One Monthly Goal - June

I was up in the air on what would be my quilty goal for June.

I almost chose a big applique goal.....but.....it's Spring and the nice days are calling me to spend time outdoors. 

So, I've decided to try to get up-to-date on my Down the Rabbit Hole BOM. 

Here is a reminder of where I'm at so far...

This past month we were supposed to get the next round done, which consists of forty houses. 

I've gotten as far as to pick out my fabrics for the houses....

There is a Facebook support group for this quilt where people around the world are sharing their progress. One quilter used blocks from her unfinished 365 Challenge from last year to be some of the houses for her quilt....so cool!....I commented to her that I'd be doing the same thing and thanked her for the inspiration!

LOL...I almost got rid of these wee blocks lately, but now they will find a "home"...

There are also four cornerstones to make....which is the section for the month of June.

So, that is my goal....to be caught up on this BOM!

Linking up with Lorna from Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social,

Elm Street Quilts for OMG- One Monthly Goal, Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers.

Have a great day!

A May finish!

Whew...just in time!

My goal for May was to complete my Meadow Mist mystery quilt and I've just put the final binding stitches in...

I was getting to final few feet when I realised I hadn't thought to attach one of my new Ikaprint labels. This is the first quilt to have one...

.....and it's now a real quilt....

Thanks to Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs for a great pattern. I encourage everyone to keep an eye on her blog....Cheryl is introducing her next mystery, Magnolia Mystery, in the next few weeks. I'm telling myself "no new starts", but this was such an enjoyable mystery I'll probably join in!

I took this opportunity to try to quilt in a way inspired by Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts. She does it on her domestic sewing machine, I believe, but I tried it on the longarm....

I may need a little practice, but I'll definitely do this again!!

I am linking up with Elm Street Quilts for OMG- One Monthly Goal. 

Now the problem...what shall be my goal for June??? I have two projects in mind. One involves a lot of applique....or choose something a bit easier. I'm not sure, I'll have to think about it today.

A little bit of stitching...

I've been putting quilting stitches into my Year In My Life/Quilty365 this week. 

I was getting such peace from the sight of the hand-stitching that I had to take a moment just to reflect and enjoy....and I had to take

a picture!

I really do get such a peaceful feeling when I am quilting. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again.....hand-quilting is good for my soul...I like my applique time, but hand-quilting takes it to another level. It really is my daily meditation time.

As opposed to this.....

I'm also binding a quilt. I know that people enjoy it, but to me it's just something that has to be done to have a completed quilt :)


There wasn't much time for stitching this morning as we had to leave quite early for Woodstock, Ontario for the Dairy Run!

I'm sure I read that this would be a fast-paced race....meaning nice and flat. But, no, there were many, many darned hills!

It was a tougher race than usual for me but still lots of fun!

It was a tough race, but a special one, as it was the first time crossing the finish line with a friend!


Saturday evening I looked up and saw the pups posing for a perfect picture....and luckily I had my phone with me!...

(It would have been a much better picture if I'd gotten the rest of the mulch on to cover the landscape fabric!)

I think they were having a wee rest before the beginning of a week of "getting it on"....yes, by the beginning of August we should be having a litter of puppies. 

I am going to relax for a bit and see who else is linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.

Stitching on a Sunday

This morning I sat and stitched away at my centre medallion for the Down the Rabbit Hole BOM.

I think we are supposed to applique 54 leaves at this point. I should count, because it felt like more! I just kept sewing them on 'til it looked full.

....and I think I'm done!....

I like it!

Now, onto the next bit. A border will be sewn on then construction of a border of houses. I hope to get a bit of a start on the houses through the next week.

Please have a visit with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching to see what others are working on today, and with Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh, Scrap!.

Have a wonderful Spring day....hopefully you'll get to spend some time outdoors in your garden like I plan to do!

Dutch treat.....and a running weekend!

I'd forgotten my plan to try to applique one block per week on my Dutch Treat quilt.

Yesterday I got one prepped so I could work on it with my morning coffee...

I really like this one....mainly because it lacks any inside corners, which, for me, are the most difficult part of these blocks!

The underneath fabrics are all Shweshwe fabrics that I purchased from Celeste at Meerkat Shweshwe a couple of months ago. I look forward to buying more at her booth next month at Quilt Canada!

One of the fun parts of these blocks is seeing the design appear as I poke away at the reverse applique! I have no idea how one goes about quilting this quilt, but luckily I won't have to worry about that for a couple of years :)

Here are the blocks I have completed so far...

Running update:

So, I've realised that I do enjoy taking part in races. 

Back in January I signed up for the Chocolate Race in St. Catharines. Then a short while back my running group from Northshore Athletics thought it would be fun as a group to join in on the Mudcat Marathon in Dunnville. 

Of course, this was all taking place this last weekend! 

So this was my schedule....Thursday night run with the club, Friday evening run the Fishy 5K in Dunnville, Saturday morning run the Riverfront 5K in Dunnville and then the Chocolate Run on Sunday morning in St. Catharines.

I think I would have been ok if not for the run on Thursday...four days in a row was just a wee bit too much, lol.

Here are a couple of highlights...

Crossing the finish line Friday night when I ran my personal best!..

After the Riverfront 5k on Saturday morning with my friends, Karen and Sheila (who are also quilty friends!). In this race I got second in my age group....which is kinda hilarious to me as I am a very, very slow runner!...

Then, The Chocolate Run on Sunday where I ran with my running buddy, Paula, and her daughter, Eleta...

The race was partly run through a wooded area...I was able to take a couple of pictures because by this time I had to walk at least a third of the distance...

The Chocolate Run was highlighted by chocolate-covered strawberries handed out at the 1K mark, and some great "swag" after finishing...

....and chocolate martinis, of course....

These races certainly added to my award collection....

Paula made me a wonderful way to display my medals....

Oops...I forgot to take a picture after I replaced the backscratcher with an actual dowel!!

So, after all that running on the weekend, the last two days my body has been sooooo fatigued. Would I do it again next year?, probably, because I had so much fun! I would cut out the Thursday night run, though!!


My new tulips are finally starting to blossom....after all the old ones are on the way out....

Don't they look lovely with my pretty, yellow Spring flowers??

Have a wonderful day!

Linking up with:

Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social
Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers
Mama Spark's Worls for WIP's

Lots of Leaves!

What with being busy at the longarm, working in the yard and whatnot, I've found I don't have much time for piecing lately.

It looks like it will be a beautiful day out there today, so I hope to have a productive day working so I can go out later and start forming my new Zinnia garden.

I still do manage to get a bit of handwork done everyday, of course.

At the moment, I'm working on appliqueing the fifty or so leaves to my Down the Rabbit Hole BOM...

Have a wonderful day!

Linking up with:

Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers
Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social
Confessions of a Fabric Addict for I May Have a Scrap Problem
Mama Spark's World for WIP's with Friends

Slow Stitching....or, "When will this block be done!?"

Today I will need to find time to do some applique-prep. On days like this, with a lack of applique ready to go, I turn to my Life is Beautiful.

This block has been in the hoop since before Christmas....just dragging along, so much so that I really don't like it!

 Even my stitching is not working out so good. I think I've  just got to get it done and carry on with one I can enjoy.

The funny thing this morning is reading that Kathy at Kathy's Quilts is working on the same block and finding it taking a long time to finish, also.

I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching to see what others are poking at today.


I also wanted to share a couple of pictures of little Mina showing off her Shopkins/Batman skirt....she loved it!

....and being photo-bombed by big brother...

.....and trying out the Batman on the reverse....

I'm so glad she liked it!!

30 Minutes a Day???

Sometimes I get requests to make quilts.

I always...mostly always....have to say "no". I don't make quilts on commission. It's become easier over time to decline, especially since I realise that I don't have time to piece my own quilts! 

The funny thing is is that I seem to get my appliqued quilts done in a quicker time-frame. I often get asked how long it takes to make my applique quilts and I always answer that it takes two cups of coffee per day, that's how long it takes.

Most anyone who knows me knows that I'm an early riser. They also know that I start the day with two cups of coffee and some hand-sewing. It's my peaceful time, my meditation, if you will.

I'm rarely in a hurry to finish my applique quilts....it's all about enjoying the "journey"....enjoying the process....which I really do!

I've come across an interesting blogpost this week. It is by Annie at Annie's Ruby Slipperz. She has issued a challenge to sew for 30 minutes per day for the month of May.

You can read about it HERE. She is calling the challenge Sew30,SewFun.

I think I'll give it a try.

I'm quite behind on my 150 Canadian Women quilt and have been trying to think of a good way to get me back up to speed....this may help me a little...I hope!

So, my intention is to try to use my thirty minutes per day to play catch-up on this quilt.

I've got thirty blocks done....and I think the sew-along is up to seventy-five, or so...so I've got some stitching to do! I really don't want this one to fall by the wayside.


I'm almost finished making this skirt for my granddaughter. One side is made of Shopkins fabric (I think I got the idea for this from Confessions of a Fabric Addict!)...

The reverse is Batman fabric, Mina's other fascination...

I knew that it would be unlikely that both the Shopkins and Batman skirts would miraculously come out even at the bottom, so I made the Batman one slightly longer so it shows as a bit of extra ruffle on the Shopkins side. (thanks go to my friend Debbie for a couple of great tips!)

I just have a few threads to take care of and one more seam that needs topstitching and it will be done. We're seeing little Mina on Saturday, so I'll have to remember to take pictures of her in her new skirt!

It's quite soggy weather here lately, so I think I'll be spending a bit more time than usual in the studio! 

Linking up with:

Can I get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished or Not Fridays at Busy Hands Quilts
Finish it up Fridays at Crazy Mom Quilts

One Monthly Goal....May

My first thought for May's goal was to get to a certain point in my Down the Rabbit Hole.

The other day, I was in a quandary about some of the "flowers" in the medallion so far....

I decided it was worth the bit of time needed to make me happier with this.....

I like it! Also, I removed a flower(circle) that is in the first picture at the 11:00 position because it suddenly seemed the perfect choice for the very centre of the piece!

I just need to sew down the last couple of circles and figure out how I want to complete that black bias strip and I'll be able to carry on to the over-50 leaves that get appliqued next.

That was going to be my "One Monthly Goal" but there is another that will take that spot for May. 

My goal will be to complete my Meadow Mystery quilt.

This quilt will be a "picnic quilt"....something to take outside when babies are visiting so they can roll around on the quilt on the grass...so this may be needed soon, as the weather hopefully warms up!

Another reason to get this one done is that I'd like to try quilting it in a way that Lorna from Sew Fresh Quilts seems to favour for her quilts. Lorna will be the guest speaker at one of my guilds in June, the Norfolk County Quilters' Guild in Vittoria, so I think it would be cool to have this quilt done for Show and Tell when she is there.

As a side note, the pattern for this mystery quilt was very well done. This was offered by Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs. I mention this because Cheryl is starting her next mystery soon, called Magnolia Mystery. If anyone loves a mystery quilt, or has wanted to try one, I do recommend Cheryl's mystery patterns!

Hmm, maybe this month I will have a quilting goal and an applique goal!


Lately we've had a LOT of rain. I'm a bit worried about this little bird on top of the basketball post...

She's been busy building a nest inside the post for the last little while...I'm wondering if it's been totally destroyed by the rain. What an odd spot for her to choose to nest.


Linking up with:

OMG-One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts
Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts
Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication
WIP's at Silly Mama Quilts

Quilty365, the finale!

Today is a special day! 

Audrey at Quilty Folk is hosting the final linky party for the Quilty365 quilts. You can visit HERE to see everyone's beautiful quilts and even have a chance to win a prize by commenting on her post.

The idea for Quilty365 was to applique a circle every day for a year....using fabrics that may reflect our lives that particular day.

The name of my quilt is A Year in My Life.

I started with a circle, but right away remembered that a few years back I had wanted to do a hearts quilt....so I changed mine up...

Lots of memories in this quilt....a birthday heart...

....we had a litter of puppies last Summer...

....the times my sister got on my nerves....

.....the day Prince died...

....the day we welcomed new grandson, Lachlan, into the world....

......and so on, and so on, etc., until I now have this beauty....

I'm maybe halfway done the quilting on my quilt. I hope to have it done in time for the Fall Fair this year.

Thanks again, Audrey!, for a wonderful idea that has many of us with these quilts that have been so inspiring.