Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Santa’s Workshop…

…has been humming!!  It’s  such fun to go to Heritage Quilt to see what everyone has been making for gift giving or for decorating.

These are all works in progress~ 

A lot of the members bring quilts that need to be readied for quilting..pinned or basted.  It makes it so much easier to do it on top of large tables rather than crawling around on your knees.

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Vickie is working on this gorgeous tablecloth…a red swirl fabric is going on next for the border.  Perfect for a kitchen..anyone for a coffee? 

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Love the colours in this quilt…can you see the the green stars?

P1100727 Sharon made this gem out of African/batik prints…isn’t it lovely?P1100728

Vickie is a VERY prolific quilter…I love this quilt…VERY pretty!  She used Americana fabric but put in the golds to make it her own.

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Very effective…

P1100730 I got very excited when I saw these blocks from Pat Sloan’s “Meadow Breeze”.  I have been watching Pat  make these blocks on her blog…and she is offering them for FREE to her readers!!  This quilter ordered the kit from Pat…and what a deal!  The colours are gorgeous and so is her stitching!!  You can see Pat’s finished quilt HERE!

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Can’t wait to see this quilt finished!!  It is going to be stunning!

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Carol has also been busy!!  She has been working on this advent calendar for 5 years!  I’m going to talk more about this little quilt tomorrow…it deserves a day of it’s own…after all there ARE  five years of work wrapped up in this little baby!!

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This is another one of Carol’s…a sweet little wall hanging!

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A gorgeous tree skirt…that would look beautiful under my tree…LOVED the rich, deep greens and reds!

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Another sweet Christmas skirt all ready to put under the tree!

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This runner was also Carol’s…she HAS been busy!!  It will look very festive on a long side table!

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A quilt for a very lucky grand daughter!

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This quilt was made for a dear friend going through cancer…a lot of love wrapped up in this lovely quilt!  Very special!

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The community quilts are all finished, quilted and ready to go!  Isn’t it wonderful when everyone comes together for a common goal!

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I didn’t share EVERYTHING as the elves have been TOO busy… I hope you enjoyed a little sampling of the season!

Have a terrific Tuesday and Happy Quilting!!~P

Monday, November 29, 2010

There’s Nothing Like It!

There’s nothing like a Craft Fair to get you in the Christmas spirit!  My friend Claire and I spent a good hour or more perusing the aisles of the Christmas in the Manager Craft Fair…five building filled with crafted items with Christmas music playing in the background.

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What did we buy?…Some beautiful handcrafted ornaments that I can’t show you because they are gifts…but they are dang cute!

P1100691  Then it was off to Mattick’s Farm…quaint little shops for looking…and buying different and unique gifts and we also had lunch!P1100693

Christmas has arrived full force at Mattick’s…decorations, garlands and ornaments…and of course music…

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..and the smells…ahhh…wish I could somehow send the smells of the pines boughs and Douglas firs your way…definitely Christmas!

P1100698 Here’s Claire…looking very Christmasy with her red accessories…She just needs a wreath to complete her outfit.…Stunning with the red berries…

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…or maybe some fruit..and berries…hmmm…and if you are feeling a little hungry you can nibble…

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No we are not in the forest…but at the Garden Centre at Mattick’s.

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Don’t you love everything about ‘The Season’!  Ahhh THAT smell!!

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Hope your weekend was filled with the beginning magic of Christmas!!

Have a marvelous Monday and Happy Quilting!~P

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Special Delivery….!!!!

Look at what arrived special delivery..hand delivered by my friend, Claire!!  Yes it’s THE QUILT!!  THE QUILT THAT WAS QUILTED BY ENGLAND’S FINEST…QUILT SUE!!  Now you are all probably wondering how Claire got it…well to make a long story short I gave Sue Claire’s address just in case the mail took longer than anticipated – with my luck it would arrive after we had left for down south.  I could see it taking the slow boat back to England….

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But it got here in record time!!  And just look at it…the quilting is GORGEOUS!! Just to refresh your memory…Quilt Sue and I struck up a barter…to learn more about THAT go HERE!

I made the quilt using the pattern Sticks and Stones by Sandy Gervais…just feast your eyes on the quilting…like Icing on the Cake!!  Sheer perfection…and Quilt Sue was worried that I wouldn’t like it!!  Sheesh…what quilter in their right mind wouldn’t LOVE this quilting!!

P1100706 Let’s zoom in for a close-up!!  Is that not gorgeous!!

P1100707  Even Molly loves it and she’s MY worse critic!!

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Thank you so much Quilt Sue for taking an alright quilt and turning into into a jewel that I will treasure!!

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What’s this?…more prezzies (as Sue calls them)…this lovely Christmas bag pops open to reveal that it’s been filled with English chocolate bars!  Doesn’t Sue realize that I have to fit into a bikini next month…looks like I’ll have to trade it in for a muumuu!!…but so worth it!!

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AND my very own Christmas Mug Rug!! I’m  SEW spoiled… and loving it!!

Yup…I just poured my morning coffee and I’m ready to fire up the computer…to check up on all of you!!

P1100714  Sluuuurrrppp….ohhh…noooooo!!  There’s a wet ring on my Mug Rug….I knew it was too pretty to set my mug on!!

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Quick…cover it before Sue sees!!

P1100716 Phew…!! 

Thanks SEW much Sue…some lovely keepsakes from my dear blogging buddy across the pond….  I think I got the best of the barter!! I’m doing the Konga down the length of the 5th wheel…dodo dodo do dooo! Doo dodo do doo!  Which takes all of 5 seconds…maybe I better go outside? :o)

Have a Sunny Sunday and Happy Quilting!~P

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Down Right Balmy!

The snow has turned to rain and the weather forecast is for warmer weather so we quickly packed the 5th wheel and high-tailed it to the Oceanside Resort in Sidney.  We need to test EVERYTHING before we head south at the end of December… we thought we had better do it now in this stretch of ‘warm weather’!

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So far…so good..and look no snow here!! I think it’s because we are so close to the ocean…this is our view from our Living Room window.

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I had just got my stitching out when we had a surprise visit from Rick’s daughter, Carrie.  Love the look on her face…yes, the dogs LIKE her…a lot!! haha

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So we had a lovely visit…I grilled her about what she needed/wanted for Christmas and added to my Santa’s List!  I LOVE it when they tell me what they would like…because I have no clue!  They know by now that if they don’t say what they would LIKE that they will end up with a sweater with kittens embroidered all over it (that’s the girl’s joke…not mine!!).

This morning my quilting friend,Claire and I are off to a Craft Fair and lunch!  I wonder what kind of mischief we can get into…can’t wait…!! Maybe I can even find some hand-knit kitten sweaters… I’ll keep you posted!

Have a super Saturday and Happy Quilting!~P

Friday, November 26, 2010

NOW That’s a DEAL!!

I WON!! I WON!!  Nothing like the thrill of winning a Give Away on someone’s blog!!  SEW exciting!! In this case it was from Sew Cal Gal’s Christmas Quilt Show. I won my choice of a pattern from Mrs. Moen’s Blog…and just wait when you see what I chose…

HOW CUTE IS THIS!!

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I was having a heck of a time deciding on which pattern to pick when I realized (with delight!!) that ALL FIVE patterns were included in the package!!  How sweet is that!!  I’m showing you only TWO of the designs….

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If you want to see more than hurry over to Mrs Moen’s…I’m sure she would love to see you!  Be prepared to be impressed!

Have a FUN (Black?) Friday and Happy Quilting!~P

Thursday, November 25, 2010

This is for the birds…

..and it’s not even Winter…yet!!

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What you can’t see are the big, white flakes FALLING…  P1100680Hope you are warm and snug…wherever you are….

Take care!~P

Be warned…

..if you should make this little quilt…expect lots and lots of SNOW!!P1100660  After all it does say... ♪♫Let it Snow!  Let it Snow!  Let It Snow!” ♫ right on it!    P1100667 It dawned on me that I haven’t shown this quilt FINISHED for credit towards my first OPAM challenge for November!!  Yes, FIRST…what HAVE I been doing this month??

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Last night I had a HEN party.  I belong to a Ladies Group that has been meeting for 30 years now..!!  Yikes!!   We meet twice a month in our homes…with luncheons in between (at restaurants).  We do like to eat!!  Anyways, last night it was my turn to have the meeting…I always pick the last meeting before our Christmas Social because I like to have the ladies do some kind of craft.  Now, this is not a crafty group so the simpler the better…if you get my gist!  (Sorry ladies but…it’s true!! )  Thank goodness I have all these Grade One crafts to fall back on…

So last night this is what they made…P1100673

Bird feeders…perfect for right now…what with all the snow on the ground!  (AND MORE FALLING!!)

You wire a loop at the top of the pinecone, put a fabric scrap bow on top…stuff the mixture of suet/lard and oatmeal in all the little cracks and then roll it in birdseed!  Done!! 

I must say the ‘girls’ were thrilled…so much so that several of them are going to be making them with their Grandkids next time they babysit!  I forgot to take pictures of the girls in action so you could actually see the fun for yourselves…Oh well next year for sure!

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And FINALLY~

To all my American Blogging Buddies a very Happy Turkey Day to YOU and YOURS!! 

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Wish I could pop in for a slice of pumpkin pie to go with my coffee!!

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Quilting!~P