reading blogs and giveaways

I was having fun reading blogs tonight and saw a couple of giveaways. One was Sew Sew's 300th post. I'm sure going to have to get going to catch up to her.

Something Different

My husband is going back to work in a week or so after being off for a month. For some reason, it's been harder to get quilting done than when he's off in the summer. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it, grin. I have a Christmas project to work on that I started at a workshop in Brandon. The ladies from the Quilters Patch in Brandon put the workshop on and the project is from their book. I'll have to post a picture when it's done although mine will look a wee bit different from theirs. I'm really feeling enthused so I had better take advantage of it while I have the enthusiasm.

Help-Jellyroll patterns?

Wow, two posts in one day. My two jellyroll packs came from Hancocks last week, black/white and retro. They're calling to me, but I don't know what to do with them. Does anyone have suggestions?

Another small project done

I took a class in May on Seminole Piecing. We used the technique in a tablerunner. I decided to do it for a friend. 

 Her birthday was in June and she told me that there was no hurry. I replied that if I didn't work on it now, that it might go on the pile of UFO's and disappear into the storeage room. Heaven help it if that happened. She quickly agreed that it would be a good idea for me to keep working on it. I gave it to her yesterday and she was really pleased.

Calabogie and home

It was a great holiday but it's nice to be home too. The quilt show at Picton was fantastic. I was awed at the creativity displayed by the quilters there and amazed at the number of quilts displayed. My dh patiently looked around with me, checked when the demo would be and saved a seat for me while I went outside and ate a snack. The demo was on the mariner's compass and she actually made it look doable. Her pattern was sold at the lqs so off we went to buy one. Of course, I supported some of the vendors at the show, including M. from A.P. I was so impressed by his patience that the next day I went to two museums that he wanted to. I figured that was only fair.

When I got home, I finished the baby quilt for my great-niece. Now, onto my friend's table runner.

Greetings everyone: I'm posting from Calabogie, Ontario. I'm going to a quilt show at Picton tomorrow. My dh even found out about it for me before we left Winnipeg. We will be going into Ottawa and Kingston and going home to Winnipeg through the United States. Does anyone know of any qs's that I should stop and visit? I don't think that Bruce will stop at everyone but he might stop at a few. Barb, is your niece's anywhere near our path? My brain isn't remembering and someone wants the computer so I have to get off.

3 PhDs Done!

3 PhDs done for Myra's 6-month PhD Challenge...Well, I got three out of six done but I'm sure proud of those three. Without the PHD challenge Myra, they would still have been sitting there looking at me unfinished. I'm working on four and five. I was inspired by the challenge and had a lot of fun.

labor of love- help!!

I'm working on a labor of love for my premature great-niece who is now over six pounds. She can come home from the hospital when she eats on her own for three days in a row. Hopefully, that's soon so I need to get her quilt done soon and get a picture up. I have it sandwich and will be doing my first quilting on my new Janome 6500. The machine will be fine. I'm just concerned about the quilter. Please wish me luck.

A finished quilt top...

I love batiks and the kit for this class was in my favorite colors so how could I go wrong? Usually, I do not finish a quilt top from a class but this time I was inspired by M's PHD challenge. It won't be quilted by the end of June but all in good time.

Quilt-as-you-go Table Topper

How can you guess my favorite color is blue? This tablerunner was taught by some ladies in my quilting group at a retreat. You didn't have to make it this big. You could have stopped at two places so if I can find the pattern again, it is re-useable.

Delia's Comfort Quilt

This quilt was made for a special lady, D., in a quilting group that I belong to. I think my block is the two ladies , middle block, second row. I am very proud of my group for doing something like this.

Home From A Retreat

Got home Sunday tired but happy from a retreat at Morden, Manitoba. J. and I started out Friday with breakfast at the Pancake House and arrived at the Quilter's Jewel in Morden at about 11:00. After doing some damage there, we went and checked in at the Super 8. Then, off to admire the quilts and vendors at the Quilt Show. Unfortunately, I admired the vendors too well and again on Saturday. There were some beautiful quilts at the show. I was able to get a good start on my minchkin's quilt. (baby quilt). We had the sewing room until Saturday midnight so that was great. Lots of laughter, tears resulting from that laughter and joking around plus quilting resulted in happy ladies. Oh, we also did nibble on some munchkies also and enjoyed the pool. Friday night, we had the pool to ourselves. Saturday, we had to share it with some rowdy young men playing volleyball. Of course, we were rowdy quilters but we ended up leaving the pool to them because we figured that we didn't bounce well if they fell on us, especially me. M., didn't have my camera with me.

Dragon

This dragon became a pillow that I made for a friend. She loves dragons but is really a very nice person. Now, I'm going to be starting a baby quilt for a premature great-niece.

hand-quilting piece

This is one of my quilting projects that I am proud to show people. It's hard to see in the picture but the stitches are small and even.

Greetings

I can't believe how long it is since I've posted. The weather is quite beautiful in Manitoba. We've had a nicer March than for many years. I was co-convenor for a Rebekka anniversary dinner and a rep. at their assembly. I've a report to write up before I can do major quilting, unfortunately. After that, look out. I'm going to put my new Janome 6500 to work. My niece's tiny new baby needs a quilt to keep her warm when she comes home. I've got the fabric, pattern etc. which keeps calling to me. It's an incentive to get my report done.

Thanks M.

Thanks M for the newly decorated blog. It's always so nice to get a surprise from my talented friends.

Today was special. I had lunch with my daughter, Alanna. We sat and talked for an hour and a half. She's the boss and usually doesn't have any lunch hour so she enjoyed having time today and I enjoyed it right along with her. We didn't solve the problems of the world but we sure gave it a good try.

March Goals

Well, I'm hopeful that I will finish my third PHD in the next couple of days. Then, I'll be working on my fourth one, a lap quilt. I'll probably alternate between it and my fifth, a twin-sized made in batiks, in order not to get too bored.

I've decided that I will find ways around my rheumatoid arthritis and continue to have fun quilting. I will just be creative in the ways that I do it.

New Arrival

I am soooooooooooo excited. There is a new arrival at our household, a brand new Janome 6500. A friend helped track it down for me and it arrived in time for my birthday. Now, I just have to figure out all the tricks that it has. I will be trying out some new stitches out on my third PHD.

Note of Appreciation

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. M., thanks again for this challenge. I am feeling so good inside about the PHD's (Projects Half Done) that I'm working on. The only "bad" thing is my dh is so inspired by me quilting away that he cleaned out the bottom half of a cupboard in our condo so that I could clean up my part of our den. Bless the top of his helpful Harry head, does he think that's going to do it? chuckle, chuckle, lol. He's really going to be helpful when he retires in a year and a half isn't he? grin.

2nd PHD finished

I am so thankful for M's PHD challenge. Otherwise, my pillow would still be an unfinished top that I had started at a class. I will have to take a picture of it. I'm putting the binding on my third PHD challeng - a Christmas rr wallhanging. It's feeling strange but really good inside to be finishing projects. In the past, my pattern has been to start projects.

for a friend

I made this quilt for a friend who has had the challenge of breast cancer. She uses it to cuddle under at night and watch tv. It's called "For Love of L."

1st PhD done!

I can't believe that I've got my first PHD completed. Thank you M. for issuing this challenge. It has been a few years in progress. Onwards to the next one.

Have you ever lost a quilt top?

I was working on this for my girlfriend who has cancer and I can still hardly believe that I lost this quilt top. I had one more thing to appique on and went to a quilt group's party at one of our member's house's. When I went to work on it the next day, there was no quilt top. So, two weeks later, I started on another quilt top for her which people said that they liked better.

M's PHD Challenge

I got ahead of myself with my last post. I am joining M's PHD challenge and actually M, I will have six.
They are:
Nativity Scene,
Round Robin Christmas Wallhanging,
QC's quilt top,
Red Hat Purse,
QC's Wallhanging,
Pillowtop by MW.

Drunkard's Path?

This will be my fith PHd. It is from a class that I took a couple of years ago and has been sitting around. This is scary. I've found five PHd's and those are the ones in plain view. They aren't the ones in the bin in the storeage room. The reason that there's only a bin is that we downsized from a house to a condo. Before that, there was a basement full of fabric and PHd's. However, dh insisted that he wanted to bring his stuff to the condo also, go figure.

Time Flies

I can't believe that so much time has passed since my last post. M. asked me last night if I'd forgot that I had a blog. I grinned and said, no but................. Actually, I have no good reason, just excuses.

A few days ago we celebrated my dad's 90th birthday. His big birthday bash is in July as he didn't want people from the country coming in on possibly bad roads. He has always been the type to think of others. It was a nice start to 2010.

I had typed up some of my mom's favorite recipes for my dd and she said that it was her favorite Christmas present as she still misses my mom. I told her that it was okay to miss gramma and that she could think of her when she baked.