MIA...

Yes, I have been missing in action...but there has been plenty of action around here...just not exciting action!  I have been sewing while listening to audio books...plus...throw in a touch of gardening (just enough to get a nasty sting!) and of course our daily hikes (YIKES...another bear sighting!!).  Seems quilting is the only SAFE and pain free sport out there!  :o))  But it was all good, I just had nothing blog worthy!  And I still don't for that matter...but will show you the progress that I have made on my tree quilt...

SEW...I have two more trees that need borders.  Those improv borders take time...who knew?! :o) Then I need to 'fill in the holes'!

Glynis has also been busy working on her forest too...and it has a whole different look!  Check it out...

So there you have it...more trees...but we are both heading for the finish line!

Before you leave...head on over to Laural's blog over at Simply Put Plus!  She is giving away the cutest 'Pumpkin Friends' pattern EVER...it's one of her newest patterns...the ink is still wet!!

Hey, that strange sound that I hear is RAIN...yup, it is finally raining on Vancouver Island!!  I can hear the brown grass (our lawn) slurping it up and saying "FINALLY!"  All my dancing (rain-dancing that is) paid off!!

Have a FUN Friday and Happy Stitching!~P

Slow Stitching Sunday...

Progress to report!!  The middle of the quilt is finished...it's been BIG stitch quilted!   The PVC quilting frame is great for quilting the middle of the quilt but not so great for the outer edges. But that's OK...now it's time for the hoop and the outer edges!!

Just one stitch at a time...I think I can..I think I can...:o))

I hope you get in some slow stitching this sunny Sunday!~P

A Finish For Glynis!

I swear Glynis does not sleep!  She just keeps banging off quilts left, right and centre!  Exquisite quilts!  Wonderful quilts!  Quilts that are on MY Bucket List!  Do I sound just a wee bit envious...ok...downright jealous?!  Well...maybe just a little!  :o)) But that's OK...because when I see Glynis' creations it just cements my reasons for wanting to make these quilts!!

For instance, this quilt...we both bought the kits when we were down south at Grand Country Quilters in La Mesa, CA!  Love that shop!
                                       
Glynis finished it off last week...and it is wonderful!  WAY better than I remembered!  My pictures DO NOT do it justice at all!  It is made from Diamond Textile fabrics with a lovely pop of orange and then the wool pennies in the centre of each star add a whole other dimension.  And I have the kit...somewhere!  (insert happy dance!) haha Yes, I have got to clean out that cupboard but it is in there somewhere!
                                                  
The pattern for this quilt can be found in Primitive Quilts Magazine...:o)

Glynis is also working on this Kim Diehl Quilt...this one is on both Sandy and my To Do List...and it is going to be DDG (drop-dead-gorgeous)!  It is going to look lovely on Glynis' kitchen table!

This table topper can be found in 'Simple Appeal' by Kim Kiehl...and is called 'Penny Garland'...page 16.  See...I'm not completely unorganized!  I KNOW where my books are!  :o)))

 Yup...I'm loving this!  But then I love everything that Kim Diehl creates!  I just wish she wouldn't name her books 'Simple Whatever"...it's too confusing for this 'Simple Brain'!  It's like Buggy Barn naming their books 'Crazy Whatever'...  I can never remember which is which...'Crazy, Eh'!

So it's the end of another week and August is flying by!!  I haven't lifted thread or needle towards ANY of the projects on my GOAL LIST and it feels wonderful...except for that little niggle of 'darn'...I was on such a roll!  But sometimes we have go with the way that the wind is blowing...or we will get mired in the mud....metaphorically speaking, of course!  No mud or wind around here...(have I told you how much I want RAIN?)

Maybe I will get back on track in September...?  We shall see...I will say this, August sure was a FUN month!! :o)))

Anyway...I hope that you have a FUN Friday and happy stitching!~P  

The Birds Keep Singing...

I'm still playing...the trees and birds are finished...

Here's a few close-ups of the birds...

Got to have a wee blue bird of happiness on this quilt!

                            I declare enough!

 Time to start laying out and planning placement...

Around each tree will go improv triangles...

So it looks like that is where I am right now...making sashing...which means lots of improv triangles to add a splash of colour and interest!

This has been such a fun and freeing project...slash and sew, slash and sew!  It was fun to watch my trees grow into a small forest.

Speaking of forests...there must be a new forest fire nearby as it is very smokey this morning!  Our real forests need rain badly as we have had such a dry, hot summer.  Even in the heat and discomfort the birds keep singing!

Have a FUN Friday and Happy Stitching!~P

PS...Bird tutorials can be found HERE and HERE.  Tree Tutorial can be found HERE.  Thank you ladies for all of your help!  (Don't you LOVE quilters and their blogs!)

The Inbox Jaunt...

Lori Kennedy says that HER MOTHER is her biggest fan, well I beg to differ!  I have been reading and doodling from her blog, The Inbox Jaunt, for months now...LOVE HER BLOG!  If you are serious about becoming a better quilter than this is the blog for you!  Because of Lori, I went out and bought a grid notebook..just for doodling practice!  I figured that maybe it would improve my doodling if it was on grid paper...:o)  I mean really...if you are going to doodle, then let's do it right!

What a surprise when I got an email from Lori wondering if I would be interested in reviewing her new Craftsy Video, 'Divide and Conquer: Creative Quilting for Any Space'.  WOULD I BE INTERESTED?! Do quilters LOVE chocolate?  YES!!  Of course I would! ANYTHING for Lori!

So for the last week I have been 'in class'....Crafts' Class!  I do an hour here and an hour there...and man, is it good!  I am such a good student, taking notes and doodling like crazy!

Lori opened her first class by addressing my first fear...my fear of messing up a quilt that I have worked months on!   (How did she KNOW?)  Yup...I have tons of quilts waiting in the wings for a miracle to happen... like for me to become a 'better' quilter!

Yup...these two tops have been waiting far too long....

 Lori addresses EVERYTHING...from threads, doodling, batting, spacing...and yes, of course practicing!  She also shows us how to divide our quilt...and how to mark it...so that we can conquer it with quilting!  Gawd...I'm sounding like a quilter!
                                              


There are also plenty of written materials that you can download and print off...including grid compositions, perfect for doodling practice!  Lori has thought of everything!

There is also a Projects Page where 'students' can share what they have been practicing!  Love that!  One of Lori's student made a mat out of each lesson...yup, there is one in every class!! haha  There is also a question and answer section!

These lessons are invaluable...especially if you are like me, a visual learner!  Seeing and then doing, is vital!  And the good part about these lessons is that you can watch them over and over again!

My notes...please don't judge...:o)

I must confess...I still have one more lesson to watch...before I go back and re-watch the whole series again...and maybe again after that!  BUT I noticed on Lori's Blog 'The Inbox Jaunt' that she has a SALE happening ...and I didn't want you to miss out on it!  It's for her Blog Followers...you get $10 off!!  You are a Follower, aren't YOU?  If you're not, then you should be!!
                                             
Lori's Blog is wonderful...very informative...lots of pictures...and lots of 'how tos'...but her CLASS takes it to a whole other level!  There is something about watching someone plan out the design, draw it, then take it to the machine and draw it with thread!  And yes, she is using an ordinary sewing domestic machine!! Love it!

So if you want to learn to quilt...as I do...then hurry over to Inbox Jaunt...check out her blog and become a Follower!!  Then check out her Craftsy Class...and the rest will be history...You can thank me later!!

But first...thank you Lori!!  Anytime you want a video reviewed, then you know who to call...your BIGGEST FAN!

Have a wicked Wednesday and Happy Stitching...or doodling!~P

Trees...and SEW far... one lone BIRD...!

I am still playing....the trees are finished or at least I think they are finished!  You never know...with Improv :o) and I am now starting on Improv Birds!  They are much more finicky than the trees were!  Good thing I only need a few to sprinkle here and there...

 I am using the tutorial from Patchery Menagerie's blog...which you can find HERE.  I'm hoping to carve out some time today to try The Pie Lady Quilter's tutorial, as her's birds are a bit different. Go HERE if you want to see her tutorial.  Both are great!

My Goals for August have been pushed to the sidelines...where they may stay this month!  BLAH!!
I'm having way too much FUN to stop now!  I hope that you aren't getting too sick of trees...and birds but when you are on a roll you have to go with it!

Have a magical Monday and Happy Stitching!~P

Improv Quilting...or Hoochy Corners...

Last year I bought this book called 'Flower Power' by Mary Lou Weldman..(she is the cow lady...remember the whimsical improv cows that everyone was making...) I bought the book when I was down south and  I was all excited about Paper Piecing.
                                          
When I got home and started reading it, I discovered that the book was about Improv Quilting Flowers and Birds, not paper piecing them!

 Mary Lou doesn't call it Improv Quilting.   She calls it 'hoochy' corners or 'cope' cornering (sewing fabric to corners to achieve your shape)...ie flowers or birds.   I would show you some of her flowers but I dare not, as this box is displayed predominately on each and every page...so you will have to be happy with the cover photo.

                                 

At the time of purchase, I was disappointed with the book.  I wanted paper pieced flowers...not hoochy flowers...so I put the book away!  I almost donated it to the local Thrift Shop...(whew..I am so happy that I am able to say 'almost'!)

That has all changed since trying the improv trees!  They are easy, fun and relatively fast to make...and different from anything that I have ever done!  And as you can see, my forest is growing...

 Who knows...maybe there are some 'hoochy flowers' on my horizon after all!  Yup...I will be looking at this book with new and different eyes!!  I'll keep you posted!

Have a Sunny Sunday and Happy Quilting!~P

Fun Forest Friday...

Improv Trees....my trees have become a wee forest...!

Have a FUN Friday and Happy Stitching!~P

Trees, Trees...

I can only say that twice as that is how many trees I have made...as in TWO!  I am hoping to carve out a bit of sewing today so hopefully, I will have a forest by tomorrow!

Are you shocked?  They are almost...dare I say it?....modern!

                              

Maybe I better throw in some homespuns...:o))

We woke up to a blanket of smoke hanging over our area...the sun is now coming up red.  Forest fires have been at an all time high this year and it looks like there may be another one nearby!  We need rain, lots of rain, to keep our forests safe!  We had a drizzle on Saturday...just enough to make Hazel's daughter's wedding miserable...but not enough to make a dent on the dry grass and bush!

Anyone up for a Rain Dance?  I've got the moves, if you've got the grooves....:o)

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Stitching!~P

"SCORE!!"

I have yet to find a quilt shop/yarn shop/hobby shop that sells Valdani Perle Cotton here on Vancouver Island.... I am using it to big stitch quilt my 'Buds in a Basket' quilt so I need a boat load!    SEW frustrating!!

I put the call out to my traveling friends to be on the look out for Valdani Perle Cotton...colour #5...which is a beige thread.  They found nothing...although they all reported having fun looking:o)) (...hey...you got to keep your friends happy...right?! haha)

I was just about to place an on-line order when look what I spotted at the local thrift shop!  Now, it's not Valdani, but it will certainly do in a pinch and it was calling MY NAME!

 And LOOK at the price!  Got to LOVE that!  Eleven balls for $1.00...that's less than ten cents each!!

Anyway...I ran out of the Valdani last night, so I dug into this bag and started using the thread.  It felt the same...pulled though nicely...and more importantly it looked the same...even this morning with the natural light on it!  I could not tell where the Valdani left off and this thread started!  Eureka!  I am back in business!!  I love it when I can 'make-do'! :o))  Do I dare say it?....Oh what the heck...

  "SCORE!!"

I know...some things just never change!

Have a wicked Wednesday and Happy Quilting!~P

A Labour of Love...

Does this face not say it ALL?!  

Yup, Hazel is looking mighty happy in this picture...as she should!

 Every week, Hazel has brought her little applique 'kit' to Heritage, then visited...while she hand stitched her applique motifs!  Yes, we watched her take every little stitch! :o)

Finally she announced that she was working on her border pieces....hallelujah!  

Once the quilt was pieced, Hazel worked her magic with the quilting!  Gorgeous!

The red blocks have the same outline quilting shape as the applique motifs!

Yup, there is nothing like a finish, is there Hazel!!

And NO, I'm not going to tell you how many months that applique kit came back and forth to Heritage!  It's best that we not go there!  After all...what happens at Heritage, stays at Heritage!  Let's just say that it was a labour of love!  

Well done, Hazel!  She's a beauty!!  

Have a terrific Tuesday and Happy Quilting!~P

Winter Trees....

It just took a wee bit of rain to get us thinking about Winter... and bare Winter trees... or perhaps it was  seeing these lovely arbutus tree branches....that got Claire, Glynis and I all fired up to make some trees of our own!!

I could SAY that it was these events that inspired us.... but REALLY it was seeing the Pie Lady Quilt entry in the Blogger's Quilt Festival (called 'The Lovely Woods') that spurred us on and got us all fired up to make some of our own Winter TREES!

Aren't they wonderful!  These are Claire's improvisational trees and they are stunning!  She almost has a QUILT TOP!  When Claire gets fired up, she gets FIRED up!

 And here is Glynis' winter tree in all it's splendor!

And finally, my attempt at improvisational quilting in the form of a tree!
                                               
Yup...winter appears to be right around the corner!  Thanks Pie Lady Quilts for the inspiration for our efforts!!  Next up improvisational birds (which you can see HERE.)!!

There is an EXCELLENT tutorial on Pinkadot Quilts Blog for the improvisational trees...trust me, this block is fast, easy and a lot of fun!  Check it out HERE!  But be warned...that Improv Bug might bite you too!

Have a magical Monday and Happy Stitching!! ~P
PS... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLAIRE!!  (Gotcha!:o)

An Apple a Day...How About a Granny Smith?

I spent far too much time playing yesterday!  Don't you love auditioning colours for a quilt?  Oh, the possibilities are endless!  I wish I had taken pictures of all the different combinations before I FINALLY settled on this....

 I love the nice crisp colours of this...like biting into a Granny Smith!

I'm still playing...not sure if it will be a baby quilt or a lap quilt...I'm just going with it...The nine patch blocks were bought at a Garage Sale by my daughter and gifted to me!  So what the heck am I doing finishing off someone else's UFO when I have a cupboard full of my own!  You know what they say...the apple is always greener on someone else's tree...! :o)))

Have a super Saturday and Happy Stitching!~P

Fun Friday....

My daughter, Erin, found this bag of wee nine patches at a Garage Sale (what can I say...yes, she is a chip off the ol'block...:o) and she thought of ME!

She bought them for only $2 and considered them a rescue!  I am going to carve out some playtime today with the hopes that I can breath new life into these patches...I do love a Scrap Happy Quilt!!...

And when I get tired of piecing, I still have this to work on...I'm half done...and I LOVE IT!!

                             

Ohhhh...I love FUN Fridays!!

I hope that you are having a FUN Friday of your own and Happy Stitching!~P

A Handmade Gift...

Don't you LOVE receiving handmade gifts...and something like THIS is especially wonderful!  Drift wood found on the beach...fashioned into a wreath!  Have I mention that I LOVE WREATHS!

Erin, my daughter, made it for me and I (almost) felt bad taking it from its pretty home...but hey, she assured me she could make another!  Don't you love the addition of the Air Plant...so pretty!

THANK YOU, ERIN!!  I LOVE IT!!  

So here it is Wednesday already!  Once again the week is flying by!  Come to think of it...the summer is whizzing by in a blur!  What's with that?  I thought once you retired, things would slow down but apparently things speed up!  The good thing about retirement is that it's all FUN stuff waiting for you...It's true...you cut out the WORK and the only thing left is PLAY!  Gotta love it!  

I hope you get time to PLAY today too!  Have a wildly wicked Wednesday and Happy Stitching!~P

A Wee Forest...

...was planted and harvested yesterday...and added to my Wee House Quilt!  I love trees as much as I love houses so it makes sense that I would join the two!  BUT  I think I am going to have to make more!  Wouldn't this make a sweet pillow or a table topper?

You can find the pattern for these wee trees HERE...thank you to Olivia Jane for the FREE Pattern!  (Don't you love the internet!)

Now I have to figure out the sashing and cornerstone colours...Any ideas...?  Decisions...decisions...

Have a magical Monday and Happy Stitching!~P

Heritage Happenings...

I cleaned up my camera card this morning and came across some Heritage pictures that I didn't know I had...:o}}...  plus a few that I took last week while at Heritage Quilt Guild!  Sorry about that ladies...
So let the good times roll...

 And these pictures are from last week...so I remember these...Sandy's gorgeous wool runner that she is still working on...absolutely beautiful!

 Judy received a bundle of purple FQs for Christmas (not her favourite colour) so she made a runner...and with the left over fabric she...

 ...made the backing...and will gift it back to the person who gave her the fabric!  ;o)

 And Glynis finished off her 'Warm Winter Blessings'...gorgeous as ever!  Love this quilt...and yes, this woman does NOT sleep!!

So now I am caught up and my camera card is spic and span!  Ohhh... what will I talk about tomorrow?  

Have a sunny Sunday and Happy Stitching!~P