March 30th & 31st

March 30th

Finally made some chili, but I cheated some! I fried up some lean ground beef and bought 2 cans of mild chili to add to it, lots of beans! Quite full bodied but still a might spicier than I'd like but better than my homemade versions! Now some meals for the freezer too!

March 31st

Ohhhhh I just about forgot that our two crib quilts are finished and hopefully dropped off to MPQ ABC program donations! Mine is purple, Sylvia's is yellow.

Well today was an awesome day! Thank you to Sylvia for allowing me to use her large table this last week to finish this off! See I completed sewing the RCMP quilt top - 84-96 inches! Next is gathering and trimming loose threads before finding backing and batting then off to the longarmer! 

So one item updated on my MPQ 2021 accountability list.

Sewing on the last border!

Ta Daaaa!!!  (on my queen bed)

March 28th & 29th

March 28th

Well I was able to lighten the rust pinpricks 90% and hopefully what's left, that I had a hard time to find to photograph, might not be noticeable on a decorated tree! So they have been sent off as requested and I know I'll be making more for myself! I LOVE many of these!!! Honest the individual photos are white #601 Lizbeth size 20 but taken in my sewing room under soft light!

Met up with Edna this afternoon for a 6.5 km walk around her area protected mostly from that crispy cool wind! Good thing as the next few days aren't gonna be springy like!

March 29th

Well yes there are long lineups, but seriously it took us 1.5 hours from arriving to exit after Sylvia had her shot! I was very impressed with how RBC and those in the health field and volunteers handed all arriving - directed to main floor needing some kind of assistance to upstairs for those more agile, alternating waiting lines, assistance with forms, their process of administering shots is ingenious, general cleaning of chairs and guiding you out. Honestly I don't know how else they could get the volume of people through any faster! I've waited longer than that at the Dr office OR at the PanAm Clinic just to hear I need another specific appointment! So really just try to be patient and kind to all around, they are there to help all! 💞💞💞

This evening I sewed up the last two MPQ virtual shop hop kit blocks with a few changes to meld better with my choice of fabrics and colours. Next to work on the reduced "MPQ 2021" header I want to add above. I had originally planned on reducing these patterns but decided to leave them as is but only do four! 

Now feet up watching Jets hockey! 

GO JETS GO!!!

Okay it's a crazy day as the afternoon was 19C with gusty winds and this evening to this?  Crazy weather!!!

March 26th & 27th

March 26th

Hmmmm I came over to Sylvia's to work on the RCMP quilt borders AND the power in the block went off totally! No announcements or activity in the hallways so pulled the table to the patio windows and finished pinning two borders. Hope it's not off too long or I won't get that sewn nor the promised supper!!!!

Two plus hours and Yeah back on 15 - back to making supper - back to sewing!

Losing 2 plus hours took the steam outta me! I finished that inside border and the outer border for another day! But Sylvia spoiled me with baked meatloaf, potato n cheese casserole, cooked carrots, salad and jello n frozen yogurt! At least that was not a goner! 💞💞💞

I could not resist returning to the We are Sisters mystery quilt, now revealed. So I corrected my directional delimma and hoped to finish off the last border - NADA! I hate my yellow/gold fabric on this last border so am very happy Sylvia is letting me use more of her deeper gold. Tomorrow I'll finish it off!

YIKES!!! I've finally finished the seven tatted snowflakes, washed, blocked and starched them Wednesday night. 

Thursday taking the pins out, there are rust dots from the pins in a few spots. I was totally disgusted and nearly chucked all in the garbage. 😖😖😖 “Just Tatting" FB group and Jane to the rescue! 

Wellllll I soaked all in vinegar for a while, scrubbed spots, let soak again and 75% of spots gone or appear smaller. Then rinsed well and washed in oxy clean (?) before pressing between a towel and left to dry.

Today I used Stiffen spray starch for fabric/doilies, no pins this time, and pray it does not bloom, or I'll be madly retatting more snowflakes! 🤞🤞🤞

I need Saturday daytime light to check them, hopefully not noticeable and one last starching before mailing off! This was a first for me of years of starching, will invest in brass pins for future projects. 🤔🤔🤔

March 27th

Well it's better but not gone!  So I dod a second starching and tomorrow will package them to send off.  She knows about this and still wants them!  Hope on the tree it's not noticeable! 

Covid go to !@#$ already! Yes I'm healthy, I've lots to be thankful for, BUT I've also had enough already!!! Guess I'm having a bad day!

Yeah! I've finally overcome my own obstacles in this mystery! I really like the overall effect and sure hope someone will enjoy it whenever I finish it off and donate to ABC! Thank you Kathy and Bonnie!

This is from the Scrappy Sisters I had to share along with my finished top for my family and friends! Thank you Kathy and Bonnie!

I know now WHY I dislike and have such a difficult time with quilting mysteries! It dates back to the Aurora retreat we had in Kenosee SK back in 90s? It was suggested to prep batiks for that weekend’s mystery by Lorlie Engbrecht! Well at that time I did not like batiks and was leary about the design etc so purchased inexpensive fabric, dots on various colours, and thought I’d remake it later on if I liked it! Hated the fabrics once finished, but did like the design, just not ever revisited! WRONG, WRONG, WRONG in so many ways and thought processes back then! 

Well a few mysteries under my wing and still I haven’t learnt!!! Finally one from Western Retreat by Verona Procyshyn June 2005, I used fabrics I liked, completed Dec 2011 and it still graces my bed winters. The one and only applique MPQ BOM (kinda a mystery) I too am enjoying – my choices of fabrics too! 

Then during Covid I’ve partaken in a couple more mysteries, two not finished as yet, and this We Are Sisters one, top is finished, are all to try to get me into a happy mysteries mode, but not too sure, and are all destined to be charity quilts when completed. This latest one I also chose my “likeable” fabrics in the MPQ logo colour palette and like the overall effect BUT ran into other issues – using directional fabrics, wrong selection of three in one of the colour choice and when switching running out of fabric!!! 

So here’s what “I” have deduced with mysteries and “Me”!!! 

1. Not keen on not seeing the design even if I love the challenge! 

2. Do not wish to use my “favourite” fabrics – what if I don’t like it when completed? 

3. Did I choose the right fabrics for the various steps or goofed up? 

4. Do not use directional fabrics period! 

5. Do not want to buy more fabrics – what if I’m not keen on the end result? 

6. Ensure you have enough fabric for each requirement! 

7. Sometimes not keen on the end result and feel cheated if “favourites” were used and I end up donating it. 

8. I feel bad for the designer who spent hours to make this mystery and in the end it’s not to my liking and I’m not happy – not their fault at all!!! 

Guess I’ll have to suck it up and decide to ENJOY the surprise process of mysteries and not stress on whether I’ll like the end result! Someone will be very happy with my charity quilt!

2005 Westen Retreat mystery

2019 MPQ Applique BOM

2021 MPQ We Are Sisters Mystery!

March 25th

Thank you Brenda E P from PFA Swaps for the very cute spring log cabin postcard and spring like snippets of fabrics. I love the cats n paws and pink and black strips mostest! And this was a first time to receive a fabric postcard in a ziplock baggie! Hey whatever works Kudos to you to find it! 🌷🌷🌷

Had a lovely walk around Edna's area and coffee again at a bus stop! Dang what a windy day! Then relaxed and sewed the evening away!

Well I'm working on my "We Are Sisters" MPQ mystery quilt by the Scrappy Sisters! One more row to add and it'll be a done deal! I didn't have enough of the same yellow/golds and did not want to buy anymore with the Virtual Shop Hop on too!

I ran into an issue with the outer directional fabric row - lots of rippit!  Will finish off tomorrow!

Catchup - March 22nd-23rd

Ohhhh this is good!

Marsh family Hallelujah

Oh oh look what's heading our way!

Ohhh I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and have to share with othere quilter/crafters. Thank you Brandy?

Episode 19

March 22nd

Just had a lovely visit with Simone at Design Wall with Sylvia. We both bought our 1.5 m of planned fabric for our Scrappy Sisters Challenge by Brandy! Now to wait for our packages to arrive and the reveal on April 1st.

Catchup - March 21st

This again popped into my head right away that I didn't read the whole writeup for this swap! I was ready to mail out when I received the recipient's info then read it's a combined postcard/snippets swap! OH OH, mad rush to collect a snippets package, but still in the mail today before months end! 

I think you could tell by my previous post that I was gung ho to get it done and had fun designing the house?

Lame for windows.

Door needs finishing!

And today I received my Sashiko Family Crest Panel in dark green from A Threaded Needle of Maple Ridge BC. And the cute accents she included too! Not sure when I'll start it though!

YEAH YEAH YEAH I have my Covid-19 vaccine appointment for April 17th booked! One more To Do off my list! I had registered a couple weeks ago, they sent me two emails and just now my third text today (some said texts n emails weren't working), saying I was eligible, so this time I created an account and half hour it was a done deal instead of 2.5 hours on the phone trying to get Sylvia booked in! In hindsite I should have done both online at once! DUH ME!!! This is lots sooner than I expected!

Catchup - March 19th-21st

March 19th

Happy International Quilt Day everyone! I spent most of the day sewing with the Aurora Quilters on ZOOM. Then dropped off an early retirement gift for Randy (also from Joan and Harold, he promised a picture once hung up) and enjoyed a small glass of wine on the deck with Pat. Then home for supper with a good glass of wine before going back into the sewing room.

March 21st

I'm auditioning scrappy block ideas for the Sisters Scrap Challenge hosted by Quilter on Fire this month (now closed). 

Well beginning of last week I stitched up 2.5" squares into a square then restitched and cut into two HSTs. Not keen on this idea. 

Then latter part of last week I cut out 49 - 2.5" squares and sewed into HSTs, squared with the trusty 6.5" BlocLoc HST ruler and yesterday sewed up into two squares. These I then stitched and cut into 4 HST blocks. Now these I totally love! 

Then today I tackled two 1" wide log cabin HSTs blocks. Not keen on these either. 

Then I played with layout ideas. HMMM!!! Not sure what I'll be doing with these blocks - table runner as is or add in sashings and borders for a lap quilt? Who knows, but it's using my stash so will maybe be a finished UFO?

AND I've finished off the second Pixie from Tatted Flurries by Sharon Briggs, this time no problems! I loosened my tension and the split chain and split rings a lot smoother. I'm happier! Now all snowflakes to starch then they too can be shipped off! Shuttles recently arrived from Shuttle by Design!

It's worth a try!