Where has the month gone?

 For a retired teacher I worked too much this last month.  I did a week at a school, went off to Anaheim California (Christmas gift from my husband) and then right back to work for a week, during the end of the term in January at a high school (same school before I left).  I'm working way too much and my husband finally told me he wants me home more (that was after a heated discussion).  And I have to admit I'm enjoying staying home tremendously. 

I'm having trouble calming down but that's been going on for months now, with this on again and off again working, not working, etc.  I don't know if I'm coming or going.  But I'm believing that I'm at the end of this part of my life.  I promised my husband that I would spend two weeks with him, and he said I can take requests only.  I pointed out to him that this was all I was doing for the past two years, but now he understands that we can't have it both ways.  So it's stop with all the extra money from subbing, or continue on.  He wants me with him, so that's the way it's going to go.  I'll try to cut down to one a week or at least 2 a month for supporting my my craft habits:  quilting, acrylic painting, water coloring, and the courses that I'm taking.

This leaves me time for more of the hobbies and retirement now.  This is the trip to Anaheim:

Shark that someone hauled up while fishing at a pier.  We got a great look at him.  My goodness it was surprising.  It's called an angle shark and it wasn't far from the beach.  We also swam at Huntington Beach and there were 54 people stung that day because the sting rays are coming closer to the shore.

we saw two hockey games - one in LA in a suite we were invited to and the other in the Duck Pond in Anaheim.

Went to 6 beaches in 5 days, and at one we saw a castle on the beach.  That's my hubby in the picture.  It goes up to the top so the people on top of the cliff can come down to this private beach.  We had to come down about 60 stairs on the side of the cliff to get here.

That's the cliffs at the wild beaches.  We sat for about an hour at this one.

This is another beach and a picture of the stairs to get down at this one.  It was easy and pretty, and really built up for people to walk in a huge park.  Loved it.

This was the walk at the bottom of the stairs, it was about 2 miles long but on a cement walkway.

Another wild beach and the dunes around it which are falling into the ocean.  That's why the fence.

Huntington Beach.  Love the reflection of the water.

Of course we went to Disneyland with our friend Kara.

And this time we explored Disney hotel.

We also went to a town where houses fell down the cliffs (no one was hurt) and it had a lighthouse.

 We got a tour of it, and went all the way to the top of it.

Now I talk about my paintings  I continue to paint with Allie Kay online lessons at FreshPaint.  Her lessons are easy to follow and she had a class on 25 minutes of painting a day.  Did 4 our of the 5 paintings on very small 5 x 8" blocks.  

These are a few extra when I had time, just practicing.

The one below is one that I did as a solor.

This was just this week, one of Allie's lessons.

I am doing some watercolors as well but I have to do more practicing.

That was this month's work.  But I'm not done.  I also did two quilts:

One for a friend who just learned that she is pregnant.  Below is the back of the quilt....  

And below is the quilt itself.  I loved it.  It's free from SewFresh.  Tiger from Disneyland.

Here's another one that I made this week as well. It's a lap quilt but I'm thinking of making it larger.  Adding piano keys all around it.  What do you think?

And that was what January is like, busy busy busy, with 10  days of subbing.  I got to take a break.  Going to finish my quilt for my cousin in Win nipeg and I'm leaving for Winnipeg in a couple of weeks that's the next one needed on the list.

How did your month go?

The end of the Year

 As the title states, it's the end of the year with 2 more days left before New years Eve.  Many things have happened and many realizations as well.  So here's the realizations, because to me they're big:

• I'm a workaholic.  No seriously, I am.  I'm semi-retired and subbing every once in a while, but the subbing has turned into 10 - 15 days a month, that's almost half time.  So where is the retirement?  I still love teaching but the hubby is saying, how about spending time with me?  So we agreed to only requests, but the requests have turned into 10 - 15 times a month.  So what to do?  Take more trips....
• I love to paint.  yes, I knew that before, but this Christmas I did all my Christmas cards  in watercolor.  Some of you have received some cards.  Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of them, because I couldn't post them.  As a gift to myself I joined a painting group.  Watercolor Mastery with Emily Olson.  At present I'm doing 30 days of Watercolor to learn the basics which I know but some of the vocabulary is good to know so I'm on day 27.  It's about 15 - 20 minutes a day and it's not bad.  Notice all the categories, as well as daily challenges that are lessons to learn something.  You also join Facebook to be a part of the encouraging group there.   But I must tell you, these people are absolutely talented and make me feel a little inadequate, so for now I'm lurking and going slow.  But I am enjoying it and it's great for when you only have about an hour or less to do something, so you paint.

I did do one watercolor and gave it to my aunt for Christmas.  This course helped a bit.  

Her grandchild looks perfect, but her face is a little off.  it's the wrinkles, she didn't like them in the picture.  most people don't like their portrait, but it's very close.  And I really liked it.  Maybe next time in acrylic.

• But this is not my first online course that I joined.  I saw something on Facebook, with Ali Kay.  She's got a style of her own, using broad lose strokes in arylic.  It's called Fresh Paint and there's also a Facebook group that's so encouraging, helpful, and motivating.  There are tons of projects to complete, a number of first time projects, and here's a few:

                                  

• I have found a number of things to remember:   smaller is better for less wall space used, it's faster because you follow along with Ali live or you can look at the video that appears later on and stop and start it when you need it.  That's what I do.  The pictures above are start at the bottom to more recent practices on top.  I've already gifted 4 of these pictures for Christmas so it worked out really great.  Here's another one that I gifted to my uncle in Utah.  This one took 3 hours to complete on a 8 x 8 board.  I framed it and sent it to the states.

  
• Here's where you really see the growth for me.  It's this month's and next month's weekly challenges.    They're 16" by 20"
  

See the style????  The board loose strokes?  Yeah, I know, really painting up a storm.

On to what this blog is about.  The quilting I've done this past two months.  It includes a pillow for this quilt:

Yes the Christmas quilt paper piece was completed just in time.  It's two years old so it's best that I completed it.  Used Wandering quilting for finishing it and the borders are with the same material so the stars float, which I really like.  There was suppose to be another 4 blocks to add but I wanted it square so I could hang it up on my wall.  I already have 4 other Christmas quilts to hang, and drape, and use around the house so I think that's it for Christmas  lol.  I used an extra piece piece block to make the pillow cover.  Did that today, cleaning out my sewing room.

While cleaning out my sewing room I also discovered some flannel material that's over 7 years old.  It's been collecting, and I purchased some green flannel thinking I'll make this really cool quilt with the flowers and green, but in the end it was "I want another flannel quilt, it's really cold lately" and that was it.  Just a slice and stitch together quilt, mixing and sewing back together the fabric.  Very modern, easy to do.  The blocks turned out to be 15 inches big at the end, and then borders of 2 1/2 inches to put together.  But then I ran out of the green, and had some more flower flannel, then started piecing, then just playing and in the end it's the Lost Garden.  And it's warm.  65" by 65".  Big enough to cover the toes and wrap around.  I like it.

I also got out a queen quilt that I made two years ago, but never used because it's so hot.  Hopefully it will be perfect for tonight.  Here's a shot.  It's my scape quilt.  Yeah, you got it, all scraps and extra fabric.  No batting inside, just flannel on the back to keep it together.  Yeah, that's crumbing in the center.

Here's what else I completed, while cleaning that room.  I'm going to a baby shower in January.  I was invited by a good friend for her daughter's baby.  So I bought a few things, found this material for the mother from Montana and you will understand why I made this.  It's a cover up for the baby seat, when moving the child from car to house.  Horses, little cowboy hats, saddles, etc.  Perfect for a family on a farm.  It's reversable.

Front above and back below.  All flannel.

It's 32" by 38"

Finally, what I'm working on right now.  It's still the quilt for my cousin in Manitoba but I've changed patterns.  I painted her the skull you saw at the start of this blog, and this is the pattern I am now doing.

There are 21 rows.  I am trying to do at least 5 a week.  I'm on row 12, and decided to place all the pieces together.  That's when I noticed that I am short both the gray and the white.  The white material has gold dots on it.  That will cause trouble.  But that's ok because I think white in random places won't be noticed, and I need 2 more small pieces of gray, which I'll put around the nose, so that may work.  It is what it is.  It's twin size, very large, so this will be very interesting.  Looking at making it a queen, and I have the backing for it as well as for another edge around it.  Used brown and oranges for around the skull, so it looks like fall.  That girl is into Halloween in a big way so she'll love this.

Well, coming to the end of this posting.  Need to make one more comment.  Rejoined the Fraser Valley Quilt Guild and joined their UFO club.  You list some quilts you want to finish by June, and you pay $2 per quilt.  I put in 6.

1. Flamingo quilt for the barn door.
2. Cacti quilt that I absolutely hate making.  It's really hard to fit, and the instructions are hard to follow.  You'll see another time why I'm saying this.
3. Hand Stitched Farm Yard.  I'm down to two big blocks to complete.  I promised myself I'll do three threads of hand sewing every morning.  Been doing it for a week, and keeping up.  Hopefully will be done by June.  But at least I'm really making progress now.
4. A bear quilt to go with a bear painting I'm planning on making that will be 20" by 30" for the living room.  The bear quilt will hang on the wall.  I have all the bear cut out, just need to do the background now.
5. From the same designer Canadian Animals - I've had this kit for the past 5 years.  Really needs to get done.
6. A Tin box club thing that was from the guild 4 years ago.  Was making one block - need at least 30 of them.  Block size is 8".  The material is really old fashion so I'm excited about this one.  But I'll probably give it to someone when done.  We'll see.

As for other plans for this coming year let me tell you.  Here's a picture of my room after a visit from the fire department and me worried about them saying get rid of my kits.  It also contains my paintings, some of the 1/2 done projects that are now done, my books for my reading clubs, and many of my paintings that are practice. Knocked it down to the ones I want to complete this year.:

1. Canadian Animals which I have been sitting on for the past 7 years.  I have so many scraps now, I need to use them on this quilt.  Love the designs.
2. Paper piece of a woman in a hat.  It's 2 years old.  Material collected twice.
3. 2 1/2 inch squares of green to make a garden with purple flowers in it.  It's 10 years of collecting green scraps.
4. A Scottish Cow, paper pieced.
5. a jelly roll quilt - the jelly roll is 6 years old.
6. a quilted jacket from my scraps which are many
7. Cat using the SewKindofWonderful curved ruler. It's 5 years old.
8. An applique woman with blocks all around it.  All blocks done, the woman done, just need to put it together and quilt it.  (2 years old)
9. A small runner of a sofa, chairs and quilts on both.  Really cute and 3 years old
10. I found out that the Wedding Quilt I made for my nephew, I made another kit of it, not realizing it.  So I'm going to make it and gift it to someone lese.  It's in that pile.

and so much more!!!!  All ready for me now.  Just need to get going.  But those 6 at the top are my key ones and really bucking to get them done.  Priority, the Skull for February visit to my aunt in Winnipeg.

That's it.  Say goodbye to 2025, hello to 2026, and Merry Christmas to all.  Take care.

Painting away....

 New ones from Fresh Paint, been so busy painting this weekend.  Will get right to it.

It's a Christmas ornament.  There are 12 purples in this creation.  That's why I love it so much.  The ball in the back was off, but it's fixed now.  it's on a 8 x 8" square and I have a black frame to frame it so I'm excited about that as well.

Hope you enjoy it.

Will not show the 4 other watercolor cards I made because it's for giving away for Christmas.  Take care.

November is a Triumph!!

 Last month I didn't do much because I was working too much, substituting for friends, and replacing sick teachers.  This month, I did two weeks of replacing one teacher and a month in October.  I would come home tired and nap for 1/2 to an hour every day.  Then I would go to bed at 9:00 and start the next day.  But in between the weeks was Remembrance Day, and another day was a Professional Development day so I wasn't so tired and able to do some painting and sewing.  I reached one of my goals of finishing my Christmas quilt, it's quilted as well, and I'm so happy with it.  So I want to brag and show some of my work.

So here's the final picture.  There were four more paper piece items to do, one was a sleigh bell that's completed (going to turn that into a pillow), one with squirrels, one of a dog on a sleigh.  But I love these ones and the final quilt measures 60" by 60".  Perfect for hanging on my wall this Christmas.  The pattern is from Apples and Beavers, check out their quilts.  Really loved their patterns, have purchased a number of them, including the really cute Dragon one.  You got to take a look.  They had this BOM last year that I bought into, paper piecing.  Wanted to practice my paper piecing again before I tackle this really hard one I have, so I said why not.  Unfortunately their schedule was just beyond my capabilities, 3 paper pieces a month, so I gave up.  They asked me why I wasn't sharing and a survey went out where I found out I wasn't the only one having trouble.  Thus,  a 2nd round of it with one a month or a little less time.  This was more manageable, and the  results you see.  They had stashing around the blocks with stars joining the stashing, but I like my idea better and it really shows up the blocks.  I'll show more pictures when it's up on the wall, and not on my floor like this one.  You can see some previous posts that show the blocks separately.

My next success was really an activity in courage.  I had an old quilt that I did not use for 4 years.  It's been washed numerous times, shrunk a couple of times, and just doesn't fit our queen size been with a husband that hogs the blankets (I would end up with no quilt on my side).  I said for a year that I would cut it up and make a jacket out of it.  Instead I made a hoodie with all my left over blocks and used that.  I loved it but my husband put it in the dryer and I never pre shrunk it so it became a size 10.  I'm an 18 with these shoulders.  I gave it away to a niece who said I could wear it for camping....  I cried.  But onward and upward...  The first cut is the hardest.  The results.....

 It's like being wrapped in a quilt outside.  This is all from that quilt I made in 2019.  Still going strong.  I even had a piece to make a bed runner with (about 20") for my summer white quilt and a good thing too because I made matching pillow cases.  Now that's a great use of quilts.  That was the next one.

The rest of my time was used as reading and painting.  Signed up for a year on a learning site to learn to paint a certain style and let me tell you I'm loving it.  I've only been in it for 2 months (signed up at the start of October) but so far I've painted 8 pictures (moved down to 8" x 8" because running out of wall room).  Here's my favorites so far...

This is a beginner one...  LOL  it's not....

A retirement gift to a friend.

Just because I've been practicing color mixing, and this one had 8 greens.  Sorry about the darkness of the picture.

This one was the hardest of them all, but I wanted to make a small Christmas gift for my uncle who is over 80 and just moved into a smaller place.  He probably doesn't have any Christmas decorations so this is one I want to give him.  It's framed in black and looks really good.  Have to get it off soon because he lives in Arizona, and that will take some time with Duty to pay.  But that's OK.

Finally, great news, I'm back to my quilting guild, just in the morning session if I'm not working.  It feels strange to me, going in daylight but my husband is happy about that, he doesn't like me driving in the dark.  So I joined the Fraser Valley Quilt Guild again, and the first thing I did was join a group to get some of my UFOs down, because I'm sure they're multiplying behind my back in my sewing room (those little devils).  My husband also told me that when I die he's going to contact the Guild and give them all of my kits for free.  Poor thing, he doesn't know the cost of them lol...

So here's my list.  It cost $2.00 for each one you list, and it's an entry to win all the money in the end.  There are numerous other people in it, and like me, they start new ones.  

I had two on the go when I did this and didn't list them.  one was that Christmas quilt.  But the idea is to get my stash down, and this will help.  It runs until June and this was the final day to join, so I did it in a rush, with everything throwing me for a loop on how different the day meeting is compared to the night, and all the people, there were tons.  And to top it off, I'm going to miss the December meeting because I'm going to a hockey game in Seattle with the hubby, but that's OK.  There's always January.  So if you can't read it here it is:

1.  Florence Flamingo by Elizabeth Hartman  

2.  Oh My Cacti by Pen and Paper Quilt.  It's very hard and complicated.  That's why I keep putting it down.

3.  The Tinner box from 2020 that I had with blocks that we did as a group and pass around to each other to make one a month.  I have 15 more to go.  But I love the material.

4.  hand Stitch Farm Yard from The Buggy Barn.  Called Crazy for Applique.

5.  Canadian Animals - Wonderful Woodlands from Art East Quilting Co.  This one is 5 years old.  Must get it done.  It's cute.  See for yourself.

6.  Bear from the same creator.  Bear-Wildered by Art East Quilting Co.  Bought the kit after seeing this one online in a zoom....  jeesh....

That's it my six quilts want to do. 

Wish me luck, and I definitely NEED to stop buying more patterns or getting them free on the internet like this block "There she blows" a whale block....   Yes I'm taking you with me...... 

And if you have the same sense of humor I have...  You'll love this one from Art East Quilting Co. $18.00 

Have a great week.....I have enough to do.