Christmas Projects all over the house

It only took - what  - 3 years? but the little Christmas throw I started at a retreat is complete and keeping me warm as I type.  I love the fabrics;  wintery but not Christmas-cute, which isn't me.  I'm nothing if not NOT cute.  I'd done another one of these throws in mustard and a muted red Jane Austen fabrics and have it ready to warm guests.  I'll post a pic of it another time. 

The pillows were also done a few years ago and I bring them out every Christmas.  I just pop them over pillows already on the couches after a pressing. The Noel pillow pattern was taken from the pattern series called Christmas Memories, possibly by Blackbird Designs.  I know there were 4 small booklets of 3-4 patterns each, and all together you would be able to make a lovely quilt pattern, but I think the store I bought them from only had 2 or 3 of the 4, but I had to have them.  Such a shame I stumbled on them too late, but I love what I did with the patterns I had.

The Tree of Life mantle scarf is also an older project- you can probably tell by the fabric lines.  Robyn Pandolph fabrics, I think.  Such lovely fabrics.  For someone who hates precision piecing (because I'm lousy at points), I have to say I'm pleased with the way this turned out.  While I'm being pleased with myself, I attached all those slate tiles to the wall after "the crash".  Seriously - there were ugly 1/4 inch bricks attached to the wall that ....just....fell off one day.  So, rather than reglue the ugliness, I too the opportunity to modernize.  The whole house can fall down now and I guarantee the only thing standing together will be these tiles - there's that much glue on them.

Last but not least, a cross stitch I did over a decade ago from a project taken from a cross stitch magazine.  Shortly after completing this, I got the crazy idea that a Lavender and Lace Celtic Christmasr design would be a great idea.  The beautiful lady in the red dress lies wound on her stretcher frame, possibly for all time, only barely started.  I did do some of the little angel ornaments, so figured a big project would be possible. Clearly, I was fooling myself.  Please don't tell my friend Ray, from work, about my abysmal photography skills.  He'd cry.  He's an incredibly talented photographer.

More projects moving along

 Citrus (the colours have dictated what I've been calling it) is now hanging up in my office at work.  It's a nice, bright contrast to the dreary days to come and takes the place of a lovely watercolour of a stone farmhouse in winter.  Just the sort of house I'd love to live in, but as I'll be seeing more than enough snow up close and personal, I could use some contrast.

It's quite different from other things I've made and I didn't even mind all the fussing with the binding.

I'd mentioned the Through the Trees quilt from Kate Conklin.  Here are the blocks in the process of being all sewn up.  They are in a pile now, all sewn, just waiting to become a quilt.

One new thing and one old thing.  I'm going to try to complete one UFO for every new thing I take on.  The little Christmas throw is keeping my feet warm while I bind it.

 

 ...and the latest new thing.  Still just material, fresh out of the package from Flare Fabrics, but oh, so pretty and graphic and interesting.    It came so quickly (free shipping in Canada!) and they responded to a couple of special requests I made, so I'm a very happy customer.  

I know, I can't take a rotary cutter to them until a) Through the Trees is a quilt and b)I've finished ANOTHER UFO.  And maybe um...put a label of some sort on Citrus.  I should be writing this in a very small font as I know I'm going to hear about it when a certain someone reads this.  And rightly so.  I'm not great about labels. 

The Abstract Expressionist quilt is done!

I'm very happy to say I have completed this quilt, hanging sleeve and all!  Feeback from my classmates felt really great, mostly because this was one talented group of women. 
I'm not happy because it's done, as I enjoyed every bit of making it.  I can highly recommend Dwayne Wanner's class as a wonderful source of inspiration.  I met some wonderful people and kick started myself back into sewing.  I'll get a better pic, but at least it shows it's done.

I thought I'd throw in a picture of the inspiration for my getting back on my quilting horse (how's that for mixed) after losing my quiting mojo...what?...3 or 3 1/2 years ago.  Can you blame a girl?  These pics of Dwayne's quilts were taken at the Halton Quilters' Guild show earlier this year.

Now that I'm back at it, I'm procrastinating as I type, on the quilting of a little Christmas throw I started....3+ years ago and over the weekend got all the blocks together for this lovely quilt, Through the Trees by the very talented Kate Conklin of Australia.  Normally, I don't use the same fabrics, but I saw the fabrics at Greenwood Quiltery before I saw the pattern and loved the whole thing together.  I'd post a pic of my blocks, but they're just...well, blocks, so far.  I'll get them together after doing that throw.  More machine quilting...Ugh!  I'm pretty lousy at it.

More inspiration came my way, however, in the form of Maggie Vanderweit at the One of a Kind Show on the weekend. (What a GREAT show!) I remember my guild hosted Maggie a few years ago when I was on the Programme Committee, so I had the chance to meet her and admired her work.  She was at the show, so we chatted for a bit and I remembered why I loved her work so much.  It has so many elements I relate to...and her machine quilting's fantastic!  I have her upcoming class schedule so I'll see if I can get up to her studio to take a class. We discussed how the only way to be an artist is to make art (I think I'm paraphrasing) but it's true, so....off I go upstairs to quilt now.

I'd love your feedback on my first effort in a few years!  If it hadn't been for the great suggestions of classmates, it wouldn't have turned out nearly as nicely as it has.  I love when people are generous with specific ideas.  It can be a brave thing to give honest criticism.

Sentimental Reasons Quilt Show presented by the Oakville Quilters Guild

At our guild meeting on Thursday, the co-chairs showed us the beautiful postcard created to promote the show.  If you'd like to follow the show information on the Guild's Facebook page, please hit Like, and don't forget to put the dates on your calendar.

I pushed myself to get my Artistic Expressionist quilt (see below for a pic of the work in progress) finished and was putting the final stitches on the hanging sleeve before showing the guild members.  I'll be entering it in the show.  I'll be back up to Greenwood Quiltery on Thursday for the final class get together and critique session with Dwayne Wanner. I'm really looking forward to seeing what my incredibly talented classmates did.  I'll see if any would object to my using the pics here on the blog. 

Binding

I'm pushing myself to have my Abstract Expressionist quilt bound for Show and Tell at the Oakville Quilters Guild meeting Thursday night.  As it's uneven all the way round (new for me), I'm not at all sure I'm doing the binding as well as I might, but as long as it holds together I'll count it as a success.  Above is a picture of it in progress during the second day of the workshop.  You can see how there are bits and pieces sticking out here and there.  I'm trying to maintain them. 

Creating again

After a far-too-long absence, I've eased back into playing with fibres again, and it feels wonderful!  I started by knitting some socks and scarves and enrolled this fall in a fantastic Abstract Expressionist class at Greenwood Quiltery in Guelph with Dwayne Wanner.  I'm feeling great about the quilt I'm working on (sneak peek here).

Even more inspiring was two classes I taught at Quilters Dream in Burlington.  One was a Crazy Quilting class and the other was a fun Fabulous Fabric Christmas Cards workshop.  I'm so incredibly impressed by the creativity of the participants of both classes.  I gave the same instructions to everyone and yet, the results were so different, and all so lovely!   I am so lucky to have the chance to meet these talented people and to help them get a little bit freer with their skills.  I'll definitely be doing more teaching in the New Year - I have a call scheduled with Holly at Quilters Dream tomorrow to set up classes.  I hope they want me to teach Crazy Quilting again because it's one I enjoy for the incredible works the participants create.

I'll be updating my list of blogs I love and today added Quilton's Doings.  She's one of my favourite Oakville Quilters' Guild members.  She also scares me a bit, so I'd better get that darned quilt done for the show in May!

It's nice to be back.  Thank you so much for reading.