Oh my! The retreat was a great time. They always are! So many different projects, so many ideas, so much help … so much food … and 2 people brought halloween jellies and candy corn … groan! … too much sugar … click HERE to see the slide show of other people’s projects.
Yes, the retreat is over. It is done for another year! It was a wonderful time of sharing, quilting, laughing and laughing!
We played games! Instead of strip poker (See HERE) we used the LRC die and played with loonies (Canadian $1 coins). It was fun to the end. Then there was a scavenger hunt … looking for all sorts of things sewing and non-sewing related. One thing that we needed was a selfie of the team, taken in a car. Neither my partner or I had our own cars at the retreat. Much to the surprize of the owner, we hopped into the back of another car as she and her partner were getting out! We have a gift exchange at the retreat and played a game with each of us ending up with a gift we didn’t make.
One of my secret projects in the recent weeks was a snappy bag and a roll of toilet paper.
Oh YEAH!! A retreat!!!
I love retreats!!!
There are a group of 18 17 of us going to Edenvale in Abbotsford. 17 because one lady is too ill to attend! 😦
What am I taking? A zillion things … WAY more than I’ll get done!
I have another finish!! I cut into my Island Batik rayon and finished a top! It’s the same pattern as the one I showed last week (see HERE) – except I altered the neckline a bit. It fits perfectly! My hubby is not home at the moment, so no photos with it on me! Just one of it pinned onto the design wall!
Continue reading
I’m working on Smith Mountain Morning from Bonnie Hunter’s book “Scraps & Shirtails II.” You’ve seen the odd picture in recent posts … It’s a UFO from 2015 that was started in a workshop with Bonnie at Camp Arnold – near Seattle. Washington. The workshop was fantastic!! The quilt will be fantastic!! (visit Bonnie’s blog Quiltville.com for lots of eye candy and free patterns.)
I think I might be going crazy! Who in their right mind starts a quilt with 3 million pieces (don’t count them, I just might be exaggerating! but not by much). And then decides that she wants to make it bigger? YUP – I was crazy when I made that decision! Continue reading
Thank Goodness Its Finished Friday … is a linky party. If you have a finish this week, feel free to join in the fun and share what you’ve been working on. (Scroll down for the linky party)
I’ve been thinking that I need to sew up some of my garment fabric. Yes, I do have some. There was a time, YEARS ago that I used to make all my own clothes – including blue jeans. But, other than some pjs, I haven’t sewn any clothes. I have a beautiful piece of Island Batik rayon that I received in my first box. BUT … I didn’t want to risk cutting it up and sewing a garment if the pattern wasn’t going to fit.
I dug out my patterns and found a t-shirt type top that I had made years ago – like 20 years ago. (And 20 pounds ago!). I measured the pieces against a top that currently fits and thought I’d try it. I had some blue rayon fabric that I got – who knows when or where … and started cutting.
I have been sewing. Smith Mountain Morning is slow going …. tons of pieces fro each block … but I’m determined to get ‘er done!
Several projects are now in progress:
I’ve been sewing … a lot … but not a lot to show for it.
I saw this picture on a facebook page … and just cracked up. The skeleton is obviously working on hand quilting “Good Fortune.” It’s Bonnie Hunter’s mystery from last year. And, I love the soft colours that were used! Or have they just faded over time??? (grin!)
Do you remember, WAY back in August, when I was a participant in Island Batik’s “Beat the Heat” Blog hop? I featured this quilt and fabric:
Soil & Seeds
Yes, you read that correctly! I have a finish. YEAH!!!!
Do you like or dislike squirrels? We have black and grey squirrels in our backyard. And we enjoy watching them scurry along the fence, hopping onto the trees and burying nuts in our garden. A friend of mine said that squirrels are just rats with fuzzy tails. I disagree. They are cute and fun to watch!
Recently, (like in the past year) I’ve been noticing on quilt blogs that some projects are called “Squirrels.” I didn’t understand exactly what this meant, and I went searching. Google searching. When I researched “squirrel quilts” – that’s what I got – a bunch of links to quilts containing squirrels. Not what I was looking for.
Googled “squirrel quilts new projects” … BINGO … a definition of what I was looking for. Quilt Diva Julie had the explanation! Thank you Quilt Diva Julie! (Photo & Definition is from Quilt Diva Julie’s blog.
SEW … all this talk about squirrels … and yes, I did have a sudden distraction that pulled me away from what I was diligently working on. Our guild has a Facebook page. This Saturday, a baby quilt kit making day was happening. One lady posted the cutest quilt with a baby on it. Of course, it was scrappy and blue – that’s why I thought it was cute. I quickly figured out how it could be done … easy peasy. Then Saturday came and I wasn’t able to make it to the baby quilt kit making day. Sew, to get rid of my guilt, I decided to make the quilt. It was easy to start.
That’s as far as the squirrel has progressed. I will web this together and figure out if I need 2½” border or 3″ border to make the quilt 40″ x 40″. And, it’s using up some of my stash! And that’s always a good thing!
October’s Island Batik challenge is “Top It Off.” We were told to create a holiday themed table runner or table topper that includes appliqué. Well, you all know how much I love applique (NOT!!). However, with my Janome 500E embroidery machine, applique has become SEW much easier!
I realize that i missed the July update … so those that are working on their PHD in 2019 can join the linky party below and update everyone.
With being away, I did not work on any UFOs in the past month. Continue reading
Design WallAfter being away, I wasn’t sure where to start with my sewing. I made the little bags (just to get them out of the way) that were cluttering up my ironing board. Continue reading
I have done a little sewing. These 2 little zipper bags are done. They are photographed on the back of my October, Island Batik Challenge … which is still in progress. And all I can show you is the back …
Oh me, oh my!!! What an awesome trip I had. I spent a week in England/Wales, a week in Johannesburg, 3 days in Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls), 5 days on Safari in Namibia at Etosha National Park, 4 days in Cape Town, and finally 2 days in Paris. If you ever consider an African Safari – let me know, and I will give you the name of a fabulous company and the most wonderful guide!
Visit my YouTube video HERE to see pictures from my trip that may inspire future quilts. These pictures were all taken with my phone and were chosen from over 3,000 pictures that I took.
This is a sewing machine that was in a store in Cape Town, where the owner makes all of the clothes for sale right in the store. This machine was one of the “newer” ones. The ones they use on a daily basis were in the back and unfortunately, I didn’t get to see them! Somehow, I suspect that the decals are not in the prestine condition of this machine!
Those that sew with me, know that I am almost anal about cleaning the lint from my machine. (OK … I can already HEAR you saying, “Gail, you are anal!”)
I have a personal rule that my sewing machine gets the bobbin case cleaned after every two bobbins.
By the time you read this post, I’ll be getting ready to leave the UK and head to South Africa. My sister is speaking in Johannesburg and asked if I wanted to go with her. It took me about 10 seconds to say, “yes.”
We are stopping in England on the way to visit some cousins of my mothers and I thought I should make some “Canadian” gifts to take with me. I had a few bits and pieces left-over from my Canadian Quilt of Valour and so it lead very nicely to these bags.
The maple leaves were cut at the same time that I cut the big one for the Quilt of Valour. The bottom right white one is the trimming of one of the leaves. The red & white bags are all made with Island Batik fabrics (except for the lining) and the “O Canada” bag is made from my stash. The smallest bag is 5″ x 7½” and the largest is 7½” x 8 ¼”.
Quilting Gail 