Getting Ready for Christmas

Falalala... it's Christmas time... and along with that is the busy time of year... yet I am determined to make things as relaxing as possible!  That being said, I'm still procrastinating on Christmas cards (to do or not to do...!).  

This is probably my last post for the year, but that's ok.

Like I just wrote... I want to relax!

I finished up some new and some old projects:

My 1st ever Christmas stocking!  This is a lovely quilt-as-you-go pattern and it sure was fun to do!

Front of the stocking

Back of the stocking

My son thought it was fun to wear.

I made a few of these easy paper ornaments for the tree... and with leftover paper, I made some paper Christmas tree links.

November's Freebie 15 block - "Transferware".
16" x 16"
(Quilt block colours look quite blah in this photo, oops, but they really are lovely.)

November's Freebie block is called "Transferware"  

Transferware is a ceramic where historical scenes and delicate patterns, such as florals are transferred onto fine china, making it affordable for middle-class families.  Transfer printing involves etching a design onto a copper plate, inking the plate then transferring the design onto tissue paper; this is then applied to the ceramic and fired with a glaze.  The result is the wonderful dishes we call transferware.

Here's a print-out of the November Freebie 15 Companion.
There are to be two 8.5" x 8.5" squares like this; the fabric is black & white.
I love this year's Freebie's but so far I am not too crazy about the companions' colours: the colours seem so dark compared to the Freebies.
That being said, I think I have fired myself from doing any more Freebie companions for the year!!
Seriously, this is the worst pattern to follow - ever!
The centre piece is actually cut out like a stop sign, but the instructions for lining everything up just exasperate me!!!!!

I finally also tackled some UFOs (Unfinished Objects/Projects) which are awaiting quilting (to be done next year).

Remember this pukey quilt top???  Well, it is NO MORE - Yeah!!

Layer Cake Quilt Along - Quilt top #1 (hacked)

I added a pink-with-white-polka-dots fabric for sashing.

A lady at the quilt store helped me select a border sashing, but when it came down to putting it all together, the border was just bad. Bad. Bad. Bad.

So... a simple brown border came into being.

Layer Cake Quilt Along - Quilt top #2 (done)

Scrappy Stars Quilt

I had finished 11 of these 9"x9" stars about a year ago as a BOM, but then the local quilt store closed and I had to make up my own 12th star block.

And then it sat and sat and sat... until now.

I love the finished quilt top.

I can hardly wait until this one is quilted!!

Scrappy Stars Quilt Top

Catching up...

Well, I thought with September would come plenty of time to finally catch up on my unfinished projects... but it has taken me an additional 2+ months to finally feel like I got somewhere in my sewing/quilting world!  

Funny how life simply gets so busy!

Remember this quilt?

This was my Spring 2012 Mystery Quilt.

I raffled it off for cancer, and we received $710 in donations that went toward the Canadian Cancer Society.  The winner of the quilt was Ellis V. of Lethbridge.

Congratulations, Ellis!

For the group of ladies from church that make quilts for people with cancer, I made this bag.  

The quilt top has the same design hearts on it, and I used leftover quilt fabrics to make this bag.

The bag is used to store the finished quilt.

Approximate size: 18" x 20"

I can't remember where I came across these wonky designs, but this brown quilt top is my version of someone else's quilt.  I just used some scrap fabrics.  (The colours on this pic are terrible: the colours are actually browns and some green/yellows.)

33" x 41"

 I finally finished up the last 2 blocks for Traditional Pastimes' Freebie 15 series.

"Seaweed" - September 2012
12" x 12"

"Sea Shells" - September 2012
12" x 12"

Traditional Pastimes came out with FUN COLOURS for the next year's Freebie 15 ~ YAY!!
This year we will be doing up Vintage Plates... what a fun idea... but I'm not sure how I'll display dinner plates on a bed.  (haha)  The finished quilt will be 92" square!

October's Freebie 15 Companion:

"Abbey" Vintage Plate

This romantic ruined abbey pattern first saw the light of day in the 1800s as Abbey Wreath and was made by Adams.  At the Adams bankruptcy sale in 1861 George Jones bought the printing plates for the design, but it was not until 1901 that his sons re-launched their "new" Abbey pattern.  It became hugely popular and remained in production until 1940, with many people first coming across it in the mid 1930s when the breakfast cereal Shredded Wheat offered free dishes and discounts across a range of breakfast and teaware in Abbey." 

8" x 8"

I only made one small dinner plate, but I "broke" my second dish... I started cutting the fabrics wrong, so this is what I ended up with.  

I will have to figure out how to use this "plate"... but I'll probably make a new plate.

8" x 8"

October's Freebie 15: this lovely bright, fun-coloured plate:

"Aynsley England" Vintage Plate

The pottery firm of Aynsley and Sons opened in Stoke-on-Trent in 1775.  Over the centuries, the Aynsley firm perfected the art of making English bone china, and it continues to be recognized for the high production qualities.  Even though the company has introduced many modern designs, many of the early traditional patterns including "Orchard Gold" and "Cottage Garden" continue to be produced today, and are exported to stores in over 80 countries.

16" x 16"

A crib quilt made of extra fabrics.

37" x 42"

Back of the crib quilt.

 Every Friday for the past 6 Fridays, I have been participating in Heather Spence's Fall 2012 Mystery Quilt.   This is my second quilt along with Heather, and it has been fun.
The pattern proceeds benefit someone living with cancer.

Fall 2012 Mystery Quilt
61" x 61"

 And FINALLY... the 24 2011-2012 Freebie 15 & Companion quilt blocks... all sewn together.
I have to add some sashing & about 200+ hourglass units around the edges, but at least the quilt blocks are sewn together.
I wish I would have done sashing between the blocks, but there is no way I'll be pulling this quilt apart!
All in all, I'm happy with it.  I has been a great learning experience, even though I didn't always enjoy the minute sewing/quilting required for some of these blocks, but I did it!
I'll post pix when I finally finish the quilt top!

Top measures 69" x 69" at this point... and still not done!

Summer Catch-Up

What a busy summer it has been! 

The weather has been very beautiful, despite a few hail storms, one of which damaged the siding on our garage, but at least the mosquitoes have been minimal this year!

We have had lots of company this month, but I did manage (between company visiting) to get some sewing done.

I caught up on my "Freebie 15" blocks...

July's Freebie 15 block: "Tidal Pool"

July's Freebie 15 Companion block: "Starfish"

August Freebie 15 block: "Whirlpool"

August Freebie 15 Companion block: "Seagulls"
I just cannot seem to follow these instructions... usually, I LOVE flying geese blocks, but the instructions for this quilt along's flying geese are just hopeless for me!!  Argh!

I sewed some little gifts:
Placemat to Go for a co-worker's little girl.

Just add some chalk & it's ready to go!

Rolled up for on-the-go.

A mini "quilt" which measured ~10"x10".

Quilt Blocks, Quilts and a Quilt for Cancer

It has been such a busy last month-and-a-half, but things have finally slowed down a bit, and I managed to tackle some quilting projects again.  Oh, the therapy of quilting!!  :)

First up... the June quilt blocks for Traditional Pastimes' "Freebie 15" BOM:

Freebie 15 Companion: "Bird Tracks"
I really buggered this one up, and it's too small, but I was not about to redo these flying geese!
Usually, I enjoy the flying geese units, but for some reason, I just wasn't getting these instructions!  :(

Freebie 15: "Low Tide"

****

Remember this quilt top?  This was the quilt top I made for the Fat Quarters Stars Quilt Along that finished up a few months ago.  Well, it sat and sat and sat on my sewing table.  The greeny-yellow was driving me mad... so I HACKED it all apart!  Yeah!!

Now I have 12 blocks that will need to be resewn... MINUS the pukey green-yellow!  :)

Be-Gone, Pukey sashing!!

****

There there is this big quilt... from about 1 year ago... Moose on the Porch's Layer Cake Quilt Along.  I FINALLY did some repairs, and my church quilting club friend Dalene quilted it together for me.  It was the first quilt she has done in which blocks were set on-point, but I think she did a purty nice job on this quilt!  This quilt is looking lovely on our guest bed.

****

A few months ago, I signed up for Heather Spence's Spring 2012 Mystery Quilt.

Well, I am finally done!

My friend Dalene did an amazing job with the quilting on her long-arm machine!

I absolutely love this quilt!

This quilt is going to be raffled off this autumn and all donations will go toward Breast Cancer.  I haven't determined yet how I will raffle it off or which cancer association/foundation the proceeds will go toward, but it WILL be donated!

I hope to raise money for breast cancer, and one lucky person will WIN this quilt!

The reason for this quilt donation?

My Mom has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and today is her first day of radiation.

This is for you, Mama!

52" x 63"

Stay tuned for information on how to win this "breast cancer" quilt!!

2 Quilts + 2 Quilt Blocks

I was on a roll last week... finishing off some projects.  It felt so good to catch up a bit.  We drove to Saskatchewan this past Victoria Day long weekend, and I took the quilts with me so I could finish up the binding.  I ran out of black thread about 20" before finishing the black binding quilt, but I quickly finished that one up once we arrived home.  

Dragonflies Baby Quilt
35" x 42"

Stained Window Quilt
43" x 54"

I did a simple meander free motion stitch all over the quilt.

The backing for the Stained Window Quilt.
I love these colours.

Block #8 for Freebie 15
"The Reef"
12" x 12"

Freebie 15's Block 8 Companion
"The Pier"
The original pattern of "the pier" had tiny (and I mean TINY) little posts & rails along the edges of the pier... and I just wasn't into such meticulous work... so I ventured away & did my own version of the pier - which, in my opinion, looks more like a boardwalk, but I like it.  

I'm still working on my Mystery Quilt... Clue #5 tomorrow... Yippee!!

Next on the list:

• finish off the Birdie Quilt
• re-do the Fat Quarters Stars Quilt top (I took the quilt top apart because I couldn't stand the sashing on it)
• add binding to the Layer Cake Quilt which I finished last year, fixed last month, and is now off to my friend Dalene's for some quilting (it's a double or queen size quilt - a bit large for me to quilt)

I will be taking things easy in the next while as I will be starting a new job and June will be pretty much devoted to learning & new beginnings!

Moving Along...

I have been getting some quilting done in the last week...

I am working on my Mystery Quilt, and I just received Week 2's clues but I have to complete those instructions yet...

These are the fabrics I chose for the Mystery Quilt.

I came across the Stained Quilt Along and it is a great way to finish up scrap fabrics!!  

I only had to purchase the solid black fabric.

However, I still have to add batting & backing... then quilt & bind.  :)

Something Old, Something New, & A Mystery

I pulled out some old quilts that I had downstairs... they are my husband's quilts, but they are made by his grandmother & his grand-aunt... but aren't they just ever so lovely???

The more I quilt, the more I really appreciate the older quilts and all the work that was involved in making them... everything from recycling old clothing, cutting the fabric pieces by hand and hand sewing.  

Looking at old quilts makes me appreciate my sewing machine!!!

This quilt was made by my husband's Grandma

Quilt made by Auntie Mildred in her younger days (she is now in her 80s)

I finished my "Origins" (by Basic Grey) table runner. 

White backing, brown binding.

I made my first "sun dial" - 4 quarters sewn together.

This is "Block 0" for New York Beauty Quilt Along.

There are a total of 10 different patterns for these sundials, but I think I am done.

It was fun trying it out, though!

I now have to decide if I'll quilt this quilt top (24" x 24") or if I should add some more borders or stars.

I finished up this month's 2 blocks for Freebie 15.

This year's theme is "Sand & Sea Glass"

Freebie #7: The Boardwalk

Freebie Companion #7: No Diving

I had to do some tweaking with the companion block because the quilt kit had white for the starfish (that's what I call them) but I wanted them brown, so I swapped fabrics and then was short some fabrics within this kit... but I made it all work.

And finally... I have signed up for a Mystery Quilt with Heather Spence Designs!

Heather Spence has designed a mystery quilt and the pattern is $10.  

The $10 is given to a cancer patient who needs financial help with their medical bills.

You can find more information about Heather's Mystery Blog here.

On April 27, I will receive an email with the first instructions to the Mystery Quilt, and these emails will continue once weekly for 5-6 weeks.

I have 2 of the 5 required fabrics, so I will have to go shopping yet for some more fabric.

I know I wanted to take it easy in the quilting department, but I just couldn't resist this quilt along, and it called out to my heart strings... and since I had 2 meters of fabrics at home that I didn't know what to do with... I'll now coordinate some new fabrics with that one fabric to make this lovely quilt.

I love Heather's last mystery quilt (Autumn 2011) so I am sure this quilt will also be lovely.

If you're a quilter, come join the Mystery Quilt fun!!