Road Trip

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a road trip on this Thanksgiving weekend. Elizabeth and I set out early for a shop, I think called Cornerstone Quilt Shop on Hyde Park Road in London. The owner was accepting the user cards from Quilts and Calicos in Exeter which closed this spring. We also got 15% off with our guild cards.
This new to us shop was small but quite nice none the less, lots of rulers and notions and of course beautiful fabric. She was unpacking a new line for Christmas called Chocolate so some of that came home with me. It was a busy little spot.

 From there we went to the Marsh Store, about 15 minutes away. That shop is overwhelming, she has everything plus more! I had a full card for $25.00 off my total. It was very busy, even the husband was cutting fabric.

 Since we were close to Cotton by Post we stopped there. It is now a knitting shop with beautiful yarn and only a bin of fat quarters for $2.00 each and a few bolts of fabric at $8.00 a meter. They are going out of the fabric business, they still had sewing machines though, I never thought to ask if they are stopping that as well.  We were the only customers. The side of the store that held all the fabric is closed off and is now a different business, a tack shop I think.

We set off home bemoaning the closing of the Exeter shop as we drove through and what does Mrs. Eagle Eye see as  she was driving ? Kalidoscope of Quilts in Exeter! It's on the opposite side as the old store and about a block up.So of course we had to stop. It was a bonus, a big bright store with  a classroom but not as much stock as the others yet. What she had was really nice, good quality and  modern. And she has wool felt and patterns with funky accessories. Good luck to her.

The Quilts  and Calicos building is still for sale and the classroom further up the street is now  an organic hairdresser/spa.

Next weekend there is a show  in Orangeville but I will be away. The week after there is one in Lucknow which we are planning to attend. So that will probably be the last of the road trips for the year. We have gone to Wendy's in Wiarton in the past for out November birthdays sale though if the weather holds out.

Now to get my new stuff organized.

new computer

Although nothing has been happening on this blog, things have been happening in real life.

My old computer finally bit the dust after about 10 years. I did get a laptop but haven't yet figured out how to post pictures.

I got about 6 tops done and ready to quilt. I finished up a wool felt fall table topper that I was working on at the retreat in the spring and made a little one for a gift. 1 1/2 socks are done and the socks done in the magic loop style have to be ripped out as they are too small.

All the Wednesday groups have restarted which means more projects. And Quilt Show season is back up and running. There was a local shop hop the last weekend of Sept. from Wiarton to Meaford, Markdale and Maxwell. Elizabeth and I went to all of them via back roads except for Wiarton as we did it in one day. The shop in Maxwell moved 2 years ago and is totally worth the trip, lots of wool felt and associated items. AND The Flying Spatula as seen on You Gotta Eat Here on the Food Network is on the way, just east of Flesherton. The only drawback is the portions are huge. I could have eaten it all 25 years ago. The burgers were 10 ounces, who can even eat that?

I have been watching a hand applique series on the Missouri Star site with Jan Patek. I have always liked it and haven't done a lot but now I am inspired again. I did get some patterns in Oakville on the way to the Burlington show in the spring. That might be my new evening project after I finish the 2nd sock. As someone in the Harry Potter series said "You can never have too many socks."

Wedding Gift

finished quilt

label

closeup of quilting

This is the finished quilt, "scrapbuster" from I think Mary Quilts that I started at the Sewcializers Schoolhouse Retreat in 2011. I finished the top then but it was buried under other projects. I recently came across it and wondered what to do with it. Around that same time, my son told me that his long time friend Matthew was getting married this summer. I decided to have it long arm quilted by Mary Gunson, Tara Ontario and to give it to Matthew and Adrienne. It is tone on tone beiges and is quilted in a soft pastel variegated rainbow, Bella Panto pattern. Mary did a wonderful job as usual. The wedding was Sunday July 21st and I finished the binding that day.

A Few Finishes

Back of Falling Charms

Falling Candy Charms

Twister

H Block

Joanne's Brown Bricks

Halton Giild Show "13

one block wonder on my to do list

50 shades of grey

Here a a few photos of this show at the Royal Botanical Gardens

applique done by Margaret who started the guild

Tokyo subway (I think)

another applique

Stratford Perth Museum 2013

Here are a few pictures from a trip to a display at this museum:

Elizabeth's zippered flowers

a  9 patch block exchange

nice border treatment

poster of event

Retreat '13 photos

Xmas dinner and sweaters

Santa Sack exchange

casserole totes on steps

Larissa's 3"  9 patch block exchange

The retreat pictures showed up when I was looking for the twister. Here they are:

folded ornaments

finished projects

Finished Twister

Here is the finshed twister which was delivered to a friend today for her soon to be grand daughter. She loved it and said her daughter would too.It's always a good feeling when someone likes your stuff.

Just bizarre

Sometimes computer issues are just bizarre. I started the post Thurday or Friday about the retreat. As there is still an issue posting photos ( every one I tried to upload showed as the one of Fiona with spilled wine on her pants from last year), I just deleted the entire post. And there it was this morning!!!  I follow the links in my  blog list  every morning while drinking my tea and was totally surprised to see it.

3rd Annual Sewcializers Retreat.....

Our retreat was held last weekend at the Trail's End Lodge in Tobermory. We had 2 new members this year, Del's friend Donna and Joanne's friend Larissa. We had a great time, good food, good company and a lot of sewing. I did the main project, a Framed quilt but did not do the casserole tote or the folded Xmas ornament. We also held an Xmas dinner and Santa Sack gift exchange which was a big hit. We were like little kids. The weather was great Friday but got rainy and cold for the rest of the weekend.

Halton Quilt Guild Show

This show was held last weekend at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. It was a beautiful day at a beautiful show in a beautiful venue. There were a lot of vendors, too many perhaps. Elizabeth and I drove down the day before stopping off in Shelburne where there is a new shop "Bound To Quilt"  one  door down from "Cobwebs and Cavier". Then we set off for "The Hobby Horse" in Georgetown. It was an adventure trying to find it, darn google maps! It was one shop that wasn't worth the frustration of finding it. We went into a really nice little shop in Oakville down near the lake then set off to for Ikea. From there we were going to the hotel but an Arbys was on our way, then a Starbucks. I don't know why I had a coffee at 7 p.m. especially when I don't even like their coffee. It kept me awake almost all night, my last time check was 4 a.m. We were exhausted at the end of the day and tootled on home with all our new goodies!
 It's too bad but  for some unknown reason, my pictures won't upload. I tried last night as well, maybe it's a google thing.

Giving Quilts

Fiona's

Gayles

Sally's

Cathy's

Mine

Elizabeth's

 

 

 

Joanne's

Here are the Jennifer Chiavarini inspired quilts made by my little group "Sewcializers" of Southampton.I think we all had a good time making them and I am very proud of us all rising to Cathy's Christmas Challenge to make them. Some will be donated, Fiona's is in England where I hope her mother is loving it. Unfortunately the photo of Gayle's didn't turn out well and it is a striking beauty in Orientals and red. And I think they were pretty much made out of our stashes.

What have I done?

About a month ago, I went through  a big box of my own scraps, pressing, cutting , sorting and organizing. It took days and left me with a stiff neck and shoulder and a vow to cut and sort as I go. Now I have a huge stack of 2 patches waiting to get sewn into 4 patches then into something usable.

Well, that being said, on Wed. I came home fron Scrap Bags with 1 small and 2 medium size boxes of scraps that were donated from a mother of friend of Mary. ( the mother doesn't know) .So yesterday I sorted through those. There are a zillion 1 and 1/2" squares, maybe a postage stamp top was in mind. I gave mine to Joanne but dare not give her these as they might just be the tipping point. There are lots of various size squares, trianges, 1/2  and 1/4 sq triangles, some hand sewn, some Dear Janes, 2 and 4 patches, lots of UFO's and on and on. It was all very well organized. I think some were things she had bought at yard sales as they were packaged and priced.

Looks like a lot of work ahead. It keeps me off the street and out of the bars!

Dooley (Dueling?) Tandems

Big trucks

This top was done at a Linus Day at the Kincardine guild.Joanne, Sally and I went and went out for lunch afterwards.It was a really nice outing, the pieces were already cut so all we had to do was sew them up.This has fussy cut squares of big trucks that someone called either Dooley or Dueling Tandems. Not having any little boys in my life, I had no idea what she was talking about. There was another Linus day 2 weeks later but I was unable to attend. Now to finish it.

Big twister

twister top

after cutting

This was done with another novelty ruler/template. I had bought the medium size that starts with 5 or 6 inch squares. I thought it was too small so I borrowed Joanne's which starts with 10 inch squares. They are sewn together with a border. This top seems to be my default pattern, a simple diagonal,  then it is cut up, not the individual squares like the X block. It was a little tricky but Joanne said to cut one block then place it in row order. It makes a cute pinwheel and I like it much more than the X block. I will make the smaller one. This will go to Scrapbags as the Strawberry Short Cake- the light pink- came from the  SB stash.

X-blocks

9 patch

Xblock ruler on top

9 patch after cutting

patches sewn up

This was made with an X block ruler purchased at a show last year. It was kind of fun, the leftover bits were sewn into a border. I put the back strip as a separating border but I prefer a regular 9 patch over this. It will be a Linus quilt when done. That ruler/template will go into the silent auction at the guild next year.

Scrap Bags Feb. project

Squares before cutting

Squares after cutting

This was the Feb project at Scrap Bags taught by Jeannette. It is simply squares sewn together following a diagram, so in my case, the blue squares fall in a precise spot in each row. In the second picture, the top has been cut and resewn following the diagram so that the blue squares make up an outer border. Cool eh?

Guild project

Remembrance Day

The guild is making Calendar Quilts by Kim Schaefer for a donation I think to Community Living. Each month has it's traditional theme. Because it is an American pattern, the Nov. block was a turkey.We were divided into groups with each member doing a part of it. Someone drafted a Canadian version and last week I brought it home to do my share. Today I appliqed the cross part of the cross and the poppies, leaves and buds. I think the top is done. I ordered the pattern to make a set for myself and maybe for a gift.

Shadow Stars

Shadow Stars

This quilt is a Karen Coombs pattern made up of batiks collected on various road trips. I started making it in 2010. Pete would always comment on how he liked the bight colours and the contrasts.  I finally finished the top and had it long arm quilted by Mary Gunson before I moved. It was kind of hidden in plain sight in my sewing room just needing binding which I finished last night.  Since Pete was very supportive of my quilting and it was the last one he saw me working on, I  will be keeping it for myself.

Giving Quilt

Giving Quilt

Here is my finished top for the Giving Quilt challenge issued by Cathy at our Xmas lunch.I put an extra border on it to make it a little bigger. Looking at it now, I don't know if the green border suits it but there is a polka dot in the blue squares that is the same colour. It was easy to make but even though I had the pattern in front of me and the pieces set out as they were in the picture, I did sew the 2 sections together wrong. That was 64  seams to pick out. I think I just swore the one time though when I saw the mistake.
Another really snowy day to stay in and sew, I'm planning on making and sewing on the binding for the Shadow Stars.

Flurries of snow and flurries of finishes...

Sunbonnet Sues

Bright 9-Patches

WTP close up

Winnie the Pooh

Duckies

Train Set with Animals

Scrappy Flannel Squares

Blue and White Flannel Squares

Here are pictures of finishes done in January while the snow was blowing then the rain teeming down and  BBC mysteries on the DVD player.

• The scrappy flannel squares are made from leftovers from Elizabeth, Cathy and me

 

 

 The train set was a panel of cut outs to make stuffed toys from the SB stash. I fused and machine appliqued them and put in the animal stripes to make it bigger. The duckies is more of the same as the train set.The blue and white squares are from Elizabeth's stash, already cut. And I just yesterday got more items from her stash. Winnie the Pooh in a piece of yardage, probably backing to go with a panel or something. I took a closeup as the figures can't be made out. That will go to Project Linus through the Kincardine Guild.The 9 patches were made and in my stash waiting for something to be done with them. So I put them together with sashing and will keep this one back for a someday quilt.And the SB Sues came from Joanne's stash. They were already fused so I appliqued them down and made up 9 patches to make it bigger.