Thursday, December 31, 2009

Christmas surprise!

Well I almost did it, that is finishing my other daughter's quilt before Christmas. I forgot she was getting out of school for break earlier then her siblings. that meant she was with me all the time and it was hard for me to finish her quilt. She (at 14yrs old) started and completed the top last spring. This was her first time making a quilt. We used 4 charm packs and a 2.5"wide sashing. All the colour choices were hers. The backing is pink just like her room. Luckily, one night, she got called to babysit and I managed to finish stitching , in a meandering loopy de loop pattern. I got it all done except the hand sewing of the binding. I think she should try to work on that a bit.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

And the days just roll by.....


I hope everyone is surviving the holidays ok. We had a great Christmas and are now taking the days leisurely, enjoying the break from all the kids activities and work. I am adjusting to having everyone home! I have so much to post about, but with everyone home and still the usual duties of the house to run, I am not finding much time. I did quickly want to show you the quilt I finished for my daughter. She (9 years old at the time) started it last spring. She would look in my string bin for like colours and sew them together into blocks. When we ran out of strings she would ask for fat quarters to be cut. At first I was going to sash it in black, but then opted for the white to make it more 'light' . I finished it on the sly, in the evenings when she was in bed & managed to get it done on the 22nd just before she got out of school. I decided to back it with flannel as she is always cold in bed. I stippled it just because I needed it to be done quickly. Her favourite colour is lime green and the polka dots on the flannel had all the colours in it, so a perfect fit. The binding is "Riveria' by Free Spirit, which again has all the colours of the rainbow.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Quilting for Peace Grocery Bag Sew Off

Well lately I have been a busy little elf trying to finish off a few projects before Christmas. Unfortunately, I can't post about some of them yet or the surprise will be gone, but I promise I will as soon as they are opened.
In the meantime, I decided to join a challenge. Over at SewMamaSew, they are having a challenge to make fabric grocery bags. They are using the patterns from two ladies, The Green Bag Lady and Morsbags each are making a dent in the use of plastic bags at the grocery store. I am very picky recycler. We have baskets on every level of the house for reycyling and it is my daughter's job to empty them and fill our blue bin once a week. As a family of 5 we usually only have one bag of garbage a week. I think that is pretty good. In the non frozen months we also compost, during winter the lid is frozen shut.
Anyway, the challenge was to make as many of the fabric bags by Dec 22 and be entered to win prizes from Fiskars. So I did, inbetween all my other projects I have made a total of 14 bags so far. I used fabric that I had in a bag to be given away as it wasn't quilting material. Glad I didn't give it away because I have used most of it up making these bags. I used them already at the store, but need to make at least on more for a big shop. Making them in a neutral fabric means by husband won't be embrassed with floral bags. These floral ones are for a friend.
The single bag I tried to make in a divided bag for wine or pop bottles, at my husbands request. Lets just call that one a sample and a work in progress, I have a few kinks to iron out.
So if you have any time left, whip one of these bags up, they really are easy. Morsbags says "for every one fabric bag made it will eliminate 80 plasic bags". Or maybe it will be a New Year's promise to help our beautiful world.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

COOOLLLLDDDD


I never in my life thought I would see and feel temperatures like we have had this past week. I know folks north of Calgary had it even worse. These are in Celisus and without the windchill which drops it even lower. We have all managed to get by. Now we are suppose be above 0*C tomorrow. We had a few nights of cuddling under quilts as we watched TV and a few more were added to beds as well. See I knew all the quilting would come in handy. Can't keep warm with scrapbooking!!!


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

More finishes....


This quilt, called "GOAL" is going to my nephew in Ontario who is a huge soccer fan and great little player at 7 years old. It was suppose to be for his birthday in Nov. but I just didn't get it done in time. Now it is a gift for Christmas.
A few more finishes that I have been working on. this angel wall hanging went to Leah in Australia as part of the the Four Seasons Quilt Swap. I was glad to find out that she received her package this week.
This scarf I crocheted a few weeks back. My daughter's grade 5 class is crocheting scarves that will go to one of the homeless shelters. I have been crocheting along with them using up all the yarn in my house. I actually had to go to Value Village to get more.
I have a couple more projects up my sleeve and will post about them when I get them started or completed.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Finishes.....

Sorry that my post have been few and far between lately, but when you see all that I have been working on, I have been rather busy but productive. Not to mention the usual activities of life and then throw in the Christmas season as well and I am one busy lady!
This table runner is for my brother and wife for Christmas. I used 2 1/2"strips and border. I then diagonally machine quilted it. (one of my favourites so far)
this table runner is going to Ohio to the family farm's kitchen buffet.


this wall hanging was made for my sister on the occassion of her 50th birthday in November. She was here visiting a couple of weeks ago. We had a blast hitting the malls around the city, putting a dent in our Christmas shopping. We went to a Calgary Flames game and I even managed to arrange a surprise birthday party for her out in Banff with some of her oldest friends. Hope she comes back again soon!!
I have a few more finishes but will have to put them in another post.......

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Vintage Thingie Thursday--In a Christmas Way


I know it has been ages since i posted a VTT item, sorry. Really crazy busy at my house, but hopefully I will get back to normal...whatever that is. If you are new to VTT Suzanne at Colorado Lady host this great weekly post about all things vintage.
Yesterday as I was unpacking all the Christmas decorations. Now I come across these Christmas ornaments every year. They have travelled many miles over the years. They originally came from my mom, used on our tree when I was growning up. When I moved out she gave me a few boxes to get me started. I remember as a kid our tree had every colour of the rainbow on it. Now I don't use these balls on my tree as I keep just to gold and red. I can't believe they are in the originally packaging. I will keep them around for many more years probably. Great memories come alive when I see these from yester year!
Today it is really cold outside (yet I know there will be colder ones to come) so I declare it a sewing day....need to get a few things down and in the mail. Off to the machine I go......