Basildon Kitchens

WIP Wednesdays

2012-02-22T22:19:00.000-05:00

Wow - how time flies when you are having fun....I can't believe that it is Wednesday already.

I have been pretty busy this week, so let's get to it...

I took up the Mini Quilt Challenge by Ellison Lane Quilts and was inspired by a great tutorial by "Don't Call Me Betsy" - and created this Valentine inspired mini quilt. It is machine pieced and I hand quilted it. I call it "Be Mine Friendship Star". I had a bunch of 6" squares of various reds just laying about and being February, they were calling to me. I put a natural linen border on it and love how it looks...what do you think?

Second finish for the week is a commission for a friend to give to her Mom. She wanted something very traditional and 'country' colors. Her Mom also likes chickens...so here is what I came up with. It is an original design called, "Keep Your Sunny Side Up" - machine pieced and hand quilted with a pieced back.

I think the one that I am most happy about is finally getting my Tennessee Waltz back from the long-arm quilter - it is now bound and has been washed and dried for that wonderful crinkly look - I am so pleased with how it turned out....

Also on the table are the following:

Sew Out Loud {Quilter's Word Play} QAL
getting "The Big Flake" ready for quilting (top & back are assembled)
Modern Minx Bee - starting to design the layout of all my yummy blocks from my fellow Minx!
Friendship Star Swap Quilt....block are waiting!
two more quilts are at the long arm quilter that need to be finished for the quilt show in July!

Whew - but it feels good to be busy and creating....

That's all for now - see y'all later.

Connie

WIP Wednesday...

2012-02-15T21:36:00.002-05:00

Even though many other demands have been made on my time this week, I have been able to squeeze in precious quilting time.

I finished up a commission for a friend at work - a mini quilt as gift to her mother. The request was to be very traditional and very country looking. I think I achieved that with this little quilt. I call it "Keep your Sunny Side Up!" It is a wonky star around a fussy cut little chicken with a circle of flying geese around it. It measures approximately 18" x 18". It was designed by me - machine pieced and hand quilted. The back has a row of flying geese - leftover from the front, as I changed my design, part way through the process - one of the things I like about quilting - you never really know what you will end up with.

"KEEP YOUR SUNNY SIDE UP!"

My "Tennessee Waltz" was finally returned from the long arm quilter (5 months later than promised) but she did a beautiful job. I just have to attach the binding and then I will take lots of photos ... hopefully by next week (fingers crossed)

I tried my hand a couple of pouches and they came out OK - I know now what I need to do to make them perfect....but these are still usable. I used a tutorial, provided by June from Junebugs World - guest blogger on Sew Sweetness by Sara - (http://www.sewsweetness.com/2012/02/reader-tutorial-cathedral-window-pouch.html)

CATHEDRAL WINDOW POUCH

PIN-TUCK POUCH

I finished my block for the Modern Minx Bee - February is Stargazing for Vicky - it will be in the post early next week. I can't wait to see how this quilt turns out! Very exciting!!! I have already received 9 out 11 "Envy" blocks with the last 2 on the way very soon - January's project - and have started doodling several designs for a layout...they look great together!

FEBRUARY MINX BLOCK - STAR GAZING

The Modern Round Robin is also coming due soon and I have pulled fabrics and gotten an OK from my partner! This too, should be completed and in the post by next week...

THE LIME GREEN REALLY WORKS!

I have started to pull fabrics for the "Sew Out Loud" QAL. The first block has been posted and I think I know what I plan for it...tricky paper piecing - but that is the reason I joined this group and it is being lead by some GREAT quilters...

FABRIC MOSAIC FOR 'SEW OUT LOUD' QAL

Lastly, I made up a mini quilt, inspired by Elizabeth's "Friendship Hexagon Mini" (using tutorial found here: http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/2012/02/modern-mini-quilt-blog-hop-friendship.html) with a bunch of red squares that I had laying around for a long time. I have bordered in in a natural linen and love how it looks. I needed something small to take along while my Mom is having a procedure done in the hospital. She will be there for a day or so, and I need to keep my hands busy while I am worrying and trying not to look like I am worrying ... No pictures yet of this one, but I will get them as soon as I go home again.....

Very productive week - squeezed in with work and family .... oh yes, and Valentine's! My hubby surprised me with a wonderful Prime Rib dinner and a romantic movie - Dr. Zhivago! Romance for me and the Russian Revolution for him - life can't get better than that.

We all are keeping positive thoughts for Mom - and see you all soon,

Linking up with WIP over at Freshly Pieced found here: http://freshlypieced.blogspot.com/2012/02/wip-wednesday-one-with-elizabeth.html

Connie

Quilt Guild

2012-02-11T15:42:00.000-05:00

February is when our Guild, (Prince Edward County Quilters' Guild) has its annual Pot Luck. It was another roaring success and everyone had a great meal. I really love how we didn't plan what to bring and there was an even amount of sweet and savory dishes.

We also presented our finished "Whisper Challenge" quilts. This is based on the game, Telephone, that we used to play as children. Teams were formed and one member drew a sealed envelope with a photo to use as inspiration. Once they were finished, they passed their project on to the next team member who used that as their inspiration, and so on....

The REAL fun started when we all presented out finished projects and usually the last person's project had no relation at all to the photo. There was much laughter and excitement. All the team projects will be presented at our bi-annual quilt show to be held this July! Sadly, I forgot my camera and don't have pictures of the presentations.

My Whisper Challenge is shown here. I had a photo of a dresser with some pretty bottles and jewellery on it. I call this mini wall quilt, "My Favourite Things". Sorry, I don't have a copy of the photo, but I am quite happy with the results here.

My Favourite Things

There was also a good turnout of show and tell, in which I showed my "12 Days of Christmas" QAL and finished "Indigo Stars".

See you all soon,

Connie

WIP Wednesday

2012-02-01T12:42:00.000-05:00

I am almost finished my 12 Days of Christmas QAL - Yay....All that is left to do is the label and a hanging sleeve, as I am entering it in my Quilt Guild's Show (July 2012)...wish me luck! Then it will be ready for gifting to my daughter, Melissa, as promised. {picture to be posted a bit later, when washed and all crinkly}

Since I finished this project - I feel free to join another QAL. So join me if you like for the "Sew Out Loud" QAL - details can be found here:

http://shape-moth.blogspot.com/2012/02/sew-out-loud-qal-giveaway.html?showComment=1328116211983#c8651269173751322440

Go take a peek and see the great giveaway included...

My Modern Minx Bee is moving along nicely. My blocks from the January Bee are starting to come in and I will post pictures once a few more arrive. They are looking fantastic. February's Minx (patchwork queen) has also posted her wishes and we are challenged to make a variety of stars - I am still pulling fabric and waiting for my solid to arrive in the mail.

That's all this week....

Connie

Sad farewell...

2012-01-31T18:50:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we said goodbye to my father-in-law, who passed away suddenly, at the age of 87, of a massive heart attack. We will miss you Dad!

"Sea-Fever"

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

By John Masefield (1878-1967).

WIP Wednesday

2012-01-25T19:09:00.000-05:00

It has been a crazy week. I have not been quilting very much - life has been intruding. Thankfully quilting is a sanctuary for me and I get at it as much as I can.

This is what I have been working on...

I finally made the starting block for the {Modern} Round Robin. I dropped it in the post today and am eagerly waiting for my partners block to work on.

I call this "Button, Button"

... and I am still working on the 12 Days of Christmas Quilt Along - the hand quilting is pretty soothing for me...and I still have to put the button on it. It is really looking nice.

Sad to say - that is all for this week.

WIP Wednesday

2012-01-18T19:02:00.001-05:00

I missed a week and thought that I would have so much more to post... but here is my update.

I'm still working on Melissa's 12 Days of Christmas. I only have a couple more block to hand quilt and will embellish a few of them with some interesting buttons.

My Indigo Stars quilt is completely finished. I have washed it and put it in the dryer, so it is all crinkly and 'antique' looking. My hubby Peter likes it and it is draped over a chair in the living room waiting to be cuddled.

The Tourmaline runner is also finished. I had a lot of waiting around to do last week and hand quilted it too. It is going to be a 'thank-you' gift for a wonderful lady that has been helping out my mom.

I have also completed the first assignment for 'fresh-squeezed projects'. It was a trio of Courthouse steps blocks. I used shirt and suit material for them. I love how they turned out.

I also had lots of strips left over so put them to use and made a few mug rugs. One for my hubby, Peter; one for myself at the office and one for a friend who is always very helpful.

I guess that's not bad for a couple of slow weeks. See y'all next Wednesday.

Connie

Winter has arrived...

2012-01-14T14:12:00.000-05:00

First winter storm of the season.

This is the view from our living room window. It is much better than it was yesterday - you couldn't see out!

We have not had much snow, so far this year. Not a very typical Canadian winter, so far...that is until yesterday. The first storm of the season arrived and this morning, I took a few photos to share with you. What you can't see, is how cold it is!

A small drift formed between the house and the gazebo. It's about 1 1/2 feet high.

The workshop and part of the garden

Here is Gun Club Road. This year, it seems, that they are only plowing just past our driveway!

Peter's workshop from the road.

The driveway side of our house. It is the sheltered side, so the snow really piled up here.

The creek is starting to freeze. You can see the drift forming from our back fence.

Now - off to make hot chocolate....Peter is almost finished digging out the truck!

WIP Wednesday

2012-01-04T21:30:00.002-05:00

I decided to jump onto the band wagon and participate in WIP Wednesday. I find that if you have to report your findings, you are a little more focused on finishing the products. So - since this is a new year, I am going to try to be a little more organized - get some of those UFO's completed.

I have been hand quilting a lot lately. I'm working on Melissa's 12 Days of Christmas - I machine quilted the basic quilt and am now enhancing the individual blocks with some hand quilting. It is looking really good.

I am also working on the Indigo Stars quilt that I started a couple of years ago....It is entirely hand quilted. I have quilted the all the blocks and am working on the border. Again, I think it looks pretty good.

I had a day of organizing and found some charm squares that I can't remember where they came from and put them together in a small table topper, using a great pattern called Tourmaline - I will machine quilt it next week.

I am pretty pleased with what I have accomplished, along with working full time - but a girl has to support her fabric habit! ;)

Winter Stitching...

2012-01-02T10:04:00.000-05:00

I have copied my last "Winter Stitches" post here and will update my accomplishments. I made good progress in December, even though it is a busy month with lots of holiday activities. Peter & I had a really great holiday season and hope that everyone else did too!

~~1. Complete 'mug rugs' for the office Christmas Exchange - completed~~

2. Participate in the 12 Days of Christmas Quilt Along - the first such event I have joined - status - Quilt top is now complete and I hope to start quilting it this weekend (for my daughter, Melissa) I have now machine quilted this quilt and have decided that since it missed the Christmas deadline for this year, I am adding some hand quilting to it.....

12 Days of Christmas Quilt Along

3. Mystery Quilt (Prince Edward County Quilters' Guild - PECQG). The project is called Beyond the Block. I need to have this completed for the Guild's quilt show in July 2012 - status - all sections completed to date. December's installment was on how to put it all together...which has now been done. I am now debating on a border...does is need one or not?

Beyond the Block

4. Finish hand quilting "Indigo Stars" - status - ~~approximately 2/3 complete~~ inside blocks are now all hand quilted - only the border left to do

Indigo Stars

5. Bind "Tennessee Waltz" once returned from long arm quilter

6. Quilt and bind "Freezin' Season 2010" {Freezin' Season is an annual mystery quilt that is mailed out from The Quilt Patch in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan}

The Big Flake

7. "Freezin' Season 2011" - start and finish?

8. Quiltsy Team on Etsy - join something - left this team - it was one thing too many to add to my quilitng world.

9. Organize quilt room

10. Visit my daughters in Toronto

11. Start quilting with friends at work (once a week or once a month)

~~12. Complete "Winter Enchantment" - Christmas present for Diny - status - complete~~

13. Finish "Stars Over Fort Sumter" - top is finished and is in the 'que' at the long arm quilter...

Stars Over Fort Sumter

~~14. Make gift for Mary Lou - new apartment/Christmas - status - completed and given~~

~~15. Complete gift for Amanda - status - completed and given~~

16. Mug Rugs - last minute gifts to be added to Christmas gifts for mother in law, sister in law, Mum, neighbour

...for SIL

...for MIL

...for Mum

...for neighbour

17. Last minute Christmas makes - table runner for my daughter (made with left-overs from the 12 Days of Christmas Quilt Along

12 DoC Table Runner for Missy

18. Last minute Christmas table runner for my living room

My holiday Table Runner

19. Swap - Japanese x and + blocks - made 20 for exchange.

Blocks for swap

20. Modern Minx Bee - I am the January Minx and have prepared the tutorial for the Envy block (from "Modern Blocks - 99 Quilt Blocks from your Favorite Designers" compiled by Susanne Woods) Let the sewing begin! :)

January Bee block - Envy

I have made good progress and still have lots to do. The cold winter is the PERFECT time for sewing and quilting.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T13:41:00.000-05:00

From our house to yours ... "Happy New Year"! We wish everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!

View from my side door - our sleeping garden, Peter's workshop and our almost frozen stream.

Modern Minx Bee - Janurary

2011-12-30T11:02:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! This is my first attempt at a tutorial, so please be patient me and don't hesitate to contact me and/or ask questions.

First of all - welcome to everyone and Happy New Year! This is going to be so much fun! Just to make sure everyone is on the same page, the Guidelines for our bee can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1854192@N23/discuss/72157628432364319/

We are working from the book, "Modern Blocks: 99 Quilt Blocks from your Favorite Designers"; compiled by Susanne Woods. I hope everyone has a copy. If not, please let me know. After many hours of pouring over all of the blocks in the book, I have finally decided on making my project using the "ENVY" block, shown on page 56 with directions on page 57.

My inspriational fabrics are from Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley line with some Kona Cotton Solids in Snow and Green Tea. In my test block I have made the centre diamond in 'snow' and stripes around the center motif in 'green tea'. The placement of the solid fabric is the only thing that I would like to have constant so please let me know if that is not possible.

The instructions in the book are very straight forward, so I won't elaborate on them. I have been quilting for over 10 years, so if you have any questions - DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK! I will do my best to help you out. Note: The pieces are cut exactly to size, so be sure you have an accurate 1/4" seam. If not, the final pieces may be a bit short. I use a 1/4" foot and I have marked my sewing machine with a piece of masking tape at the 1/4" mark.

I took photos during the process and I have added my notes and tips (if any):

Step 1 - Be sure to press all the seams in the same direction; it will make the next step a little easier and smoother. I used a striped fabric for one half of the triangle and made sure that all were facing the same way. I think it works in the final result.

Step 2 - The easiest way to mark the center of the solid square is to fold it in half and press a tiny portion on each side, then open up the square and do the same in the other direction. Match the seam of your triangles with the pressed markings.

Tip: I find that when you are sewing a piece with seams to a flat piece of fabric, be sure to keep the seamed side of your work up - then you can make sure the seam allowances don't get flipped the wrong way causing a bump or making extra work "un-sewing" (my term for seam ripping or unpicking). A teacher once told me, "Sew what you know!", to keep your work smooth and flat.

Step 2 continued - Pressing away from the center

Step 2 continued - Repeat with the two remaining sides - I trim the overhanging points before adding the second set of triangles for ease of sewing. It helps with accuracy.

Step 2 - Here is the center motif after trimming to 4-1/2" square.

Step 4 - Sew A's and B's together; press toward the larger segment (in this case the printed fabric).

Step 5 - ONLY sew the upper right edge of the first segment - this will be completed once the rest of the segments are attached.

Step 5 - Back of work. Note you are pressing away from the center.

Steps 5 and 6 - To get really sharp points, make sure your seam goes through the intersection of the previous seams.

Step 7 - Once all segments have been attached, go back and finish the partial seam of the first segment.

Step 8 - After pressing, trim away any wobbly bits to 12-1/2" x 12-1/2" square.

Voila - The finished block. Sadly, the colors here are not really accurate - they look pretty dull. I assure you that they are much brighter in real life.

So, any questions? I'd love to hear from you and don't forget to post pictures the our group in Flickr!

another Christmas is over....

2011-12-27T17:29:00.000-05:00

So Christmas is over for another year and a good time was had by all. Today I sit here listening to the rain on the roof - the prediction is for it to turn to snow by morning...winter may actually arrive soon.

We had a lovely turkey dinner and lots of leftovers. Today I made broth for future use from the turkey bones....mmmmm. The house smelled wonderful, all over again.

The last couple of days were spent using up scraps from other Christmas/winter projects. I started sorting and cleaning and then I made us a couple of 'mug rugs' and a small table topper. I feel good having been productive with bits and pieces that where headed for the trash....

Table Topper

Connie's Mug Rug

Peter's Mug Rug

Today I put together more of the Japanese x & + blocks for my swap coming up in January. Then I will have to decide whether to just join them like this (see photo below) or add sashing....stay tuned.

20 blocks made - 5 more to go, then off to the UK for swapping! :)

I also got a chance to work on the "Beyond the Block" Mystery Quilt that my guild is running. We got the last piece of instructions at December's meeting and I used this bit of quiet time to finish up the top. I am still debating the need for another border.

Sadly the colors don't show here properly!

Just another week left in 2011 . . .

Weekly Update

2011-12-23T18:57:00.001-05:00

Another busy week and no surprise since Christmas Eve is tomorrow. Even though I worked all week, I did manage to get a few more projects done....

I whipped up a table runner out of a charm pack that I found in my Christmas Fabric stash box, that I had forgotten about - I don't even know what line this is! But I like it and am actually keeping it for myself! (at least for now)

Binding complete for Melissa's table runner to go with her 12 Days of Christmas Sampler, the quilt is not yet quilted, though I did get it basted this week.

Label for Missy's table runner

A pair of 'Farmer's Market" Mug Rugs for our neighbour. One is fruit and the other is vegetables!

I have been working on my post for the Modern Minx Bee - I am the lucky January Minx and have been working on the blog for my block/quilt. I have made the test block and it went together very well; perfect for beginners. I am so very excited about this bee.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.

See you soon, Connie (& Peter)

Weekly Update

2011-12-16T19:22:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy week, but not too much time spent quilting....

Made a test block for the Japanese x & + swap that is starting in January. I still have to decide how big this quilt will be and how many blocks I will need for the swap! This is going to be fun.

The Mug Rugs were a hit at the office gift exchange and everyone has come to tell me where they are using them! :)

Diny shed a few tears when I gave her the Winter Enchantment - one of the horses in the panel looks exactly like her horse! She can't decide whether to keep it at home and cuddle under it or bring it back to her office to hang so that she can see it every day!

Presented the "12 Days of Christmas Quilt Along" quilt top (as it is not yet quilted) at 'Show & Tell" at our December Guild meeting. They asked if I would be entering it into this year's Quilt Show in July. I have to get my daughter, Melissa's permission, as it is her Christmas present, but will probably be entering this one.

It has been a busy week of Christmas gatherings. I love this time of year - we see so many people that we don't have a chance to visit with the rest of the year.

I am as ready for Christmas as I am going to be. Hubby will be doing the food shopping early next week and then all we have to do is cook and enjoy!

Quilt Guild

2011-12-14T21:41:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the last guild meeting of 2011.

After regular Guild business and show and tell (where I proudly showcased my 12 Days of Christmas quilt top to RAVE reviews), we played a few games to celebrate the season.

Our team won the "Quilting Wheel of Fortune" challenge and we each received the new Pilot "Frixion" marking pen - it apparently marks fabric and comes off when you iron it...it's too late to try it tonight, but will give a full report on my next post.

Guild Booty :)

We also played Quilt-o; the quilter's version of Bingo and I won an awesome fat quarter....anyone know what this is? It is soooo cool.

Making a list & checking it twice....

2011-12-11T16:16:00.001-05:00

Such a busy time of the year.....

Bake Christmas Stollen (German Christmas Cake) - check!

Finish Christmas gift for Diny - check!

Bake Biscotti for office pot luck - check!

Make Truffle Hot Chocolate Balls for special Christmas treat - check!

Make last minute Christmas Thank You for Mom - check!

Decorate house and put up Christmas tree - check!

Whew!

Christmas is only 2 weeks away! :)

Weekly update

2011-12-09T19:52:00.001-05:00

Old-Man-Winter is finally trying to show his face. We had a bit of snow this morning, but it's almost all gone now. More is predicted for the weekend. It looks like it will be a white Christmas! :)

We started watching our Christmas movies this week....I think we have enough now to watch 2 or 3 a week until Christmas. While watching the movies, I have been hand quilting my "Indigo Stars". I also have one or two small projects yet to complete for gift giving, but it looks do-able.

Since I don't think I will be able to finish the "12 Days of Christmas" quilt for Melissa (daughter #2), I ordered her a large mug, suitable for coffee, tea, hot chocolate or even lunch time soup, with a collage of all the blocks in the quilt on it. It arrived yesterday and she was over the moon.

Peter is out of town at the annual "Water Buffalo" dinner with 'the boys' - so I am on my own for an evening. I helped my friend Pat, set up for the Busy Hands Craft Sale at Miss Lily's Cafe. It looks good and I wish everyone lots of success and sales!

Well, off to sew a bit, then have a glass of wine and a hot bubble bath before bed...the occasional night on my own is nice too!

TTFN

Connie

Winter Stitching ...

2011-12-07T18:44:00.001-05:00

A while ago (late October, in fact), Sarah over at FairyFace Designs, asked people to make a list of what they were working on over the winter. (You can link to her post here: http://fairyfacedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/10/big-winter-stitching-list-link-up.html)

I was tardy and too late to join the list, but did make one and thought this would be a great time to share it along with my progress so far. BTW - these are in no particular order.

1. Complete 'mug rugs' for the office Christmas Exchange - Complete

Mug Rugs for Office gift exchange

12 Days of Christmas Quilt Along

4. Finish hand quilting "Indigo Stars" - status - approximately 2/3 complete

Indigo Stars

5. Bind "Tennessee Waltz" once returned from long arm quilter

6. Quilt & bind "Freezin' Season 2010" {Freezin' Season is an annual mystery quilt that is mailed out from The Quilt Patch in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan}

The Big Flake

7. "Freezin' Season 2011" - start and finish?

8. Quiltsy Team on Etsy - join something

9. Organize quilt room

10. Visit my daughters in Toronto

11. Start quilting with friends at work (once a week or once a month)

12. Complete "Winter Enchantment" - Christmas present for Diny - status - complete

Winter Enchantment

13. Finish "Stars Over Fort Sumter"

Stars Over Fort Sumter

14. Make gift for Mary Lou - new apartment/Christmas - status - completed and given

Scandinavian Christmas Tree (red) - pattern from VeryKerryBerry

15. Complete gift for Amanda - status - completed and given

Scandinavian Christmas Tree (green) - pattern from VeryKerryBerry

So as you can see - I am going to be busy this winter....

Arrived in the mail....

2011-12-05T19:06:00.001-05:00

I am so excited. Look what came in the mail today! More fabric (like I don't already have enough). It is adorable. I can't wait to do something with these.

Denyse Schmidt, Hope Valley

Aneela Hoey Little Apples

Week ending December 3rd...

2011-12-04T21:20:00.001-05:00

It has been a very busy week; I am very busy sewing and quilting for various Christmas gifts.

For Yvonne & David

Today I finished up two "mug rugs" for your coffee/tea and a cookie or just to set your teapot on...for Mum and Dad and for Yvonne and David. This will be a part of their gift...here is a sneak peak, so keep it under your hat! Shhhhh...

For Mum & Dad

Last night was our company Christmas Party - a good time was had by all. Peter & I danced the night away and stayed at the hotel in a room provided for by the company.

Hope y'all have a good week.....

Quilt Along Update

2011-11-30T21:53:00.001-05:00

I can hardly believe it's December tomorrow. Already! The weather has become much colder and snow flurries have been teasing us.

I have been very busy with the "12 Days of Christmas" quilt along. The last block's instructions will be posted tomorrow, so I started cutting the sashing and cornerstones this evening. That done, I thought I would lay the pieces out on my bed to see how it would look and before you know it - the first nine (9) blocks have been joined together. I think they look great! Here is a sneak peak of the quilt...

12 Days of Christmas Quilt

Can you tell that I am excited about this one?

Holiday Lunch with 'the Girls'

2011-11-27T17:24:00.001-05:00

Met the kids (most of them) for lunch at The Mill in Cobourg - it's about halfway for all of us. We had the place almost to ourselves! Lunch was good and the company great - if only for a few hours. We feel like this was the first official event of the 2011/2012 holiday season.

Good to see you all! :) Sorry to have missed Melissa :(

Amanda

Boris & Michelle

Jennifer & Kristian

Scandinavian Christmas Tree II

2011-11-27T09:31:00.001-05:00

The second Scandinavian Christmas Tree is now complete. I love it. It is for Amanda, I hope she doesn't read this before she get it ;). I think it turned out very nicely.

We are meeting the girls and their boyfriends for brunch today at The Mill in Cobourg. It is half way between the city and our place in the county. We will be giving them our Christmas presents to take back home with them. Hopefully pictures to be posted later.

November wrap up

2011-11-26T16:54:00.001-05:00

I'm frantically working away at many holiday projects and am making great headway. (Pictures posted soon....)

Peter has put the garden to bed. After numerous trips to the dump (too many to count) the leaves are mostly cleaned up. The eves troughs are cleared out waiting for the colder weather. Even another string of Christmas lights have been added to the cedars by the creek.

Winter tires are on the car and truck, so I guess you could say we are 'ready' for old man winter - well as ready as you can ever be.

2011-11-23T21:20:00.001-05:00

I still get excited for the first snow of the year. Here is a picture of our front yard just before I left for work this morning....."it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"

Sadly, it was all gone by the time I came home...but it won't be long now!

Scandinavian Christmas Tree II - sneak peak

2011-11-22T19:25:00.001-05:00

I had so much fun making the Scandinavian Christmas Tree for Mary Lou, I decided to make another...this one a Christmas gift for someone else (can't say who - they may read this and the surprise would be spoiled!)

So here it is ... partly done, still in the process of being quilted... Again, I made it with materials I had on hand, so no extra costs involved. I'm so proud of that, as well as the fact that it looks great!

Stay tuned for the finished product...

Scandinavian Christmas Tree

2011-11-20T11:44:00.001-05:00

I was looking around at other quilters' blogs & sites and saw a great pattern on VeryKerryBerry's site. I downloaded it and immediately made it. I am so proud of this one - I made it completely out of my stash! Didn't have to buy a thing!

This is a gift for a friend (Mary Lou)...

12 Days of Christmas Quilt Along

2011-11-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

I am so excited! I was checking out other people's quilting blogs for inspriation and came across a 'virtual' quilting bee. It looks so interesting and I joined - my first!
It is called the 12 Days of Christmas Quilt Along (12 DoCQA), hosted by 12 fabulous modern quilters. Each Tuesday and Thursday for a six week period a different quilter will post the tutorial for a different block. In the end we will have a wonderful new Christmas quilt, with quite the modern feel to it.
While in Florida, I purchased the funkiest Christmas fabric by Michael Miller. It is so non-traditional.

Here is the link for what I have accomplished so far....stay tuned for the progress. I am having a blast.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/basildonkitchens/sets/72157627819539855/

BTW - my daughter Melissa has been picked as the lucky recipient of this quilt!

New Direction......

2011-11-18T14:18:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Just a quick note to say that I am taking the blog in a new direction. I am doing much more quilting of late, so will be sharing more of my projects with you...

I will continue to (or resume) to keep you up to date on our adventures, so stay tuned.

Snow

2011-02-13T09:37:00.000-05:00

Snow, Snow, and more snow......It has been snowing almost every days for weeks. The snow banks are getting higher and higher. Peter still loves to shovel snow by hand (the snowblower is old and harder on the back than a shovel). In the last week, the wind has been added to the mix. When it is not snowing, it is blowing and more shoveling in needed.

One morning the driveway was clear, so we thought that no shoveling was needed, but the car got stuck on Gun Club Road. The drifts that formed overnight, went right across the road. Peter shoveled a path to let me get through and to work. Just after that, the plow came by....figures! The drift just to the north of our drive was over 5 feet high. Every time the plow goes by it gets even higher.

That being said, it is very pretty out here. You actually want to drive around and look at the fantastic wind sculpted drifts everywhere.

Just another reason to love our little part of 'the county'. (picture below is Gun Club Road, just before the plow came by on February 12, 2011)

Happy New Year

2011-01-16T20:11:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

We wish you all the very best for a new year. May it be happy & healthy and may all your dreams & wishes come true! :)

Well, I can't believe that January is half over! It is a winter wonderland out here, though we have not had as much snow as other parts of Ontario and the north-east United States.

The creek has frozen, thawed and now frozen again. The Bay of Quinte is also frozen over and fishing huts are beginning to appear, while we are warm and cozy in our little cottage.

We are listening to the coyotes at night and check the snow for animal tracks every day.

I have been quilting again lately and Peter enjoy reading and we have lots of movies to watch. It is a very relaxing lifestyle.

The days are already getting longer and soon we will be planning what to do in the garden.

TTFN - 'til next time

Fond 'good-bye' to the "Purple Pig"

2010-11-17T13:33:00.000-05:00

In everything, there is a season.

This week, saw the end our our time with the trusty Purple Pig. It was getting beyond the point of putting more $$$ in repairs. So, Peter had to start looking for another truck to take it's place.

After several expeditions to various car lots, and many hours of research on the Internet (yes, by Peter!) a new candidate was found.

Peter tested it to make sure that it would hold a water tank for the all important 'hauling of water' and after some pretty crafty negotiations on his part, the Purple Pig was traded in on a silver 2003 Ford F150 4x4 with a 'short' box.

Welcome to Peter's new toy. It is the same color as our Ford Taurus, so now we have a matching set.

Quilting :)

2010-11-02T13:22:00.000-04:00

Quilting - it's what I love to do.

I have been quilting for about 10 years now and have lots of quilts. Many have been given as gifts. Many are personal favourites. I have quilts on all the beds; quilts at each sofa and easy chair; quilts on the walls; table runners; place mats; pot holders; hand bags and I keep making more.

I keep looking for new things to learn in the world of quilting and keep trying to get better and better at the craft. In the process I have taken various classes and joined quilt guilds. When we moved to 'the County', I joined the Prince Edward County Quilters' Guild and became involved with the guild.

I helped design the new Membership Brochure. It turned out very well and was put to use at the 2010 Quilt Show. I also assisted with the quilt show by helping with the set up of the show and running the cash desk for quilt sales. I was also encouraged by members of my new guild to put a couple of quilts in the show as well as submit them for judging.

What a scary prospect! I didn't think my work was ready for that. So thinking that I really had nothing to loose, I entered 2 quilts. The first was a queen-size log cabin quilt in a classic barn raising arrangement. It is in wonderful country colors of deep red, dark green and tan for contrast. It was a Christmas gift for Peter, so I had to get his permission to enter it. You can imagine how concerned he was that it would be leaving the house for almost a whole week! I hand quilted it while recovering from foot surgery. It took over 100 hours of quilting time. Imagine my surprise and Peter's delight when I won a big red "First Prize" ribbon in it's category.

The second quilt I entered was really brave of me. It is one I designed myself to fit in our new home here in the County. It is a wall quilt with a center medallion of a pineapple, the international symbol of 'Welcome'. It is surrounded by 'flying geese' blocks to represent all the birds we see here and the four corner stars are in colors representative of the four seasons. Green for spring; yellow for summer; red for autumn and icy blue for winter. It was hand quilted too! I was shocked to see a blue "Second Prize" ribbon on it.

The competition was pretty tough - all very seasoned quilters, so I am still in awe of my prizes. Needless to say - Peter is extraordinarily proud of his 'prize winning' quilt and I doubt he will let it out of the house again soon.

I also displayed my "Death by Chocolate" Quilt. It is a family favourite and especially loved by all our daughters. The guild members also really liked it, so I was persuaded to include it in the show.

I'm still quilting and still having a wonderful time.....and am still involved with the guild.

Just thought you would like to know! :)

Autumn

2010-10-26T17:55:00.000-04:00

All the tell tale signs are here. The birds are gathering. The air is crisp. The days are getting shorter. The leaves were first turning and now are falling. It must be autumn!

It is lovely here this time of year. All the farm stands are overflowing with harvests of pumpkins, squash of all kinds, apples, cabbages......

My morning drive to work is very pretty - something different every day. We have had some spectacular sunrises over frosted fields. Even though most of the leaves are down now, the scenery is beautiful and changes daily.

Our little garden has been put to bed. It was fun, but now we will let it rest until spring.

Peter is raking and taking loads of leaves to the 'dump'. Six loads today - with many more to come. One of the down-sides of this many trees. But they are beautiful - glowing gold with the top shining from the last rays of the setting sun.

That's all for today. Enjoy :)

The Garden

2010-10-22T13:46:00.000-04:00

One of the great things about our new home is that we have a large garden. When we moved in, it was VERY big and a bit unruly. There was a row of garlic growing, but it didn't turn out very well. After some research, we found that we didn't really harvest it correctly. Live and learn!

We were very busy getting used to our new neighbourhood. We really didn't spend much time on the garden last year. It did get overgrown with a ton of weeds and when Peter spent a back-breaking day digging them out, found that the garden was also very rocky!!!

Over the winter, Peter formulated a 'plan' and come spring, he followed through and we ended up with a really nice garden and quite a successful harvest!

First the size was a bit much for us. After all, we aren't farmers! So Peter rented a rototiller for the day and loosened up the dirt, including some great compost. Half of the former garden was planted with grass seed and now looks fabulous.

Then three raised beds were constructed and more compost was added. To keep the weeds down, 13 cubic metres (or 7 Purple Pig loads) of red cedar mulch was distributed around the raised beds. It was hard work and the result was fantastic. The cedar mulch is nice to walk on, keeps shoes / boots fairly dirt free and did keep the weeds down.

We transplanted several rhubarb roots and hope to get a harvest next spring. A couple of gooseberry bushes were donated by a friend and they seem to be doing well, though no fruit this year. We planted red peppers, several varieties of tomatoes, green & yellow beans, zucchini, cucumbers and lots of herbs including lovage, chives, garlic chives, parsley, rosemary, sage, dill, basil, arugula and oregano.

The harvest was pretty spectacular for our first attempt. We had many dinners of fresh beans, tomatoes, & cucumbers. The herbs did really well. We had so many zucchini that I made several zucchini loaves and the very popular, chocolate zucchini cake. We even managed to freeze beans and some herbs.

The red peppers didn't do too well, and we have ideas of how to improve the garden to be even better next year! Stay tuned for more updates and happy gardening!

The "Purple Pig"

2010-10-21T17:37:00.000-04:00

As you now know, we have moved to the country.

We have an acre of land with mature trees, a "sometime" stream or 'crick' and a fairly big garden. All this comes with quite a bit of maintenance and many trips to the local transfer station, or as more commonly referred to - the dump.

We also have a well, which when the rains don't come, may get pretty low, necessitating the need to 'haul water'.

In order to keep up with all these chores, we bought a pick up truck.

Peter's new pride and joy is a 1992 Ford F150 with 3/4 ton springs. It has over 225,000 kilometres on it and has been painted an interested shade of purple. The truck has been christened with the name: The Purple Pig! It is so old, that in another year, it won't need an emmissions test to get a new license sticker! Amazing! It has some rust, even a few holes in the floor of the cab, but is reasonably sound.

Peter happily cruises the local highways & by-ways, waving at everyone as he goes along. Everyone knows him now. He has become part of 'the county'! :)

Catching Up!

2010-10-17T08:48:00.000-04:00

OK - so I'm not good at this. The intention was good. So let's move forward and try this again.

We have been here over a year now. My what a difference a year makes. I will update some of our achievements over the past year and some before & after photos too!

Peter is a changed man. He loves his little estate and all the work that goes with it. The first time Peter cut the lawn, it took 10 hours!

He had never used a riding lawn mower and we do have a lot of mature trees! I think that he has managed to get it down to 3 hours on the riding mower and another 3 with the push mower and 'weed whacker'.

When the stream bed is dry, it does take a little longer, as we cut that too, to keep down the bug population.

Peter loves keeping the yard looking neat and tidy and has had many comments from neighbours and 'passers by' that it looks great. He waves at everyone as they drive by and is well known in the community now.

Next time - the garden.......stay tuned.

78 Gun Club Road or Bust.....

2009-06-18T17:28:00.000-04:00

Well, this time tomorrow we will be "on the road". A good friend left us a little present to wish us well on our way! Stay tuned....the adventure begins tomorrow :)

If you can't make out the sign, it says, "78 Gun Club Road or BUST!

Time is ticking....

2009-06-15T21:57:00.000-04:00

....and we are making headway. However, each evening we look around and can't believe what still needs to be done!

I've just had a nice hot bath to soothe aching muscles. Peter is just heading up to do the same!

Our once tidy house looks like a disaster zone! The buffets are now empty and looking a little sad. Memories come flooding back with almost every item we touch. Sad moments abound, but with them is a sense of excitment for the new home that awaits us. Plans are formulating for future decorating ideas......lots of positive discussion while having a glass of water in the backyard and catching our breath before the next few boxes start calling.

Here we go....

2009-06-09T22:40:00.000-04:00

As we madly continue purging and packing, we are getting ready for a house move and a new adventure.

We have left the busy, stressful, financial world of downtown Toronto. We are leaving the hustle and bustle behind to seek a quieter, gentler lifestyle.

On this blog, we hope to share some our successes and failures with our family & friends. So come on board and see what fun we get into! :)