SSCS

I felt very spoiled this year with my gifts for Choockyblue SSCS. I received this wonderful wall hanging (or table runner) from Shari. It really is the perfect quilt for me, The thing I miss most about not living in Australia (other than my family) is the ocean. I love all the details in this quilt. For better photos visit Shari post here. I think I am going to use it as a wall hanging so I see it more often, I just need to find the perfect spot for it. I live the look of the spot I took the photos, but as it covers the kitchen light switch I don't think it would be very particle. I also think it will look better with out DH holding it up.

She also included other goodies including this cute Kola bag that she picked up at the local school fair for Little Miss. Like I said I think I was very spoiled this year.

Here is the table running I made for Sue as my SSCS. Its uses the same snowman fabric as the ornaments.

This was the only online swap I did this year and I look forward to joining it again next year.

Christmas Eve

True to form, I finished this gift for our Christmas host late Christmas eve.

You may recognize it as a free pattern from a couple of years ago. At the time I had started to make two, but was having issue with one so put it aside and finished the other (was a gift for my mother in-law). The second one was going to be for me, but it had sat for a long time. When a week before Christmas I decided that I wanted to make a home-made gift for our host it seemed like the perfect guilt to finish. I have to admit that in my head it was a lot more done than it turned out to be in reality. The triangles were cut, and the green border strips were done. The triangles were a bit on the skimpy side, so I had to be creative with my seem allowance and quilting. I found time to sew late at night (who needs sleep anyway) and was able to finish this Christmas eve. Out host was so please to receive this, and that always makes this quilter happy.

I will have more Christmas presents and swap gifts to share soon, I just need to get a bit more organized and take a couple of photos.

Floss

Ornaments

It has been a while since I shared anything that I had finished but now that Sue of Charlotte's Cottage has open the ornaments for SSCS I can share. Here are the ornaments I sent her.

I was very happy with how these turned out and have started making one for myself. I still have a gift that I hoping to have done by Christmas so not sure when my ornament will get done, it may have to wait until next year before it can go on the tree.

1st day of Christmas

LM birthday was Saturday and it was a fun day. I have learnt that if you want someone to open all their gifts not to let them open the doll stroller first. It was her favorite gift and had to come with us when we went out in the afternoon.

Now that is done I am much more in the mood for Christmas. Had carols night at church this evening and my guilds Christmas party tomorrow night. I am really looking forward to Christmas this year.

I open my first day of Xmas gift and so far I am very happy with my Santa. Up till now I had left the present in the big bag, but now they are loss under the tree. All the brown present are from the 12 day swap and the other present you can see are from SSCS, and DH always wonder why there are more present under the tree form me than him. The two ornaments were loss in the bag, and the first gift contained the baker and fat quarter. I think I may have to put more in my 12 day gifts next year.

Floss

Bag & SSCS ornament.

It seems like forever since I have been in my sewing room, unless you count using it for gift wrapping. Would love to get some sewing in, I am sure that my machine feels very neglected.

But I do have a couple of quilting things I can share. Last week was my birthday and my mum made me this beautiful bag. Some of the lace is not showing up very well in the photos. I love it, both side have work on them and are very similar. I feel very spoiled.

I think Fritz is trying to catch the spider lol.

I have also received my SSCS parcel today, and open the ornament. I think this is so cute and have been trying to work out how to make it. The main gifts are safe under the tree waiting for Christmas.

These were sent to my by Shari of Mumsyblossom, she even included a gift for Little Miss, which I think is so sweet. Her gift is under the tree too.

Floss

Ixtapa

I wanted to share a couple of photo from our recent trip to Ixtapa, Mexico. The first is the main building at the resort (club med) This is where we had most of our meals. This resort has large grounds with low building we took a boat out to the island and this really is the only building we could see of this resort. Here is one many of our sun set photos, the boat in the picture was flying a Canadian flag. And here is Little Miss running on the beach. She a bit of a water baby.

The only issue I had was that we should have stayed longer. It was a great, relaxing family holiday.

Floss

The start of the season.

Well its that time of year, where there is more to do that you have time to do it. Our first Christmas party tomorrow, we are taking LM to my works Children's Christmas party. Hopefully it will be a good afternoon. Got my SSCS parcel in the mail earlier this week and am trying to get my family's gifts off today.

My guild does a 12 days of Christmas swap, where we buy / make 12 little gift to the person who's named you have pulled. The $ cost is meant to be low, with the last gift giving away who the giver is. Can wait to start opening mine. We all use the same bag to make it harder to tell who your secret Santa is.

I will have to share a picture off all my little presents once I start opening them. When we open them is up to us, some do on ever second day starting on the 1st of Dec, other one every day starting on the 13th( think this is what I will do), and some save them all for Xmas day.

Amongst getting Christmas stuff ready I finished this split 9 patch wall hanging. It is mad from a charm pack. It had been sitting waiting for binding as I had in m head that it should be green, but couldn't find the right one. Going to retreat I decided just to grab something that would work from my stash, just to get it done. I think this purple binding works well. It can be funny how we get ideas like that in our heads.

I am very pleased with how this turned out.

Floss

Still here

Just letting you know that I'm still here. Got busy, then have been on vacation for a week. I was great to get away. Not so much fun coming home to all this snow. Will have to go check if I have to dig the car out later.

I did get my Christmas swap present finished before leaving, just need to get them wrapped and then the will be on there way.

Will share more soon
Floss

Happy Halloween

Ready for Trick or Treaters.

Retreat

It was a good retreat, I still haven't finished unpacking, I'm sure I'll get to it soon. I was running a little later Friday than I had planned, but still got there in time to set up before super. Friday night sew the machine part of the binding for a wall hanging and a couple of table runners. I will put there by my chair and finish then off in the next couple of weeks.

On Saturday my plan was to work on my floral quilt. I started with the corner stone on the last boarder.
Once these were completed I moved onto setting the pinwheels for the same border into bigger squares. Now I just have to make the applique border and all bits will be done.

After this I just worked on a small stichery as I wanted to get off the machine. It was the first time I have taken any hand work on retreat and I must say I like the change it gave me.

We also made a take away. These fun hedge hogs, they look more like it with pins in them. Some are still in progress at the time of the photo, mine is the pink one. On Sunday the retreat finished after lunch so I pulled out my jars, which were in the same state as I left them at the last retreat, and was able to get the blocks finished. I just love how these blocks turned out. Now I look forward to finishing some of my Christmas items, so I can make the jars up into a table topper. It was a fun to get out of the city and be able to sew. I am happy that I am able to do this a couple of times a year.
Floss

Stowaway

Had a great weekend at retreat, am quite tired today. We are only 15 minutes from the city but I always feel like I'm in the country, I think a lot has to do with the drive though the trees to get into the camp.

LM helped me pack and I had a little stowaway. This little elephant normally like in LM crib but I guess she wanted to get out and see a bit more of the world and maybe LM wanted to make sure I had company.

Once at retreat she tried sewing but found that to be a bit tricky so moved over to supervising, making me work late into the night LOL.

LM was very happy to see us both back home.

More soon with the projects I worked on at retreat.

Floss

Heading out the door.

no quilting these past couple of weeks, have had bronchitis and then a busy Thanksgiving weekend. Should get some sewing done this weekend as I am heading out for a weekend retreat.

Floss

Working away

Spent Friday afternoon in the sewing room, but can't share very much of it. I was mainly working on Christmas exchange present so I can not post on the blog. I got three small project quilted and two are based ready to go.

On one of Christmas presents I am stuck on how to quilt it but cannot ask for help. I'm sure something will come to me. While I was thinking about it how to quilt that , how to quilt this wall hanging came to mind. I had been stuck on how to quilt it too.

It very simple quilting, I had been thinking of something fancier, but I think I prefer simple when it comes to my quilting. Hopefully I'll be able to finish quilting the last two and get the binding done in the next couple of weeks.

Sew Day

First I wanted to share my purchases from Sugarpine on our road trip. I think I should have had the flash on the photo as it is a little dark.

I picked up a wolf kit a couple of years ago while on vacation and they were going send me the pattern, lets just say it never happened, at least they didn't charge me for it. Figured the kit would never do me any good without the pattern. The daisy in the middle are a nice little kit. There were some other purchases as well but they may show up as part of a couple of Christmas exchanges so I'm not going to share.

The last weekend my guild had an in town retreat and I was able to go for most of Saturday. I started the day by adding a border to a stichery that I have been working on.

The gaps in the stichery are going to be filled with some cute buttons. See the little un-picker in a block, with cute little bag. One of the ladies had made them for every one, and each one suited the person it was for. I also worked a little on my flower quilt and my SSCS so that all the pictures I can share.

Floss

Weekend mountain getaway

For the long week end we decided that it was time for a road trip to get out of the city. Was starting to think this was a bad idea with all the rain in the forecast, but it turned out to be a great week end, only raining overnight and a little cool. We stayed in a cabin a Johnston Canyon. We head out Saturday late morning, getting to Canmore in time for lunch, were I visited the Sugar Pine. (I have not taken photo of my purchases yet but will share when I do). And just checked out the street for a bit in the after before heading on to JC.

On Sunday we walked up to the lower falls in the morning, I just love the colours of the moss and water. It was a bit cooler so not as busy as it has been when we gone up in the pass. Its about a mile round trip, and we took a long time as Little Miss walk about half way up, before going in the stroller.

Just a quiet afternoon before heading to Lake Louise for supper. I just love this photo of LM at the lake.

It was also the first time I seen a moose in the wild (sorry not a great photo)

On Monday we went for a bit of a walk in the wood before going to Banff. We find Banff a bit busy so didn't stay that long before heading home. It was a nice weekend, very relaxing.

Quilts off to the quilter.

On Friday I dropped off two quilts to the long arm quilter. They are not going to be done until early December, but she was willing to have them at her place so decided it would be nice to have them out of the sewing room.
The first one is the tulip quilt. This top is reminding me of an English garden, with the tulips and flower fabric as the garden beds, the purple as walk ways and the green as a hedge. That could just be me. I think I'm going to call this one "Tulips in the garden".
The next one is the purple square quilt that I made at retreat in the spring. I find it interesting picking out the pattern for the quilting, its so different that how I would normally quilt them. In someways I like the look of the simple quilting when I do them, or that could just be what I'm telling myself so that I will do them. At least this way these two will get done this year.


We visited the mountains this long weekend so I am planning on sharing photo from that in the next day or two.
Floss

Folded star

I have been working away, made up a couple of backs for quilt ready to be quilted and I also finished my folded star trivet.

In the photo I included the yellow and blue one I made in home Ec. class in school. I think the one I made as a teenager is better made. I do remember complaining about what a waste of fabric this was and why would any one what to make one. I have to laugh at that now.

For the new one the second reddish fabric was a bit thicker and hard to fold nicely. I think this is what makes the whole thing a bit wonky. DH likes it so I know it will get used.

This and That

I had to take DH car in to have a service and the shop is close to a Quilting Store, its been a long time since I had popped into quilting store, it wouldn't hurt to pop in just to look. At that store I picked up the two button & pattens. I think I should have everything else to make these wall hanging in my stash. That was a fun stop, and I had been good taking in DH car, so on the way home I took a small detour passed another quilting store where I picked up the black fabric and the monkey fabric, I have an idea for these will see how it turns out. Not to bad for not having got anything for a while, I did enjoy having a look around both stores.

Last Monday night was our guild summer gathering, which was also a lot of fun. One of the ladies had made pillow cases to give away, I grabbed these for my Australia niece and nephews. Think I will wrap their Christmas present in them.

Not much to show for what I have been working on. Here is a pic of a trivet that we started at guild one night. Mine is a bit wonky but once it's on the table with something hot on it I don't think anyone will notice, lol.

Take Care

Floss

Tulips (still in progress)

After last week post I realized that I had not shown my tulip quilt for a long time - OK it has sat on a shelve for over a year- it needed to age.

I had all the fabric together, but could no longer find the idea of had scribbled down to finish this quilt. I know this is not quite what I had in mind by the large amounts of some fabrics I have left over and the tiny amount of others. I think it is turning out nice, and am please with the setting. I am haft way though adding the last dark green border. Then I will use the left over fabrics to make a back. I may need to add from my stash, but there seems to be lots of the green Flora fabric left. I also have enough of the dark green for the binding. So this doesn't sit for another year I think it will go for long arm quilting.

Working away

I have been working on a few different things but not to much to show yet. Last Friday I had a quilt evening with friends. I cut the border fabric for my flower quilt. Was glad to do this while I could chat, its one of the parts of quilting that I don't enjoy that much, but cutting each border as I was going was making for slow progress.

I was off today so I pulled out my tulip quilt and have been working on the setting. Not much to show for it, but hopefully I have the top finished in the next couple of weeks.

Am going to another quilt evening tonight, so I might even get it finished, this may be a bit of wishful thinking. But I think this is what I am going to take to work on.

A small finish

I picked up these fabric squares on the way to retreat and didn't have any charm patterns with me so decided to just make something simple. The little top came home with me. I kept with the theme and kept the quilting simple too. I used the left over fabric plus a scrap from my stash for the binding. I think it's simple and pretty, the colours remind me of the sand and water at the lake where the retreat was.

Charity Quilts

Hi, it looks like my computer is back up and running. lost a few photos, but luckily had not deleted a lot of at them from my camera.

I wanted to share a few of the charity quilts my quilt made last year. We decided to display them at HP before donating them.

First ocean quilt we were asked to make ocean / beach blocks which we put together as a group.

These other quilts we were given direction on what to make the blocks and the colors to use.

One of our group aims this year was to make more masculine charity quilts.

I think they look terrific displayed among the old cars. And am sure they have gone to loving new owners.

Floss

Computer woes

We after my last post I was going to be so good and try to post more often but before I got the change my computer died. We saved it with a new hard drive but taking some time to get it back up to normal and I lost some photos. Was going to put the ones still on my camera back on only to find the card reader isn't working. DH said he would look at it today. Hopefully back up to speed soon.

Floss

HP Quilt Show

Well I have been a bad blogger, the Heritage Park quilt show was held the last weekend in May and I have been meaning to share a few photo ever since. The weather did not hold out, but all the indoor area were great so still a great show to visit. On the bright side with only quilter at the part the line ups were a lot shorter than other years. I put three small quilts in, I think I have posted all of these quilts before but will share anyway.I am so please with my bunny quilt, I knew that I wanted to put it in, you can see from the photo this was displayed in on of the historic homes child's bedroom.

One of the organizer belong to the guild I go to and she had asked for a few smaller quilts to be enter so I also enter the green table topper and the wall hanging made from left overs.

Hopefully I will be better at blogging.

Floss

Cat Pictures

Haven't really done much quilting since I have been back from retreat so thought I would share a couple of recent cat photos.
Here is Taz is showing us how to relax and Fritz thinks that we got her a new chair.

Not sure when I will get back to doing some quilting, its has started to get nice here and will need to spend some time tiding up the back yard, and the front yard could do with a little bit of gardening too. Want to enjoy as much of the nice weather as I can, our summer here are so short.
Floss