Red and White

My guild is doing a red and white challenge, lucky for me we are not very tight on the rules for challenges so these all count as red and white. At the moment I'm thinking a crib quilt, but I still have time to change my mind.

Back from vacation.

I am back from a wonderful vacation, visit with my family. I had wanted to share some photo as we went but things didn't work out quite that way. The first week of vacation was spent at my mum’s. A few day trips but mostly catching up.
Then heading to the city (Adelaide) to catch up with some old school mates, a couple I hadn’t seen since we were about 12, but still knew who there were when we met up. We also took in Cleland. Here little miss off to met the Kangaroos, She found the potaroo to be more her size. The off to the beach for a few relaxing days. The back to mum’s for more visiting and day trips.
The last week we were tourist in Melbourne. We took a great tour to Phillips island to see the penguins, and a few other things. Couldn’t believe our luck as there was a baby fairy penguin by the side of the road that had come out to see if its parents were coming home.
We had such a good trip. LM travels like a dream. Still working on getting back into the swing of thing

Casserole carrier

Yeah, I got the casserole carrier I planned on making for my mum done, before we leave to visit her. I wanted to use a Canadian fabric, and when I saw the bear fabric I remember how exited she was to see a bear when she was here.

The pictures aren't the best. This was the first project I worked on since the room was put back together and I was surprised at how many things I had to go looking for after I though what I needed was put away.

Don't think there will be much in the way of quilting but an hoping to be able to share a few holiday pictures as we go.

Floss

Still here

Well it has been a few weeks since I posted. These have been a busy couple of weeks. My in-laws came to visit for just over a week and we spent a lot of time trying to enjoy the last of the summer weather. Little Miss really enjoyed having them around.

We did an afternoon checking out a couple of quilt shops. I live in the north of the city and when they are here we typically go to Canmore quilt store. For something different we head south. The quilt store in High River "Chinook Fabric" is very small and this was my third visit to it. As small as this store is I always come out with something. Then we went to "Rumpled Quilt Skins" in Okotoks. This is a nice store, It was larger and had a lot more fabric, but nothing called to us there. The only thing I picked up was some 1/2 square triangle paper. After than we went to a great little cafe for a very late lunch, before heading home. This was a very relaxing day.

My basement is finally back together, yay. We did the painting ourselves, so that was a bit of a mad dash between when the drywalls were done and before the carpet went down. Then last weekend started moving every thing back into the room. I still haven't replaced the storage cupboard so there is still a fair bit of homeless stuff. I did try to sew a project but was getting frustrated with trying to find stuff, as its a gift and I want to have it done before we go on vacation will try to get it finished this weekend.

And now I'm trying to get organized to go on vacation. We will be away for just under 5 weeks, visiting family as well as tourist stuff. LM is looking forward to going on the plane. She has been on them before, but think this is the first time she old enough to understand. She also wants to see Kangaroos and Kolas, luckily we are planning on going to a wildlife park while there so she will get to see them. I always get a little stress when gather up stuff before going on a long trip, so hoping to get that done this weekend too. If I leave it till the following weekend I would be a basket case.

Footprints

Haven't done any sewing the last couple off weeks, August just got very busy with BBQ and summer time stuff, so haven't been home much.


Here are some of the cat foot prints in the floor of the sewing / storage room, last week the drywall when up so hopefully we get the walls painted soon. was planning on doing it over the weekend but after being out Friday and Saturday didn't feel like doing it Sunday. (I knew we should have done it but that's how things go sometimes)

I was hoping the carpet layers would be in this week but haven't seen them. As soon as that's done I should be make a sewing space. The storage room is done so most of my sewing stuff has been gather and is packed in there as we have house guest coming for a week and needed to clear some space for them. Not sure when but hoping to get some sewing done soon.

Floss

In City Retreat

Last weekend my guild had a in city retreat and I was able to make it for some of Saturday afternoon and evening.

I started work on my Jelly roll quilt as I needed to lay it out and here there was lot of space. I sew all the row together and half of the center of the tops. Then I felt the need to move onto something else.
I pulled out my nearly insane and played with the fabric, I need to do more planning on this before I'm ready to work on it at retreat. So I started sewing the jungle fever kit with a smoky black I found in the one bin I can get to from my stash. I think this will look great. Sorry no photo as my battery on my camera had dies by this point in the day.

Not sure if I will get to pull out any sewing this weekend, hair cuts in the morning then of to a 1st birthday party. But I'm very exited as they are meant to be coming to fit my sewing room this week. yeah. :-)

Floss

Change of plans

A few years ago during retreat I picked up a jungle fever kit at one of the near by stores, I just loved the fabrics. Since then I have see a few of the kits made up and I did not love the quilt. So my kit sat and sat.

Last week I was looking at blog and saw a pattern I would like to make, my jungle fever fabric would be perfect - the kit is no more. I took the fabrics and cut them up into rectangles and squares, now I just need to find a nurture to go with them.

Progress

I had managed a little sewing over the last couple of weeks. My guild had a sew day on the Monday of the long weekend and I was able to go for a couple of hours, during which I got the last eight blocks done for the jelly roll quilt. Then on Friday night I went over to a friend for a quilting evening and finished the setting triangles. After which I just visited and played with fabric.

Sorry no photos, the guild is having another sew day next weekend so hoping to get it laid out and photo then. But can't have a post without photo, so here is Max cuddling with LM's Elmo.

Finally some sewing

My sewing stuff is still spread all over the place but I really had the need to do some sewing. So I found this jelly roll project I had started at retreat, and my feather weigh and clear a spot of the table. I'm not sure where the iron is so had to make do with finger pressing, but I think the blocks turned out great. When I get the chance I will get them pressed.

Hopefully there will be more sewing very soon.

Floss

Country Quilt Show

Last weekend was Lorraine Stangness Quilt show. I always enjoy this biannual quilt show, I think a large part of that it the country setting. It was a beautiful Saturday sh myself and LM headed out for the mo ring. It was busy that when I've been other years but I have typically gone in the afternoon. A lot of the quilts are Lorraine's, her students or a local guild.

For the first quilt I love the scrappy fabric choices.

Most of the quilts I'm sharing today are from the guild display. I'm not sure other than how bring it is why I liked this next quilt, I just know I did.

I love this forest quilt, make my think I should learn to do picture quilts. I just love it. The block on this next quilt were quite small. I like how the use of only two fabrics make the blocks stand out. This nest quilt is just a fun quilt. I'm always brawn to fun, simple patterns dine in cheery fabrics.

These next group of quilts were a challenge, I believe for a retreat. I'm not sure if you can see but each of these has a bit of cereal box pinned to it. Before the retreat they picked or pull a cereal box that had to be the inspiration, or colour choice for the quilt they were going to make. The quilt for this range in size from table runner to large lap quilts. I thought this was such a neat idea and I love how these quilt turned out, some of the ladies must have great imaginations.

Canada Day & Drumheller

Last weekend was Canada day and we enjoyed the day at the island park down town where we meet up with friends. Having little ones we spent most of the day at the playground before moving to the paddle pool. Little Miss loved running around in the park and playing with her friends. A fun day, every one was tired by the end so we all want out to dinner. Have to admit I enjoyed being out with other little ones, LM was so tired she spelt thought a lot of dinner but woke up in time to eat my ice cream, lol.


For the rest of the weekend we did an overnight trip to Drumheller. I never knew my little girl would be do into dinosaurs. The dinosaur T-shirt I picked up for her she has been wearing every second day, hopefully this doesn't last much longer. We been for so many day trips over the years to Drumheller I didn't take as many photo as I should. The photo above was taken on a side road near Rosebud. A very pretty spot.


It had been a few years since I had been out to the Hoo Doos. They had fence off the main Hoo Doos but added stair up to the rocks behind them.
I enjoyed looking at them, but really enjoyed getting up behind them. LM was off to explore, no need to wait for mummy. I was very glad that DH was quicker on his feet than me. She can be very independent, and quite the mountain goat. Once again she had more fun here that I was expecting her to.

We also looked a various dinosaur around town, including the big dinosaur, when swimming, visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum, the little Church. All in all a very nice family weekend.

Quick Bag

With the flooding in my sewing room we needed to totally disassemble the sewing room so work could be done on installing a sump pump. We were taking the sewing room apart on Saturday, so it may not have been the best plan to decide to make a bag on Friday.

LM and I were invited to a friend's daughter birthday party and I had decided to give her books as she has tons of toys and clothes.

On Friday I decided the books would be nicer if they were in a book bag. I knew her favorite color was purple as it mine so with out much time I started by looking in m stash for purple fabric, none of it seemed right, or the bits that did were not big enough for a book bag. So I started looking around for other fabric when I came across the green butterfly fabric. Now to come up with a pattern. It had to be large enough to hold the large book. I decided I wasn't going to line it but wanted that lined feel at the top so I knew it would have a band around the top. After that I just started cutting, the purple fabric was a fat quarter so that determined a lot of my choices. The bag came together nicely and luckily quickly.

Now the toys when over better at the party but I'm still happy with my choice to give books and a bag

The sump pump was put in this week. Now it's a case of putting the room back together, from redoing some drywall, painting and relaying the carpet. I am thinking of having some one in to help do this otherwise it may be a long time before I can get back to sewing.

Quilts from Guild members at HP

Here is my purple square quilt on display at the show.For a guild group display we enter our Winding ways quilts. I love seeing the same quilt made with different fabric. I found this extra fun as the patter and leave are all free form.Here are some of the quilts other guild members entered. This on was made by Janet and you can read her blog about it here. The lady who made this next quilt is making a group of small quilts to hang on a "washing" line around her sewing room.

I love this next sunflower paper piece quilt.

This next quilt was a pattern share with the group a couple of years ago and these quilts keep showing up, and the fabric choice really makes the difference.

Floss

The Park

I though I would share a couple of photo from around Heritage park. The week before the show it had rained every day here but the forecast was for sun over the weekend. My friend and I normally go on Saturday, but based on this we decided to go on Sunday to increase the change of the park being dry. It was a good decision. Fewer people go on Sunday and we could have asked for a nicer day, so as well as taking pictures of the quilts I found my self taking photo around the park
The first house we came to is Princess House, this is a beautiful house which always have quilts inside and out. This year no quilts were upstairs in any of the houses, which was nice as it can be tricking with lots of people trying to get up and down narrow stairs.I had to take a picture of the horse and I though LM would love them.
This is the view as we walked to wards the farmhouse, this is one of my favorite areas of the park, there are always animals in the small fields around it.

These ducks made us laugh as they were busy cleaning themselves.

Quilts hanging on a fence
The hotel covered in quilts. As you can see in all these photos the sun is shining and it is a wonderful place to send an day.

Tulips in the Garden Quilt

This weekend was the local quilt show at the historical village, this is an open non judge quilt show. This year I had enter three quilt, one of which wasn't finished. Nothing like a dead line to get things done.

I will share more about the show in later post, but I wanted to share today was the completion of my tulip quilt. I think I started this in 2007. I think it aged well.

The center was a kit and I added the boarders. I think the purple looks like pathways in a garden. Of course it is cat tested and approved.

Zoo

I always find May to be a busy month, with more things to do that there is time. I think it's because it's the first month we get any real sunny weather here and I just want to get outside and enjoy.

Last weekend my guild had a sew day, but I had to miss it as it was also my churches kids group day at the zoo. This was a really fun outing, there are a few kids in the group that are within 6 month of LM ages. So a bunch of 2 year-olds at the zoo, so much fun. then there are a few older kids too. I think the kids had as much fun rolling down the hill after lunch as they did checking out the animals, but it was so much fun as this was the first time I had LM at the zoo where she was very interested in the animals. I think we are going to have to get a season pass. LM cuddle toy is a giraffe so we made sure to visit them.

On Sunday I had some time in my sewing room, its not put back together yet but its back to where I can sew in it so hopefully I will get the quilt that I enter in the show at the end of this month completed.

Retreat

When on retreat last weekend, this is the same retreat I went on last fall. Found packing hard as my sewing room isn't put back together yet, so it was a case of grabbing what was on the top of the pile.

I didn't seem to take very many photos this time. I do like seeing the different things people are working on, at this retreat it looked like a lot of us were making mesh bags. I made these three. The middle one I am keeping and the other two are Christmas presents, so I'm ahead on my Christmas shopping. LOL.
We mad a small take away, aren't these cupcake pin cushions fun. Mine is the tan bottom with the blue top that still needs stuffing.

After finishing my bags I started working on the only jelly roll project I have brought. This is so outside what I normally work on. I really enjoy picking my fabrics, so this feels like I missed that step. I also normally prefer the look of a bit more scrappy quilt. That said I am very happy with how this is turning out so far.This is from Moda and I can remember the name of the line I think it was something Victorian but am not sure. Now that it has started, and am liking it, I'm sure that I will finish it.

Hopefully I get the sewing room somewhat organized this week and will have more to share next week
Floss

No Sewing

A couple of weeks ago LM had the stomach flu and she was nice enough to share with us. So it had been a few weeks since I had been in my sewing room, so I was happily going down to there on Friday morning, when my plans were interrupted by a wet floor.

I think I have mentioned before that this has been a long, wet winter. Well that water had to go somewhere. So plans for the weekend were changed. On Friday, we did the best we could cleaning up the mess, in the big scheme of things, there was not that much water, but a lot of things had to be moved and the cheap cupboards I was using for storage soaked up a lot of the water. On the bright side the items stored inside were fine.

On Saturday we had cleaners in and they were able to tidy up the rest of the water and dry it right out. They will be coming back so we can determine where the water is getting in and what we should do about it. From what they were saying, with it being this wet there are a lot of basements that are having issues that have not had issues in the past. Then it will be a case of putting it all back together again.

On Sunday we just relaxed and enjoyed Easter with friends.

In the mean time my sewing stuff is piled up on top of itself on the other side of the room. I am going to a retreat next weekend so it will be interesting what I can pull out of the pile to take, as I think I'll just go with what is easy to get at.

But even when there are no issues I can't always get close to my sewing machine, as LM likes to "help". Floss

Winding ways finished

I found this to be simple, quick and fun to make. The leaves were all from the Moda charm pack 9. This will be added to my sewing room wall.

Red Deer Quilt show

It had been a couple of years since I had been to the Red Deer quilt show, myself and the Quilting Canuck both had the day off, so road trip. We had planned on going in the morning but had to delay our departure to lunch time, so I decided that LM had to come with us too. We still thought we would be home by 7. How wrong we were.

The show seems to have grown in the last couple of years. I enjoy it being the first show of the year as at this time of year I am normally looking for a reason to get out of the city. LM napped on the way up, which meant she was ready to run when we got there, she is very active. I did still get to see the show and managed to spend more money than I had planned, so guess she wasn't so bad.

Here are a couple of quilts from the show. I like the barn animals, I think this is as LM likes making all the noises and this would be a fun quilt for a kids room.

I also really like these circle quilts, I have seen bigger version of both of these but I like how these show the technique in wall hanging size quilts.

I just love these tree quilts, would have liked to be able to get a closer look at them, but that wasn't to be.

This flower quilt was a kit at one of the vendors, and I think this, or something like it, is what I would like to make next for LM. She has lots of quilts for her crib so I was thinking more in line of a twin quilt for when she moves to a twin bed. This kit did not come in twin size and the only patterns they had were for the kits, so I will have to keep my eye out now I know what I want. DH even liked it.

My first purchase of the day was this nice charm pack, thinking this wasn't planned but it's small. I had been planning on picking up a couple of meter cuts to make mesh bags and I found three I liked and that was enough to get a free meter. So far so good; then we stopped for a snack and this bundle started calling to me. I have no idea what I am going to do with it, and I typically don't make quilts from the same line. But I had to have it and it was a good price. LOL. After that I picked up a couple of Canadian cross stich patterns which I think will make nice gifts for my family once I have them made up.

By the time this was done it was around 7, and it was time to find real food. Luckily, LM was ready to sit so we could enjoy supper before heading home. When we got back to Calgary it was snowing so were glad we spent the day out of the city, where we got to enjoy a bit of sun, some quilts and good company.

Floss.