Oh, how rude of Mother Nature and a squirrel!

Rain, rain ..... lots of rain .... and then SNOW!  That was our Thanksgiving weekend here in Northern Ontario, Canada.  Our wood stove was constantly burning wood to heat our tiny cottage.  If you would like to know what our life is like at our cottage, then read on.

The rain didn't hold back the ATVers.  Out they went, all bundled up against the cold and the rain.  They came back drenched and cold, but quickly warmed up in our warm cottage.  There were a few times the sun came out but it didn't stay for long.  This is hunting season for partridge right now and everyone had to wear orange when out and about.  There were 2 side x side ATV's (holds up to four people in each) and 3 regular ATV's.  Good thing our cottage lot has lots of room for parking 4 vehicles, 3 trucks plus 2 trailers holding the ATV's plus all the ATV's once off the trailers.  It was quite chaotic in the back lot.  As long as there was a clear path to get to the outhouses ... no problem.

A couple of the guys ventured onto a be.a.v.er dam.  Walking carefully, it held them up, no problem.

There were lots of quilts on hand to keep everyone warm at night.  The temperature dipped to around 1C (33.8F) at night to around 4C (39.2) during the day.  So, it was a cool weekend.   

Just a few days before we were having such beautiful autumn weather and then it quickly dipped.  We are hoping that we will return to more weeks of nice weather to go back out to the cottage.  We didn't close it up for the winter, so there are still chores to be done.  We did get our screen porch wrapped in plastic and a post installed to support our roof against the snow load to come.

No quilting stuff came out with me to work on as there were just too many people in our small cottage.  Only embroidery on this pillowcase.  Not much got done as there were two babies to look after and they didn't nap at the same time.  As you can see by the date on this photo, I don't think it has been touched since.  Time to get the second pillowcase done and out of my cupboard.

Then, on Monday morning, we woke up to about 2" of snow on the ground.  Gosh, but it looked like Christmas morning.  So quiet and white.

There was enough wet snow to make a snowman.

My sister and my cottage with the screen porch all wrapped up in plastic.  

Just three of the littles that kept us busy.

I asked this one if she deliberately brought out an elf costume in the off chance of snow?

Board games came out and a bunch played or looked on.  There is no electricity at our cottage (only minor solar power) .... so we have to find our own amusement.

This was the road on my way home.  Snow on the edges and quite muddy in places.  There were some downed trees on the road; but, they were all cleared by the time I left.  So, that was our Thanksgiving weekend.  Very busy!

This is the be.a.v.er dam at the bridge that was shown in an earlier post.  The dam was built up again after the last breakage and here it is opened up again.  Probably, next time we go to the cottage, it will be built up again.  It appears that someone is managing the level of the pond so that if it does break naturally, the rush of water won't wash the bridge out.  This was the best photo that I could get as a truck pulled up behind me and I was blocking the way.

  

On the quilting side, I'm starting to play around with this new project.  It will be a quilt-as-you-go.  I just had to start something new.  Oh, that pesky squirrel.

Cherish your day, cherish your life! 

An old fashion garden!

That is the title of my hexie wallhanging.   I kept looking at it hanging on the wall and thought "what should it be called"?  It has the look of something old fashion from a long time ago period.  Bingo.

The sign just above the quilt was made by my niece.  I think carbon paper was used tracing the words/quilt block onto the wood and then she painted it afterwards.  I love it and how perfect to display with my quilts that were started and completed by moi!

Here are some close-ups.

Hand quilting (shown in shadow from the hall light).

Quilt details:
Leftover hexagons from another quilt.
Embroidery source:  "Beautiful Botanicals" by Deborah Kemball
The sheets that are in the book are huge and I just laid my top on top of the sheet and traced using Crayola Washable Markers.  It was easy to see through the fabric to do the tracing.  After washing, all the markings came out.
Size:  40" x 47" (before washing and drying:  40-1/2" x 48")  After washing, the wall hanging was blocked (using pins) onto a styrofoam board and left to dry.
DMC embroidery threads were used.
Started:  July 2010
Finished:  September 2019

What a treasure to finally have this UFO done!  A lot of work and a lot of hours went into the making of the quilt.

DONE.  A lovely word!

Have a great day!

Linking to:
http://www.esthersquiltblog.com/
https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

A little bit of this and that!

I'm hand quilting again after quite a hiatus.  My hands and fingers can't work like they used to, so in between sessions of hand quilting, other things were happening.

My lovely hexie wall hanging is the chosen project.  With all that embroidery, there was no way this was going to be machine quilted.  It would not have done justice to all that hand work.

After an hour here and there during the week, the centre is almost done.

In between sessions, binding got sewn onto this Xmas quilt.

Seriously .... that seam had to happen right in the corner!  LOL  Oh well, it was easy to fix and continue on. 

 Viola ... the centre is completed.  Now, onto the borders! 

Also, during the week, binding, sleeve and label were completed on this quilt.  Photos will be coming as soon as the leaves on the trees on our hill change colour .... and that should be happening within the next two weeks.   Sorry, but you will just have to wait until then.  I know, I know, I shouldn't tease you all! 

So, that was my week!

Have a great day!

Linking to:

http://www.esthersquiltblog.com/

https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

Embroidery done and big stitch quilting

Well, well, well!  The embroidery is finally DONE.  Lordy, but that was a long process but so worth every stitch.

The hexies are all marked and the hand quilting has started.  Oh, so happy to be doing this.  Mind you, I'm not so happy with my quilting.  My fingers don't want to work the way they used to, so that is something that may stop eventually.  This quilt can not be machine quilted.  It just has to have hand quilting.

Big stitch quilting.  My niece did a bit on her first quilt.  This is how she does it.  She doesn't have the strength to maneuver the needle.  Not yet, anyway.  Time will tell down the road if she wants to try it again.  Some of her stitches were quite wonky and I pointed them out to her.  Her answer:  "I don't care, it is my quilt."  Yes, it is your quilt.

 Yes, yes, yes .... my studio is a mess right now.  What is new, eh!  LOL

I marked the top where the big stitches were to go and all she had to do was follow the markings.  Same with machine quilting.  She did some of both and so did I.

Her quilt has two rows of big stitch quilting, straight line machine quilting and some ties.  She looks pretty proud of herself.  Binding, sleeve and a label and her quilt will be ready for our quilt show in September.

While she was here for that day, she had to use the bathroom.  She came back in and said "OMG" and had a look of utter astonishment on her face.  Why is she OMGing?  "Your shower", she said and I started to laugh.  What made her look in the shower?  The shower curtain was bulging out a bit and she was curious.

In that shower that is hardly ever used, are bags and bags of batting scraps.  They had to go somewhere and why not there.  Right?!  I'm still chuckling over that.  Anyway, one day they too will get sorted out and sewn together.

So, that is my week.  Busy at the cottage and busy at home.  Just enjoying summer.

Have a great stitching day!

Linking to:
http://www.esthersquiltblog.com/
https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

Busy, busy, busy

Not much quilting has been going on.  Summer weather has finally arrived up here. 

A bit of progress has been made on this project.  My sister is excited to finally ..... soon .... to have this quilt done up for her.   Right now, she has a store bought bedspread and she doesn't like it and is looking forward to this quilt. 

I'm having a hard time trying to capture a good photo of this quilt.  They all turn out like this.  Could it be this block with the embroidery?  I use my ipad for photos and maybe it is getting old and not taking good photos anymore.  Anyone else have the same issue?

What about all the stuff that you see in front of my design wall?  Things are happening here.

All of that stuff was in this cabinet that we bought back in April of this year.

That cabinet is in the process of being transformed.  Getting a coat of white paint.  The cabinet top and base are back to back (that is why it looks odd sitting like that).  My husband made a spray tent for me on our back patio and it is working a charm.  There are still door fronts to be sanded and painted and that will happen over the next few days.

Once this cabinet is done, two coats of Varethane will be applied on the inside.  Got to protect my quilts from any wood resin that may seep through the paint.  I will show an 'after' soon.  Oh, you should see me doing the happy dance!  LOL 

The cottage is calling to me and my quilting and sewing will slow down a lot and so will my blogging.

Have a great day!
Linking to:
http://www.esthersquiltblog.com/
https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

Lordie .... this is an oldie!

I'm going to be working on this old ufo once I'm home from my vacation.

Yesterday, my sister dropped off a top that she bought and needs adjustment to take on her trip with her youngest daughter and me.  She was coming over to drop off my plane tickets and pick up the other clothes that I altered.  She forgot to give me my tickets.  Silly woman!

Anyway on her way out my studio door, she saw this project on my design wall.  That's pretty, she said.

I told her it was going to be her quilt.  Remember, the one that was started ..... oh ..... 15 years ago?  It has been so long that she forgot all about it.  Wasn't that quilt for their 25th wedding anniversary, she asked?  Yep. 

This project was started Mar. 2004.  Over 15 years ago.  Time to get it done so that they can have it for their 40th wedding anniversary at the end of June.   Yes, I did notice one block that is pieced wrong and it has been taken out for fixing.  See if you can find it.

After getting the rest of the navy circles sewn onto the embroidery blocks, the blocks were all added to the design wall.  Now just the pieced blocks to cut out and complete.  Baby steps, baby steps!

A close-up of the embroidery and pieced block.  I'm so surprised that all the embroidery has been done.  That should have taken me forever to do and yet it is the pieced blocks (easy to do) dragged me down on this project.  Sadly, it got shelved for all these years ..... because ..... well, because I was on to more interesting work.  This is not a scrappy quilt and that is what I love to do more than anything else.

This hexie project will be my new summer take-along project.  Should it come with me on my trip to Costa Rica?  We may have some rainy days ahead and I might need more than a book to keep myself busy.  Showers are one thing, but a total rainy day ..... yes, this will keep me occupied.

This is what the whole layout will look like.  The diamonds will be made up as needed.  So, extra strips of the teal fabric will be coming along too.

This is what my roll looks like all tied up.

So, that is it for a couple of weeks.  Talk to you later.

Have a great day!

Last bit to do ....

I'm trying to get this last section of embroidery done for this top and it is slowly getting there.

Here is a better look at that last section.

The photos don't do my work justice .... because it is absolutely beautiful in person.  Soon, my lovely, soon you will be done and then hand quilting can start.

Not much has been happening lately in my studio.  Too busy with other things.  It is nearly the end of May and cottage time will take me away from my studio.  Hand work will come with me and slowly over the summer months you will see what gets done during this time.

But .... there is always a but, isn't there?  In going through my scraps, if a large piece (6"+) is found, then 6" x 6" squares are cut out and made into these blocks.  I'm just making rows of blocks.  Maybe these rows will be in the same quilt and maybe not.  These will be made into donation quilts.  I'm just making them and putting them in a bin for later.  Pattern is called Winding Trails by Karen Griska.

Oh, and I'm also working on two secret projects which cannot be revealed until much later.  So, I guess I am working on more than first thought.  LOL

Next week, my sister, her youngest daughter and I will be off for a week in Costa Rica.  We have never been there and we are so looking forward to sun and hot temperatures.  It has been a very long winter and a wet spring.

Have a great day!

Linking to:
http://www.esthersquiltblog.com/
http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

This and That ....

Not much quilting has been going on this week.  I've been busy cleaning my studio and adjacent bedroom.

During the process, didn't two ufo's surface!  Darn, where did they come from?  They weren't on my ufo list.

Red and white blocks from a workshop that Carla Alexiuk (http://www.quiltingbytheriver.ca/) did last year at our day guild.  I really need to continue making more blocks before everything is forgotten that she taught us.

More red and white blocks.  These are on my design wall and this will be worked on.   These two ufo's need to be worked on at the same time because they use the same fabrics and better to work on them together and then clean up the mess.

After doing a bit of cleaning, my ironing station has been set up again and my quilt rack is back up on my wall.  Just in a different location.

This was my old set up which I absolutely loved.  Sadly, it got dismantled because .....

.... this is my newest acquisition.  Later this spring, it will be sanded and painted white and then I can start filling it up with quilts for display and storage.  This is part of my five-year plan to reduce and finish tops, ufos and stash.  Bins and shelves will start to disappear from my studio and this unit can be moved to a different location.

This project below has not been shown for a while now.  Much progress has been made.  Will the end of April see the embroidery completed?  Only time will tell.

Meetings in the garage continue regardless if it raining, snowing or sun is shining.  We show up and have a blast!

Karin has been busy finishing rug hooking projects.  Can you see the cat?  Not the best photo with the light from behind her.

Barbara is sewing binding on a QOV quilt.  My embroidery project is what I brought with me to work on and you can see it on the bottom of this photo.

 Claudia made more log cabin blocks for this hanging.

Claudia also showed us the project she is taking with her to New Zealand (she is there now) for her vacation.

 Darlene is going to be a grandma and she showed us all the baby items she has made .... so far .....

So, now what should I work on?  This mess .... OMG!  How did this happen?  I do love my room with all these lovely mini quilts.  Made by friends from all over the world.  This mess needs to get sorted out lickety split so that when entering, my wall of art can be enjoyed for all to see.

On that note, have a great day!  LOL

Linking to:
http://www.esthersquiltblog.com/
http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/