October was a bust

 Yes, I got a couple of small quilts done, yes I used up some of my material but what I promised myself I would get done, I didn't, so I'm looking at finishing that this month.  My Christmas Quilt.  Here is just one block.  I have 16 blocks completed, and all four rows completed, I have stars all completed with them, but I am not framing the blocks, I am using the same fabric around, so the stars which are very yellow and really pop up!!!  I have to add another 2 1/2 inches around to complete the stars, and then I want to put another 2 1/2" border around that.  My binding is the same material but a darker green, which is what I will be using for the backing as well.  That's about 6 hours work, let alone quilting.  So this will take me at least a month, and I am working 2 weeks in the month full time, so that doesn't leave me much time.  But it's doable.

My  next quilt is also something that I started for my cousin's Christmas gift.  She's really big into Halloween, so the idea is to complete this one.  I have 5 rows completed, and have to make another 5 rows, to get it going.  It's very forgiving, and comes together beautifully.  All the pieces are cut, it's a matter of placing it on my floor, putting things together so I don't have the same color side by side, and sewing it together.  I can only do 5 rows at a time.  So although it's easy to do, forgiving, it is time consuming as well.  Two in one month..... phew.....

I can only hope.  

The last piece of news, I was cleaning out my closet and I found this one....  It's very old 2010, and was in the Fraser Valley Quilt Show.  I love it and it's perfect for the colling down of things here.  I love it.  And my husband is crazy about it because of the warmth.  I just love how it looks on my bed. 

Happy November everyone.

Halloween, getting ready

 Did a few things for Halloween to decorate around the house.  Take a look:

It was fun doing this one.  I got the instructions from Flamingo Toes.  The instructions are easy to follow and complete.  Everything you need to know is there as well as the templates for the pumpkin and the spider.  Great job Bev, I really enjoyed making this.

After this one I decided that I needed some table mats.  I saw a lot of them online, and I didn't want to buy a pattern when I knew I could make my own, so that's what I did.  Here they are, stem and all.

I had some left over Halloween material, about 1/2 meter each which worked out well to make these.  The stems were scraps.  Really like how they worked out and notice the quilting.

That's it.  Next week another painting for someone's retirement, and continuation of paper piecing a christmas quilt.  Have a great day.

Patterns Galore...

During Covid I was doing a lot of sewing and buying a lot of fabric...  After I got too much fabric (yes there's such a thing) I started to buy patterns that I really like, and I got too many of those....  But one thing I discovered is that there's a lot of free patterns and free BOMs online.  Here are only a few of the three pattern sites:

Fat Quarter Shop - which has both free patterns and many many free BOMs that I've personally made and love.

Bear Creek Quilting Company which has free patterns from fabric places and have uplinked the MODA Blockheads on their site.  On their blog they have listing of BOMs and each month they posted some really great patterns free that came out that month.

National Quilting Circle has a number of them from Fabric Companies as well.

Jordan Fabrics - always my favorite with free videos to learn how to do these free patterns as well.  The videos are very clear and easy to understand.

Robert Kauffman - one of the greats....

Moda Fabrics that has BOMs, some fatheads (a group of blocks you put together for a quilt - a real learning experience), the moda bake shop that has a view of these free quilts, and so much more for you.  One of my go to places for free patterns and most of my UFOs come from here because I join too many of them!!

Tilda's world which is a British quilter with such cute quilts.  Really stunning and most of them are holiday styles.  It's a MUST take a look site.

Missouri Star Quilt Company doesn't have the printouts of free patterns but it really has a lot of videos that show you exactly what to cut, how much material you need to buy, and how to make such fun, easy quilts.  This is a link to their video channel that has the tutorials all there.  Check out out.

Coriander Quilts always has one or two free patterns on it that are divine...  Check out this months.  It's on my list now....  So cute for September, October and November on the wall or on the couch.

Another of my favorites is American Patchwork and Quilting which every month has one or two free patterns with each of their magazines.  Those really add up and now their online.  Check out this link to many fabulous ones.  They're categorized , see how below;

Just get It Done Quilts is based out of Ontario, with a blog worth reading.  They have stash busters, free patterns and more.  Check out the freebies on top for more.....

Love Crafts has a number of patterns from all over, and more than just quilts.  You can do a search by the maker of the pattern, or what size quilt, or what item (like hand crafts stuff).  Take a look at their great search engine.

And if a free pattern is not your thing, how about a free block:

1. Moda Blockheads Round 2 can be found here, all of the blocks from Round 3 can be found here, all of the blocks from Round 4 can be found here.
2. Another great spot to find blocks is Quilter’s Cache.  This website has so many quilt blocks!
3. Generations Quilt Block patterns is another spot for free quilt block patterns in various sizes.
4. Consider blocks from other quilt alongs. The Sewcialites quilt alongs have a wonderful backlog of great quilt blocks. These blocks are available in 3″, 6″ or 9″ sizes.
5. Quilting Daily has 150 blocks with images of each one.

These are but a few.  I know, I've overwhelmed you so I'll stop.   I hope this helps you in some way shape or form.  Happy quilting. 

Keeping busy with painting and quilting

 Life is getting better and more busy.  It's Thanksgiving here in Canada, and that means that it's a long weekend.  But last week I joined a painting class for $40 a month that teaches a very distinguishing style.  I love Ali Kay's style.

See her at work here.

I love this style of painting and I wanted to try this, so I signed up for a week with Paint Week with Paint Fresh, an online course that also goes live with Facebook.  Take a look at Ali Kay's site to see what she does and her explanation

Here are some of my work from Fresh Paint

It's in order from the latest to the first one (just above).  I got better.  Feeling good, made 3 pictures, but now I'm thinking, I haven't sewn anything in a week....  I felt bad so today I received an email from Flamingo Toes showing a quick tabletop for Halloween.  It uses applique.  Take a look, especially with the spider which has spun a web going down from the web at the top.

It's gorgeous, and looks great on my table.  See this link to an explanation from Flamingo Toes.   I also cut a pattern out for Halloween.  It's my goal this week.  That goal and also to paint 2 more painting.  Wish me luck.

Exhausted

 

 THIS MATERIAL IS DEPRESSING, 

SKIP IF YOU'RE IN A GOOD MOOD

Lets see...  this week I did the following:

• Monday - started my paint course.  
• Tuesday - Went out for my birthday with a girlfriend for brunch at White Rock.  While there, picked up stuff needed for house from the Dollar Store, the grocery store, the bulk store, and that killed the mood.  Got home and found out my aunt went back to the hospital, something was wrong, She wasn't responding to anyone talking to her until she was in the hospital for about 2 hours.  Low salt and low potassium.
• Wednesday - went to the dentist, came home, and tried to catch up with my painting lessons that were all week long.  Husband drove car over curb, but luckily no damage, only damage to my mouth, I bit my lip and because of freezing, didn't know it until my husband said something. Found out my aunt may has dementia.  Was on the phone with cousins and texting most of the night.
• Thursday - brought the car in for repairs because of an accident two weeks ago where someone rear ended us.  We then got a rental.  Then we went to pick up our wine case at a winery.  But we didn't stop for a drink there, we went instead to a cidery outside in the autumn colors (sorry no pictures).  We relaxed.  Got home cancelled flight to visit my aunt.  She was still in the hospital, cancelled hotel, car rental, and needed to deal with hockey tickets we bought for Winnipeg.  Had to cancel husband's flight as well.  All together we lost $600 but we would not be seeing my aunt or spending time with her because she's in the hospital, sometimes coherent and sometimes not.  They're talking Dementia now but they're not sure because she got dizzy, fell outside, hit her head on the cement drive, and cracked her skull, thus a concussion.  Or dementia?  Doctors don't know.
• Dementia is a general term for a decline in cognitive function that affects memory, thinking, and social abilities, significantly interfering with daily life. It is not a specific disease but a syndrome associated with various neurodegenerative diseases, with Alzheimer's disease being the most common type. Symptoms may include memory loss, difficulty in reasoning, changes in personality, and emotional control issues. Treatment options vary depending on the underlying cause and may include medications, therapy, and lifestyle changes. 
• Friday - On Thursday I got two calls from two different teachers to sub. I chose one and told the other I couldn't, sorry,  So I got up to substitute at 6:30 in the morning, found out that morning that MAYBE it was cancelled.  Went to school, it was cancelled but not my the teacher, by the office staff...  and no one bothered to email and tell me.  Went home, tried to catch up with paint classes.  Had Strata Zoom meeting at 5:00 pm, then typed up notes on it at 8:00 pm and gave to other strata members.  Joined the Strata Group Chat online as well, late at night.
• Saturday, I gave up....  Two loads of laundry, change the bed, wash the sheets, went for a walk to get my equilibrium back, and then had to talk to my cousins about setting their mother up in a retirement home because now she's wandering and trying to get out of hospital because she thinks it's the retirement home she use to work at, and she hated that place..... I felt so small, but both girls are ignoring what's coming up.  In Canada it takes 2 - 4 months to get into a retirement home, IF you're lucky....  In British Columbia it takes 6 - 12 months for a good home..... Boy it sucks to get old.  Back to work.....  transferred hockey tickets to my cousin's ex-husband, really lovely man who helps everyone in the family, set up when I'm working next as a sub, talked to my girlfriend to set up another meet day,  wrote a reference for a student that I had a year and a half ago.  Those references take an hour.  That's when I started to get depressed.

So there went my equilibrium, my trip to Winnipeg, my trip to see my aunt (I'll go in November), and talking to my cousins for a while.  Yes they're upset with me for suggesting it.

My husband said "PAINT!!!!  You love that." so I went back to my course, which I can honestly say, I do love to do.  Here's the 2nd picture from my paint class with Ali Kay and Fresh Paint.  It was so much fun.  Once a year she does the Paint week and donates all the money to help people out in Haiti with her aunt.

Yes, I agree, I look happy.  It's a new style for me, called loose painting, and I've never done it before but I love the style.  Next painting, flowers, Ali's specialty.  

OK<> on the positive side, 

• I really enjoyed paint week and trying out new things.
• the vote on what notes I took for the strata is Monday, and that is off the plate, and I'm ready.
• My husband and I made an excellent spinach lasagna yesterday, and we have left overs for Sunday.  It's a treat.
• The sun is shining this afternoon.  We went for a gorgeous walk at Marine Park by the Fraser River.
• We bought the makings for home made long island ice tea to help get the mojo going again (and its working)
• I'm quilting this evening and you'll see what I make. 
• I'm healthy, so I should be happy about that.
• I spent the day home and not driving.  That's something new.
• It's autumn and it's gorgeous with the colors.  My husband bought me the flowers below.  Gorgeous.
• And I love my husband and he loves me.

OK, feeling better.  Thanks for listening.  Here's a  positive for you.....  something I sewed up quickly today:

Made with thanksgiving material.

Here's something I found online for free.  Make yourself a pumpkin.  I will be.  :)

You have a great day and a great week.  I'm sure going to try.

October's wish list......

 OK, another month, another time of making a list of what I want to accomplish, but this month, it's a little harder.  My mother's estate is finalizing, and I'm going through the trauma and the memories of that.  My aunt (her sister) is in the hospital for the 2nd time for not responding properly when talked to because of a concussion three months ago (she couldn't even talk to her daughters when her daughter got there).  I'm still working part time and I'm getting tired of it, and all this with life as usual.  That's crazy!!!!

So what do I do?  continue on like everyone else.  

So here's my list of things to do:

Continue with my paper piece Christmas quilt. Looking at finishing the entire quilt.

• teddy bear quilt
• female elf
• snowman
• steam engine
• the sashing for the quilt
• finish the quilt

See some of the other ones I've completed here....

The cactus quilt.

• need to make 3 more blocks.  I'm behind but I find it so hard to make this one....

And now the final thing:

The quilt pattern that's a skeleton, from Sew Fresh. I've had it for a while and I've looked and couldn't find the pattern on her website nor on her Etsy account.  Here's a major hint of what it's suppose to look like, everything has been cut except for the white, and that's where I'm at.  It's queen size and it shouldn't take too long to do the rows.  It's for Christmas for a girl who is nuts about Halloween.  Yeah I know, I know, it doesn't make sense but that's my family.

I also signed up for something new and I'm very excited about.  It called Fresh Paint from Ali Kay's Studio.  She's a gorgeous painter with bright, very loose painting that I just adore and wanted to learn how she does it.  I took a $10 week of painting with her (5 days actually) where I learn her style and because I was enjoying it sooooooo much (it's acrylic) I signed up by the month to all her classes.  Here's an example of her style.  I love it!!!!

A true stunner, and I'm learning her style.  I'm painting a corn flower and a group of pumpkins in this style.  See another of her works below:

The corn flower is completed.  I love it, but my style is still tight, I still need to loosen up, so tomorrow's class and the next two days is the pumpkins, for me to learn.  Can't wait.....  Here's my corn flower.

I can still get more loose, so we'll see what happens.  My goal for this month is to do the pumpkins, a tulip one and then who knows.    At least two more.  

So I think that's enough for now, for this month, because I'm also traveling again for a week to see a sick aunt.  I'm hooking up to Stories from the Sewing Room for some major motivation.  Have a great month people, have fun.

What September gave to me.

Well, I've been working and here's what I got done, even with 4 different trips this month, but the trips were 3 - 4 days so that still gave me plenty of time.  I'm hooking up to Stories from the Sewing Room for my finish.  Check out the others at that site and see some really beautiful work from the host herself.  It's absolutely gorgeous.

Here's my stuff.  On the painting side I said I would do the following and see what's been done.

Painting:

• three cards that you can mail but you paint the images on them.  Ones a secret so here's the other two.

• seal mammal from the last post.  It showed the video that I will be following

• Acrylic painting of Zeon National Park. - almost done, except for some of the rocks.  Will have to finish it in the next two weeks.

Quilt

These are my finished goals that I am hooking up to Stories from the Sewing Room One Monthly Goal.  To see when I set my goals look at this blog posting link.

• applique girl with RB blocks all around it.  Still working on this one.  Worked on the extras mentioned below instead.  This is going on October's goal. 

• 4 more blocks from the Cozy Winter BOM from Apples and Beaver Cozy Holidays BOM.  Here's the ones I did:
• teddy bear - partly done.
• Reindeer - done.

• Female elf - not done
• male elf - done 

• bell with ribbon. - done 

• steam engine - still to go
• snowman. - partly done.

But I still have two more weeks to complete it.  So those were my goals for this month, those two things.  These are the extras that I wanted to do

• 
  
  
  3 more blocks of cactuses for a quilt I'm doing.  The pattern is "Oh My Cacti" by Pen and Paper Patterns  This is the link to the pattern if you're interested
• I never got it done.  I have a hard time to get these done.

•  The Giant Swoon called Patchwork Swoon from "Thimble Blossoms" by Camille Roskelley.  I love her work.  I started it in August, and now I want to finish it.  It was one of my kits that I always wanted to do.  It's an old pattern that I bought 10 years ago.  I'm using a Jelly Roll by Collage Bitterweet, something I purchased from Craftsy.com when they changed hands 10 years ago as well.  It's sweet, and just right.  As for the rest of the material, I used scraps that I purchased from a woman online that can no longer quilt because of her arthritis.  It's very common in BC with all the rain.  This one is not even in a container, it's in a paper sheet protector, so I really want it done.  And I love the pattern.  I'm doing it because I want to see if I can do it.  One of those challenges.

And here are the results:

It looks so excellent on my wall.  We have a loft condo so the living room ceiling is so high.

It may not look it for the blocks of all those squares were not the correct size.  They were suppose to be 16 1/2 and most were one direction and then 15 1/2 the other way.  So I started to do some math to try to fix it, it was difficult.

The quilting was fun, even some of the sections because of the wrong size blocks were a little wonky.  You can do some stretching but not a lot.  So I started to do just simple straight lines with a walking foot to get it secure.

The effect is evident above.  This is what I really worked hard at, with at least 6 hours of quilting and it is so worth it.  It's now my fall quilt for each year.  

And since I have a fall hanging quilt, I wanted something that was fall look for my bed.  I had a quilt that was 16 years old, and I only used it once.  It's too big for my barn door and for the wall, and too small for the queen bed.  It's definitely a twin bed size, and it's gorgeous with it's colors, but see for yourself.  I expanded it, giving it another layer all around except for the top.  I've been meaning to do this for ages, just too scared to wreak the quilt if it didn't turn out right, but after thinking about how I'm not using it, that was it, it was done.

Original quilt, large laptop, covered 6 inches off the bed.  NOW>>>>>

I added the fall trees you see here on both sides of the bed, and part of the bottom part, but ran out, so I added these leaves and forest floor, you see in the bottom picture.

This is a better picture of the fall trees fabric.  Wish I bought more (How many of us have said that in our quilting life time??!!!)

That's it, my happy job so far.  Maybe I'll get those cacti done after all, but I'm away for a while, so I'm doing what I can.