Winter Wonderland!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yikes - how much more snow are we going to get this year??????   We have been spoiled for the last couple of winters and if we did get snow - it wasn't a big deal to shovel it. BUT this year - we just had our THIRD major dump. Yesterday was probably the worst because it wasn't just snow, but WET snow. And WET snow means HEAVY.

This is our front driveway. I shoveled the main part of the driveway and the sidewalk. When it came to the boulevard part - I just made sure that we had a rutted path to get in and out. Same thing with the windrow left by the plow at the end. Why should I shovel all that crap out of the way. We just need to get in and out. And when I shoveled that opening, I was literally shoveling WATER. 

Our backyard this morning

And I snapped this picture of Sammy TWO days ago. Look at her. the edge of that pond is where the flower pot is. She is fascinated by that pond and happy to sit on the ice - on the edge of the ice no less. 

I am happy to report that progress is being made. I FINALLY got a quilt off the machine yesterday that has been on there for a long time. While there has been incentive - it just seems that something else came up.

This is the backing - can you tell who the quilt belongs to?????

And look how lazy I was - the quilt has embellishments on it and I didn't want to remove them and put them back on so I quilted it with the embellishments on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    A few lumps and bumps, and had to quilt around a couple of buttons, but otherwise no problem and I don't have to put them on now that the quilt is done. OH YES - this picture should have been rotated. 

Oh - here is the quilt DONE!!!!!!!!!!    Yes - it belongs to me. It was a group exchange from 2002!!!!!   Only took ten years to get it completed. Oh well - I had fun with it. 

Here is the back - not a bad centering job. That is a VERY hard thing to do on the long-arm. 

Binding got put on this morning. 

Now M and I are taking a dress making class on Tuesday nights. Of course - I am way behind!!!!!   The first night we were supposed to get the dress cut out and start sewing this past Tuesday. I STILL don't have the dress cut out and we are fitting next week!!!!!!!!!!   I always said I was a BAD student. But then, I was giving M some coaching and helping her with her project.

M - sewing her dress

Here is my fabric and I got THREE pieces cut out this past week. Only 6 or 7 to go plus the lining and the interfacing. Then sew it together BY TUESDAY. Never mind the backlog of quilts. 

Anyway - I am off to get a LOT of work done today.


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



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

More quilt from shirts!!!!!!!!!

Still haven't had a chance to finish off that box of shirtings, but I got THREE more quilts made from the shirtings that the Monday ladies took home. Here is one of them.................

A very SCRAPPY quilt from the LEFTover scraps of the shirtings. 

Honestly - I don't know why this kind of thing excites me, but the fact that we made a quilt from the leftovers is really neat. And I really like this quilt.

Well I used my time this morning cleaning up e-mail. Let's just say that over the last week, I have gotten rid of THOUSANDS of e-mails. A drop in the bucket to what is there (OK - so not a drop in the bucket), but there are still a LOT of e-mails to deal with.

Yes - I realize that I will never be able to process them all, but I have to find some mechanism where I can deal with them and file them or delete them more readily than I am doing now. With me - out of sight - out of mind so once an e-mail scrolls down below the viewing window or into another folder - well I forget about it.

Just a new learning experience that's all. Like my Dad says - you can NEVER stop learning. Why? Cause then you DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm off to try new things on the long arm ....................



Well on that note - have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Threads of colour!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another successful sit n sew day on Sunday. The girls were very productive........

Sharron got this top put together and I pressed it for her. This is the 1600 quilt made with the strips. Instead of using a jelly roll - she just cut up fabric. 

Ronda got her over sized Hopscotch quilt together. 

Mary worked on some bags and hand embroidery, Katheleen was working on a couple of projects as well,  including Circle of Life. And lots more, but I didn't get pictures of everything. My silly camera is on the fritz. Sometimes it take a picture and sometimes it doesn't. It appears the AUTO FOCUS is the culprit and I can't see a flipping thing to focus it manually - should I put my glasses on or off. Either way the pictures were blurry!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I also managed to get some work done since the girls were not that busy with pressing. Oh crap - OK - so most of them pressed their own stuff.

Got all the blocks completed for a Hopscotch. I haven't rearranged these yet - just threw them on the wall. 

BUT - look what else I was doing................

Remember my neat tray for the enders and leaders project?????   Well  - look at this compartment. It is getting empty. I decided instead of adding these to the HUGE collection I already have, that I would try to find something to do with these right away. 

AHA - found a unit that works...............

Got a block done

Got FOUR blocks done

And how big are they???????

SMALL!!!!!

But I love working on stuff like this. I hope I have enough pieces to make nine blocks. I don't think so, so I may have to make up a few more pieces to get my nine blocks.


After the class yesterday, I was trying to find that small embroidery hoop that I have used in the past. I've looked EVERYWHERE. Well not everywhere obviously since I can't locate it. Then I went into another closet and found  this.......................

AHA - the case that I USED to use for handwork - maybe the hoop is in here?????

Oh - lots of hand work supplies and even a PROJECT, and YES - there was a hoop in here.  YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Now it is on the hook with the rest of the hoops. 

I mentioned the other day that I had to buy some thread to finish a quilt. Well ME being ME doesn't just buy thread - I buy THREAD.

This is the brand of thread that I started with on my long arm. While it isn't as fancy as some of the other threads, I am GUARANTEED that it works perfectly (well not guaranteed - but I KNOW) that it works perfectly in the machine and I don't want to fuss with the tension. And not only did I need this one colour, but I was getting low in a couple of others and still others that I was missing.

The BOX of thread

Ooooh - I love opening boxes!!!!!!!!!!!!

My CANSEW thread BEFORE I opened the box

All of this was in the box

The shelf now!!!!!!!!   Well stocked will every possible colour!!!!!!!!  (hopefully)

Well - I must run - I have loads of stuff to do (as usual).

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



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

Snow Days - February Reveal

It is FIRST reveal day for our 2013 project - Snow Days by Crabapple Hill.

It is very hard to get a good picture of this quilt. There is a LOT of embroidery on it. 

The first assignment was to work on the churn dash blocks. In total - they had to make TWO 12" blocks, FIVE 9" blocks and SIX 6" blocks.

Here are all MY blocks (including a piece of embroidery which I will show you later)

There are a LOT of blocks to show so each person put up ONE of each of the three sizes. Sit back and enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   And if you think Churn Dashes are BORING - well - think again!!!!!!  

Jo

Linda D

Chris

Kathy M

Anita

Helen

Suzie

Jane

Paula

Cathy P

Anne

Sharon

Maureen

Kathy M (there are two in the class)

Mary S

Lynn

Elaine S

Donna

Kay

Pauline

Jennifer

Roslyn

Lorraine

Katheleen

Catherine

Mary D

Linda W (who is doing a Crap apple Hill pattern, but NOT Snow Days)

Only THREE people were missing. WOW - that was an impressive show n tell and very interesting to see all the different colours that everyone chose for their project.


Wow - so let's have a look at the close up of that embroidery that I have been working on...............

Block 11  - view from the FRONT of the block

Block 11 - view from the BACK of the block (important to make the back as neat as the front - well as neat as possible)

DETAIL of FRONT of Block 11

DETAIL of BACK of Block 11

FRONT of BLOCK 13  (not quite finished the windows on the bottom house)

Close up of Block 13 (FRONT)

BACK of Block 13

Close up of the BACK of Block 13

There two blocks are the homework for next month.


Well - there you have it - a pretty impressive start to an awesome project. Stay tuned - we shall have show n tell every month and our reveal in November.


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



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