Sunday, December 30, 2012

a year in review

Wow its hard to believe that we have another year under our belts.  We had a very busy year this year.  Much of January and February were spent packing up the house to get ready for renovations, kitchen, two bathrooms, new windows and doors, throughout, painting, carpeting, staining and more.  That ordeal lasted over 4 months.
            
packing up the main floor
kitchen under construction

our bedroom
 In March we were able to escape the mayhem for a quick visit to friends in Phoenix. It was lovely to soak up the sun. 
Quading near Phoenix
April brought us to dance competition time for my girls. We traveled around Alberta competing.  We also moved our son back from university and had a visit from my sister. 

our beautiful grad
May was an exciting month as my daughter graduated from high school.  (Poor thing had to get dressed while 6 guys were in the house renovating!) Our son celebrated his 20th birthday! In June we had many year end school activities, D#2's birthday and the end of our renovations, well almost. 

Mickey
sewing table/slash dining table
In early July the girls and I were partying with Mickey in Disneyland.  The girls were dancing in the Disneyland parade and taking workshops. The rest of July we spent putting the house back together and gardening



Can you see that I haven't had much time or a place for sewing? My sewing area was transformed into a makeshift kitchen!

I did manage to get my daughter's graduation quilt finished.                                                                         
Grad quilt/finish #1
Seattle
Whistler, BC
End of August took us on a family vacation to Seattle and Vancouver. 
D#1 started university, S#1 didn't return to university so adjustments for everyone in the family.  September was the start of grade 8 for D#2. I was continuing to get the house back together. There was lots of cleaning, pictures to hang, closets to empty, garage to clean out etc.  


Slowly but surely I was getting back into sewing and blogging again.  
2nd finish of 2012
3rd finish
4th finish
5th finish
little finishes




I am most proud of the quilt I finished for my niece.  Blogged about here


I wish you all a very Happy New Year. 
May 2013 bless you with many hours of quilting, good health and special times. 

Cheers!

Lee
p.s. I have a new computer (MAC)which I am still learning how to use it.  So bare with me on my crazy looking posts.  If any of you know of a program/app to use for blogging on a MAC I would love to know about it.  I use to use Windows Live Writer which was so easy. 



Wednesday, December 26, 2012

At last I can share

At last I can share this finish with you all.  I am so excited to show you my niece's quilt that I finally finished for her.

This quilt is made using her soccer and hockey jerseys she accumulated over the years.  She has played soccer since she was 4 up until last year as a goal with her university. She played hockey for many years with the town teams and her high school.
This quilt has been a long time coming.  Her mom brought me the jerseys over 2 years ago, but for some reason I just couldn't get my head around putting it together. I was worried about ruining the jerseys. They are all made from a stretch knit and different weights; some are warm up jackets, some mesh like fabrics.

However, once I got my head around making it,  it went together rather easily. My biggest obstacle was the weight when quilting it. I wanted to do more free motion quilting but it was just too heavy to manoeuvre.  I had to do more quilting with the walking foot.  
free motion soccer ball

She's number !

Her initials

top completed

back with large hockey jersey
here she is on Christmas day!
Did you make any special gifts for Christmas?

Lee




Sunday, December 23, 2012

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas. Enjoy your time with family and friends. Travel safely. maybe squeeze in some quiet stitching time
too.

Santa came early

Santa came early to my house, well my Secret Santa come early that is.
goodies all packed up 
gorgeous fat quarters
 
yummy chocolates and sniffle catchers
 

wonderful fabric catch all
 
lovley little sign that says it all
 
Boy did he ever spoil me.  Thank you Secret Santa your package is wonderful and I look forward to using everything.  Thank you Suzanne for hosting the Secret Santa Soiree. 

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Last minute Christmas gifts

I whipped up these Christmas gifts this week. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
My sewing machine and I will be on a bit of vacation until after the holidays. 
It will be hard to not run down to it and get lost in a project for a bit. 
There is still so much to get done for the holidays.   Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed too?
 
 

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Block exchange is full

I am so thrilled to say that my Winter White Block Exchange is full.  I am so excited to get started on my blocks. 
Lalas Lovelys

Happy stitching everyone, especially if you are working on some last minute gifts for Christmas giving! 

Lee

Monday, December 17, 2012

Giveaway winners

Sorry, sorry if you have been waiting on the edge of your seat to see if you have won or not.  I am trying to get everything in the house ready for the arrival of my mom tomorrow night!
Thank you to all that entered and to those that are becoming followers or 'friends' on Facebook.  I hope you come back often and share in my quilting journey!

I had random number guy choose the winners. Congratulations to the winnners. Here is how they are spending their Christmas.

 Alejandra:  "Thanks for this lovely giveaway, well, I new here in Canada, and this Christmas, I will spend it with my husband!!!"
 
Nita:  "We'll be spending Christmas day at home, and then going out to the cabin for a few days on Boxing Day. Happy Christmas to you and yours!"
 
 Joyce: "Congratulations on your 300th post. I will be spending Christmas at home with my family.Thanks for the great giveaway."

Alejandra and Joyce if you are reading, please check your email.  I need your mailing addresses please. 

I will be spending Christmas at home with the family and as I mentioned my mother who is coming from Ontario.  We will be sharing Christmas dinner with 3 other families as we have done for 15 years now. 

Enjoy your week. 
 
(I have a finish I can't wait to show you, but you will have to wait until after Christmas, just incase someone looks at my blog!)   

Happy Stitching,
 
Lee
p.s. I would love to have 5  more participants in my White White Block Exchange

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Basting Party


Well at last Cheryl, from Dining Room Empire and I got together for a basting party on Tuesday. We missed having Andrea from Million of Thoughts  join us and hope she feels better soon. 
 
We managed to get her king size quilt basted.   With two people working on it, it went together very quickly. 
 
So quickly that we were able to get one of mine basted too. thanks to Cheryl for lending me more pins.
charm square swap quilt
 

Sunday I had to wait a few hours at the dance studio for my daughter. Since the one studio wasn't being used I took advantage of the floor space and basted this funky Christmas quilt.
 
 
Sorry for the poor picture quality, taken with my phone


 I now have two quilts bastedso  I better get quilting, but first I need to check on D#1. sSe had her wisdom teeth out yesterday.  Pudding, yogurt, and porridge and snuggling under a quilt for her today!

Happy Stitching everyone

Lee
 
 
 
 

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Quilting Gallery’s Blog Hop Give-away and more…

Not only is Michelle at Quilting Gallery celebrating her 5th anniversary of her blog starting Dec 10th, but I am also celebrating my 300th post (actually this is #302). Hop over to her blog to get the full list of participants. Have fun hopping around blog land and good luck.Blog Hop Party
If you are a first time visitor to my blog, welcome. I hope you will come back often to see what I am up to. (Become a follower or like me on Facebook)
I have been quilting off and on for over 20 years depending on what life throws at me.  I love working with scraps and putting  my own twist on a pattern.
Since I am celebrating my 300th post and 150 followers and the Blog Hop party, I will have 3 giveaways!  (I’ll ship anywhere)
This giveaway will close on Saturday December 15th
WP_000505
#1 a holiday dish towel
DSCN9904
#2 Quilting ornament
DSC_4555
#3  gift or business card holders (4)
It’s really easy to enter my giveaway for a chance to win one of the above.  Just leave me a comment letting me know where you will be spending Christmas day! (with family, friends, on a beach, in a mountain cabin, church, movie theatre, on the road??)
 
If you are interested I am hosting a Winter White Block exchange and would love some more participants.  Find out more here:Lalas LovelysEnjoy blog hopping!
Happy Stitching
 
Lee
 
 
This giveaway is now closed. thank you for entering, becoming a new follower or commenting.  

Friday, December 7, 2012

Please vote

If you have a chance head over the to the Quilting Gallery's Weekly Theme Quilt Contest and vote for my table runner.
 


May peace be with you during this holiday season and always
 
 
Lee

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Secret Santa, block exchange & Blog Hop & celebration

 These little bundles of goodness are off to my Secret Santa. Part of Colorado Lady's Secret Santa Soiree!
 
I am still looking for participants in my Winter White Block Exchange.
  
Lalas Lovelys
 
I will be participating in the the Quilting Gallery's 5th Birthday Party starting on Dec 10th
Blog Hop Party
 
I will be celebrating a milestone then too! 
birthday-cake
so check back here on Dec 10th.  We have some celebrating to do!
 
 
 

Monday, December 3, 2012

Calling all quilters with white scraps?

Wondering what to do with all those white scraps sitting around in boxes, bins and bags? 

Here's a great way to use them up:

Join me in a White White Block Exchange


Lalas Lovelys
 
You get to decide which pattern you would like to use.
You get to decide the lay out of the quilt or table runner or wall hanging
All I ask is that you use white or white on white and a hint of another wintery colour and make 11 blocks at  9.5" 
 
You can see my orginal post here Winter White Friendship Block Exchange
 
Happy Stitching!
 
 

 
 

Monday, November 26, 2012

Winter White Block Exchange


(12 participants have now been found)
The snow continues to fall all around us here in Calgary, Alberta.
 I don't mind the snow (I just don't like the frigid temperatures that often come with it here).
 
 
Its actually beautiful, covering up the dead, brown grass and mucky, dirty streets.  I know some of you have never even experienced snow! Let's just say it is a big part of being Canadian!

I got to thinking the other day, wouldn't it be nice to have a quilt made with snowy white or white on white fabrics.  Something that is truly wintery, not Christmasy. The quilt can stay out on display well past the holiday season.

Would you like to join me? 

  I am going to host a block exchange 
Looking for 12 participants to join in
 
 Guidelines:

Who: anyone residing in North America (sorry International friends, postage just gets too high)
Fabric requirements: white, white on white, winter white and one other colour of your choice (keeping in mind the winter, snow theme, think icey blue)
Blocks: make 12 identical blocks 9.5" (finished size would be 9")
Exchanging:  send them to me by January 20th. I will then redistribute them to all the participants. My address to be emailed individually later.
Finishing:  How you use your blocks is up to you. I.e. Quilt, table runners, wall hanging. When you put it all together is also up to you.
Button: post my button on your sidebar (it is my first time making a button, hope it works)
 
 
Lalas Lovelys

  
Are you going to join me?

P.S. this is my first time doing a block exchange. If I have forgotten anything let me know.


 

Sunday, November 25, 2012

another cheery finish….

DSC_4553
Made from two ‘Morning Glory” charm pack and a few solids. I FMQ’d with meandering and flowers in the solid squares.
 
 
DSC_4554
 
 
DSC_4551
The cheeriness of these quilts almost makes the snow bearable!   
I loved making these quilts, quick and easy!  What’s your favourite quick project to make?
Happy Stitching
 
Lee