Say yes to the dress

Dear Eldest daughter managed to get her wedding dress after just trying on half  the store stock.
The entourage of dresses included tons of strapless which dear eldest daughter was adamant that she did not want. She is very top heavy, (where she gets that is beyond me as I am the pancake brand for  Victoria Secret), and didn’t want everything pouring out.
My 87 year old mother, myself and dear eldest daughter headed off to Mississauga and Oakville for several appointments to find the perfect dress. Most of the dresses were an automatic “ ah no!”, but there were a couple that were contenders…..but still not THE dress.
At one point my mom and I thought we would die as dear eldest daughter took a strong liking to a pimped out princess glitter ball gown that I can only describe as the “hooker of a wedding gowns”.
Mom and I were keeping our mouths shut as it s eldest daughter’s choice but I couldn’t imagine  wearing sun glasses the whole time at the church and reception. I thought my mother would have a stroke when dear eldest daughter said this might be the one…. hell no…let’s keep looking.
We headed off to the second appointment, with a specific dress style in mind. While dear eldest daughter was in the fitting room trying it on, I hear her yell from the room…”Mom, I think this is the one!”
Out she comes…..she’s crying, mom and I start crying, the sales lady is crying……and she said yes to the dress.
Can’t give you a full look at it before the wedding day, but you can get a good idea. Look at dear old Grandma with dear eldest daughter, proud as punch. I’m so happy that my mom was able to come along and share in the experience.

Animal Tracks

These ladies from my Morley Moose class are  getting the basics done for appliqueing. Morley was a lot of work to get started. Tracing all those body parts onto wonder under, then deciding what fabric to go where, cutting out all the pieces and sewing strips and strips to make  the background. Whew, I tired already.  A couple of the ladies decided on the original kit for the class, but a few decided to use batiks, which I can’t wait to see completed.

Star light, Star bright

This is a wonderful quilt made by Lorna. I love the way the stars just pop.  She has made a beautiful job of this and I know here daughter will love it.

It was not that long ago that Lorna took my beginner class, and look what she has accomplished since then.  She has done fantastic.

The quilt is a wonderful queen size and just looks amazing….look at the sashing, lined up perfectly. Way to go Lorna!

Embroidered Beauty

This is my sister in law’s quilt…awesome isn’t it. Her Mother embroidered each of the blocks, then sewed them together into a queen size quilt.  My sister in law then asked me to longarm quilt it for her. It turned out beautifully, just amazing with every embroidered block, all cross stitched by hand.

It looks amazing on the bed and look at the detail in each block. There were 30 of these gorgeous blocks in all……love it, so very unique.

Bon Appetit

We’re having a backyard BBQ engagement party for Dear eldest daughter that just got engaged and I’ve been working on getting things prepared for the day… in advance.

These are the little knife, fork, spoon and napkin packages for guests. We’ve chosen a red and white theme for the event and I have lucked out with finding things that will work, color wise.

I picked up these cute little bags at Michaels, downloaded the clipart , then ran them through the printer.

All worked well until one of them zigged when it should have zagged and jammed the printer.

After an hour of figuring out how to open the printer, then try and find where the crinkled  bag  was hiding, we were in business again.

They turned out cute and dear eldest daughter likes them so that’s all that matters.

In their new home

Although I hated to part with them, they do look lovely in their new home. My brother and his wife moved to a new home in Grimsby and when they moved in I gave them the quilt “Stars around the garden”.  My brother is very good to me, doing all kinds of handy man things that Dear Hubby struggles with. Like putting in our dishwasher, changing our kitchen taps so they don’t leak, installing a new kitchen sink and even adding new wheels to my quilt machine. Needless to say, I owe him big-time, and what better way to pay it forward than to give them a quilt that they love.

I gave them the option of picking a quilt from my stash when they moved in and this is the one they chose. It looks amazing on their bed. The quilted Lone Star above the bed was a gift I gave them for their recent 31st wedding anniversary. 

Both look lovely and I know that they will be loved and cherished for years, which is really what quilting is all about.

Mint to be loved

Leighla from my Beginner’s class also attended the Quilt in a Day log cabin class I taught and completed this beauty in a soft mint green and grey. The colors look amazing together with just that soft punch of apricot for the center square……gorgeous. She recently brought it to be longarmed and we quilted it in the pattern called Mandarin Lace.

It is wonderful to see a beginner fall in love with quilting and continue on the journey.  She has been quilting up a storm and I’m so proud of what she has been able to accomplish.

Another student  HOOKED on quilting…I’ve done my job!

Anniversary Quilt

My brother and sister in law had their 25th anniversary a few years back and I made them this quilt to celebrate. I’m not sure that I ever got a picture of it, and I certainly had not posted it on my blog, so a recent visit to their place gave me the opportunity to snap one.

It’s a pleasure to give them quilts as my sister in law is always so appreciative  and proudly displays them around her home. This one looks great laying over the back of their sofa.

I can’t tell you the name of this pattern, it was a photocopy template from a swap quilt class I took at Gone to Pieces years and years ago. A neat concept whereby you bring 5X5 squares of good quality cotton from your stash to class and trade with other participants so everyone winds up with a wide variety of fabrics. You then use the squares to make 1/2 square triangle (or not ) and the store gave you several options for layouts with them. I always liked this heart layout one, so opted to make my brother and his wife this one from my stash. They love and I love it, plus the heart pattern was very applicable for their anniversary.

Little Log Cabins in the making

The ladies in my quilted jacket class are labouring with their log cabin blocks that trim the jacket. They are small, only 3.5 X 3 inches finished plus you need a lot of them…..anywhere from 40-60 depending on your personal acreage.

Kelli, Joan, Mary, Doris, Donna and Margaret are all striping and sewing like crazy to get these little guys finished in time for the next class.

I feel their pain as I had to make them all as well for the store sample.

The original pattern had you cut each piece individually and sew them on piece by piece as well…that would have been even more painful.  I opted to teach the students Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day  method using strips which would save them much time and aggravation.  It was a good call!

Come on girls….you can do it!

Star Struck

This runner was a nice surprise from Debbie Caffrey’s mystery series.

I taught the class at Kindred Spirits Quilt Co. recently and worked through the mystery instalments with students at the class. I love the way this runner turned out. It started out using  tri recs triangles, add a little here and there and you have these fabulous stars. I opted to use Christmas fabric and it looks so rich and seasonal.

These mystery quilts and runners are so fun to do as you just don’t know what they will turn out like until they are completely done.

I’m star struck with this one!

Unorthodox Bento Box

This quilt started as a challenge quilt for the “Sew Sisters” at Kindred Spirits Quilt Co.  Michelle the owner, asked her staff for a small challenge quilt using specific lines available at the store. I chose the line called Salt Air. The quilt was to be an original design, geared to beginners and on the smaller size. Perhaps a runner, but no larger than a lap.

I started with the idea that I would do a small square table topper, based on the block called Bento Box. I got all my blocks finished, laid it out and went “UG!”  as in UGLY, UGLY. What was I thinking? I was thinking that it would look really good, however it did not. So now what was I going to do with it,  as the table topper idea really did not work.

I opted to turned the blocks on point, add setting triangles and squeeze out a lap quilt instead of my original thought.

Now I’m happy with it…hence the name “Unorthodox Bento Box” as this is not how a bento box quilt  should go together or look.

Sometimes a girl’s got do what a girl’s gotta do. Think outside the Box!

“Cutie” is right!

I love this little quilt in the making. It’s from Bunny Hill and one of those projects that I’ve had stashed away for what seems forever.

It’s called Postcard Cuties for Winter and it really is cute. I’m partial to snowmen and to see these little guys come to life on the quilt….makes my heart melt!  happy. Still quite a few blocks to go yet, so I better get going to get it complete before the snow flies.

Beginner Beauties

My students from the Beginner Class are just about finished their quilts. These are wonderful finished projects and a few of the ladies opted to make their quilts larger and do multiple blocks…talk about dedication. Ann did her lap size in batiks for her trailer and it turned out superb.
Karen opted for brights in lime, pink and grey with an awesome polka dot to offset it all. This one is for her daughter.

Monica had wanted a red quilt and got it in this fabulous collection from French General. Love, love love it!
Trish finished up her lap size while trying to juggle dates with George…sometimes George won out and Trish came to class without her homework done….but she still finished. This quilt is for her daughter.

Gloria finished her quilt which is intended for her daughter to cozy up under when she goes away to university. It looks amazing.

Thanks ladies for making the class so enjoyable!

Backyard Friends

We live on a street whereby our backyard backs onto a field. Eventually it will be an extension to our subdivision with more homes, but for now it’s like the Back 40.  We get deer, raccoons, chipmunks, hundred’s of birds and these guys. We’ve been here 11 years and this was a first…to see these 2 wild turkeys wandering around.

God they’re ugly…makes me want think twice about eating  turkey for Thanksgiving!

Table runner mystery magic

These are the table runners almost finished from my Mystery Table Runner Class held at Kindred Spirits Quilt Co. The pattern designer is Debbie Caffrey and I love the way they turned out with the stars. Debbie, Shirley Barb and  Kathy had to have a great deal of patience waiting for the final clue…but these were worth the wait. Awesome job ladies.

Getting it together

My beginner class is drawing to an end, the ladies have finished their blocks and are now getting their blocks together. It’s helpful to lay out the pieces on the floor so you can see what goes where and how the pieces and rows will go together. I’m so proud of this beginner class, they have done wonderfully.

These quilts in progress belong to Gloria, Monica, Karen and  by George there is Trish’s.

Out-shining the teacher

Wow, this is amazing and it’s one of my students work. Even I can't do this awesome handwork. Monica was not fond of doing a machine  ladder stitch or zigzag around her applique pieces like the class and pattern called for. She asked if she could blanket stitch around by hand….

There really are no rules in quilting so do what makes you comfortable…you’ll love your project more if you do what you like.

She did amazing, just beautiful hand work and so  precise. Her centre blocks look amazing.

Guessing Games

I had been teaching a Mystery Runner Class at Kindred Spirits Quilt Co. It was a really fun class, as students don’t know what the final project will look like. Clues are given each class and students follow the instructions to complete pieces of the puzzle. Before the final reveal, I had the students try to guess what the runner might look like by laying their pieces out. Some were closer to the final look than others, but all had fun working through the guessing game.

No wonder I fall into bed at night

These two don’t sit still for a moment!

All I wanted was a pic of them on their new quilts.

I take care of my grandsons when my daughter works and usually they are sleepovers as she works 12 hour shifts. After a whole day of daycare dilemmas I usually literally fall into bed at night…I am exhausted by the time they leave. I love them to pieces, but they are a  handful. Busy, busy, busy as they are  3 and a half and 20 months.

Daughter just bought them bunk beds and these are the matching quilts Nana made for them.

When daughter saw the quilts, she said to the oldest grandson,  “Ayden…look at your new quilt…isn’t it awesome, maybe you can sleep with it, in your own bed tonight !”…..seems that daughter and hubby have had a visitor in their bed for several months now.