Still Sewing

I'm having fun with the Burgoyne Surrounded blocks. Although tricky, with a lot of pieces, it is still a fun one to make. Here's where I left you last post. 

I had a plan for the sashing. In order to keep the quilt on the small size, I didn't want the usual 9 patch. I want a tiny bit of a sashing. I cut and sew and my sashing turned out like this:

I didn't like it. It looked too busy and heavy in a very airy block. It stayed on the design wall overnight while I slept on it. The next morning, everything came down. On to Plan B, which looks like this:

So much better.  It has a sashing made with little bits of neutral cut at 1.25 inches. I ♥ it. See for yourself.

Don't understand why I didn't use red cornerstones for the inner border. I did put one in the middle but not on the corners!? I am so funny sometimes. I am not about to unstitch everything again. This quilt has had a very long relationship with the seam ripper and I have enough of it. I will just assume the quilt feels the same way. It will stay the way it is. It is still cute, right? Maybe a red binding will balance things out? Meanwhile, it will stand at the end of the long line of quilts, waiting to be quilted.

2018 was a tough year for me and my family, but we made it through. Hopefully, 2019 will be kinder and gentle with us. I haven't made any plan for 2019, except to keep sewing what I have. I've been very good in 2018, although I finished nothing, my fabric purchases barely made it over 300.00$,. This is a record low for me. Whoop, whoop! I will continue to work on the projects that are started mainly the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, Slow Stitching Sunday with the hexie quilt still on the UFO's list for yet another year. Sigh! But! But, the 365 Challenge Quilt saw a lot of progress in 2018 and talking about it, here's the latest block.

It's called Steps to Glory and has 44 pieces. As usual, this piece stands at 3.5 inches. Some of the pieces are cut at 7/8 x 7/8 of an inch. Yes, just 7/8 of an inch! It makes for a very crooked block. You have to sew darn straight not to impede on the tiny 5/8 left in the middle of that piece.

Here's another picture, just to help you wrap your head around this piece.

(yes, I am crazy! lol) Not the prettiest one, but it is done nonetheless. It might make it into the quilt and it might not. I'll burn that bridge when I get there.


And last, I had to resign from the Wednesday Sewing Club I had joined just last year. I will dearly missed this fantastic sewing group but I still have YOU all, to sew with and this I cherish daily as I read your latest posts.
I wish you all that the New Year be as sweet as a warm Summer breeze, may Health and Happiness be by your side daily.  When the rain comes, cause you know it has to come, may it be soft and short. Don't forget to show the world the warmth of your smile, it sure does need it. Enjoy your family and friends today.

To the pleasure of starting new projects (and hopefully finishing some) with you next year.

Cheers!

;^)



Join Sarah at Confession of a Fabric Addict
Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework
Angela at So Scrappy

Multiplying

I wanted to make just one block of the Temecula Mystery Quilt so I could make it at a later date. I started on the wrong foot but managed to rectify the situation.

 I then sew a second one to make sure I wrote the instruction right this time.

There was more parts done than needed.

Over the week, they decided to come together and make something.

I know exactly what it wants too. A little sashing, a little border and I'll be done with this one.

Joining Angela at SoScrappy
Joining Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Happy sewing. Enjoy!

;^)

December

It's a funny month this year. It either snows or the snow is melting. It recalls more the middle of Spring than the end of Autumn. Whatever! As long as it isn't freezing rain, I can handle it.

I have fixed my Burgoyne Surrounded block.

To make sure I got the pattern down right, I tested a second block

Ok. I got it right. Phew! I can store this one for later.

We had, on Tuesday, our Christmas Diner Party at the Club Artisanats.

We had a lot of fun, even if it doesn't really show in this picture. Let me get another one.

It was Christmas slippers or silly slippers night. Maude had the hat that matches her slippers. Way too cute. Notice her necklace is made of snowmen's lights.

The admin committee had to set the example and all had elf's slippers with bells. It was a hoot! Gosh! I was in bed and I could still hear those bells ringing, lol.




On Wednesday was the Wednesday's Quilters Christmas Diner.
Monique received all of us at her place. A really gorgeous home.

 Here is Anne in the pink chair, Carole and Francine next to the French doors.

Yolande, Françoise and Claire sat on the opposite side of the living room.

Monique is a wonderful hostess and had a glamorous table. Each one of us brought something. I did the chicken pot pies as it is my family's favorite. It was a favorite among them too. Monique is sitting at the head of the table. The empty chair is my place, right next to Anne.

I will so miss this group. I have decided not to join them next year as it is too demanding on me. They meet during the day and I always have to take time off from work. So, when I retire, I'll be joining them again, if room is available.

Talking about work, on Friday (of the same week, yes) was my office Christmas Party. I have no pictures of that party as I didn't go. My health didn't give me permission to go even if I had been very reasonable during the two previous parties. Oh well. There will be more to come.

Hope all of you are well ... and sewing up something.

;^)

Joining Angela at So Scrappy
Joining Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Thanks for looking.

It's a very slooooow progress ...

if you want to call it progress. It's more like regress to me.

Temecula had a mystery sew-along. I didn't participate until I saw that it was a Burgoyne Surrounded. So I thought I'd just get the sizes of the pieces and make one block as a reminder to make more eventually. You know how it works. So, I did one block.

I manage to do it wrong. Not a very good example block if it's wrong so some quality time will be spend with my seam ripper to turn around four units.

Also, I am regressing on my hand quilting.

I find it very hard to sit and quilt this one that I love a lot. So, what gives?  It's the fancy design that I chose that I don't like. It is a simple quilt. Why have I picked such a complex quilting design? Never mind. I'll unstitch and start anew. It should take me just a few weeks to undo it all, lol. But, after, I will be much happier to quilt it and hopefully enjoy this Ohio Star Shadow in 2019.


Take care every one.

;^)

Joining Angela at So Scrappy
Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework
Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for slow (un)stitching

Slow is okay ...

... it is still a forward motion.

I just had to change the basket as the first one was annoying me and it was crooked. Now the piece lays flat. 

It turned white ... 

first snow fall in my back yard Nov 9th 

...   over night.

It hasn't melt away. Even better, it hasn't stopped snowing since last 2 weeks. Almost every day, we receive a little dusting ... or two inches! It was the shortest Autumn ever! Darn!! 

Happy sewing. ;^)

Joining Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Design Wall Monday

I haven't done a Monday post in such a long, long time. I finally have something to show on a Monday.

I went shopping and got some much needed dark blue for the 365 Challenge and ...

some not so needed goodies.  :^D ( I couldn't resist; they are too cute and at 30% off, why resist?) Can't wait to put the scissors in that yardage. It is just lovely. I bought whatever was left on the bolt. Yay!

This is the first corner of the 365 Sampler Challenge. (as seen in the last post) This is the middle section.

I finished off the two side sections :

the twins 

and the basket. While pressing this block, I realized that I should have reversed my choice of colors for the basket. It didn't occurred to me while I was cutting the pieces (or when I was sewing the pieces) that the middle section of the basket and the flower were both blue. am I redoing this? This quilt will last for a hundred years... ... ... sigh! 

Of course, all this tedious sewing needed some mindless company. Even dark green came by to say hello. 

I was gifted these big bags of fabrics of all kind. 

The smallest one only has square pieces of all sizes. Some are sewn in a HST pattern others are pressed to form a prairie points border. I am having so much fun going through all this deliciousness. :^D 

It's Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, so I can play some more today. I am so thankful for that. Also thankful for you. I wonder if you know how much I appreciate you, your comment, point of views, ideas, your projects, laughter and even your teasing. Hahaha! I am spoiled. Thank you for being you. 

Have a great one, 

;^)

Joining Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Joining Beth at Love Laugh Quilt

Wednesday Sewing Club got the blues too

This past Wednesday, I got to go sew with my friends. What fun I have with them.

I prepared one corner block of the 365 Challenge, thinking I can do this and then it will be time to go home. Here is what I got done.

The top floral part

and the side floral parts

yep, that's all! It took me over four hours to make these units.

Oh! ...

... No! ...

Wait! 

I did show them the little mug rug I did with Monique's leftovers

Can't believe I didn't take a picture of the finished project!! 

and I did have a long look at all the beautiful things they sew during the summer. Oh! It was so beautiful.

Then, Lucie pulled the show stopper; a red and white quilt made in 1882 by Éloïse.

Wow! This was the size of it. Ok! Granted I am no expert with quilts but this one was cut.  Why? Nobody knows.

The applique pieces are hand sewn with the tiniest stitches I've ever seen.  Hope you can see them on this picture. Hand quilted too. The red fabric, although tired and running thin, is still so vibrant and bright. Amazing!!

The back, like the front, is mousseline.  The binding was sewn on much later with an electric machine. The name Éloïse 1882 was written with a pen in one of the corner. Was it all that the label said back then? Personally, I think this is only a quarter of the quilt. (Pictures taken with my phone.)

This weekend is a long one in Canada as we are celebrating Thanksgiving and it will find me finishing this ONE corner block for my 365 Challenge. Then there be only three more to go, lol.

Oh, yes! Almost forgot. I also got spoiled. Look at all the fabric my friends brought to my table after I showed them the mug rug. Hahaha! Aren't they awesome? I love them.

Another friend spoiled me this week. This friend is a bloggy friend who lives far, far away and although we haven't met face to face (yet) she knows me so well. She sent me, through email, some pictures of a certain quilt and it made my day. So happy to have her in my world. Thanks again, my sweet friend.

Hope that you too have some wonderful friends around you. Enjoy!

;^)

Joining Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Cynthia at Quilting is more fun than Housework

Bigger Blues?

I'm still in the blues ... for now.

Ann and Andy - August 5 - 32 pieces

Laurel Wreath - 49 pieces. Not an easy one but I'm really happy with it.

Old Snowflake  - 29 pieces. It is so pretty. I love this one except the diagonal lines are cut at 3/4 of an inch. They finish at 1/4 inch. If you examine the top left corner, you'll see that I sew it 1/8" bigger than the others. When the pieces are that small, 1/8 of an inch is a BIG thing.

Seesaw - 20 pieces. Here's another one that I really like.

August 9 - Big "O" - 9 pieces. This is definitively too easy. An extra hard one is about to show up, I just know it.

Shooting Star - 20 pieces. That's the last of the brown fabric and I really loved that one. Oh well, we do buy it to use it, right?

Dewey's Victory - 28 pieces. There's the extra hard one. The pinwheel in the middle is the size of a quarter. It is also my blooper block, lol.

With these done, I realized that I am running out of dark blue fabrics. I keep using the same one. Some I need to keep to use in the outer border corners so the quilt will look cohesive. I have to go shopping soon. Oh poor me! Lol.


While I get time to get the fabrics, what can I sew? So I started to make more blocks for an older project. These blocks are bigger. Brighter. Bolder. (Gosh! It's starting to sound like the 6 Million Dollar Man. If you were around in the 70s and were on this side of the ocean, you know about Steve Austin. I bet you can still hear the sound effect when he moved.) Anywho!!  I made these two blocks.

and the bolder

I'll have to look up again what this pattern is called because I can't remember. It's an Ohio Star Variation of some sort. I love Ohio Star.

These two will join the five others already made. I don't know where this project is going but I know that I don't have to make a lot of these as they will be paired with ... something.

That's all for now.

Stay calm, stay cool and sew on.

;^)


P.S. Just to prove that I fixed my blooper and that those blocks are really that small. :^D

Have a great weekend.

Joining Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Joining Angela at Soscrappy
Joining Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

A New Month

For my 365 Sampler Challenge quilt, it is time for a new month. I have started on the month of August.

My design wall was empty.

Then popped a little blue flash ...

It's August first! It's called Peaceful Evening and it has 36 pieces. It's very hairy but so peaceful in person, not at all dull like the picture shows it. 

Then another one popped onto the design wall... 

It's Apple Pie with 33 pieces. I love this one too. 

Nothing could stop me now, so after a short break, another one appeared on the wall. 

Indian Hatchets made me angry a little bit. Although it looks very simple and easy, it is a hard one to trim. As you can see in this photo, the hatchets aren't in the middle of the blocks like they should. Bah! Humbug! I say. I am not changing it. 

It also made me angry by the amount of trimming left behind. 

That's a lot of waste for a block that is only 3.5 inches. 

Since I am not one to stay on a sour note, I had to make one more appear on the wall so out came ... 

... T Quartet with 36 pieces. Lost a few points on this one but it made my smile reappeared and that makes everything right again in my blue world. :^D 

Joining Angela for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

;^)