not a stitch in sight

Well in the last little while I have been to a car show, visiting family, watching ball games at the lake and of course fishing........ ( I even jumped into the lake for a swim ... that was refreshing ) but I have not stitched a thing ..... I think that may change this week with some BOM to catch up on and another sew along quilt I signed up for off of Craftys .
I have found it hard to get to my machine after a day at work. I thought if I started with the BOM's I would get back into the grove of quilting again.

I see the garden is starting to yield some fresh goodies from lettuce to yellow beans and now zucchini. I will be starting some pickles this week ... fresh dills mmm mmmm good.

Have a great week at what ever you get your hands on and  enjoy the summer days while they last.
in stitches
     Annette

A little fun in the sun and then back to normal

Sorry I have been a little slack at my posts.

catch of the day ...
and supper :-)

 I have had a few days off and we went camping and fishing. The  fishing was great and fresh fish for supper was mmm  mmm good. I had even spied a set of eyes watching as we went back to the campsite.

a moose on the loose

I did a little quilting and got another quilt finished for Victoria's Quilts. They are all washed and ready to be added to the bunch we are quilting up to send off.

not sure what this pattern is called ,
 but I would call it spinning spools

close up of the quilting

It has warmed up and feel s like summer and tonight we are having a bit of a storm the first one since my last post.

with the extra moisture come changing leave
 and fungus on trees

The gardens will sure enjoy the fresh drink, I am hoping no hail with the storm.It has been nice to enjoy a few of the gardens goodies in some nice salads.

I have also started on a few blocks for a BOM from Periwinkle in Saskatoon. I am hoping to have them made by the end of August. It should be a nice quilt in taupe's  & grey's. 29 blocks in all. (pics coming soon)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you all are enjoying your summer.
Stay in stitches
Annette

soggy weekend

Well here in the prairies it has been just wet .... real wet and not just here in good old Saskatchewan, it has carried over into Manitoba. With too much water flooding  happens, water over the roads and roads washing away.

 We left our campsite a littler early to head for home when we heard some reports of roads being closed.  With hubby being a retired highway guy we checked out the highway with in a few miles of our turn off. First we came across water crossing the grid road and then within a 10 km stretch there were 9 places that the water had or was still crossing the highway. A few hours later the road gave way to the rushing water near Imperial. We will give things a few days to settle and then see if we will be able to get back to the campsite. We do have friends still there enjoying Canada Day.

As far as I know in our area everyone is safe and dealing with the water issues. I hope and pray the communities dealing with this disaster from the heavy rains remain safe as well. There will be a lot of clean up and rebuilding a head of them, I am sure.

On  the bright side we have had a wonderful Canada Day with lots of sunshine to start to dry up a little bit of the moisture.

Happy Canada Day
This is my post card from Beth

In stitches
Annette

in the mail ....

Today I got my quilt back from Marjorie....... she had it for a little while and turned my quilt top into a lovely quilt.

I had asked  Marjorie a while back if she might be interested in quilting it for me as I have had it done for some time and have not gotten to quilting it and i knew I wanted it to be hand quilted. She has said yes and told me what she charges and it was off to her. I am sew happy that we found each other through the land of blog and my now well traveled quilt is home again and resting upon my bed. Thank you Marjorie for your time and talent in every stitch in my quilt.. I now have to make a label with the quilts story and I will also include who put the stitches in. Check out her blog Marjorie's Busy Corner and see what she is up to and a peaks at other quilts that she adds her stitches too.

as or me I have a few little projects on the go

just the label to add

I just finished the binding on this quilt for Victoria's Quilts and have sent off my post cards for the Canada day post card swap. The cards were to include a maple leaf and here is what I came up with ...... a tire swing hanging in the shade of a maple tree....

swinging in an old maple tree

And this was a little idea I had at Christmas time...... little red solo cups and a string of lights

     = a fun little set of light for the campground

Well that's all for now, have a great week

                     in stitches

                               Annette

time in limbo ....over

That is how I feel about the last 6 weeks. I have been on jury selection and while you are on everything else is on hold or in limbo.
It is an interesting process to go through and one we all could get called to do.
 I was almost part of a jury for one of the trails that I had attended selection for, but one of the lawyers declined / challenged me, so I was told by the judge that  I was free to go but to come back for the next trial. ( each lawyer is allowed x-# of challenges during the selection)
Now I can get back to a little sewing and gardening and maybe just maybe some summer :0)
And of course taking a few pictures to share with you on my blog.
Sew I am off to see what I can sew up and do a little laundry at the same time.
stay in stitches
           Annette

winding up the weekend

it was a nice evening Sunday night for a fire...... camp fire that is....

what better way to wind down for the evening and weekend.
I did get a little sewing done. I am in a post card swap for Canada Day.

just a peak    ;0)

 I made a sample that may be for a fall class and did a little laundry.

It was also a nice weekend for a little yard work .... and look the flowers are starting to bloom.

and now to start a new week........ in stitches
Annette

Surprises and making a gelli plate / plates

What a surprise when Elaine called Friday night to say that I had won a prized for one of my blocks that I had in the block challenge for this years Saskatchewan's Stitches Conference.
For the challenge we were given a fat quarter of the challenge fabric and asked to make a 10 1/2 in unfinished block and these blocks will be used in making some charity quilts for the Prairie Women on Snowmobiles.
  Here are the blocks that I have made for this challenge .......

Thank you Haus of Stitches and the Sask. Stitches Conference for the lovely gift. I can see more play time ahead with these goodies.

And now for a little play time...... of a different sort.... I was wanting to try a larger gelli plate and found that they are hard ti find locally sew what's a girl to do.... I started looking on line and found a couple recipes for making a permanent  gelli plate. The ingredients are simple and found almost anywhere.  I tried out a couple of them and this is what I ended up with....

a round gelli plate about 3/4 inch thick

one of my new gelli plates
8 x 11 inches

I did find some useful tips in the info I had read and watched..... using simple tissue paper to clean up the wet surface of the plate before it sets works wonderfully.

before .... with foam and bubbles

After ... nice and clean

Sew now there will be a little more play time coming and creating some one of a kind fabric samples :0)
Thanks for stopping by
In stitches

 Annette

Playing with Gelli

that's Gelli Plates and paint,

Jackie's class sample of printing with gelli plates

This is the class that I was able to take this year. (other bits of unexpected life happened,nothing bad , more later on)  I was a class full of learning and a little bit of playing ... maybe a little more than just a little. As we printed on paper and then fabrics we would share what we where doing with each other and come up with some interesting ideas for doing our gelli prints.
First we printed on paper..... then we played with fabric

my prints

organizing which prints to use in my wall hanging 

one of my class mates choices for her project

and our wall hanging  quilt tops to the point that they got to at the end of the class on the second day.

ready to quilt and add accents

gelli printing on a canvas....... with grandma's dunker's recipe

on of my class mates projects

 making choices as we each put our projects together

I want to say thank you to Jackie van Fossen  for the inspiration  and guidance while learning to use this new to use product and something I have had my eye on for a few years. Check out her site at cloth n paper
and stop by from time to time to see what classes she will be teaching next year.

I have a few ideas to expand what I have learned and will share those as I work them out.
This is also my WIP for this week and I will be linking up with Monika

In stitches until next time
Annette

signing off

Just for a couple of days while I am at the conference.
I am sure there will be a lot of fun had and lots to learn
in stitches
Annette

one more sleep

 Well it's that time of year..... time for stitching and learning from some great teachers. To check out what's happening stop by www.saskstitches.ca
I'll be taking only one class this year as I have some other commitments to attend to. There is always next year and a new line up of classes.
The class I will be taking is with Jackie, on painting with gelli plates. I always learn a lot with her and have a bit of fun doing it. We will be creating our own fabric, after learning about the gelli plates and then creating with it on the second day.
Sew stop in and see what classes are happening in the next little while and also check out Haus of Stitches either online or with Facebook. I will also try to get some pictures posted while I am there.
I hope to see some of the past years gals again.
Take care and stay
                            ...... in stitches
                                               Annette

May's long weekend

The first long weekend of the summer :0)
The leaves are starting to come out today with the nice and gentle rain. It is sew nice to see all the little signs of the season even if they feel like they are slow in arriving. We have hauled the camper out to our campsite for the season and have started to get things set up. We did get to enjoy a campfire on Saturday night....... no bugs ..... just yet.
We have the potatoes planted, as of yesterday, so the sewing in the garden has begun as well.
I have some busy weeks coming up so I have taken the time to get my bags of supplies packed for the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference. I am taking one class for sure and we will see what is going on and if it works out to take any others.  The class that I am taking is the Gelli Plate printing class with Jackie.

Still working on a few of past years projects ..... just got to get them done so that I will have more time for this years projects.
What have you been up to this long week end?
in stitches
Annette

Spring.... I think it has sprung

I think spring has finally arrived. At least s few days with out any moisture of any kind. I was able to hang out the wash the other day .... nothing like that fresh smell of laundry that has hung in the sunshine. I had to remake my clothespin holder.

I did manage to get a little sewing done. I finished one quilt top from last years stitches conference This one I was designing the boarder and had to remember what  I was doing and how I was cutting my strips. The one thing I should have remembered first was which ruler I was using.. lol , Sew many rulers and sew many different techniques

Next I got a start on another quilt for Victoria's quilts.To me it is looking like a rock climbing wall, sew I might call it Rock Climbing.

I just have to figure out some boarders ...... might be a shopping trip..... aw shucks ;0)      Any suggestions???

close up of the blocks

  Well that' all for now, I want to go for a walk and some of that fresh air.
                 Take care and stay
                                  In stitches
                                       Annette

Give away has arrived

I just heard that the package I sent out for my giveaway in the Flags on a stick blog hop has arrived.Scrapatches aka Pat was my lucky winner, I sent out the pattern for my Spring's a Flutter and also tucked in Daisy a Day Tote.
 I have been doing a wee bit of sewing and hope to have some pictures to share with you later this week.
The sun is trying to shine out there so I may just have to hang a little laundry out to dry and get fresh...... nothing like hanging your laundry out in the warm sunshine.
Enjoy your Sunday
                         in stitches
                                Annette

still more snow

just outside my back door

well the last 2 mornings we have woken up to a fresh blanket of snow. It melted yesterday and was almost but not quite gone and this morning someone hit the reset button and we will try it again.
I hope the weather man is right in saying that it will be around 14 c on Wednesday ..... fingers cross hands together ( a little prayer can't hurt)
On the up side if I was at home all day I would be at my machine ........ maybe after work for a bit if I am lucky.
Oh well I know the farmers will enjoy the moisture that is when ift drys up and they can get the crop seeded.
I'll enjoy the day as the snow's freshness will be gone again and soon we will have springtime green.
in stitches and winter boots
Annette

sew much mositure

and in its many forms .... well at least 2 snow and rain. Last weekend we had some very heavy snow .... a ton of moisture in that stuff. It was very heavy when I was shoveling it at work last Saturday. And then this week a lot of rain to help wash off some of winter dirt.
The birds are coming back and I have seen one lonely Robin sew spring must be here now.
I have not done much on the sewing or quilting front, we did plan out a couple of quilts for Victoria Quilts Canada. We will be using some panels for the base of one quilt and then do a stack and whack with some other fabrics. These quilts will be a little more masculine in color and design.
 Well that's about all for now...... stay in stitches
                                                            Annette

Spring time Post cards

Well I am a little slow at getting these posted as Judy and Lin have had them for a while. My post card from Judy arrived last week and is a beautiful poise, I just needed to have a photo shoot with it and here it is in all it's glory

I was a lucky gal to be trading with two ladies and receiving such nice cards thank you both they are brightening up  my wintery spring.
and another peak at Lin's

Thanks to Sheila as well for organizing the swap. It is always fun to receive these in the mail and see the  different styles of creative postcards that are created out there. And of course it gives us play time and we all need a little of that.
in stitches until next time
Annette

Last day of the hop

FLAGS ON A STICK  Last day of the hop and what a hop it has been
stop by these sites to see a few more great creative flags

April 3rd 

Pig Tales and Quilts

DachsiesWithMoxie

Just Keep Swimming

The House on the Side of the Hill

Texas Quilting Gal

Madame Samm

Thanks ladies for sew much inspiration 

in stitches

Annette

Flags on a Stick ......

March 28 , 2014
Day 4

aka Quilts on a Stick 

.... this is what have have been calling it all along in error....... opps !

I am sure hoping that Spring arrives for this hop here in Western Canada. We are sew ready for it. Still pretty cold in my part of the world, hope it is warmer where you are. Back to the hop....

I  am hopping along with these wonderful bloggers in the hop today.  

March 28th

How arT you?

Just Let Me Quilt

Robin's Fabric Nest

Patchouli Moon Studio

CeLynn's Sunflower Patch

Ravelly1

In Stitches and Seams

Stop in and see what they have been up to as well and stop in daily to see what other bloggers are participating in the hop.

I want to Thank Thearica and Madam Samm for putting this wonderful hop together, what a great idea And a big thank you to our sponsors----  Flags on a Stick and Flags-outlet.com.

What did I do for the hop ???

Well lets see ...... first I saw door quilt in  a magazine that I thought would work on my garden flag  and a few stitches later   ta da ....here it is. I like the ruffle grass across the quilt.

Next I thought I wanted to design one sew thinking cap on , and I came up with this little guy , any one with tots around should recognize  this little minion ....

A happy little guy no matter what the weather

he will be off to my daughters front yard and with another sew that her friend will have one too.

And lastly here is another of my Spring's  a Flutter garden flags that I had designed for a class that I taught earlier this month. This one is done just a wee bot different from the first test of the pattern, it has some free motion quilting detail in the vines.

This is the third one I have designed for garden flags. 

I do love  making them.,  I have been asked what should one do to treat them for outdoors. I say nothing,just enjoy it and in a couple years make up another to replace it. As we are always working on new projects and with new fabrics are always being added to our stash.
I waited for a nice day to take outside pictures ... but alas.... that was not to be I have fresh fallen snow today. .... spring is coming ....right??? 

If you would like to be in a draw for a Spring's a Flutter pattern leave a comment. I will try to get back to each and everyone of you as long as you are not a -no reply comment-er.

 Thank You sew much for stopping by ....

in stitches

Annette

Sorry ladies some how I became a no reply blogger again....... got it fixed  Thanks Sheila sew much for letting me know.
in stitches