Crazy weather

Crazy weather here in AZ.  Raining, then sunny.  This was taken to try to show the black skies to the east while the sun was shining in the west. 

I spent all day in my sewing room instead of the kitchen.  Oh well... baking time tomorrow.  I worked on a really old ufo paper pieced wall hanging and it is ready for layering, quilting and binding.  Did I mention that I detest paper piecing? 

I also worked with a striped fabric and my 60º ruler to create a table runner and then made 3 table toppers with the leftover triangles.  Not too sure if this is autumnal or Christmas?

And, I found time to play with a pattern and fabric from a project I started last December.  This was a free pattern online from a quilt shop and then I ordered their kit.  The project needed to be made with batik or closely woven fabrics because it is all raw edge.  Even the binding is the backing folded over the front of the runner and stitched down along the raw edge.  Different and kind of funky runner.

Tomorrow, for sure, baking time.  Mince tarts! 

The tree has a skirt

My Christmas tree has a skirt.  Such a simple project but it still took some time to get it made.  Except for some baking, am feeling quite organized for the 25th.

Christmas is coming

Christmas is getting closer.  I have finished a couple of small projects with a few others waiting patiently for me to get to them.

This is my wreath made using the Let's Twist ruler.  I really need to get to the woodshop and get my dowelling cut so I can hang this nicely.

A small candle mat made from a kit of precut wool felt.  Was a fun project to do by hand while watching tv.  I have done some Christmas baking.  My shortbread and my sausage rolls are finished and made my Christmas cakes in early November.  Waiting for another day of rain to make my mince tarts and some cookies that use my leftover fruit from the cakes.

Countdown to Christmas

My trees are up - yes 2 of them!  Small one in our tv room and a larger one in the living room.  Seems strange to be using these prelit, not real trees but here in AZ, it makes more sense. 

I had to get busy and get ornaments made for an exchange with friends back home in B.C.  They are ready to package and mail.  Also made a stocking for my dad and my sister will fill it for us.  I tried various ideas for the ornaments and liked the star idea but it was very finicky to make.

I have my December wall hanging ready to layer and quilt and bind... but that will have to wait a few days as we have company arriving any moment for a few days.

And my tree in my living room needs a tree skirt so have these ready to stitch together and get quilted.  Lots of time, right?

Harvest decor items finished for Thanksgiving (U.S.)

I have two autumnal projects finished just in time to pack them away so that I can put out my Christmas decorations! 

A small wallhanging using fusible appliqué and free motion stitching.

This is a table runner made using the Let's Twist book and ruler.

Fabric give away at Stray Stitches

 There is a great give away of some funky fabric at http://www.straystitches1.blogspot.com. 

Stay tuned for a finished project.  I need to get two small projects finished before U.S. Thanksgiving on Thursday!! 

Straddling, twisting. and Falling

I have my Straddling Turkey finished and hanging.  All ready for Thanksgiving here in Arizona.

Am also playing with some Twister blocks to make a table runner. 

And, beside the twister blocks is a falling leaf table runner that needs to be layered and quilted. 

It feels good to be finishing some projects though I can hear my ufo's calling my name and trying to tell me I should be working on them and not new projects!

Fall Day in Arizona

I guess the weather here in Arizona is about as close to autumnal as we are going to get?  Sunny, mid 70's and cools off slightly overnight.  Sun sets a little earlier each night but not as drastic as it in BC.  The last few nights have been incredible with the full moon - like someone left a light on outside. 

Since it is autumn and U.S. Thanksgiving is approaching, I thought this Patchabilities wallhanging was timely to make. I need more purple buttons for my grape cluster but used what I could easily find without spending a long time going from place to place shopping for more.

Two simple and one more detailed projects are completed.

Almost mid November - a long time since I posted pictures of a finished project but I have finally accomplished something!

First is my Dec La Table bargello table runner.  Appliqué has been stitched down and runner is done.

I also have my table topper and two placemats completed and they are on the table being used.

Settled in and working on a variety of projects

We are settling in, in our winter home and I seem to be scattered - working on a variety of projects at once.  Seems strange to have Thanksgiving at home and then come south where the entire country is gearing up for US Thanksgiving.  I feel the need to decorate our home with some autumn/fall projects so that is what I am working on.

I have the background made for a cornucopia Patchabilities hanging, the background for a Straddling Turkey and two placemats (waiting for topstitching around the edge) and a table topper waiting to be quilted and bound.
The autumn fabric I purchased one yard of from Over the Rainbow has turned out to be a great buy.  It was on sale and I have used it in all my current projects. 

Last project from here

This is my last project that I will get made/finished here in my 'summer' house.  Am heading to my winter home soon and have been busy trying to organized projects to take with me although I do have lots waiting for me when I get 'home'. 

I made this for my good friend who has a vineyard in CA and she asked for a hanging of specific dimensions to hang on the back of a curio cabinet.  This hanging had a tendency to be very busy looking so I had to rethink what I was doing to calm it down a little and give the eye a resting place.  Since it will be a 'big' birthday for her this week, I will give this to her to celebrate her special day and am glad that is she older than me and leading the way!

Canadian Thanksgiving

We are having a dreary day here for our actual Thanksgiving but the weather means I have been inside and doing a bit of stitching on some projects.

My Wednesday quilting group is exchanging ugly squares and I thought that it would be a good opportunity to play with a new technique.  Using the idea from Let's Twist, I made up my own ruler since my squares were 6½" not the 5" or 10" that the pattern called for.

Notice that I mitered the striped border fabric - unusual for me to do borders that way but the striped fabric told me it was necessary.

I bought a kit of fabrics from a now defunct quilt shop two years ago - Quiltopia - and it had 6 fat quarters in raspberry and brown.  I added in six more fat quarters from my stash and made this lap/twin size quilt.  I think it will eventually be donated to Quilts of Valour unless a different worthy cause crops up first.

This last project was a kit I purchased at our guild's quilt show in June.  I have been making the half square triangles and now need to play with their arrangement.  It will be a table topper and if this rainy weather continues will have this top ready for layering and quilting in the next few days.

Almost Thanksgiving but thinking about Christmas

It will be Thanksgiving here in Canada this weekend and we will enjoy the usual turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
My dh has been away on a hunting trip and while he was gone, I managed to get a few things accomplished.  My bargello table runner for Christmas is almost finished.  I need to stitch down the applique but I still have time to do that! 

For those who may not know - bargello is Italian needlepoint and I used to spend hours working with canvas and wool yard, creating a variety of projects.  Of course, that was long before quilting took over my entire crafting life. 

I also finished a small project that seems to have taken me forever.  It is kind of funky and retro and was different than what I would normally work on.  Where it will hang is another question? 

Back to my sewing machine.  I am working on a scrappy quilt using a ruler and instructions from the booklet "Le'ts Twist" and am halfway through so you may see some pictures later or tomorrow of the flimsie - if I get that far without interruptions this afternoon. 

Working on a table runner.

I am working on a table runner for Christmas.  The pattern is called Dec la Table and it is a bargello style project which requires slow and careful stitching to maintain your seam allowances and keep your strips and seams straight.  Not like me to be sewing with patience!

This project is a kit that was given to me last Christmas by friends Trish and Pat and was quite a surprise when it arrived in my mailbox in Arizona. 

So, stay tuned for my progress.  This is what I have done so far.  I think this is going to end up being quite stunning!!

I have finished the bindings on my monthly wall hangings from the book Count on It and added the buttons to the October hanging.  All ready for the coming months - what a good feeling. 

And, my Maui Sunset, to be renamed Mesa Sunset is ready to be layered and quilted although a friend who looked at the picture thinks I need to examine the lower left corner and check to make sure I haven't messed up my layout?  hmmmm  Looks like I will frog stitching. 

A friendly postcard

A friend from my quilting guild gave me a fabulous postcard that she made to welcome us to our new home.
What fun!
Thank you so much, Marge!!!

A UFO is finished

I have had this UFO for awhile.  It was a gift/prize from Judith of Cdnquiltswappers but cannot remember what I did to 'earn' it.  Anyway, it is finished and donated to the Abbotsford Quilters Guild We Care program.

Way behind but further ahead

I seem to be way behind on many of my projects - in particular my monthly wallhangings from "Count on It" - and, am working on too many things at once, trying to play catch up after a summer of non-sewing.

All of these are ready for binding and not only do I finally have August finished, have September done, but also have October and November stitched!!!  So, behind but ahead. 

I am a member of a yahoo group that is called Queen of UFO's and was named Queen at the beginning of September which means I need to complete a UFO before Sept 14 - found a child's quilt that needs to be quilted and bound and need to get busy and complete it before my reign is over and I owe penalty fat quarters to the group.

This wall hanging was started early in May and it is waiting for me to complete making some flowers that will get added to the top of the stems.  I have all the parts (found the baggie), just need to get busy and make them and add to be finished.

I am ready to create some quilts!

I am ready to start piecing and quilting.  It has been a long time since I have been settled enough to feel inspired to turn on my sewing machine. 
Finally!!
Life is good!!

This is my sewing machine set up.  I have windows all along the wall to my left when I am sewing.  I also face the sitting area in the basement and can watch tv if I need distracting from what I am working on.

I have an area in the basement that is described as a 'bunker'  It is totally underground and has four steps down to get into it.  The area has great lighting and lots of clean space so it has become my storage space for all my quilting and sewing supplies. This is the entrance to my bunker.

Right down the stairs and in the heart of the bunker.  Storage shelves on one wall and I spent time labelling all my containers.  Still have a few more to go through but I know where most of my 'stuff' is and can find what I am looking for fairly quickly.

I decided to keep all my books in my bunker so put the bookshelf in here along with my rolling carts of odd and ends, bits and pieces.  Once I am totally organized (in a perfect world), I will go through all of these drawers and get them labelled with contents. 

Back up at my sewing machine, standing at the door from the bunker, gazing out into the room with the view of our backyard and valley.  Seems dark but it is the way the camera percieved the lighting while standing at the back of the room.

So, am ready to create something.  Time to get a project underway and get my machine humming.  Hopefully, I will post more often and have some finished projects to show you.

Boxes, boxes and more boxes

I am tired of unpacking boxes but the end is in sight and hope to have a box free house by this weekend.  Also am really hoping to have my sewing space set up as well so that I can get my machine humming and feel a little more content with days.  In the meantime, we have moved, have a fabulous view of Mt. Baker and the weather has been awesome.  Moving was far too much work and has taken a huge amount of time but that is it.  Two houses in a year, two moves and I love both my summer and winter homes. 
Pictures to come, eventually, I promise!

Who knew I had so much fabric and quilting supplies?

Busy packing for our move at the end of the month.  Who knew how much I have in quilting supplies, fabrics, equipment etc? 
My entire upstairs of my house, including all attics are emptied and packed and carried down into my living room ready for hauling outside to a pod that we have borrowed for moving boxes of 'stuff'.

 

I did take a break from packing and managed to get my July "Count on It" wallhanging completed and it can hang on the wall until the very last moment bfore we leave this home. 

Sure isn't flip flop weather here on the pacific west coast.  Oh well - maybe, eventually we will see the sun but weatherman said today, not in July and August isn't looking very good either for some hot weather. 

So, good weather however, for packing and moving and it will give me lots of time to get my new home organized before the weather calls me outside to sit and soak up the rays of the sunshine.

More than a month of ????

This has been a very long month.  I did manage to finish a few projects before life took on a route of its own.
My June Count on It wall hanging got hung on June 1st.  Yippeee

I also finished the funky strippy quilt that I made using my friend's Annie's technique that she shared with me.

My neighbour asked to finish up a quilt that she started for display in her shop so I managed to get the borders added and quilted/bound the quilt for her.

In the last month, my guild has held a quilt show and while I was in charge of the merchant mall, I also am a rep for Quilts of Valour for my region so was busy with the display of the generous donations to this worthy cause.

I did make a Quilt of Valour using the 1600 or lasagna pattern from strips I had cut from my patriotic fabrics earlier in May.

This is the wonderful stack of quilts that I have ready to deliver to the Cdn armed forces for delivery to injusred soldiers in our province

The past few weeks have been non quilting.  My husband has been very ill and has required a lot of tlc as well as transporting him to dr. appointments, MRI tests, barium tests, and a trip to the ER to get him rehydrated.  He is a terrible person to be living with when he is ill but, good news is that while his knee is a total mess, he has had a shot of cortisone to tide him over until he sees an orthopedic surgeon in September.  And he is still waiting for an appointment with a gastro enterologist - so much for urgency in our medical system.  But, he is improving.  Life is better through good drugs? 

And, to add to our days, we have had an offer on our house and after offers and counter offers, we settled on a price that is probably too low but, with health issues, we decided to just 'do it' and accepted the final counter offer.  That means of course, that if and when the subjects are removed (this week), we need to find a house for us to move into.  EEEEEEKS.  Shopping for houses wasn't very much fun without dh along to contribute to what he liked and disliked earlier in the week but yesterday, after the cortisone wonder drug in his knee, he was able to get into the car and we looked at three potential homes.  He was able to see the choices and the compromises we might have to make.  So, waiting for water testing, septic testing and home inspection before the sale is 'done deal'. 

And, I have been working on going through my spaces, cupboards and closets.  I have a load ready for the thrift shop or whatever charity calls first.  As well, yard work still needs to be done in case the house sale does fall through because of something we are unaware of, wrong with this place. 

Weather is so crummy here today on the west coast, I might just take some time to sit at my machine and work on my latest project - a really cute wall hanging.