Decisions, decisions, and doing what I love

Our summer is winding down here in southern Alberta. With any luck, we will still enjoy some warm weather -- to make up for our very cool spring and early summer -- but fall is definitely in the air.

Some of you might know that I love making mini quilts. I am a big fan of the little quilts of Ann Hermes, and decided recently to make a little quilt based on one of Ann's called Pastel Triangles. My inspiration can be found here:
                                   http://www.annhermesquilts.com/QuiltStore.html

I could never do what Ann does. I have trouble cutting into new fabric. I can't imagine cutting into precious antique fabric!

Here is my version of Ann's little quilt. Pink and green is one of my favourite combinations.











I have decided that this post will be my last. While you have all been welcoming and friendly, and generous with your comments, I am not an original member of your group. I enjoy writing about what I do, but I enjoy the 'doing' even more. So, I will continue to do what I love -- sewing, quilting, counted cross stitch, and even a little knitting.

Of course, I will also continue to follow all of your blogs. I will once again be lurking in the background, much as I did during the APQ days. While I was much too 'shy' in those days to ever leave a comment ("Love" and I did exchange a few messages) I hope that this time around I will feel more comfortable.

Thank you "Love" for your friendship. Your encouragement meant a lot to me.

Now, I really do need to get back to my sewing room. There are a lot of projects waiting for me!

Sandy

I Love Coleus

I love Coleus! One of the best things about spring is that first visit to the garden centre, and the opportunity to see all of the gorgeous new Coleus plants. Imagine how thrilled I was to read "Love's" most recent post about her efforts to save her beautiful Sun Coleus:  http://ijustlovequilts.blogspot.com/2011/08/another-week-of-over-100-degree-weather.html

My front yard faces north, and over the years I have planted lots of different annuals. Begonias, Impatiens, and Coleus are the ones I can usually count on to do well. Here is a picture from last year. Coleus and non-stop Begonias. The Coleus very nearly took over the pot.

Here is this year's version. The Coleus are missing! Eight different Coleus plants (two at a time) were planted in the pot. None lived more than a few days thanks to our extremely cool spring. (Cold overnight lows, cool daytime highs, and a nasty north wind.) The Begonias were doing fairly well until last week, when three severe hailstorms nearly decimated the plants. 

          Last year's Impatiens did well with very little sun. This year's pot is struggling.

I have not planted a garden in years, but on one of my visits to the garden centre in mid June I decided to buy a couple of tomato plants. They are thriving! If the first frost holds off until the end of September, we might get to enjoy some of these little beauties. They are still pretty small. The Blanket Flowers (they once blanketed the prairies) usually take over this bit of garden.

I don't have much of a green thumb, but that doesn't stop me from trying. Now, it's back to my sewing room!

Sandy

Meet Bindbara

Meet Bindbara, my fairy quilt godmother. She loves hot pink lipstick and purple eyeshadow, and is a product of the Not-So-Mystery Block #61 at Paper Panache, found here: http://www.paperpanache.com/index.htm

Bindbara and I are not alike, although I once had a pair of reading/sewing glasses with purplish frames. She was a lot of fun to make, and now hangs in my sewing room. (Yes, she was paper pieced, and yes, she came with her name.)

We have finally had a bit of summer-ish weather. Nothing over 29 degrees Celsius (about 84 degrees Fahrenheit), and that was only for a day, but outdoor activities have kept me out of my sewing room (for the most part). Needless to say, progress on the retirement quilt for my brother has been slow.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Sandy

Chenille Quilts

Have any of you ever made a 'Chenille Quilt', like the ones made popular by Fons & Porter (and others)? My first chenille throw was made shortly after the January/February 2005 issue of 'Love of Quilting' came out. I made it in a weekend, and had so much fun that over the next year or so I made a few more.






This was my first effort. It has four layers of flannelette, so it is somewhat heavy.

I made three more for Christmas gifts that year. My mom's is often draped over a chair. My brother uses his as a bedspread (sadly no picture), and the third belonged to a brother who passed away in November 2009. I brought that one home.














I have made a few more, as well. This one was made from Christmas fabric a few years ago.


I even made chenille baby quilts for my first two grandchildren.





Now, I know these are not real quilts, at least not the kind that have beautiful pieced blocks and lots of lovely quilting. They were fun to make, though!

Sandy

A new project

It has taken a while, much longer than I had thought, but I have finally started work on my new project. I was not totally convinced that I had made the right colour choices, so I made a couple of blocks the other day. I think I like it.

It is a very simple pattern from the current issue of 'Simple Quilts & Sewing' magazine. This is to be a gift for my brother, who has decided to take early retirement. I learned last Christmas that his current bedspread is a throw I made almost six years ago. I think he deserves a real quilt!

There has been a lot of non-sewing activity here lately. There have been soccer games to attend (our two older grandchildren both play), as well as a dance recital. Grandma has also been doing lots of babysitting. Grandpa signed up the two older kids for golf lessons (the under six program), so when he is not busy golfing he can check on their progress. There is lots of gardening to do, as well. I have lost a few plants to our chilly overnight lows. At least the garden centre is close!

I love reading about all of your beautiful new projects. They really inspire me!

Sandy

Our anniversary road trip

My husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary on May 22 and decided that a road trip was in order. Last weekend, we drove north to drop the dogs off with my mom, and then headed for the mountains. Our first stop was Jasper National Park. Parks Canada is celebrating this year, as well. It is their 100th birthday.

                                              The view from our balcony.

                           This picture was taken just before sunset at Pyramid Lake.

The next morning (our anniversary) we rode the Jasper Sky Tram. There was still a lot of snow at the summit.

                     Next came a trip to Sunwapta Falls. What an amazing place.

A side trip to Penticton in British Columbia included lunch at a beautiful winery, and then we moved on to Lake Louise. We saw lots of deer and elk, and even a bear, but chipmunks are the only wild animals I am comfortable photographing.

We were back  home on Friday afternoon. My husband had done all the driving, so I think he was a little tired, but we both had a great time. Here is my new Jim Shore Scottish Santa. What a souvenir.

I have fabric for my next sewing project, although I should do a little gardening first.

Sandy

Spring Showers

Yes, spring is finally here. The snow is gone (except for a few stubborn patches here and there) and the grass is starting to turn green. Brave perennials are poking their first green leaves through the soil. Robins can be heard singing from early morning to well into the evening. All is well!

There was even a lovely spring shower yesterday --- a baby shower. I love baby showers. There is always lots of wonderful food, good company and, best of all, a beautiful new baby to hold and admire. I finished my gift, a quilt, on Saturday evening (thank goodness). By now, everyone assumes that my gift bag holds a quilt, and I would hate to disappoint.


                                                        


I used the Dutchmen's Puzzle Baby Quilt pattern from the apq website, and dug into my little stash of Petite Maison fabric. I like pink and green together, and I hope Baby Chloe will, too.


I would love to start gardening today, but the ground is still frozen in places. I lost a few plants over our exceptionally long winter, but that gives me a good excuse to make a trip to the garden centre.

Maybe I could start planning my next sewing project, as well!

Sandy

Counting my blessings

There has not been much sewing (or crafting) going on around here lately. While I would like to blame my lack of creativity on the weather (yes, this is what I looked at this morning), or on my aching joints, I know that our weather woes will pass and my arthritic joints will start to feel better. I have decided that I really need to look on the bright side. I need to count my blessings. There is a sweet song about just that, made popular years ago by Bing Crosby. Diana Krall has recorded a lovely version, too. My blessings are numerous (too numerous to mention here) but I can say that they begin and end with my wonderful family.






I have managed a little sewing recently. I made an Easter card for my mom from this paper-pieced daffodil.





Of course, Easter would not be complete without some Easter goody bags for my grandchildren. I decided to use some iron-on transfers this year.

The transfers worked well on my granddaughter's bag and on the one for my little grandson, but not so much on the bag for my four-year-old grandson. What to do? I decided to try paper-piecing a soccer ball instead. My husband told me last night that the kids don't really pay attention to the outside of the bag. They are more interested in what is inside. He is probably right!

I still need to start work on a baby quilt for a little girl who is due this Friday, April 22. No pressure there!

                                          HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Sandy

I just heard that Chloe Alexandra was born early this morning. Now I really need to get busy!

ENOUGH!!

Mother Nature has been playing a very spirited game of 'Spring Tease' with us. She will give us a few spring-like days of warmish weather and then WHAM, we get this...

It will take more than a few days for all of this to melt. Now this is all very pretty, a real Winter Wonderland, but enough already.










It will be weeks before even the bravest of spring bulbs will make an appearance around here, so it was back to the grocery store for another spring fix. I love purple tulips!



                                                                                  






Sandy

Spring has sprung, just not anywhere near here

It has been snowing off and on for two days now. The snowfall warning has been lifted, which means that significant amounts of snow are no longer expected. I think that any amount of snow that falls after the first day of spring is significant!

           I was so impressed by Liri's photos of her daffodils that I had to buy these,

                         and in honour of spring I brought out a few spring things.

                             My two year old grandson thinks these are kitties! 

                 I have finally framed and hung a few of my counted cross stitch pieces.
                                         I'm not sure what took me so long.

                    Warmer weather is predicted for this weekend. I can't wait!

Sandy

Back to the beginning

Sixteen years ago this spring I made my first quilt. It was for my then eighteen years old daughter's twin bed. She needed a new comforter/quilt and could not find anything in the stores that she liked. I had always wanted to learn how to quilt. This seemed like a good time to start.

I found a simple pinwheel pattern and we then went shopping for fabric. The sewing was relatively easy as I had been sewing since I was nine, but the quilting was a bit of a challenge. (I didn't acquire a walking foot until several projects later, along with my first rotary cutter and self-healing mat.) The quilting itself was very simple -- diagonal lines through the blocks. The binding also proved to be a bit tricky without a walking foot. I learned to do a square-cornered binding for that quilt (mitred corners came much later for me). I borrowed the quilt last year to take a few pictures. It is old and faded now and, according to my daughter, only occasionally pulled out of the closet when an extra blanket is needed.

No honours for this quilt, no ribbons or prizes, but it is special to me nonetheless.

My next project is yet another baby quilt, this time for my son-in-law's sister who's baby girl is due in late April. I guess I should get busy!

Sandy

Getting back to normal

My life is slowly getting back to normal. I am no longer 'watching' my dog, Tessa, as she recuperates from surgery. Her sutures were removed on Monday, and she is well on her way to making a full recovery. Even better, we received great news from our veterinarian. The tissue samples from Tessa's second surgery were cancer free. We are cautiously optimistic that we will have her in our lives for a few more years. I don't know what we would do without our two furry girls.

                                                              Katie and Tessa
My computer time was very limited while Tessa was recuperating. Now I can once again read all of your entertaining blogs, and even comment from time to time. (We even have a new, very comfy, computer chair.)

I have been able to do some quilting, and have managed to finish the little boy quilt I started last month.

What looks like a covered journal in the third photo is actually a covered  photo album. The pattern is from the 'apq' website.

I'm not sure when I'll get to meet this new little one, as he lives clear across the country. He and his mama were to have made the trip sometime this month, but it seems that plans have changed. I just might have to pack this up and put it in the mail.

We finally have some spring-like weather, which means lots of muddy paws as the back yard thaws!

Sandy

Real life, and a bit of quilting

Real life has a way of demanding our attention from time to time. It has certainly had my attention lately.

A dear aunt passed away on Valentine's Day. While she never married or had children of her own, she had a great many nieces and nephews. I decided that as the oldest of those nieces and nephews I should speak at her memorial service. I struggled last week with the writing of that eulogy. The quick trip home last weekend helped me realize that the words themselves were not as important as the love we all had for an amazing lady.

In early February our dog Tessa had surgery to remove a growth from her leg. She had to wear a restraint collar while her incision healed -- unless one of us was able to watch her closely. I spent a lot of time 'watching' her during her recovery. A biopsy revealed the growth to be a malignant tumor, and she had a second surgery yesterday, which we hope will improve her chances. I see more watching in my immediate future.





I have also done a bit of quilting. There is a fairly new little guy in my daughter-in-law's family. I have not yet met him, but I want to be ready when the time comes.

My local craft store, Michaels, used to sell all sorts of fat quarter bundles, like these, which I then used to make projects like these.

I had never thought to use them in a larger quilt or throw until I made this. It is larger than a baby quilt -- more like a child's quilt. I started with a disappearing nine patch block and then did a little trimming.

I know that many of you are enjoying spring-like weather. More snow and very cold temperatures have put our dreams of spring on hold. That's life, I guess!

Sandy