Quilting up a storm!!!!!

The weather is certainly varied here and thank goodness I can prepared for ANY kind of weather. If it was nice - I'll ride my bike. If not so nice, I can stay inside and sew.  The last couple of mornings, it has been raining when I woke up. But soon after, it stops and right now the sun is shining. However it is windy. I can feel the house shake kind of wind!  I'm a strong cyclist, but seriously????   If I DON'T have to ride in a headwind - I won't!!!     But drop me at end of the island (in the right wind direction of course) and I'll head off to the other end in no time!)

Oh yes - got a new card for the camera - I can take 2000 pictures now!!!!!   Don't worry - I've already taken a few but my battery died this morning on the beach (I know - you are saying - THANK GOD for that!). No worries - I have the charger AND a spare battery with me!!!!!    I think I need to come up with some sort of storage thing for my technology stuff.   Hmmmmmmm..............   I know that Julia would make a series of colour coded bags - I wonder.............

We've already been to the beach this morning and my Fitbit is telling me that I have climbed the equivalent of 14 flights of stairs yet I haven't climbed any stairs in the house!!!!!   Yes - the beach is a LONG way down!

However over the last couple of days I have somehow managed to get some quilting done. Thank god no one is judging me on what I do on my vacation - right?????   So if it looks like I am sewing all day - that is my choice!!!!   I can't even remember what all I did - that is why I take pictures. Let's have a look............

One more attempt to adjust the shelf height. 

Don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with the height - it is just the Virgo in me that says - "I can make it perfect!"  Not happening, but it is better than it was. Better to be a smidgen too high than a smidgen too low.

This next quilt was a kit that I cut for the Mississaugua Quilter's Guild. I had a handfull of fat quarters and I was hoping the size would be OK.  It is a tad small but that's all I had to work with. Mary sewed the kit for me - thanks Mary!!!!

Quilt that Mary sewed on my behalf

 However there were some scraps left over. There wasn't enough to make another row with full blocks, but after perusing the scraps, there was enough to make a row of HALF BLOCKS.

Row of half blocks on the right

  I removed the bottom border and added in the half block row and then sewed the border back on.  Still not big enough for my liking but at least all the scraps are used up and it is four inches longer than it was!!!!  Let's just say that it was easy to insert the row with that pattern. It will be perfect for a small lap quilt.

Quilt with an extra half row sewn in

And my bizarre enders and leaders project????   OH yes - couldn't let that slide!!!!   As I went through the blocks, I found SIX that need to be appliqued.

Six blocks that need to be appliqued before the final row of stitching

I checked through all my stuff and NOPE - I must have left the threads at home for that. However I did manage to get all the other 14 blocks together.

Fourteen blocks - DONE!!!!!!

 Next I pulled out this table runner.  OH GOD - It just needed to have the two end borders sewn on. Even the binding was made!!!!

Table runner - DONE

Next up was a bit more complicated project.  So I unpacked the project, sorted the bits and OH CRAP - I know why I hadn't gone further on this one.  YUP - I am missing EIGHT 2 1/2" squares of background.   GRRRRRRR!!!!!!   I knew that but when the project came home from somewhere else but I never took the time to cut those missing squares.  All the background is the same so I couldn't find something else to substitute. Lots of the background at home, but not with me. Or is it.....................


I decided to start working on the next ender and leader project which is the Basket block from the Itty Bitty blocks.  I had cut the darks for the blocks, but not the lights. It appears that I just threw a bunch of lights into a bag and would cut as needed.  Lights?????   get it??????

When I searched through the bag - guess what I found!!!!!   YES - SCRAPS of the MISSING fabric for that other project!!!!!!!!!!!!   That was just too bizarre and how lucky can one get!!!!!!!!

Scraps of light for the Itty Bitty blocks

Yes - I had all of this to work with to get eight 2 1/2" blocks

My bits of blocks that are missing the background

My design wall!

 Even before I found the missing background pieces, I had started to sew the blocks together in rows!   This was a mystery quilt that I designed a while back. Ooops - Not a mystery anymore!

And here it is - DONE!!!!!

I was going to add borders to it, but size wise - it is big enough for me!!!!!   The border fabric is at home so I will decide when I get back exactly what I am going to do with it.

The joys of pressing a BIG quilt on a teeny tiny ironing board, but it works!!!!

It is going to take me a LONG LONG time to process (unpack) when I get home!!!!!!

ONE of the Itty Bitty Basket blocks

And a lot more to go!!!!!!

Next.........................


Well - I couldn't put Ronda off any longer. So I got to work on those batik fat quarters.

Step One - DONE

As you can see - I had "help" when I laid out these pieces!!!!

This part is now together!!!!!!!!!!

Going to add BRIGHT orange border and then use the bits - the rather large bits to make borders of some kind in order to make the quilt big enough for my liking!!!

I was in Bargain Fabrics the other day trying to find a colour that worked for that sashing. Nothing fit. One of the staff said "how about orange".  I had been trying to avoid it since people would think I did it on purpose.  Turns out orange is her favourite colour as well and well - orange looks great!!!!!

Robin and I took a trip up to O'Leary to another quilt store yesterday called Fabric Crafts n' More.  It is a bit of a hike (over an hour) to get there and of course we spent a bit of time there so the entire trip took hours - just in case you think I was glued to that sewing machine. There is a bit of a bargain store near the quilt store and we had a quick peek.  Can you believe what I found??????

DRAGON by Clive Cussler

I wasn't able to get this book from the library and no one I knew had it (until I found Colleen - a real Dirk Pitt fan and she lent it to me), but so weird that I found it just after reading the borrowed copy.

After visiting the three main quilt shops on the island - I know - three (and one of them, I've been to four times!!!!   Shhhh!!!!!!!!!!!)   I have concluded that I will NOT be finishing my flannel project. No one has any woodsy blue flannels. That one will have to wait until I get home. I could start sewing the top together - but I better wait in case I have to rejig some of the block positions.

Project will have to wait until I get some woodsy blues

Look what I found at Fabric Crafts n' More - John Deere - fleece!!!!   

And John Deere fleece panels!!!!!

 Nope - I didn't buy any of either!!!!!   But I did pick up a few novelty prints.   I have a thing for them.

Novelty prints

Neat novelty print!!!!!

 Oh - and YES - I did buy fabric to make another chubby charmer tote bag so I could use my election sign!!!!!    I'll show you that when I get working on it.

Remember the other day when I said that I had found a treasure at the small grocery store in Kensington????   Well have a look - one of the quarterly special issues of QUILTmania!!!!!    What a surprise - so I bought it!!!!   They are so rare to find.

Spring 2015 - QUILTmania

 I think this marks the half way point of my vacation.  NO - we can't think of the end - think of the NOW!!!!!  And enjoy every minute.  Besides there is so much happening and going to happen - and I still  have folders of pictures to share with you!!!!

But the time has come - yes - it is time to start working on the "While I'm away" challenge.  I have put it off as long as I can and now - with a deadline looming - and most of my commitments out of the way - time to let creativity kick its wild head and let loose.

May we open the box please.............................  (yes - I haven't really paid attention to anything that I was given!!)

Oh my - should I run?????

On that note - I am going to empty the box and see what I can come up with.  I don't think I'll share any of it with you until I am done!!!!   Oh I will show you what's in the box but not what I am working on.


Have an AWESOME AWESOME day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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