The latest quilt

 A photo was sent to me from a young lady who is part of a refugee family. I'd offered to make each of them a quilt and she sent her favorite. I rather think she likes it because it reminds her of the ocean and beach.

Anyway, this is on the design wall. The bottom two rows are sewn together, the rest waiting to be stitched. 

It was so much fun to make. I had all the colors in my stash. The pattern is "Seaside Park" by Villa Rosa Designs. 

I reversed the angle so it does not draw the eye down and out the bottom right corner, made the blocks bigger (original 5.5" and mine finish to 6") which changed the size to 65" x 77" (with a border) instead of 55" x 66", which is better for a twin bed. 

I also changed the colors... the pattern was a rainbow, but these colors are more like the photo she sent me... beach with sand and the waves coming in. I have not come up with a name for it yet.

This pattern is easy. I might make a smaller version (or two) for crib quilts.

For want of a title...

This is my window hanging for March. It was made in one of the busiest few weeks of my life. Don't know why February was so filled with appointments, interruptions, and more, but it is nearly over... hope March is as fun as making this little quilt! I am calling it "St. Pat's Hat" for want of a better title. It will replace the "Love" quilt now in our dining room window, visible to all who pass by... sort of a wave "Hello" and for me, a relief from making big quilts.

My hubby had surgery Wednesday at 1:30 and the hospital called at 3:30 to pick him up! He had no pain then, it came later but not severe. I'm amazed and so thankful to God who answers prayer in such surprising ways! DH wants to go to a luncheon today. Not sure that is wise, but he is feeling wonderful, even with an incision a few inches long.

As for quilting, I'm awaiting a shipment of border fabric and have a few starts in my studio. It was looking like an explosion in a fabric mill but cleaned it a bit last night and will do more sewing today on a few other projects in boxes stacked high.

We are at -30 C here, and in Fahrenheit that is just as cold! But I am Canadian - have a coat good to -40, so am also going shopping!

Stalled, sort of

 This month has been filled with expected appointments, events, plus a host of unexpected stuff, some were happy, others frustrating. I flunked the patience test a few times!

However, this quilt center is done. I had perfect border fabric but not enough. Could not find it locally so ordered from a shop in the next province west. They had it at a good price, but the shipping -- yikes. Anyway, it is coming next week. So this one is on hold. The colors are way off. A deeper gold and greenish gold somehow disappeared. It is in daylight so ???

I started a March hanging for my window. People love February's heart. This one will be a leprechaun's top hat with shamrocks growing out of it. Soon to be March!

We have a family brunch on Monday, I'm to see my doctor Tuesday, hubby has surgery and will be in the hospital Wednesday, bee group meets Thursday. To offset the stress of that, one fun item on that group's casual agenda is to plan a theme basket for our guild's show in June, to be auctioned to help pay for the venue. I have way too many ideas. This and Monday should be fun. Don't know about the other two days.

Now back to work, but first to smell the roses. Our church does brunch every Sunday. We feed 300-600 people, white tables with roses on many of them. If someone helps with cleanup, they get the roses. We were given two of them a couple weeks ago and they were picture perfect, had to share this one. 

 

One done, five to go . . .

What? It is February already? Well, I have a good excuse. We traveled in January. In AZ, rainy weather greened up the desert and ruined golfing, so my dear hubby took me for a shop hop. Could not buy more than a few fat quarters (suitcase full already) but did get a few patterns and lots of inspiration, plus great conversations with shop owners and customers. The best one? The Quilter's Oasis in Mesa. I'd have been happy with any yardage in the store. Wonderful fabrics, exquisite quality and just yummy. Next time I will take an extra empty suitcase!

Then we went to SC to spend a week with our daughter and son-in-law. The weather was crappy but the fun made up for it. We ate, shopped, toured, and made three 1000 piece puzzles in three days -- hard ones. Now we are experts. Laughed much and just enjoyed being together.

My daughter had a love poster on a door and another one outside on a hanging rod -- to celebrate Valentines Day and February. So I came home and made this in one afternoon. It is in our dining room window so everyone who goes by can see it. Our daughter is a sweetie, a wonderful hostess and very thoughtful. I want to be like her when I grow up.

Now I am working on a larger project. It is for a refugee couple who arrive in Canada soon with their children and the grandmother. All will get a quilt, so this is the beginning one. I've made only four blocks thus far. A dear friend from our bee group offered to make one of the other quilts, so that might mean all five will be finished before their plane lands. 

Sorry for no posts this past while. We have been buried in to-do lists since getting home. I'll try harder, if I'm not sewing like a mad woman.

Improv and scraps. . .

After sorting UFOs last week, I was a bit discouraged. Will I live long enough? Anyway, the most important were the orphan blocks sent home with me from our Guild's community outreach division. We do charity quilts and have literally tons of donated fabric. I had several blocks left over from other quilter's projects and a few fabrics to go with each one. Doing improv blocks etc. is fun, but I didn't want to sandwich/quilt them. Then the chair person of that division called me, listened to me whine, and told me to just make the tops. They have lots of longarmers who will finish them! I wanted to hug her and was instantly ready to go to work. 

Here is the first one. The applique blocks are large so this one worked out a good lap size. Just had to add the pink for the outer border. Then I did a purplish one from seven smaller blocks and am nearly finished one from one orphan block and lots of complementary fabrics. It is 50" plus also. No pictures yet. The piano key borders are done by cutting strips and making strata. Then all the leftover bits are added along with the chunks cut from the strata. In one of those quilts, I wound up with no leftovers at all from at least one the colors. Feels good!

A fun Christmas

Our Christmas included giving this quilt and an apron to our son's fiancee. She kind of expected the quilt but hadn't seen it, but didn't expect the apron. What fun to watch her face...

She wanted lots of flowers, white with pastels. While it was a challenge to find flowers in November, a local shop had this panel with a few fat quarters to match in a kit -- only one left. Fun to make for a charming and fun-loving young woman who is also smart and keeps surprising us. How delightful to surprise her!

Finally. . .

My hubby was thirteen days before he got the one little red line instead of two. He is still coughing a bit, but back to his normal self. We have been busy with catching up.

I did tell you about three finishes. I can only put two of them here as the other is a Christmas surprise for a special person. It will be posted next week. Here are the two little ones. They were leftover panels from the large quilt already posted. The first used up most of the remaining border print of small lighthouses, plus the blue I used for sashing. The red came out of my stash of scraps.

The second used up more leftovers. Feels good. I quilted them very simply as can be seen.

The picture below these is a runner that quickly went together for our living room coffee table. It matches the blue decorations used this year. I usually alternate with red/gold, but enjoy the blue ones the most. Anyway, it used up some blue Christmas fabric scraps, so that feels good too.

Below that is a top. It goes to our guild charity division. I called the person who chairs it and she said: "Make tops. We have lots of volunteers to longarm quilt them, and you have too much to do..." I wanted to hug her on the phone. Anyway, this was four orphan blocks plus a few fabrics that matched them and only one fat quarter from my stash. It is about 50" square and was fun to make. I used strip sets to make the piano key border, just as much sewing but seems to go quicker and straighter than sewing all the "keys" individually.

While all this was happening, I decided to get serious with scrap sorting. I tried various options until realizing that I work best with color, so took the orphan blocks and patterns and sorted them according to colors that would work together to make a quilt inspired from that small piece. That is, each will be improv using what I like as a color combo. It will be easier to see when I start posting them!!

In the meantime, Christmas. Almost ready. Parcels all wrapped under the tree. Stockings getting fatter by the hour. Cookies in tins and jars. Salmon ball made (our son must have that appetizer). Roasted nuts today. Kids are making dessert but I want to make one too. Turkey is thawing. Veggies bought fresh today. Singing carols without even thinking about it. I love it that God sent His Son to be our Savior and this day coming soon is about that amazing gift -- and about being with those we love. 

It is really cold here, and really white. Yesterday way -34C when I got up with a windchill of -41C. But we have a warm house and garage, and a full pantry, and are thankful for so many blessings.

May your Christmas be filled with joy and peace.