The UFO has landed

I started this quilt in 2006 with a tired, cheap sewing machine and very little knowledge about quilts.  If I didn't had the right tools back then, I had the right book ; "Patchwork Quilting and Appliqué - The complete guide to all the essentilal techniques by Jenny Dobson".  Learned so much from this one. 

When I started this quilt, I didn't have enough fabrics of different shades and prints to finish it.  I did manage to do 33 blocks out of the 81 needed.  Out of these 33 blocks, some were eliminated which left 28 acceptable blocks.  I had a little bit of stars to assemble.

new blocks

old blocks

Now that my stash is bigger and more diversify, I was able to whip up all the missing blocks in order to accomplish this:

Ohio Star Shadow.  Since they are calling for rain for the next 7 days, I hurried up and took a quick picture on this very windy Monday evening.  Some blocks are what I call "misfits" meaning blocks with two colours or tones that are so close to each other that the pattern is almost lost. To have an attractive scrappy quilt, I've heard you need to have 20% of misfits. Although they sure are shining bright in this picture, there's definitively some misfits included in here like the one in the middle.  (Maybe I should have eliminated the reds !!)  You can see the inspiration for this quilt on the cover of the book.  It is the one at the bottom right.

So, YEAH!   I have a UFO finished ... well,  almost.  I do have a backing ready for it but I think I'll need to stitch some pieces of batting together ... or go shopping.  Hmmmmm!!  : ^D  and then, I can start quilting!!   YEAH !  : ^D 

While I was sewing the rows together, I started needed a new project as a leader/ender which is now my primary project.  It's a new quilt for my DS1.  Glimpse of the fabric.

Until next time ... don't be shy ! ... SM ;^)LE

Chantal

an old UFO has resurfaced ... to stay

Last Monday was Easter Monday and I had the day off.  It was a dull, overcast Monday with a little bit of rain. My car was at the garage for a pedicure (new brakes) so, I was stuck at home ... which I don't mind.  So I started to look into bins were put away in the anticipation of moving, bins that contain all kind of things, photos, fabrics, etc.  Not looking for a new project, ... just looking, ... reminiscing, you know?  I came across some old stars I had put together a while back. Back when I had the other sewing machine, the very cheap one that stitched up frustration faster than blocks!!! :(   Anyway, beside remembering that I also revisited a lot of old fabric and I decided to do something with these stars.  Some needed to be re-stitched and some were eliminated from the game on the first round.

This used to be a very ugly shirt bought at a
second hand store ... ages ago.  The grey fabric has tiny little stars in the lighter grey section.  It was a favorite of mine back then. I kept that one.
I numbered all the blocks and repositionned them  many, many times.

Of course, some new ones were called in to play along.

Some Ohio Stars are split between the light side and the dark side.

And some are even worst ... to sew.

This one needed an alignment .. but was a keeper.

Did a lot of shifting ... and kneeling ... and standing ... and kneeling ... and shifting... well we all know that dance, right ?!!  I found the book where this beautiful quilt originated and nested between the pages were my own schemes.  So I continued to fill in the blanks on paper too.

Any ideas what I am doing with the Ohio Star's blocks?

Today, I am assembling all the rows together.  Sometimes this week, I will reveal a flimsy quilt. Stay tuned.

Until then ...  SM ;^) LE ... because you just can't wear it out !

Chantal 

Some slow stitching time

I've decided to follow Judy L with a Scrappy Challenge 2014.  The March block is a split 9 patch

and one of the ladies in the challenge did more than one block.  She did eight blocks and sew them into a simple but effective pattern.  You can see her design at Pieceful Kingdom here .   It inspired me to do some of my own.  A few posts back, I talked about a friend whose house burned a few weeks ago.  She has since moved into an unfurnished house.  Furnitures from everywhere were brought in and she, and her family, are kind of settled in. They, of course, have a dining set and I know that she always, ALWAYS have placemats on her dining table so I decided to make her some. 

Today, I will finished stitching the binding.  As I downloaded this picture I laughed as I realized what my patterns are. My intentions were to do a positive and a negative of TWO different patterns.  Oh well, let's say I've changed my plans half way through! LOL. I whipped these up pretty quickly this week and machine quilted them.  (Not the best of work; I am still learning the "how-to"). I thought maybe some colours would help them have brighter mornings. I only have two and half placemats to bind so I am confident that she will have some placemats on her table tonight. I am linking with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching and hope that you too will find some time to slow stitch and join us.

Until next time... SM ;^) LE .... it's a long weekend!

Chantal

New BFF indeed

... and BFF in need!!!

I am so thrilled!  I am tickled pink!! I am in love ♥... with a new BFF♥.  Sadly, she is a BFF in need.
I was lucky enough to catch an add for an estate sale.  Needless to say, I was there early this morning.  It sure took me a while to find the house but, once there, I was not disappointed.  It was so full of stuff and beautiful stuff I might add. It was a good thing they weren't set up for debit cards otherwise I would had been in a pretty ugly situation. LOL. Anyway, in the jungle of stuff in the basement, I spotted this little box.

Of course, I made a bee line and had to open it right away. I had goose bump! and  oh yes,  

it is as beautiful as I expected it to be.  It does need a good clean-up and some new parts too but regardless, I'm in love. ♥♥♥  Unfortunately, I can't try it now because the wires are in a dangerous state. 

 

On this picture, you can see the glue from the tape the previous owner had on the bed to sew a straight 1/4 inch.  I have some Internet searching to do for parts and instruction manual for cares. I don't know much about such machines but I know I love them.  My adoptive mother had a beautiful blue Singer machine from the 50's, if I remember correctly.  It worked like a charm.  But when she passed away, in the 90's, the will she wrote was material for fighting between the siblings and I didn't have a saying in it.  So I don't know where the machine went.  So sad!  Anyway, now I have my very own ... well ... actually ...  I have two!

YES ! Two BFF for a sweet little price.  This is my second BFF.  She has her own table/cabinet and she too is in need of serious TLC and some parts.  I can't play with this one either... for now anyway.

It is older than the first one.  It's missing the bobbin cover plate.  I think I might switch them around.  I think BFF1 is in better shape than BFF2.  Maybe  BFF2 will become the spare parts of BFF1  or maybe they are not compatible !!? There is, after all, 12 years between these two.  Believe it or not, there was yet another one at the sale but I left it there. :-(  It was in even worst shape.   Then when I paid for it all, the lady told me there was a threadle machine that they sold yesterday!  Why do people think it is nice to let others know they have miss out on a deal ?!  I seriously don't get it!  I just shook my head and smiled at my two new friends. 

Now, sitting at home, I look at them and I am beside myself.  What got over me?  My house is for sale, and I am buying more furniture to move !!?  I am buying restoration projects when, chances are I will move into a house that needs some painting if not restoration too. What's wrong with me??  I seriously didn't think this through. 

Whatever!! I just LOVE my twins ♥♥♥.
 
Until next time ...  SM :^) LE .... and meet someone new ♪♪ ♫ !

Chantal

Playing with Scraps

The name of the game I love best is playing with scraps.  I love it almost as much as buying new fabric LOL!

I recently found a Scrap Challenge 2014 hosted by JudyL at Patchwork Times (link below).  I looked at the blocks presented by Judy and then at all the pretty blocks everyone made and ...  yep! I had to jump on that wagon eventhough I know I will fall off at one point or another during the year but heck... what is life if not challenged? This BOM has begun in January.  Obviously I was behind but it was very easy to catch up.  So, I have made the three blocks presented so far by Judy in the first three months of this year. 

Here is my January's block:

This is February's block:

And March's :

I have absolutely no idea what I will do with these, what it will be (big or small quilt), what colour? straight or on points? I just don't know ... I am strictly following Judy's instructions and I am enjoying every moments.  Period.
I am linking to Patchwork Times so you can see all the beautiful  March' scrappy blocks (and those done in January and February too) and maybe even join us.  There is still time and plenty of places left LOL.

Hope you have a chance (or two) to sew a few stitches today. I will now go and sew the April's block. Yeah! more pure bliss!

Until next time ... SM ;^) LE ... it's scrappy time!

Chantal

Hexies to the rescue

Oh what a morning this is!! Thank goodness for the Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's blog, it will surely bring my heartbeat rate down to a more normal pace.
 
My morning started like many other Sunday mornings.  Coffee in hand, I sneak downstairs to the computer and enjoy some blog hopping.  I even got the chance to post some squeechy mail news this morning. Went back upstairs for a second cup of java and to start the laundry machine, getting the winter bedsheets off and putting on some light cotton sheets on every bed, and so on.  It is such a beautiful day, very bright and windy.


Citrus line on the clothline

Then my DS#1 got a funny text from his friend saying "goodbye house" and then we hear the fire trucks.  OMG!!! No way, it can't be.  Well, it was!  It took a long time before we were able to find out that the fire had started outside on the deck of the house and did most of the damage outside and in the kitchen. Because of the wind, the smoke got inside and everywhere, but they were able to keep most of the flames outside.  What a mess. Everyone is ok which is always the most important thing.  Of course, everyone is also very shaken by all this.
Now the firetrucks are gone, and the insurance people are being called ... and well, that's all.  Fixing it time has started.  I am so happy it was contained to that and did not get to the entire house.  I feel for them of course, so my mojo is kind of flatten out.  I don't feel like doing much beside enjoying my deck and the sun bleaching it.  Later, I will cook a big batch of spaghetti sauce and invite my friends over for diner because their kitchen is closed for the moment. ={

Yesterday I went shopping and did some more auditionning at the store and have hired this one for the hexies. (Also hired some citrus one for ... uuuuuhhhh I'm sure I'll find something eventually LOL!) 

 

I will mark, cut and baste some hexies and relax with a French Vanilla coffee, listening to the birds singing, sitting on my deck.  Maybe not for long, but for a little while I will join all of you and enjoy some slow stitching.   

I am adding row 19 to this "black pinwheels on cream" row. 

May you too find a quiet time to put a few stitches together.

Until next time ... SM ;^)LE ... it could always be worst.  

Chantal

Ding dong! It's the postman!

Two weeks ago, Randy from Barrister's block had the HUGE, BORING task of cleaning up her sewing room.  I think we are all on the same level on this one; " yuck! ".  Randy was looking for helpers in the form of tips on how to organize things and how do others organize their magazines and fabrics and so on ...  Sew, I offered my two pennies worth of an idea. Then I got an email, saying that I WON !!!  Randy had picked two people to send them thank you gift for their comment and I was one of them.

And look what I got!!! WOW !!

SNOWday ... SEWday from Amy Bradley Designs ... Ooooohhhh! Lucky me! I love snowman ... I LOVE snowman!! (ok, ok, I know that everyone is soooooooo fed up of the sn*w, to the point where it is now a bad 4 letter word!)  Therefore, I won't say it again but you WILL see this quilt on this blog again... Ooooohhh yes!  It is my first Amy Bradley Designs pattern and it looks so easy to follow.  I have to really control myself not to start this one NOW!!!

To explain what I said on Randy's blog, this is a cereal box cut up and gift wrapped. I made this one really quick this morning and it is not very nice looking but it shows what I meant.  My nice ones are packed in boxes somewhere.  It works better with family size cereal boxes but this was the only one in the recycling bin this morning. (I mean "made REALLY quickly this morning" LOL.)
Thank you soooo much Randy.  You're soooo sweet ♥♥♥

Until next time, don't forget to ...   SM ;^)LE  ...  ♫ 'Tis the season ♫ to be freezin ♪ Fa la la la ...     

 ENOUGH!!

Chantal 

Auditions

"For the GRAND production ...                  featuring the EVER POPULAR

H E X I E S ...

the auditions will begin immediately.  Please step forward when you hear your name ... "

So many will try ...

A few will be selected ...

 ... only to be rejected later on ...

Oh boy ... I still don't know what I want and it's getting late ... Well, I do know that I want that green to be the next dark row but it's the light row between that stumps me...  Hmmm  ...  I'm happy with nothing I see. Maybe I should wait for the weekend and look at these during daylight. 

Hmmm....  May be I should go shopping ...

NOW that's a GREEEEAAAT idea ...

Ok! Listen up. Auditions are over!  It's a wrap! 

Oh don't be cry babies ... you were ugly together anyway !!

Do you like to audition your fabric?  Is it a chore ? I usually like it but I guess, tonight, I was just not in the mood.
How do you do it ?  I mean, do you do it all while at the LQS, picking all your fabric in one visit? or like me, do you do it step by step? or what ?   What is your favorite method?  (I'm being nosey , I know!)

Until next time   ...   SM :^)LE ... you're on camera!! (or you might be)

Chantal