Goodies received in the mail

I have received a few of my monthly swap blocks in the mail this last week – April and May blocks arriving around the same time - so thought I would show them all in one post. 

First up is my April Christmas block from Ann (no blog) in Nova Scotia.  I love this simple but beautiful block. Such a gorgeous star.

Next my April Adventure Block from Sandi in Kentucky.  Love the bright colours of this block.

Sandi tried to make me a pinwheel block as per my request.  She sent me the attempted block and it had issues with lying flat.  So I did a little adjusting and now it is no longer a pinwheel block, but still lovely.  More of those bright beautiful colours.

Then I received my May Adventure block from Sylvia (no blog) in Australia.  It is gorgeous.  I love the purple fabrics she used!

I also received my May hexie from the Inchy Hexie swap from Anorina, also in Australia.  I love how the hexie colours correspond with the colours in the beautiful card she sent.  Such pretty fabrics she chose.

That’s all for now, except for a picture of the progression of spring.  We call these little flowers “honeysuckle” because you can suck the sweet nectar out of them.  They are flowers on a plant commonly called bear berry – I think cause only the bears will eat them – but also known as Kinnikinnick.  The berries are dry and flavourless.  In my flower book it says “Their taste and texture is often compared to a mouthful of lint.” 

Have a happy day!

Janet

Friday Night Sew In Report

I didn’t get a lot of sewing done last night…actually I sewed yesterday afternoon as we were heading out to a camping spot for dinner and overnight.  The kids and friends were coming out to camp and asked us to secure the spot for them.  We stayed there Thursday and Friday night and we’re heading back out again tonight.  We just had to come home to make a cake for my son-in-law’s birthday.  Oh and DD # 1 had to write a paper for school.  And I had to write my post. 

Here’s the gang at the camp spot.  We’re missing two dogs in the photo.

I did get three green blocks for my colours quilt done…

And here’s the progress to date….

I hope everyone is having as nice a weekend as I am.

Janet

The weekend has not been devoid of sewing!

I have been sick with a stomach flu since Thursday.  I hate it when I get sick on the weekend!  But there has been some progress made in the sewing department – and the snows of last week…

….are gone!   Bird watching this morning.  We bagged an American Golden Plover and Snow Geese.  My friend, wife of the local bird nut, asked me if I had the Plover on my life list.  I had to whisper to her that I don’t have a life list.  We had a great laugh.

Yesterday I helped my daughter sew a blind for her bedroom window.  It isn’t finished and I think she is going to come out this week to work on it.  I bought the fabric for this blind in 1997!  Pictures to come when it’s done.

Today I finished up my 12” X 12” quilt for the swap organized by Victoria as part of the 15 minutes play blog.  I received my 12`` X 12 `` already.  Michele made me this cheerful little quilt.  Colourful and bright; just what I like.  Thanks so much Michele!

I’m afraid I probably didn’t pass the “make fabric” portion of the task, although the quilt is made totally of scraps (except for the backing).  Even the batting is scraps.  I had this huge pile of little triangles received from the scrap basket at my LQS.  It is left out for people to contribute their garbage towards my postage stamp quilt.  I get so many tiny scraps and I get to use them for lots of things.  I am happy with how this turned out.  It is for a mystery recipient.

And some detail….

Yup.  I`ve become a bit obsessed with hand quilting. 

I also finished my May Adventure Block for Sylvia in Australia.  Here is a sneak peek.  Sylvia asked for a block suitable for a baby in pastels.

Good night!

Janet

Blogger’s Quilt Festival

I don’t have any brand new finish to show, in fact no finishes from this year yet…. But this quilt was finished on December 24th. 

I started making this I Spy quilt for my granddaughter about five years ago, just after I took up quilting again.  I had a lot to learn (not that I’ve learned it all yet) and this quilt definitely was part of my learning curve.  I made templates for the hexagons and triangles out of a stiff plastic.  These worked okay, but as pieces were cut, tiny slivers were lost and the shapes morphed.  By the time I was sewing everything together these were not pieces that fit perfectly.

Collecting the pictures for the quilt was fun.  This was before I knew about on-line quilt stores.  I begged from everyone I knew, and got a lot of pieces from the scrap box at the Alaskan quilt store I go to from time to time.  There is a definite theme of animals and the out-of-doors to the charms; not really a “girly” theme, but then my granddaughter has her “outdoorsy” side. 

I chose blue for the setting triangles, because that was what I could find, that or red and I thought red was too much for my girl. 

Once the rows were made I and I went to join them, I discovered that they didn’t match up, thanks to the poor cutting.  The quilt got shelved for several years.  I looked at it once in a while but couldn’t think of how to fix it. 

Then my quilting skills improved, and along with that my ability to think outside of the box, and the pattern, grew.  I decided that a small sashing between the rows would fix the problem, and it did quite well I believe. 

My granddaughter received this quilt for Christmas in 2010, only five years late!

She picked the backing herself.

I am still learning to machine quilt…..

I had great fun “writing” the label into the border.

Thanks for coming by and checking out my quilt.  Please be sure to visit

Amy's Creative Side to see other beautiful quilts in the show.

Janet

My contribution to the debate and mail sent

I know I said I wasn’t going to get involved with the modern/traditional debate, but this is something I’ve been meaning to blog about for a long time….a good laugh at me….

Since I entered the world of quilt blogging about nine months ago one of the trends I’ve heard a lot about is “vintage sheets”.  I was curious.  Where I live second hand stores and garage sales just don’t exist the same way they seem to elsewhere.  We have a Salvation Army store in Whitehorse, but my insider knowledge is that they send all the really good stuff down south (although rumour has it that someone bought a functioning Bernina for $50 there the other day).  In my town there may be one garage sale a year, and I just don’t go to the city on weekend, after commuting all week for work. 

So I don’t get to see a lot of the second hand world and I didn’t really know what the vintage sheet craze was all about.  One day I saw a good deal on a blog for fat quarters of vintage sheets and I ordered some, just to find out what exactly everyone was talking about. 

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw them.  See that darker blue one on the top.  I owned that sheet.  Well probably not that exact sheet because I’m pretty sure the one I owned wore out and got ripped up to be used as rags.  But the same sheet.  I think I had two fitted twin sheets.  And maybe top sheets too.  I can’t remember – it was so long ago.

So I guess that means I’m vintage…..  Or is it antique? Or retro?  I’ve thought a lot about these words and I’ve decided that retro is most recent – say the 70s and 80s, vintage stretches back to the 50s and 60s and antique is before that.  I have lots of vintage in my house.  I’m sure some of you have noticed my vintage kitchen table where I photograph lots of quilty things.  I have a lovely vintage sink in my bathroom

Or maybe it’s antique…

Anyway I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead.  I had to wash the sink so that it was in an acceptable state to take a picture for the blog.  I don’t want to start cleaning my whole house. 

I just think it is funny:  I’m a traditional and eclectic quilter living in a modern world, surrounded by vintage and antique items.  I wonder if I have anything retro.  Ah labels…..

If anyone wants to correct my definitions please go ahead.  I would love to be educated.

On a happy note I got two items sent off in the mail today.  The pin cushion top for Jacqueline is on it’s way to Sue in Australia for it’s finishing touches….

Good thing too, because I received Marina’s top in the mail today.  The third and final one I will be working on.

And my hexie flowers for May are off to the UK….

My partner wanted blue/green in both the centers and the petals.  I hope I’ve hit the right combination.

Cheers! 

Janet

Election Day in Canada

I just came back from voting, and picking up the mail.  I received my hot mat from the hot mat swap organized by Cheryl.  It’s gorgeous and I’ll show it to you in a minute.  First I want to tell you about our adventure yesterday.

It is turning to spring here and the snow is melting fast.  The little river that runs through our town opens up first and there is a channel downstream in the lake for a ways.  There are lots of birds hanging around the water: trumpeter swans, a million ducks, Canada geese and even several varieties of sea gulls.  It is so nice to get out on the water again, and some years we have seen caribou and muskrats when we have canoed out into the channel.  We went canoeing yesterday and it was beautiful.

We took along DD # 2’s male friend who is visiting her from Newfoundland.  DD wasn’t feeling well and stayed home.  Her friend is here for 10 days and he’s been introduced to lots of Yukon sights.  Well yesterday he had a real Yukon initiation when we managed to dump the canoe he was in!  Wet from head to toe, and you have to know that water is COLD!  I hope we haven’t scared him off completely!

Here’s the beautiful hot mat I received from Cheryl in Australia.  She didn’t give me a blog address so I can’t tell you if or where she blogs. 

Thanks Cheryl!  This is beautiful and lovely and bright, just as I like things. 

I’ll be working on some hand stitching tonight while I watch the election results on tv.

Janet