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. 

On the design wall...

It's the coldest day of the year...so far. Why does this weather seem to translate to being a sew day? I don't know, but I'll run with it!

I've done a bit of catch-up sewing this morning. First on the agenda was my temperature quilt for 2020...

I'm really liking this. Each goose represents the forecasted high temperature in Celcius for each day. Today I got to use a new colour for -8 degrees!

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I've been working on a Leaders and Enders project for a few months. Today I arranged what I have completed so far on to the design wall....

I have two small bins next to my sewing machine...one holds 1" strips of lighter scraps...the other has 1" strips of darker strips. The centres of my log cabins are orange 1.5" squares. 

These are made into log cabin blocks that are 4.5" unfinished. I know there is not a lot of contrast, but hopefully enough. This is truly what a quilt means to me, using up the scrappy bits.

 I think I'll carry on until I get a full-sized quilt because I can tell already that I'm going to love this quilt!

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I'm taking a BOM class at my LQS in Waterford, Quilt Junction...the pattern is My Kinda Town.

I completed the first block in modern fabrics, which I do love...but the block wasn't really doing it for me. Then I had the idea of using my leftover Japanese taupes from my Queen's Garden quilt. 

Here are my two blocks...I'll have to re-do the one on the right...

I am linking up with My Quilt Infatuation....then I am headed to Caledonia to the local radio station to pick up my prize...I won a contest for a Valentine's dinner for Saturday night....woohoo!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

The brain is a mysterious thing....

Something strange happened this week.

A few years ago now I had been working on a quilt called Auntie Green's Garden, by Irene Blanck.

I loved it and I loved working on it....until I didn't. 

About a year ago I asked myself the tough question....did I really think I would get back to working on this quilt?? The answer was "no". 

I actually felt a little relief in letting myself off the hook. I figured I would just quilt up what I had completed so far and call it a quilt.

What a shame :(

Fast forward to this past week...I really haven't thought of Auntie Green in a long while and, for some reason, it popped into my head and I said to myself that this quilt really deserved to be finished in it's entirety.

Where the heck did that come from?...who knows. Like I said in the title of this post, the brain can be so mysterious. 

Here is the quilt as it was left, a long time ago...

So, there is a floral border on the top and bottom to do, then a vine thing around the final border. So close!

I think I'll put aside other applique until this one is done. 

There is one problem though.

When I put this quilt aside, it gave me freedom to get rid of fabrics that I wasn't so much interested in anymore....which are a lot of the fabrics needed for this quilt. I hope I can "make do" with what I have left in my stash.

I wish I knew how women in the past... or even now...would hand-quilt a crosshatch pattern on their quilts without it getting all wonky. I imagine that kind of quilting on this quilt....and the enjoyment I would get out of stitching it. 

I'll have ask Dr.  Google!

(I've taken a minute to look up this quilt on my blog...and it has indeed been at least 4 years since I contemplated working on it)

I had plans to do a long run this morning, but it's snowing pretty good here at the moment (hmmmm, an unexpected sew day??). I think I'll delay my run until tomorrow and actually do a bit of prep-work on Auntie Green's Garden...then I'll know that this is a real thing and not just a wish...sounds like a plan, right?
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This morning I completed the binding on my Temperature Quilt 2019...

If you'd like to see the completed quilt, have a look HERE...I wrote a post about it on Friday. 

I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching, and with Cynthia for Oh, Scrap!. 

A year of finishes???...off to a good start...

On this last day of January 2020, it looks like I already have two "finishes" under my belt.

Maybe I'll be making up for 2019, when I had very few quilts that were finished.

This week I'm putting the finishing touches on my Temperature Quilt for 2019.

It didn't take long to quilt as it isn't very big... 60"x60"...

I worked on the binding this morning...only a little bit to go. I even managed to put on a label. I learned this method of putting a label on from Bonnie Hunter's blog, Quiltville.

Here it is on the design wall, almost done....

Not a great picture, but I am glad to say it is actually nice and square. I'm happy with the result.

Now, on to my Temperature Quilt 2020!

In a previous post, which you can find HERE, I wrote about this year's temperature quilt...and about my doubts of how it was starting out.

 Well....later that same day I change things up! At this early stage, I knew that it was the time to change my mind if I was not enjoying the process already, only two weeks into the year.

This is the new start of my Temperature Quilt for 2020...

There will be a flying geese unit for each day, showing the forecast high temperature of each day. After each round of geese there will be a sashing of background before the next round of geese.

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Well, I have to admit that I didn't get a speck of sewing done to complete my "one monthly goal". 

My goal was to complete the rest of the blocks for my Farm Girl Vintage...

I am rolling that goal over to February...I really want to get these blocks done! It would be nice to have this quilt completed at some point this year.  

Today I am linking up with My Quilt Infatuation, and with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?. 

I am also linking up with Elm Street Quilts for One Monthly Goal for February.

A Potpourri of Slow Stitching

We are still in the middle of a snowstorm this morning, which seems to make for perfect hand-stitching weather. I see so many people on social media that are in agreement, be it stitching, knitting, etc.

My slow stitching today consists of a bit of this and a bit of that.

First up....actually on Saturday...was finishing the binding on my Queen's Garden....

I'm happy with it, and I am even happier it's now a completed project :)

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I have completed two stars for my Temperature quilt for 2020...

My goal is to kind of keep up, and then sew a star together once a week.

I'm starting to second-guess this one, actually. It's easy enough to do, but for both stars I have a bit of a bump in the middle. Not sure whether to continue, or hope that it will "quilt out" in the end. I'm hoping it's from the bulk and maybe it will be a little better once the papers are removed. Or could it be that my template is a bit off?

I think if I had recorded the "low" temperatures this month I'd probably be switching this up for another design :(

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I've always liked the idea of making a mug rug, but never got around to doing any. At Christmas a friend gifted me with two cute Christmas-themed mug rugs, and it turns out that I really enjoyed using them...thanks TA!

So, I thought, I'll have to make one for everyday use.

On another note....I was never one to save selvedges, until lately when I noticed some of them are quite cute and some have cute sayings on them. So, I started saving them for "one day".

Yesterday I sewed some of these selvedges into a mug run and this morning I quickly sewed up the binding...

I really like it! I will take note for next time to use a 2-1/4" binding strip instead of 2-1/2"...I think it will be much more tailored looking.

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I didn't work on my Over The Hill today, but I did work on it this week. 

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Now for my PSA....a cautionary tale....

When our guests were here from Alberta last week we took them to the Hamilton Farmers' Market....I don't think I've been for at least 40 years! 

It's wonderful and we will definitely not wait 40 years to go back again!

I came across a booth selling turmeric root and had to buy some. I'd never seen it before, I usually just use the powdered stuff from the bulk store.  (Can you tell where this is going yet?)

I used it a couple of days ago, and here's what happened...

I don't know why it's not showing in the picture, but a lot of the skin on my fingers is bright gold, too!

So, next time I will use gloves...or just stick to the powdered version!!! 

I have a manicure booked for Tuesday....not sure whether to keep the appointment or not, lol.

Have a cozy Sunday!...hopefully your's will include a bit of stitching, too.

I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching, and with Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework  for Oh Scrap.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

Sunday morning....time to enjoy a little extra slow stitching time.

It's a dull, dreary start to the day here, I hope it clears up a bit because it certainly can affect one's mood. 

I've been trying, slowly but surely, to become a slightly more organised person. This week I had help in this endeavour from an unlikely source...Cooper, one of my dogs.

I have a spot in the living room that I have always done my handwork, like many of us I'm sure. And on the table at my side there is always an assortment of threads, scissors, etc that I'm using on a regular basis. Never been a problem, until this week.

I came home one day to find Cooper had chewed up a spool of thread...so dangerous for dogs. I really believed that it must have rolled onto the floor, as he is not one to go up on that chair and bother with my sewing stuff.

A few days later, we were sitting in the dining room...I look up and see Cooper chewing on something....yes, another spool of thread. I can't believe another one had been on the floor, he must have jumped up to help himself, so time to clean up my act.

Probably 35 years ago (or more), my mother gave me this as a gift...

I'm sure many of you have the exact same one! Well, it's probably been 25 years since I've actually used it...in fact, last month I had thought to put it in the donate pile. Now I'm glad I didn't....all of my daily supplies are now in this storage box (what are they actually called???) and the table beside my chair is nice and neat. Thanks go to Cooper for the motivation...although in a dangerous way :(

In my last post, which you can read HERE, I mentioned that I'd be meeting with a friend to do some wet felting...that we would be making "cat caves".

It was a lot of physical work, due to the size of the piece. Here is how it looked when I got home...not very pretty, really...

...but then I crammed more stuffing in to hold the shape, and I beat it into submission with a wooden spoon.

Much better...

Not technically great work, but I am still a beginner at this, so I'm pretty happy with the result. Now to get the cat to accept it!

I put a couple of treats inside to lure her in...

She's still not going in just for the sheer pleasure of it. When I get up in the morning I can tell that she does like laying on top of it though, lol. 

I wanted to add a couple of words of advice to those of you who are doing an temperature quilt this year. 

1. Keep your design choice simple so you don't lose interest through the year because it may be too much work.

2. You don't have to actually "do" it every day. You do have to record the temperature each day, but if your design choice is simple enough you can pick it up just a couple of times a week to quickly get it done.

Here is mine after 4 days of January...

I probably won't have time to do today's bit, but I have recorded today's forecast high on my calendar. 

You'll notice that I'm still old-school when it comes to EPP, but basting the segments to the paper instead of using glue. Nothing wrong with the glue method, I just find I don't get the same results and it really doesn't take me long to thread-baste.

It's not too late to start your own temperature quilt since we are just a few days into the new year :)



I also stitched this morning on the next block of my Over The Hill...

This is another instance of how I prefer to take a slower method. I do like to do a whipstitch around all the wool pieces with fine thread before beginning the decorative stitches with perle cotton. Perhaps not necessary, but I do like the stability. And, as a longarm quilter who has worked on quilts with wool applique that hasn't been whipstitched, I do see a difference. Again...personal choice.

Here's a reminder of the first block of Over The Hill...

Thankfully, not all the blocks have quite as much work as the first one!

How about that...by the time I've gotten to this point of the post the sun has come out....what a wonderful mood-booster!!

I'll be going out shortly to enjoy some of this beautiful sunshine, but will take a bit of time to visit with other slow-stitchers, as I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching.

Happy New Year 2020

A whole new year, a whole new decade!

I'm sure you are the same as me, in that you think ahead to which quilts you'd like to complete, continue, or, dare I say, begin.

I have an actual finish this past week...my Temperature Quilt for 2019.

Well...the top is finished. I hope to have it quilted up very soon, though. We have visitors next week from Alberta, so quilting will have to be put hold for a bit.

I learned that I need to make sure there is a bit more contrast in my colours for a Temperature Quilt...way too many similar reds, I think. On the other hand, you can't really plan ahead too much, as the temperatures dictate how the quilt will play out, right?

I hope you will consider a Temperature Quilt....I thoroughly enjoyed doing mine. I had thought to put off doing another one until 2021, but didn't I come across a beautiful bundle of fabric, on sale, that would be perfect for a Temperature Quilt....and I came across a pattern that called out to me.

Here is my layout for 2020...

It's not a very big quilt and it done with English Paper Piecing. Each star represents one week of the year. I will only be using the high forecast for each day, but there is an option using highs and lows. If you google Fiona Sandwich I'm sure you can find the pattern if you want to play along.

Here are January 1 and 2...with my thimble so you can see the scale of the blocks...

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This year I am motivated to get back into participating in the One Monthly Challenge hosted by Patty at Elm Street Quilts.

For January I'd really like to have to blocks completed for my Farm Girl Vintage quilt. This has been a UFO for much too long now and I still love it, so would like to see it graduate into becoming an actual quilt!

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

I have to give a shout-out to Karen Z for designing the Canada flag block to use instead of the American flag....awesome!

They aren't in their proper layout yet. I think I have 8 more to go, so it's definitely an achievable goal. There are a couple of blocks that I was going to replace...

....they are the ones with the red "cheerio's" in the background fabric. I thought it would be nice to introduce a second background (maybe 2 years ago, lol) and it wasn't until I put them with the others that I noticed that it isn't a white fabric like the original background fabric. They look dirty to me. Actually, today they don't look as bad as I'd thought....but I think I still have to replace them :(

I did manage to do a block on Tuesday morning...to get the ball rolling. Well, I'll have to call this my "humility" block, if you get my meaning...

I do like it though...it uses a few of the new fat quarters I've picked up lately. 

One of the "pushes" to get this one done is that Santa brought me a new book for Christmas, Farm Girl Vintage 2...

....and I really shouldn't start this one until the original Farm Girl is done!!!

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Now I'll confess to the new quilt that I will start this year. It's a Jen Kingwell pattern called Halo. I've had the pattern now for a couple of years and I think I've put it off as it's a bit intimidating to me.

I don't have a picture to share yet as I've just started a bit of cutting and don't have any blocks done yet.

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Another finish this week is my first pair of knitted socks in a very long time....

I am very happy with how they turned out and happy to get back to knitting, especially socks. I learned three techniques on this pair, one of them being knitting them from the toe up, which I really liked.

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I usually have a two-week break from longarming at the end of each year, but I'm extending it a bit this year as we have house guests arriving next week for 5 days. 

I'm taking advantage of this time off to get one of my own quilts quilted, my Queen's Garden quilt.

As always, I started with doing the Stitch in the Ditch work...especially so since I wasn't sure what I'd do in the borders. All I knew is that it would be some sort of feathering, reason being...I just really feel like doing some feathers, lol.

I looked back at notes from some longarm classes I've taken in the past years. I did a bit of doodling the other day to try to get some creative juices going. 

I'm always so nervous to get started, but then I start and it becomes lots of fun.

I'm liking the first bit of stitching...

I only did a bit more before the lighting started to make it difficult to go on. For this picture, I actually shut the light off hoping to see the effect of the quilting a bit better...

I like it, and it's turned out to be a lot of fun to execute. I will try to fill the space more as I progress. It would really "pop" with some pebbling in the negative space, but this quilt will not be so heavily quilted.

I wish I had time to do more today, but I'll be going out soon to a friend's house to do a bit of "wet felting"...we'll be making cat caves! 

Today I am linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, Elm Street Quilts for One Monthly Goal, and with Alycia Quilts for Finished or Not Fridays.

Neutral is beautiful, but I think I prefer colour!

Early morning still...but I've been up for a long while now. That just means I've been able to get a bit of extra slow-stitching done, right? 

This week I hung my Queen's Garden up on the design wall. I am overwhelmed lately at the number of UFO's that I have, so I'm determined to have a "finish" by the end of the year.  Then plan is to get this one sewn together and quilt it over my Christmas break.

I hadn't realised that I still had some embroidery to complete on this quilt :(

I may have left it, but there was just too much still to do so I will finish that up this week....starting this morning...

These Japanese taupe fabrics are sometimes difficult to draw a line on with my regular marking tools....but the Hera marker does a brilliant job!....

I really like working with the Perle cotton.


Earlier this week I hung my Temperature Quilt on the wall to get a look at how it's coming along.

That is it complete from January 1 to the end of October. I wish I'd had more contrast in my "hot" colours...lesson learned for next time! I won't do one next year, but I most likely will in 2021 since I'm enjoying this so much.


I'm almost finished my Haphazard quilt. 

I love the texture of the quilting...

....and I love that I'm using a fabric from my stash for the backing...

This is just a small quilt...36" square, but it will be the perfect size for my lap when I'm sitting in the morning with my coffee and hand-stitching!

I've decided to apply a facing on the quilt instead of a binding. I actually thought I'd be doing the hand-stitching on the facing today but it's not quite ready.

A great tutorial on facing a quilt can be found HERE at the blog of The Silly BooDilly.  I reference her tutorial any time that I do a facing.

I guess I'd better get on with my day....we are going on a day-trip since it looks like such a beautiful day for it. 

I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching. Hopefully you have time to visit with her and check out what other slow-stitchers are working on today!