Some Of My Quilts

I promised to share some of the quilts I have made in the past several years, and I can see from looking back at these pictures that while I keep telling myself and everyone else that I like traditional quilt patterns, I can also tell you that I like one block quilts and possibly this is what I seem to be mixing up.  Possibly I am not as much a traditionalist as I think.


Some of these pictures are really not that great, but, in the early days I didn't have what you might call a good digital camera.  

Card Trick first quilt I ever made

Double Bed Sized Wedding Gift

I saw this "Autumn Nights" in a Quilt Magazine and made it, but, at this moment I am unable to tell you the name of the Quilt Designer, when I do find her name I will correct this omission.

 

Bear Paw - 116" X 116" Black/Cream
With Matching Pillow Shams

3D Pinwheel lap quilt

Another Quilt using Autumn Nights Pattern

My first tiny quilt using Log Cabin Blocks and trying our hand quilting

I made this from a pattern called Chicken Feed- Designer Unknown at this time

Professionally quilt by Kris Bowyer of Pennsylvania and she is a fantastic quilter, always try to pattern her quilting to match the theme of the quilt 

Scrappy Twin Sized Frost Fest Silent Auction Quilt

Flannel Backing for the Scrappy Twin

Now these are not all of my quilts, but, as I am not what you would term as being an organized person, my pictures are not all in one place to be useful.


After making quilts for awhile I began making quilted tote bags and other tiny totes and many, many of these have been sold.  One of these days I will have to go and try to integrate the beginning of this blog which is somehow locked up in Blogger and show you the totes I made.  See, even my blogs are unorganized and seemingly not of use.


I guess I should begin organizing not only my stash and other notions, but also my photo's, but that is for another time, when I have time, which I never seem to have.


Thanks for stopping by this afternoon, I really hope you stay with me, one of these days I may just get it all right. 

My Best Friend Just Happens to be a Quilter

We have been friends for over 57 years and my best friend is responsible for my taking up this wonderful obsession of quilting. 

She lives across the ocean in a small town not too far from Amsterdam, the city we were both born in.  I now live in Canada and so when we get together it is quite a journey. 
This year we celebrate our milestone birthdays together.  Seeing as we were born in the same country, the same city, the same year, the same month but just several days apart, it seems only fitting that this year we celebrate the BIG 65 together.   I hope to make this celebratory trip sometime this year, we just haven't settled on a good month just yet. 

My Beautiful Elle

I will share some of her quilts with you.  Her style and my style are so different, she is more folksy and contemporary and open to the visual arts while I remain steeped in the traditional.  Here are pictures of some of Elle's quilts. 

Fabric and colour selection

All ready to assemble

Halfway there

All Done isn't it wonderful a great accessory to her room

Colorful

Bright and Cheerful

I love this cuddly lap quilt

I still cannot make the tumbling blocks

At least this is more of the Traditional

A Play Quilt for Her Grandson

These are but a very few of the many quilts Elle has made over the years. Tomorrow I will hunt up some images of some of the quilts I have put together, you can certainly see why I maintain I am still a beginner.
Its been a rather hectic day at my house so I am off to douse the lights and inspect my pillow, I hope tomorrow is a better day for me and for you.  Thank you for stopping by and allowing me to introduce you to a very important person in my life.

The Wedding

Indulge me this bit of personal bragging.  


On December 31st, 2010 my son married his sweetheart and her two children.  I now am officially a grandma and a very happy one at that.   Tell me my grandchildren are beautiful.  They are, are they not? Allow me a few paragraphs and pictures of a Mothers' Pride.
My daughter-in-law is so beautiful on the inside and so very gorgeous on the outside.  We got the best of this marriage union, two grands and a beautiful daughter.  What a way to bring in the NEW YEAR.  

KEVIN and KELLY McMASTER

ISN'T THIS ROMANTIC

Introducing "The McMaster's"

Brayden and Mikayla Kalverda are now Members of the McMaster Clan 

I am so very proud of them, but what mother wouldn't?  They chose the Nestleton Waters Inn just outside of Port Perry, Ontario and it was absolutely the best wedding venue. Its overall charm and hospitality not to mention the food was 100% perfect.  The hosts were the best, the staff, the greatest, the whole visit from beginning to when we all said our farewells was FIVE STAR class. 

Not only do they host weddings they will be quite happy to have you visit.  The ambiance and comfort of the entire place is the best, the food was out of this world so tasty and well prepared, all of your experiences at this venue will be first class, you will want to return time and time again.  If you have time, take the tour just follow the link above.

Thanks Kelly and Kevin, Mikayla and Brayden for the memories.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Isn't it Just Too Cold

Ouch, it is so cold out there!  The man who does our snow shoveling just came in the door, his beard frozen with ice cycles hanging from it, his face white from the frigid temperature.  It is -4F here up from -9F this morning, bone chilling cold and a slight wind to slice that cold right into you.  So glad your here with me, a hot cup of cocoa, coffee or tea at your side and warmth throughout the house, mmmmm that feels good!
I have plans to finish piecing Strawberry Fields today, though I thought that I would accomplish that yesterday and begin the sandwiching today, but I got carried away reading some of those talented and wonderful Quilter Bloggers out there.  A belated Happy Birthday to you Sue, of "I Sew Quilts" in the United Kingdom,( hoping it was a fantastic and special day!   I follow Sue's quilting blog and you can find her link in my "Blogs I Follow" list in the right column.  Sue helped me out with my question about her Klosjes blocks she is making, silly one that I am, forgot the dutch word for Kloss is spool!!!

These were Sue's Blocks that so intrigued me!

Back to reality today, and I must somehow squeeze in a visit to a Pampered Chef party this afternoon but that means having to dress and walk over to the Legion Branch that is sponsoring it, and with this cold bone chilling weather this just does not appeal to me, however I promised I would go and go I will!  
Think I will take my camera and take a few snaps, maybe there is something there of interest to share with you later today.
I dressed in so many layers that walking was awkward.  Our hostess Edith has prepared a wonderful pot of hot coffee and a carafe of tea with cheese and crackers as the nibblers with coconut macaroon cookies.  I went for the macaroons and a cup of coffee.  Yum.
Lisa, the lady from Pampered Chef and her daughter Grace began the party by handing out tickets for a prize, and so the next few hours began.  I have to admit, I ended up reading the recipe out loud and as I described wash step of the recipe, Lisa was able to demonstrate the items used for creating a Chocolate Strawberry Cake.  So many wonderful and useful baking items were displayed very cleverly  and ergonomically designed.  I bought two knives which I felt I just had to have.


Here is Lisa and her 12 year old daughter Grace who was a very experienced assistant.

This young lady visiting with her mum and Pampered Chef fan grandmother begins her training in becoming a world class shopper. 

Now it is back to my Frost Fest project which is never going to be finished if I don't stop.

Thanks for stopping by on such a bone chilling cold day, I hope you day like my day was a great one. 

Strawberry Fields is Growing

I meant to show you my progress on the Strawberry Fields lap quilt I am making for the Frost Fest Silent Auction, so I think I will post my pictures to let you see that it really is beginning to take shape, there are two blocks for the third row to be pieced and then another three rows of 5 to construct.  This I hope to complete today so that tomorrow I may get the borders on, sandwich and begin the quilting. 


My how time flies when there is little time left!

First 2 Rows Together

Do You White Knuckle Drive Too?

Yesterday was my four legged companions' day for grooming so we dressed in our warmest, got the van warmed and set off to Gananoque which is 32 km. from where I live in The Bay.  Now foolishly I had let the gas tank run a tad low for winter driving and I worried about getting there without running out, but both my pet and I arrived safely, even though it was snowing a bit, but because the weatherman didn't expect much of a dusting I felt good about being on the road.
The van got us into Gananoque safe and sound with a little still in the gas tank, so first I headed off to the Groomer, KLIPS and got her there in time for her appointment.  Now Mitzji is like any other four legged companion, shakes like a leaf going in and so very happy when the grooming is all over and done with and is on th way home to her own turf. 
The appointment was for 4 in the afternoon making it a dark ride home.  My misfortune was that the light snow turned into a full blast snow storm and while I for the most part enjoy the drive from my house to Gananoque I dislike driving in snow at night on a mostly dark road.  I white knuckled it all the way home and it took so much longer than is usual because I slowed down considerably.  Guess my 75 k/per hour was too slow cause some impatient person passed me and didn't seem too pleased that I was being careful and taking my time.  Silly person, not farther up ahead of me was a snow plow, so that person while being in front of me was no further ahead and definitely going much slower than 75 kliks.....If I could have I would have kissed that snow plowman for slowing us down, and, for sanding the highway so very well. 
While I love the look that Winter creates I enjoy winter mostly from the inside, I love how it resculptures the landscape but to drive in it leaves me rather jittery. 
   I guess getting older makes you a tad less confident.
Now back to my Frost Fest project, you know, the Strawberry Fields I told you about in an earlier post.  February 4th is just around the corner and I still have too much to do.  HAVE you bought your Frost Fest Buttons yet?  If your out and about the Penguin Spotter will find you and when the Penguin tags you you get a prize!    Run, don't walk to your nearest Button Vendor and get your Button now, you could be the next BIG winner....Don't forget the Roast Beef Dinner and the Dance - boys oh dear it's gonna be a great weekend!!
BACK to the sewing machine and the piecing, hi ho hi ho its off to sew I go, thanks for stopping by and have yourself a wonderful day.

My Grandmothers Sewing Box

This morning while searching for something I unearthed a gift I was given just before moving from New Brunswick to Ontario. I had forgotten all about it.  The discovery of it this morning was a very pleasant surprise.  

Grandmothers Sewing Box

My Aunt made me a gift of my paternal grandmothers sewing box, seeing as I was the only one in the family interested in quilting.  I do have another cousin that has made some quilts but it isn't a passionate obsession like it is for me.  This box was very special to my grandmother having been made by my uncle in 1926 while in the 9th grade while taking shop.  My father and all of his brothers and sisters were of the era where taking home mechanics for girls and shop for the boys was a mandatory part of their school curriculum.  


My grandmother was a quilter, one of those women who used quilting not only for necessary bedding, but, because she loved change, and because the family's finances were not abundant she used paint and her colourful quilts to bring about the changes in her home.  With 10 children to feed and cloth, new furniture was totally out of the question so old clothing and bedding were recycled and even enhanced some times when a good sale was on with a new piece or two of fabric. 


My uncle made the box in 1926 making it 85 years old this year.  The box is simplistically designed, and measures 8.5" in depth by 11.5" in length and 17" in its width.  Made from 1/4" plywood and nicely shellacked, a wooden lip of a 1/2" around the inside of it and a tiny tray with a velvet covered bottom for storing needles and other small things like her thimbles and her cardboard patterns she'd cut out of cardboard.  The bottom of the box is lined with a page from the Telegraph Journal (the Saint John newspaper of the day), the date at the top of the page, December 24th, 1968, a good six years before her passing, so at that date my grandmother would have been 80 years of age.  

See the Old fashioned tin embroidery hoop?

Inside was a plethora of wonderful items, such as card board templates for her quilt blocks each with her name and address written in her hand on the back, a well worn  thimble, carbon paper, old pair of scissors, a sewing case made from a thin type of oil cloth with various sewing needles bits of yarn for sock darning on cardboard, and the best treasure of all, several test blocks, from quilts she made, left over cotton fabrics neatly tied up with another left over scrap of white cotton, an old tin embroidery hoop and an assortment of old iron on transfer patterns sent to her from the Telegraph Journal, Household Arts Department in 1969 and 1971.  Years ago women could buy patterns featured in the Needlecraft section of the paper and if you were interested in any of these patterns you sent along your request to the paper and the pattern(s) were sent back to you, for a small remuneration, but for exactly how much I can't guess, though I don't believe it would be too much as the postage in 1969 was Five cents and in 1971 Seven cents....wow who'd have imagined that postage for a letter would cost over Sixty cents today and then there is tax added to that cost.  

One of the envelopes holds several cut iron on transfers of very large roses.  I guess my gran wasn't into larger embroidery because the largest of the roses were all neatly folded away inside this envelope.  I am certain she used the smaller border roses for her pilowcases.  Even some left over transfers from an Alice Brooks design package.  My Aunt told me that my grandmother would travel uptown to a small store to buy 100% cotton pillowcases on sale to use these for embroidering and these would become wedding shower gifts.  I still have the pair she embroidered for me and that was over 46 years ago.  

Envelope with my Grans handwritten
self addressed label containing
Iron on Transfers by
Designer Alice Brooks

Some of Grans quilt squares

As I said, my grandmother was a quilter and all of her quilts were hand traced, hand  cut, pieced and quilted by her,  I was told that she never owned a sewing machine.  Surprisingly the other brown envelope in the box held a quilt pattern, titled only as Design 7151, the total pattern including the block templates, piecing instructions as well as the quilt lay out illustrations printed on one very large piece of thin white paper for the twin and double bed sizes. No hint of the quilt designers' name or name of the pattern and speaks only to the amount of fabric required and refers to the fabric width as 36".  I cannot recall when a wider width fabric was offered to quilters, but certainly not in my grandmothers day. 

Design 7151

I still haven't seen this pattern even though I have been searching for it, when I do I might be able to give a name to Design 7151.


I must search for the trunk that holds my grandmothers quilts and take some pictures to share.  


Hopefully you have enjoyed my travel through my grandmothers sewing box and some of the story about how I managed to have it and the contents within.  I have chosen to leave these contents as they are and have been since her passing and maybe someday, someone in my family will want to check it out and be thrilled with its history.


All being well I will see you tomorrow.

This Years Frost Fest Quilt

Seeley's Bay annual Frost Fest is once again almost upon our Town and most inhabitants involved in the planning and execution of the various events are hard at work completing everything we believe may go to making this years events more successful than the last. To this end each year I have contributed by being on the planning committee, running the Scavenger Hunt and contribution of quilted items either for the silent auction or as prizes.

We enjoy this part of winter so much and people come from hundreds of miles around just to enjoy the festivities.

This year as stated in my previous post I have been making quilted Checkerboard games and I hope to finish my Silent Auction item, the quilt I named as Strawberry Fields. Thanks to Marcia Hahn of The Quilters Cache for the pattern and instructions for the DUTCH NINE PATCH block I chose to use in this quilt. The proceeds from the sale of this quilt will go to a worthwhile charitable cause within our town.

Here is a photo of the blocks I made yesterday, 7 in total and this morning I completed the construction of all of the nine patches for the block centers and now am constructing more blocks to make up the final tally needed to put this baby together. Hoping of course to get the entire top pieced by the weekend so that the quilting may begin and have it finished in time for the silent auction on the 5th of February, please, wish me luck in this endeavor.

Each block measures 9" finished and with 6 blocks across and 7 blocks down plus a nice 5.5" or 7 " border should make a nice sized little quilt.

Above is what the block looks like and this one to the left shows what two blocks together with the fabric selections reversed will look like. Makes a nice cheerful quilt and shows the hope of the summer to come having used the strawberry fabric with the pink and white polka dots.

This being such an easy block to construct by a beginner, which is what I continue to call myself, so, if your a beginner, try this block. Any colour combination you choose should look absolutely wonderful. I am toying with the idea of making a quilt top using scraps left over from previous projects, using a common center block which might also be quite interesting.

IF your an Ontarion, why not make the journey to Seeley's Bay located just east of Kingston on Highway 15 North and join in on the fun we are positive you will have. There are lots of accommodations available and your sure to have a wonderful mid-winter break. If you visit the Frost Fest Site you can get a sneak preview of the Scheduled events, the Saturday evening dance will be so much fun and the Roast Beef Dinner is sure to please your pallet adn the pies are to die for, a wonderful variety and so very tasty.

Thanks for stopping by and following along with me and my projects and have yourself a wonderful day.

I hope to show you the finished top very soon.

Let Me Try for Consistancy in 2011

Hey, HAPPY NEW YEAR and if your one of my followers, welcome back!  I lost everything last year and while cleaning up that mess I began tinkering with my Blog -Oops, that was not a good thing, so, I deleted most of the rubbish and am beginning all over again.


Not that it will be so much the New and Improved, but, a fresh layer, a new beginning.
I have been busy with so many out of the sewing room activities that I didn't pay enough attention to much quilt related activities.  Hopefully my friends will find me again and I won't just be talking to myself and hearing the echo of emptiness coming back at me.  LOL

Cowboys & Indians In Manhattan
Colten's Quilt

Finally this quilt has been completed and sent off to its owner, it only took a few years! This quilt is a typical little boys' quilt, with a cowboy and indian theme to it ( I named it "Cowboys and Indians in Manhattan) as I used a Manhattan skyline themed fabric as the background for this little quilt with the colours not too too feminine for Colten. He has just had his room repainted and loves the reverse of the quilt which has the 2000 planetary fabric as its focal and the colours in his words are "jus perfek". The quilt was essentially completed but the quilting wasn't. I did different styles of quilting in the three different blocks throughout the quilt and in the border I cross hatched the entire border, then finally finished it bound it and delivered it, I even managed to include a label. Hurrah!

It has been too too long since I posted and many who were following I am sure believe I had abandoned the blogging, but life in and of itself always seems to reside at my house and tons of drama to go along with it. 2010 and the beginning of 2011 were no exceptions to my life and in this I may as well re-adjust my thinking and jump back in with the hopes that once again life may improve, onwards, ever onwards as wiser beings than I have often said.

I have a long list of quilts to complete and I believe this year I will give up on the tote bags for awhile and concentrate on the quilting side of my hobby.

I cannot believe how many talented and wonderful quilters are out here in Blogging Land and I have spent many many hours reading them when I should have been working on my own projects. I admit to becoming on my way to reading Quilters Blogs as an addiction. These wonderful quilters have much to offer and I for one am learning so very much from each of them.

As previously blogged about, our Town hosts a Frost Fest the first weekend of February in each year. This year we seem to have grown even larger and once again my projects are slated for this event. In keeping with my annual quilt donations I have made some quilted checker boards and have yet to fashion the game pieces, but these are already planned I just have to make them. I am recycling plastic bottle caps and will fill them with plaster of paris for the weight and paint them with colours to match the quilted game boards.

Our Frost Fest Mascot is the beautiful and lovable Penguin, in keeping with the theme of Penguins I used novelty penguin fabrics to create these.

Quilted Blue Penguin Checkers Gameboard

Gotta Love Those Penguins

Two different game boards hopefully some others will be joining these.

I am giving myself a rest from checkerboards and have now begun working on Strawberry Fields, which I hope will make a perfectly good silent suction item. Wish me luck on this one.

Have a wonderful day everyone and go about the web and visit with many of these quilters who blog, they are so very interesting and creative and knowledgeable.