The beat goes on ...

Wow, the month of March flew by. Can't say I did much except sit on the couch and knit. That darn couch is so comfortable. Sigh!

On the quilting front, a while back, I finished Seaside Cottage wool topper but forgot to post about it! I do like how it turned out. 

It's perfect for my little table in the breakfast nook. The table topper complements my Lego bouquet!

I would be happy to give the pattern away. If anyone is interested, leave a comment and I will contact you. Do make sure to have an email attached/associated with your profile.

Keep well everyone and thanks for stopping by. Cheers!

Chookyblue Zoom Zoom ...

 Yesterday, I had the pleasure of catching up with like minded gals. I so enjoy Chooky's Zoom Zoom gatherings. The ladies are all so wonderful. As a bonus, I get to practice understanding the Aussie Accent! lol

I did a bit of knitting on a pull over I'm working on for Pumpkin. The pattern is called Le Classic by Espace Tricot. It's free on Ravelry.

I also worked on Seaside Cottage, a kit/pattern by Primitive Gatherings: a new wool piece I started a couple of weeks ago. 

It's a great feeling to catch up on the various wool kits I have on my "To do" list. 

Hope you all had a wonderful December 25th! 

Catch you all later! Cheers!

Strategic planning ...

 When I start on a new project, I always think about how I'll tackle it to maximize my cutting, as well as the execution. I thought I would share how I planned my latest wool project, Posey Party.

I traced and cut my pieces. Once that is done, I started with stitching the center of the flowers. 

When I work on a project that is wool on wool, I'm a pin kind of gal and do not use fusible. However, since the stems were small, it made sense to use a fusible. My favourite fusible is Heat N Bond Feather lite. It needles beautifully. I proceeded to build the stem circles.

I would stitch the stems before placing another row. 

Once all my stems are stitched on, my next stage is building the circle with flowers and leaves. I will work one stage at the time, starting with the center. Once the center is stitched, I'll build the next row ... stitch and onward to the next.

Because I use pins, working in rows makes it easier and less bulky for stitching. I use a combination of DMC or Cosmo floss (one to two strands depending on the size of the piece) and Valdani size 12 hand dyed pearl cotton. I like to match the colour to my wool piece. 

Some people like to have everything pinned or fused and then start stitching. I like to work in stages. It's less bulky and I don't get pricked by pins. Even with the fusible, I find that the pieces will sometimes come off from the manipulation of the block.

There you have it, a mini tutorial on how I plan the Posey Party project.

If you are interested in the pattern, leave a comment. I'll get in touch with you to get your snail mail address.

Thanks for stopping by. Catch you all later! Cheers!

The Wool Box

 I couple of years ago, I signed up for Primitive Gathering's wool box. I'm enjoying receiving happy mail ever couple of months. Sadly, the boxes have been sitting, patiently waiting for me to start the projects.

For our December Sew we Gather group, we all decided that we wanted to work on whatever project we wanted, allowing us the opportunity to tackle Christmas projects that needed completion. I took the opportunity to work on a project from the wool boxes ... Posey Party.

Drum roll please ...... Tad dah!

The best part about this project, instead of using the greens from the kit, I took the opportunity to use all my small scrap wool.

It actually made a dent in the wool scrap bin. At $80.00 a yard for hand dyed wool, I save a lot! 

Thanks for stopping by! Catch you all later! Cheers!

Fixing my blog

 I love my blog. However, with the recent and not so recent up dates with Google/Blogger, I noticed that I had lost all the videos/slide shows I had created with Picasa. If you clicked on the post, you had no record of the photographs ... blank

Luckily, I was able to link my Picasa account with Google and retrieve all the photographs. I then begin creating slide shows using iPhoto. Love my Mac.

What a production this has been; viewing blogging posts from December 2011 backwards. I think I have corrected everything. This has taken me the better part of a full day, but at least it is all there ... new slide shows.

These fixes were definitely a trip down memory lane ... I'll be honest, I cried at some of the posts and others, I relish in the experience.

Glad my blog is now back in order. Not that I expect people to read my blog from day one ... that would be January 18, 2007 ... Lots has happened since then.

On another note, I did receive my Wool Box from Primitive Gatherings. 

Off to think about what I want to work on next. Catch you all later.

Show & Tell ...!

Saturday morning, my friend Diane texted me and said:

"Do you feel up to an outdoor chat? I can walk over to your place and talk outside. I have some show and tell."

It was a gorgeous day ... perfect for sitting outside .... I'm game ... So we had a Social Distancing Show & Tell.

I set up two chairs ... 6 feet plus apart, of course ... while she walked over.

We both subscribe to the Primitive Gatherings wool box ... during this isolation, she has been working on the various projects from the boxes we've received.

Check out the cute pincushion.

Hum ... inspiration to get mine done! lol

The last show and tell was the project she's presently working on.

Diane does beautiful work. She is such an inspiration.

I so miss our weekly get-together with our group ... Our Saturday coffee Shoping time! Sigh!

Later that day my friend Gina stopped by to drop off a quilt .... and brought me a sweet care package.

It was wonderful to catch up with friends on quilting, life the universe and everything else. That day was just what I needed !

How have you been maintaining some social time?

I do hope you have found ways to keep in touch with your circle of friends, those you care about. Social distancing does not have to be total social isolation. It's important to connect ...

Keep healthy, both physically & psychologically. Cheers!

Happy St Patrick's day!

Top of the morning to you! Hope you are enjoying a fabulous day!

Finished this little quilt ... a project from my last wool box with Primitive Gatherings. The pattern is called Irish Chain by Lisa Bongean

The instructions called for hand embroidering the shamrock ... but I went with hand dyed wool. They were tiny pieces ... so tiny that it was best I hand embroidered the stem. 

I love how it turned out. Glad to finally have a piece for St Patrick's day. 

What have you been up to?

Catch you all later.  Cheers!

Happy St Valentine's day!

A day not just for lovers .... It's a day to celebrate love amongst friends, neighbour, co-workers .... a day that serves as a reminder that love is all that matters. Alright, no more mushing stuff! lol

On to quilting!

I decided that I would work on my January wool box from Primitive Gatherings. The project was perfect for today!

So, I got stitchin'!

Which soon turned into this.

And in no time I had a cute little quilt to decorate my home for this holiday!

I just love how it turned out. 

Hoping you have a wonderful day of love! Enjoy celebrating with loved ones!

Catch you all later! Cheers!

Wool Box surprise ....!

I subscribed to a bi monthly (every other month) wool box from Primitive Gatherings. I figured, who doesn't like a surprise! I enjoy working with wool and Primitive Gatherings designs ... win win situation!

The surprise comes in a lovely box.

Not to ruin the surprise, I'll show you the second box I received.

Lots of fun stuff to work on.

Fast forward to today ..... I am about to receive the January box and I haven't touched the three (3) boxes I've already received.

Goodness, perhaps I ought to do something about it. So, to calm the practical me, I started the main project that was in the November box ... Winter in Wisconsin

Such a cute wool mat!

What have you been up to?

Thanks for stopping by. Catch you all later!

Beauty all around ...!

As evident from my lack of blog post throughout 2018 and 2019, I did not get a lot of quilting projects done. As a matter of fact, the quilt Beauty All Around just sat there. I had blogged about the machine quilting back in October 2018, as part of my "UFO Completion" project .... and there it sat, untouched.

Heck, I even forgot to blog about its completion!

In early 2019, I did gather the energy to actually sew the binding on.

And, manage to get a bit of the binding hand sewn ... 

But there it sat for quite some time until ... I picked it back up in July 2019

I was determined to mark this project "done". Seriously, wasn't it time I finally completed this quilt. I was so close. I cranked up the a/c ... like who wants a warm quilt on their lap in the middle of summer ... and got stitchin'.

Voila .... completed!

Can you imagine being so close and yet just letting sit there. Well, I'm glad I finally said enough is enough and got it done.

Sometimes we forget why we set a project aside ... for me I let life get in the way. I've also come to understand that when life gets challenging, it's important to not forget what makes us happy ... and for me creativity is my happy place. When I create, whether is is writing or quilting, it provides a place of sanity, a peaceful space. I hope you have found your place of sanity during your challenging times ... that's when it's the most crucial ... regaining a sense of peace during times of unrest.

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your creative outlet whatever it may be! Cheers!

Getting closer to the finish line ....

It's a great feeling when you are getting closer to the finish line. It's a boost in motivation ... All of a sudden you just want to get it done! Indeed ... that's what I did.

I organized by colours so that the sashing would be balanced. I pieced these blocks using scraps from the various quilt I have made throughout the years. In some way, it's a memory quilt! ;)

So, I started piecing the sashing ... balancing the fabric colours accordingly.

Notice block 12 on the bottom right? Yea, I did stitch it ... just forgot to take a picture before I started working on the sashing!

Now I'm ready to put the border on!

What have you been up to lately?

Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner in cyberspace!

Catch you all later!

Back on the stitch wagon .....

After taking a bit of a break I got back to working on the last two (2) blocks of the Beauty All Around BOM.

When I'm doing hand work, I tend to put on a documentary and stitch away as I absorb knowledge, usually having to do with either science or history. However, lately I've been in the mood for ..... well ... more of a slow pace ...

Not sure why ... I just needed comfort ... some form of predictability. Yea, my life has been quite chaotic as of late ...

I finished stitching block 11

And ... block 12

Oops .... forgot to take a picture ... Oh well ... It's done ... ! lol

Now, it's time to get down to piecing the actual top.  I'm pretty excited to be closer to finishing this UFO. What have you been up to as of late?

Thanks for stopping by my little corner in cyber space. Catch you all later! Cheers!

The last summer ice cream ...!

My favourite ice cream shop is closing for the season ...

Hard to believe that fall is in the air ... I do love all the seasons .... each brings it unique beauty!

On the quilting from ... Modern Building Block being all done, it was time to tackle another UFO ... Beauty All Around.

I got stitching ... Block 9

And Block 10

Catch you all later! Cheers!

A change of scenery .... !

I think I have been pretty good keeping focused on completing quilting UFOs. But, there comes a time when a girl has got to start something new! lol Seriously, variety is the spice of life!

So, I got busy on this little pattern by Bonnie Sullivan of All through the night called Frosty!

I figured working on a snowman would be a great way to keep cool in this hot weather. You know, think about snow and all ... lol

Here is my version .... framed and all!

How cute is that?! I just love snowmen!

So, what have you been working on?

Catch you all later!

Back to hand work ...!

Sometimes I just want to sit and watch something on TV. Well, for me it's my laptop. I don't watch television ... I actually pay for my programming. Amazon Prime has some great documentaries as well as Netflix.

Yeap, that's what I watch went I do hand work ... documentaries ... I call it learning by osmosis! lol

Voici Block 8 of the BOM Beauty All Around by Geoff's Mom Pattern Company.

Onward to another block! It's so sweet when they are all prepped!

Cheers!

A break from the DSM ... !

Is it hot enough for you people in the northern hemisphere? OMG, I think this summer is going to be in the category of one of the hottest in a long time. 

Took a little break from machine piecing and picked up the UFO - BOM Beauty all Around and worked on stitching a couple of blocks.

Block 6

And block 7

What's nice about this UFO is that all the blocks are prepped. All I need to do is stitch around the wool pieces. That's the beauty of taking the time to prep all of your blocks. When you are done with one, you can pick up another ... it's a production line! ;)

So, what have you been up to today?

Oh my ...!

Goodness, how time flies ... I've been a busy body, but certainly not in the quilting department. Subbing ... and ... we had company! Aunt Marge, our Floridian, decided to visit us in June ... So, up until last Tuesday, I've been entertaining!

I did attend Vermont Quilt Festival last Thursday with friends. We were shocked to learn that our yearly "Dinner Ritual" restaurant, Juniors,  suddenly closed a couple of days prior to the show. I was so set on my usual! Oh well, it always saddens me to learn that a business closed, especially after 25 years.

On the VQF front, the venue appeared smaller than last year. I didn't get a chance to take any photos of quilts. For one thing, no photos allowed of the reproduction collection. So, I shopped ... what else is a girl to do? lol My loot consisted mainly of a couple of pieces of wool backgrounds, nothing exciting. Oh, I did buy this cute kit ...

I can't wait to get started ... but not until I finish hand stitching the binding on Peace and Unity!

Perhaps tonight is the night I put on a good movie and stitch away!

Catch you all later!

Plugging away ....!

I'm going back and forth between machine appliqueing baskets and working on the Beauty All Around BOM.

I now have Block 4 ...

And ... Block 5 completed ...

Catch you all later! Cheers!

On the hand work trail ...!

I'm still plugging away at the Trick or Treat basket quilt by Blackbird Designs. As much as I enjoy machine appliqueing, it gets a bit monotonous to be doing the same thing over and over again, interspersed with thread changes to match the basket.  Yawn!

We are presently experiencing a weather surprise!

Not sure how much we are expecting, but it "should" be all gone by tomorrow ... we are expecting rain!

On another note, my left forearm is doing much better, so I can actually do some hand work!

In between baskets, I'm working on the Beauty All Around BOM that I started back in ... OMG, I never wrote it down! Thank goodness for blogging! I blogged about it on January 11, 2015.

This is the second UFO that wasn't written down!!!! Another added to the UFO list of 2015. Oh well!

I saw the quilt at the 2014 Fall Internal Quilt Market in Houston, Texas. It was a wool BOM offered by Fibre Junction in January 2015.

I do have all the sashing done except, don't ask me why, one block! I will always remember what Professors Ladd once said, "Carole, somethings just cannot be explained!" That's one of those "things".

And ... I worked on Block 2

And ... Block 3

A nice break from machine applique!

Thanks for stopping by! Catch you all later! Cheers!

Penny for your thought ... !

I've been doing a lot of hand work as of late. All of the projects I started this year, and completed I might add, have been hand work.

As a matter of fact, I've completed a new penny rug!

I just love how it turned out. So bright and cheerful! The pattern is called Petals for Penny by Lisa Bongean of Primitive Gatherings. BTW, I have one kit for sale, if anyone is interested, drop me an e-mail.

Would you be surprised if I told you that with all the hand work I have been doing my left forearm and wrist is hurting me? Yeah, I bummin'!

So, I thought I would pick up my sock knitting again. It is a different movement, it should be good!

Nope, it hurts just as much. So, it's time for me to take a break from hand work. Luckily, I am still able to hand stitch a quilt binding without pain.

I guess I will be concentrating on machine piecing quilt tops from my UFO pile, which I have lots, as I allow my left hand to rest.

Thanks for stopping by my little corner in cyberspace! Catch you all later! Cheers!