....in which I get to use the word "antimacassar"....

 I think Spring is just around the corner! I don't go by the groundhog to tell me so...I can tell by the fact that my husband has planted some seeds in the indoor greenhouse, lol. Hopefully we'll have an abundance of colour in the garden this year. Last Summer was a bit of a bust but we've learned our lesson...so I'm crossing my fingers. 

It's a bright beautiful start to the day, so I'll be heading out to the trail for a bit of a run shortly. We haven't run the trail in quite a while since we don't have appropriate footwear for slippery and snowy conditions. 

Still, it feels like a nice day to sit and knit for a bit. I am going to finish up these socks this week. They've been pushed aside for a while now, but I'm needing those needles for something else.

The pattern for my socks is the Hermione pattern and I quite like it. It's pretty and it's easy...good for knitting while the tv is on. This was yarn that I dyed myself using kitchen spices....dry mustard, paprika, chili powder, and of course turmeric. I tried to set the colour with vinegar, but I don't know if I did it properly or if the colours will fade. That's ok if it does, it was just a fun experiment!

 I have joined an international sock swap through social media. I think most of the people involved are from countries such as Norway and Finland. I'm a bit torn on which socks to make but I'm leaning toward using a yarn from a Canadian dyer, and a pattern from a Canadian designer, since my secret sock partner is from Finland. 

This past week was filled with hand-work of some kind or another. I completed my Siddi/Kawandi quilt that was started a week ago through an online workshop with Sujata Shah. This project couldn't linger on and on because I needed the space back on which I had set this project up....and for the fact that I did not want this to become another UFO!

Of course, I couldn't resist doing a bit of fussy-cutting here and there. I also enjoyed using a bit of dupioni silk to give the quilt a bit of bling. I'm going to watch out for neckties in thrift shops as I think they will be a perfect fabric for a future Siddi quilt. 

I love that it is the perfect size to be a new antimacassar. Antimacassar is one of my favourite words...do you have any favourite words?? 

One thing about this technique is that the finish line only gets faster as you work on the piece since you are working from the outside in!

Finally...if any of you wonder if people actually win on Instagram contests....yes, they do! 

This week I won a prize from Windham Fabrics and designer Tamara Kate!

It's even better than that. In the contest we were to "tag" a friend, which I did....so we both one an Aerial fabric bundle and our choices of  a pattern by Tamara Kate. 

The fabrics are soooo pretty...and I'll take them as a sign of Spring, too!

That's all for now. Of course, as always on a Sunday, I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching

Sunday Stitching

 We've had such blustery weather this week here in Southern Ontario...nice weather for catching up on some slow stitching (although, do I need an excuse???).

Today is much brighter, but very cold...not a bad day to get outside for some exercise except for the fact that all my joints are achey this morning....so another fine excuse to get some slow stitching done!

I've been poking away at my A Curious Journey BOM. This is a mystery sewalong, but I thought I'd put everything up on the design wall to see how it's looking. I have no idea yet how the blocks will go together, other than the fact that the four large blocks are sewn together.

I was working on these blocks this morning, many of the blocks have a bit of embroidery with perle cotton...

There are also 25 Windswept blocks to add to the mix...

....and I have quite a few of the 6" blocks still to do. Hmmm....maybe a bit of prep-work is in order for the day!

Again I've had my Auntie Green's Garden out to evaluate...

Even though it's been in the time-out pile for a couple of years, I still love it! This quilt will be my main focus after A Curious Journey comes to an end.

This was the first week of the Boho Heart Quilt Sewalong. I did manage to get this week's blocks done and I really like how they turned out. I'm determined to keep up with this and not let it fall by the wayside (famous last words!).

I am linking up, as usual on Sundays!, with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching. Enjoy your day!

Slow Sunday stitches

Like always, I managed to get some stitching done early today with my morning coffee.

I finished the Bathing Beauties block for my A Curious Journey quilt...

They aren't supposed to have faces but I feel like they at least need eyes??? We'll see...they are pretty cute, as is, also.

I also got one of these blocks almost done...there will be four of these...

I think the next time I do a post I should try to get everything up on the design wall that is completed for this quilt. There are 4 large blocks, and many, many 6" blocks. It's a mystery quilt, so I won't know the placement of anything yet, but it'll be nice to see what I've accomplished so far.

I did finally finish the final Windswept block for this quilt....

.....twenty of them, in all!!! I do like the bit of embroidery that is on  some of the blocks.

So, many of you know that I became a runner four years ago. During Covid it's become more and more difficult to find motivation to get out there for a run. Even remembering that my doctor told me months ago when the pandemic was in it's infancy that I should continue to run for the mental benefits. 

I haven't had a real attempt at running for over a month now....and even then it was pathetic....so discouraging. I've actually had thoughts of not running again...but I've invested so much energy into it already....and I remember how it was difficult for me to breathe while walking up Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls only a few months before I took up running. The heart health from running has been incredible.

A couple of days ago I finally started to read this book that I've had for probably 2 years now...

The Galloway Method focuses on short run/walk intervals...something good for older runners to avoid injury.

I actually got myself out there this morning on my favourite route in Waterford and experimented with the Galloway Method. I have to say, I felt like a "real" runner again, and I finished feeling strong. I needed this confidence booster!

In Ontario we are under Stay At Home orders, except for a few reasons, one being exercise. I can see why, as I feel terrific now after getting some fresh air and exercise. (Around my neck is a face covering that I pulled up when I chanced upon other people on the trail. There was actually a few young families out for a stroll today.)

On top of the Black Bridge...

I hope I remember this feeling through the week. It's going to inspire me to get out there again! I encourage (challenge?) everyone to get outside for a walk in the next few days. 

I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

Stitching and knitting...

It's been a while since I've posted....this is always such a busy time of year for longarm quilters!

I've also been out of touch due to a severe lack of sleep, but I think I've got this managed (I hope!).

Last time I posted that I needed to get two doll quilts done for Christmas. You can read about it HERE.

I ended up switching things up and taking a much easier route to getting these made up. I took the Naive Melody quilt that I had been working on and used it for the two doll quilts.

The doll quilts are completed and ready for wrapping.

I've also finished my Snowflake quilt, and it will be a Christmas gift also. 

My goal for the new year is to be motivated by my friend Terry....she decided not to start any new projects all these months of being stuck at home due to Covid....she's managed to get a lot of progress done on finishing up UFO's. Part of me is chuckling at myself at the thought of sticking to this....but I'll try.

I have got a few knitting projects planned for the new year, so they won't count as they are already in the queue! 

This month I've put my applique aside so that I can take part in a knit-along with knitting gurus, Arne and Carlos. They came up with a Christmas Advent KAL of their Christmas balls. Everyday they have a fun little YouTube video about each ball. 

Here are a couple of pictures of the balls I've knitted so far...

I knew I'd been doing something incorrect in my increasing and decreasing technique with the balls. The pictures I've seen on Instagram are much smoother. I did a bit of research and found out what I was doing wrong...so the balls from here on out should be a little bit improved!

I always tell quilters that are just starting out and a bit dejected when comparing their work to seasoned quilters that they need to allow themselves to be beginners....we were all there at some point. So, that's how I look at the progress of my knitted Christmas balls...I've allowed myself to be a beginner...I won't discard the balls I've made so far, I will take note of my improvement instead. 

As a friend (SS) commented to me....isn't it fun to learn?....and, yes, it is!

Also, Arne and Carlos were correct...knitting these balls can be addictive! Lots of fun with a new Christmas ball pattern each day.

I'm pretty happy with my Christmas socks...

....but instead of wearing them I've hung them on the mantel and they look great!

I had thought to get a new ornament to remember 2020 by (but really, will we ever forget?). I'm glad I held off, as I received this ornament on Saturday (Dofasco gifts employees/retirees with a nutcracker each year)...

That's all for now. I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching. I think I'll take a look at what every one is stitching on as I finish up the binding on my Snowflake quilt, and knit on today's Christmas ball. Also, thanks go to Gail, aka The Cozy Quilter, for giving me a friendly kick in the butt :)

Old dog, new tricks....

Well, I wish I was someone who used the Covid time as an opportunity to work on their UFO's....but I've been caught up in a couple of sewalongs along the way.

I've said it before....I'm a sucker for a sewalong!

The latest one is hosted by @thenextstitch on Instagram. She started a sewalong a few weeks ago called @shutdownstitchalong....I think because her area in Melbourne, Australia had entered a shutdown again because of an uptick in Covid cases. (I just have to say....up until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never ever heard the word "uptick" before. Now I hear it all the time and here I am actually using it!)

During this stitchalong we are encouraged to slow stitch for at least 15 minutes a day. Hey, I start everyday with slow stitching, so I'm in!!

Somehow during the beginning of the sewalong I saw the quilt Hills 'n' Hollers being shown and remembered that I have this pattern and what a good opportunity to try it. 

Should have worked on a UFO, right?...oh well. 

I thought it would be a great opportunity to use my Jen Kingwell Stash....just needed a background fabric. So, I made my way to my local quilt shop, Quilt Junction. Well, didn't I find out that Lana has started carrying a couple of Cotton & Steel fabrics....and I have a lovely stash of C&S fabrics sitting in a box at home. So I switched thing up to use these fabrics.

You can see that I basted down all the pieces first to make sure the "hills" were spaced out nicely across the fabric. 

I baste in my applique once in a while....normally to attach all the "vines" in a piece of applique. It takes extra time, but I find it worth it in the end.

When I posted a picture on Instagram showing my progress in the sewalong, a friend commented that it looks like surfboards....I like that and I think this quilt will now be known as Beach Blanket Bingo!....anyone old enough to catch that reference???

Once the surfboards were in my head, my brain somehow leapt over to a pattern I bought recently and thought that if I incorporated part of that pattern it would kind of look like sun rays. The pattern is "Hunt" by Carolyn Friedlander...

So I read through the pattern and was surprised to find out that she uses a whole other method of applique in this design. 

It scared me and thrilled me at the same time, lol!!!

I've been a quilter for over 40 years now and I've got a lot of my methods down pat....but I always enjoy learning a new tip or trick that I may be able to add to my toolbox. 

Here are all the pieces pinned to the background...

The next step was to baste each piece down....with the stitches precisely 1/4" from the edge of the applique piece. Not difficult when you've been a quilter for a while as the 1/4" measure comes quite naturally, right?

Then I was to needleturn applique the pieces. But wait a minute....for years now I've been finger-pressing my seam allowances....how was this going to work????....that was the scary part. I was prepared for the fact that this would not be my best work, but it would be a learning experience.

So I started this morning...on a straight section as the curves were going to be the messy part...

Well, here's the brilliant part of this method....those basting stitches really make a nice "edge" that my needle used to follow as I was needle-turning. So pleasing in an inexplicable way.

Then came the curvy bit, and it worked out just fine. I'm quite happy with my work this morning, and I can see using the "Hunt" pattern for a full-sized quilt.

I will digress for a moment.

A long time ago I read this book and I came to call it my applique Bible...

Almost everything in this book revolutionized my method of applique.

 When I have trouble with curves (and circles were my nemesis for a long time), I always remember this bit of the book...to just make that next stitch a good stitch, concentrate on just that stitch...and this passage of the book served me well again doing the curves this morning. 

My design wall is full at the moment, but I had to see how Beach Blanket Bingo was really looking...

I like it....a lot!!! I can even hear Annette Funicello singing in the background as she dreams about Frankie Avalon.

This quilt has been quite the journey that has morphed in many different ways since I began the #shutdownstitchalong!!

On the design wall is my Halo quilt....a long-time UFO that will finally be a real quilt because of another sewalong on Instagram.

I put the blocks up haphazardly to live with for a while and shuffle them around when I see something that needs shuffling...

Already I know that this is a quilt that will call for hand-quilting.

Halo will be my One Monthly Goal for August. I am linking up with Elm Street Quilts for One Monthly Goal.

I am also linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching

Some pretty pieces of fabric....

I started the day as I always do....with a bit of hand-stitching.

Anyone who knows me knows that I like to start my day like this, but what you don't know is that at the same time I enjoy listening to podcasts. 

I thought I'd pass along a couple of favourites for those of you who like podcast as well. Please feel free to comment with your favourites!

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but this year I did....it was to listen the the Ted Talks podcast everyday. Not too difficult, as they tend to only be twelve or fifteen minutes each....but packed full of good and interesting knowledge. Well, I haven't kept up, but I do still enjoy it often. 

Another good one is Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. He is an American actor who, a lot of times, plays a bit of a goofball. He is surprisingly well-read and has very interesting guests and topics.

Anyway, on to what was being poked at today....

This morning I worked on the last two tulips on Block 2 of A Curious Journey BOM by Susan Smith...

It is now complete, except for removing the water-erasable pen marks....

I'm liking this BOM....and I'm liking the use of my hoarded Tilda fabrics :)

A lot of designers like to have all the applique pieces stuck on to the background fabric all at once with a bit of fabric glue.

 I'm not a fan....actually, I should admit that I've never done it since it didn't appeal to me at all!!! I really thought that it would be a nuisance, with un-sewn pieces just getting in the way as I appliqued.

I figured I should at least give this method a try.

Well, I have to admit that this was not the case. It was "okay"....but will I do it again?....probably not.  I do encourage you to give it a try though....what works or not for me may be the opposite for you. There is no right or wrong way....just many "right" ways, wouldn't you agree? (Although, I'm sure we all have that one quilty friend that is always quick to announce there is only one proper way to do things, lol)

I also stitched a little block for The First Day of Christmas by Susan Smith. I hate to admit, this was a kit that I purchased late one night when I was quite tired....way too easy to push the "Add to Cart" button during this pandemic, isn't it?????

This week on Instagram I came across a stitchalong with @thenextstitch...

If you are on Instagram I encourage you to have a look. There is not a specific project, or anything to buy. We are encouraged to do a bit of slow-stitching for 15 minutes per day. The bonus....she (I can't recall her name at the moment, maybe Wendy?) is going to do a bit of a tutorial on Instagram once a week. I thoroughly enjoyed the first one. These videos do not disappear, they will be accessible all the time.

Something I got back to this week is my Temperature Quilt for 2020.

I've been keeping track every day of the forecasted high temperature....but somehow haven't sewn on it at all since March 27!

On our lovely rainy day on Saturday I did manage to get a row of geese flying sewn down the right hand edge of this piece. Each goose measures 2x3.5 unfinished and the piece is approximately 30" square so far. 

That's all for now. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day, so an outing is in order, including a visit to the Good Bread Company in Vittoria...yum!

 Hopefully a little extra stitching time, too!

I am linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. Try to visit with Kathy and see what others are slow stitching today. 

Slow Stitching and a vintage finish

Well, we made it through our first heat wave of the season and are having a much cooler weekend...but perfect for getting some gardening accomplished!

I was ready to give up on my perennial bed, but we're giving it one more shot. Hopefully the work we do this weekend will pay off in the long run. 

This time of year is so lush and beautiful and a couple of favourites in the garden are my Weeping Cherry tree...

...and my Canadian Redbud tree, which was just humming this week with big, fat bumblebees. They are so intent on their work that you can get up close for pictures...

Even though we have a lot more to accomplish outside in the garden today while it's still nice and cool out, I hope to get a bit more knitting done. I'm liking that I can knit outside in the warm weather....something that wasn't easy when I would take applique outside. This week I started another Christmas present, a pair of socks  knitted from the toe up....

Knitting socks from the toe up is something new to me this last year and I quite like it. This pattern called for the Judy's Magic Cast On. I have tried the Turkish Cast On and am liking the "Judy" method more. What did we do before YouTube!!

The colour-way for this yarn is Hamburger....I know the recipient of these socks will love it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recently I had fun doing some custom quilting on a vintage quilt top that I've had for 15 years. I bought a few vintage tops on Ebay back then, intending on practicing my longarm skills....but I've never taken the time to actually do anything with them.

With the slow-down caused by Covid-19 I thought I'd take the time to quilt this Double Wedding Ring quilt. Lol, I bought this top thinking it would be good practice for when someone would eventually bring  a DWR in to be quilted....but that's never happened.

I always love working on a vintage quilt....and I've done a few over the years. Most times it is someone bringing in a top that they've found in their grandmother's hope chest. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when working on these and I find myself smiling a lot when I work on them. I almost feel the original quilter's happiness on seeing her quilt being completed. I know some may say it's a shame they aren't being hand-quilted....and as a handquilter myself, I totally get that....but I also believe the piecer would like to know that her quilt was a "real quilt" to be loved and used, by whatever means possible.

This quilt was totally hand-pieced....quite fitting then that I talk about it on Slow Sunday Stitching day, don't you think??? I'm in awe of the work that went into this and would love to know how long it took.

I actually have a few questions about the quilt other than how long it took. Like, how come the piecer didn't try to remove the blood stains where she must have really jabbed herself with the needle?....

.....and why was there one piece of fabric removed from the quilt....and never replaced...

Luckily, I did have a piece of fabric that was a close match...

....and managed to piece it in, no problem...

As for the blood stains....I tried the old trick of using saliva to blot it out. It is always said that it should be your own saliva to get your own blood out of the quilt....and I do know that this works, from experience. I don't know if it's because the blood stain isn't my own, or that the stains have been there for decades, but it didn't work on this quilt....but worth a try!

I do have to say that this quilt had many "issues". It ranks second in quilts that had issues in all of my 16 years of longarm quilting. I could tell right away that not only could I not "quilt it out", but that I'd have to disregard the fullness in spots and have puckers fall where they may. It was by no means going to be a "show quilt"...but that's ok, since it was always meant for practicing on. That being said, there are many quilting errors that I made in the quilt....on a client's quilt, or one of my own, I would have picked these mistakes out...but I didn't bother on this one. Most of the quilting problems were by me trying to become ambidextrous with the ruler-work....I think I need more practice!

I was going to use 80/20 batting in the quilt, as I thought it would have a more authentic look....but I chose wool batting hoping to fill out some of the fullness with the batting's loftiness. It didn't work, but I do love the feel of a quilt with wool batting!

Here are a few photos of the fun I had with the quilting...

I do regret not doing something a bit more creative in the green/pink 4-patches. These were actually the most troublesome parts of the quilt so maybe if I'd quilted them differently it would have hidden the fact a bit more. Oh, well! 

You can see how the wool really gives definition to the quilting. In the end, I absolutely love this quilt. It is about 80" square and I do intend on using it as it is so soft and cozy.

On a quilt with scalloped edges you really do have to use a bias binding to make the job easier...but what a pain doing all of those inside corners. Plus, I don't know if there is a way to calculate how much binding you actually need for these quilts, but if there is I don't know of it. Luckily, I made too much binding rather than too little.

....usually I attach the binding while the quilt is still on the longarm, but not with this one. I forgot how cumbersome it is attaching it with the domestic machine.

Now, I'm itching to make my own Double Wedding Ring quilt. I've only made one once before, probably 20 years ago. It was one someone paid me to make, so it's not even my own. 

I did find the book I used to make it though....it's a book by John Flynn and has a slick trick to make it an easier process. After I finish the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt (which I need to get done soon for a gift), I hope to start on a DWR of my own so I don't forget and never do it.

That is a picture of the quilt before I started sewing down the binding....but that is done now and, after many, many decades of when the quilt was first started, it's now a real quilt and I'm very happy with it. I enjoyed the quilting and I will enjoy using the quilt :)

Something I have not made at all is face masks. I've done gowns for our local nursing home, and many scrub caps. I had been using my running buffs for a face covering but now I have a mask custom-made for myself by my running buddy, Paula...

It's actually a sad state of affairs that putting on a mask has become the new normal :(

I appreciate, though, how lucky I am that I don't have to wear one constantly like some other people do in their jobs. 

I am linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. It's quite chilly this morning, so I think I'll have another cup of coffee and see what others are working on today before I head outside. 

(Hopefully this post turns out ok, as there is a new Blogger format that I'm trying for the first time.)