Quilting completed.....

on my Poppies Block of the Month quilt.... loved quilting this one... and it was so not my colors - orange.... but I added the brown batik and I think that I actually really like it now.... This was made with the Kaleidoscope ruler by Marti Michel

UFO finishes.....

I got a lot of my own quilting done last week..... very glad to get some of my quilt tops done.

This is a second Dresden Plate quilt made from some blocks that I received from a retirement center.  The prints in the Dresden Plates are 40's or 50's and are appliqued to a cotton/poly background (I did this because some of the blocks were appliqued to this type of fabric already - I used the same fabric to preserve continuity).  The border is a Reproduction print.

This quilt is a quick lap quilt made from some leftover blue minky from the Horse quilt that I made my sister last year.

This Braid quilt was made from a jelly roll - love these country colors.

And the last quilt is made from a new line of flannel called Kitten Kaboodle.... I just loved it and had to make something....

UFO's...

I know, as quilters, we all have UFO's (I haven't even begun to list them on my blog - LOL); I have been busy trying to complete those before starting new projects.  Of course, that doesn't always work - I seem to accumulate projects on a daily basis and I am sure this comes from working at the Quilt Shop and teaching classes.... This is a quilt that I made from swap blocks and I am quite happy with it.  I just love pink and brown....

I also completed a charity quilt for my retreat in June - I just love nine-patch quilts!  This one is backed by yellow fleece.

I am continuing my Vintage Valentine blocks.... still on block #3



Thought for the Day
Give yourself permission to succeed by surrounding yourself with loving mirrors
Noah St. John

Finishing up some UFO's.....

This has been a great month for me to finish up some of my UFO's (not everything is on my list - LOL).... I finished my Poppies Block of the Month that was part of our Guild program, another quilt that was part of a Saturday Sew Day with the guild ( I had to work that day but managed to get the top done), finished up two table runners, pillowcases for Boston Rescue, a quilt top PLUS customer quilting...

The picture top, right is the "Non Mystery" quilt that we did as part of a guild sew Saturday.  I had some Andover Civil War Fat Quarters that I used in this top. 

The pillowcases at left turned out quite well.  I think I will make a few more.  Below are the table runners that I made.  The sunflowers turned out quite yellow for some reason.... they aren't really that yellow.

Thought for the Day

A Woman is like a teabag.  You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.

Eleanor Roosevelt

HAPPY NEW YEAR.....

I can't believe that it is 2010...... I remember 10 years ago New Year's Eve was going to be the end of our computers and electronics.... LOL... time changes....

I was so happy to be able to cross off one last UFO on my quilting list - I quilted my Greenbrier Quilt and am happy to say I believe it turned out great. I love the "prim" look of wool applique.

I also quilted up my Christmas 2009 quilt; the one that used the Northcott panel. I didn't really intend to make a Christmas quilt for 2009 - so this will be the official one!

As with most quilters and sewers, I have a busy 2010 planned. Sending best wishes to all my blogging friends for a wonderful 2010.

Thought for the Day
I said to the Man,
At the Gate of the Year:

"What light cans't thou lend,

to those entering here?

I never have traveled,

This pathway before,

Thy help and thy counsel,

I humbly implore.

How can I discover,

What lieth ahead,

That I may walk safely, Wherever I tread"?

Minnie Louise Haskins

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I can't believe it's the beginning of another year...... and we are experiencing extremely cold and snowy weather... just the right kind of weather to get lots of quilting done!! LOL... I will be updating my ufo list in the next few days.... I actually did get quite a bit done in 2008.... finished 5 of my quilting UFO's (this is just old stuff... not any new stuff that I pieced and quilted) and 10 of my pieicng UFO's (again, this is just old stuff, not any new stuff). I really must make a habit of adding to these lists to keep them up to date. I have two new block of the month programs that I am doing thru my guild, so that should keep quite busy this year, plus I have started taking University Accounting classes - so, I should have lots to keep me busy. I think if the snow keeps up I should be able to get a lot done.

I am also teaching a beginner quilting class on Shirley's Learning Fiber Arts group. The classes offered by this group are all free, so if you are looking to learn something new, that might be the place!
No resolutions for me!! Don't believe in them.
I will be having a one year "blogaversary" around the middle of this month... so stay tuned for that... I will be posting a giveaway.

Thought for the Day
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Happy Monday.....

Today I received 4 squishees in the mail. They are the remainder of my blocks in my ornament block swap, hosted by dear Betsy from Quilting Fiesta. Thanks to Teresa, Jenna, Treasa, and Rebecca. I received all my blocks on time and they are all just perfect. What more can you ask from a block swap!!!!!

If you would like to know how to make these blocks, click here.

I also did some quilting today to finish up a quilt. I just love quilting feathers and I had some real fun with this one. Over the weekend I finished up several smaller little projects that I wanted for Christmas presents. These are all done and I am quite happy to have these ready for gift giving. I want to concentrate on a couple of older UFO's that I have - my One Block Wonder and my Baltimore Bunnies.





Thought for the Day
People of high self-esteem are not driven to make themselves superior to others. They do not seek to prove their value by measuring themselves against a comparative standard. Their joy is being who they are, not in being better than someone else.
Nathaniel Branden

Ok, Ladies... help me out......

I think I had my first hot flash!!! This morning I was sitting sewing and all of a sudden my face got extremely hot - like it was on fire... I went and looked in the mirror and it was sort of red around my cheeks and nose... then both my arms got the same feeling from the elbow down, on the inside... and some red patches appeared in the crook of my arm. I kept checking to see if I was getting hives, cause I have had them before and it kind of felt creepy like that... but nothing... and after about 5-7 minutes it all stopped. My arms were a little pinkish for a few minutes longer... but nothing else.... Is that a hot flash... is this it???????

Moving right along...... I also finished up another UFO. I received the Follow Your Heart, Moda Tin Box Sampler last Christmas from hubby.. so I made it up yesterday.. sheesh (as a good friend of mine says all the time!!) - it measures 12.5 X 12.5... not something I usually do... here's a pic of it... Maybe I will make a pillow from it......cross another off the list!!!!

Thought for the Day (again)

I'm trying very hard to understand this generation. They have adjusted the timetable for childbearing so that menopause and teaching a sixteen-year-old how to drive a car will occur in the same week.

Erma Bombeck

UFO'S and.......

I have had a busy week, but before I go on about my week, just a quick note to remember all those who have served our Country - Lest We Forget.

Yesterday I received my quilt from ALQS - the quilt is the Virginia Reel and it is from Elizabeth, from Virginia!!... I just love it... plus all the little goodies. It's hanging in my studio where I can see it every day.

The ice is beginning to form on the lake, so it is a real good time to get busy on my UFO's - which is what I have been doing the last few days. We have two little muskrats that like to come and play everyday on the ice. The lake should be frozen by now, but we are having unseasonal weather at the moment. Hopefully we will have winter soon, because without the snow the lake will be down in the spring.

I spent the weekend quilting my "All Things Christmas" by Bunnyhill Designs. I just had so much fun.... I just have to add some buttons and bows and it will be done - my 2008 Christmas quilt!

I also have been wanting to make a sock monkey for the longest time..... so this is my first one - has some festive clothing..... my niece collects them and I thought it would be a nice Christmas present.... and I finished a small wallhanging done with crayons, and finished 3 wool applique ornaments - so I am on my "UFO completion" way....

Thought for the Day

I'll wear a little poppy,

As red as red can be,

To show that I remember

Those who fought for me.

Quilting Distraction.......

I received a jelly roll package at a recent retreat... and I have been fascinated with them. 40 some 2 1/2 inch strips - what to do, what to do. Now, mind you , I have TONS of UFO's to finish (some not even listed) so I really should have just put the jelly roll quilt on the list and moved on.... but I really, really love the fabrics and wanted to make something with them. So, I decided to make a braid quilt - and I am enjoying the results. These are the first two rows - looks like I will have 6 more rows, plus I have decided to do two rows with a cream color on one side - then sew these two together to form a cream insert down the middle of the quilt - perhaps a good place to add some wool applique???? or machine applique.... well, as a quilting distraction it worked out nicely. I found the pattern for the braid at Quiltville. It was being used as a border, but I thought a whole quilt would look great!

Thought For the Day
Multi-tasking arises out of distraction itself.
Marilyn vos Savant

QUILTING HEAVEN.....

I am in quilting heaven right now..... This quilt is my oldest UFO (unfinished object). It is a hand appliqued quilt that I started around 2000 and is called The Country Bride Quilt. At the time I decided to learn to hand applique - didn't know anything about it, but read several books, took a class and magically thought this quilt could be done up in a flash. HA!! Well, after all these years and several stabs at different types of hand applique - freezer paper up and down, glue, needleturn, etc (who knew there were so many types) - this little baby is done!! BUT..... what's the best part of this quilt - NO, not the applique - it's all the blank spaces, blank spaces for wonderful feathers. I cannot wait to get this quilt on the frame to quilt it. I see wonderful feather wreaths in the plain blocks and perhaps more feathers outlining the applique blocks. Many of the fabrics used in this quilt were hand dyed - I bought the hand dyes - at the time i wasn't dying my own fabric like I am now. I have no idea who this quilt will be for. I always thought it would be a wonderful wedding quilt - but, no one in the family is scheduled for a big event, so perhaps it will have to stay in my quilt stash AND another project crossed off the list, but alas, moved to the quilting list! LOL

Thought for The Day

Enjoy!

BEAUTIFUL DAY.....

This is the view I saw yesterday as I was getting gas, it is a view of Calgary looking west to the Rocky Mountains. - I couldn't believe what a beautiful view I was seeing. The mountains were so clear. This is the way to start the day!

I have recently obtained the quilt book, One Block Wonders, by Maxine Rosenthal. A friend of mine, Shirley, who runs an online Fibre Arts Learning group, had a class on this on her group. I
looked at the pictures and didn't think too much about them... then I bought the book. I hauled out some VERY old fabric that I had for a long time - it is sort of Valentine's themed (fits in with the month!) and... well..... here is the result.... I guess I am hooked!! Looks like there could be up to 60-80 blocks in this quilt and it is based on a traditional kaleidoscope block. So, I added this to my UFO list, LOL, and will keep you posted on the results!


Thought for The Day
Learn something new every day!

SUNDAY, LAZY, SUNDAY??

not!!! It is not as cold here this week as it was last week - so there is no excuse for sitting around doing nothing. Yesterday I took my little "babies" to a Boston Terrier Meetup group for an hour. This is sort of a "playdate" for dogs... yes, I know - weird, BUT believe it or not dogs get antsy when they are cooped up for a week! They had fun AND they will sleep the rest of the weekend.

In my never ending search for UFO completion - I finished my Moda, Cherry Hill Sampler Quilt - granted it has panels in it so it wasn't that hard to get finished - but I have had it for about 3 years - so I guess it was time to get it done. I LOVE the dark reds and black and want to applique REAL blocks like the panels!!

Thought for The Day
Slow and Steady!

UFO Ponderings....

it is a cold and snowy day here in Alberta - we haven't had much of those lately. So, today I am going to do a little housework and a little sewing. What constitutes a UFO?? is it something you have already started - or is it just an idea. I was thinking about that when I decided to work on a "3 Stooges" quilt for my BIL. I have had the 3 Stooges fabric for awhile and just decided that i will combine it with other fabrics for a quilt... Is this a UFO??? I guess so... then my whole entire sewing room is filled with UFO's - LOL........ I don't have room to list them all here, then....


Thought for The Day
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and it's All Small Stuff!