Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Goals for June...

Well... we are half way through the year and I am ready to throw my Goal List out the window!!  Life got in the way this month and my list of things to do didn't get checked off as I had hoped!  Isn't it funny...goals are GREAT as long as everything on the list gets checked off!  Once you falter, slip or out and out FALL, you want to toss that list right out the window! But let's persevere...

1. Clam Shell Quilt..my goal is to add TWO rows of shells each month.  This month it just didn't happen...the two rows got prepped and the first row got tacked down ready for stitching...but that was it!  I now have FOUR rows to do next month!  UGH!!



2.  The Winter Wonderland Sew Along...the blocks are NOW an official TOP! ...I finished off all of the wool applique...even those darn snowflakes...which took me forever to stitch down!  But they got done and the quilt is NOW ready for machine quilting...which will be part of next month's goal!  If I was a better blogger I would have pressed this before taking a picture!!  But it's still stinking cute!  (Maybe if I hang it up, the snow will cool down my sewing room!:o)


3. 'Where the Cows Come Home' Block THREE...done!!
The  'Home for the Holidays' block is finished and is sew sweet...for a total of three blocks done!  Now onto block #4!
4.  My goal for June was to Quilt and Bind the 'Secret Quilt'...YES, it's finished and is no longer a secret!!  It was gifted to my great niece for her high school graduation gift!  I wish I had a better quilt holder :o)...but you get the idea. A royal blue print binding went all around the quilt. It was a big quilt (needing two people to hold it up!)...the pattern is from Moda Bake Shop and the fabric is called 'Horizon' by Kate Spain!  LOVE the fabric...and love the pattern!  I will definitely be making this quilt again!
And of course, it got a label....


 Goal 5. Finish off a UFO...well...I finally got the borders on the 'Buds in a Basket' quilt...and I have decided to Big Stitch Hand Quilt it.  So it will be going on 'the rack' in July!

 And a close-up of my buds!


The other UFO that I worked on was this oldie!  It's been in my cupboard FOREVER... so I finished cutting the 45 degree blocks out of the rest of the striped fabric and sewed them together. To my dismay, I  discovered that the quilt just wasn't big enough...and I only had small snippets of striped fabric left!  So I pulled out my yarn dyed Diawabo and Diamond Textile fabrics and found that they were the perfect fabrics to add to this quilt.  They gave it more texture and a spark of much needed colour, plus the addition of these blocks make the quilt lap size...maybe even bigger than lap size!  The blocks are now in rows and I will experiment with borders when the time comes.  My goal in July is get this into a topper..and then get it quilted!
                                                         

6. Finish the WEDDING QUILT was my main goal for this month...and YES, it got DONE...well almost DONE!!  Hazel did a beautiful job quilting it, the binding is hand stitched down...and I also put a quilt sleeve on the back just in case the Bride and Groom decide to hang it...although it is BIG! The label is ready for stitching but that won't take long to do ...then we just need the wedding, which is in JULY!  Yup, my quilting daughter is getting married...we are now down to counting DAYS...EIGHTEEN DAYS to be exact!! (I will post pictures of the quilt after the bride and groom receive it...but here is a snippet!)
7. Wee Houses...I LOVE making these houses...ten more got added for a total of 62 of the 4 1/2" houses...
No...they aren't wonky...they just need a good pressing...:o)
                                 
And these ten got added to the mix to form a whole village...almost a town!
And this is the GRAVY....I continued to work on my Orange Peel blocks whenever I got a minute or two!  The secret is to have them prepped and ready to go!  They go with me when I go to Heritage Quilting on Mondays or when I am a passenger in the car.  All of those stitches add up!  Twelve blocks finished!
 WELL...after writing this and after reflecting on what got done...and what didn't get done...I realized that I need more balance between my sewing machine projects and hand work projects!  This month I needed to be an octopus to get all that hand stitching done!  There was way more hand stitching than there was piecing, cutting, creating!  Two bindings, applique and all that wool work will do it to you...and my clam shells suffered because of it!  Oh well...all in all, it was a great month!  
What about YOU?  Did you achieve your goals this month?


I say bring on July...It's going to be a fantastic month!

Have a terrific Tuesday and Happy Stitching!~P


Monday, June 29, 2015

Where the Cows Come Home...Block Three

June...gone in the blink of an eye!  Just ask Renee how busy life can be!  Her and her husband were moving this month...downsizing!  An exciting move for them both...and I sure wasn't going to bother her by asking her where her 'Where the Cows Come Home' block three was! :o))  Renee will send it when she is settle and ready to send it!  No pressure here!:o)

FYI...Renee and I are working our way through the quilt "Where the Cows Come Home" by Kathy Cardiff and Taylor Olvera.  It's a Block of the Month Quilt that is fun and easy, with no pressure from anyone...:o)

This month we worked on my personal favourite block, (so far) 'Home for the Holiday'...complete with snow , wreathe and a bare birch tree...LOVE IT!!

                                  
And a close-up....



 And here are the completed blocks so far!  This quilt is going to be darn stinking cute...I just KNOW it!




Kathy Cardiff over at Cottage Postcards Blog is also in the Sew A-Long, only this time she decided to try a cotton version (using no wool)!  She is appliqueing hers using yarn dyed textile fabrics...OMGosh...gorgeous!!  Head over and have a look!  It's going to be wonderful!

SEW...three blocks down, six to go...PLENTY of time for you to join in!  It's NEVER too late to make a quilt...or to start something NEW!!  Besides... WHERE are you going to put those cows?

Have a magical Monday and Happy Stitching!~P

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Hanging On....barely!!

We are experiencing a hot stretch of weather and I have to say, I am not enjoying it one bit!  June was wonderful...sunny, warm and gorgeous!  Perfect summer weather...mid 20C everyday!  Well we are now into the 30Cs (32C yesterday)...and looking at our forecast it's going to stay that way!  UGH!

I haven't got any sewing to show you.  I am hand stitching binding down...and as satisfying as that can be...it's not that exciting to blog about!  It's a BIG quilt...and it's taking time!  Two sides done...two more to go!  Ahhh yes, nothing like sewing binding on a huge quilt in hot, hot weather!  I took my antique ironing board down...and rigged up a table top for the quilt to rest on.  Much better than on my lap!  It is sitting in my family room, all set up, so that whenever I get an extra moment, I put can put in a stitch here and a stitch there and it will all add up!  And of course I have my June goals to work on!  They are not going well...but that's for another day!

Let me show you a Garage Sale find...from last weekend!  I'm not sure WHAT it is??  BUT it has potential!  It's some kind heavy rod iron hanger...if I had to guess, I think it was for a house sign.  I think the house numbers went in the big V.  Now it is old, numbers are gone, it's rusty and wonderful!  Love the roses on each side....


Perfect to hang a quilt....
                                      
Nope...that quilt was too light!  Let's try something else!

Perfect!  Don't you love finding different ways to hang quilts!


SCORE!!

Have a sunny (but not too hot) Sunday...and Happy Stitching!~P

Friday, June 26, 2015

Celest's Village...

You meet the nicest people in Blogland...and when they are quilters, they are doubly nice!!  Take Celest for instance...she made my day yesterday when she sent this picture, along with a note, saying how my wee houses inspired her to make her own wee houses... Are they not the sweetest wee houses, EVER!

Now it was May from Abyquilt's Blog who inspired me to make my own wee houses...I wonder who inspired May?...Do you see the cycle here? Yup...that's what quilters do best...inspire, teach, cheer, encourage... to the point that we HAVE to jump on board!

Quilters inspire other quilters...it's as simple as that!  That's one of the reasons why Pinterest and Instagram are so popular!  You want to file those inspirational quilts onto 'boards' for easy retrieval...for down the road!

Thank YOU, Celest!  I'm sure your wee houses will inspire others to make their own village!  Let's keep that cycle going!

Wishing you a FUN Friday and happy Stitching!~P

Thursday, June 25, 2015

My Love Affair...with Hand Work....


I can't show you what I'm currently working on...secrets are happening in my sewing room!  BUT while I was stitching, I was thinking of all those UFOs that still need to be completed!  Too many to mention all BUT I was looking at this one...wondering where it will fit in with the grand scheme of things and how to finish it.

If I was a good blogger, I would have ironed these blocks before showing them off...
 I love embroidery work...especially while traveling down the freeway...either towards our Snow-birding destination or home!  It's an easy project to pack, with little supplies to bring.  The above project was a FREE pattern put out by a pattern company YEARS ago (I can remember which one...sorry)!  And these two little gingerbread blocks were for another free project...and can easily get tossed into the mix...or not! {UPDATE...I think they were Sprigs 'n Twigs Patterns...and they seem to have closed....:o((}

                                                   

Then there is this Rosalie Quinlan's project called 'Little Patchwork Village'...a fun one to stitch!

 ...and it has sat in the tote long enough!

It's a sweet little village of wee houses...

I just need to finish the wreath on the door to complete these stitcheries!

And here is JoAnn Mullaly's "Baskets of Life"...love this pattern! 

 The cutest baskets with woolie gold stars added to the mix!
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

 Yup, this one NEEDS to be finished off!

Is it any wonder why I haven't started anything new?
With the exception of prepping this Gail Pan "All Things Christmas" project...which is all prepped and ready to roll for our next road trip in July...:o))

                                             

  IF this one gets finished, it's going to be DANG cute!  Hey, it's all about the process...right?

Someday I WILL finish these quilts...OH, YES I WILL!

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Stitching!~P

Monday, June 22, 2015

Heritage Happenings...

I've been bad...very, very bad!  I haven't kept up with the June Happenings at Heritage!  SEW...without further ado, here's what the gals have been up to!

The first few pictures are of our Heritage Garage Sale...bring anything you want to sell!  This happens a couple of times a year and is always great fun!  The rest of the pictures are of the projects...works in progress, as well as finished quilts!!  Remember if you click on the first picture, you will get a slide show for your enjoyment pleasure!
                       


                                       


                                                

These two bags were made to go between the front car seats...as added room to put your purse, water bottle or whatever!























































That was quite a show!!  Hope you enjoyed!!

Have a great week...and Happy Stitching!~P