Happy New Year!

Lula is the most camera shy cat I've ever met, it's very difficult to get a good picture of her. I really liked this one of her hiding in the tree. Looks a bit like Lula is sad the excitement of Christmas is over. It's time to look at what's ahead for the New Year. So far 2011 is starting out to be a busy time with projects. Here is one of many.

I'm very far behind on the Roll Roll Cotton Boll Mystery quilt. I've been trying to catch up this past week. I have part one, two, four and some of part five completed. Bonnie posted part seven, the block assembly today so I can concentrate on putting a few blocks together. Bonnie did an excellent job of keeping the quilt a secret, I had no idea what the block would look like with the sections she posted earlier.

Happy New Year and All the Best for 2011.

Surprise Mail

This little package arrived in the mail yesterday from Mary, I wanted to get this posted sooner but things didn't work out. She's wrapped it so nice with twine and a snowman tag.....oh so darn cute I didn't want to mess up the packaging.

To my surprise when I opened the package, Mary sent me one of her wonderful little quilts I saw on her blog. It felt like a early birthday present when I open this wonderful star quilt. It actually arrived on Mary's Birthday which was yesterday. The picture doesn't do this quilt justice, the quilting is so detailed with curls in each star is awesome and done so prefect.

I'm still in shock I can't believe this fantastic quilt came to my door. Thanks so much Mary you are very thoughtful. Happy Birthday Mary.

Happy Christmas.

Tree Hanger

I've still got a long list of things to do before Christmas.....shopping, wrapping and baking. These tree hangers are the last of the gift sewing, that's if you don't count the baby quilt I need to machine quilt and bind....oh there's still lots of time to finish that....I have a whole week LOL. The tree hangers are a gift for my girls. It's a free pattern from Kim Diehl posted during the Henry Glass Holiday Project Parade.

My front entry way is filled with snowmen.

Some years I don't put out as many decorations but the tall snowman comes out every year for sure.

A few gifts I ordered online this year haven't arrived yet, I hope they arrive at my door soon.

Happy Quilty Christmas Everyone!

More Wool Ornaments

I received so many wonderful comments and questions about my wool ornaments. I thought I would share the remainder that I've made and where you can get the patterns. These are from Reets Rags to Stitches, there are 2 separate patterns that I used to make these. Annie is my favourite.

Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas from Santa.

Keep warm this winter.

This Angel makes me smile, looks like she's had a little too much Christmas cheer. If you missed the other wool ornament, see my previous post.

Keep Warm.

More Decorating

Yesterday I did a bit more decorating and got the tree put up. I usually have more done by now but this year it's slow and steady. So here's the tree all lit up and full of decorations, a lot of them that I've made over the years. I also finished hand sewing the binding on the new tree skirt you see under the tree.

A couple of wool ornaments that are my favourites. I made these a few years ago.

Got to have a few cat ornaments.

This little mitten hanger is done in needle punch.

This morning I woke up to find several of the decorations scattered on the floor. Some of these were half way up the tree. A little better view of the tree skirt, this pattern was from Moda Bakeshop posted I think about June.

I have no clue how this guy gets into so much mischief. He chewed some of the garland way up on the tree and the tree was still standing, that's a neat trick.

Lula is always such a good girl. She sits and watches the mess Boo Boo makes but doesn't get involved. She's the good kitty.

Happy Quilting.

It's Started

The decorating has started at my house. This past weekend DH put up the lights outside and I've finished this quilt. The quilt is from a class I took at Buggy Barn two summers ago now....wow does time fly. It's a pattern by Cheri Payne, I just finished the quilting now and it's ready to enjoy this season.

A few little ornaments I stitched up. These are originally printed as gift tags and I made them into basket stuffers. I used a red variegated thread and gave them a bit of stuffing.

Every year I make a little ornament for the tree. Looks like I've check one thing off my list.

CORRECTION: I've been getting a number of emails about an interview with Pat Sloan today. I had to do some of my own investigating and found she has mistakenly put a link to my blog on her website. Apparently she is interviewing Jo Morton today.....those are big shoes to fill....I  think I'll pass on that one. Anyway It's not me getting interviewed and I'm certainly going to check out Jo's interview.


Happy Quilting.

Cotton Boll

This is going to be my first ever mystery quilt....I decided to jump in and try Bonnie's Roll Roll Cotton Boll challenge. I usually like to see the quilt I'm making before cutting up my fabrics. With this mystery quilt, I'm so intrigued by the colours she's given for the quilt.....so here I go....lets see what happens along the way. I've finished step one piecing the pink and green strips....woohoo.


Happy Quilting!

Bags and Birthdays

It sure took me long enough to sew on those straps. I made this bag in a class with Agnes, she is a wonderful teacher and makes fantastic bags. I think I've done four of her classes over several years. The handles are hand sewn on, that's what took me sooooo long. The long strap is easy, just clip it to the fabric loops. Here is the bag folded over.

Or you can use the small handles and carry it this way. The two smaller patches at the bottom are outside pockets.

My daughters birthday was last weekend. I made her this pincushion, and Steve made the bright orange pen for school, she was thrilled and loved them both. We went out for the best pizza I've ever had, fresh toppings and healthy. After lunch we found some really delicious not so healthy peanut butter cups....yummo!

What can I say? Never a dull moment.

Until next time.

More Blocks

I've made some progress on a few more blocks this week. Cheri has posted the completed quilt and it's so adorable, I just love it. Something else I've done it a bag class with this lovely teacher, she makes some very unique custom bags. Scroll down on her blog and you'll see the Paris Cross Over bag, that's the one we took in class. I just need to add the handles and I'll have a wonderful new bag.

Progress on Blocks

I wish I had started these blocks sooner when Cheri first started posting them. They are so much fun to make. The quilt is called Soot and Ashes. You can see the completed quilt on Cheri's blog. Five blocks completed and ten more to go, I'm very happy I decided to jump in and start this quilt.

Happy Halloween!

A small applique project I've been working on. I'm still finishing up a few things for fall before I start on the next season coming really fast, I won't say the "C" word just yet. My daughter loved her Halloween lunch bag and she plans to be using it long after Halloween is over. Tonight we'll be walking around the neighbourhood looking for spooky houses. We don't get more than 2 or 3 kids on our street, so I'd rather be out seeing all the action, many houses go all out with decorations in our area.

The small bit of applique didn't take long to do, I love the pumpkin block.

Look who's back.....it's Boo Boo and he is here to stay this time. My daughter can't keep him in her small apartment. He's only been living with us a couple of weeks and loves to go outside. Boo Boo and Lula get along just fine, they chase each other and Lula gives Boo Boo a swat on the head once in a while, to tell him who's the boss in this house.

His favourite spot to see the squirrels and birds in the backyard.

Don't eat too many Candy Corns tonight.

Everything Black and Orange

 Yesterday I made this lunch bag for my daughter going to college. She loves everything Halloween and picked the fabric but doesn't know that I made this bag for her.

 A few fussy cut pumpkins and some 1" strips and you have a little quilt for the fall season.

Lots of Black and Orange around my house right now.

Maple Leaf

If you read my blog regularly you might remember this Maple Leaf table runner I made a few weeks ago. I made the runner for a friend and in trade her husband made this wonderful garden stone for my garden....I'm so tickled to have it. The stone template is made from a large maple leaf. To give you an idea of the size, the stone is 2 feet across...it's ginormous...and it's heavy. I love how you can see all the leaf veins etched in concrete forever. I'd say I'm a pretty happy girl to have this addition to my garden.

Happy Turkey Day

Well it's been a busy turkey weekend, we've had 2 delicious dinners and the weekend isn't over yet. Tonight I think we'll have to take a break from all the turkey. It's been a gorgeous sunny weekend with a little nip in the air....I love it. I finally finished this quilt, the blocks have been sitting around for a while. I didn't use a pattern so I didn't have a plan for how big it was going to be, the size turned out perfect for a lap quilt.
EDIT: I found the tutorial for this block, you can find it here under Nov 08, have fun making your own version.

I used mostly my stash for this one....woohoo that feels good.

Happy Turkey Day to all you Canadians. Have a wonderful weekend with friends and family.

Almost Complete

I have a few projects at different stages of completion, stitcheries, applique and this quilt....that doesn't mean I don't have many other WISP waiting for my attention. I wanted to have this one finished by now, but since it's not completed yet.....I'll thought a peek wouldn't hurt.

This weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving, the smell of turkey with all the fixin's will be the scent that fills my home.

Happy Fall.
 

Fall Decorating

I'm so ready for fall....I've been doing a little decorating around the house. The cat ornament I made this week, wouldn't it be so fun to have a tree filled with these cats?....I better start making more....LOL. And the cute scarecrow guy was a gift from a friend when she came back from her trip down the Oregon coast recently....isn't he adorable and a prefect addition.

A couple of stitched bowl fillers and a punch needle pillow.

This is one corner of my kitchen, the witch towel I showed in the last post. My pumpkin tablerunner I made many years ago and the fall is coming pumpkin quilt on the wall.

The wooden blocks in the basket spell out BOO, I thought they looked good tossed in the basket.

Have you seen the Fall-O-Ween parade of projects, these Witch Hosts have out done themselves, the projects are really great. Lots of pumpkins, candy corn, acorns and oat leafs....and it's not over yet. Check it out.

Happy Fall.

Playing Catch Up

A few of you asked what I purchased on my LA shopping trip. Some patterns I had my eye on and so had to snap those up. The Eiffel Tower quilt pattern was an impulse buy, since I had just vacationed in Paris last spring, I have to make that quilt....very soon I hope.

I was looking for Halloween fabrics and bought a few pieces. Mostly I wanted reproduction fabrics as our local shops don't carry much if any of these type of fabrics.

Look what found it's way to my mail box....oops I just realized I forgot to include the sweet label that came with the scissor fob. Darlene (Quilting Daze) is a very thoughtful friend and thinks of all the details, do you see the charm that says "made for you", I put this fob on my stork scissors I bought in Portugal. I also noticed the flower is very similar to the Portuguese flowers I have in my garden. Thanks Darlene, I will think of you when I reach for my scissors.

I've had fall decorating on my mind lately. I bought this little kit last year and didn't get to making it, so I wanted to make sure I had this finished this in plenty of time to enjoy the season. I love fall and all it's colours. More fall decorating to come.

Happy Quilting.