slow but progressing

Well I have been hand quilting a quilt that has been on the frame for way too long, it is embarrassing to say how long! so I won`t but I am sure if you scavenge the blog you will be astonished. I vowed I would not start quilting another quilt till this one is done

so below is one of the places where the applique action occurs, as you can see Buddy is waiting for me to sit there so that he can chew on his stick that is under his belly, you can also see other projects waiting for me under the quilt frame, I have to have a quilt on so that when Buddy is done he crawls under and sleeps. The angel today attacked a raccoon and got bit, so we were at the emergency vets pain and antibiotics and we are home 2 punctures on the right shoulder and neck and his poor forehead/ear scratched and  bruised, he is lucky that is all! I saw the size of the monster as he debated whether to go up the tree or just stay where he was, massive! When he did decide it was very slow he was fat! This is also with the prospect of a colonoscopy today (for me), so I am in the middle of prep work, not a pleasant situation to be in when we go to the vets lucky for us there was only one other person there. A great shout out though to the Toronoto Veternary Emergency Hospital they were fabulous! no sedation needed to investigate the guy and just a shave. 

 Okay back to quilting, I also prepped all the border blocks and have more than half appliqued so I got a little excited and posted all the blocks I have done on the wall, I am half way there so that is a good sign. I am loving how it is coming along with the different values of fabric and the border blocks.

Alright as I say to everyone back to work kids gotta do some more applique today and later some hand stitching. I hope everyone else has time to stitch. 

Oh one other thing, I am on of the representatives at the Creative Sewing festival for Twisted Stitchers I will be showing everyone how to applique using the no melt templar method (techinque used with the baskets) I will also demo needle turn applique,  it is a free 45 minute demo once you are in. 

Also I will be at the both sewing a little on our Presidents machine stop by and say hello if you can. Apr 24/25 I will be there 25th 

Well I did say I was back and I am but the Router on the PC gave us a hard time at first I thought it was the computer so it was packed up and ready for Best Buy. Then my husband said his was running slow too. So I tried with my limited knowledge then decided it had to be our internet, well sure as piecing a block after working with rogers it was.

DH had just brought my pc to Best Buy and I called and said don`t do anything, saving 200.00 dollars! Rogers was out the next day and now we are back in action. A shout out to Greg (am sure he won`t read this)but still Rogers has a great employee

Well back to quilting right, I have been getting the border ready of both quilts Flourishes and Trick or Treat... so far doing pretty good.

Trick or Treat

So the sides are what I am working on I have 36 ready out of 48 of the top ones around the border, they are so far six different fabrics I am showing one of them right now and just wanted to see what some of the baskets will look like

Flourishes

Flourishes I have 4 sides like this 3  are appliqued have to think about those leaves though. the look okay this way but if you see them up close they are a little bulging on both ends I belong to a group though that has given me some good advise. 

So those that have commented on the other post I will respond just catching up on no pc...thanks for stickin` with me you will find now there will be alot more hand work I hope you don`t mind the slow pace. I am trying to finish all the things I have started. I have a chance to do a trunk show next Mar so I need something that looks finished! 

Hope everyone is staying warm we have had a very cold winter. I am going to say this again, we have had warm winters here for quite a while but since I got Buddy it has been becoming frigid (he is a Chihuahua) when I had the big dogs it was praying for cold so that we could walk the icy rivers. Buddy would not be happy he is currently on my lap not liking me petting the keyboard only him

Can you see me now Ma, I am higher!

2015 is starting much better

well it is quite cold and really we seem to be in the dead of winter with snow blowing and freezing temps. I had some issues but now much better and getting back to quilting. I actually pulled out an old friend that I had started about 15 years ago. This is Flourishes from Piece of Cake I got the borders to do and have started. once the borders are done I will have to quilt it but it is great if I can get it ready for quilting.
you can see in the small picture what I have to do.

so there was some auditioning I like the one on the right  better so went with that the side fabric on the left was very difficult to try to cut so that it looked straight. the top fabric has wonderful little cherry bowls and the medium of the fabric was dark enough as well I think I will use it for the binding or maybe pairie points?

 Then I had to think about what I was going to use around the border for the stemming part of the border. I got 2 fabrics together that I had in the box, The box of fabric that thank goodness I had the forethought to keep that I was using for this quilt.

I got the the stemming all ironed and ready with my clover bias tape maker I like the 2 greens that I chose, remember trying to keep with the quilt dynamics already

Then it was the middle of the tulips you may not like what i have done with the fabric choices but once you see it with the quilt you will see the difference. Now I have started with getting the leaves ready and I have slowed right down. I may have to needle turn these. the other stuff I had used the no melt templar method since all the patterns were the same. 

perfect fabric.

The picture below is the trick or treat baskets I am more than half done the baskets and am thinking about the outside with the applique along there and i found this wonderful strip fabric that I am going to cut and do around the edges as the background it will give it some texture and some interest.
I have it in red too...LOL

Well thanks for patiently waiting for me I had some issues with google but now have my account back (long story short) good to be able to see my quilting diary again and to get back at it.
Thanks for visiting and hope you have a great family day weekend for those that are able to celebrate it.

no design space left

 This was Buddy checking out some quilts on the bed I was getting ready for a Trunk show that I was going to do in North Bay

Here is the prince now on the quilts piled up for him to enjoy..hard to work with such a great helper. 

I had the joy a couple of weeks ago of teaching Eleanor Burns Radiant Star class you can see all about it on Rosemarie`s post she posted the pictures, cause silly me did not bring a camera. left at home in another bag that I was going to take.  There were 16 enthusiast quilters and believe me they were very prolific and getting work done!

This is a FQ package that I am getting once a month from The Cottage Quilter in North Bay they are only 20 for 10 FQ and she sends a pattern that will make up the FQ I am trying to keep up so that I can have a new one done every month. 

The stars above are from a kit I had bought when Quilters Palette went out of business. Lots of Y seams i have most of the stars done a few more and I can put them all together with the fabric I chose. can`t wait

This has been my sit down job, I had a bad bout of pneumonia and so when I was at my friends house she had this pattern flagged I loved it! Well it is free on line from McCalls Quilting so I have been digging in the never ending pit of scraps that I have and have 40 prepped already about 10 are appliqued on...I am really trying to reduce my scraps....really

Summer happenings...a brief picture view

some Gardening

Making swap projects. 

Friends and Quilt shows this one we just liked we did not make it was at the Black Creek pioneer village

Friends sharing their talents by giving wonderful gifts. 

Starting an Applique Society at the Log Cabin Yardage Quilt store a fantastic place to meet

Sharing applique with friends, from left to right Irene, Lizette, and Nicole, Nicole owns the store we meet at. she is very generous and allows us to meet for free, she also is a TAS member

Lizette Showing her wonderful talents 

Of course sewing with mom a king giant star! did not get a full picture of it sorry. 

making mini swaps for the Small Quilts group swap 

getting booty in between

More swap booty received. love my kitty pincushion and apron. 

So as you can see it has been a busy summer just wanted to give you a few snaps of what has been happening. I can`t take a picture of myself sleeping cause there is lots of that with working lots of hours too...squeezing in some good times is a bonus.

Starting to do some quilting

this was 2 1/2 inch strips that I swapped, blocks are together just have to make it into a quilt, I am using the back of table clothes from the dollar store as a design wall they work great and roll up your project to take where ever you may want to finish. I am going to take this to the feast and finish at Irene`s
The pattern is another Bonnie Hunter called Many Trips around the world, it is still free on her site

i love this picture with Cheech and that curly tongue..LOL lucky shot

and this is a closer and better shot of a very handsome boy. he looks pretty good for a 9èr

Summer is over

 

quilting had taken a back burner this summer, which is unusual for me, but I got us a new Champ!! Introducing Cheech a 9yr old Chihuahua that was at the Durham Humane Society for 2 years, he came from an abusive home and has some issues that are slowly melting away. He has captured my heart and is slowly melting my husbands. I will tell you more but wanted you to know what was taking up my time.

I did go to a quilting retreat with the Rouge Valley Quilters Guild and this is the project I decided to bring. Rosemarie and Mary of  We Three Quilters did another swap but with 9in Blocks of Reds and white off whites, we found this pattern on Bonnie Hunters site (Majestic mountains) and this is what I pieced on the weekend. I have since then completely changed the layout this was just on the floor beside me as I was going along...

Well glad to be back into quilting I will have much more to show you later, but warning you are going to hear some Cheech stories too.