Quilting is Dangerous!

 

Last week I stuck a needle in my finger- right along the nail...OUCH! Well, after a few days it was really hurting and turning red all around.  Then it filled with pus. Yuck! (You probably didn't want to hear that part) It is not a good thing to try and hand quilt with an infected finger.

So while I wait for it to heal I have been keeping busy with other things.

 

I wound all my skeins of sock yarn into balls. I am ready to knit socks! Lots of socks!

I also took a bit of time in my sewing room with my flock of geese! All the 8 geese units are done. All that is left are 13 two-geese units...just 26 geese in all. By the time they are finished I will have made a total of 902 geese! Now that is a lot of geese.

 

 

I am close to having a working finger again so it won't be long before I'm hand quilting again!

 

And last but certainly not least, I want to show off what my wonderful brother made for me....

 

A coffee scoop and...

 

 

...a new pen!

 

 

Thanks!

 

Happy Stitching!

To Give and Receive

I'd like to share a few things I got and something I made.

First the Christmas gifts I got...at least the quilty ones!

First, a new quilt rack and I know the perfect place but not the perfect quilt.

I may have to make a new quilt just for it!

And some new knitting needles...handmade ones!

A new book (it's beautiful and full of inspiration) and a couple of new patterns...

Notice the Civil War Bride Quilt pattern...oh my!

Now I plan to find the perfect background. I've been eyeing this pattern for such a long time!

And finally, a new tool to play with that will help inspire new designs. Show and tell to come....

And now I'd like to show something I gave to my good friend Gloria. It was a tough secret to keep while I was making it. It is a quilt with a lot of meaning and it was very hard for me to piece because of that. I was originally thinking of telling the story here but I can't bring myself to find the right words. I have been trying for days so I will just say that the quilt is filled with love.

The quilt measures about 54"x68". Here is a closer picture.

It is all floral scraps of different widths and foundation pieced.

I drafted the block to the size that fit the scraps in my EQ7. It worked perfectly.

Happy New Year and Happy Stitching in 2012!

A surprise in the mail!

This week we had a wonderful surprise in the mail...some amazing wood and acrylic icicles from my brother who is a wood turner! It is hard to pick a favourite from the 20 tree ornaments so I'll just say they are all my favourite!

and more...

and still more...

And a couple in the tree already!

Thanks my brother!

Now I must go finish decorating the tree!

Merry Christmas

Everything done but the stocking...

I finally have my new Christmas wall hanging up on the quilt rack!

This weekend I got the machine quilting done.

I found a fabulous variegated thread in my stash perfect for Christmas.

I decided I wanted to just do a 60 degree grid. I figured it would look good with the trees and presents being longer than they are wide.I lined up the first quilting line and just marked it with masking tape.

After the first quilt line was sewn it was easy to stay on track using my handy foot attachment! My lines stayed a wonderful 2-1/2 inches apart. I love that attachment!

Ta-da!

Not just one, but two...one with red binding and one with green...guess which one I kept?

I just know my brother will love his new wall hanging (next Christmas)!

Merry Stitching!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas is here...at least in my sewing room! I've been busy finishing my needle punched ornaments that have been 2 years in the making. Here they all are lined up and waiting to go to new homes! They are so cute!

They are the perfect size to hang on a tree or perhaps a doorknob...

I also started a new Christmas wall hanging for the kitchen quilt rack.

This wall hanging is from the newest issue of McCall's quilting magazine. It is all paper pieced trees and presents. I have all the presents cut out so far. It is a great way to use up smaller Christmas fabric scraps!

The first block is made!

I think it will be a quick sew and it is going to be so cute!

Christmas really is my favourite time of year. I love how (most) people are happier and friendlier. And I love making gifts for people I care about. I think mostly it is appreciated. I am lucky that many people I care about appreciate the work and time and love that goes into making a gift.

So back I go to my sewing room...

Happy Stitching!

I have a LITTLE guilt....

I had a great weekend sewing and cut into some of the fabric I bought while I was away to finish piecing this quilt. I love this fabric and had a very hard time slicing into it.

So here is a confession of my guilt. This quilt was going to be a Christmas present (and I will not say for whom) but after piecing it I think I need to keep it for myself. As soon as it was done I could see myself all wrapped up in it for a winter's nap. I can almost feel the flannel backing (I have to go shopping for that!) and see the quilting. And it is the perfect nap size- 60" x 67".

This one will be another big stitched quilt so it will hopefully be ready to use by the time the cold part of winter arrives.

So I am thinking a clam shell pattern with a nice brown pearl cotton.

And although I will not get another quilt made before Christmas to replace this one I will begin work on it's replacement for next Christmas...

And in the meantime, and despite my selfishness, maybe a little Christmas spirit has found me after all...

Happy Stitching!

Home and almost ready to sew again!

I'm home from a wonderful Christmas spent with my family in North Carolina. I thought I would share some pictures of some 'quilty' Christmas gifts I got, including new snips! Santa was reading my blog!

My calendar and a book of quilts from Prince Edward Island (a part of my heritage)

Some knitting needles (I love Knitpicks needles)

A new spindle my Dad made for me

And finally a quilted wallhanging from my Aunt

And now to get back into my sewing room... next up is my scrappy nine patch that I bought sashing and borders for and more Farmers Wife blocks. I am also going to tackle a miniature Double Wedding ring!

Happy Stitching!