Winter has arrived

It seems winter has finally arrived and the snow with it.  It always looks so pretty when the first snow arrives doesn't it.  But soon we will get very tired of it and our hopes for Christmas will fade after the New Year and we will all be whining for the warmth again.....

I do like winter mainly because I really don't like to be hot and sticky.  It always feels and smells so fresh when it's colder outside.  I especially love to walk at night in the freshly fallen snow.  It is suddenly so peaceful and still and you can sometimes even hear the snow as it is falls to the ground making a soft hissing sound.

Right, enough of the sentiment.  I now have to get busy and make up some Christmas stockings for charity. Our guild is donating stockings to one of the shelters for teens.  Unfortunately the teens get less attention at Christmas than the younger children. So this year we decided to concentrate more on the teens.  After all they still go through traumatic issues possibly even more so than the younger ones.  They would under normal circumstances, be boiling over with those hormones and growing pains we all suffered ourselves in those early teen years.  To now be homeless and in a shelter can multiply their trauma.  

Giving some teens a little happiness on Christmas can be just a small thing but add a lot of love too.

So now I am going to pull out my Christmas fabrics and scratch my head to try and make something for teen girls and for teen boys.  This should be interesting.  I will post some pictures as I go.

Off I go to stare out the window once more at the falling snow and to get those creative juices flowing.  Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Weekend Quilting Retreat

Such a lovely weekend I had!!  I spent the weekend at Ruth's house and she was teaching me all about her long arm machine.  Wow!  Such fun and so much to learn.

She is such a wonderful person too and such a pleasure to be around.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself both quilting and just chin wagging with her.  It is so amazing how much we have in common!

We spent the Saturday on the machine.  She showed me how to load it and a lot of little tricks to using a long arm.  It was just pouring outside so it was a perfect day for quilting.  I did up two quilts using the long arm and now I am so proud of myself.  They weren't perfect and perhaps just passable, but I had a blast doing them. Ruth is such a great teacher.

Not only can she quilt but she can really cook too!  I ate so much and it was delicious!

On Sunday we quilted a bit and then she took me out for a tour of the area on her Ranger.  It's much like a four wheeler but with an enclosed cab.  It was a beautiful classic Fall day so crisp and clean.  The sky started out very grey and windy but it cleared and the sky was totally blue without a cloud to be seen.

She showed me all her family's properties that they have owned since childhood.  Such a gorgeous peaceful spot right on the lake.  I didn't want the weekend to end, but then reality sets in and it was soon time to go home. I know Ruth and I are definitely old soul friends from another time....we just have to be.  We think so much alike and she is such a kind soul.  I hope I can get another trip to the South Shore Quilter's Retreat again.....there you are Ruth....I just gave your home a new name......lol!

Well, once I was home the mind soon got back into sewing mode.  I have rag quilts to make as Christmas gifts for the three grand nephews and my dear grandson's step brother.  Plus, I have three more runners to complete.  As you can see, although the weekend break was fantastic, the work still awaits.  I will post pics of the quilts when I can finish them.

I'm just so sorry I didn't take a camera to Ruth's.  Pictures would have been nice to keep the memories of the two days alive for a long time.  Thank you dear friend for the wonderful time at your home.

Thanks all for stopping by.... 

Runners Runners and more Runners!!!

Been so busy the last couple of weeks trying to get these all finished.  With Christmas just around the corner, I really needed to get some more of the runners done.  They are a real big seller for me at that time of year and I wanted to make sure I have enough. 

There still are a few more on the go but I'm just sewn out right now and with battling the flu, I really need a rest.

This one is for Ruth my long armer to match her snowman quilt I pieced for her a while back.  This was made with the left over fabrics from that and it turned out quite nice.  I hope she likes it.

I love this one.  It's a super large Dresden but it's it a bit large for my table.  I do have a smaller one that I will do for myself.

Here are the other Christmas ones.  The Star Runner matched my Christmas Star quilt.  It was actually made with leftover blocks from the quilt

This purple one is gorgeous.  It's made with batiks and the colours are scrumptious!  I didn't quilt on the batiks because I figured the fabric was beautiful enough. I did some quilting on the centre square.  It really needed something and then extended it through the black diamonds and continued on the border.  It is sold already but I do have another ready to quilt now.

So this is what I have been up to the last few weeks and still have a lot more to go yet.  I am really itching to start another quilt but it will have to wait.  Rag quilts are on the agenda now for the nephews for Christmas.  Once they are done then I'm free to go crazy on another project.....yippee!!!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.....

Prayer Flag Finished

I have finally finished my Prayer Flag quilt.  It's a simple "Puss in the Corner" pattern but it looks so comfortable and just ready to snuggle into.

It is partly hand quilted and partly machine quilted.  I must admit though these pictures don't really show much quilting work.  I'll have to try to take some closer photos.

Along with the Prayer Flag quilt is the Chevron made from the left over half square triangles that I had after completing the Cottage Comfort quilt.  It's just a small lap quilt perfect for chilly evenings reading or watching TV on the sofa.  Again the quilting isn't all that clear either.  Could just be the lighting too.

So there they are all finished.  Now to get started on some Christmas goodies.

Have a great day!!!!

Monday Maddness!!

Busy busy weekend.  I spent the whole three days sewing and have almost completed two more quilts.  One was a UFO I have been working on forever.  I wanted to do some hand quilting on it and that took quite some time as I kept getting sidetracked with something else.  But I was determined to finish it and now it's done.

I want to do some machine quilting on it too and then just have to bind it to complete it.  Such a pretty fabric called Prayer Flag from Moda.  It was really nice to work with and I love the colours in it.  Did it in a disappearing nine patch style and it came out great.  I will post pictures when it's done

The other is a chevron that I made with the left over half square triangles from my Cottage Comfort quilt.  I love the colours in that design way too.  Very earthy and fall type colours.  I still have some free motion quilting to do on that one yet but I hope to be finished by the weekend.  Then to bind it and it's done too.  And yes, I will post pictures of it as well.

It really has been a weekend for sewing too.  Raining almost all weekend and right now it sounds like thunder is happening out there. Made for a good weekend to be inside sewing.  

I hope all are well on your side of the blog and that you had a great weekend too where ever that may be.

Monday Evening

Very quiet evening tonight.  Didn't work on my quilting at all because the weather is so humid.  Everything feels so damp and wet.  It isn't hot but with the humidity it feels so thick and heavy.

With that, I just browsed around the quilting internet and searched different kinds of blocks to make.  I really love the Double Dresden.  It has such a different flair to it and no round centre piece to worry about appliqueing onto it. I always have such a time of it making them round.

I started a candle mat with one just to try it.  It is working out great and I'll post a picture of it when I'm done.  It's smaller to work with so I should have fun doing the machine quilting on it.  I think I just may gift it to my dear friend as a surprise too.

I still have a bunch of half square triangles left from the Cottage Comfort quilt and I am thinking a small chevron quilt will look gorgeous in those colours.  I'm not a big fan of chevron quilts but with the darker earthy tones it may look pretty good.  Then quilted with a lot of echos will really make it pop.  That is yet to come.

When looking through my stash of fabrics earlier, I found some layer cakes that would make great Dresden quilts and some super baby quilts.  I think I have enough fabrics to last me forever now.......!  I really must organize them all better.

Well, off to watch some TV before bed.  Hope everyone is having a wonderful evening......

Happy Monday

Happy Monday All!!

It seems as though our summer isn't quite done yet.  
Went back up to the 80's today and without that wonderful breeze, the humidity would have been staggering.  But the sun shone down and the sky was such a blue!

Looking at my Fall quilt, it seems hard to believe that summer is almost done.  Just a couple more months and it will be Halloween....my where does the time go?

I finished piecing the borders on the Fall quilt and put the backing together.  Such a pretty fabric on the backing...it's called paprika something or other and it is a perfect paprika colour.  It accents the quilt perfectly.  I hope to get it sandwiched this weekend and perhaps start to quilt it.  Depending on the condition of my wrists will depend on whether I quilt or not. 

I also have to get some baby quilts together for the NICU here at the hospital.  It is required by our guild to do at least two each year.  I like to do as many as possible.

Also would like to do up a couple Victoria quilts which are for cancer patients.  Then there are the gifts I would like to do for Christmas....so much to do, but I truly love to do it.

Still dreaming about a long arm quilting machine and will continue researching it.  Looks like Spring may be the time I will go for it.

Well,evening is setting in and I am getting tired.  I may just hit the bed a bit early tonight.  Hope all are well...Blessings....