Friday finishes

that led into Saturday

well here is the little dolly quilt that I will send of to one of my daughter's friends little girl.

and here is the D9P  sample from the class I taught this past week  ready for the binding.

meandering loops

stitching close up of ribbon loops

I quilted  it with meandering loops and a ribbon loop in the small border and just meandering the last border.
I am also working on getting my fabrics organized to take to the stitches conference the end of May.
Once I have them organized then I will do the class prep that is recommended by each of the teachers.If I have the time I like to try out the item to be learned to see if I have extra questions for the class. Not sure if it is over doing I just like to get the most out of a class.
I have signed up for 5 different classes  2 quilting, 1 fabric painting and quilting , a bra class and a doll making class. Should be a fun and busy week . I am looking forward to it already. : )

And this is what is looking out of my living room window

not bad for briniging it up on the 23rd of Feb.
well that's all for now
in stitches
Annette

signs of spring

I have seen a few signs of spring ... the other day I saw a robin on the clothes line, I have seen the geese flying back from the sunny south, the snow is all but gone ( we had a few inches on the weekend )and I have seen a couple bunnies....

Thanks Sheila, for the cute Easter post card.They arrived just before the snow this past Friday
Here are a couple small samples of my fmq for this months challenge on sewcalgals blog.I will give it another try when I get my machine back on Thursday it is off for a check up and cleaning.

Sew this is my first attempt at this months instructions I hope to play a little this weekend if I get my machine back in good working order.      Something I learned this week .... check your warranty

I found out my warranty on electronics was longer than what the dealer thought I was glad that when she checked it out she found out that I had the correct info as there is something going on in that area with my machine and I am half way through the warranty.

Last night I had the second part of the D9P class that I taught here in Watrous. the Ladies are doing a great job on their projects. I may have a visit from a couple gals that are getting started with quilting sew that they can finish up their quilts and get ready to start the next one.

Putting the block together

Here is a little projec that I am still working on

I have the two center layers to add to this topper

I hope to have it done for this Easter

I will be linking up with Sewcalgal and The FMQ challenge

 as well as with The Needle and Thread Network ( side bar link)

Stay in stitches

Annette

tagged

It has been interesting reading the responses to the tagging going on out there.
Last week I was tagged by Sheila .... sew here are my answers to her query's....

1. Why did you start blogging?
     I had been enjoying Stash Manicure and reading a lot of the different blogs that had been featured and thought ....hey I could do that. Sew with my daughter guiding I started. I have enjoyed getting to know a few of you better through the blogs and learning from you all in one form or another.  thanks!

2. How long have your been quilting?
 30+ yrs

3. what project are you most proud of?
  At the moment it would be my quilt called Jewels of the Night the one I have designed and made for the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference 10 th Anniversary Challenge.

4. What other country have you visited and when?
    I have been to England and Germany in 1998 to visit family and my pen pal from high school( it was great to met her ) I have been to Mexico a couple times 2005 and just this month.I have been to Belize in 2010 to visit my niece and her hubby.And of course I have in to the USA to see some of the sights.

5.What is your favorite color and why?
  I think if is between a blue and green, why I think because they are bright and fresh colors.

6. Are you an animal lover and if so what is your favorite animal?
  I do not think I can say just one here either ... any critter that likes to cuddle   ( we have had cats and dogs )

7. Other than sewing / quilting what other craft do you love?
  I do like to knit and crochet I dabble in water color painting as well.

8. What is my favorite all time book?
    I have been enjoying the Elm Creek Quilt series by Jennifer Chiaverini.

9. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you most like to visit?
  I would like to see more of my own country Canada. It is a large country with a lot to see. I would love to go out east in the fall to see the maple trees turn color.

10. What is your favorite comfort food?
        Chocolate of course

11.Who influenced you most in your life?
      Good question ...... family  would have to be my answer   my Mom when I was little , my
       siblings in those middle yrs ....and friends that have become family. I also remember a few   different teachers I had that had been very encouraging over those years. With out them all you        would   not be the person you are today.   

Thank you Sheila for giving me somethings to ponder.
Hope you all had a great week end. I hope to get afew things done tonight. Maybe I cold get a Xmas itme made yet today......if not I will have to try again for next month.
that all for now take care
in stitches
Annette

Getting back on track

Well it's been a busy week sew far.  ( at least that is how it feels)
Monday I taught a class on D9P aka Disappearing 9 patch / 9 patch with a twist.

I have 6 ladies taking it this time with a few brand new to quilting.

Spring Fever by Moda

Next week I will take a few pics to share the ladies fabric choices. Everyone is different and all look great. Every time I teach I put a few together as well and try to change it up a little with how I finish it, just to give the ladies more ideas. This also shows them that you can change up a pattern and it is okay to add those touches that make it yours and one of a kind.
I used a Spring Fever charm pack from Moda and then some fabrics that I had from my stash. I was able to build the whole quilt without buying a single piece of fabric, the charm pack was left over from another project a couple years ago.  : )
I surprised myself by getting it all ready to quilt..... borders and pin basted.

I also had pieced together a little dolly sized quilt with the left over strip pieced sections from the Easter eggs from the table topper that Amanda Murphy has on her site.I cute 2 1/4 in. units from the scraps and added a 2 in. strip to the l 3/4 in. side and the sewed them in alternating directions to get the finished top.
This will be a great place to play with some free motion quilting.

 I know a little girl that will be getting something in the mail before Easter........

Sew other than work that is the playing that I have been able to get to this week.
 some last minute happening's.....
This weekend we will have company .... Dance competition here in town as well as Provincial Mixed Curling.
 Not many places left in town. It will be nice to have a visit with our cousins., and maybe take in some of their performances.
I have some fresh Pumpkin/orange and cranberry muffins baked tonight and a pot of soup ready to cook in the morning. I'll have to figure out a couple other things, but that just might be on the fly.
 I do not think I will be getting any more done until mid next week
Well it's getting late
    better head off to bed
        in stitches and sweet dreams
Annette

Boxing day project ... reveiled

 This was the sneak peak a while back of the project my daughter and I worked on over the Christmas holidays.
The baby has been born and now after a few of life's little twists and turns he has his new quilt to cuddle in.

 This pattern is from MODA Bake Shop.  Building Baby Blocks Baby Quilt by Cindy Lammon one of MODA'S chefs.  ( look under baby quilts in the recipe section)   It went together very nicely , an easy project for a beginner.

I chose to do a two fabric binding sew that the back and front both matched the fabrics used. I was happy with how it turned out and that it was not  difficult to do.
We had the quilt done in just a couple days.
This is one I will do again. : )
 In stitches
Annette

catching up..........

Well I have caught up with the Easter table topper that Amanda Murphy is hosting on her site. It is a fun, not sew little project, they measure 28.5 inches across sew far. It is a nice and bright topper covered with Easter eggs. I have two on the go this uses up one charm pack. I saved the extra bit left over from the eggs and I want to make a little something out of them.  A little playing to see what they become. We all need to play every now and then.

Here are a few  of the eggs that I have stitched











I have also played a little with my fmq for this months challenge on sewcalgals site.
now to go and do a little prep for the class I will teach Monday night.

Next I will quilt a baby quilt with the techinques from this months lesson.

In stitches
Annette

Boy did this week fly by. Back at work, still have bronchitis. Not a lot of energy but I think I am on the mend.
Sew what have I been up to.
I did get a little more done on the topper for Easter
they eggs are ready to go on the wedges

I hope to get caught up on this and the fmq challenges this weekend.In the morning I will be helping a fellow quilter pin baste her quilt.
Well I am going to try and get a little more done on the table topper.....
in stitches
Annette

W.I.P. Wednesday

Well this week is flying by.
And this is what I have on the go
DUETTA is almost done ...... just a little stitching and a button

stitching the yoke on
almost done : )

And I have started another project from Amanda Murphy's site
a table topper with Easter eggs I am a little behind but  I hope to catch up soon.

pieced and ready to fuse and cut out the eggs

I have a question for all you ladies that might have entered any type of contest show etc. with your quilts.
Have any of you ever insured your items?
 If sew, Did you have an appraiser do an appraisal?
Or where you able to have a member of a guild or quilting organization ( with some type of credentials) do an appraisal that was accepted by the insurance co.? With out the appriseal it would only be insured for the cost to make it.
 We have found one co sew far that would insure it under a fine arts poliy. at a cost of $200. / yr or any part of a yr.
I am starting to wonder if I should bother with the insurance ..... I have found out that you can not just assume that it will be covered by your householder policy. For that to work you have to be in controll /custody and care of your quilt at all times. 

Any feed back would be great in helpping me make a call on this one.

As it is Wednesday be sure to check out what the other ladies have been up to check out the link on my side bar for THE NEEDLE AND THREAD NETWORK.
in stitches    and knots  too
Annette

off to the next step

 with my pattern testing that is......
I have been testing  the pattern "Duetta" for Grandma Coco Designs.
I have finished the body of the sweater and have done a test of the yoke.

my first attempt at blocking......
I think I'm doing it right

sew today I hope to get the yoke made and who know maybe   get-r-done.

practice piece of the paper piecing
of the yoke

Trimmed to  see the next step
now to do the real thing

off to sew                                   
have a great day



in stitches
Annette

a Friday finish

Well yesterday I finally finished Jewels of the Night.
Complete with label and hanging sleeves. I used two shorter sleeves sew that one can use a center support if needed.I thought this would make displaying it at the conference easier, and with out any damage to the quilt.

I had a lot of fun working on Jewels of the Night. It was the First time I have taken part in a challenge. I created my own design and was able to learn more about EQ7 (Electric Quilt 7  Quilt design software )
 When using this software it helps you to put your ides on a quilt layout and change it up as much as you like. You can change color/fabric placement as well.You can print off the yardages needed.  You   also can print off templates , rotary cutting as well as paper piecing .... which ever applies to the block. You do how ever, have to figure out how to put it together.

Sew now I just have to get it entered and over to the shop in Humboldt this month sometime. The deadline is April 15,2012.  Good luck to all who enter.

boxed and ready to go

 I would like to take a few pictures of it first sew that I have them ready to share with you all out there, as soon as the conference starts.
in stitches
Annette

W.I.P. Wedensdays

the start of my over sized label

Well it's that time of week again. and I do have good news ..... at least for me I am on the binding of Jewels of the Night , my challenge project. Next will be the label and then getting entered into the challenge before April 15.

binding ready to turn and stitch

 I also have been testing out a pattern called "DUETTA" a Grandma Coco Design. I have never done testing before and just thought why not sew now I have it almost half way knitted. It has a quilted collar made in a few different ways i will be trying out the paper pieced directions.

Sew that's about all I have been up to .... that and curling up with my quilts and a cup of tea.

Be sure to check out The Needle and Thread Network .... link on my side bar. To see what the other gals have been up to.
 in stitches
Annette

Just a little stitching in Cancun

Yes I had a little stitching project while we where in Cancun.

I had to pick up a little sewing kit as I did not pack any thread etc. and the bride needed a quick fix on her dress. Sew off to the market we went to find this little treasure,

 sew that I could do the repair. This made the bride relax as she was stressing a little about it.
I was able to do the fix with the bride in her dress only poking myself. The Auntie that always has everything had decided at the last minute not to pack a needle and thread.....lol...... next time I  will know better.

Well now as I look outside I see a fresh blanket of snow ....... just a couple inches I think. They have rain and snow for the province sew it will be a mixed bag of weather for a couple days and then warm on the weekend again.( snowing again as I update this post)
 Sew I'm hoping everyone drives safely out their on the icy roads. And remember that Spring is on it's way it just took a detour.
Off to curl up with my quilt again
in stitches
Annette

Getting back to our sask winter ..........



the view from our room
in Cancun

Getting back to things....... a little slow still want my quilt to curl up with.
A little about our holiday. Hubby's niece Kaley married on the 1st of March to her Romeo. They had a tearruis ceremony with the Ocean in the background. A lovely ceremony with about 40 wittiness's to their union. Re4ception was at the Royal Sands as well and supper was next door at Sisal. We had the banquet room that was done up like a Mexican village with the stars twinkling above. ( poor lighting for my camera)    This was the main reason for the trip.

The bride and her groom

Earlier in the week we all where on a catamaran, It was a day long trip in the bay between the strip with the hotels and the main land. We had the opportunity to snorkel , swim and take in some local food. They took a lot of pictures on the trip, that is the photographer.... but we left them behind he wanted $200. US for them and we all agreed that this was too much. Between all the other cameras on broad we could have enough it will just take a little time to get them. Sew now we wait for the flash stick to come in the mail.

We visited with Romeo's family , went out to a few different night spots and tried different Mexican foods. And of course we did a little shopping. Hubby and I did a little grocery shopping for our Villa and some to bring back for our daughter that could not make it.
It was great to relax around the pool and to play in the waves of the ocean ..... such nice shades of blue in the ocean.

I lost my voice on Tuesday and yesterday it turned into a lovely cold .... what a way to spend the last of my holidays.
Sew in a nut shell that was our week. Now it will be getting back into the swing of things. and my quilting of course, and a little knitting for Grandma Coco.
Sew now that we are home we have heard that we might get a bit of a storm ...... but we all  know that spring is on it was sew any crazy weather will be short lived. It has been a very mild winter this year sew we should be able to handle what comes our way.
Now where's that quilt.
in stitches
Annette
 

OHLA .......... AHCOO....

Ohla ...Hello
I am home form our holiday/ family wedding in Mexcio
We had a great time, lost my voice and it has now turned into a sinus cold .......
Sew  I hope to get a few pics and tell you more in the moring as I just want ot curl up with one of my quilts tonight.
Sew until morning Stay in stitches
hugs Annette