Cook's Creek Heritage Day

Well it was very lovely to be invited to join a few of the Pineridge Quilters for a quilting display at this event.  The weather was lovely even if a might too windy but it kept us hopping keeping the quilts grounded!  I brought out two of my quilts, two wall hangings along with a crazy quilt and postcard display boards.  Most of the quilters had projects they were working on or books to peruse while chatting away amongst themselves or with guests stopping by to admire the finery on display.

Definitely a lovely day with friends!  I did not venture around to see the other events or displays, but that was OK as I did work on a crazy patch project.

House/Garden Sitting

And it survived my limited knowledge of gardening!!!  Either that or Angela is a very good gardener and had a very good start that my efforts did not hurt it at all.  Whichever it survived me!!!  Here's the proof of my two weeks during the hottest times we've had too.  You start off entering the back yard between the shed and the house past the latticed covered AC unit, then up the left side around and back on the right side (yes it's a small narrow yard) and into the patio area with the water pond in the far corner.

Yeppers it was a joy to house sit here but I sure wish the weather cooperated so I could have enjoyed some quiet time out on the patio or even the front deck (mostly breakie mornings).  And naturally the evenings were mosquito filled with me the buffet table so to speak!

The only flaw to this week was the passing of my Aunt Nellie (my Dad's younger sister) but it was a blessing for her and now she is resting peacefully without life's major stresses or changes to her daily routine that she could not understand or handle without stress.  She had the service she wanted and it was weird being in a huge cathedral church with only seven family (three of my sisters drove in from Dauphin for the day) members and a half dozen other people with two priests and two other clergy presiding over the full service.  Yes it was sad but as I said a blessing too!  It was a lovely day for our closure too.

Vacation Catch Up

Well I’m back from my 10-day vacation at my sister’s and had a lovely relaxing time even though Len, my brother-in-law, felt a heaviness in his chest and shortened breath, was ambulanced to Dryden hospital and spent the whole time there being checked out before being released maybe this week. Thankfully it was confirmed that he did not have a heart attack or a stroke – so fortunate! It was lovely out there but too soon this year the leaves are changing with early autumn approaching. I did take some pictures and hope to make up some new thread painted landscape postcards. Will have to see.

The first chance I had I worked on stitching the binding onto my “Touch of Red” twin sized black, white and red charms quilt that I had Irene Johnson from Nestor Falls quilt it for me. Lovely flowers stitched into the piano keys border and swirls in the quilt centre. And you’ll see Sylvia’s (done before mine) larger queen sized quilt with her own fabrics along with some of my B&W charms before I got the idea to do the same pattern but on a smaller scale myself – disappearing 9-patch. But I still have some fabrics left over and hope to make up some other pattern with them too.

One day I hope to establish a website and upload both mine and Sylvia’s and maybe even Pat’s projects with descriptions for whomever to see and who knows maybe sell. Time will tell.

During this vacation Sylvia and I prepared for the quilt sale and once the first few busy days passed by Sylvia did take off to visit Len in hospital, got some items he wanted along with groceries for home before returning around supper time. She was tired and I had a quiet day sewing and did some house tidying.

  
We both enjoyed our days stitching up items that in most cases the next day someone would snatch it up – we just chuckled. I had brought some of my favourite fabric with me and found a pattern with interesting details but naturally the sizes of pieces and finished quilt were not to my liking. So naturally Sylvia came to my rescue and the two of us designed a hanger to fit my fabric poppies and I just LOVE IT!!! Thank you Sylvia once again for bailing me out of a jam!!! Much appreciated.

I even stitched up a second Flowers n ‘Flies table runner after the first one sold quickly, but forgot to take a picture and guess what it was snatched up that same day and now too late for picture taking. We just laughed. I can tell you that the next one I stitched up – I've got to take the picture but this time around no one dropped by so I still have it.

Oh on my what to NW Ontario I dropped in to visit Adeline and Bill and she showed me a quick and easy block assembly that was totally finished in one step basically. So on our trip to Dryden following the ambulance with Len and overnight at a motel, the next day I picked up WalMart’s “Jellies” (smaller than the Jelly Rolls) in black, white and yellow and promptly tried out Adeline’s idea. These were like small table centres and a one-block hot mat/pad but they are still around.

I also got all the HST sliced in half for the MPQ Nickel Challenge quilt about half of them pressed open ready for squaring up and then in September – back out to Sylvia’s for another vacation – both of us will be stitching them up. If I get them all stitched tog and the borders on then Sylvia will spend some time quilting it so I can then get the label and binding on. These all have to be finished and handed in at the December MPQ meeting to be handed over to the ABC Charity Quilts program. I know that I will not do such a pattern again unless it’s in a miniature scale – dang it sure is adding up to many hours and I’m not in stitching mode yet!!!

Sane Quilting, Tatting, and CQing too!

OK I finally finished off two table runners/wall hangings (whichever it could be) that I started at the Morden quilt retreat beginning of May. I'm very pleased with them and it was John at work that mentioned to me that the Dragonfly n Flowers could also be a wall hanging, not just a table runner! Hmmmm I was impressed!  I fell in love with this dragonfly and flowers fabric so fussy cut the squares and then added coordinating strips for an on-point effect.

Dragonfly n Flowers

Type Styles

This one is basically using a feature fabric with images of a typewriter and it's keys which I cut up into 2" squares and laid them out with a light orange batik alternately. Then Tami came along and said I needed 4" squares thrown here and there - that was after at least 2 hours the previous night of laying out the squares to my liking. I cut out the 4" squares, gave them to her and let the girls go for it, then came back and stitched it all up. And honestly I like this mucho better than my static 2" blocks throughout. The pattern is "Table Stripes Runner" within "Quilt Your Stash" - great projects from Joan Ford's Scrap Therapy program.  I love those drapery clips instead of stitching on a hanging sleeve.

Also in June I finished off my B&W disappearing 9-patch blocks quilt top (named A Touch of Red) and dropped it along with my delectable mountains lap quilt along with backing/batting to my machine quilter and a couple of weeks ago got a call that they were done and ready for pick up! WOW!!! So I prepared the binding for the B&W&R and will bind it while on vacation and who knows maybe someone will want to buy it! Pictures of the quilts to come.

While house/garden sitting for Angela, I spent my evenings in front of the TV stitching up these coasters trying to use up my stash of selvedges (tightly woven edges from fabrics) using the fancy stitches of my sewing machine.  I swear these things multiple in that bag!

Then earlier in the year I worked on the china saucer pincushions but felt they were kind of "bare" so then decided to tat an edging and anchor around the centre button. Well some I even added beads into the outer chain stitches. One I didn't get a picture of as it was swapped for a bobbin laced butterfly with Mary, but these are the last two I dressed up.

And not sure if I've blogged this but am including it here.  Within our SewBuds crazy quilting group I've a "panel" going around a second time after some embroidery by myself.  Someone mentioned the centre patch with the white lace reminded her of a mountain and so I wanted a winding downhill stream or river over the seam, along with tufts of greenery.  Not sure if I pulled it off but it's there.

Now back to crocheting hangers onto my kitchen towels and basically relaxing after running around most of the evening.