Goals for March…

Well another month March-ed off into the sunset…and I bet you’re dying to know how I did with my goals…Did I fall flat on my face?  Well if you had asked me this last week at this time, I would be looking up with mud all over my face!  But today, NOT so…since returning home I have been stitching like a crazy lady!

Goal One~  Stitch 10 houses a month…check!

Bringing that to a total of 32 wee paper pieced houses! 

My box is full…and I am loving making these little 4 1/2” houses!  They are addictive!

Goal #2~  Add two rows to my Clam Shell Quilt Top….check!

There are now 13 rows total all hand appliqued! 

Goal #3~  Make the House Block to ‘Winter Wonderland’ by Norma Whaley…as part of the Winter Wonderland Facebook Quilt A Long…check! 

I still need to stitch the snowman’s face and add a band to his hat…maybe tonight!!

Goal #4~ Finish a UFO…check!  She is quilted and bound…

A label will be added and this should be in the mail by Thursday!  Yahoo!

Goal #5~ All the blocks are completed to the Gift Quilt and I have started to sew the blocks together…CHECK!

And the gravy?  Four hand appliqued Orange Peel blocks and four wonky star blocks made while reviewing Jo and Kelli Kramer’s new book, Country Girl Modern…you can read about that HERE!

Whew!!  I am happy and no mud on this gal’s face! 

Next month my goals are going to be a lot more difficult to achieve as I am adding the wedding School House Quilt to the mix (I will be giving it top priority as I want all the blocks completed by the end of April), PLUS I want to complete the Gift Quilt as it will be gifted to a family member in May.  In addition, I will be starting another another Quilt Along…’Where the Cows Come Home’ begins tomorrow!!   Can I do it?….plus keep my other goals intact? I have my doubts…but I will do my best to get ‘er done! 

Thanks for stopping by!!  How are your goals going?  Has it become a juggling act with you too…and does it feel like the music is going just a wee bit faster?  YIKES!!

Have a terrific Tuesday and Happy Stitching!~P

Rainy Day Sunday…

…and I couldn’t have been happier!  I mean REALLY, all of those lovely Spring flowers NEED rain, right?  And I need just one more day in my Sewing Room!! 

It was a perfect day to spend sewing away…with the ‘Outlander’ Marathon on TV and both the midarm and the Janome purring like kittens (I think they missed me!)  I got a lot done!

Geeze, that Jamie has a hard time keeping his shirt on…and NO, I’m not complaining!

Just TRYING to keep those eyes on the stitching…OH Dang, where’s the ripper?

It’s all good!!

Have a magical Monday and Happy Stitching!~P

There’s WOOL in Them-There Hills!

A friend gave the shout out… that there was a dazzling WOOL quilt hanging in our local Red Barn Quilt Shop!  WHAT…wool in the Cowichan Valley?  Unheard of!!  So the next day I motored over but… alas… NO WOOL QUILT  was hanging!  She was gone!

I mentioned the wool quilt to the Sales Clerk and she said the show was over but the quilt was still in the back room…LUCKY ME…I got my own personal showing! 

The quilt was small, bright and BEAUTIFUL!  Sue Spargo would have been VERY proud!

Robin, the artist behind the quilt, did absolutely stunning work!

Her hand embroidery work was awe inspiring PERFECTION!  Absolutely a work of art!

The birds are wool and then Robin used bright and bold fabric to highlight some of the wings. She used her needle to embellish with perfect wee fancy stitches. 

I loved the border too!

It took Robin three years to complete this masterpiece!

This is a quilt that you have to see in person to appreciate the REAL beauty of it!  Pictures do not do it justice!

It’s so nice to see wool work in our valley!  Fingers crossed that we will be seeing more of Robin’s work…maybe some classes?  How about selling wool patterns and wool?  Just one wee corner in a shop somewhere…?  Oh heck let’s dream BIG…How about if Primitive Gatherings opens a shop right HERE…they could call it Primitive Gatherings CANADA!  Now THAT has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? 

Hey, a girl can dream…

Have a SUNNY Sunday and happy stitching!~P

A Paper Piecing Tip…

I carved out a bit of quilty time in my sewing room yesterday!  Ahhh sheer BLISS!

I worked on my wee houses..and discovered a NEW TO ME trick!  Down south I was using pins to hold my wee paper pieces together and I have to tell you, there was shifting…lots of shifting…and it was hard on my fingers to pierce paper and fabric using PINS!  Well no more!  I dug out my container of Clover Clips…and they worked like a hot darn! 

I lined up the edge of the clips with my stitching line and then flipped and checked that the other side matched up to the stitching line and then let her rip…on the machine! (because with the Clover Clips there was no ripping needed!)

Easy peesy…DONE and absolutely no shifting or no sore fingers!  Isn’t it amazing how a wee small change like using clips instead of pins can make such a huge difference?

Houses…done!  All ten of them!  The BIG reveal will be on the last day of the month!  Can you stand it? :o))

Have a super Saturday and Happy Stitching!~P

The PERFECT Quilt!!

Is this not the PERFECT QUILT to make for two school teachers getting married this summer?

                    

YES, there is another wedding happening in our family…and we couldn’t be happier!!  Quilt Daughter (Basting Beauty Blog Fame) and her fiancé are tying the knot…THIS SUMMER!

Since they announced their engagement last summer, I have been on the look out for a SPECIAL quilt pattern that would reflect both of them…I want it to be modern but not TOO modern.  I want it to stand the test of time…I want it to be just as beautiful fifty years from now, as it is today…!

I think this is THE QUILT to do just that!  It’s modern but it also has an old fashion feel to it!  I also love the positive/negative aspect to it!  It adds a bit more interest to it, don’t you think?  And there is that ‘School House’ aspect to it, and THEY ARE teachers!  PERFECT!!

Seriously…bells and whistles went off when this magazine FELL off the shelf as I was putting away my new magazines purchased down south! I swear…someone/something gave it a nudge…and it FELL off the shelf…It was meant to BE!!  I can’t believe that it was sitting on the shelf, at home, the whole time that I was down south LOOKING…

I sent the happy couple a picture of it and they BOTH loved it!! Whew!!  So you see, it really was meant to be! 

I have three and a half months to ‘get ‘er done’… which is totally do-able!  My ‘To Do List’ will get pushed to the wayside but that’s OK!

*NOTE TO SELF*…NEVER make goals and NEVER have a TO DO LIST!!  Life happens and quilters have to roll with it! 

And speaking of ROLL, I have to loose a few to fit into my new MOB dress! :o) 

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Stitching!~P 

We’re HOME and SEW are the COWS!

We got home on Monday after a record breaking trip from ‘H-E-double hockey sticks’…

Without boring you TOO much and without going into too much detail…the first day on the road we had a TIRE BLOW-OUT…in the middle of no where..on the I-5 Freeway!  Good Sam sent out a repair truck ‘lickity split’ that took almost three hours to get to us!  Hubby had the spare tire fixed at the next small town and once we got to our camp-spot he did research on where we could get four new Michelin tires for the RV.  (Our RV is only 3 1/2 years old so the tires ‘should’ be still good but who knows what kind of quality they are…clearly not good!)  He found some Michelin tires (right size) in Stockton at a big tire dealer there and made an appointment for the next day.  Thirteen miles from the tire shop, we had our SECOND tire blowout!  Both blowouts were on the I-5 Freeway…we had just enough room to pull over but it sure wasn’t safe!  Thank goodness we had the new spare…and thank goodness Good Sam sent a repair man out in less than hour!  We made it to the tire shop 20 minutes before they closed…for the weekend! Needless to say, we hustled our way home after that!  No Quilt Shop Stops for us!  Just get me home!  The RV now has a much needed ‘SPA DAY’ booked to repair the blowout damages to the fenders and under-belly!  Looks like a bomb went off down there…but her new tires are looking mighty fine!

It feels SO good to be home!!  No stitching going on YET…just lots of unloading… and the washing machine has been going non-stop!

Speaking of stitching…have you bought the book and have you been collecting the fabric for our ‘Where the Cows Come Home’ Sew-A-Long? 

Remember it starts April FIRST!  You still have time…

My tub is FULL of goodness (thanks to Kathy!) and is waiting…

My book is starting to get that lovely worn look to it!  I DO love looking at it and I keep marvelling at how WELL WRITTEN this book is…clearly written for the ‘New to Wool Work’ quilter!

Kathy Cardiff and her daughter Taylor Olivera thought of EVERYTHING when they wrote this book…everything to make this quilt easier and more fun for ALL of us!  Under the title of the book it says “A Block of the Month Quilt”…so that’s what we will do!  One block a month…totally do-able!  Before you know it, this sweet baby will be done and hanging! 

If you don’t have your book and fabric, not to worry…Kathy has put together these sweet bundles of fabrics at a VERY sweet price and she is also selling her book…just GO HERE and place your order…pull out your wool bin and you will be all set!

Let me tell you, this quilt, in REAL life, is drop jaw gorgeous!  (Here she is hanging in the ‘Country Loft Quilt Shop’…yup she stopped me in my tracks!!)

You can also use your own stash fabric…you just need the BOOK!  Then let me know if you are on board!  Remember you don’t HAVE to write a blog to participate…just send me your picture at the end of each month and I will publish it for you!

This will be a FUN Sew-A-Long…with no pressure…just the way I like it!  No fuss, no muss…just a lot of SWEET, SWEET stitching!

Have a wicked Wednesday and Happy Stitching!~P

A Clubhouse Highlight…

One of the many Clubhouse Highlights on Wednesday mornings was watching these lovely ladies pulling their little green wagons down our palm treed boulevard towards the Clubhouse!

These were Costco Finds…$59.99 and it was yours!

They are perfect for this…sturdy, they roll every which way, lots of compartments for do-dads….

And they come in my favourite colour… GREEN!  They hold EVERYTHING, including the heaviest machine….

And with a pull of the tab….

Presto!  It folds down to the size of a lawn chair!  How clever is this!

Did I rush out and buy one?  Nope…remember I just bought the tool kit this year and it preformed beautifully!  BUT I still had to drive the truck to the Clubhouse….  If I hadn’t just bought the tool kit, I would have definitely jumped on the band WAGON!

Bumping up and down in my little GREEN WAGON,

Ohhhhh…

Bumping up and down in the my little green wagon….  Bumping up and down in my little green wagon…

Wont’ YOU be my darling!

Have a Super Saturday and Happy Stitching!~P

Singing in the …SUNSHINE!

On Tuesday, Clubhouse Pauline made THIS!!

It’s an umbrella that she is planning on using for a shade!  Pauline could use it in the rain but she wants one to hook onto her lawn chair to keep the sun off her!  She took a class at “Quilter’s Faire Quilt Shop” in Palm Desert and she said it was a lot easier to make than she thought it would be!

Pauline said she learned a lot…like making this little strap and snap!

Love this picture…Yup…it’s an umbrella and it’s staying up!

It’s fully lined and sprayed with a silicone to make it rain resistant!

Check out the desert print on the outside…

And a funky green lining inside!

Pauline is so pleased with it and so is her hubby!  In fact, he wants one too, so Pauline is making his to match hers but in a jungle green! 

VERY COOL…which is what they are hoping to be!!

Thanks for sharing Pauline!

I am posting this early as we are hitting the road at first light.  We will be hitching up the RV and pointing her due North!!  Yeehaw!  Wagons HO!!

Have a Fun Friday and Happy Stitching!~P

It’s a Clubhouse Wrap…and I’m not talking sandwich…!

Yesterday was my last Clubhouse Day…:o(((  So ends my three month Quilting Retreat!  I know…all good things must come to an end…but it really does feel like we just got here!  On the other hand, I AM missing home…and our wonderful Spring weather and of course my friends and family at home!  So it IS TIME!  We leave tomorrow!

Here’s a glimpse of our Clubhouse Adventurers yesterday…yes, our hive continues to buzz with about half the bees! 

First off…this lovely baby quilt…soft as baby’s powder!

Isn’t it pretty!

The Placemats continue to be cranked out…Someone’s dinner table is going to look mighty fine!

Pauline’s zigzag quilt is taking shape and it is magnificent and huge!

Sandra finished her table topper and just in the nick of time as she left for home on Tuesday!  Safe travels, Sandra!

More gorgeous table mats getting their binding stitched down by Doris!  SEW pretty!

Yes, the girls are on a roll…Jan’s version of the same mats!  Loved them all!

And Diana’s version….Beautiful!

Diana, who is new to quilting, is practicing her skills on these mats…They are ever nicer in ‘real life’ and they are the  perfect project for binding practice!  Nothing like leftovers…YUM!

And a Fall version of the same mat~

Deb is on the home stretch…she has finished her quilting and is now putting on the binding!   Yeah, Deb…she is looking magnificent!

Kim has prepped her Laundry Basket quilt and is machine appliqueing the motif.  I can’t wait to see this one finished…maybe next year in our Clubhouse Quilt Show!  It is going to be stunning!

Karen was working on her newest project…in the most unusual and beautiful fabrics…

This is the pattern…

She has finished the blocks and is ready to sew it together…but that will have to wait for HOME because that’s what she is doing…heading home!  Safe travels, Karen!

Here is Sandy’s FIRST casserole carrier!  She did such a great job, that she is now working on Casserole Carrier number TWO!  Can you guess what everyone is getting for Christmas this year?  She is making them in the cutest kitchen-y prints!

Be prepared to SWOON because that is what JoAnne is going to make us do!  She is building the ‘Swoon’ blocks by Thimble Blossom!~

And let me tell you, each block is massive!  They really showcase her Kansas Trouble fabrics…swoon!  Told you!

This shows just how big each block is!

Kim finished off her sweet baby quilt…a gift to her son’s friend!

Lovely loop-ti-loop quilting!

Chris is working on her “Come On To My House” quilt and let me tell you, this quilt is going to be S.T.U.N.N.I.N.G!!  Love it!  Sew worth the time and effort that Chris is taking to make this quilt!

She now has a stack of trees to go with the stars!  Just wonderful!~

Kim’s newest creation made from Primitive Gatherings newest fabric called ‘Lakeside Gatherings’!  Another big and fast project!

Kim bought this book…and she is going BIG!  This looks like a great book!

And YES, I was busy…this is after I picked up the big stuff!  I sew like Eleanor Burns…cut and over the shoulder!  YIKES!!

I forgot to take pictures of our Pot Luck Luncheon!  Man, these ladies know how to cook up a mean casserole…salad, dessert…and of course…QUILT!  Safe travels, ladies…it was a SLICE!  See you all next year!

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Stitching!~P