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. 

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

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. 

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?

 

 

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. 

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

Lee

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

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

 

 

 

 

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

Not only is Michelle at Quilting Gallery celebrating her 5^th anniversary of her blog starting Dec 10th, but I am also celebrating my 300^th 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.

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

#1 a holiday dish towel

#2 Quilting ornament

#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:Enjoy blog hopping!

Happy Stitching

 

Lee

 

 

This giveaway is now closed. thank you for entering, becoming a new follower or commenting.  

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

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.

  

 

I will be participating in the the Quilting Gallery's 5th Birthday Party starting on Dec 10th

 

I will be celebrating a milestone then too! 

so check back here on Dec 10th.  We have some celebrating to do!

 

 

 

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

 

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!