While I was away on vacation in June, the quilting guild I belong to had their last get together/pot luck dinner, prior to having the Summer off. Those of you who have been following me know our guild makes quilts for the chemo patients at our local hospital. Each month all members make a 12 1/2 inch block, in previously chosen colours. Red and grey were the colours for the June meeting, however, life got in the way...again, mine did not get done until early this week. Yesterday I delivered my overdue block......one down.
During the past year I have been working on a quilt for my youngest daughter and her husband. The top and backing was also delivered yesterday to the long arm quilter....photo's when I get it back. two down.
Now those are out of my sewing room I have started on the quilt for daughter number one and her husband, and also planning on six.............yes six more.
Let me explain..... In 1998, daughter #2 and hubby adopted a baby from China, travelling with five other couples who were also picking up their babies. Every year since '98 we, (I went to China with them) have been having a reunion, each family takes a turn in hosting and this year we go to Ottawa. In 2015 it is my daughter's turn to host the reunion, at which time all of the girls will be 17 years old and thinking about furthering their education and starting to go their separate ways, and sadly these yearly get together's may be a thing of the past. Over the years these girls and parents have been a support group for each other and they will miss these yearly reunions. I know social media will allow them to be in contact with each other but..........I wanted them to have something they can touch....................So what does a quilter do...............she makes quilts, six quilts.
My idea....This year at the reunion, I am going to have all six girls write a short message and sign six blocks of white fabric, then over the next year I am going to make a quilt for each girl. I am think of printing photo's from all of the reunions onto fabric and incorporating them into these quilts along with some Asian inspired fabric. I am hoping it will be a nice surprise for all of them.
What do you think?
Header photo is from Yellowstone National Park, if you ever get a chance to go, it is a fantastic experience. Just knowing you are standing close to this hot ground just inches from bubbling mud and water heated from the earth's core is...........well, I can't find the words.
Have a great weekend, just like all the weekends I now have, mine is going to be very busy, attending a music festival, an air show, and a family picnic.
Patricia
Friday, July 18, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Perfect day
Thursday morning, it is a beautiful sunny day, no humidity, laundry on the line and drying in a light breeze and later going out to lunch with a relative of my late husband, what could make this day any better
What could make this day any better?...................Last weekend I was given a container of miscellaneous unfinished craft projects. These projects were started by a woman, who passed away before any of them could be completed. In one of the bags I discovered flannel fabric cut and ready to sew into quilt for a child. I knew then and there this fabric had to be sewn together and this project completed. No pattern was included in the bag, just a few hand written notes which indicated it should be a quilt as you go, rag quilt. Not a fan of rag quilts, I decided to do a quilt as you go, but cover the seams, I like tidy.
What could make this day any better?...............The warm feeling I have knowing that this quilt is now finished and I will be giving it back to the person who gave me the container so it can be given to a child, maybe the child who it was intended to go to in the first place.
Patricia
What could make this day any better?...................Last weekend I was given a container of miscellaneous unfinished craft projects. These projects were started by a woman, who passed away before any of them could be completed. In one of the bags I discovered flannel fabric cut and ready to sew into quilt for a child. I knew then and there this fabric had to be sewn together and this project completed. No pattern was included in the bag, just a few hand written notes which indicated it should be a quilt as you go, rag quilt. Not a fan of rag quilts, I decided to do a quilt as you go, but cover the seams, I like tidy.
What could make this day any better?...............The warm feeling I have knowing that this quilt is now finished and I will be giving it back to the person who gave me the container so it can be given to a child, maybe the child who it was intended to go to in the first place.
Patricia
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Home safe and sound
I am now back home after having a wonderful two week vacation with the new man in my life.
On our way to British Columbia to visit his brother, we made stops in Yellowstone National Park, to see "Old Faithful" and all of the steaming ponds of boiling mud and water, quite an impressive place to visit. There were many interesting and amazing places we visited, I must say, for me this was the highlight of the trip. We also visited the Badlands of South Dakota, getting up at 4:30 a.m. to see them during in the light of the sun rise, only to be disappointed, due to a layer of fog which seemed to come out of no where just as the sun came up. Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, the William F. Cody Museum, Custer State Park. Sighting buffalo, elk, prairie dog, mule deer, pronghorns, burros, Coyotes and also black bear. The beautiful scenery of mountains and plains. On June 21st, the first day of Summer, we drove to the top of one mountain, not a planned route, (at the base of a mountain we had to make a decision, take a scenic route or highway #212, we took the highway, a mistake, no the views were amazing) we drove though 10 foot snow drifts on each side of the road, the temp was 4*C and people were skiing, and snow began to fall as we began our decent.
Heading north we crossed the border into B.C. visiting family, then on to Banff, Jasper, climbing to the base of a glacier and Lake Louise, before beginning our return journey to home.
After dodging heavy rain and forecasted tornadoes during the first days of our trip, we had beautiful weather for the remainder of our travels.
Back to reality, the garden needs weeding, and the lawn does need a trim and I need to make a block for our guild's June chemo quilt and also need to work on some UFO's.
Patricia
On our way to British Columbia to visit his brother, we made stops in Yellowstone National Park, to see "Old Faithful" and all of the steaming ponds of boiling mud and water, quite an impressive place to visit. There were many interesting and amazing places we visited, I must say, for me this was the highlight of the trip. We also visited the Badlands of South Dakota, getting up at 4:30 a.m. to see them during in the light of the sun rise, only to be disappointed, due to a layer of fog which seemed to come out of no where just as the sun came up. Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, the William F. Cody Museum, Custer State Park. Sighting buffalo, elk, prairie dog, mule deer, pronghorns, burros, Coyotes and also black bear. The beautiful scenery of mountains and plains. On June 21st, the first day of Summer, we drove to the top of one mountain, not a planned route, (at the base of a mountain we had to make a decision, take a scenic route or highway #212, we took the highway, a mistake, no the views were amazing) we drove though 10 foot snow drifts on each side of the road, the temp was 4*C and people were skiing, and snow began to fall as we began our decent.
Heading north we crossed the border into B.C. visiting family, then on to Banff, Jasper, climbing to the base of a glacier and Lake Louise, before beginning our return journey to home.
After dodging heavy rain and forecasted tornadoes during the first days of our trip, we had beautiful weather for the remainder of our travels.
Back to reality, the garden needs weeding, and the lawn does need a trim and I need to make a block for our guild's June chemo quilt and also need to work on some UFO's.
Patricia
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Checking In....
Life is like a rollercoaster, so much to take care of before I go on vacation.
Busy cutting the front and back lawns, it seems like an endless job at this time of the year, why did I fertilize a few weeks ago.? Gardens are looking fine at the moment, as all the weeds have been taken care of. Thankful for family and neighbours who will to taking care of all this while I am away.
Quilting a table topper for a fellow quilter, do want to get it completed by the end of this week and get it delivered to her. Also, need to complete by block for our guild, I see some night time sewing coming up.
Lovely day today, hot and humid though which makes it a bit uncomfortable to do a lot of work outside. Not that I mind, it is about time we had some seasonable weather.
Going to be absent for awhile, keep well.
Patricia
Busy cutting the front and back lawns, it seems like an endless job at this time of the year, why did I fertilize a few weeks ago.? Gardens are looking fine at the moment, as all the weeds have been taken care of. Thankful for family and neighbours who will to taking care of all this while I am away.
Quilting a table topper for a fellow quilter, do want to get it completed by the end of this week and get it delivered to her. Also, need to complete by block for our guild, I see some night time sewing coming up.
Lovely day today, hot and humid though which makes it a bit uncomfortable to do a lot of work outside. Not that I mind, it is about time we had some seasonable weather.
Going to be absent for awhile, keep well.
Patricia
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Still here
A fellow blogger was wondering if I was not blogging any more or doing it under another name. Has it been that long since I last posted something?
At this time of the year I don't do a lot of sewing, having been stuck inside for what seems like an endless Winter, I can't wait to get outside. Mowing the lawn and repairing the flower bed which was disrupted many times last year due to the city replacing the old electricity pole which was in the middle of this garden, is keeping me busy. The other flower beds in the back garden are full of violets and creeping phlox, all in colours of purples, blues and pinks and ..........weeds. Gardening is my Spring and Summer pastime, I love getting the dirt under my finger nails and after all of the work is done, sitting back and admiring the results.
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Family and other things in my life are also getting in the way of sewing and blogging, and that is the way I want it and how it should be. The sewing machine and fabric will always be there for that rainy day or when I have a few minutes to spare. I have UFO's to complete and new projects waiting to get started, so hopefully when I do post you will see completed quilts or wall hangings.
My blogging friends, I do pop in and read all of your blogs, sometimes leaving a comment, sometimes just reading what you are doing. You may not see a posting from me on a regular basis, but I am still here.
Patricia
At this time of the year I don't do a lot of sewing, having been stuck inside for what seems like an endless Winter, I can't wait to get outside. Mowing the lawn and repairing the flower bed which was disrupted many times last year due to the city replacing the old electricity pole which was in the middle of this garden, is keeping me busy. The other flower beds in the back garden are full of violets and creeping phlox, all in colours of purples, blues and pinks and ..........weeds. Gardening is my Spring and Summer pastime, I love getting the dirt under my finger nails and after all of the work is done, sitting back and admiring the results.
.
Family and other things in my life are also getting in the way of sewing and blogging, and that is the way I want it and how it should be. The sewing machine and fabric will always be there for that rainy day or when I have a few minutes to spare. I have UFO's to complete and new projects waiting to get started, so hopefully when I do post you will see completed quilts or wall hangings.
My blogging friends, I do pop in and read all of your blogs, sometimes leaving a comment, sometimes just reading what you are doing. You may not see a posting from me on a regular basis, but I am still here.
Patricia
Monday, March 31, 2014
Optical Illusion...
Yesterday and again today we have had lovely blue skies and sunshine, and temperatures around 10*C.
April 1st tomorrow, of course, showers are forecast, but that is just fine with me, they will melt the snow which is still laying around in some areas and help thaw out the ground. The streets will get a much needed wash to remove all the gravel and salt used to melt the Winter ice and snow. The bulbs just showing out of the ground will get a drink.
In early March I attended two classes conducted by one of the members in the guild I belong to. We made an "Optical Illusion" wall hanging. Mine is smaller than the original pattern and I wanted it to hang "on point" which proved to require some additional thinking to make it hang properly.
April 1st tomorrow, of course, showers are forecast, but that is just fine with me, they will melt the snow which is still laying around in some areas and help thaw out the ground. The streets will get a much needed wash to remove all the gravel and salt used to melt the Winter ice and snow. The bulbs just showing out of the ground will get a drink.
In early March I attended two classes conducted by one of the members in the guild I belong to. We made an "Optical Illusion" wall hanging. Mine is smaller than the original pattern and I wanted it to hang "on point" which proved to require some additional thinking to make it hang properly.
Patricia
Friday, March 21, 2014
Spring
The calendar says it's Spring, however, we still have quite a lot of snow on the ground, and a messy weekend is forecast with rain and/or freezing rain. In the past, the reports always indicate these weather systems to be worse than they end up being. So, I am hoping this is the case for this weekend and it will not be as bad as they are predicting.
Where the snow has melted, there are a few signs of life in my garden as grape hyacinths, crocus, daffodils and tulips are poking the tips of their leaves through the soil. Mother Nature is so great at the things she does, because it always amazes me how these bulbs can survive freezing cold temperatures and frozen ground throughout the Winter, and I need to bundle myself up to face the elements just to go to take out the garbage.
In the Fall I decided to place a heater in the pond to keep the fish alive during the Winter, big mistake, not for the fish but for the electricity bill. This being the coldest Winter we have had in many years made the heater work overtime. Note to myself to rethink for next Winter.
Almost completed the top of my dd2's quilt, the pattern called for sashing to divide the blocks, however, I rearranged the blocks into a different configuration, and as a result more blocks were required to bring it to the correct size for a queen bed. Pictures coming soon. Not much else is being done in the sewing room at present, why.....
I am painting my bedroom, and if my body survives it should be finished this weekend. Last year when I painted my rec room I don't remember my muscles crying out as they do now. Must have age a lot over the past 12 months. LOL.
Have a great weekend.
Patricia
Where the snow has melted, there are a few signs of life in my garden as grape hyacinths, crocus, daffodils and tulips are poking the tips of their leaves through the soil. Mother Nature is so great at the things she does, because it always amazes me how these bulbs can survive freezing cold temperatures and frozen ground throughout the Winter, and I need to bundle myself up to face the elements just to go to take out the garbage.
In the Fall I decided to place a heater in the pond to keep the fish alive during the Winter, big mistake, not for the fish but for the electricity bill. This being the coldest Winter we have had in many years made the heater work overtime. Note to myself to rethink for next Winter.
Almost completed the top of my dd2's quilt, the pattern called for sashing to divide the blocks, however, I rearranged the blocks into a different configuration, and as a result more blocks were required to bring it to the correct size for a queen bed. Pictures coming soon. Not much else is being done in the sewing room at present, why.....
I am painting my bedroom, and if my body survives it should be finished this weekend. Last year when I painted my rec room I don't remember my muscles crying out as they do now. Must have age a lot over the past 12 months. LOL.
Have a great weekend.
Patricia
Saturday, March 1, 2014
February 2014....
The second month of 2014 is now history and thank goodness. Record breaking cold temperatures, blizzard conditions and lots of snow which will not stop falling. Where I live March has come in like a "Lamb" and according to the tale, will now go out as a "Lion". The long term forecast for March is indicating a colder than normal month, which sound reasonable, as all this snow has to melt and the ground to thaw. The Great Lakes are almost covered in ice too so that will take a long time to melt and also keep the air cold. It's Canada, so I should stop moaning and get on with it.
Those of you which have followed my blog for awhile know that while I like sewing traditional patterns into my quilts, I also have a creative part in me to make original pictorial wall hangings. In South Western Ontario more and more quilts blocks are being erected on barns, historical buildings and marking important areas of the landscape. Brochures have been printed to map the blocks for those who wish to travel the quilt block routes. So what has this got to do with me? I have just completed my latest wall hanging which shows a barn with a quilt block on it, a photo of which is below. (sorry the photo is not quite straight).
P S. Click on the photo to enlarge.
Patricia
Those of you which have followed my blog for awhile know that while I like sewing traditional patterns into my quilts, I also have a creative part in me to make original pictorial wall hangings. In South Western Ontario more and more quilts blocks are being erected on barns, historical buildings and marking important areas of the landscape. Brochures have been printed to map the blocks for those who wish to travel the quilt block routes. So what has this got to do with me? I have just completed my latest wall hanging which shows a barn with a quilt block on it, a photo of which is below. (sorry the photo is not quite straight).
 |
| Autumn in the Country. |
Patricia
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Sewing day cancelled....
Today our guild was suppose to have a sewing day, thanks to high winds and tons of snow overnight it was cancelled. The roads are plugged with drifts and some are closed, it is no day to be out driving. So a sewing day at home for me.
My two wonderful neighbours have just cleared the snow from my driveway and I dug through a two foot drift to clear my dryer vent so I could do some laundry.
Just writing this and looked out the window, you guessed it, it is snowing so hard I cannot see the house across the street.
Winter in Canada, you gotta love it........NOT.
Guess you know what everyone will be doing later today.......clearing snow AGAIN, me....I will be sitting in front of my sewing machine snug as a bug in a rug.
Just edited in......55 days until Spring, cannot come too soon for me this year.
Patricia
My two wonderful neighbours have just cleared the snow from my driveway and I dug through a two foot drift to clear my dryer vent so I could do some laundry.
Just writing this and looked out the window, you guessed it, it is snowing so hard I cannot see the house across the street.
Winter in Canada, you gotta love it........NOT.
Guess you know what everyone will be doing later today.......clearing snow AGAIN, me....I will be sitting in front of my sewing machine snug as a bug in a rug.
Just edited in......55 days until Spring, cannot come too soon for me this year.
Patricia
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
My sewing room.........
looks as if a bomb has been hit it, messy and very untidy. Yesterday I decided it was time to fight my way through and do a bit ........ no, a LOT of cleaning and tidying. A lot was accomplished, however, sorting through magazines slowed down the process, you all know what I mean, looking at all of those lovely quilts that you are going to make....one day.
Found UFO's that had been forgotten all about, cut scraps into manageable squares which filled my containers, and are now ready to make a scrap quilt.....yes.. one of those quilts found in those magazines that I will make...... one day.
Two resolutions made, to work one day on a current quilt being made for DD2 and the next day to work on a UFO, hopefully this will give me the mojo back to complete these projects. Also, not to purchase random pieces of fabric, yes....once again you all know what I speak of.
Random purchase syndrome or RPS s an affliction that seems to attack a lot of people when entering a fabric shop. It causes ooh's and aaah's to come out of your mouth, fingers have that itchy feeling to touch everything and the dollars just fly out of your wallet. I have suffered from this many times as my fabric stash will tell you. The temporary and only cure, as I see it, is to leave cash, credit and debit cards at home, go to the store by yourself, so you cannot borrow from a friend and bring along lots of tissues for the moisture from the drooling and tears.
These past few days have been so cold...... how cold? record breaking -26*C with a wind chill of -40*C. Have to get back to that sewing room to make more quilts, looks as if we are going to need them.
Patricia
Found UFO's that had been forgotten all about, cut scraps into manageable squares which filled my containers, and are now ready to make a scrap quilt.....yes.. one of those quilts found in those magazines that I will make...... one day.
Two resolutions made, to work one day on a current quilt being made for DD2 and the next day to work on a UFO, hopefully this will give me the mojo back to complete these projects. Also, not to purchase random pieces of fabric, yes....once again you all know what I speak of.
Random purchase syndrome or RPS s an affliction that seems to attack a lot of people when entering a fabric shop. It causes ooh's and aaah's to come out of your mouth, fingers have that itchy feeling to touch everything and the dollars just fly out of your wallet. I have suffered from this many times as my fabric stash will tell you. The temporary and only cure, as I see it, is to leave cash, credit and debit cards at home, go to the store by yourself, so you cannot borrow from a friend and bring along lots of tissues for the moisture from the drooling and tears.
These past few days have been so cold...... how cold? record breaking -26*C with a wind chill of -40*C. Have to get back to that sewing room to make more quilts, looks as if we are going to need them.
Patricia
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