Off to class

This time as the teacher.
It should be a good class , at Haus of Stitches in Humboldt this Thursday
 I have all my teaching steps/samples ready and organized.
Sew I feel that I am going to have a good class and be ready for most anything.
I hope to get a few pictures of the class and their candle mats to show off to you out there in blog land.
I have not taught a class for a couple years( has it really been that long)now as we do not have a quilt shop here in Watrous any more.: (
I have helped many a friend with different problems and figured out patterns for them as well.
Sew I am looking forward  to the class and many more. ( if they like me )

I will have to get to my designing of patterns sew that I will have other classes to teach. I do have a few ideas in the works, it's just to get them down on paper and in fabric.

I have just found out that one of the ladies that I visit and teach a few different quilt techniques to went to the hospital a dew days ago. I do hope that she is starting to fell better and that the Dr.'s can figure out whats been going on with her the last few months.She is a very dear friend, I 'm a little worried for  her. She will be in my prayers.
Sew until next time
stay in stitches
Hugs
Annette

Thanksgiving Weekend



new little tea mug
with a dragonfly

We had a wonderful weekend with our children.
We spent the weekend in Yorkton at our daughter's. Just a small gathering that also included hubby's mom and one of his sisters, as well as our son. We got here late Saturday afternoon, we where the last to arrive. The kids and their auntie had gone out to Rhien to visit some of the other relatives and had just gotten back before we knocked on the door.
We visited and some played cards into the evening. Sunday I did get to work on the curtain (a roman shade )to match the quilt . The other folks did their own things from a little shopping to a quick trip ,to the casino , while the turkey was cooking  for about and hour and a half . The house sure smelt good when they all walked through the door. We had a late dinner and visited some more the crib board was out, And then auntie headed home as she had to work today.
Hubby did get some of our daughter's Christmas light up even though it was raining this morning. Shortly after a late breakfast we all headed home. Grandma needed to get to her other daughter's as her great grand daughter and her daddy where home from Alberta and she need to get a few hugs in.

It is always great to spend time with family and friends.
 I did miss visiting with a very dear friend sew we just will have to get back there another time to visit both our daughter and her.

quilt and roman shade
looks like the quilt is kitty approved

The quilt and Roman shade look good, I still want to make a couple toss pillow to go in her room as well.

I also completed only one of the fall wall hangings.

I had hoped to get two done but my eyes just burned Friday night sew I thought they are tired and want gets done gets done. I can always pop the other one in the mail.
Ther just never seams to be enought time to get in all the things we would love to do. We just have to keep trying and be happy with what we can get done and know that there  is always tommorrow and we can try again.
Sew until next time
stay in stitches
hugs
Annette

Finished

Shadow Box Quilt is done!

Shadow box Quilt
about 2 feet of the quilt  is hanging over on the
other side of the clothesline

Happy dance ... I have the quilt ready to give to our daughter.She can hardly wait to put it on her bed. She has painted her room to match the quilt fabrics,earlier this summer. Sew now we just have to make the roman blind.
It will be a busy weekend with helping with some of the baking for thanksgiving dinner. The label is made using a technique shown on stash manicure with in the last two weeks.I did wash the quilt with a product called retayne to set the colors of the batik fabrics. I did not want it to run on her later if she washes it.

feather close up

juat another view

the label tring a new techique
sorry I could not get to turn around on the blog

I am happy with how it turned out. My quilting is not perfect and I still have a lot to learn. But I feel that I learn a little more each time I quilt a quilt. I have always been told practice, pratice, practice. And if you can quilt for 20  minutes a day for a month you will get very comfortable with it and then be able to do more amazing quilting on your quilts.
now to get on with a few other projects and a few alterations.
Sew that's all for now have a great day,
in stitches and hugs
Annette

W I P Wednesdays

binding  only 375 inches to go

Well this Wednesday i am still working on the shadow box quilt, just the binding left , over 400 inches. It is put on by machine and will be closed off by hand. Sew with the dead line of this weekend I think I will get it done, Just to get at the label.

fall wall hangings.....
notice the denim pants
recycled jeans

And on the ironing board I have a few (4) little wall hangings. They are all the same but using up different fabrics in my scrap  basket box(es). I seams to make multiples when I find something I like as a small project. As I like to use them fro gifts. My daughter is a kindergarten teacher and I like to send things her way to add to the classroom .

Sew that's it from me today got to get at that binding.

one of the views on my walks about town
I just love the fall colors and the sound crunching
under foot

In stitches and hugs
Annette
 P.S.
be sure to check out the Needle And Thread Network
WIP Wednesday to see what the others have been up to
as well .See side bar for the link.

Tidbit Tuesdays #3

 Tuesdays Tidbit is on Thread guides and holders

Well this little tidbit is one from playing around with different type of thread holders. For those large spools and cones and speical threads.

cone thread holder ... could be mounted on a block of wood
 or attached to your work surface

thread holder guide that
sits on the machines  spool
pins

 What I have found is that sometimes I have to use a   thread  holder to get a better stitch on my machine.
Maybe it has something to do with the tension or it just lets the thread relax a tiny bit before running through the tension discs.( I would have a terible problem with thread shreding and breaking as well as jumping behind the needle screw)
  I have used a free standing holder , one the attaches to the thread pins ( doesn't work with the machine I am using at the moment) as well as using the guide off the surger when in a pinch. and now I have one that fits on the top of my machine sew that the cone is not in the way on the table.

The one made for my machine.

By using it the thread has behaved very well, with no shredding or breaking even using the variegated threads.
I still have to test the tensions and pivot hieghts when free motion quilting.   And I have put it through  a good test working one my daughter's quilt. A good friend has one of the cone flower thread holders and is testing it out at this time ... I do believe that she is happy with it. It has a little more weight than the one I have sew it is not tipping like mine did.

The nice thing about having the  thread behave is that you do not waste sew much thread and time.  I am not using extra items such as sewer's aid to lubricate the thread ( when using this item make sure that you wipe off the needle and bobbin case  you do not want a build up of this product * I also had the okay from the company to use it to fix my problems with the thread and not do any damage to my machine).

Sew now I have finished quilting my daughter's quilt and happy to say that I did not have any of the problems that I have had in the past.
Sew if you need to sew with special threads give a cone/thread holder a try. It just may give you the results you are looking for.

Well now I will be off to hand sewing the binding ( over 400 inches ,1016cm ) sew that will take a day or two.  Pictures to follow, and then a label to make ....must have a label to give a little history... But that's another story

In stitches and hugs
Annette

taking a lunch break

just a short note as I am just taken a lunch break,
you see I did not get much quilting done this weekend, I do have clean clothes the laundry is just about complete the widows are clean and the camper is put away for the winter.
But this morning I started back at the quilt and now I only have one and a half borders left to quilt, one step at a time and this king size baby will be done. I will have to do a label later but I can put that on as we travel to our daughters this weekend for Thanksgiving. Sew I feel I will make my goal this time.
Sew I best get back to quilting ......
 maybe a walk in an hour or sew
 Do not want to miss the whole day, as it looks very nice out there

ta ta for now
in stitches and hugs
Annette

Versatile blogger

There are rules to this award...
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself on the post.
3. Pass the award to fifteen bloggers that you think deserve it.
4. Lastly, contact all of the bloggers that you've picked for the award.

The other day Sheila gave me the award of "Versatile Blogger"  This was such  a nice complement as I am very new to blogging, and love to share my quilting knowledge such as it is.

 Sew  I want to sayThank you Sheila , Sheila's Quilt World

and also thank you for helping become a reply blogger, sew that I can hear back from the sites I leave comments on.

now for a few things about myself

1. I have always played with fabric ..... my mom would let me in her scraps to create some pretty strange looking doll clothes , which at the time I thought they were wonderful at the time.

2. I have a collection of sewing machines , varying from little clocks to  3 vintage treadle..... all in all I think I have around 20 ( running out of places to display them )

3. I have started to design a few patterns .

4. I teach a few quilting classes ..... I have 4 classes to teach this fall.

5. I enjoy each season as they come, they each have something to grab our attention, from the colors to the smells  just  the change in things around you.

6. Next to sewing and quilting I will use yoga  or a long walk to relax.

7. I love to make many different items for my family..... can they ever have too many quilts ...right. It is my way of wrapping them in hugs.

Now to give pass on the award ... hmm. I don't have that many bloggers that I have contacts with sew I will do my best at giving at least a short list. I am not sure that I will be able to come with 15  there are sew many out there that I do not know yet.
1.Leah Day
2. Carla Barrett
3.Maria Hohn
Sew I hope these ladies inspire you as they do me.
Leah is always creating new machine quilting design video , she has over 300 designs sew far. Carla has on line classes on quilt whispering and is talented in other area  such as beading , knitting etc.  and loves to go sailing .
 Marcia shares quilt block patterns that she has developed and has had them tested.
Sew I have followed Sheila by only having 3 bloggers to pass this award on to.
Hope you will check them out and enjoy their sites as much as I do. 
Now to contact the ladies.
stay in stitches
hugs Annette