Sailing, sailing, over the waters blue….

DH and I, along with our friends DM and MM, impulsively bought a sailboat a couple of weeks ago.  We haven’t had it in the water yet.  It is a used boat and MM, who is a mechanic, is going over it getting the battery in place, checking out wiring, and making sure the bilge pumps work.  He put the sails up last weekend and they look great.  There’s a small rip in the mainsail (which I have said I’ll put a patch on – what have I done!?). 

 

We hope to get it in the water this weekend…. Have to sail at least once before the snow flies!

Janet

Knitting needle cases – a family tradition

I finished the knitting needle case for my sister and got it in the mail Monday morning.  I’m quite thrilled with how it looks.

 

 

I was asked for some info on my pattern.  WELL….. my mother-in-law was a hugely avid knitter.  Quite a few years ago my DH made her this knitting needle holder….

   

It is made from smoke tanned moose hide, bound with lacing When my mother-in-law passed away my DD #1 inherited her case and needles.  DD#2 inherited her unfinished knitting projects!

Then my DH made me this knitting needle holder

It is made out of some kind of vinyl with satin lining.  Not beautiful but very functional.  You’ll notice it’s the same pattern….

A few years ago I decided DD#2 needed a knitting needle case and I made her this one…

The beige fabric is  a fake suede and a bit heavier than cotton.  I didn’t use any batting.

So you can see that my pattern evolved from the original one designed by my DH!  Here are measurements and other info for the most recent needle holder:

Finished 19 “ wide x 24 “ high.  If I was doing it over I would make it two inches shorter but keep all the other measurements the same.

Flap 5 1/2 “.  Tall Pocket 11 “.  Short Pocket 4 “.  Tie 33 1/2 “.  Needle slots are spaced 1 “ apart.  My DD #1 told me that it would be good to have a couple of slots that were wider for large needles. 

I made the back as a pocket (right sides together, sew three sides, turn right side out) with light batting.  I quilted the flap with a stipple but didn’t like the white thread on the outer fabric.  I quilted the centre portion by quilting along the white lines on the black and white fabric.  The bottom part was quilted in straight lines, on the middle of the needle slots, then the lines to separate the needle slots filled in between.  The bottom was left open, the pockets bound along the tops, then after the pockets were sewn down (with the lines creating the slots) the whole bottom was bound.  You could just bind around all four sides as I did with DD #2’s case.  Hope this makes sense.

Women’s Ceremony by Netta Williams

Women dreaming by Audrey Martin Napanangka

Both for M & S Textiles Australia.

Beige fabric is Crackle by Kathy Schmitz Studio for Moda.  Brown fabric is Elements by Print Concepts.

Postscript…My sister and I have been estranged for some months and I made her this case for her birthday but also to extend an olive branch.  After I mailed it on Monday DD # 2 told me that my sister had just made herself a needle case.  She apparently found a pattern on the internet, so there may be a better one out there.

Janet

Friday Night Sew In

This is what I worked on for Friday Night Sew In.  It's going to be a knitting needle case - a birthday present for my sister.  The patterned fabric is Australian.  I bought it in Prince George B.C. while there visiting in January.  I think my sister will love these fabrics.  I want to get it finished this weekend and in the mail on Monday so I'm off to sew.

Janet

Summer sun and fun equals no sewing

Just a quick note since I never got anything written last weekend.  It was a long weekend here in the Yukon and the weather was glorious!  We spent two days out in the boat and the third on the beach.  My swimming buddy and I decided we’re going to try and bag as many bodies of water as we can this summer.  We’re up to eight lakes now, and we even did some in the nude.  Did you know that last Saturday was international skinny dipping day?  I didn’t either until someone informed me. The warmest lake we were in was 21degrees C; the coldest was 14 degrees C.  It was cold….brr!    

   

I spent several hours one morning on my daughter’s quilt.  I can’t show it yet because she’ll nag me about getting it finished.  I did however finish my last block for the blue work wall hanging I’ve been sewing for a couple of years now.

Now I just have to sew them together….

We saw this fabulous bird down by the river.

     

After discussing it with our friends we’ve decided it’s a blue heron, but we want to check with our local bird guru who’s away on a canoe trip right now.  The only other blue heron I’ve seen was really blue.  This bird was brown.  Blue herons are not common in Yukon but there have been a few sightings. 

Well it’s has been raining for the last three days and promises more for this weekend.  It’s Friday Night Sew In and I’m off to sew!

Janet

Chains of Love

This is going to be my entry for the pets on quilts contest at SewCalGal, if I can figure out how to do it.

Meet Blanche Neige and Chains of Love, my Irish chain baby quilt, the first quilt I ever completed.  Chains of Love was made for my granddaughter, who turned six years old today.   I finished it a couple of months after she was born.

Ella attends French immersion school, she was in Kindergarten last year and is starting Grade 1 in a few weeks.  Blanche Neige is the Kindergarten class hamster.  Ella and her family volunteered to keep Blanche Neige over the summer.  She is very cute and everyone loves to play with her.  She responds to human presence and likes to be around people.  She was very difficult to photograph though because she moves around constantly and quickly.  The cookie kept her still for a minute or so.  She does have two eyes; she just had one closed for this photo.  "Blanche Neige" translated  means "Snow White". 

Sidetracked! – And blocks to make for others

I have my grandkids visiting for four days.  Their parents have gone to San Francisco, joining their friends who got married in July on their honeymoon!  Don’t ask me!   They’re driving down and going to a music festival, then my DD#1 and SIL will come home and their friends will continue on.  DD and SIL are gone for 9 days.  We’re only babysitting for 4, then friends are taking over. 
My granddaughter always manages to sidetrack my sewing efforts.  She sees a piece of fabric that she likes, or a shape of fabric that inspires her and says “Grandma, can we make…..”  So yesterday I made this little doll quilt out of some flannel scraps I had around.  And my DGD made the little pillow!
They’re reversible…
DGD used the iron to press all the flannel pieces flat.  She loves ironing!  And she squared up the pillow pieces with the rotary cutter – with my help.  She pressed the pedal while we sewed the pillow pieces together, then she stuffed it all by herself.  Yeah!  That’s probably my least favourite part.  I hand sewed the opening closed, although she did put in a couple of very wonky stitches.  Please notice the beautiful satin or sateen binding on the quilt.  It was one of the fabrics she picked out that she just had to have.  It sewed up beautifully.
  I think the doll is sleeping soundly under it.
On Saturday we went boating, had supper on the beach and DH picked up rocks.  He likes to look for pieces of chert that were worked by long ago people.  He has found some really nice pieces.  While he was doing that the kids and I climbed the hill.
Queen of the castle
I have made a few blocks lately for projects for people who are sick and in need of comforting.  Thought I’d share the links in case anyone else wants to help. 
This one is for Errick who has cancer.  I mailed a couple of blocks last week but forgot to take pictures.
This one is for 4 year old Rosemarie who also has cancer.  I don’t have these blocks made yet. 
Janet

Rooster Party

Barb at Bella Vista is having a rooster party.  Barb's blog has nothing to do with quilting but she does have beautiful things and I have strolled through her blog from time to time.  And I am posting for her rooster party.

I only have one rooster but he is a beauty and I've been wanting to post a picture of him.  So this seemed like the opportune time - a rooster party!

Wally is not ceramic or cross stitched or painted on a plate or any of those other beautiful mediums.  He is a real live Chantecler chicken.  He definitely rules the roost!

Isn't he a beautiful boy! 

Janet

I need your advice....

I want to order the sashing fabric for my postage stamp quilt as I am planning on working on it when I go on a quilt retreat in mid-September.  When I first started this quilt I planned to do the sashing with a red pinstripe on white.  As the blocks have come to life though I've decided that there is a lot of colour going on and thought maybe the sashing should be a solid colour.  I've auditioned some squares on red, black, white and grey, choosing these as they are the most neutral colours.  These fabrics are all pieces that I have on hand.  The only one I have enough of is the white - I'd have to order the others.  What do you think?

The red is Robert Kaufman "Marbleous".

This is the back of a grey on black fabric.  I don't have any true blacks on hand.

This is Kona "Snow".  Dahn, notice the centre block! 

This is the only grey I had on hand.  I don't think I would use something with this much pattern.  I should just buy some of that Kona "Ash" I keep coveting.

As you can see the postage stamp blocks are in every colour of the rainbow.  They are dark with light or light with dark and I intend to place them randomly with no thought to colour or lights and darks.  Most of the fabrics are used once on the inner block and once on the outer triangles.  Some are only used in one of those two places.  There are a few that I've used four or five times, but I don't think anyone will ever notice.

Please let me know what you think.  I won't bias you by telling you my preferences right now. 

 Thanks

Janet

Summer is finally here!

It was a very busy week at work and it was HOT this week.  We finally have summer!  My friend Donna and I went swimming a couple of nights after work.  This is my favourite swimming hole - the upper dam.

 

And Donna's - Kookatsoon Lake 

Friday I quit work at 1 p.m. and went for a long walk on the beach with my friend Jeanette.  The dogs chased each other around and around trying to get the stick.

My # 1 daughter was having "a weekend off" so my SIL came out with the grandchildren on Friday night.  Then DH got an invitation to go sheep hunting - the season opened at 4:37 a.m. on Sunday morning - and he happily went off to the mountains.  It poured rain on Saturday - funny how it's nice all week while we're working then raining on the weekend.  My  # 3 daughter's boyfriend just bought a cabin so SIL, the grandkids and I drove over to see it.  It's about 40 minutes from here.  Very nice little place.

We saw this immature bald eagle on the drive over.

Today was sunny again and we went to the beach.  My basil is growing like crazy so I picked the tops off most of the plants and made a batch of pesto to freeze - and I'm eating some for dinner.

So did I do any sewing this week?  Not a lot.  I did make these blocks for Patches 4 Lissa.

And here are a couple of fabric postcards I made last week.  One is definitely to the recipient and the other should be there by now so I can show them. 

Hope you’re having a great week!

Janet