Christmas Club Reveal

Yes - time to get back to the routines!!!!!    Yesterday was the meeting of the Christmas Club at Cockadoodle. We all (OK - just ME) took the summer off. The group - they had homework. How did they make out with the homework???

Let's have a look.................

The first quilt we looked at - A Critter Christmas.........

Critter Christmas by Brandwine Design

Beth

Beth

Raili

Raili

Karen (she did other blocks, but I am only showing the one (s) that were on the homework list - she is NOT behind)

Linda (same as Karen - she has done others, but only showing the one  (s) on the homework list)

Mary (LOVE that bright read sashing!

This is the sashing that Beth is using - I love the bright red

Now I did hear from two other people in the class, however they did not make it to our meeting and I heard NOTHING From the other two. Hmmmmmmm - better send out an e-mail to see where they are.

This is a cute little project and it is going to be FUN FUN FUN when it is complete. I know - you are asking how I am progressing on MINE? Well not so well. But I will get it done - just may take a while.


The second quilt we did show n tell for was O Tannenbaum....................

O Tannenbaum by Quakertown

They had to make EIGHT of these blocks - I only put ONE of each on the board -  the names DO NOT correspond to their blocks - I only know THREE of the above (Linda has the yellow, Nancy is the bottom row - second from the right and Flo is bottom right)

Marlene, Flo, Raili, Annadele, Suzi, Helen Anne, Nancy, and Linda   

Kristen's block

These are awesome and this quilt is going to look AMAZING!!!!!!!     Only a couple more months to get it done. Oh boy - better get working. I am pretty far along in this one, but still lots of work.


Missing FOUR people - well of the missing four people, two were there - just no work done and where are the other two??????   Another e-mail to check up on them!!!!!!!!!!!

And the group - well they are CLAMOURING to choose the project for NEXT year - so when I got home, I dug out some possibilities. Now I have to cull them because I think I found about a dozen that might be appropriate. Have to pass them by my consultant (Miss Marian) to see what she thinks!!!


Then the MAD dash to get home. This class ended at 11:30 (I was out of there by 11:37 - which I hate to do!) and in the car trying to avoid the construction which is EVERYWHERE in this city. Then on the way home, M wanted me to pick her up AND Berke (at two different locations). I made it into my drive by 12:29 - I HAD to be home at 12:30. How is that for cutting it close!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Then we had Marlene from Pasttime Pieces here to teach us embroidery. Now most of the class knew how to do embroidery, but (in my case) nothing formal and I really really wanted to hear how someone else attacked some of the stitches and marking, etc. It was a great class and I have learned where I am not good and need more practice.

Here is my little sampler that we worked on.

Embroidery sampler

 And she brought patterns and threads that we could buy!!!   Hey - I asked her to!!!!!   She carries one of my favourite designers when it comes to embroidery - that would be Crabapple Hill.

Of course - I had to buy a couple of patterns - this one is about  vintage cars!

And while I DID NOT buy this one - I already had it, several of the girls want to get together to stitch it out. Oh shoot - that includes Linda who is a master stitcher and will get it done!!!  I am still working on one that Linda finished a couple of years ago. But I am making progress - those darn snowflakes take a LOT of time!!!!!

Anyway - it was a fun class - I know where I need to practice and I will become an excellent stitcher - I love embroidery!!!!!

So back to the sewing machine and back to Halloween themed quilts.

Got the first of three borders on Elaine S quilt

Binding and backing ready for Linda`s quilt (more on the binding in a minute)

One of the last two quilts laid out on the design wall (anyone see anything out of whack before I start sewing) I must admit - I just slapped the blocks on the wall - especially to get it up - then I do take a few minutes to see if anything (two like fabrics are touching), but that is ALL I am doing. It is a Halloween quilt after all - NOT an heirloom

The second (leftover) Halloween quilt - also laid out on the design wall. And there was ONLY one block left - the pieces of which went into the scrappy border pile. Hopefully there is enough for the last four quilts that need that scrappy border. 

And while sewing the bindings, borders and backings - I managed to work on my enders/leaders project.

This is the SECOND of four borders for the Christmas quilt

See - the rest of the half square triangles are made and waiting to be made into a border

 Back to the binding. So the binding is BLACK - right. How many of you would switch thread????  Well - I thought about it, but then said - what the heck - it is only LINDA's quilt!!!!!    Actually - I used to switch thread, but I don't any more. Have a look why I do NOT any more...................

Here is the join with the white thread (OK - so there is white chalk on there as well - so it looks messy)

The back of the seam pressed OPEN - do you see the white thread???????    (Other than at the ends of the seam?)

The front of the seam - do you see the thread now??????  

 Nope - I don't either - so why bother to change the thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Do you know WHY you cannot see the white thread (NO - I DID NOT colour it with a marker!!!!). Nope - the TENSION is perfect and the stitch length is PERFECT - if those two are NOT perfect - you will see the stitches. I find many people sew with TOO large of a stitch length.


OH - here are some other show n tell from the morning class that I forgot to post. A number of us were doing the Border Creek Mystery. Myself included - I think if you search at the top of my blog page - Border Creek Mystery - you will see the finished lap quilt - it was orange and black. I was working on the queen size and was merrily sewing away (NOT peeking ahead to see what the next instruction was because I felt very confident in Sherri's instructions). However when I got to the LAST page, I was HUGELY disappointed and I did not get all the borders on my quilt. I need to send her an e-mail. BUT Tony and Karen did peek ahead and the instructions did NOT make sense to them either and they changed it. Alas - I was already cut and sewn when I found out. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tony's Border Creek Mystery!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Karen's Border Creek Mystery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suzi made this great hexagon quilt. LOVE the fabric choices!!!!!!!!!!!!

Helen Anne (thanks for taking the above photos!!!!!!!!!!!!) made this quilt. One of my favourites - Weaver Feaver!!!!!   She started it in a class with me - YEARS AGO. And she just has the binding to finish!!!!!   And here is a good USE for SELVEDGES. There was a date on the selvedge of one of Helen Anne's fabrics - 2002 - so that will help her date the quilt!!!

We all spend lots of money on our patterns/threads/fabric and I HATE when I get something that does NOT work. I give credit to Sulky. I had purchased THREE of these large spools of Blendables. Same colour. When I put the first one on the long arm - a couple of years ago - the thread just kept breaking. I was frustrated and not happy with the Blendables thread, although I LOVE how it looks on a quilt. I tried EVERYTHING and got advice from many people. Finally I contacted Sulky and they agreed that the one spool of thread appeared DEFECTIVE. I know - there was absolutely NO TWIST to the thread. And they replaced it. Only took FOUR years - but most of that delay was my fault in not contacting them. I haven't tried the new spool yet, but I have tried other Blendable thread on the machine and it works like a charm.

My replacement cone of Sulky Blendable - with one of the old cones. 

THANKS SULKY. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yes - I forgot to add TWO more books that I also picked up at the used book sale. A small one with all the yoga poses so I can practice at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   And an older book on bike paths - but other than not having the new ones - it will have all the old ones (and not like they have added a lot of new ones). It was 50 CENTS!!!!!!

So - I got 12 books for $18. 

More books from the used book sale

And I asked the library to order the book I couldn't find - Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend and I got a response that it is already in the catalogue and they have put it on hold for me. I couldn't find it and they have it under a different author (just his first name). I don't get it, but they have it on hold for me. 

AND - one of my friends who lives very close to me has the MISSING Clive Cussler book that I can't find anywhere. How about that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    She is going to lend it to me  - perfect because I DON'T WANT the book - I just want to read it. Thanks PAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See - this blog is a very useful tool. I have found and learned so much from YOU!!!!!!!    Now I have to send an e-mail to the Collectorz people to see about the scanning thing. 

Well - after the embroidery class went home yesterday, I opened up the doors and all the current stuff I am working on and had tucked away for the class - well it is all back on the tables. I just can't help myself!!!!!!!!      You should have heard all those projects clamouring to be LET OUT!!!!!!   I had no choice but to let them out!!!!!!!!

I am teaching TWO classes this afternoon - and I had best get myself organized for those and then I have a bit of time to get some work done. 

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

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