Did You See it?

Did you see it? Look close now - closer .... closer ... I didn't see it - I missed it totally! But that's the advantage of a digital camera and blogging :) Apparently I switched two of the patches in block three, then repeated the mistake in block four. Easy enough to do .... and easy enough not to catch when that's all you have completed. But the mistake would become a whopper in the final quilt! I didn't see the problem until I was proof reading last week's blog entry. I came down with the plague (cold/flu) last week, consequently my only accomplishment for the entire week was to tear apart these two blocks and re-sew them with the correct fabric placement!
Here's the corrected four blocks. Ahhhhh, much better. I know what you're thinking - not much difference. Anyway, now that I'm on the mend, and my blocks are mended I can proceed to the next four blocks. Now if only I can figure out the pressing plan I'll be really happy :)
TTFN

Prideful Beginnings

Ok, Fall isn't really a beginning, it's more of an ending, but I have to admit I'm in love with my Japanese Maple. The patio has successfully been put to bed for another season :( but my Maple is showing it's colours in full Fall glory. It's another sunny warmish Sunday and I'm loving it?
So you may ask, what is the beginnings?
This - TaDa!!!! I have three blocks done for my niece's wedding quilt. I know - it's hard to tell what the heck this quilt will look like just from three blocks. There are 55 pieces to each block, and 7 different colours. Although I purchased the book so I would have the complete instructions, following instructions has become more and more difficult for my post menopausal brain ! None-the-less I'm proud of getting started - it's my beginning!
I'm proud of myself for once again attempting a new recipe (new to me anyway). My colleagues and I had a 6oth B-day potluck on the weekend, and instead of wimping out and buying something mass produced I made a potato puff casserole. Herb and garlic and yummy :)And lastly, I'm also proud of myself for turning a negative work situation into a positive. For too long silly work stuff dripped over into my real (non-work) life. But lately I have taken a more constructive approach. Unfortunately, while attempting to crow about my change in attitude to a usually supportive friend, the stars misaligned and our conversation got off track ... Ah well, everyone has their own opinion, Some days ya just can't win, but ya can keep on trying ..... and I'll keep on making more blocks!
P.S. Block 4 completed!

Thanksgiving :)

So, as promised here is a photo of my completed (aka bound) Fall table runner. Took me a week, I had fun and got to practice my machine quilting - always a plus! I took it to my fair soeur's for thanksgiving dinner. Not surprisingly her comment was not "thank you" but "oh". I'll take that as a "Ohhh, how nice", although I strongly suspect it was "Oh, not another one ". Hmmmm,

Remember these from August? My $5 chairs with their ugly 1970's gold flocked fabric?? Well, I finally got around to ripping the old covers off, and discovered these chairs must have been professionally re-covered in that ugly Gold flocked fabric, as they had a gazillion staples and, cotton canvas covers underneath. Good! So, on the left is the before picture, and on the right is the first chair with the ugly fabric removed.

I started with the top front and back. Not toooo too bad, after carefully removing the ugly fabric I used it as a "pattern" to cut the new pieces. Since I bought the whole bolt (Ok, you can stop freaking out now .... there was less than 6 meters and it was on sale @ $3 a meter! ) After getting that "right" I moved on to the seat .... much more complicated as you have to go around the wee arm. This is where the ugly old gold fabric had ripped, so I needed to take care and leave extra, while still making it look neat. What do you think, how'd I do?
Anyway, the gimp trim will have to wait for another day. It's just tooooo nice out not to go for a long walk then finish my book sitting on the patio.
TTFN

Autumn

Well, I've been busy! Using a tutorial I found on the internet (the Mayfly.com) I created a car organizer for my car back seat. It now holds my book of maps (out dated now that I have GPS), my accordion folding sun shade screen, my soon to be used (waaaah) snow scraper, and finally, my string bags for grocery shopping. I decide not to bore you with the details of how .... suffice it to say I used a stretchy brown/black denim I had in my stash (why I can not fathom) and a nifty black & white geometric cotton print, also from my stash! Of course I couldn't stop with just the organizer and went on to make a garbage bag, and shortly will try my hand at a visor CD holder! Thanks to both ladies for such great and useful tutorials!
So ... what else am I working on you ask? Welllll, browsing through my abundant collection of miscellaneous quilt magazines I came across this wonderful Fons & Porter pattern for a fall table runner. I have been collecting leaf fabrics lately in anticipation of using them in my niece's wedding quilt, and because they are soooo lovely. The combination of this pattern and the fabric just screamed at me. Since I am over to my dear sister's home for Thanksgiving, I decided it might be appropriate to whip this up for her! ...So first you dig out a bunch of neutral beiges, cut them into 3.5" strips, sew the strips together, then cut them apart into 3 patch strips, sew them together again. Didn't even notice that I was toooo matchy matchy. Next time I'll try to mix it up better .... Then you border it with your fantastic fall leaf fabric. Next, cut out some oak/maple leaves in coordinating colours and strategically place them then bond the leaves to the runner. I chose to machine embroider the leave veins. I know what you're thinking - how lazy! Well, Thanksgiving is next weekend and I really want to get this one done. On the right I'm machine quilting with invisible thread. You get a peak at the backing fabric, also a nice fall leaf print. Hopefully next week I'll have it finished and will give you a picture of the completed project. Then back to/finish cutting out my niece's wedding quilt.
TTFN

Fall Purse covers!

Well, the double eye glass case, for which I did a wee tutorial, didn't work out quite as I wanted as the mater can't open it with her arthritis! So .... made another one this time with a Velcro closure. Now it works, but while giving her the new and improved eye glass case I was asked for a new purse cover, you know, something with red and silver in it, something for winter ....
So, yup I'm a softie ... I made 3 more purse covers (these are becoming addictive!) Two are the same, a nice grey/black/white/red Haida print and a red/with/black circular reversed side. The third one is for me - the same grey/black/white/red Haida print and a black/white/gold reversible side. Woohoo - we are ready for winter!
Now it's time to get cutting - onto a wedding quilt for my niece.
The pile on the left are the "chosen" ones, and the fabric on the bottom is the backing. Each colour is supposed to have a light, medium and dark. The pile on the right are the rejects - not yet put away in other boxes as I might yet change my mind and use them. I have chosen to go "scrappy" in this quilt so I have several dark/medium/light for each colour. In the reject pile you can see the swatch card I used while shopping. I found it sooo much easier to cut a swatch, label it and staple to a card, then underneath the fabric I wrote how much I needed. Maybe too anal for some, but I found this organization quite helpful!
TTFN

Double Eye Glass Case tut!

So, I was frivolous this week and purchased a cat tree for the furry ones ... Iris has been encouraged (cat nip and a "Cat Ease" spray) to sit and relax in it, but Simone has yet to recognize it's existence. Maybe they'll get the hang of it this winter...? I finally got to this project - the finale from my earlier purse project to make a double eye glass case for the Mater's reading and sun glasses. I purchased purse frames a couple of years ago in the states. I think they are meant for coin purses, but hey what the heck, they work for this project as well! I traced around an existing cloth eye glass case to get the basic pattern - so I have not supplied the actual pattern - just directions. If you don't already have a cloth eye glass case to trace, just take a pair of your reading glasses and trace around them to get a pattern. I'm using brown Haida print for the lining and divider, and white, black and beige geometric linen for the outside of the case. These fabrics match the purse I already made mother this summer. I'm also using Pellon peltex interfacing, the same kind of stuff you use for fabric postcards or purses. First, cut two brown and one peltex for the divider. Since the peltex is thick and quite stiff I recommend cutting it actual size with no seam allowance. With right sides facing (RSF) and the peltex in between sew along three sides, leaving the bottom open. Machine quilt as desired. Insert the divider between the two case linings. Sew around the outside and bottom, leaving the upper open.
Next make the eye glass outer case, with RSF sew around the sides and bottom of the eye glass outer. Turn right side out and iron. Insert the lining wrong sides facing, and a peltex piece on both sides between the lining and the outer case. Next, turn under the liner top and the outer top and iron. I find this step makes it makes it easier to hand sew the opening closed. Hope you can see from the pic, the divider is inside, it should not come too far up past the "hip" of the eye glass case. Did I forget to tell you there is hand sewing involved in this project? Sorry!

Next is more hand sewing. The purse frame has a line of small holes at the bottom to use for attaching the purse. Using heavy duty thread I attach the lining first, then move to the front and sew through the front and through the holes to the lining so all is secure (hopefully)! And, Voila you have a fabric eye glass case - for two pairs of glasses than matches the fabric purse you made this summer. Ohhhhh la la - how matchy matchy!

Busy Busy Busy ...

Well, I ended my vacation with a shopping trip to Len's Mills I wasn't looking for anything specific - always a bad time to shop in a fabric store! Anyway, I came out with this cute fabric panel. I don't usually indulge (in fact almost never) in cheater panels, but somehow this one took my fancy, so here we are one week later ... um, yes, it's hand quilted. I just needed something to stitch. Ever get that feeling?
So, approx. 3 weeks ago I told you all about my score at the Goodwill - 2 Fabulous Eastlake chairs. Come to think about it, I was looking for upholstery fabric @ Len's, yeah, that's why I went - they had a buy one get the second meter for 1/2 price. Unfortunately they didn't have what I had in mind. Actually all has turned out to be another score - I found the EXACT fabric I had in my mind @ Fabricland, for are you ready ... $3.50 a meter (on sale of course) It's a pinky rose (I LOVE red) in a kind of square weave with a dark brown/green squarish dot. So .... I just had to buy the whole bolt! (actually just a little over 6 meters). This fabric should match with the green Hydrangea and the Beige Hydrangea prints I have in my living room. Now I have another project to finish, hopefully before Sept! I have put off beginning my niece's wedding quilt until then. Wish me luck!
TTFN

Christmas in August!

So I've had three fat quarters of Christmas fabric - black & Turquoise (kinda an odd combination of colours for Christmas) for over a year now, and last night I finally decided something must be done! As you readers know I've been working on a series of small wall hangings for my mater's apt. front door. She's become hooked on the notoriety this has brought her, and the project has done it's job in providing a topic to discuss on the elevator and a means for her to break the ice socially. For those of you out there with a senior in your life - it's an idea for something you too can do to help them adjust to their downsized life.
Anyway, enough proselytizing, here's my details of this project. I used some black scraps to make the basket front in checkerboard style. A small turquoise print is used for the background, a black & white Christmas fat quarter I "won" at last year's guild Xmas fabric toss, and the final black & turquoise Poinsettia fat quarter in the outer border. I located a good matching turquoise fabric for the backing, and some silver decorations for inside the basket. Now all I have to do is quilt it!
TTFN

End of the Vacation ;(

So I have ended my vacation with two special purchases, pieces of my "good" china. Now this is fast becoming a collection/obsession rivaling my fabric obsession - but hey, it could be worse, right?
So, while enjoying a lovely day out with two of my quilting friends, thank you ladies, we visited an antique market. Now I know what you're thinking .... why on earth would you be able to make a fabulous china purchase at an antique market? Well, my china pattern, although not out of stock is no longer sold in North America. Since it is/was also sold as giftware I am still able to find pieces out and about in various "markets". So, I picked up another, yes another cake plate. Yes I know, how many cake plates does one need - well, two of course! I also picked up 2 demitasse coffee cups. And then, just yesterday I scored again at the goodwill ..... and picked up this crazy little miniature ewer/pitcher in my china pattern.
So there you go, an end to this year's summer vacation and more to stuff into my flat-to-the-wall!
TTFN

She Scores!!

So the big news .... (drum roll please!) is my New Car!! After 10 years driving the ugly brown F_ _ _ _ I bit the bullet and got a new chariot! It's a 2011 white Toyota AWD 5 door Matrix, with, ahem, a few bells and whistles! Woohoo!My second score this summer vacation is 2 East Lake chairs in perfect condition - except for their rather fugly upholstery .... Another big WooHoo! These came at the hefty price of $5.00 each! Ok, I know what you're thinking - just how many East Lake chairs does one woman need. So far I have collected 5 of them - they join the list of 8 pressback chairs, 1dainty dining chair, 1 child's pressback rocker, 1 pressback high chair, 2 wood vintage kindergarten chairs and 1 other diminutive child's chair. Ok, how many was that - 14? WOW !