Green pinwheel block

In an effort to try and finish as many smaller quilts as I could, before the end of the year, I pulled out this piece.  This started out as a square that my daughter made when she was younger, that she was going to make a pillow out of.  In the end, she didn't really like it and put it away.  When we moved here to this house and I started unpacking everything, I came across this green pinwheel block and a blue pinwheel block.  

I asked my daughter what she was doing with it and she just said, "you can do whatever you want with it"....lol.  She knew that, as I was unpacking my quilting stuff, I was sorting everything and dealing with what I could, instead of just shoving everything in a box in the back of some corner to be forgotten forever.....lol.  So I put this and the blue one in the orphan block box to be dealt with later.

I feel the reason she didn't like what she made, was because it was....shall we say....to much green...  I thought so anyways....  I decided to take off that last green border and work with the smaller pinwheel block with the first two borders.

I went into my cupboard of yardage, which is dwindling down quite substantially, to see if I could find something to coordinate with this green.  What I came up with was a piece of froggy fabric, that I have been using, over and over again, and it just won't go away....lol.  It's a cute fabric, but there was just too much of it, that it's been in many of the quilts I've made.

I wanted to keep the design simple so that I could use up more of the froggy fabric and so it could be large enough to see many of the frogs as possible, without being overly overwhelming.  I chose to do a very large froggy border, broken up by a small green border.  It definitely added colour to the "all green" of the original block.  I did the binding in green as well, which you may have noticed on the post of a couple of days ago.

It is a simple cheerful NICU quilt which will be going to Project Linus.

Stay tuned for tomorrows post, where I went back in time, to something I started back in March/2024, and haven't shared with you yet.

Take care everyone.

Progress on the 2nd Monkey Bar quilt

I finally got around to finishing off the 2nd Monkey Bar quilt.  I posted about the first one with slightly different fabric choices on Nov 16th, called I got some progress done.  This one, I just finished a couple of days ago and proceeded to quilt it the same day.  

Yesturday, during our group sew day, I made and attached the binding by machine on both sides.  Something new I am doing.  Previously I've sewn on the binding by machine on the top and my mom would tack down the binding on the back by hand.  I finally decided to give it a go, by machine on both sides.  It's great and quite a time saver!!

On this quilt, I ran out of the brown fabric with the large red polka dots and the solid red that I used on the first Monkey Bar quilt for the first border.  So this time, I decided to use the brown for the nine patches to alternate with the red polka dots.  Then I used the same brown for the first inner border.  As the inner border was brown, I had to choose a different colour for the last border and came across this tan colour that coordinates with the bars with the sock monkeys.

This toddler sized quilt will be going to Project Linus.

Take care everyone.

An extra Saturday sewing day on a Monday.....lol

When our Saturday sewing day group, were talking the last time we were all together, we realized that those of us who work full time, all had the week between Christmas and New Years off!  So, what is one to do......well, take advantage of the opportunity of course......lol......and plan to have an extra Saturday sew day!!  But this time on Monday!

Thanks to one of the members who suggested it, this Monday sew day was going to be a pot luck lunch on top of an all day sewing day.  Unfortunately, the weather was not very cooperative, and some were not able to make it.  The roads were slick and the winds where high, but we still had a couple of die hards in attendants.....lol.  

One of them stated that she lived in Winnipeg at one time and I believe Newfoundland, so what we were experiencing today was nothing for her.  Lol....I thought that was funny....what we won't do, to get in some sewing time with friends.....lol.  I am glad that it was not cancelled, as I do enjoy our get togethers.  I'm just sorry everyone couldn't make it to enjoy a bit of celebration, sharing food, but they were in our thoughts as we ate.

Today I was able to finish three more bindings.  The last ones for a bit.  Until I can finish up some more quilts.  These ones are two NICU quilts and one toddler size.  All are going to Project Linus.  I'll share more about the individual quilts in a later post.

One of the ladies was working on a new quilt in blue, that my mom and I will also be doing, but we are starting ours at the next Saturday Sew Day in January.  Mine will be burgundy and sand and my mom's will be in blue.  Here is a picture of one of her finished blocks.  I first posted about the pattern for this quilt, back on Aug 9th called Burgundy scrap quilt, if you want to read more about it.  So pretty!!

The other person who attended was working on her Smith Mountain Morning blocks.  She has really been working hard on them!!  She arrived with only 12 blocks left to assemble and left with all of them complete!  I'll post more about those later, as she wants to lay them out and send me a picture of it.

After the ladies left, I finished off the last of the above three bindings and decided to get into the Scrap Attack quilt blocks.  Each one takes a while to do.  I am trying to choose fabric colours that will help blend the blocks together a bit, but that is sometimes hard to do, with the variety of everyone's fabrics.  The blocks have to blend with several other blocks that touch and extend the design across the quilt.  Here is the one I finished today.

For the point down the centre, you have to coordinate the triangle piece with the other three triangles that form the one block.  Then for the "wing" type pieces on the side, you want to try and used some colours that will be connected/touching the neighboring blocks, though sometimes it can't be done as one end may have green, and the other end has purple.  In these cases you just have to pick one colour to work with the block on the left, and the next row choose something to work with the block above.  

It is a scrap quilt, but even scrap quilts have some elements of coordination.  It helps it be cohesive, or at least somewhat cohesive.....lol.  To some, they just look like a big mess of colour....lol.  I get it!  Scrap quilts are not for everyone.  I have to admit....it is harder to achieve the cohesiveness, when there are a lot of hands in the making of the blocks, and everyone using their own fabrics and their own interpretation of what the block should look like.  Somehow, I'm hoping it will work....lol.

All in all, I had a very nice day.  Relaxing with friends, sewing, sharing ideas, sharing food, and chatting.  I'm already looking forward to our next meet up next month.

Take care everyone.

Set backs and moving on!

My daughter has now gone home, we have a few more days before we get back into the celebrations with New Year's Eve.  My daughter will be coming back in three days for the celebrations.  So I figured I would get some more stuff done in my quilting.  I am still trying to get as much as I can done, off my list of Works in Progress, but not stressing about it though.  

I took my time yesturday morning to putter around picking things up, sitting to have my morning cup of tea and then having a late breakfast, before heading downstairs to sew.  I had big plans to start quilting my king sized Christmas quilt......"had" being the operative word.....here is where the set backs start.....  I realized quite quickly that I wasn't prepared to do the quilting.  I didn't wash the backing yet!  Oh well, that's easy enough to fix.  Cut the backing off the bolt and stick it in the wash.  

No use stewing about it.  Yes, it was frustrating, so I decided to have another cup of tea and relax a bit.  I'm not one to just sit around doing nothing for long, so I started to pick up some stuff and prepare some bindings and sort things out to be done.

With the wash done.  I proceed to load up the backing onto the longarm.  Cut the batting and load that on..........bleep!@#$@#$#@%$........another set back.  The backing has shrunk.....a lot!  This set back is a bit more frustrating.  I didn't want to piece this backing.  But nothing to be done about it.  I just wasn't up to the task at the time.  I needed some time to work this all out and plan how I was going to piece a column to go on the back of this quilt.

To uplift my mood and take advantage of this new found free time, I decided to have some fun playing a bit and pulled out my next main project.

Do you remember these blocks?  They were gifted to me by the members of the Halton Hills Quilters' Guild, in appreciation for my roll as president.  My 2 terms (4yrs) were done and this was their gift to me.  The members made a bunch of blocks and I am now trying to make them into a cohesive whole.  I last posted about them Aug 27th, if you want to read more about them.

I pulled them back out and put them up on the design board.  Shuffled a few things around and lay on the floor, after putting those lower blocks up, to just admire the jumble of colour.  It's still not quite working for me, but I find that as I start putting the blocks together, they do start messing better.  I still need a bunch more blocks to be made and some more time to let what is done, sit and brew in my brain some more.  Playing with these blocks helped settle my mood some.

Not wanting to waste the rest of the day, I get up, unload the longarm of the backing and batting, then loaded up a different quilt.  I proceeded to quilt a total of five small quilts, before I shut that down to have dinner.  By this time my mood is much better and I am feeling more like myself.  I've figured out what the game plan will be for the backing.  

After dinner I gave it one last push to get things done and sewed binding on two of the recently quilted NICU quilts.  The day didn't start out that great with the set backs, but in the end, it was salvaged by some time playing with blocks and the feeling of accomplishment with finishing off some more quilts.

Today, I am once again, going to tackle the Christmas quilt.  Wish me luck for a smooth time of it!  I have the binding for this quilt already cut and ready to attach.  Now I need to get the quilt quilted.  Backing up first!!  We are moving on!

Take care everyone.

Working on finishing some small details

As it turned out, I did get in some sewing time yesturday, as the kids headed out for a bit, to do some boxing day shopping.  I personally refuse to go out into the insanity of all the crowds, line ups and chaos, seeking leftover sale items.

So I stayed home and worked on these three bindings.  Three more NICU quilts to add to the Project Linus pile.  Labels are also done and they're ready to be delivered when we get notified.  I like how it looks when they are all lined up like this.

I also put together the pieces I had cut, of the two last remaining NICU star quilts.  They've been on my sewing table for a good long time.  At least a month, if not, longer!  It was about time to get these together.  Picture below is of one of them.

Once I finished these, I went upstairs to get a late lunch started for when the kids got back.  I was making one of their favourites, fully loaded fries.  I managed it just in time, as they walked in, I was taking it out of the oven.....I like when that happens.

We spent more time together talking about everything and nothing.....lol.  Just having together time.  Later on, the kids decided to learn a new game, that my daughter got for Christmas, from her significant other's side of the family.  We all went downstairs.  Them to play the game at the table and me just on the other side of the wall to settle in, and do some sewing.  While all this is happening, we are all playing a Pokémon party together.....multi tasking.....lol....and still doing it together.   

After the games, we have dinner time, more chatting and together time, then my daughter gets ready and heads back home.  It's been a busy day, full of cozy togetherness.  I love when we can get together with no particular agenda.  Just being together and doing whatever.  It brings such joy to my heart.

Take care everyone.

Sabryna's progress on Snow Day

Happy Boxing Day!  Hope everyone had a great Christmas celebration.  Here we are celebrating it twice!  My daughter and her significant other are down for a couple of days.  They made it to my mom's yesturday and now today, we as in our immediate family, will be doing Christmas all over again....lol.

My daughter did stockings for her significant other, her dad and me/her mom.  I did the stockings for my daughter, son and our four legged baby girl.  All the sacks are under the tree bulging with gifts and I can't wait to see the look on the kids faces when they start unwrapping.  

Today will feel more like Christmas to me, as we spend the day together with my little family, all cozy by the decorated tree, in a warm home, while the wind and snow batter around outside.  I am definitely happy, that I do not have to go out anywhere today in this weather.  For anyone out there who has to travel, take your time and keep safe. 

I am sitting here in the quiet of the morning, before everyone else wakes up, having my cup of tea, writing this post.  I'm excited and sit here in anticipation for the day to unfold.  I know I won't get any sewing done today, so I'll share with you the picture that my daughter sent me yesturday.  This is my daughter's progress on her Snow Day quilt.

I can't get over how fast she is moving along on this embroidery.  I posted about her progress only three days ago, where she had the large tree on the left halfway done.  Now the tree, bushes and snow bank are done.  Plus the garage is mostly done.......like wow!  She has been boogieing on this.  I'll say it again, I love watching as the pictures unfold!  I get the same feeling when I am working on my To Grandmother's House We Go quilt, embroidery parts.

Take care everyone.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!  Sending out best wishes to everyone for the holidays, however you decide to spend them.  Hopefully you can get in some friends and family time to celebrate.  I'll be heading to my mom's place later, where we all spend the evening enjoying each others company, snacking all day, opening gifts, followed by dinner and some more chit chat.  We've done this for more years than I can remember!  It doesn't get old.

I want to share with all of you, my Christmas quilt!!  It started with this block made on Dec 4th.  There are various other posts leading up to this block, speaking of all the cutting, fabric choices and quilt store shop hopping to collect the fabrics.

Since this block, I continued to sew as often as I could.  There was a lot to do, as this quilt is King size and these blocks are only 6" finished.  But I persisted and put other things aside just so that I could have a chance of finishing this top by Christmas.  Afterall, I was unofficially, "issued a challenge"!  How did A1 put it, when I input that phrase in google, "formally invited to compete"......lol.  By Dec 17th I had half of the centre piece assembled and was still pushing forward trying to get this top done for Christmas.  At times it was touch and go whether I would be able to do it!  

There were plenty of things to be done around here, like working full time, running a household, regular day-to-day tasks and beings that Christmas was on the way, more stuff to get done!

I sewed several nights after work until 9:00pm.  Sometimes I was lucky enough to have my son make me dinner.....lol.  But I was determined!!  I spent all day Sunday sewing like a fiend, possessed....lol.  By this time I was thinking OMG, only 4 more sleeps!

Monday after work I had no choice anymore, I had to go out and do some Christmas shopping.  I ordered a few things online Sunday as they would still arrive before Christmas, but there were still a lot of stuff to get.  As I said in a previous post, there was no sewing that day, as I got home very late.

Yesturday after work I had to run out to get some stuff for Christmas dinner at my mom's place, but then I ran around the house gathering up all the presents and taking them down to my conference table so I could wrap them.  Wrapping is exhausting!!  I didn't finish until 11:00 pm and headed straight to bed.  

I don't know why I always do this, but life just happens and by that time I realize it we are like a day or two before I need to have whatever it is done.  I don't intentionally procrastinate......lol!  It just comes naturally for me......lol, lol, lol...

I have to admit though, that there have been days that I didn't think I would be able to pull it off.  I've been go, go, go for this past month with various things and maybe pushing myself a little bit too much.  

Today is Christmas and I was not going to let myself feel defeated.  After I got up this morning, had my lemon water and a nice cup of tea, I set myself to one last task.  The only thing that I had to do this day until heading to my mom's for our family Christmas celebrations.  I ironed the border fabric, cut the border and binding and finally put in the last stitches of this Christmas quilt top.  I DID IT!!!  I am surprised!! I won't lie.  

In one of my previous post, I said I wouldn't quit until the last hour......well it almost was the last hour, as now I have to get going and get ready to head out.  I am glad it's done, but from here on out, I am taking a slower pace.  I want to get a lot finished, but it will get done when it gets done.  

We've got one more week before the end of the year.  I will tackle a few smaller items to get them off my Works in Progress list, and I'll share that list and the progress with you closer to New Year's day.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas!  Take care everyone.  Don't forget to take some time for yourself!

Snow Days progress

WOW!!!  At least someone has been making some progress!  I posted about the progress on this piece two days ago, and I cannot believe how much as been done since.  The last post shows about half the house done.  Now she has the whole house done, the pine tree, the trail going up to the barn and she has more than half of the larger pine tree done too.  

I love watching the picture unveil.  When you enlarge the picture, you can make out the front end of the tractor parked in the barn, and the cutest, is the kid on the tube, flaying his arms and legs going down the snow hill, at the top righthand corner.  This was one of my favourite scenes in this quilt.  It is really sweet.  

It also amazes me how tiny my daughter can do her stitches!  You have to enlarge the picture ridiculously large to even see them, but even then, they look like a continuous line.  Beautiful stitches.  Oh, how nice to have young perfect eyesight!  sigh...

As for me, I can now say that I am done my Christmas shopping.  Yeay!!  Later today, after work, I have to run out to get some dog food, before all the stores close for Christmas.  Then I can work some more on my Christmas quilt.  I am making progress on it.  Just have to push a little bit more.  I still have time to meet the deadline....lol.  I won't be defeated and I won't quit until the last hour....lol.  I do not want to wear the label of delusional! 

Take care everyone.  Don't forget to take some time for yourself, especially during this busy time of year.  You need it!

Still working away... (Updated)

Yesturday was dedicated to the Christmas quilt.  I was sewing like a fiend all day, possessed by the need to finish it.  I went through six bobbins!!!  Can you imagine how much sewing is required to go through that much thread!  Well, I was exhausted when I quit at 9:30 pm.  Still not done though....  Not much to share in the way of pictures that you haven't already seen for the Christmas quilt, so let me share with you the other two quilts I quilted on Saturday.

This is the first quilt I quilted for a customer on Saturday.  It's so cute!  You can't go wrong with pink for a girl.  I like the hearts, how they are all different and stager back and forth down the rows.  One of them is even a two colour heart.  I especially like how this maker puts the child's name on the quilt.  Can you guess who it belongs to....lol.  I forgot to take a picture of the back of this one.  It is a medium pink coloured minky with darker pink outlines of hearts.  This quilt was quilted using a design called Whole Lotta Love.  This is going to be a very special gift!  

Updated:  The maker of the quilt sent me a picture of the quilt after she put the flange binding on and washed the quilt.  Now it's all fancy.  And there's a bit of the backing showing at the bottom lefthand side.  So pretty.

The second quilt here is a simple soft neutral coloured quilt design.  This one is quilted with a design called Heartlink, also a simple neutral design.  I also forgot to take a picture of the back of this one.  It was cute with baby animals from fox, bears, bunnies, etc.  They were mainly in the beige/brownish colours on a soft white background on flannel.

Update:  I did find a picture of the backing for this quilt after all.  Look how sweet this looks.

Today, after work, I have to go out Christmas shopping.  I managed to get some shopping done online through Amazon that will be delivered here by the 23rd, which is fine.  We are not opening gifts until Boxing Day anyways, when everyone is here.  So, now I have to get a few more things and all the stocking stuffers.  Not so bad...lol.  Nothing like leaving things to the last minute.....and no, this is not usually me!  It seems like I am always behind on things lately, but you know, next year is fast approaching and it will be purposely, intentionally slower.  I have to make it happen.

I put the rush on myself with trying to see how many quilts I can get done before the year's end, but come January, I will be back to taking my time and enjoying the process.  Slow living.  I think I've decided to make my word for 2026 "Balance", as in "Balance in life will be the trick for 2026".  I think it has a good ring to it.  I need to continue to strive for balance in all aspects of my life, at a slower pace.  

Take care everyone.

Flying Geese quilt

There wasn't any sewing for me yesturday, as I've spent the whole day until 9:30 pm quilting three quilts for customers.  So, I asked my daughter to send me a picture of her progress.  She says that it's been pretty busy for her as well, that there has not been much progress on this, but I think she's done well.  I am going to estimate she has half of the house complete now.  These things take time.  Anything made by hand takes time, but well worth it.

I'll also share with you one of the quilts I quilted for a customer.  She chose to quilt it in Ebb and Flow, a pretty design that gives a feel of wind.  I like this detailed pattern with the "geese" and then the flying geese blocks.  They look great together, but I am glad that it wasn't me making them.  Can you imagine how long it would have taken her to do all those flying geese!  She even has three rows of flying geese in the back of her quilt going from edge to edge sideways.  It turned out beautiful.

Very pretty pattern.  Not sure of the name though.  If you know it, put it in the comment section.

Today is all about me!  lol.  I have some straightening up to do, but first I really want to sew!  It's funny how I can't go too long without sewing something on my machine.  Today I can sew and take breaks to get up and stretch my legs, while I pick up stuff, then sew some more.  

Wish me luck on my Christmas quilt, because today is really the last day I have to work on it.  I still have to get some Christmas shopping done, so that will happen during the week after work.  

Countdown:  Only four more sleeps!!  Yikes!!

Take care everyone.

HHQG donated blocks are now a finished top

After work yesturday, I grabbed my son, went and picked up my mom, and we all headed to Costco to pick up some stuff.  My son came along this time to select what types of hors d'oeuvres he wanted.  

A year after we moved to this place, we started a new holiday season tradition.  New Years Eve we gather here and spend the whole day together chatting, playing games, puzzles, running out for a quick Pokémon battle (lol, new development), and filling the day with togetherness!  

As part of that togetherness, we also take turns putting stuff in the oven for snacks throughout the day all the way to bringing in the New Year.  This day is basically a day of food indulgence, where you throw out any diets and just enjoy what is served.  Well, except for me who does not eat the food the kids wish for, but I still get involved in everything else.

By the time we finished our Costco run we had three of my son's long armlengths worth of food stuff, a couple more for everyday food, then a few loads of miscellaneous Christmas gifts/stocking stuffers.  You really don't want to know how much of a dent that did to my wallet....lol.  Costco is famous for that part....lol.

I dropped off all the goodies to the house and then headed to my mom's for our usual Friday evening get together.  But it was late this time, with the run to Costco.  By the time we sat down to dinner it was 9:00 pm!  Way past my usual and I didn't leave her place until five minutes to midnight!  Late for me.

So, needless to say there was no sewing of any kind happening.  Instead, for my post today, I'll take you back to June 23/2025, when I finished this top.

The blocks were part of the HHQG block of the month for 2024, and these blocks were all donated to the guild.  I took on the task of making a quilt top with these nine blocks.  I needed to come up with a plan to make these blocks into a large enough lap sized quilt.  

My first step was to make the blocks larger by sewing a triangle to each side.  This turned the blocks on point, which I felt made the blocks a little more interesting.  Most of the blocks have a chartreuse coloured piece in them or a fabric with chartreuse, in it.  To highlight the chartreuse, I decided to add on a stitch and flip corner to the large triangle pieces.

I thought that this would make a secondary design feature of a shoofly in the corners with the cornerstone, however I feel the cornerstone was a bit loud and the chartreuse a bit too soft that the affect was lost.  In person, it's still nice, but doesn't stand out as much as I thought it would.

It still turned out to be a nice lap size quilt to be finished off with quilting by another member of the guild.  This quilt will then be donated by the guild to someone in need of a hug.

Today, it's all about quilting the couple of quilts that need to be done before Christmas and if there is still time, I will clean up some odd miscellaneous chores around here.  Lately, I seem to always be making messes and cleaning up....lol.  All part of the creative journey!

Take care everyone. 

Still plugging away here

I'm still plugging away here, trying to get things done and working full time at work now.  With Christmas fast approaching and New Years day just around the corner, there seems to be much more to do.  This time of year tends to be that way.  I still have some Christmas shopping to do and some prep work for when the kids come for our Christmas and New Years celebrations.  All the hustle and bustle that goes on, is one of the reasons that for many years, I've always taken the week between Christmas and New Years off work.

This time of year has become special for me.  For the obvious reasons of spending time with friends and family, but also for my down time, to slow down and reflect.  Like everyone else, during this reflection time, I set some new goals, resolutions, whatever you may call it.  I especially like going through my works in progress.

These last few days have been so busy for me.  My first week back full time.  I am still working away at my Christmas quilt, as there are only 6 days (5 sleeps) until Christmas!!!  The clock is ticking and getting louder and louder!  Someone please make it slow down, just a bit....lol.  I am running out of time....lol.

As part of going through my works in progress, I pulled out my Omigosh variation quilt.  To my surprise I found out that I had about 20 nine patch units that just needed to be ironed and only 3 more to make to call the unit construction done!  OMG!.....lol.....ok couldn't resist that one.  OMG as in Omigosh.....yeah, you get it right.....lol.  Anyways, the white thread was in the machine, so I decided there was no better time then now to take care of this little bit of sewing.

Three units now done, making all the units complete and now in sets ready to make the blocks.  There are only 26 blocks left to assemble to call this finished.  The alternating blocks are already complete.  I am pleasantly surprised to find out how close I am to finishing this quilt.  I added this quilt to my list of weekly blocks for 2026.  I've decided to do one of these blocks per week, so they should be done in 6 1/2 mths.

Are you dying to find out how I am making out with my Christmas quilt?  Well, wait no longer.  As of this point I am officially halfway done the center of the top.  Do you like it?  I am liking it so much!  I still have a fair amount left to do and with only 5 more sleeps it is going to be touch and go, as to whether or not I can get it done for Christmas, but I am not giving up until the last hour!!

For those who enjoy reading the posts daily, sorry for missing a few, I've just been busy and now I am slowly starting to take in quilts to quilt for others.  This weekend I plan to start a couple of small quilts.  Then I will be back to working on this Christmas quilt, hopefully without too many more distractions......well, I do need to also finish my Christmas shopping....lol....that's important too......lol.

So much to do, so little time!

Take care everyone.  Don't forget to take some time for yourself!!

Inspiration (QW)

I've held on to this picture for a very long time.  I don't know where the original source of this picture came from, but when I first saw it, I loved it.  I really like a scrappy block, that when you change the colours and the position of the values, it looks like a completely different block every time.  

I googled the image and came up with many different people posting about it.  In the end, I was able to fine a free pattern of the block used in this quilt by quilterscache.com.  The block apparently is called Christmas Star.  I have a printout of the block pattern, as I do see this quilt, or at least my version of it, in my future.  Reminder the (QW) in the title allows me to search it.  It stands for "Quilt Want-a-be".

Obviously I am not the only one who really likes it, as there are so many online copies and it seems no one knows the original source of the quilt itself.  At least I now have the name of the block and the directions on how to make it.

If anyone does come across the source of the quilt in the picture, please let me know, so I can give credit where credit is due.  Thank you.

Take care everyone.

Busy day yesturday

Yesturday, I brought my tea down to the studio to get a start on the units for the Christmas quilt that I am trying to get done in time for Christmas (11 more sleeps...lol).  You can read about it in the initial post called, Christmas is coming.  I started to iron all the green four patches that I had already sewn.  That took me some time.  Then I sorted out all the rest of the green two patches into sets of four patches and got them ready to sew.

By this time it was almost 11:00 am, time was ticking fast, amazing how that happens when you want to get things done.  I when upstairs to make breakfast for my son and I, and clean up all the pots and pans that seemed to be like a weeks worth.....lol.....when the kids don't do the dishes, they tend not to care how many they use while making a meal....lol.  After breakfast and clean up, it was already 1:00 pm and I had an appointment, which put me behind another hour.

When I got back at it, I started on the ironing and trimming of the stitch and flip corners on the red squares.  There were 200 left to process.  Now they are all done!!  Don't they look pretty?

After doing all of them, it was time for a tea break.  I deserved it!  It was way past my usual time for having tea, but delayed it, as I needed to get a move on this quilt.  Especially if I had any chance of finishing it in time.

My break was replenishing.  Once I started back, I jumped right into the sewing of the remaining 2/3 of the four patches.  I had 188 to do.  Time continued to sail by, I was so into sewing up the pieces, that when my son called me up, I was surprised that it was 6:30 pm and time for dinner.  I was pleasantly surprised that he made me dinner!  His famous Chicken Burrito Bowl, with a few alterations for me.  That was nice.  I enjoyed every bit!!

After enjoying dinner and then clean up again (though this time I am not complaining as I did get dinner out of it right?).....lol....I headed back down again, intending to finish up a few things and call it a day.

Well, I did finish sewing all the four patches and I also spun the seams and ironed them all.  They are all in piles of 30, except the bottom row that have 20 each.  They are sitting pretty just waiting for me to match them up to a couple of red blocks, to make the complete block.   

But.....I couldn't go any further, I was exhausted.  I looked up at the clock and was shock when I saw that it was 9:00 pm.  OMG!!!  I was just going to finish up a few things!  Wow, how time flies!

Today is another day.  I am all rested up.  Going to have my tea to slowly get going.  I'm not sure I will do a repeat of yesturday, because that was crazy!  But I am hoping to get the blocks sorted at least and maybe some of them started.

Take care everyone and enjoy your day.

Started a temperature quilt for the days of 2024

Back in January of 2024, I had grand plans of making a temperature quilt.  I made myself an excel sheet to track the weather (highs and lows) for each day.  I did this daily for four and a half months.  But then life intervened and this got put on hold.  

Some time in January/2025, I was reminded of this quilt and what I wanted to do.  As far as I knew, by this time I was planning on going back to work shortly.  I decided to go back in the historical records to obtain the rest of the temperatures to complete my excel sheet and made plans to start working on this quilt.  Then this got put on hold as I had to deal with more development.

It wasn't until Mar/2025, just before my second surgery, that I pulled this out to start.  I needed a distraction and starting a new quilt does just that!  I worked on it during a Saturday sew day.  It was exactly what I needed.

This is the block I made for January.  It's paper piece, so that I could get an accurate circle and line references for the position of the premade wedges.  Then when the circle was complete, I appliquéd it to the background, followed by the centre circle. 

Each colour represents a range of temperatures and each wedge represents the high and low of a particular day.  The centre circle is for the 31st of the month, so some months will have it and others will not.  The wedges are also staggered, representing the difference in the high and low of that day.  The highs are the outer edge, the lows are the inner edge.  If it was warmer that day, the outer edge wedge was larger in increments by the difference between the two, and if it was cooler the inner edge was larger.  I'll have to make a ledger for a label on the back to explain what each circle represents.

This is my data on an excel sheet for the first four months.  I am hoping this will make things a bit more clear.  Disregard it though if you're not into the geeky data stuff...lol...and just admire the colour.

                    

As we are getting close to the New Year, things around here are settling down and getting back to a semblance of normal, or should I say the new normal.  I've been contemplating starting this quilt back up again.  I am thinking maybe as a block-of-the-month type thing.  Such as doing January's block in January, February's block in February and so on.  I still have time to think about it, as I already have January's block done.  We'll see.....

Take care everyone.  Don't forget to take some time for yourself, you deserve it!!

A joint effort

I like when things come together.  Now before you start yelling at the screen telling me that I shouldn't be starting another quilt, I'll let you know that this is something that was already on my list of works in progress, or at least the blocks in the first picture were.  And yes, I do know that I am getting distracted from what I should be doing to finish a certain quilt before Christmas, but the ideas just started flowing.....  They started flowing for two other quilt possibilities, which then turned to this one instead....  You know, that's just how it goes and I don't fight it.....lol.  I hardly even resist....lol.

This quilt was a joint effort that started off with one friend giving me these five blocks.  They are all the same.  They sat in my UFO bin for a while, as I didn't know what to do with them.  Recently, when I was going through my bin, I decided to organize things and come up with ideas.

I figured five blocks was a good number, as I could make a nine patch with these as the outer corners and one in the centre, divided by plain squares in the alternating blocks.  So my head just stored that information until I came up with a full plan.

Instead of the above blocks, I had part of a plan for two other blocks, that were also from this UFO bin.  I pulled them out and proceeded to work on them (distraction number one).  I'll share those with you later.  While working on them I thought I could use this leftover piece of a bargello quilt.  This was given to me from another friend, just this weekend past.  

It would have worked with one of the first two blocks I had, but I felt that the block was not big enough to hold any interest and this piece above would not have made the block big enough on it's own.  

Then it hit me!!  I wasted no time and rummaged through the UFO bin to fine the five blocks above (distraction number two).  I ironed them and trimmed them the same size.  Then I found some suitable fabric for the alternating blocks.  Zip, zip, zip, cut everything up and stitch, stitch, stitch, sew it all together into a nine patch top.

Once I was done that, I started to disassemble a section of three rows from the bargello piece at the bottom and also one section of three rows from the top.  These two sections were the perfect size for the side of the nine patch top I made.  I sewed those on and proceeded to figure out how I was going to get enough to do the now longer top and bottom border of the quilt top.

I took off three more sections that were the closest in size, as I was going to have to piece half of one section to a full section, twice.  It worked!  They are slightly different, but I don't think enough to make it stand out too much. 

What do you all think?  I made some simple, solid square-in-a-square blocks into something pretty with a bit of flashy border parts, leftover from someone else's bargello parts.  I love it!!  It turned out fabulous.  Now I just have to quilt and then bind it.

This was a joint effort that would not have happened if we all didn't contribute to the whole.  Two different people with orphan blocks, that I then combined together with a bit of my own fabric, to make this lovely NICU quilt.  This will be going to Project Linus.

I'll be off to my mom's for dinner tonight, after work, so there won't be any sewing.  But I'll make up for it this weekend!!!  LOL  This weekend, I'll try to put those other two blocks aside, to get back to what I should be doing, as time is ticking!!

Take care everyone.

Christmas is coming!

Wow!  I can't believe how fast Christmas is coming.  We're already the 11th of December.....how did that happen?  As I used to tell the kids while they were growing up, there are only 14 sleeps!!  lol

As we are getting so close to Christmas, I thought I should start working on my Christmas quilt.  Especially if I want to have it done for Christmas......lol......am I delusional.....lol....I don't know, but I won't give up until the time is up....lol.

I've made some good progress.  Here are some of my green four patches sewn in pairs for each block.  I am doing them this way so that there are no duplicates.  You may not see it, but the top left corner block still has the chain threads attaching it to the top right corner block.  I do a lot of chain piecing like this when I have a lot of the same blocks to make.  

Then we have the alternate block.  The red squares with the stitch and flip corners.  These here are just over half the blocks I need for the quilt.  These ones have been ironed and the extra behind the stitch and flip corners has been trimmed off.  They are also sorted in piles of the same fabric, for when I start pairing them up for each block.

When I get really involved in sewing, I generally have an assembly line happening, with various steps and pieces going at once, to break up the tasks and it keeps me from getting bored.  The completed red squares are at the top of the picture below.  Then I had to take a break from ironing and trimming, so I finished sewing the green two patches, which is what you see in the middle of the picture, all ironed.  

The remaining red squares on the left of the picture still need to be processed.  They're all sewn, just need to be ironed and corners trimmed.  The pile of green squares, on the plaid fabric are the four patches matched and sewn, now just waiting to have the seams spun and ironed.  So far I have 50 sets sewn which is just over 1/3 done.

There's still a lot to do on this quilt, but getting all the units done before I start assembling the blocks, tends to make things go faster for me.  Like I chain piece the units, I will later chain piece the blocks, then likewise the rows.  I'm really going to have to keep track of the time, if I have any chance of finishing this quilt for Christmas....lol.  I am going to have to start counting down the number of sleeps....lol.  The push is on and the excitement is building!!!

Take care everyone.

Laying out some Smith Mountain Morning blocks

I caught up on the last of the four required chimney blocks for the last couple of weeks, and I finished the four blocks for this week too.  Every time I finish a block, I take a moment and admire the play of colour throughout the block.  It amazes me how all the different shades of blue and brown come together in the end to make a cohesive whole.  And it will look even better once the blocks are assembled into a quilt, especially with the star blocks.

I am currently working on the chimney blocks, as I mentioned yesturday.  I've already made ten so far.  I couldn't wait any longer.  I just had to lay them out on the floor to see what it will look like.  I can only do the alternate rows, as I only have the brown star blocks completed.  I think I might just pull out a few of the blue start kits to make some up.  This way I can get the secondary design going.

Even with what I have, it doesn't look bad at all!  The blue squares are starting to take shape.  I am liking it!!  I hope the recipient will like it too.  This quilt will finish at king size and according to my calculations, I still have ninety-six more blocks to make for the top.......yikes!!  When you say it that way, it sounds daunting...... I keep telling myself to stop counting and just do one block at a time.  Easier said then done, as I am the sort that like to see the number coming down.  It often motivates me. 

Take care everyone.

Bird Brain

The last person from our Saturday sew day group, that I want to talk to you all about, has been busy.  As I mentioned in my post a couple of days ago, some of us are working on making a Smith Mountain Morning quilt and one person was actually working on hers on Saturday.  She is the one that is the furthest along on it too!  Let me tell you about it.... 

She is the person that is the furthest, because she has come up with a brilliant plan, to alter this pattern and make it her own.  I love seeing someone take something and run with it!  This person looks after the HHQG BOM.  Last year and this year, she made each of the blocks that were part of the BOM.  When a few of us decided to make the Smith Mountain Morning quilt by Bonnie Hunter, this person decided that she would use the BOM blocks she made and incorporate them into her quilt.

So......to the point, before any of us started making the quilt, she already had a stack of blocks made!  One whole guild years worth of BOMs!!  This owl here is one of them.  Isn't it the cutest!!  As it so happens, while organizing the BOM, she added in a bunch of different appliqué bird blocks, plus some pieced blocks for those who don't care for appliqué.  There were at least two blocks to choose from each month.

On Saturday, she came with all the pieces to make this next bird block.  This one is a pieced bird block.  Another block finished and another cute one.  This one just needs the blue corner triangles.  Both of these blocks are in her colourway, blue and purple/magenta. 

While she was here, she also got two of the alternating blocks done.  I keep calling them courthouse step variation blocks, but I think Bonnie calls them chimney blocks.  This quilt is going to look so pretty, with a lot of the star blocks replaced with pieced blocks and a hand full of birds.

Oh!  I almost forgot......do you remember the title of this post.....  Well, let me tell you the story of how this quilt got it's name....  The maker had a creative idea, which I call a brain storm.  They're ideas that come out of the blue like an unexpected storm.  I hope she doesn't mind me telling you all this....  Her thoughts were along the lines of changing the border of the original quilt and replacing it with a border lined with birds, like the pieced bird above.  That's a lot of bird blocks!!  That is I guess, when she thought it was crazy....all those birds and all that work....which is I think when she came up with the term, bird brain for the name of her quilt....lol.  

I had to laugh at that.  It's a play on words....  I'm sure everyone knows what the phrase means....lol.  I would not say that about anyone, especially not this person....but I didn't come up with the name....lol.  I'm going to go with that name for her quilt, but other than it being a lot of work, I think her new border will make her quilt unique and special.  I look forward to seeing it. 

As for me, I did make it downstairs yesturday after dinner, to work on catching up on the chimney blocks for my Smith Mountain Morning quilt.  My colourway is dark blue and chocolate brown.  I completed four blocks, have two halfway done and I'm left with four more to make, to be caught up.  

I didn't realize how far behind I got on these blocks.  I think I mentioned in a previous posts that I finished all the brown stars.  Now I am starting in on these chimney blocks.  There are 60 chimney blocks to be made, followed by 25 blue star blocks, so I still have quite a ways to go on this quilt.

One block at a time.....just one block at a time....

Take care everyone.

Summer Blooms by Primitive Gatherings

I'm sharing this with you from one of the ladies in our Saturday sew day.  This is something new that she has been doing.  It's the first time we got to see it.  She says, she was inspired by the wool wall hanging she saw here at my home, and said she just had to try it.  These blocks are cotton background and wool appliqué.   

They are so cute!  She is doing a fabulous job on them, especially considering these blocks are only about 4 1/2" square.   She is working with tiny pieces!  The pattern is shown below.  It's called Summer Blooms by Primitive Gatherings.  This wall hanging will measure only 24" square.......more tiny pieces....lol.  They are beautiful blocks.

This maker also came baring gifts.  She gave each of us this wooden dice.  It's about 2" square and on each side there is writing, something to do with quilting.  When I rolled the dice, it landed on this, "Start New Project".....lol.  Like I need any incentive.....lol.  There are other things, like bind a quilt, clean sewing space, organize stash and more.  Thank you.

Yesturday, I did finish the stitch and flip corners on all the red square, but I didn't get to trimming the triangles in the back.  I had forgotten that the sale was ending and I still had to go get part of my daughter's Christmas gift.  I finished Christmas shopping for my four legged baby girl.  I texted my daughter that I was done Maddie's gifts and she responded with, "lol now you can't deny who your favourite child is!", lol.  I am sure I am not the only pet owner that loves their pet and treats them just like part of the family.  My daughter does too!  

Tonight, after work and groceries, I am hoping to go down to my studio and catch up on my required weekly blocks.  I have to catch up and also do the blocks for this week.  Got to get to it!!

Take care everyone. 

Saturday Sew Day

Yesturday was such a lovely day.  The ladies came for our monthly Saturday Sew Day.  I am so glad that we all decided to continue to gather together, once a month, to sew.  It's been really nice.  At the moment we are all working on different things, while still some of us are working at the Smith Mountain Morning quilt.  Only one person yesturday was actually working on that one....lol....can you guess that she is the one that is the furthest along on it.....lol.  More on that one in another post.

One of the ladies is making a Row-by-Row quilt, with various different designs per row, from more than one book.  I completely forgot to get a picture of her barn blocks from the last sew day, but they were gorgeous with a block within the barn block.  She also made some pine trees another time.

This time she was working on these cute bird houses.  There are two of each made so far.  She plans on making one more bird house, which is like a bird hotel with many entrance holes.  These blocks will get their entrance hole later.  They will have to be appliquéd on.  This row will be cute, with the different houses in different sizes and fabrics.  I can't wait to see how she puts it all together into a quilt.

The maker above came baring gifts.  Each of the ladies received two handmade ornaments and a Christmas present tag.  All of them were different.  This is just a sample of mine.  So pretty!  Thank you.

Another person brought the blocks for this quilt, to assemble the quilt.  There were a few blocks missing, which were either brough by another one of our group later in the day, or made up during our sewing time by a few ladies.  Then this person managed to finish assembling the whole top before she had to pack up to leave.  She was really sewing up a storm while she was here!!

This quilt and these blocks were a joint effort.  We all, as in the members of the HHQG, got together at the November's guild meeting to sew up the blocks.  People were instructed to bring some strings from their stash of bright colours.  All the colours were quickly sorted in colour families and each group took a colour basket and started sewing a total of seven blocks.  It's amazing what can be done at a guild meeting.  As the saying goes, many hands make light work.

As for me, I was working on the units for my Christmas quilt that I just started recently.  I finished all the sewing of the one side, stitch and flip corners, while everyone was here, then after they all left, I decided I wanted to try and get the second side done.  I managed to get half of them done.

Today I'll be trying to finish the rest of them and maybe even iron and trim the back triangles off.  We'll have to see how that goes.  I may just take some time to assemble the last two NICU star quilts.

On a side note, I have to say that I love the friendships and comradery that we have as a group.  I keep thinking about the comment I throw out yesturday and the reply/reaction I got back......lol.  My comment/question was, "what are the chances of getting this Christmas quilt done in time for Christmas"?  LOL, said as a tongue in check comment.  What I got back were chuckles and a single word....delusional......lol.  Then there was a bit of banter back and forth with some teasing going on....lol.  I am glad I got them laughing and smiling.  I did mean it as a joke.

I really don't see me getting this done that quickly.......however the joking around and teasing could be taken as a challenge.......   As I was sitting here writing up this post and playing back the events of yesturday, just for fun I looked up the phrase, "issued a challenge".  

This is what AI came back with:  When someone is "issued a challenge," they are formally invited to compete, dispute, or prove something, often leading to actions like a "challenge for cause" in law (questioning a juror's fairness) or simply a "dare," "provocation," or "invitation to compete," depending on the context.  The person receiving it might be called the "respondent" or "accused," while the act itself is a "challenge" or "motion".

So ladies......I am now seriously debating whether I take you all up on the "challenge"!!!!  LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL can I do it?  I don't know but the words above, "formally invited to compete" is pretty hard to resist!! 

Take care everyone.

Summertime Sampler wall hanging complete

I finally finished this wall hanging on Dec 9/2024.  I wrote about it many times since I started it back on March 30/2019.  I worked on the blocks here and there over the years.  By October/2024 on our way to and from the cottage, for our yearly Thanksgiving family reunion, I worked on making the last of the flower buds that go around the border.  But then distractions happened and it took me a while still, just to get the green embroidered stem done.  The one that goes around the border, connecting the flower buds and the leaves.

Just an FYI, the borders are the same height and width.  It just looks deceiving in the picture, as the wall hanging is laying on the floor which is black carpeting.

This next picture is only one of the blocks in this wall hanging, called Summertime Sampler.  You can read about it and all the others throughout my blog posts, as I made them.  This block in particular was one of my favourites.  I do love the taste of watermelon in the summer, when it is so sweet and juicy that it runs down your face and hands, and you try to slurp it to avoid making an even bigger mess everywhere.....lol.  Definitely something to eat while outside on the lawn.

I thought I would stick this funky fabric quilt I made, for Project Linus, in this post too.  It's a simple and small quilt that didn't need a post on it's own.  This fabric was the leftovers from a backing of another quilt.  The flowers are huge.  Some of the flowers don't even fit in the size of the blocks and the blocks were 6" finished.  I came across this pattern when a friend was showing me a pattern from a Kaufman quilt book.  I used the green for the nine patches, as the background of this fabric was almost identical to this green.  

When I look at this picture, I feel that the green vibrates.....not sure if that makes sense.  It's like when you put green and red together, blue and yellow or purple and orange.  They contrast so much that they bounce off each other.  That is what I see in this picture.  It is interesting....lol.  Some people love it and others make a face....lol.  To each his/her own tastes.  I am sure some child is going to love the brightness of the colours.  It's definitely vibrant and cheerful!!

Take care everyone.