changes in season and life

I saw these beautiful Star Magnolias on the corner place where I live and hope my little one below aspires to be that big and beautiful one day. We have had a week of perfect weather for spring maintenance outside, I will not start on the gardens though till after May 1st but able to do cleaning and updating the outdoor accessories

I went to the Newmarket quilt show there were some gorgeous quilts but these 2 were may fav the one on top was hand applique AND hand quilted the quilting is absolutely amazing! 

I loved this one with the chicks appliqued in these mini hexie circles Look at all this work! 

And I love the use of the fabrics in the spider web pattern well done! It was a great show I was the first one there and won a fabulous door prize with share that next post

My heart is broken, I lost my Ted on Thursday Apr 13 and it really put a hole in my world. I didn't realise how much time I spent with him and how much space this little guy took. 

I donated his blankets and bedding to neighbours and vet they were happy I filled the whole back of my car with just this my floors are so empty, my space is vacant. Kiera one of the kitties calls out with no response from her Uncle Ted 

 I thought these pictures were true to him being on my chair as I stitched and also sitting facing the sun, I know time will heal. 

A top of things

Well I have a top done this was a sew a long using stash in 2019 by Border Creek Station I had made the block before so decided to add my own touch you can see how a block can change so much just by the layout

I have also joined a BOW with Piecing the Past I have all the blocks cut and she has posted her first set of blocks on Monday 

As you can see Kiera is so entertained by the whole event!

Below I also have the friendship stars completed but as you can see they are claimed 

I hope you get some stitching in I am slowing down now with the weather change I have to get the gardens ready so I can sit and stitch outside and enjoy the flowers

 

Love Letter's

Welcome back like I said I have lots of news and will be posting dribbs and drabbs..below are bags I got at a dollar store are they not cool!! they even have zippers! You will see the hearts with numbers...well in one guild York Heritage quilters guild I am hosting the Special projects chair.
we are going to do sort of like a round robin by making a different size block each month and passing the bag to someone in the group each month so at the end everyone will have back 8 different blocks to make a sampler.... the challenge is to make a quilt from these blocks
I had 32 bags and 32 people signed up I am very excited to see what the outcome will be for this the President of the guild came up with the idea and that really helped me know what to do...we have a great President this year.

Above is what I got in the mail..my dear jane bom, my next block for Love letters and also another bom called Heartland. I have already got my fabric cut and pinned on for the next Love Letterss block Bur Oak for some reason I thought I took a pic but didn't will show it the next time.. but you can see the middle packet with the fabric and the pic above is the next block

above is block 3 ready also for applique..so now I have 2 of these gigantic blocks ready for applique and one done.. Yippee.. I'm working on it I am!! you can see below the finished first block I love it and finding it a challenge with these blocks cause they are so big not used to it that is for sure.

I am not sure if you remember this quilt below.. it was partially done and posted on Quilters Bloggers under ugly quilt. Well it is done, quilted and I do have the prairie points on it..this is before the points darn it.. thought i got it with the points...so this is the bed quilt. It was a Fon's and Porter technique I saw on QNN when it was free and decided to try it...next time I will pic better fabrics but I do like the idea.

Well I got no votes.. I am not a purple lover at all so this is one reason why me thinks its ugly...

but then I look over at my day bed I have a quilt hanging that has purple in it and then the one on the day bed has purple..I don't know what I like maybe...

Well I am going to my friends Sandy's for a bit she is a wonderful LAQ. We are going to chat and sew a little she wants to make a mini star quilt in the beiges and off whites I am going to applique..

thanks for your wonderful encouragment and comments they are always a big welcome. I feel better about the mini now that I read what you all had to say.. I thought it might have been to plain especially with all these wonderful talented ladies that blog and design.. I learn so much from you all.. thanks

prep work

I have got the prep work done of my first Love Letters block "The Hedge Apple" and have started to applique the leaves and stems..what a large block to work with!! Stitchin' Heaven made a great selection in their BOM program. Normally I would pick my fabrics but I have been doing so many quilts just doing that and making a mess outta my fabrics. I needed to not think and to enjoy a process.. Stitchin Heaven has great BOM's you can click on their name and it brings you to their wonderful link..

I am needleturning everything except the stems I have the Clover bias maker and I just love it!!

I also wanted to invite you over to one of the girls blogs that is in our group of Aunt Millie's Garden. Her fabrics are fantastic!! go and see Crispy Quilts I just love her blocks!!

When the Cold Wind Blows

i have been waiting for this BOM Love Letters to start from Stitchin' Heaven Black Bird Designs are one of my favorite Designers.. I think I say that about all of them I am sure.. but I just love this most romanitic Quilt in the whole world and I have started it.



I have my fabrics cut and ready for needleturning on my first block I have already started the blossoms.


you can also see that there have been a couple of UFO's that have landed on my table this is all the stem work that will go on the blocks so I feel that I am a little ahead of the game. In the background you can see that I have also drawn my draft paper for the block layout. I did this on freezer paper so that I could iron the block (only 28") on the paper for stability while placing the pieces. I have never worked with blocks this large.. should be a new adventure!!

I also have the joy of being on a wonderful applique group on yahoo... This group Applique Cafe are involved in many BOM all applique and they keep you so motivated. I am working with them with my Aunt Millie's Garden. If you would like to see variety of Applique blocks and many of the projects different people are involved in you must join and visit it is well worth it. So this one is done now and at the end of the month they have a draw for the winner to get a incentive gift.

These are the current ones different individuals are involved in

1. Vintage Valentine by Verna Mosquera

2. Affairs of the Heart by Aie Rossmann

3. Dutch Treat by Judy Garden

4. Ladies of the Sea by Sue Garman

5. Aunt Millie's Garden by Piece O'Cake Designs

6. Applique Affair by Edyta Sitar (starting soon!!)

You can make a suggestion to the group to start another BOM if enough sign up then you can have your own support group.. isn't it just wonderful!!



Be sure to click on the links you will see that the words are different colors they will link you to the right place.
so now you can see why I am not a steady poster to the blog... there is just to much to do and with work getting in the way I have to spend some time quilting.. keep stitchin' girls

quilters room with a view

I noticed a few blogs were starting to post pics of their sewing room check out Pat's blog she has a very neat and tidy sewing room..well welcome to my sewing room th pic below is the entrance when turning the corner of the basement..I have quilts that need to be quilted hanging on the doors as reminders..don't look at the top all stuff that don't fit in the cupboards

oh geesh who opened the doors!! oh well this is what is inside these cupboards some fabric some mags and you will see on the very bottom right some Golden Threads mags that I just can't let go of..they are from the 60's 70's and someone gave them to me the stack of fabric on the right 2 shelves are "do not touch" fabrics for projects I have in mind and the fabric is specifically for that project..

the bar is the opposite side and really becomes the "dumping grounds" I have to clean this off at least once a week by the end of the week.. The pic at the end of the bar my Great Gram painted many many moons ago.

this is around the corner of the cupboards I love my big ironing board hard to keep that cleared off too.. and the lamp I found in the garbage. the left cupboard has my "tools of the trade" and then we start getting in to the fabric. so that is what we walk into so far...again don't look at the top of the cupboards that is as neat as I can get them..

I am working on binding a bargello that I made for my mom to put on her dinning table.. a UFO almost completed. I have been appliquing on my Country Sunshine pattern is in the book click on the title and I am currently working on 3 mini quilts and another set of Cat blocks.. so workin' hard to make the quilting ends meet.. will have to slow down soon Sept is around the corner and all the meetings are going to start up again..

AMG-Aunt Millie's Garden

this Cat tree is in my bedroom..you can see why there is a window there to peer outta...Molly is usually the one on top.. the next one is my only handsome dude Joey..isn't he the "cat's meow" I love those dark grey strips upon his silver fur.. and that long skinny tail. And he is a charmer.


Molly thinks the best thing to do is jump from that pedestal to the bed while I am sleeping..
I am not impressed... she should be wearing a little "kitty kape"-screeching "geronimo"!!!



















well I thought I would post a pic of what they all look like together so far..
I still have to play around with the blocks alittle and still have another 4 to do.. I have the one on the top right done now too.. next time.. but you can see that the pieced background will work.. I think I will put some sashing to go with the blocks.. I know I know can't make up my mind!!


since I took this pic.. I have rearranged the blocks with the new one and it blends in better. It is best to audition your blocks together to try to get a variety of color and see what you are using to much of.. I can see.. that I am favoring the orange/rust colors.. time to touch it up a notch..
well get back to sewing Blogger friends so you can post what you have been doing and so that I can take a peek.
piecefully quilting..

Romantics everywhere

My goodness you would think that Valentines day was around the corner or something!! all the blogs are celebrating this romantic occasion with little tidbits of Valentines projects. Well I don't have a new one but will post a Redwork quilt I had been working on (yes a UFO from 2000 Dec American Patwork and Quilting ... sad)


the one below is a mini quilt pattern.


The pattern is from the Miniature Quilts Magazine..anyone remember?? I was so disappointed when then discontinued. I have most of them just missing a few of the beginning ones.. they are keepsakes. I hand appliqued and hand quilted this one..yes there are projects that do get finished..LOL. I have to pull out the mags and look for a couple of Mini's for our Auction on May 13th. keep an eye on the side I will updating a special blog about the Mini's that are going to be in our auction. If anyone knows of any sites that you can get free mini patterns I can let the guild know of please pass them my way.

Well I hope you have a great day.. what is funny is I haven't seen to many chocolate pics.. are we all still counting??

Off to do a couple of stitches and thanks again for the comments and notes of encouragment. I am going to work on block #8 of AMG only 4 more to do and then the boarder!! yippee..