giveaway quilts and swap quilts .... your ears must have been burning as your quilts were greatly admired. It was fun to show the ladies my quilts and other quilts from around the world. Both Debra and Mary are participating in swap quilts and blocks and they have shown me their recent exchanges.

Oh yes, we had a fun day!

If you want to see another version of a school-house quilt go here and scroll down.
Have a great day!
BTW .... oh yes, one more project to be added to my UFO list for a total of 33 projects and 7 tops to be quilted. What can I say, that is life! :o)

Quilt to the rescue

I just couldn't take it anymore .... how cold has it been here this winter? So cold, that our front door (metal insulated) was transferring the cold from the outside to the inside. Standing anywhere near the front door, a person soon got chilled. So, what to do about it? I remember seeing on someone's blog where they put a quilt over their doors. Aha ... I can do that too. One of those removable extension curtain rods, some hooks and viola .... instant warmth. Should have done it years earlier, but we are now snug and warm. Perhaps next fall, I'll buy some nice heavy upholstery fabric and make a curtain for our front and back door to co-ordinate with our decor. For right now and our cold temps .... this works! More sashings and cornerstone blocks got done this week. My progress is coming along very nicely and not too many more blocks to do! :o)

Have a nice week!

Holey Cats

Sigh ... it was bound to happen at some point. So, what do you do when one of your beloved felines puts two holes in an applique quilt? Well, you sigh and deal with it. Life happens.


Can you see the two holes just above the flower pin? They are not there anymore. I will show you how they got fixed. A - Looking around in my scrap bin, I was able to find a piece of that white background fabric. Now, that was unexpected. Guess there was a reason for keeping my scraps from previous projects. A straight cut was made from one hole to the other and the scrap fabric was cut slightly larger and inserted inside using a crochet hook.

B - the white scrap fabric was smoothed out so that it lays nice and flat.

C - Using reverse applique method, the top fabric was turned under a tad and sewn in place to the new scrap fabric.

D - Shows the repaired look. It is not perfect, but at least the holes have been dealt with and it won't enlarge over time. Sigh .... oh well, time to move on.

Since someone (you know who you are) requested updated photos of the girls .... here are a few.

I was quilting my klosjes quilt and Ashes wanted in on the action. I was able to convince her to lay not on my frame but on my chair foot rest. Not too long after, Hank made her way over and things became a tad tense.

Hank would not be persuaded to sit elsewhere and she settled down on top of my frame. Still tense ...

... until both girls settled down and started to snooze. Calm at last. Now what do I do?

Luckily, there is always hand work close by to grab and work on.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Progress is good

I have been diligently working on my Sweet Dreams project and more sashings and corner stones have been made. Since I use Crayola Washable markers for marking placement guides on my sashing fabric, they got soaked to remove the markings and then dried and ironed. I just don't want to take a chance and put any heat to the markings. Here is my progress so far. Side setting triangles have been cut out and soon I will start sewing the blocks and rows together. I'm past the halfway mark for this top. Have a great day!

Galactic Craze

Doesn't my quilt look gorgeous in the snow? What a contrast! I'm doing the happy dance with this one. All those crazy blocks look like they are coming from the galaxy ... hence my quilt name. Here is another shot ....

... and can I bore you again with another shot (showing the backing)?

This is a good lap size quilt and all from stash. Bonus!

So, this is #1 finish for the year and that is a good thing.

Have a great day!

Now what?

Now that my Baskets Galore is a top .... what do I do next? Start a new project? As tempting as that is..... no, no, no. With all the talk going around blogland about finishing UFO's and challenges to help us along, I sat down and made an actual list. Gasp (oh yes, I gasped) .... I have 7 tops to be quilted and 31 projects started. So, guess what I'm going to be working on next.


Browsing my list, this project caught my eye. I found the container and started pinning the blocks on my design wall. These other blocks are just waiting to be pinned up. I still need to make some more sashings and corner stones, but good progress has already been made. Oh yes, time to get this project to the top stage.

So, now you know what my personal challenge will be for the next wee while.

Have a great day!