A Couple More Wonky Stars

I am still working on my Olympic Challenge (challenge being the key word!). I did a couple more wonky stars today. I did enjoy making them this time.


I am still trying to work out how the whole thing will go together.

I am going to put an applique in the bottom left corner. Trying hard to finish it this week!!
The Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along is supposed to be starting this week and the Postage Stamp Quilt Along starts at the beginning of next week. Lots of new and exciting projects to get going on, so I need tho get this challenge out of the way.

I chopped the frozen pumpkins up yesterday, and the rabbits have been enjoying them. They had been chewing on the outsides, but really like the seeds inside.

Have a great day! ♥

Finished Sewing on the Borders

I finally finished last weeks focus (sewing the borders on the "Spanish Steps" quilt) today. Technically it is a holiday today (Louis Riel Day in Manitoba), and so it is still the week-end for me, which is when I like to have the weeks focus finished. So, for me, I finished it on time!

I will put it away for this week. I have to piece together some leftover fabrics that I will use for the backing. Next week I hope to start machine quilting it. Still have to decide what I am going to do. Waiting for inspiration!!

This week I am going to focus on finishing my Olympic Challenge project, so that I can have it ready to machine quilt for the Friday Night Sew In on the 19th.

Today was a beautiful day, and so we played outside for a while in the bright sunshine.

The view from our backyard.

Have a great day! ♥

♥Happy Valentines Day♥

Anniversary Flowers

Crazy Quilt Bag

The draw date for my first give away has finally arrived.


There were 26 entries. Thanks to everyone who entered, and all the words of love.


My husband picked and the winner is Dianne!! I hope you enjoy the bag!
Dianne is actually a friend and I am so thrilled she won. Although I know I would have been thrilled with whoever won! Thanks again to every one who participated! ♥
Having a give away has been a lot of fun. I will definitely do it again!

Have a loving day!!♥

My First Wonky Star

I have seen wonky stars around the web and thought it might be nice to try one for my liberated table runner.

I don't think it is as wonky as some of the ones I have seen. I just don't seem to be too liberated!
The center of my table runner will be 15"x41", surrounded by a 3" border. I think I have finally figured out how I want it to be. I am going to try some applique that is described in this book-

I am really glad I joined the Camp Sloanie Winter Olympic Challenge. I don't think I would have ever tried finishing the table runner otherwise .
I have also been working on the Bear's Paw quilt. I am already quilting the second block for this week.

Over at Alderwood Quilts, Sue is having a great give away of some fabric and a terrific mouse pad. The draw date is March 1st.

Have a great day! ♥

Show and Tell Friday

This weeks quilt was made by Grandmother and my Aunt (my mother's mother and sister).


It was made before 1950, in Quebec.

It is made from scraps, and hand quilted. It is in great shape and one of my favorites.

Don't forget to enter my give away before the 14th of February. Good Luck!

Have a great day! ♥

Joined the Camp Sloanie Olympics Challenge!

Well, I decided to try my first challenge! Pat Sloan is hosting a challenge from February 12th to 28th, to finish a UFO during the Winter Olympics.


Originally I thought I would try to finish hand quilting this Bear's Paw quilt (90"x90") I started a few years ago. I got half way through quilting, put it away when we moved and never took it out again. I tried quilting again, and decided that there is no way I would enjoy quilting this for 16 days! I did decide that I would challenge myself to quilt one block a week, I have 10 left to quilt, and see how that goes.

This is what I have now decided to finish for the Camp Sloanie Olympic Challenge. It is a table/buffet runner I started a year ago. All I have is 2 blocks and some fabric. I was trying a more liberated style and I realized it wasn't me!! This past year I kept taking it out and trying to decide what to do with it. Now is the time to finish it, NO excuses!! All I know is that I want the finished size to be 22"x48". Wish me luck, we start tomorrow!

Have a great day! ♥

Still Sewing Squares

Finished cutting out all the squares for the "Spanish Steps" borders. I have been busy sewing them together. All the 3 square units are pieced.

Now I am sewing the pieced units together. I laid them all out first to make sure that the colours were evenly spaced. It should go pretty quickly now, so that I will be on track to finish the borders this week.


There was a lot of activity at the bird feeder today. A flock of partridges came. At first there was just a pair, the rest of the flock was pacing along the other side of the neighbor's fence.


The rabbit just watched.


Later the whole flock came and joined them. Before dark I noticed that the partridges were all huddled down under the trampoline in the back.

Have a great day! ♥

Fabric of the Month

My February fabric of the month from KickAss Country Store came.


I recently bought this book from Amazon. The quilts in it are really beautiful. There is also an applique technique that is new to me, which I am looking forward to trying.


With my reproduction fabric I am thinking of making this quilt.

I just need a few more lighter fabrics to get started on it.
At Amazon.ca they show all the quilts in this book -at Amazon, search Simple Comforts, then just click on the picture of the book (sorry, I couldn't get this to work as a link). This is a great idea, I have only seen a couple of books with this feature, but they should do it more. I wasn't disappointed with the book when it came.

Have a great day! ♥

Red is my Favorite Colour

I have been sewing squares for the last two borders. That pile is only one border worth of squares!


I thought I had cut enough, but I ran out of red squares.

Luckily I had a bit more. Red is my favorite colour (even my glasses are red). I love this fabric (the one with dragonflies) by Kona Bay, I bought it last summer in Oregon, wish I had bought more.

Have a colour filled day! ♥

Bigger Borders

Initially I was going to put on only two rows of squares on the "Spanish Steps" quilt because the wool batting I bought was only supposed to be 90" wide. After I sewed on the first two borders, I measured the quilt against the batting. It turns out the batting is 100" wide, and I have lots of room to add the three rows the pattern calls for. I think it will look much better.


My focus this week will be to finish adding the borders on the other two sides. 216 squares to sew.
Scrap quilts are great! I have been quilting for almost twenty years (since I was pregnant with my oldest child), and it is nice to be able to include fabric from lots of the quilts I have made over the years. A real memory quilt.
Have a great day!

Show and Tell Friday

Since I have been doing some crazy quilting this week, I thought it would be appropriate to show a crazy quilt for this weeks show and tell.


This crazy quilt was made by my Grandmother, Gracia (Bergeron) Bourque (1893-1976).
She made it in 1964-1965, for my mother who was pregnant with my older brother.
It is made out of scraps of wool, velvet and other fabrics.

All the embroidery is done in feather stitching, with tapestry wool.
My Grandmother loved crazy quilting, and made many cushions, chair covers and lap quilts.

This is a small blanket that she made. I used it as my nap blanket in kindergarten.

This picture is of my Grandmother (on the left) taken about 1908, when she was around 15 years old. She is with her older sister - Celanire - and her mother - Rose Delima.

I had a surprise when I went to the mail box today. My book from Wendy arrived, I can't wait to start it! Thank-you so much Wendy!


Have a great day!

One Border On!

Still working on the "Spanish Steps" quilt. Attached the first pieced border, three to go. I have already pieced the second one.

This is only the second time I have made a large quilt using a pattern. The first one was last year when I made a quilt from a kit. Usually I just make things up as I go. I have never tried a pieced border like this and it amazes me that it is the right size! It worked perfectly! It is always my fear that my cutting or piecing is slightly off and things won't match. I think that is why I put this off for a while.

My youngest came home with this little table this week, been working on it at school since September.

It is proving quite useful beside my sewing table.

Thanks D.

I put food out for the rabbits. I know they can survive on their own, but it's so cold and they are so tiny!

Have a great day!

Finished First Border

I finished sewing the beige borders on the "Spanish Steps" quilt.

Now the blocks will look like they are floating on the beige background.
I would normally photograph this on my design floor, but it looks like this -

Someone (not me) has some Lego to pick up.

I am still sewing the 3" blocks together. I need 136 altogether.


I also finished the hand stitching on the surprise. I just have to sew it together.

Buttons

I was searching through some of my buttons looking for just the right buttons for the surprise!

I think mother -of-pearl buttons are amazing!

This weeks focus is coming along, lots of 3" squares to sew together.


I noticed last week at Abyquilt that she mentioned the "blue hour". I had never heard that expression before, but this morning I noticed this -

It truly was blue!

I hope it is beautiful where you are! Have a great day.

This Week's Focus

My focus for this week is finishing off the borders for my "Spanish Steps" quilt.


These are all the blocks (hopefully I have enough) that are going to make up the border. There was supposed to be three rows of blocks but I am only going to do two rows because the wool batting I bought is only 90" wide.

I will also be working on my surprise!

I have joined the Friday Night Sew-In, the next one is February 19th, it should be lots of fun! I also joined the Postage Stamp Quilt Along. I think it will be a good way to use some smaller pieces of fabric I have. We will be using 1 1/2"x21" strips of fabric for this quilt along.

It has now been one month since I started this blog, and it has been an absolute blast! I have met some wonderful people and had such positive feed back. The blogging community is such a supportive community and I can't thank everyone enough!

Have a great day and thank-you for stopping by!