Back to work!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh boy - I MUST be getting old. It took a couple of days for me to get back to normal - yeah - whatever NORMAL is.


FOR THE RECORD - if ANYONE asks me to make them something Halloween this year - the answer is "Out of the question!!!!"    I am about done with Halloween, but wait - NO - I am still working on all those quilts. Here's the latest....................

Here is ONE MORE top completed - I have lost track of them all.

The backing is ready to load on the machine. Yes - it looks weird because it is made of plush and I had to piece it and then add extensions. So yes - it looks ugly, but once quilted, I am sure it will be just fine. 

And ANOTHER BLASTED Halloween quilt. I this is the LAST of them!!!!!   Anyway - this one is also ready to be quilted and if things go well - I will should have both of these done by the end of the weekend. 

Yet ANOTHER Halloween quilt - this one is a different pattern!!!!!     And yes this one is MINE - I pulled it from the "to be quilted" pile. Can you believe - I actually got ONE OF MY QUILTS quilted. It is trimmed and the binding is ON!!!!!   Now to find some hand stitching time because the quilts are piling up that need to be hand stitched!   BUT before you offer to help - there is NO RUSH to get any of these done so they will sit in the laundry basket and probably a quilt show deadline will prompt me to hand stitch the binding down. 

Yes - I belong to THREE guilds and all three are having quilt shows next year!!!!!    Oh boy - that means I need to get some quilts done. My brain RIGHT NOW is saying - put TWO quilts into each show. That is six quilts - and I don't even have to piece any of them - probably don't even have to quilt any of them - just need to hand stitch those bindings down that are in the basket. But I know that as the dates approach, my brain will go into OVERTIME and decide that I need to get something completely new (meaning - haven't even started the project) ready for the show. Never mind that no one has seen the ones that are in the hand stitching pile. I need BETTER DISCIPLINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  


I have to say that I was pretty good this year. With the exception of class projects, I didn't really start anything new (OK - so the Halloween stuff doesn't count!!!!).    I made some progress on my 12 for (20) 12 projects - in a couple of cases, I made GREAT progress on those projects. And I made ASTOUNDING progress on getting those borders/backings and bindings done. Never mind the work for the guilds that I did, as well as all the blocks for the exchanges that I participated in.  I am going to keep the same discipline for next year - EXCHANGES will be banished from my vocabulary next year (except the two post card exchanges I am in - those are quick and easy - OK - so they take time  - but still - that will be my outlet for the creativity that I would LIKE to be spending more time at). I will still support the guilds with a few projects during the year - quilting the community out reach projects  or making gift bags - I think that support from all members is important to keeping the guild functioning. I am REDUCING the number of on-going quilts that I will be teaching.  And I will TRY to eliminate or reduce the number of things that I organize. Do you know how time consuming that is?????   Not complaining, just trying to find some lost time.

And once I am done here, I am writing up my chart of projects for next year. I know - I can't help myself. I will be pushing to get those last two baskets of borders, binding, and backings done before the end of the year, but there are a LOT of quilts still in there. And part of the problem are quilts like this...............

This is the Border Creek mystery quilt. It has SIX borders to be added and one of them is a coping strip border so I have to do some jiggling in order to get the size right. 

And for some reason, I was short the beige fabric. How that happened - I have NO idea, but anyway - I was able to get more at the CreativFestival so NOW there is NO REASON for procrastination. This is at least TWO days work to get those six borders on and the binding and the backing. And for some reason, I didn't buy enough backing either (not sure if that was a pattern issue, or just bought what was on the bolt at the store and hoped it would work out, or I made a serious mistake, but now I have to either find a new backing or piece this after I find something to go with it. 

And then I have this quilt also. It needs THREE borders on it

The middle border is pieced

Now all the half square triangles are made, but for some reason, I am thinking I need to made the first border a coping strip, but I shouldn't have to as I am following the pattern. Need to revisit that - it may not be as bad as I think. But again - it is likely a day's work to get the three borders on and binding and backing. 

Did I mention that I am tired of borders, bindings and backings?????   After all those Halloween quilts - well each one had THREE borders on them and I did a LOT of the finishing!!!!!   Oh well - next year will be a breeze compared to this year.


Here are a couple of things that I acquired at the CreativFestival.

A NEW kit from The Quilt Patch to add to my mantle!!!!!!

Actually their quilts are FAST and EASY to make so I "could" have this done for Christmas if I really put my mind to it. Have to think about that - I think I deserve to get something done for me and something that is NEW. But isn't the packaging so amazing???????    Like I said - looks good enough to just put on the mantle.

I also bought this stocking kit. I mean the felt was already felted and the price was AMAZING. This would make a good Monday Motivator project - no sewing machine required - well unless I decided to do the stitching by machine. 

 I don't normally do this, but some asked me if I knew anyone who wanted to buy a sewing machine. I said I would put it on my blog. This is NOT a featherweight - it is either a Model 99 or a Model 15 - I asked the owner to get that information. It is a 3/4 size sewing machine from the 50s (I think). Anyway it looks in great condition and is in a cabinet. I would buy it, but I don't have room!!!!!!    If you are interested - let me know and I will hook you up with the owner.

Singer Model 15 or 99 for SALE

Even comes in a cabinet

Even though I grew up in Saskatchewan, you forget sometimes what parts of it are like. When Jeanne and Shelley were here, they raved on about the colours of the leaves. I guess I forgot about that - in Saskatchewan, you do NOT get the brilliant colours that we have and it seems this year that the leaves just dried up and fell off.

Well here are a couple of pictures of my backyard..............................

The pictures just do NOT do justice to the colours. Oh yes - I think I forgot to blog about that bike in the back. I got a couple of bikes this summer (old bikes) and M and Berke painted one of them up (yellow) and it went in the back yard. The other one goes in the front and did NOT get done yet. That will be a spring project. I love it  - thanks Mary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looking at the pond which hasn't been closed down yet this year. See my poor sumac. While I didn't kill it this year, I did definitely stunt its growth. It is the red in the center of the picture. Hopefully next year, I will be able to get rid of it completely. If it would just stay this size and not spread - it would be welcome. 

Joyce was here working on a quilt and mentioned that the space sure looked different than on a sew day when everything is neatly tucked away. Yes - this past week, I came home and dumped everything. But I took some time yesterday while she quilted and I made good progress to tidy up. Everything out now is CURRENT. I have to rejig that 2012 shelf so that the CURRENT stuff can go on it as well and not hang out on the tables.


On that note - I have to get my chart made up (Oh  - I am loving this organizing and list making thing!!) and then get on with the day.



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!