Circles of Red

Well ..... here is my circle quilt finished and ready for displaying along with my other red/neutral quilts for Canada Day (July 1).  I do like the diagonal effect you see when looking at this quilt.  It wasn't planned, but happy it turned out this way.

On the chair, can you see my unfinished hexie project?  This has stalled because I still don't know how to finish it.  It can stew for a while and then the light bulb will click on with an idea.

Quilt Details:

Source:  No pattern .... I just like making circle quilts!  If you look closer, this quilt is based on a nine patch block with the center square having a dark red fabric.

Block Size:  each circle square is a finished 3" or a 9" finished nine-patch block.  The circles are 2".

Started:  February 2023

Top Finished:  March 2023

Quilt Finished:  May 2023

Quilt Size:  45-1/2" x 63" (top size before quilting, washing and drying:  49" x 67")

Machine quilted by:  Kathy Wareham using Circle Meander quilt pattern.

Batting:  Hobbs 80/20 cotton/poly

For my binding, I ended up doing a scrappy binding and quite pleased with the way it turned out.  Three fabrics were used and strips of 22" in length were alternated for a pleasing effect.  I don't know why I haven't done this before?  Will it happen again .... absolutely.

Is there still lots of red fabrics in my stash ...... heck, yes!  Time to make a few more red/neutral quilts!

I’ve been having some strange emails lately.  Got one today saying I’ve been hacked and to pay up otherwise they would send a compromising video to all my contacts.  I could view the video by clicking onto a link.  No…… I will not do that!  So, in the event you get an email from me with a video attached, DON’T OPEN IT OR YOU COULD BE HACKED.  FAIR WARNING.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Hexie a go go!

Great progress has been made and my goal is to complete it this month!  Can I do it?  I think I CAN!

This is how my sewing of the pieces look.  I can see a bit of thread from the front.

This is the back showing my whip stitch.  A variegated crochet poly/cotton is being used to sew the hexies together.  It is a tad hard to sew with the crochet thread, but it will be stronger than just regular thread.  Plus, this was in my stash and a good way to use some of it up.  Waste not, want not .... use it up or give it away.

 

Some readers have been wondering at the size of these hexies.  The edge size of my front hexie is 2-1/2" so that my hexie finishes at a good size.  Roughly 5" high and 4-1/2" wide.  Perfect to use up repro charms for the front pieces.  Batting was cut out the same size and some batting strips were frankpieced.  Again, use it up as those strips would have ended up in the landfill.  I'm feeling very resourceful these days!  LOL  Use it up ..... use it up .... use it up ..... that seems to be my motto lately.  The more that gets used, the less in my stash.  I'm looking ahead ..... years are adding on to my age and I won't live forever to use up my stash.

The violet template (below) is my backing template.   Fabric squares were cut out at 5-3/8" wide x 6-1/2" high and then trimmed using the template.   The template could have been bigger to make turning the edges over easier, but this is what was found after rummaging through my EPP templates.  The sizes turned out great for me after all.

This is what my project looks like so far.  The bottom two rows have all been attached.  The next two rows up will be next to sew together and then they will be attached to the bottom two rows.

Only 5 more hexies to make and then I can concentrate on finishing this quilt.

Oh happy, happy days!

My mind has been dancing with new ideas to try out.  I'm thinking the Kingfisher quilt but with a twist.  Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

Our area has been having air quality alerts from the forest fires in Quebec.  Yesterday morning was pretty bad.  The smell of smoke was quite noticeable.  We so badly need a couple days of rain to put out those fires.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

May and June Binding Challenge

Well ..... we had a slip in the challenge.

No-blog Mary decided she needed a break from everyday life and had a vacation in New Orleans instead.  You know, we all need that in our lives sometimes and how good it is to just up and go and enjoy life.

I had to laugh when she sent me this photo of her binding!  She said that she will work on this quilt for June but not pull anything else.  She also said that because they don't have a/c in their home and summers are hot and humid in Toronto, she might take a break from binding and work on ufo's instead during the summer months.  Heck, I'm OK with that ...... I don't want to pressure someone into doing something they just don't want to do.  What would the point be?  Friendship is far more important and so is the enjoyment of each day!

I have to admit that getting my quilt done for May was a challenge for me too.  With all the appointments for my hubby, it was hard to get into the groove to get the binding done.  Still, I managed with a day to spare.  Here is my quilt all washed and dried and crinkly.  More about this quilt on another post.  And, yes, I did go with scrappy binding and it was fun to do that.

So, what will I work on for June?  

My hexie quilt-as-you-go.  There are only 26 more blocks to do and then I can start sewing rows together and then I can have a finished quilt .... binding done individually on each hexie and hand quilted!  Once finished, this quilt will be twin sized.  

Last night, I chatted with my friend Debra  and I showed her my hexie project and mentioned how much I enjoyed the hand quilting on each piece.  Who knows what will be in store for me and hand quilting.  I have to say that this method of pot holder quilts is growing on me a lot.  Wendy at The Constant Quilter is a master of this method and she does such lovely and interesting quilts.

What else will I work on for June?  Some more spring cleaning and purging.   I have a bunch of stuff ready to be bagged and dropped off at the thrift stores.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

My Corona Tulips

At last, I was able to venture outside to take photos of this quilt on our hill.  Our spring has been wet and cold and miserable, but finally we are in the heat and I could safely drape the quilt on the stones without fear of getting it wet and muddy.

This is the backing that was used.  Whatever was left on the bolt was purchased but there wasn't enough.  After some careful cutting and piecing, viola!  The fabric is a rendition of Susan McCord's Vine Quilt and once I saw the fabric, I just had to have it.  

This quilt is currently hanging in our dining room.

Quilt Details:

Source:  Audrey from Quilty Folk blog so kindly offered the tulip block pattern to any that were interested (no longer offered) and I quickly asked if I could have the pattern and Audrey sent it to me and the rest is history.  A twist was added by the band of circles at the bottom of each block.  I must say this quilt turned out quite unique!

Tulip block size:  8" wide x 9" high (finished block size)

Circle block size:  8" wide x 3" high (finished block size)  2" circles were evenly spaced out

Started:  January 2021

Top Finished:  August 2021

Quilt Finished:  April 2023

Quilt size:  69" x 88" (top size before quilting, washing and drying:  73" x 91-1/2")

Batting:  Hobbs poly batting

Machine quilted by:  Kathy Wareham using Topsy Turvy Tulips E2E by Christy Dillon of My Creative Stitches.

Another quilt to display at this time of year when the tulips are blooming.

After taking photos, I turned around to gather up my quilt and noticed our elderly neighbours next door looking up at us and after a wave and hand claps, we all went our merry way.  They do enjoy seeing my quilt photo sessions on the hill.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Busy as ....

This past week was busy and so is this week.  My Hubby has one more week with the Parkinson's program and then he has homework to do to keep up the exercises and tips for getting up when he falls, for putting on a winter coat walking, writing and so on .....

He did have a memory test and didn't do so well.  Based on this, the Doctor is reporting him to DOT and they will send him a letter revoking his driver's license.  I'm happy about this as he was doing some funny things while driving and hasn't driven for about a year now as I started taking him everywhere.  On the upside, he has been referred to a memory specialist and they can determine if his memory issues are related to Parkinson's or the start of dementia.  We will also have a home inspection to ensure that our home is safe for us to get around.  He has also been referred to a speech therapist.  There will be a lot of appointments coming up.

Aging sucks, doesn't it ....

On a happier note, my hexie quilt-a-long is coming along quite well.  There are about 60 full hexies and 7 half hexies to do and then I can start sewing them together.  

This photo was taken on an angle so you can easily see how many have been done and how many to go.

Sadly, the binding for this quilt has taken a back seat.  This morning, fabrics were pulled to see which one would work well.  Maybe I might do something outside the box for me and make a scrappy binding!  Oh my!  LOL  It is a small wall hanging, so it won't take long to finish this quilt.  I may take it with me to the cottage this coming weekend.  This needs to be done by the end of this month as it is this month's binding challenge.  Better get cracking!

Nights have been cool lately with chances of Jack Frost visiting.  These are my annuals and they will stay in the garage during the night.  After June 1, it might be safe to finally get them planted in pots and placed outside.

Back to the issue of the b.e.a.v.e.r and the tree it chopped down by the lake at our cottage.  At the water edge, all these branches were picked up by myself and my sister.  These were brought home and I will wash them and then place them in a pot for display.  I was totally amazed by the workmanship the b.e.a.v.e.r did in stripping the bark off these branches.

Look closely and you can see teeth marks.  Some are single, some are by two and some are by four to indicate upper and lower teeth.

When I picked up this branch, was this mud?  Nope, for some reason, the b.e.a.v.e.r skipped over a couple of inches of  bark.  Weird, huh!

How many hours did it spend chewing away the bark?  We will never know.

 

The cottage is now open for the season, but with a few hic cups.  We may need a new water pump as water was gushing out from the connection under the sink.  Yikes, it took five towels to soak up the water.

Ah well .... cherish your day, cherish your life!

Hexie Quilt-a-long and 46th wedding anniversary.

Much, much progress has been made on this project .... because ....  that is the only thing I'm working on right now, except for bindings!  I'm obsessed with these hexies!

After looking at this photo, I realized that most of the hexies have been turned around ... so great progress has been made.   Since this quilt will be reversible, I want the back to look interesting too and colour placement is crucial.  You can probably see some triangle scraps sitting on top of some hexies.  Those are the back colours that will be used of which some are off on the side waiting their turn to be used.

A lot of batting pieces have been used up in the process, of which I'm totally pleased about and a lot of charms as well.  My charm bin is reducing, but there are a few more quilts that can be made using them up.

The program that hubby is on for Parkinson's is working for him.  He can now get up off the floor or ground when he falls.  Gardening is now better for him.  He can pull weeds without falling over while on his knees.   He still has issues with walking, but there are still two more weeks to get into a good pattern for that.  There has been improvement, but more to come.  The important thing is to keep up the work after the program ends.  Heck, the program has been good for me too.  I participate in the warm up exercises and then sit back and observe for the rest of the session.  Next up that I need to obtain is a doctor referral for a speech therapist and another for dizziness.  He is having great difficulty speaking some days and the dizziness is an ongoing situation for a number of years now.  He has had an MRI showing nothing to cause it.  Dizziness is part of Parkinson's, so that could be the cause.

Cottage season is now here.  My sister and I took a run out with a load of supplies.  A beaver has been busy chopping down a tree.  I didn't take any photos but will next time out there.  We did have some flooding in our area and our lake was up about 4-5 feet above normal.  We can tell by the debris left on the shore how high it rose up.

Today is Mother's Day as well as our 46th wedding anniversary.   I've never spoken of this to too many people as I didn't and don't want sympathy.   I'm writing this for posterity for my descendants to know the story as this post will be published into a blog book as well as recorded on the family tree info.  This is a happy/bittersweet day for us.  We were married in 1977 at 2:00 p.m.  My Day died from a massive heart attack on the way to the reception.  He was gone around 4:00 p.m.  My brother's girlfriend had a baby girl around 6:00 p.m.   To compound the issue, my Dad's mother passed away on the same day in 1969.  A day full of joy and sorrow.

I remember telling my parents our plans and they looked at each other when they found out the date.  I wish they had said something at the time as the date could have been changed for another day.  After the funeral, my Mom asked me why that date was chosen and I told her that was the only time available for the church as well as venue.   Would it have changed the outcome?  Probably not.  It is what it is and life goes on.   I was 16 at the time my Grandmother passed away and I didn't keep track of important dates back then.  I wish I had.

In hindsight, our wedding was small with only immediate families on both sides.  Our parents were our witnesses to our wedding and what an honour to have their signatures on our wedding certificate.  A friend of my Mom's was going to write up about our wedding in our local paper because this is how weddings were done before the invention of the current wedding parties.  

So, now you all know.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

P.S. Comments have been turned off for this post.

April and May Binding Challenge

Well .... we did it again!  April came and went and we both have another quilt done.

This is no-blog Mary's quilt.  The before on the left and with the binding on the right.  Mary said that she doesn't even remember making this quilt .... so it is very, very OLD!

 This is my tulip quilt and I will be showing more of the quilt on another post.

For our May challenge, Mary dipped her hand into a black garbage bag (yes, these bags holding her quilts gives me the chills) and pulled out this quilt.  Surprise!  This is another huge quilt and the pattern is Pushin up Spring by Apple Blossom Quilts.  She doesn't remember making this quilt; but, the pattern was published in 2009 ... so, I'm guessing this has to be very old also.

For me, my red/neutral circle quilt is being done for May.  Can you see all the blue x lines .... don't worry as they will all disappear once this quilt is washed.  I use Crayola Washable Markers and they work for me.  I want this quilt ready for hanging in our living room for the month of June/July to help celebrate Canada Day.  All the other red swirls is the quilting called Circle Meander.

It is a busy time for me right now.  Cottage season is opening soon and I'm gearing up for the first run out there to open the cottage and bring in supplies for the season.  

Also, my husband is on a month long Parkinson's program to help him with this disease.  It runs four days a week for an hour each day.   He was on a six week program to help him build up strength in his muscles as he was having difficulty just getting out of a chair and walking.  He has been working a bit in the garden and is using a cane for balance.  

You may have noticed that my posts are not as frequent each week.  Life is just too busy right now and my quilting and blogging are starting to be put on the back burner.  You know how it is .... life gets in the way and we must deal with these things.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!