Monday, August 10, 2015

home again

and back to work.......
I am hoping to get back to my sewing again and when I do I will be sure to share with you.
It has been a busy few weeks here with a family reunion and lots of company and of course back to work as others take some time off too.
So stay in stitches and I will stay in touch
In stitches
Annette

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Mail....... post card swap

Good things are worth the wait
Our post cards must have been around the last to be received on both ends. But received and enjoyed they are.
I exchanged with Tina Marie and she made me this lovely post card with cross stitching and embroidery as well as some beading in the sea weed. I think she did a fantastic job on the post card.
and a little extra on the back
My post card was done with a product called  inkodye
    it is a sun sensitive dye and works like the blueprinting a did a few years ago. You can get it in a number of different colors and works like a charm.
  I did a little accent stitching and some applique. Tina Marie is very sweet and calls it a work of art. Thank you Tina Marie. I just love to play with fabric and paints too.

I did get some other sewing done in the last little bit .
I finished this quilt and just have the binding to close off on this one.

 Next will be working on the family reunion quilt for this years gathering I want to do another signature quilt so the major sewing will be done after the reunion so no worries about not having all the blocks built ahead of time. I did make a couple little bags that we Janel will fill with books for a kids item at the family reunion auction. 2 fat quarters make the bag ... quick and easy using the green bag lady's pattern.
We have been getting to the lake and doing a little fishing and relaxing.
So I may not post for a week or two again but I will try an d get some sewing in when i can .... even at the lake.... that's where I have been binding the quilts.
take care
in stitches
Annette

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

working on the attic

I have been working on an attic window quilt. I am making it a bit larger than a baby quilt but I have run into a standstill and have to pick up a bit more of one of the fabrics to get it to the size I want.
Here is what it is looking like sew far
on the design wall with the border strips 
I am liking it sew far and think the blues / teal will show up nice when the borders are on all around.
That's all for now 
have a great week
in stitches
Annette

Saturday, June 20, 2015

a few stitches in time ..... or at least the last couple of weeks

Sew I have not posted much in the last couple of weeks but here is what I have been up to.
Some stitching for  a little girls birthday ..... for her dollie
the little dress from before with a hat and a tote.
accessories are important for a little girl's dollie

a little something for the beach
(beach towel and tote are made from a washcloth)

Both of these patterns the dress and the bathing suit I found on Craftsy. 
I then made another little item for the beach .......
Flip flops of course
one set glued and on set stitched.
I will wait to see how the test out for play.
and then refine them.
I then thought I would try a pillow case type dress for both the little girl and her dollie

After this stitching I then got busy with the quilt for our family reunion
it was a beautiful day sew I did my FMQ outside

quilting finished that day
and the binding by the end of the week
All ready to cuddle with 
Then I was getting busy with the post card swap that Sheila had organized  for the summer/beach / sun theme. I played with some sun sensitive dye ....more on that in a later post

just a hint of the postcard until it arrives
And lastly for a weeding shower this weekend I made this table runner and a couple of pot holders with the extra blocks
Well that's what the last couple of weeks were like in my sewing world. Next on my list of to do will be a couple of baby quilts and getting another signature quilt ready for this years family reunion.

I sew enjoy getting time with my machine and creating. Big or small I love to try it all. 
Thanks for stopping by and spending a little time with me. I hope you all have a great weekend. Ours looks a little wet right now , but that's okay we need some rain to get the crops growing.
In stitches
Annette




Monday, June 1, 2015

SSC Bra Design Class


Today was full of learning.
It was Bras Design changes day.
We learned the fundamentals in design changes on paper as well as on a 3D model.
There are sew many possibilities in designing a bra to suit your needs or desires. Some of the little changes on paper make huge changes in fabric. Here are a few of the steps we learned from our basic paper pattern
step one your pattern pieces



cut basic pattern out of a sew foam or light weight batting
to form a 3D form to draft on




cut on your drafted lines and then
make a paper pattern and then you
are ready to construct a sample cup

sample of a Diagonal seam cup
with a 3 pieced bottom cup and
a under wire inserted

Well there you have it in a nut shell of what we did today at Saskatchewan Stitches Conference.
There were sew many other great classes on the go today from garment sewing , quilting, spinning and of course bra making and a few more.
Tonight after meet the teacher I was told that the ladies were going to start making Pillow Case dresses to donate  to a case that one of the students came across........ sew on ladies 
That is all for me from the conference I only went to the two classes and wish I had signed up for a few more. This is a great place to get inspired and learn more as well as met new friends with the same passion as you. I am sure I will be back next year. 
If anyone is in the Humboldt area this summer stop in at the museum and check out the display of past projects as well as projects inspired from classes attened.
In Stitches
Annette

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Sasskatchewan Stitches Conference 2015

Well it has begun .... that busy time over in Munster Sk at the abbey.
sew many stitchers in one place over May 28 to June 7 this year sewers quilters and knittersand do not forget the spinners and hookers..... rug hookers.
Our first night was to listen to a speaker on colors and knitting. The speaker was Brandon Mably from the London Studio where he works with Kaffe Fassett. Very interesting to listen to and afterwards you wished you had signed up for one of his classes as well...... those who did get in where very pleased with all they learned whether it was the knitting class or the quilt class.
 I took a class with a good friend this year, it was called the Brava Bag with Dianne Jannson. I was not sure that I needed another bag and then looked at my purse a while back and thought it is looking ready to retire so why not make one. And sew we did we both got our bags done and are using them already.
What do you think.
2 color choices and 2 very different looks

showing the back pocket

Today , Sunday is our day off. Sew with that we sewed. Susan finished her bag in the morning and I made this little dress.
a little doll dress

In the afternoon we started on some bras ...... that will be our class on Monday..... Bra Design changes.
This year I have only signed up for the 2 classes and I will surly miss the ladies when I go home after class tomorrow. One of my favorite teachers and a friend as well has headed back already. We did get a chance to chat a little but would have loved to have had the chance to catch up a little more. I will have to write or even give her a call and not wait until next year.
Last night the speaker was Liz from Janome , telling us of some the new machines. Tonight it was Dianne Jannson on quilting and Ron Collins on clothing construction and pattern choices.
It is great to get to met the teachers and find out what they are up to and make choices for next year.
Time to turn in as the alarm clock is set sew that we are not late for class.
Stay in stitches and I will tell more later
                Annette

Friday, May 29, 2015

one quilt starts another


I have my signature quilt done all but the label. Not bad for one that was started back in 2005 , that's when the signatures where captured. And with it at that point I thought about using some of the leftover fabrics from that and starting another. Sew I started cutting 5 inch squares and started to build 9 patch blocks and 30 units later I thought I had enough for a D9P  aka  a disappearing 9 patch block. And with a couple borders I have the top done and ready to pin baste as soon as I piece the backing. I will be using this quilt in our family reunion auction. I went with a scrappy look as I find those are the quilts that one tends to want to cuddle with and just plain use them. To have some consistency I used white on black and black on white as the center squares in the 9 patch.

And now a few days later it is pin basted and ready to quilt. it is about 74 x 92 inches almost a full queen size quilt. I love how it is turning out and I am sure it will be cuddled with by someone in my family. I hope they like it as much as I do.

I am all packed , sewing wise and just have to get my over night bag packed and I am off to the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference in Munster SK hosted by Haus of Stitches.
This year I am taking 2 classes one is called the Brava Bag and the other is a Design class for redesigning your bra pattern. Both completely different but should both be a lot of fun. I am taking them with a friend that had moved to Humboldt a few years back sew this will be a bit of a girls weekend :0)

Last weekend a very dear friend gave me this wonderful box of chocolates......
 but these chocolates have a different filling
who would not like to have
a few extra spools of thread
Thanks my dear friend
Well that's all for now I will try to let you know how the weekend is going .....
                  in stitches
                                     Annette