Catchup - Jan 16th-18th

Jan 16th

It was nice to see some of the Aurora gals on ZOOM today alongwith a chat with Angela on the phone. I finished another 3 of the remaining 4 RCMP blocks so very soon I can lay them out on my bed and start to sew the top together! YEAH!!!!!

I left a might early as I wanted to get in a walk with Edna around her area and some shopping done before supper. Made it in good time!

OMGG I didn't catch the details of the draw prize that I had won during this weeked's virtual quilting retreat, was too excited reacting!!!! So the email arrived with it and it's $50 to my choice of Manitoba Quilt Shop! Thank you MPQ, now to decide which shop!

Finally I cooked rather than ready made or fast food!

Jan 17th

OMGG, when this PFAS was posted beginning of the month, I immediately thought NAH, not this month! Then I saw the ribbon hands heart posting and thought MAYBE, so changed my reply! Then in seconds an idea was forming and finally a YES reply! I just should have waited a day as the next morning I was awoken with my complete postcard idea along with HOW I am to do it! DANG this is how my swaps work! My idea has to click right away or it's torture coming up with something! Now it's to slow down or I'll be chomping at the bit to send it out!!!! 🤣 Well I completed the actual ribbon design. This definitely is a first for me! The card front will be finished before I find out who it's going out to, well ahead of the deadlines! 

A week ago I finished the front of my postcard and then prepping the back. Once I receive my recipient I'll complete the back, finish off my postcard and send it out ASAP. 💕💕💕 

So yesterday this happened, back completed and today sandwiched and bound. Monday it'll be mailed off. I sure hope this brings a smile to many who see it enroute and also by the recipient.

My ribbon bits n pieces, with Heat n Bond.

All satin stitched in place.

I followed the penned words and trimmed.

Finished front.

Finished back.

Jan 18th

Ohhhhh I go from a quiet unproductive day yesterday to today totally CRAZY ideas popping up left n right and wanna get going! So since Thursday's MPQ ZOOM meeting with guest quilter Sew Preeti and her twist on the International Sisters Quilt Block, I've been wondering what kind of fabric I'll use. See Kathy n Bonnie have designed a stitch along using this block and others starting this weekend and I'm getting desparate! ☹☹☹ 

Then this morning both my breakfast and lunch were interrupted with IDEAS! So what could I do but set aside my food and go with the flow! See in 2015 I spent 1 month in Australia and 1 month in New Zealand and naturally picked up various native type fabrics along with some bought here too! These are what I'm going to use for the sisters blocks. 😃😃😃 

Then a friend asked what they looked like, so my extra large overflowing ziplock of such was dumped onto the ironing board to sort useable fabrics and quick photos. BUT BUT BUT I now can't get them back in there! Guess I'll leave them as is for the weekend beginning steps! 🤣🤣🤣

I tried to put it all back in, gave up!

Then yesterday step 3 of the TIAS was posted but in the frame of mind I was in, left it alone! Good thing as today I tatted it up zippety quick no issues today! Still no idea what it'll grow up to be as my fancy dress flounce is out the door! 

Tat It And See

OMGG I can't believe it but I've managed to finish off the fussy cut hexagon print blocks and now to sew all the blocks into a top! It'll have another column of blocks down the right side yet. Hope I've not got any in the wrong place!

I tried my darnedest to finish off the blocks into a top BUT just had to stop! I just needed to sew the rows together but ran out of energy! So another day! I'm very pleased I can finally see this as a quilt top!!!!!

Catchup - Jan 13th-15th

Jan 13th

WOW!!! I don't recall this one as I was still in Dauphin. But remember one in the 70s that stalled the city too!

WOW, WOW, WOW!!!! I've always wanted to do this trip since we gifted Mom and Dad with their trip on their 50th Anniversary! 

If the Covid virus and restrictions allow, I'll be joining Sylvia and some of her friends on a trip to Churchill in August. That's also dependent on whether we have our vaccine shots by then too. All is refundable for Covid reasons!

I'm asking those who love the outdoors to post a picture on your page. A picture that YOU took. Just a pic (unless like me you can't pick just one). No description. The goal is to regain peace and harmony without negativity. Please copy the text, put a picture on YOUR page, and let's look at these beautiful pictures. Here are mine.

Another awesome day! A short walk with Sylvia but longer than last week's walk. I forgot to turn on my tracker at the start so did so for the return trip, so double the numbers.

So beautiful!!!!

Jan 14th

I loved seeing Sylvia and Len's home decorated with her various quilts, needleworks, paintings etc hung up! Sylvia painted our Gilbert Plains farmhouse which was hanging at Mom n Dad's for years. Plus one of Mom's embroidery which she finished one during each of her eight pregnancies - we each have such framed works! Soon Sylvia's apartment will be totally unpacked and I'll get to see her talents on display again, if this Covid leaves! 

The last picture is of the embroidery I have in my bedroom from Mom. The only thing missing is the year she worked on the eight pieces then we could know which child was born. Ohhh well!

Jan 15th

I'd like to thank my sister Florence for her gift of this Manitoba Restaurants coupon book (picked up from CSN Printing) and once this lockdown is lifted safely I know I'll be sharing it with Edna and Sylvia for sure and maybe Pat too! 💞💞💞 

I'd say 40% is restaurants I like or know of so that's good. There are some I've heard of but not tried so good and a very few that are pricey or spicy so won't go to. But I'd say 30% are dine in only so I hope we can go use those coupons before Dec 31st! 🙏🙏🙏

Well I love Jane's TIAS period but I also agree with her on the anticipation of others' uploads to see what colours/threads they are using BUT I LOVE seeing their shuttles! 

TAT It And See

Ohhhh I goofed on Day 1 and have restarted. So here's my new pics using Lizbeth Christmas Red #671 and Natural #602. 

And I'm stepping along the limb guessing it's the flounce of an old fashioned dancing gown! Guess time will tell!

Enjoying Winter!

Beautiful relaxing day for me! First errands downtown accounting for 3,345 steps. Again we started off from Edna's heading via St Mathews to join up to the Yellow Ribbon Trail. I couldn't stop smiling 🤗 and walking🚶‍♀️, even further than I probably should have!!! But we turned around after the garden plots on Silver as my knee was letting me know it was enough, BUTTTT I really wanted to continue, BUTTTT I knew I had to get back to the car! 

As we approached St James Tim's came in view and I suggested we get coffee and set a spell on a bus bench before finishing off! Awesome idea!!!! 

Then off to run errands by car before heading home for my pulled pork n ceasar salad supper! Yes a wonderful day!

OMGG it's happening again and I'm all in again! In 2018 and previous years I totally lived for the next installment! So thank you Jane Eborall for doing the TIAS once again!

So if you're a tatter and looking for some adventure then check this out!   Tat It And See  

I've no idea what this might be!

Day 3 - MPQ ZOOM Retreat

I KNOW I didn't see this when I was there? Jo Newsham have you seen or heard of it? If you ever go there please take pictures with you in it and post or send to me! I just love it!

Well started this day off on the right foot so to speak! Walked in Edna's neighborhood this morning, not long but no bad aches so that's good. Then picked up my new ASUS laptop from Best Buy, even received a MC Fraud Alert Text to verify purchase (AWESOME) and picked up A&W for lunch! Now to get ready for my virtual retreat! 🤗🤗🤗

So sad, but our virtual quilting retreat with 72 participants is coming to an end! I think I was quite productive and actually Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon I matched up my 1" hexies in the middle section for the second set of blocks. Major tension doing this but I've only 4 blocks left and then sewing them to the RCMP blocks for the top. AWESOME!

ABC quilt from gifted print fabric.

All side panels completed earlier,  just needed middles matching and sewn together. 

I'm at my sewing table.

And I won a draw for a gift certificate to a quilt shop!   YEAH!!!

Day 2 - MPQ ZOOM Retreat

Good morning, just doing some business and breakfast before reuniting with the MPQ quilters on my virtual retreat! But look at the frost on the trees! Plus some fog(?) as the highrise is just a block away! 

And this was the view before lunch from my sewing room.

Late Afternoon

Oooohhhhh I'm worn out but very happy with completing the top for an ABC quilt. The print fabric and 8 snowball blocks were given to me years ago, so I made up 12 more blocks. I was running out of print fabric so cut the side borders and joined 3 pieces for top and bottom borders and used my own blue for sashing! 

This is all I've left of the fabric to add to my I Spy future quilts! Now to assemble and attempt to quilt for an MPQ ABC donation in the future.

After 9 PM

I'm totally exhausted from the piecing I finished off with this evening after the "2 truths and a lie" and quilty words bingo games after supper! I did switch to the promised RCMP blocks and completed sewing the middles of three blocks. YEAH!!! 

Not saying how many retries before the 1" maple leaf hexagons matched up! 🙃 Tomorrow afternoon hopefully will be a better one now that I got the hang of how to match them up! 😉 

Now relaxing in the quiet with feet up and hopefully a decent walk before retreat starts tomorrow 1-5 pm again?