Hand Quilting and a Cross Stitch Barn

I added a lot of blue stitches to my cross stitch project earlier in the week, and then decided it was time to use some other colours.  As you can see below, I stitched most of the green border and got a good start on the barn.  Once the barn is done, I will go back to adding more blue in the sky. 

I hand quilted the light green block on my pineapple log cabin quilt this week. I am working on the gold block next.  3/9 blocks are quilted now.  This is a slow process.  I already know which quilt I am going to hand quilt next so will keep working away on this one to get it done. 

Angela announced that the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour for May will be orange.  I have lots of orange scraps so will get started on my blocks this week. 

A mother robin has taken up residence on top of the light fixture outside our back door.  This is a popular spot for a nest each year. 

While on a walk at the park this week, I spotted this red squirrel and got a picture before it scurried away. 

Another type of daffodil bloomed this week.  Some of the others are fading now.  It's nice to have flowers that bloom at different times so that there are always daffodils in bloom this time of year. 

Finn has been very happy with the weather this week--lots of warm sunny days for being outside. Today, it  rained and is now dull and cool so we are staying inside.  Finn is happy as long as his people are nearby. 

These flowers are in bloom at the park where we took Finn for a walk last night.  So pretty. 

 I will link up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers as well as Frederique. 

A Little Doll and Some Hand Stitching

A couple of weeks ago, I started to make a little folk art doll for a 5 year old's birthday.  This week, I finished it.  It has black hair, just like the five year old.  Purple is her favourite colour. 

I continue to work on my Mill Hill cross stitch on perforated paper.  It's coming along nicely. The green line of stitches on the right goes all the way around the picture. 

I spent a couple of hours working on handquilting my pineapple log cabin quilt this week.  The blocks were made a couple of years ago for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  2/12 blocks are quilted.  I am moving on to the light green block next. 

The azalea bush started to bloom this week.  It will soon be covered in these beautiful pink flowers. 

We were outside this am trimming some hydrangea bushes and Finn was making himself comfortable on the grass nearby. 

I have several types of daffodils in the gardens--this one is a double daffodil. 

We took Finn for a long walk last evening in Port Stanley.  The water was calm.  No wind.  Finn had a grand time and was ready to have a nap when he got home. 

These grape hyacinths are in several places in our gardens.  

The cream/yellow hellebores are in bloom too.  So pretty in the sunshine!

Finn likes to lie in this chair--its a good vantage point to see us when we are working in the kitchen. You can see his eyes better now as he had a haircut this week. 

Finn takes his tax collection duties very seriously.  The cheese tax must be paid!

I will link up with Kathy, Angela and Frederique.  Have a wonderful week!

Kintail Retreat Report

 Christine and I spent last weekend at Camp Kintail at the crafter's retreat.  Others were making paper crafts, scrapbooks, knitting and painting. Four participants were quilting.   It's always fun to see what everyone is making. The food and snacks were plentiful and tasty too. 

My first project was an open wide zipper pouch that I had started at home. This one may just stay here for me to use.  This project was a good place to use the large scale print that I loved but would not be good to cut up into smaller pieces 

Next, I made two rainbow scrap challenge blocks.  Yes, I have started a 4th RSC quilt for this year...  All of the blocks I am making are made from squares and HST's.  This newest block was inspired by one I saw on Facebook. I'm going to match the dots in the background fabric to the scrap colour.  This month's colour is red.  I will be working on my red blocks next. 

Every year, the VP of the Oxford Guild hosts a VP quilt day--she chooses the pattern and everyone makes the same quilt with their own fabric choices.  I had a solid jelly roll and the dark gray background fabric in my stash.  The VP day was on Saturday while we were at the retreat so both Christine and I worked on our blocks on Saturday while the others were sewing at our guild meeting place.  I made 14/20 blocks at the retreat and will work on the rest this weekend. 

Christine's big project for the weekend was a queen sized quilt top that had been aging for a while in her sewing room as a bag of fabrics...  She finished the top and will now be looking for a backing and a long armer.  There are lots of lovely low volume fabrics in this quilt top.

I made this scrappy quilt top at the last Kintail retreat and quilted it at this retreat.  I have found some binding in my stash and will get that attached and sewn down soon. 

Finn has come to stay at our house for his annual Spring visit while our daughter is busy at work.  He held the quilt top down while I cut the batting before the retreat.   He is very helpful. 

I added some more hand quilting to my pineapple quilt at the retreat as well. I need to get back to working on this one on a regular basis if I want to finish it...

Finn has been keeping us entertained and supervised...

I made him some banana, peanut butter and yoghurt "Pawsicles" this week.  These are a big hit!

In my "spare" time, I am knitting poppies for a Remembrance Day display in Ingersoll where the quilt guild meets.  I found red and black yarn in my stash and started on my first poppy...  we have already established that I am not the fastest knitter so don't hold your breath waiting to see a large pile of completed poppies next week. 

I finished my second Folk Art Critter--a rabbit this time.  I gave this cute bunny to my daughter for Easter.  It is sitting on her bookshelf.  I hope to make some more critters soon. 

 I will link up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers,  Angela and the RSC folks and Frederique this weekend.  

Back to Hand Quilting, Funky Rooster and Summer Sorbet Sampler

After a few months of no hand quilting, I finally got back to working on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge pineapple log cabin quilt. I had started the quilting but decided I didn't like it so let the ideas simmer for a while until I figured it out.  I got most of the pink block done today while stitching with a couple of friends but quit when my underside finger got sore. 

In the sewing room, I made three more blocks for the Threadhouse Academy Summer Sorbet sampler quilt. You can see the layout in the fourth picture below.  The last three block patterns will be released in April. 

I also put lots of stitches into the Funky Rooster project this week. I am working on the mirror image of the finished section on the left of this picture. 

Today, Frances worked on her mosaic rug hooking class project. 

Elaine is embroidering a baby quilt. It is a stamped cross stitch kit. 

When I was at the farmer's market this morning, I bought a small cinnamon coffee cake for us to enjoy with our tea while we stitched.  

Frances and Elaine brought along some baking too.  We each had a small piece of each of the coffee cakes (cinnamon and rhubarb) in the morning and then Elaine's delicious cookies after lunch. 

We have had lots of snow and cold weather in the last week.  It's fun to see different animal tracks in the snow.  We think this zigzag trail on our patio was made by a raccoon. 

This squirrel with the snow beard was sighted on our walk at the park one morning this week. 

A fancy new birdhouse was installed at the park this week too.  

These tracks are also in our backyard but we are not sure what made them...something that hops, perhaps but it seems wider than our wild bunnies that tear around the yard. 

My husband bought me tulips this week as an early birthday/Valentine's gift.  I love spring flowers but for now, I am enjoying the winter weather. 

Finn likes to nap on the pillows on the couch behind my daughter after breakfast on a Saturday morning.  It's comfortable, cozy and ever so close to his favourite person. 

I will link up with Kathy and Frederique.  Have a good week and stay warm if it is cold where you are.