I thought you all would like to see what was in them there packages. Major spoiled I am .

Dish clothes crocheted with a wondeful hand towel for the holiday`s flat pins FQ`s needle holder but my favorite is this wonderful wallet I just love it. can I ever be so lucky. Oh there was a magazine there too but it is already by my favorite chair getting lots of page turning.  And pot holders that are lovely angels, watching over my stove already. I put the nail file over the wonderful tag she put on my wallet it is made especially for ME...VBG

Go click on the hand quilting button there are a group of women that are signed up on the blog that are posting what they use for hand quilting I think I will enjoy the different tools that everyone uses and you might learn somethin`

well I hope that everyone is trying to keep dry this is the wettest I have seen Ontario for a while. I am glad we got that pool filled in we don`t have to worry about it overflooding! and the rain will soak and and get that dirt settled.

surprises!!!

WE had sewday at my place about a week Thursday and this is what my friends did very very unexpected!! Now my birthday has long gone (Nov /)but they felt the 50th just could not be celebrated quietly. They even got DH in on it and he brought it downstairs when we were chatting. This was very unexpected! Mary is celebrating her 50th in a couple of weeks but does not have a blog. Any ideas on what I can do to her??

Deb`s surprise 50th!!

     

2 Hobbo`s comparing bags

Then Mary had gone to the Houston Show and come back with some goodies. This is the best idea ever! she put them in Hobbo bags are then not darling? RoseMarie and I both got one with a needle holder (wooden and beautiful and toblerone bar a small one to tide us over and a stapler that is stapless...does that make sense? then the fat quarter it was all tide in awesome I think but that is not alllll.....

Look Below!! OMGoodness Gracious ME!!!!

Rosemarie presented me with this gorgeous gift made by her it is all done in French Knots!! I thought it was needle punch but no there are zillions of French Knots...she got this form the Kim Diehl Book Simple Graces. it is just perfectly awesome
 (if you click on her name you will see she is doing another wonderful project from this book)

a gift never forgotten

oh dear there is deer in my garden

I went to my mothers last weekend and she gave me these gorgeous deer to put out in my garden I love them so much!! have to keep an eye out for vandelisms though near Halloween they had kicked over that bench and broke my bird bath the culprits..
I did move them closer to the house but had to let them play in my garden

I also had sent off the Chooky swap and am now working on another one. This is the last that I have to mail as you can see I am using my trusty Mini Quilts mag and found this old fashion pattern the Gentlemans fancy...those nine patches are 3/4in finished...Once my Chooky swappee gets hers and unwraps I will be able to show the end products....VBG

Well back to sewing I do have a pile of dishes to get done but I think they will wait a little it is hard to quilt when you have dish pan hands. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it!! so sad the weekend is almost over already

sharing

This is what I got in my SSW on my Canadian Group. look at all those packages and love the cutie card.  These packages just got opened and I am totally amazed will post the picture next time but I got great VIP fabric blendables, quilting needles, crocketed dish clothes and hand towl for the kitchen with pot holders..always can be put to good use. I got a great mag with wonderful patterns for special designers, flower head pins great for paper piecing and stack and whacks. a needle case magnitized. A meter of great background fabric and the best is a wallet that was made especially with me in mind. it has a loonie in it to start off with a wealthy year and a name tag made especially for me. Sylvia from BC really thought about what she was sending and I am so very very thankful

I also have been spending time with great friends. We are sitting every Thursday and sewing it is working better so that we can give each other inspiration. Rosemarie (left) and Mary (no blog...yet) always have so much to share this was at RoseMarie`s house. What a wonderful setting she puts on doesn`t she? We drew names and will trade our little treats in the new year.

This swap item is now finished and gone to the swapee once she receives and opens it I can post what it looks like. I am nervous and hope she likes it...

I have loads more to show but downloaded pictures and can`t find it.. getting a little problem with remembering things right now but will post soon. I am told I need to update my blog more. Only cause they know that I am always doing something
I am working on my next mini the nine patches are only 3/4 of an inch for this pattern it is another wee one... will post later. Have a great weekend hope everyone on the American side had a great Thanksgiving weekend. by the posts in the blogs there was alot of family events.

Ahhhh hand quilting and an old swap

I am finally at the point of hand quilting, everytime I start with hand quilting I just think how wonderful it is to work on these stitches. I have so many quilts to quilt I am wondering if this winter will be finishing some tops....I wonder

I had been in a swap at the beginning of the year and could not post the mini I had rec`d first I could not find the camera and then I couldn`t find the mini,  had done some rearranging and there it was. I am not sure if you remember Micki of Irish Muses (not posting on her blog anymore) but she was my swappee and she sent me this mini sampler

This is the one that I had sent it was hand appliqued and quilted 1/4in crosshatch. I didn`t get a finished picture of it before I sent it in the mail.

I am off to a quilt show tomorrow in Toronto with Rosemarie, then we are going to sew some after and talk about our lovely adventure.

Yorkheritage Quilt Show Nov 11, 12 13 click to find out more info

Canadian Designer Rocks-Dorothy Baker

Dorothy Baker  one of our quilting Canadian designers (love love love her stuff) made a quilt last year and now Lecien is posting a BOM for free!! This is a gorgeous quilt called Vintage Tiles  if you love to hand applique this is for you to do. The first requirement page and block one is up please go and visit Lecien`s site by clicking on the name it will take you there.

When you are done downloading then go to Dorothy`s site just click on her name and see what other patterns she has designed she is one of the best Canadian Designers all you teddy bear lovers would love the quilts she has designed and she had a free BOM last year of embroiderie...so go visit and say hi. You will love her blog.

word got out!!

I had turned 50 last Thursday, I forgot that Facebook makes you put in your DOB so I had loads of happy birthday`s Thanks to all those that were thinking of me, and sent me wishes I know too many people I think!!
Mom and Dad sent me a wonderful Basket of goodies I took a picture but can`t find it will post it when I find it. It was done in Halloween colors and there was a bounty of goodies. My DH gave me a GPS that will upload updated maps without having to buy a new chip yahoo, he knows how I love to travel the back roads

I also went to a wonderful Quilting retreat (Oct 19th weekend) with a guild I belong to, it was a first time in a long time that I was comfortable on going, as you can see we had just perfect weather.  This is Rice Lake, Ontario

 You see where that picnic table is that is where I was staying look how close I was to this gorgeous view. I roomed with 2 really great girls it was lots of fun considering one had just lost her mother the week before but she really has a heart of gold..Ann H. I was very glad to be able to be with her at this time her mother had gone into hospital the day before her 90th BD celebration

 This is most of the gang picture taken at our last meal together do you think we where all happy?? everyone of these ladies was special and wonderful to be with.  We ate at different tables, and socialized with each as a whole group it was so fantastic. The meals were excellent, they were buffet style and there was so much food I had to bow out of Sat supper cause I was still full from lunch. (I am in the one in the very back 3 from the right with some kinda funny face)

 Ann had picked the Sampler blocks up at a garage sale and had made the flying geese blocks to go with them, this was her challenge she brought and I think she is doing a fabulous job

The picture above is a great pattern sorry I can`t remember the pattern but it was the rave for the longest time. Lynn did it with halloween fabrics don`t they look awesome she had all her blocks pieced but needed to put them together, I had never seen such a calm quilter at work. she was just so relaxed.

OHhhh and to show you the place we got to sew look at all the room! and the lighting was just fantastic, there is a stage in back of me and everyone was standing and showing their quilts or auditioning up there. Ann is there standing with her hands on her hips

Dorothy showing her gorgeous top! it was really exciting watching it come together the same with the one below, can`t remember this lovely ladies name right now but look at all that planning to make these quilts!

see the couch on the stage, I had a nap on that Sat afternoon, I just couldn`t keep my eyes open so crashed for about 15min (snap knap) and then back to sewing.
Shelley made the fabulous quilt below for her son she used jelly rolls I think it looks fabulous. Shelley also made a bag for both her daughter and son on the last day and put some goodies in them. what a nice thoughtful mom

I started a project below as you can see. This was another rage, Lone Star I got the middle together but will be doing the rest at home. I still have more photos but didn`t want to overwhelm everybody. This group is very productive they keep you hopping with wonderful ideas and creativity. I had a fabulous weekend and will do it again next year for sure.  I was busy watching what others were doing and socializing really I did do more but it was guild homework. I had to do this at a quiet time so I was the early riser and was able to work on this while others where still snoring.

well back to work on my swap stuff thanks for visiting you`all and for perservering through this long post. The older you get the chatter you get..LOL there is just more to talk about.