Pets on Quilts Show!

Last year I watched the fun on Lily Pad Quilting, as a huge number of pet lovers showed off their precious friends.

Cats on Quilts category

So, this year I decided to join in and show you Kissa and Sheriti, my two female Egyptian Mau cats.

It doesn't matter how small I fold a quilt, they find a way to both fit on it!

They do like to sleep curled up together..

This is Sheriti, a tiny little girl who loves to spend the day in my sewing room with me. She pre-tests everything!

She is also asthmatic, and uses an inhaler....

yes, you read it right!

This is Kissa, who would much rather wait for the finished quilt! 

She is a big girl!!

Oh yeah, we are kinda cute!

Thanks so much to Lily Pad Quilting for hosting this very special event!

Grab a cup of coffee and hop on over to see all the lovely pets and quilts this year. It will make you smile for the whole day!

A Lovely Year of Finishes....MAYbe I got it done!

A Lovely Year of Finishes

Three short days ago I was expecting to write a post full of lame excuses about why I didn't get my May project done......

Then a whiny inner voice got the better of me, and I got to work on it!

The top was already done in 2012, so I don't know why I had such a hard time getting this little quilt finished.. It is made with vintage striped sheets, a few solids, and is a disappearing 9 patch pattern.

I had this cotton/poly sheet purchased quite a while ago for another project, I think. So, I washed it and used it as the backing.

The leaves inspired the quilting, and I remember seeing a FMQ pattern somewhere on a blog, and stored it in my tiny brain!

 I Love, love this FMQ pattern! It is very forgiving, and you can easily get out of any corner you find yourself in by just adding some leaf vines or pebbles! The only time I broke thread was when the bobbin ran out!

I used my favourite Aurifil thread #2021 in the 50wt.

I really like the kind of squared off flower petals too. This is definitely one I will use again.

I wish I could remember where I saw it, to give credit...I really should write that stuff down!

I can lead you to some FMQ tutorials from Lori Kennedy @ The Inbox Jaunt..... seriously, she has some amazing, detailed, and fun tutorials.

Go check them out! the turtle!!!!

After squaring it up, I decided to try the rounded corner approach for the binding. I did cut the binding on the bias, which takes no longer than regular cutting.

No mitered corners is a really nice change!

I don't know what the fabric is, just something taking up space in my much too cluttered stash! It definitely has a vintage look to it, so it seemed appropriate for this quilt. 

So, here it is all finished, and I must admit, looking kinda pretty!

I think I like it after all!

Measures 45"x54"

And, of course, the obligatory cat on quilt photo!

I don't know why it is always Kissa and not Sheriti, but she is very photogenic!

Well, that's it for today. 

I have to start thinking about my June goal!

A Little Catch-Up

It's snowing cats and dogs, and I can't get my finished quilt photographed today, so I thought I'd post about a few other things!

Maybe some pictures of Bee blocks!

Loved doing these paper pieced circles for Marika. They are for our Happiness Circle @ do. Good Stitches

She did a little photo tutorial on Flickr.

I don't remember if I posted these already, but they are the blocks from the first 4 months of Canadians Quilt {bee}. The blocks these ladies are choosing are really great!

I know I posted photos of my latest Boyd St. Bowling Bag purse, but I followed that up with a matching Necessary Clutch Wallet!

Both patterns are from Emmaline Bags. I just love Janelle's patterns!

She also has great hardware, like zipper pulls.

Then, I went and joined the Pack Patch Mini QAL! Each week we make a tiny patchwork block based on a theme chosen by Chase from Quarter Inch Mark.

The great thing is that they take only minutes to sew up. The fun comes in picking fabric to match the theme!

True Colours/Favourite Colours

 April Showers/Brings May Flowers

Born in..../Wish I Was Born In....

I can hardly wait for next weeks theme!

And Finally!!

I did finish Postage Paid but don't have great photos of it.

Kissa looking pretty!

I really liked adding the envelopes with the postage stamp blocks!

Enough already.....I should go and shovel the snow!

Serves me right.....I had my summer tires put on last week!

Snow and Snowflakes!

Winter has arrived with a couple dumps of snow in the past week...

Fresh snow is always so pretty, until you have to shovel it!

But, it did put me in the mood to get some bee blocks done.

First up are November's blocks for our

Happiness Circle @ do. Good Stitches.

Marika asked us to do Plus blocks using low volume background and bright colours for the Plus.

We used this tutorial.

I love doing these blocks, and I think I'll be doing one for myself in the new year!

Next up was blocks for

Simply Solids: a modern {bee}

I'm in the Carmine group, and for November Carla asked for the Circle of Squares block.

Another fun and quick block to do, and because I am doing an extra angel block, I was happy with how quickly they were made.

Which brings me to December's blocks for Sheila!

She has asked for the Snowflake block.

Such a gorgeous block, but not an easy one for me to do!

Again, I am doing an extra angel block, so it was on my mind when it came to piecing this one!

We used this tutorial.

For the first block, I used the tutorial, but I sure had difficulty with it.

I'm not sure why my brain didn't want to line things up!

So, for the second block, I thought I would try paper piecing it!

I just drew it out on paper using the 60 degree on my ruler.

Really, it didn't turn out any better, and, in fact, took way longer to do!

If I hadn't already cut the fabric for it, I would have abandoned it and gone back to the tutorial!

They didn't even finish the same size!

Anyway, they are DONE! 

Sheila will have to do some creative sashing!

Sorry Sheila!

I also finished up some socks this week!

These are Merino wool and cashmere!

So soft and yummy!

I used my favourite pattern from Wendy Johnson's book,

Socks From The Toe Up

I also used the two at a time method on my favourite 2mm, 100cm Addi circular needle.

Because I have a terrible memory, in spite of what Lumosity tells me :-) , I also keep a journal of the patterns I use, the yarn and etc.

Finally, I purchased a clamshell template for EPP. I really like watching Sue Daley's YouTube Videos on her EPP methods.

However, Kissa seems intent of giving me her own lessons on piecing those clamshells!

Not sure what I'll make with the finished product; probably another pouch!

Now I can curl up with a book this week-end......

or maybe start something new???

Knit one...

I finished a second pair of socks using Wendy Johnson's basic toe up sock pattern!

I used a smaller needle (2.25mm) and fewer stitches than the first pair, and they fit like a glove. Yay!

in a pretty teal colour!

Now, I am tackling two at a time toe up socks using Melissa Morgan-Oakes book.

I still used Judy's Magic cast on, and magic loop knitting.

It was a little harder to get started, and the stitch increase was a new one for me, but at least there are no double wraps!

So far I haven't gotten them mixed up!

Meanwhile.......

.....the girls pose on Who's Your Granny?

Hope you're having a good week-end!

A lazy day...

It's one of those quiet, lazy days around here.

It's a holiday today because Remembrance Day was on a Sunday(yesterday)

We are in a bit of a deep freeze here after getting about a foot of snow over the week-end.

But the sun is shining and the all important wind chill is low!

I love walking, so I bundled up and headed out.

Every time I see this snow fence, I think how great it would be to drape a bunch of quilts over it, and I my own private "trunk show"!

I was pretty impressed that the trail had already been cleared, and I didn't need to plow through drifts!

 Meanwhile, back at home......

Kissa is climbing the walls!!

She loves nothing more that jumping for the rope!

I decided that some sewing was in order, so started on a new table runner for Christmas!

Couldn't do anything quick and easy!! Oh no, wouldn't want that!

So...paper piecing it is.......

Got a bit done at least!

Hope everyone had a good week-end.

WIP Wednesday

Yikes! 

We are getting a ton of rain! Good thing I got my yard work done on the week-end.

Which now leaves me free to catch up on my sewing projects.

I have one finish....

This is another of the Swoon blocks I did a couple month ago.

I wanted to practice my FMQ, so I decided to pick one of the blocks and do a lot of dense quilting...

For some reason I put it away, and kinda forgot about it.

Luckily, I found it this week and finished it off!

Bound and hung on the wall!

Love how the back looks too!

*****

I have my Sew Out Loud blocks all joined and I'm in the process

of quilting it...

Should be done by next week.

*****

My love of Summersville continues.

After I finished From Summersville to New York..

    I continued cutting fabric for new cushions for the sofa...

They are 24"

I have only done one so far...

I quilted the front and put in an invisible zipper.

I don't think I'll do the second one identical..

All those freakin' hst's!!

maybe chevron or something similar.

Any suggestions?

*****

I am a bit disappointed in myself for not doing any more quilting on Ocean View, but maybe this week if it keeps raining!!
So, all that's left to do is show you a couple of photos of "the girls" Sheriti & Kissa

 Time to link up to Lee at Freshly Pieced
&
Monika at TN&TN.
Have a great sewing week!