Full steam ahead.

We are back from a weekend in Alberta. We had a nice visit with family and celebrated my sister in laws 50 birthday.It was great to share that time with her.
Sew now that I am back home it will be full steam ahead on my design. I have some applique to do and then some thread play/painting before it set it up to quilt.
Just as soon as I have my Design Challenge 3 done I will play with a few ideas for the Leafs me Happy blog hop happening in October.
Later I will have to clean off a little more of the garden as we had some frost while we were away.
I best get started lots of stitching to do. I am looking forward to seeing the finished design, I hope you are too.
Have a great day
in stitches
Annette

W.I.P. Wednesday

It seams like forever since I last posted on a Wednesday.
I do have one main project on the go, and if you have been following me you'll guess that it is my Challenge 3 design for the McCall's Quilting  Design challenge.
I have a good start on the design wall. I have built my background and I am getting my applique ready to attach and then I will figure out what I want for my borders.
I did try to shop for fabric before I had the background size drawn..... big mistake. It left me open to too many choices  for color and block designs. I had wonderful help at the Haus of Stitches on the weekend .... thanks ladies....   I have decided on size and shape and even the number of blocks needed. I did do a little shopping at a friends in her scrap stash for a couple colors to add to the mix. What would we do with out our quilting buddies ??
And now that I have been home for a couple days I have the blocks built and assembled into the background. I went with what had been my first choice .... Log Cabin though Grandmother's Flower Garden was a close second ( forgot to grab the pattern Marci Baker has to build them a little quicker , I 'll have to put one on hold )

both log cabins are the same size
one is in a traditional setting and the other bright and off centered
with all sides the same
stay tuned to see how they work together

I know I have a lot to do in a little time  my weekends have been booked for the next little while sew I will be sewing a lot during the week. At this point I feel that I am on track and hope to be rolling right along .
I am linking up with The Needle and Thread Network. Check in and see what the others have been up to across Canada.
Off to sew
In stitches
Annette

I've got an idea

 ........ and I am going with it . I have been thinking of what I should design for the next and finial round in the McCall's Quilting Quilt Design Star (QDS). Last week they told us who get to go on with the challenges and what the theme is. If you check out their site you can get more info. The theme is "Opposites attract". I have made a list of about 20 different possibilities and then narrowed it down to 3 and now I am working on one. I will be tyring out something different in this one .... fingers crossed I hope it turns out the way I see it in my head.


getting some ideas together

the first fabrics I have pulled for my design

Sew for the next little while I will be concentrating on this one quilt as I have to have it quilted and off to them around the end of the month.
Other than that I have been making pickles and starting to clear off the garden. Fall is here and today weather feels like it.

my jar of counter dills

the first batch of pickles

We have also started to bring back some of our stuff from the camp site, we  might get one more weekend out there. It was a very windy weekend ... just what the wind / kite surfer's like.

Well that's all for now take care
in stitches
Annette

August FMQ Challenge

Boy this month slipped away from me......
I only had the chance to do a little practicing with this months challenge and I promise to do more. It is a fun little hat to stitch and with the middle little flame shape it lends itself to more quilting options.
Thanks Wendy for a fun tutorial on a fun little hat that we all can play with .
I can see it a a basic fill on a few of the little quilts that I like to make and give as gifts. A good place to practice and build a skill.

jester hats

jester hats with middle flame

I am linking up with SewCalGal with the Free Motion Quilting Challenge for August
.It's never to late to try out a few of the lessons posted. Some are posted for a limited time and others are still there, They also  have extra bonus lessons as well sew pop on over to check it out.
in stitches
Annette

and the winner is....

luck of the draw

Renate from Germany
 I'll be sending  her the table top needle threader. I have been in touch with her this morning and she is looking forward to this little helper. I know I love using it.
I will have to research how to use the number generators to help with give away draws.

my happy helpers

I wrote out each name and email to put into my draw pail. I had sheets and sheets of them write out and cut apart.

modern technology
 

One of my quilting friends was here last night sew I had her do the draw. She thought this was a great idea and was sorry she did not get in on the draw herself. Her daughter caught married last weekend sew she had been busy that last little while.

Today the post man delivered a package of goodies from McCall's Quilting.  A couple packages of batting in crib and queen size  from Warm and Natural and American Spirit, a nice collection of threads from Coats & Clark, a cute sewing tin
and a lovely quilting book. Thank you to McCall's for the lovely goodies I know I will be putting them to good use shortly.

Sew now that I have my news posted I best get back to thinking up my next design.
Take care
hugs
In stitches
Annette

Challenge 3 Finalistst Announced

Big smile on my face today :)  !!
Today was the day that McCall's Quilting  annoucned the finalists from the second challenge. Sew with all the voting done over the last few weeks I am happy to say that I am one of the quitlters that get to design one more quilt for this challenge. Check out McCall's Quilting to see who all made it on to the next round of designing. I feel that I am in good company as there were a lot of great quilts designed in the last challenge.
Sew I would like to once again say thank you to all who took the time to be part of the voting and encouragement along the way.
Over the next month I will design and complete another quilt and send it in to McCall's for a photo shoot.Voting will be  starting on October 2.
I am sure that I will keep you all posted and send a few sneak peaks to keep you interested.
Thanks again.

Flutterybys in My Garden
Challenge 2

Guide me Safely Home
Challenge 1

Off of a walk and put the thinking cap on.

Jewels of the Night
Entry Quilt Design

in stitches
Annette

Challenge 2 voting ends

It's down to the last couple of hours of voting, then the waiting begins. Tuesday at the end of the business day we can check the McCall's Quilting web page to see who the lucky ones are that will continue to design.There have been a lot of great quilts designed once again this round I hope you have checked them all out and in both categories.
It has been interesting finding out a few who have been voting and that they have gotten others on board to vote as well. It kind of snowballs. Sew I would like to thank you one and all who have taken the time to vote.
I can hardly wait to see who will get to go on.... sew it's fingers crossed while I wait. I'll be  keeping  myself busy while I wait to help the time go a little quicker. I think I'll be spending some time at the sewing machine. I have to get at my Free Motion Quilting Challenge and have it posted by the end of the month. I also have a couple small projects to get finished as well as getting my draw ready from my Bowls with Borders.
If you have not gotten in on the draw , check out the post and leave a comment and I will get you in.
I'll post as soon as I find out.
Have a good evening everyone
in stitches
Annette