creating

 Well I thought i was being smart on designing a little doll quilt as I was putting it together I was not thrilled so I slept on it 

Sleeping on it, as you can see above, has lead to undoing the stitching and recreating something a little more simple. Don't worry these pieces will not be wasted i can use them for the signature block on the back. 

I am also going to use 3 colors for quilting since I want the Redwork to be the showcase of the project. 

I do hope that my partner to be, likes redwork and will like the quilting. There are some guidelines we are to use to make our doll quilt such as size, and fabrics we are to use. Also stipulates hand quilting. 

 I have great company as we sit on the porch and enjoy our Ontario skies it has been wonderful weather not so humid so I have been porch quilting. 

Ted loves it on the porch and will stay here all day if allowed. He gets VERY disappointed if I step out and he is not able to come, but sometimes it is just to get the mail and he is not a courier lover. 

Well back at it there is a deadline too. 

hope you have time to slip in some stitches. 

Summer just sizzling

I put my hand up for a doll quilt swap that was initiated by an Instagram group

there are requirements that I have to meet to go further so I am busy stitching this sweet redwork of Alice in Wonderland. I am changing the layout but this is the first part of my incentive.  

the pattern is from one of the mini quilt mags I used to collect years ago and just so happy I have not parted with them they have really been a great reference tool. 

I am also enjoying my Alice Oakleaf  Hydrangea. She is never a disappointment to me. 

I noticed this morning will watering I need to weed as well. It has just been way way too hot I will do some in the morning. 

 I am still working on my big stitch quilting as well on Row 5! did slow a little bit due to the redwork deadline. 

Hope you are staying safe and enjoying the weather can you believe it is past the middle of July already? 

Time is just flying by! 

Finished top!

Well I had a wonderful time with this quilt a long by Piecing the Past Quilts. She will have a new one soon if you want to sign up it is free the time that it is running after you will pay a nominal fee. 

I used fabrics from my own fabric collection and made a few adjustments 

The triangles in the pattern are the same as the background I knew that they would be touching the next border so changed them to match that border. I also doubled the border in doing so I had made it a little bigger, so this had a domino effect where now I didn't have enough of the background fabric. 

That is okay, no worries I will find something else so a did a little digging well just so happens I had the same fabric line in a different design not much different and so I decided to add to each corner, kinda reminds me of the swede patches on the jacket elbows. 

There is lots of open space to hand quilt a nice design but I think it will just be some cross hatching and some sperodic feathers here and there. 

 just to give you a few close ups. I had to hang it on the garage door to show it a bit. there is no room in my house to show the whole quilt! 

I laid it on the bed and it fits just perfect with the quilting it will shrink of course and it will be wonderful. 

I am happy and hope to do her next one. that is coming up fast stars with nine patches and lots of quilting space. 

What makes this fun as well is working outside quilting on quilts and enjoying the weather at the same time. 

Best advise today would be remember to take time for yourself. 

Churn dash update

 

 

My Churn dash is getting there it is a challenge that Chookyblue has given I will do one more round of another Larger size and call it a day. This will be my lap quilt. 

Do you see Ted laying there enjoying the sun? this is early morning and we are able to see the sun shine on our patio. I had some trees skimmed close and away from the back yard they were crowding us. It is so much better and air flows through nicely

As Ted lays in the sun I have to do some unsewing I have changed my mind about putting the leaves on the inner part of the circle I have another alternative. 

We will see how it goes. It is our Canada Celebration this weekend so it is a long weekend. I am working nights but that is okay I will have time off again after. 

Hope you are able to enjoy your weekend too. 

Waiting for last stage

 

I have the blocks put together and the borders on the blocks by Monday! low and behold the next part was the sashing. After much deliberation and diving into my cupboards I think I found the complimentary fabric. 

These wee birds will hold the quilt up as it marches through time. 

There is still 2 more borders to put on a thin one and then a bigger one I think I have enough of the bird to go outside the quilt as well. 

There was a lot of unsewing at one point because i pieced the rows upside down of course but took my time, didn't swear, and then I was able to finish. 

Waiting for Monday...again. I don't want to wish my retirement away that is for sure! Time is surely speeding past though!

I also have been spending mornings sitting at the table with my applique and or hand quilting it is lovely to be able to enjoy the outdoors knowing that time is not of the essence. 

Thank goodness for electronics I am able to talk to friends and family while the birds/plans and helicopters fly past. We are on the path of the Orange Choppers that fly by with sick in need of care patients. It always reminds me of where I was for 30 years. 

Well hope you are getting some R&R we had our eavestroughs done getting trees cut back today the yard is becoming ship shape. 

Peace and Healing

Well we are on the final stretch for the Peace and Healing run by Piecing the Past Quilts project I have all 31- 9 inch blocks framed and the  32 -4 patch set in blocks pieced squared and ready. It was nice to sew straight lines after all those HST. I have chosen my background fabric for the finishing. It's getting exciting! I don't have the background posted yet I have to find the right lighting to picture, the pictures I have taken make it look gaudy,  but on the wall it looks great so I won't post till completed because I know there will be people wondering why I picked it. I quilt as I see fit and pick fabrics to my liking not all persons agree with the choices that is okay that is why we are individual creators. 

What I love about this quilt is there are blocks that I will use for other projects that I have in mind. Participating in these sew a longs helps your library expand in the tools needed to finish a quilt. Beginner quilters can have a library of patterns in no time to be creative in making new quilts. 

I know when I first started quilting I joined 5 quilt guilds (1 hr drive east/west/north/south)  because I started quilting with nothing and online quilting was not quite the phenomenon so I collected the block of the month patterns the guilds had offered and built my block library. This is also when gas was only 45 cents a litre. This year will be the first year I will join no guilds.   

 I also like to hang quilts that I have finished in my bedroom. So when I first walk in I can see it before I go to bed and when I wake up it is a great incentive for me to continue with the next project I am working on knowing that I will have a finalised project in the end. Some projects take a long time. I love how the sun picked up the quilting on this small What Not quilt design by Kim Dhiel it was a kit using her pattern and fabrics. 

I also decided to treat these tired and garden dirty feet to a pedicure I wanted to be bright and cheerful and was very happy with the results. it was a nice treat after all the work I have been putting in to our yards and yards of gardening. 

Hope you are able to get some stitching in our weather has been up and down but perfect for gardening some cool days some hot and some rain so this evens out the outdoor indoor work. 

What’s doin’

More rhubarb baking finding recipes and experiments continue 

This was a good one too, I think now since Strawberries are also in season I have to make a rhubarb strawberry pie

I also made a rhubarb crumble and brought this one to work cut up and wrapped individual pieces served COVID protocol. This is the way we bring our foods to work so that everyone can enjoy! 

I decided that I was going to only use 2 fabrics for the churn dash challenge the emphasis will be on the quilting starting with 6in, then 10in  then 15in I will see the size and if it permits I will follow through with a 20in block for framing. The churn  dash challenge with Chooky Blue is interesting when you see what others are doing she has the links on her blog. 

I also thought you would like to see what my feet have been looking like just working in the gardens, its my natural pedicure, I better go scrub!