Starting a few projects as weather cools.

The weather is cooling here in Arizona and tennis is slowing down over Christmas so I would like to get some projects started and some finished.

I am knitting a cowl... simple and close to being finished.  Would like it done while the weather is cool here.  We are looking after a Jack Russell terrier and early morning and evening walks are chilly.

I made some tea towels.  Well... I added some decorative fabric to some tea towels!  Finished.

Sadi, the Jack Russell we are looking after.  Sweet dog.

 

I made some more hidden wells or majestic mountain blocks.  I think another two sets and then it will be a good size for Quilts of Valour?

 

 

I taught a quick demo at the quilt group on Monday on how to do fusible applique so need to finish this up and will have a cute wallhanging.

Am in the midst of quilting this!  Need to just get it finished and bound!!

Some blocks that I started in the summer using some fat quarters that I have had for years.  The blocks are made, now I need to turn them into a quilt top and another good quilt for Quilts of Valour.

And there you have it.  Hopefully, the next post will show a finished quilt?

Always one step behind, trying to catch up

I did finally finish a project, just in time for Thanksgiving.  A table runner I started in early October.

Nothing else accomplished in my sewing room.  Sad state of affairs for me!

But, we do get to enjoy fabulous sunsets here in our winter home.

Myhouse is decorated for Christmas other than a few wallhangings that need to put up.  A few need hanging sleeves so I can use the neat hangers I bought.  Today I made Christmas cakes - a month late, but they are made and in the oven baking and kitchen is clean.  Smells wonderful!

Getting ready for U.S. Thanksgiving

We get to celebrate two Thanksgiving Days every year - does that mean we have twice as much to be thankful for?  I think and hope so!

I took time out today to play in my sewing room and managed to complete a couple of tea towels for Thanksgiving.  One for me and one for a hostess gift.

And my blocks are sewn, now trying to decide how to set them?  These are the 6½" squares that my Wednesday Diva group exchanged beginning in 2010, finishing up in 2011.  We chose fabrics that were in our stash that we no longer were in love with, cut squares (lots and lots of squares) and exchanged them for about 6 months? 

I showed one setting idea last post have since played with two other ideas.

I think this last one of x's and o's will win out as the preferred setting.  I still have another set to add the white corners to, the lighter squares, and will figure out how it will be set after they are sewn.  I am getting close to being Queen on my UFO group so need to get busy and get this put together and quilted and bound so I can have a 'finish'. 

Mid November



 

I made some steering wheel covers for our quilting group's table at the craft show this Saturday. 

 

I was given a bag with instructions and some covers all ready cut out and ready to sew.  I added in a couple of my own and still have more to stitch for the Spring craft show if these ones are a popular idea and get purchased.

We have been busy in our garden here in Arizona.  It seems funny to do fall planting of flowers but it is too hot here in the summer to have spring/summer flowers.

This is our bouganvilla shrub that we planted last spring and it was as high as the second row of bricks on the wall when we left in April so it grows quickly in the summer. 

We had planted another bouganvilla at the same time as the one above but it didn't survive the summer heat - probably not quite enough water or it was a sick plant.  Anyway, we have replaced it with another plant and have dug a trench to make sure it gets watered weekly on the automatic system.

Our pomegranate tree.  I had to google pomegranates to find out how to eat these things... very different but supposed to be very healthy for you.  You can see one of my planters with geraniums against the wall. 

More plants... I need to remember to water them daily!

And... finally... am sewing a little bit.  This is a hidden wells or majestic mountains quilt block.  The instructions are available for free from 3 Dudes Quilting and I made these to demonstrate to my Monday Quilt group.  Easy and simple way to use up strips of fabric.

I really need to work on my UFO... my name is getting close to the top of the list in my UFO group and so this has to be finished in order to move my name to the bottom and not owe a penalty. 

Cloudy here today so hopefully I can sew for an hour and accomplish something? 

November in Mesa

Here I am, settled into my winter home.  My sewing machine has been serviced and I must say that I was really happy with Mulqueen's in Mesa - great service!  It is once again back on my sewing desk and I have been going through my various projects that I have here to work on.  First on the agenda is making some steering wheel covers for my quilting group's craft fair in a couple of weeks.  And, I have a fall table runner from early October that needs quilting.  It got layered today, ready for the next step. 
Pictures next time!  I promise!!

No time for my machine.

I am sure my sewing machine is missing me but there is no time for me to sew.  Doing fall cleanup, putting things away and getting ready to switch homes for the winter months.

See you in a couple of weeks!

After Thanksgiving - a finished UFO and new projects

I need to catch up with ya'll.  My dh left on a hunting trip (moose) and so I had a week of running here and there.  I headed to Vancouver Island to visit with my family for a few days and met up with a cousin from N. Carolina while there.  Came home and worked in the garden for a couple of days since our weather is incredibly awesome for October.  Hard to get it ready for winter when everything is still blooming and growing beautifully. 

And I made an effort to finish up a few projects before we head south for the winter. 

Using the Quilts of Valour Stonehenge, O Canada fabric, I made a totebag.

And, I made a table runner.

The big project that I am really happy about is finishing a UFO that is about 3 years old.  It was a package of flannels that I made into a Yellow Brick Road - some from the defunct Quiltopia and some fabric from my stash.  Feels good to have this one finished and crossed off the UFO list!

And then I made a preemie quilt to donate to the Special care nursery in New Westminster.

 

This summer, a good friend Susan gave me some Eeyore fabric and I made my grand daughter a quilt for her 4th birthday. 

 

 

 

My friends came for a quilting day while hubby was looking for moose in the wilderness and this is the project that I taught them.  Mine still needs layering and quilting and binding but I think it might go to live in my 'other' house so will take it as is and finish it there.  Takes up less room in my suitcase this way.

 

 

And, last but not least, I have two quilt tops ready for quilting but won't worry about finishing them until next spring when we return from our other house.  Thus, they are destined to become UFO's but will be in that category for only a few months.  These were made because I demonstrated the ruler from Lazy Girl/Lazy Angle as well as a technique from Missouri Star Quilts at the last guild meeting as suggestions for ways to make quilts for donation using your scraps.