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.

Got her done!!! And a lot more

 Got that baby quilt all completed!!!  I don't even know where I got this but it was with Kaffe material that was made for Christmas at least 4 years before Covid and I picked it up in a sale section, that I do remember.  I didn't try it for years because the instructions was one page, and not very clear at all.  Truthfully, I looked at the picture and figured it out.  All the material including the backing was $48 American years ago, and look how big it is.  It's for a friend who announced that she was pregnant.  Her baby shower is in October and it's been so long since I've been to one that I thought I would go with this and a couple of books from Dr. Seuss.  It's so cute.

I even remember a couple of the books that are pictured here.  The picture below is a better one, you can see it clearer and what books are listed.  And of course there's the book "The Cat in the Hat".  I remember my mom reading these books to us and later us reading them ourselves.

I even had time to do last weeks challenge, a store front, but I did a bar front from London England.  It's up on the wall and giving us both memories, which are good.  The problem is I'm starting to run out of places to hang pictures...  lol 

Then I did something really bad.....  I've been collecting the Mystery Up on the Rooftop Fat Quarter Shop Exclusive, it's cute as the devil but you'll have to go there and see if for yourself, because I haven't even started this one.  But after seeing how to put the blocks together, I WANT IT!

It's been a really hot couple of days here in BC, and this place gets up to 32 degrees (89 on the gage today).  Last night it didn't even cool down and then heated up again.  We have a loft, with 28 ft. ceilings so it's impossible to cool down with an air conditioner, and truthfully who would of thought it 7 years ago when we bought this place that BC would get so hot.  But tomorrow it's suppose to cool down so I've been prepping....

I've cut out 3 Summer Block Party patterns (they were get them for a week and then after that pay).  Well it's been more than a week, and I've been seeing them on Facebook, they're soooooo cute that I just had to start mine.  So I have 3 of them cut out, not on my list of things to do, but what the heck...  So my table is a mess with the cuttings, but I should have those 3 sewn today and I'll show them.  They're a great way of getting rid of your scraps.

Speaking of scraps, that medallion quilt I made all out of scraps, guess who's loving it!!!  It's on our bed now, but someone loves to cuddle in it.

When the time is right I'm going to hook up to the finished section of the UFO challenge.  But I still have about 3 more things to do, so off I go.

One of them is the quilt of LA (where my husband is at right now) before he comes back tomorrow.  Wish me luck to get it done!!

Love Making Lists. Goals for August.

 And quilting is no exception.  I'm on a list making push and here it is in order of importance:

• Welcome to Hollywood table runner for my husband - that one you have to wait and see.  It's applique, using two sided interface.  It is so old, I don't remember where I got the free pattern from, I have to find out.  But it's a 9 x 20 size so it would be perfect on a wall in the kitchen.
• 4 more paper pieces for the Cozy Holiday Sampler QAL by Apples and Beavers. I bought this last year and only had time to do about 5 of them.  So I gave up.  Now I'm back on track, doing one a week with email prompts from Apples and Beaver.   You can see a sample of one below.   There are 20 paper piece blocks.  Already have 7 of them done so now I want to do 4 of the following this month:
• Teddy Bear
• Snowflake
• Ms. Santa Claus
• Female elf
• Male elf

This is their sampler.

• 3 more cacti from the Cacti quilt.

• Baby quilt that is due to give away at the start of September.  I've had this one for close to 10 years, just sitting in a package, so it's time to get it done.
• 2 blocks from the Summer  Block Party that I never even started but I do have scraps to complete it all.  I've seen a number of other people trying to finish it so I'm starting because I want it on my barn door....  It looks so cute for the summer.  Lets see what happens.  The link is here for what it was all about....
• Cut out Bear-Wildered by Art East Quilting Co.  Just bought it, couldn't resist.  Want to hang it on my wall in the living room.  It's my one start (not a UFO but a kit that I just purchased so I want it done before it becomes a UFO).  I want to cut it all out this month, and sew it the next month.  My hubby is going on vacation with his friend, he's gone for 4 days, so it's 4 days of complete sewing.

Anything else is a bonus....  I'll be happy to get the Hollywood quilt done for the hubby.  He leaves in one week.  He'll have fun and I want the fun to continue when he sees the quilt he's been asking about for the past 4 years.   I think it's time   ;)

That's it, that's my goals, #1 the Hollywood one and the baby quilt which will be due for September.  I need a couple of small ones for this month considering the last month.  Lets hope it goes well.  I'm hooking up to the OMG group at Stories from the Sewing Room.

Good luck to all.

Try try again for April

OK, I didn't get any of my March goals completed, but I did get through a Round Robin that I got side tracked with.  But isn't the idea of this to finish UFOs, and all that material that was just hanging around in my closet (goodness knows what they were doing in there) taking up space, isn't that important to finish or rather use up part of this?  OK, maybe you think different from me but that's my story for getting side tracked and I'm sticking to it.  At least the round robin was completed and I can now put the quilting on the list.

So here's my list of things to do this month, and I'm hoping for at least three of them done.

1.  Quilt my round robin.  See here about the writeup and a link to see all of the ones done.  It's a large twin.  I'm going to put a sheet on the back and have it as a very light quilt for the summer.  No batting in it.

  

2.  Making more of the flowers above to add another 18" to the quilt to make it a queen.  I'm going to make the rows, quilt them, and then add them after the fact.

3.  The bird pattern is from SewFresh, an Ontario quilter and pattern designer.  I'm looking at the larger one for my aunt for her larger living room table, where the cat will live on it  lol.  She uses the sew and flip method which I really like.  I love all her patterns.

Look at that material, the colors are so vibrant. The background will be gray, like the picture.  The rest is all scraps, and I love using all of my scraps.

4.  Another one I want to complete is the pods you see here.  I got the pattern off of Etsy.  I've made 4 of them already, and sent them out as gifts and christmas gifts.  It's quick and easy.  

5.  My final one for this month.  I already made the pillow snake quilt.  My husband and I love Arizona, and I surprised him with this pillow when we came back from Scottsdale Arizona.  

The pattern is by Pen and Paper on Etsy.  I want to now do the cacti quilt and then in the corner the snake.  It will hang from my living room wall.  Hubby is bothering me for it.  

Here's my material, all left overs but not the backing, which looks like sand.  It's the same material I used for the pillow.  It's half cut out, so I need to finish that and then sew it, and the designer uses stitch and flip as well, my favorite way to make a quilt.  It will be one less container on my sewing room floor, always a good thing, lol!!

Joining up with One Monthly Goal at Stories at the Sewing Room, with others.  Hoping this will motivate me to finish a few quilts this month.  Wish me luck.  :)

July’s Challenge an OMG

This month is a busy month of small trips.  Retired life seems to be busier than working life, but in a different way.  There’s plenty to do.  I retired at the end of February and in a week went off to a trip to Palm Springs to see my uncle for a week.

In March I saw tons of friends all wanting lunches to wish me happy retirement.  Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great thing, but boy was I exhausted after it.  

In April it was off to Scottsdale Arizona for two weeks.  There was also some financial paperwork to complete for the retirement.  That was relaxing and stressful together.

In May, more small trips, some nesting (repairs to condo), paying off the mortgage (yeah!) and from April to end of June a lot of subbing in the schools.  At least 2 times a week,  In all of this there was three cancer scares, and in June the surgery for one of them  That’s why the subbing, to get my mind off it all.  But all is ok now, I’ve changed in all of this worry and stress, and now my husband and I just want to be happy, and live life in comfort, and at our own pace.  We are happy.  Painting and sewing make me very happy.

                                                      From my painting class.

This month’s challenges to complete will be two quilts as usual.  One is the Campfire by Suzy Quilts.  Easy 2 1/2 strips to get rid of some of my scraps l  it will also be a large one for a queen.   Picture is what it’s supposed to look like.

The second one is a scrap box full of cut blocks of matching fabric but no pattern so I’m making my own design.  It’s from 2013.  I love the colors and material.  Promised a friend a new quilt when her mother fell in love with the quilt I gave her and took it to her bedroom.   Let’s see what  I can do.

Look at those colors.  

This is my UFOs for the month.  Wish me luck.

Joining the OMG at Stories from the Sewing Room.

Catching up

 This month's goal was completed, thank goodness, because I was tired of doing the same thing over and over again.  It doesn't help that you happen to be ADHD, and can't stand doing the same thing over and over again since September.  The quilt turned out fantastic, and it was my goal to finish it this month, so I'm pleased with both but boy!!!!  Was it a chore.  So see for yourself.

Look at all those squares....

And how did I quilt it you asked????   By going through each 2 1/2 inch square.  All the quilting made it very heavy, and it was suppose to be a light quilt, so it didn't exactly work out that way, but it was still time consuming.

That was one of my accomplishments this month.  But after that I decided to catch up on two BOMs that I said I would not join this year.  But I couldn't resist.  So I joined two different BOMs.  One is from my favorite place FatQuarter and the Jolly Jabber.  It's called the Sewcialite 2 and it's very busy.  It's almost two every week. You can look at the free blocks on the FatQuarter cite.  Take a look but don't get mixed up with the Sewcialite 1 that was done a year ago and it's still free for all.  They're a terrific find, with a final quilt that could fit a queen size bed with an addition of an edge of 3 inches around.  I'm excited about this one because I'm using only scraps (yes I'm still trying to get rid of all my scraps and there is still a good amount of them).  There are 16 to do and I have 6 more to catch up.  This weekend I did 5 more for my addition of 10.  I'm loving the look of it and thinking of doing the setting blocks all in solids to catch all my colors or do it in a busy flower print (which I have as well).  We'll see when it's done.  You can also choose some of the Sewcialite 1 blocks instead to finish it off.  Take a look for yourself at one of the links that I put up above.  Here are the blocks I've completed.

This next one is from Riley Blake.  It's the RBD block challenge.  You can look at this years or from last years.  They're free and the patterns really test you so you learn along the way.  I bought fabric from Fabricland for this one because I wanted bright colors, I'm two behind on this one, and they come out every two weeks, so you have to be quick when doing this, but truthfully, I just love the looks of this one.  And it helps when your colors all match.  I am two blocks behind in this one and one of the blocks is really very hard, so I'm not looking forward to one with all HSTs the size of 2".  But the top right one is that one so I'm feeling that I can handle it.

I also promised myself something else this year.  I promised to paint a picture a month and I'm being generous or kind to myself by making the first picture over 3 months because of the size of it.  Take a look.  It's over 4 feet high and wide.  My husband and I love Arizona and he's been after me to paint a picture of the red rocks there.  I just started, and I showed it to my mother who is an excellent professional painter.  She told me that the sand was too dark, the rocks to the right were slanted, and to fade the clouds and rocks in the front.  We talked about putting a haze on it, and that's what I worked on this weekend.  My husband got into the act as well and told me to lighten the sand, that it didn't look real, but he loved the rocks in the front.  I know, the picture doesn't do it justice but you'll find that the next one I completed does.  

Here are the changes, you can see them.  Cliffs or rocks are more into the background.  The sand is lighter, and clouds are fainter so they're more in the background.  I quite like the changes

This has been a very busy weekend but one that is completely satisfying.  I'm happy with all that I've accomplished.  Still have a ways to go, but it's looking good.

So to summarize this weekend:

• painting fixed and ready for next step
• did 4 blocks in the RBD
• did 4 blocks in the Sewcialite 2 BOM
• spent 30 minutes cleaning the are.

Next to do:

• cacti on the bottom
• 2 more RBD BOMs to catch up
• 6 more Sewcialite blocks to catch up
• Complete my flamingo door for our anniversary reminder (It's in June).
• And this week it's the next number from the American Quilting Society's next goal.

I'm excited!!!  

I'm happy with it.