Week 14 of 2026

This week I made a mini quilt -

Kathleen Tracy had a few block patterns on her FaceBook group for us to make a mini quilt. I used two of the block patterns and made a little table mat. 

I tried stepping out of my box for colours for this one - I wanted something a bit lighter and spring like, and chose colours based on the outer border fabric (mainly split complimentary). The blocks are 3", the quilt is 18.5"x26".

We had a snow storm at the beginning of the week (hopefully the last one!), so I used some fresh snow to dye some fabric.

I am always amazed how dirty snow is even though it looked clean.

The finished fabric matches the blooms on the Thanksgiving Cactus.

Photos from Around -

Moon above the horizon early one morning- the day after the Artemis II launch (with the first Canadian to go to the moon, we have been watching a lot of YouTube videos)

Curious GingerSnap!.

We are surprised to see Gemma doing so well (she is the grey one in the middle - a Sapphire Gem hen).

For well over a year she has looked pretty bedraggled. Her first winter she had frost bite on a toe, lost most of her comb and wattles because of the cold, and lost most of the feathers on her body. The feathers didn't grow back last summer, she looked like skin and bones going into the winter but somehow she survived and is doing well!

For some reason Miss Maggie has started to sit on my husband's lap anytime he puzzles - she just likes to watch I guess.

The snow is really melting now, so ditches got cleared ,

The top of the little fence makes a good scratching post.

Lots more snow has to melt before I can get in the garden.

Sunrise.

All the best!♥︎

May Update

This past month I finished a few projects that had been in the works for a long time!

This is a Baby Jane (small Dear Jane) quilt that I started in 2012. I made blocks here and there, and finally decided that there was enough to make a wall hanging (I never had the intention to make the full size quilt). The blocks are about 4" and the quilt is 33"x39".

It fits perfect with the wall quilts in the sewing room.

These are small art quilts that I made in 2013 (I challenged myself to make a small art quilt every month for a year - each one reflects something that happened that month). They sat on a shelf for years. I always intended to make something with them, and I finally figured out what to do them. 

I used wire and beads to join them together into a wall hanging (there is lots of wall space in my new sewing room/craft room/weaving studio/happy place...).

Next are a couple of more recent starts-

I wove a piece of fabric out of mainly handspun yarn. - silk, linen and merino, along with some silk ribbon that I had dyed.

I sewed the fabric into a poncho. More details on my Ravelry page. 

Finished another pair of socks - with handspun yarn too.

All the best!♥︎

A Year of Small Quilts of the Month

I finished my year long project of a small art quilt a month - 

Each little quilt (6"x8") represents something that happened that month.

This is the November one -

It is a piece of my hand dyed fabric with snowflakes that are peyote stitched beads, plus a small hammered wire swirl. I made a lot of jewelry in November.

For the December one I tried a new-to-me technique from a Craftsy class (Playing with Curves with Ann Petersen). I took a couple of Craftsy classes this month, and learned some wonderful new things.

Now I have to decide what I want to make with these quilts.

I originally thought I would join them into a book,

but I also like the idea of joining them together into a wallhanging. I might just leave them as a pile on the shelf, at least for now.

I tried another new-to-me technique this week, double knitting -

You knit/purl the front and back stitches in pairs, and reverse the colours to create the two sided, reversible pattern.

The finished piece is supposed to be a head band, but when I washed it, to block it, it grew so wide! I have had this problem with Paton Classic Wool before - it tends to get short and wide, I should have known. I am going to try to felt it a bit in a regular load of laundry, maybe it will become something useable.
The pattern was lovely to knit and I am going to try it again later with some hand spun wool.
The pattern is the Duvino head band, from the Craftsy Class Adventures in Double-Knitting with Alasdair Post-Quinn. 

There was a fabulous Craftsy sale for Thanksgiving and I bought a few classes that I had been interested in for a while, just waiting for a good sale. I am trying to ration them out over the next little while. The Playing with Curves and Adventures in Double Knitting were wonderful!

I am adding this picture to show what -30C (-40C windchill) temperatures can do - a water main break, causing havoc with traffic.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!♥

October Small Quilt

I haven't been making the small quilts of the month as part of Kathleen Tracy's (A Sentimental Quilter) Small Quilt Talk group on Yahoo!, but I just couldn't resist the October one.

Little tumbling maple leaves - these are 4.5" blocks, and the table runner is 11" x 23". The pattern can now be found here.

Perfect on my coffee table for fall. I quilted an allover oak leaf and double loop design because I wanted the runner to be flat.

I have also started spinning the red wool I dyed earlier in the week.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!♥

A Year in Review

I always think it is fun to look back at the year and to plan for the next year.

I started blogging January 1st, 2010, and it has been a great experience, and I have made some wonderful friends. 2010 was really about blogging and creating. I learned how to free motion quilt designs other than the basics, and I was also thrilled to learn invisible machine appliqué. 

2011 became the year of block of the month. I participated in four!

Granny's Hankie by Denise Russart 

this one was finished this year.

Henrietta Whiskers by Bunny Hill Design

finished 2011

EQ 2011 Block of the Month 

finished December 2011

"Hop to It" by Edyta Sitar

This was started in 2010 and finished August 2012. It is from the book "Hop to It" by Edyta Sitar. It was done as a BOM with a few friends. We are starting another BOM in 2013 - Pieces of Time by Lori Smith.

2012

This past year seemed to be all about little quilts.

Some of the little quilts from this year.

These ones are from Kathleen Tracy patterns, and were made as part of her Small Quilt Group.

I sent these eleven little quilts to the Alzheimer Art Quilt Initiative.

So far ten have sold and raised more than $550 (US).

I even hosted a small quilt quilt-along! This one was my Friendship Mini Sampler Quilt Along.

This past year I have worked on getting better at free motion quilting (and even started teaching FMQ!) - that is the reason for all the little quilts, they are fabulous to practice FMQ on.

I participated in the SewCalGal Free-Motion Quilt Challenge.

Here is my sample quilt and four bonus samples.

I also bought a Cindy Needham Craftsy Class, which I loved!

Here are some of my practices pieces after the class - yes, more mini quilts!

I did complete 9 bed/lap quilts (all my 2012 finishes are here).

This one is my Thread Head 2012 Quilt Along 

I had an amazing year with lots of new experiences. 

2013

Along with a few large quilts, my plan for the new year is to create art quilts using different techniques. I am planning on creating one art quilt a month, reflecting that month (all the same size) and binding them into a "book" at the end of the year - I will see how it goes!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful new year!!❤

A Year of Small Quilts

In April a blogging friend told me about Kathleen Tracy's  (A Sentimental Quilter) small quilt group and I was so pleased to join. For 2012 the challenge was to make a small quilt a month from one of Kathy's patterns - it was fun waiting to see which one Kathy would choose for each month.

The year is coming to the end and here are all twelve of my small quilts.

All the patterns are from Kathleen Tracy, either one of her free patterns or from one of her lovely books. Click on the month to link to my blog post about the quilt.

January -

February -

March -

April -

May -

 June -

July -

August -

September -

October -

 November -

Last but not least December -

 This one is 17" square, and from the book "Remembering Adelia".

I used cotton batting and the quilting is done with 100Wt Invisafil thread. I really like how it turned out and it makes a nice addition to my Christmas decorations.

Thanks so much to Kathy for all her wonderful patterns and inspiration - it has been such fun!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!❤