2017 Plans and Goals

I love goal setting. It's the follow through that's the problem. But here goes:

1. Loose 20 pounds: this is both fabric and weight, not a combined goal! Scrap quilts here we come! 

2. Finish my Christmas Quilt
3. Finish the 4 grandkids twin quilts, 1 top done. This was supposed to be a Christmas gift this year! Sigh
4. Finish and/or start the 3 son in law quilts. One!

5. My youngest is getting married in September. May make a guest book quilt
6. Martin's daughter is getting married so finish up her quilt

Merry Christmas!

Two days before Christmas I ran through my list. Decorations are up! Turkey is ordered! Last day of work! Check, check, check. I had plans for Christmas makes that did not come to fruition. After all with two more sleeps I should get to the bottom of my list. No! I decided all that was done was all that was getting done. I made beef stew and chicken soup for the between times when I don't want turkey but do not want to cook.

Day before Christmas, Christmas Eve. We had turkey dinner tonight for the first time ever! We always have turkey on Christmas. Must say I loved it. Very relaxing couple of days.

Merry Christmas to all!

I started this quilt in April for my ultimate boss. Thought I had lots of time. Just received notice that she is retiring December 31, eek. So knuckled down to it and finished this quilt for presentation on December 21. Love!

It had to have horses!

Bee Blocks

I am up to date! Yeah! These are super fun blocks to make.

October

November

December

Baby Quilt Complete

This quilt is for a little guy who is growing in leaps and bounds. Definitely wanted this delivered before the little guy was a year old! I thought of doing something different but I am having a real patchwork love thing. Squares are just doing it for me! Love the patchwork!

This quilt is so super cute with the sharks and fish! Just love it.

Alphabet animals on the back. Fabulous! And striped binding! Oh yeah!

Baby quilt #10

Prairie Queen

Done and delivered. I love this quilt! Thank you Wee Bee Canadian Mates!

 Love the back too!

Playing with Font Candy, great program.

My first Commission Quilt

Finished. And delivered to my daughter. Her friends baby is not due until January but I definitely did not want to wait. Christmas sewing is up next! I love Christmas sewing!

I made this with a lot of the same fabrics I made Baby B's quilt. That was the request. Just found a couple of fabrics in my stash. Win!

I used this cute alphabet print. It is adorable.

Happy to have this quilt done.

Baby quilt #9

Happy Halloween

We are off to a Halloween party tonight. And I am dressing up as a witch! Type casting at its best.

For the Boys is finished! I love this quilt!

 I promised my nieces and nephews that when they turned 21 I would make them a quilt. My nephew informed me last year that he was now 20 and wanted his quilt. Good thing he gave me warning as it has taken a year to make this quilt.

I first asked him what he wanted, no reply. So I asked his mom, she said black and blue, do something with that. I had no idea until I saw Jen Kingwell's fabulous quilt For the Boys. It was love at first sight. I then started looking for music themed and or blue fabric. He is a fabulous musician. Why is it when you are looking for something it is so hard to find? Not a lot of music themed prints to be found. I did however find this fabulous guitar fabric. Lots of the blue fabric is from my stash. Win!

Then I had to chose the sashing fabric. I was definitely influenced by Jen's quilt in the book and used the Black and Tan. It might have been the colours she used that drew me to this quilt to begin with. Rob used to love his Black and Tan (a beer drink with Guinness and a pale ale, to be poured in layers).

Sewing the blocks was a piece of cake. Sewing it together was the challenge! Not sure what I found so difficult but my seam ripper was in constant in use.

For the back I used a Kaffee Fassett fabric. This is tradition! Most of the quilts for Rob's family I try and use some of Kaffee's fabric.

Did I already mention I love this quilt? Very pleased with this finish.

Fall Already?

How did that happen? The days are still warm but the mornings and evenings have that chill to them. I may have rushed the season by starting my sewing earlier than I should have, however I was and am ready to spend weekends sewing. Don't get me wrong I love working in the garden, I would just rather be sewing.

My daughter asked me for q quilt for our long time family friend. So started, and finished in one weekend.

My favourite kind of quilt, simple squares! Ah love!

This fabric is fabulous for a boy, sharks and sea creatures. I had a moment when I thought it was too boring, went and bought more fabric, because why not, didn't use it anyway, cause that was too much thinking, and decided it turned out wonderfully in spite of myself. Now I have additional fabric for the next quilt. I did pick up this fabulous flannel for the back! Score!

My first commissioned quilt that I am accepting money for! It's for my daughters friend (I have three girls, lots of friends having babies). Will see if I actually get cash, lol.

The log cabin blocks are done. I am not feeling the love, sigh. I need a lay out that I like, or I need to add more blocks, or sashing, or a combination of all of the above. Opinions? Suggestions?

The harvest this weekend, wonderful bounty from the garden. these lemon cucumbers are wonderful. Very prolific and tasty. I made 14 jars of pickles! Not from just these three, lol.

I am so growing hollyhocks next year! Love them. This one is on my walk home.

WIP Wednesday Bee blocks and Flimsies

I have been reading the posts about where have all the blogs gone. Rachel from Stitched in Color wrote a post and Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict wrote a response. I just want to say I read blogs everyday. I do not always comment which is my bad, but I always enjoy them. I opened an Instagram account but I am not sure I will use it. I like a slower pace, I don't always need instant gratification, sometimes I can wait. Also technology frustrates me no end until I get the hang of it. That's why I don't always comment on posts, I have to sign in every time, grr.

I am so pleased, my June, July and August bee blocks are made and in the mail. Still working on July, something about the herringbone block, I keep putting it off. They are started!

June - Garden Gate

July Herringbone

August Delectable Mountain

And the quilt tops! It was such a beautiful day I thought I would bring them out for pictures.

 MyKaffee Fassett all from scraps! Love it! It will be a wedding present. I have bought a border to make it a bit bigger.

 Plus Quilt. This is a tutorial from Simple Simon and Co. Super easy and very fast. They have a great blog which I have just found. Love new blogs!

 Abacus Quilt. This is huge at 70 x 88.

And my Shortcake Quilt from Cluck Cluck Sew, also a blog I follow and enjoy thoroughly.

It has been a fun summer so far with family and friends, gardens and canning, cooking and eating. Makes it hard to squish in the quilting. I will have to get these quilts finished up sometime....soon.

Meadowbloom Plus Quilt

Sometimes you come across fabric that just speaks to your heart, and falls in your basket. Twice. I just love the colours and the patterns. So did my grandson, it was almost his quilt.

I made this quilt with charm squares, so super easy and fast. Since I made my last plus quilt I have been wanting to make another. When I saw Meadowbloom by April Rosenthal I knew this was going to be a wonderful combination. The colours are wonderful, and seem to lend themselves perfectly to the pluses. I love it.

This quilt is for a lovely friend, just because. It could be because she is always there when you need her, or it could be because she just had a rough patch with family health issues, or it could be because she is so generous. Just because!

The back almost fit, had to piece a itty bit in one corner.

Over the long weekend we went to an antique store and I spotted this water feature. I did not care for garden statues but they are growing on me. It is so whimsical and I love it.

Working

I am having a problem tracking my projects so thought a partial list might be in order.

Postage Baby quilt done and delivered. The recipient was very touched as it is her second baby. Guess she was told only one shower for the first baby. Second baby needs quilty love too. Same fabric for the two quilts.

Prairie Queen - for my brother-in-law. I put this out as a bee block and really love it. I just purchased some border material. Hope to have this finished this month.

For the Boys - From the Quilt Lovely book. Love this quilt. For my nephew turning 21! It was requested Black and Blue. So Black and Tan after the beer drink and blue for the accent. Love it!

and my Plus Quilt, ah, love!

So I am NOT counting my fabric in, however I will say that I used -5.5 on the Go Quilt, and -2.5 on the Postage Stamp Quilt. Tada!

Bee block top

I asked my Bee Mates for blue and yellow Prairie Queen Blocks. They are now a top and I am in love! Love, love, love this quilt! It's a bit small so I think I'll add a border.

Worked on my cheater quilt. I think I will call it a panel quilt or a whole cloth quilt. Something that doesn't sound like I cut all kinds of corners. Really I just loved the panel and didn't want to cut it up. I am already having issues with giving it away as a baby quilt, sigh. And it's not even done! Now I have to decide which binding. Clown stripe or multi stripe? What do you think?

 Also working on my postage stamp quilt. This one needs to be finished quite quickly as my work mate is off the end of the month. She's having another boy.

30's playtime nine square, I am just loving this and could make these forever.

Also a 30's 16 square. Following a set colour pattern, may have to switch it up.