Friday Night Sew In January 2018

Ah life is so busy when you are retired!!  I did manage some sewing for Friday Night Sew In which, as usual, was hosted by lovely Wendy who blogs at Sugarlane Designs.

At the end of February I am having some company come to visit.  First my cousin Dawn is coming from Edmonton for three days.  I am sure she will regret not making her trip longer, especially because my sister and brother-in-law arrive from Australia on the afternoon of the day she leaves at 6 a.m.  At the same time my niece Brianna will be visiting her family (mom and dad, brother, his wife and a niece and nephew) in Whitehorse. 

A long time ago – actually 2010 – I started this quilt.  I started this blog because of this quilt.  I also decided a long time ago that this quilt will be for my niece Brianna.  The flimsy has been made for years and I even started quilting it a few years ago.  Well it is time to get it done!  I have a month to finish it – even slowpoke me should be able to accomplish that. 

So over this weekend I did some quilting on the first of the three panels.  This panel is called “Cats in the Sun”  so I worked on the rays of sunshine. 

And then I put flowers in the garden.

The first panel is almost done and I had previously done the bulk of the quilting on the second panel, so I really am more than halfway done with the quilting.  YAY! 

What did you do for FNSI? 

Janet

Friday Night Sew In for October

This month I didn't actually do any sewing on Friday night.  That is because there was a quilt show in Whitehorse and a quilt show around here just cannot be missed as they come up once a year at the most.  I love quilt shows.  I love seeing what other quilters have done, I love getting to chat with the people who made the quilts, as one does in a small town like Whitehorse, and I love the ideas that I come away with. 

This quilt show is nothing like the big shows that so many of you get to go to, and I am sure they are spectacular.  One day I will get to one of those.  This one was put on by a local guild.  It has thirty members.  They are all dedicated quilters and one of them, Joanne, is a fantastic quilter who has won prizes in national shows.  We all got to vote on best small quilt, large quilt, Canada 150 quilt and favourite overall quilt.  All blindly of course - meaning the names of the makers weren't advertised.  Although, some of them had labels and you could touch them. 

Joanne won three of the categories, go figure, but there were many lovely quilts.  The show was in a church basement.  It was crowded and the quilts were hung on ropes strung here and there or laid on tables.  It wasn't easy to get good photos.

But I did take a few.  This was my favourite small quilt.  

It was about 16 x 20.  I loved the use of the colour fabrics for the spots on the dog and the eyes were very expressive.  I didn't find out who made it.

This is the quilt that won for small quilt.  One of Joanne's masterpieces and quite beautiful.

This is the quilt I voted for in the Canada 150 class.  It was made by Cathy, who is Joanne's best friend.

I liked the simplicity of the pattern and of course the Canadian feeling it expressed.

This was the winning quilt, made by my friend Agnes.  She said she cut all the pieces by hand.  What a feat that would have been!  It isn't that easy to see but the red batik is all maple leaves. 

Here is the quilt I voted for in the large quilt category.  It was made by my friend Catherine.  She and I met in French class which we have both been attending for a few years.  I remember when she brought in photos of this quilt when she was making it last year.  

I am, of course, a sucker for all that colour.  She said she didn't like the way she had quilted it, but I liked it.  It really accentuated the heart shape.

And this is the quilt I voted for as overall favourite.  It was made by Susan.  The pattern really appeals to me and the fabrics are appropriate for the pattern, although if I was to make it I would probably try to add more colour.  But her hand quilting was superb!  Unfortunately I didn't get a close-up of the hand quilting.

Here is the quilt that won for best large quilt and overall favourite.  Another of Joanne's and it is really stupendous.  She is in a class of her own, in our town anyway.

She had detail on her label about how she had hand painted the applique fabrics following some instructor's method.  Unfortunately in all the excitement I didn't put the information in the right file drawer in my brain and I can't find it now.  

And here are two more photos of quilts that I particularly liked.  Well there were lots more that I liked but these were the two I took photos of.  I don't know who made either of them.  First up, you know I am a fan of hexie quilts 😃.  This one was in the small quilt category - it was a lap size.

And this one grew on me the more I looked at it.  I liked the colour and hue transitions.

I have been doing a bit of sewing this weekend but I'll save it for another post.  Hope you enjoyed my quilt show tour.  I hope you have time to check out what everyone else did on Friday for Friday Night Sew In.  Thanks to Wendy for being a great host.  😍

Janet 

September Friday Night Sew In Report

I had my usual tired Friday - I think that is going to be my new name for it - like thirsty Thursday, then there is tired Friday.  Not that I hit the bar or the put on Thursday! 😇

But even though it was a tired night I managed to work a bit on a hand work project.  DD # 2 is coming for a visit in November and I realized that there are two projects that I want to finish before she arrives - not that they are gifts for her, but just so I can show them off to her.  She is my biggest critic of the fact that I don't finish things.  Well I do, but she is sceptical about the number of projects I finish compared to the number I start.  Probably correctly.

Anyway I can't show this project because then she'll know as she does read my blog.  But I took a little sneaky picture.  Tee hee...

And then today I managed to finish sewing the four patch purple squares for En Provence.

And remember this photo that I showed you a couple of weeks ago...

A lot of you bravely guessed what it is, and lots of you were close or spot on....  it is a milk crate full of potatoes that were in a cold room in my friend's basement, for who knows how long, trying their darnedest to grow.  Here's what they looked like when I tipped them into the compost pile.

Please be sure to drop by Wendy's blog to see what everyone else got up to for Friday Night Sew In.

Janet 

Friday Night Sew In for June

Since I got back from Saskatchewan I have had no time for sewing... until this weekend.  I did sign up for and sew on Friday.  I had high hopes that I would have lots of ambition, especially as I was home alone, so would have time and attention for sewing.  But alas, I was too tired to tackle anything major.  I did finish another hexie flower.

I think I am up to 21 or 22 of the 27 I need.  I have to get back on a roll with this quilt!

What have I been doing instead of sewing?  Well after 10 days at the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference, I had a three day drive home.  Our route was a bit different than we had planned.  We left on Saturday afternoon and drove to Lloydminster where we planned to overnight, but there was "no room at the inn".  So we went on to Vegreville, Alberta, home of the world's largest Pysanka.

We checked into one hotel but it was so filthy that we promptly checked back out.  A few blocks up the road we found a lovely place to stay.  The next day we continued on to Ft. St. John, B.C.  Our hotel that night was connected to a casino.  This is irrelevant to me as I look at all the flashing lights and wonder what the attraction is, but my travel partner had fun there.  I went for a swim in the pool and a soak in the hot tub.

The next day was another Walt Disney day with many animals frolicking along the road - black bears galore, sheep with babies, grizzly bears with babies, bison with babies, moose, etc..  We stayed that night in Watson Lake, B.C. in an old air force barracks with bathrooms down the hall.  It was very clean and pleasnat though and other than getting a mosquito bite on my nose in the night, it was a great stay.  From there it was a short (5 hour) drive home the next day.  Then promptly back to work for me, and out to Fox Lake at night where my hubby was doing some work on my sister's cabin.  She was also there visiting from New Brunswick.

Last weekend was a family get together at the cabin.

I came home on Tuesday night with a list of things to do, including unpacking, but found my husband's cousin and her friend had stopped by to visit from Powell River, B.C.  So that took priority!

When I finally got home this past Friday after work it was all I could do to lie on the couch and sew one hexie!

Yesterday the bike relay race that takes place between Haines Junction and Haines, Alaska was cancelled due to snow.  But today it is sunny and beautiful and I hear they ran the race today.  Hubby is cutting our hay field and I am going to go and plant a few plants in the garden.

I hope you had a productive FNSI.  You can check out what everyone got up to on Wendy's blog.

I will be back in the near future to tell you more about Saskatchewan.  What a trip that was!

Janet 

Friday Night Sew In Report

You may be wondering why I haven't posted for Friday Night Sew In.  Well.... I mentioned that I was going to a quilt retreat this weekend and I did do a lot of sewing.  But my tablet computer malfunctioned and I couldn't use the keyboard.  I could still use the touch screen, but it is way beyond my capabilities to type anything on the pop up keyboard.  So no responding to emails and no writing blog posts for me this weekend.

But I am back in action now and I have a few things to show.  I have no memory of what I actually did on Friday night though!

One of my two main projects for the weekend was straight line quilting this quilt.  Some of you may remember seeing this quilt before.  I'm not sure how long I have been working on this quilt but I see that I posted about it when I first started blogging, circa July 2010, so it is at least seven years.  I decided this year that it is time to get her done and I am close enough to taste it!

 
The blocks are 2 inches finished with a half inch sashing between them.  I am straight line quilting on each side of the cross ways red sashing.  I have seventeen more rows of quilting to do, then trim and bind and it will be done, done, done!!!

I also worked on En Provence this weekend.  I had hoped to get one block put together, but I am still cutting pieces.  I only have the light and dark purple four patches to finish cutting - 168 blocks needed and I have 55 done.  But I think once the various components of the quilt are all ready the blocks will go together quickly.  I am hoping to be ready to start building blocks at my next retreat which happens the weekend after next!

I only finished one hexie flower all weekend - but it's a wild one!!

And I made a set of second round hexies for my April swap partner.  She asked for bright, happy colours and these fit the bill.

There were lots of wonderful quilts being worked on at the retreat.  I took pictures but most didn't turn out too well because the lighting was poor.  But I'll show you a few of my favourites.

Exquisite hand stitched applique.

Pinning the border on a colourful star filled quilt.

Another star quilt.  I love this funky fabric.

And here was someone as crazy as me.  These pieces are tiny!  I think the blocks are 1.5 or 2 inches square.  She is making a wedding quilt for her son.  The idea is that the guests will sign the white strips.  

That's all I have to show.  I hope you had a great sew-in.  Check out Wendy's blog to see what others got up to, if you haven't already!

Janet 

St. Patrick's Friday Night Sew In Report

I had a great FNSI.  Finished work on time, did the grocery shopping, got home and went to my friend Linda's house to watch Jeopardy, our Friday routine, and started sewing while there.  Then I went home, hubby cooked dinner and I continued sewing.  You would think I would have had time to finish the darn hexie flower quilt... NOT!  But I did get a decent amount done.  And I was in the spirit of St. Patrick's day with all my green!

Green borders added to these two flowers that I had already joined to the main quilt...

And then I started working on the last row...

I'm excited enough about reaching the end of the main part of the quilt that I have started thinking about and planning the borders..... yes this baby is going to have a couple of borders, so there will be more hexie sewing to show.  I hope you aren't getting bored with it yet. :)

We have a new bird feeder.  We have had so many birds visiting that we needed it!  Pine Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, Redpolls and the odd chickadee.  This morning Harry, the Hairy Woodpecker stopped by to feast on the suet.

Although they spill many seeds on the ground and will feast on them there.

Although the squirrel doesn't like them munching on what he considers to be his!!

I hope you had a productive FNSI.  Please stop by Wendy's blog to see what everyone got up to.

Janet 

Update on the hexies

I am making progress on finishing the hexie quilt top.  I sewed up another flower ready...

And added it to its spot on the quilt...

Then I added two more flowers into their respective places... I didn't add their green borders ...

But I have a stack of green hexies ready to go...

And Friday Night Sew In is coming this Friday.  Sign up at Sugarlane Designs (although I see she doesn't have the sign up post up yet... hope she is okay).

So almost four of the eight single flowers done.  Just four more, one row of five flowers and then joining the two pieces together.  Woo-hoo!!

I am officially challenging DD # 2, who has her own hexie flower quilt on the go, and who has been working on putting it together for longer than me, to a hexie quilt finishing match!  Her only excuse is that she lives in St. John's, Newfoundland and her power was off for a long while on the weekend due to the 16 - 185 km/hour winds...

Hopefully we will see you at FNSI!

Janet

Friday Night Sew In

 Last night was Friday Night Sew in, sponsored by the lovely Wendy at Sugarlane Designs.  I had a plan for the evening.  I wanted to get my second row for the Grandmothers Flower Garden finished so I could spend Friday evening sewing it on to my first row.  And I made it!  Here is row number two completed.  I confess that I only got this finished on Friday afternoon.  :)

 

But here it is joined on to the first row and looking great!  Unfortunately the photo flipped itself and I don't know how to get it back to a horizontal view, but you still get the idea.

 

I had two sewing cohorts this week.  Linda is making progress on her Shashiko whale.  Mama is done and the calf is started.

 

 

And our friend Pat decided she would work on a piece of Shashiko too.  Hers is a Kukui branch.   It was really difficult to get a photo that shows how rich the green background is - this one was the best but still doesn't really convey how rich and green it is.  She is using a lime green thread on it.

 

 

I hope everyone else had a successful Friday Night Sew In.  Please go to the link to see what everyone else got up to.

 

Janet

Friday Night Sew In report

Wendy extended Friday Night Sew In through Easter Monday,but I am still managing to post late.  But I am here and I sewed - those are two big accomplishments!

I did a little bit of hexie sewing over the weekend, starting with two sets of twelve 2nd round hexies for Kris, who was my swap partner for March.

Then I put some of my own second round hexies on to a couple of flowers.

I'm on a bit of a green roll.  :)

Please stop by Wendy's blog to see what others got up to for FNSI.

Janet 

Friday Night Sew In

I did manage to do a bit of sewing this weekend, so I do have something to show for my Friday Night Sew In report.  Yay!  I am finding it difficult to get any sewing done these days.  But I keep trying.

For Friday Night Sew In this month I completed my December Canadians Quilt block for Lisa.  Better late than not at all....  Edited to add - the tutorial for this block came from blossom heart quilts blog

I also spent lots of time outside this weekend.  Our temperatures are hovering around 0 C.  So warm! It looks like spring in my little town.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and got some sewing done!  Please go to Wendy's blog to see what others accomplished for FNSI.

Janet 

Friday Night Sew In Report

For Friday Night Sew In this month I put the second round of hexies on one of my hexie flowers.

Not a ton of sewing but every bit helps.  The hexie quilt is coming together slowly, but it is coming together!

Hope you had a productive Friday Night Sew In.  Go here to see what everyone else did!

Janet 

Friday Night Sew In for May

I had to do something for FNSI, otherwise I wouldn’t have done any sewing in the last couple of weeks.  That isn’t totally true – I have done some mending – but nothing that I want to tell the world about  

I received three sets of second round hexies from Joke from the Netherlands, my March swap partner in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap.

These ones claimed their flower immediately and they have been united.

Here are the other two sets, which haven’t been added to flowers yet.

I asked for bright colours and that’s what I got!  They are great!

On Mother’s Day we started out the day with a rare bird sighting – rare for us anyway.  A yellow headed blackbird.

Then we had a lovely canoe outing on the Yukon River along with two of my daughters, their partners and my grandson.

And we are off on a boat outing this afternoon – down the lake and camping overnight.  We are having summer right now and it is much too warm and sunny to be inside for long!

I hope your weather is wonderful too.

Janet