Charity quilting update

Although I didn't get together with Marg in January, I did manage to get a baby quilt top done.

I had a fat quarter just sitting around and it looked like it might be nice used up in a baby quilt so I figured out how I could get the most number of squares out of it. I was short one square so I added an odd one. It's not all that noticeable and I think it adds an interesting little surprise. I made the border a bit bigger.

Marg finished quilting this one and I sewed the binding on. Marg will do the hand sewing.

We had fun going through a bunch of gingham - even though we had thought that our next quilt will be green and white. After looking at all the different sizes and colours of the gingham, we decided to make two quilts. This one was the paler of the two and had a feminine look about it. The border will be the mauve at the top left.

We sort of figured that this version had a more boyish feel to it. So, these are the quilts we will be working on for the next couple of weeks.

I'm linking up with The Needle and Thread Network.

Slow going but getting there

The quilt on the frame didn't get much done to it during the weekend. The floors got washed, pulla got made (twice in two days) and a new recipe for dinner was tried out. I took the quilt off its stands for a day because Sunday was family dinner with everyone and Monday was Family Day in our neck of the woods. Here's what the quilt looks like now.

 This is the centre.

The left side.

A close-up of the centre. I mark as I go and decide on the spot how I want to quilt each of the coloured parts.

Here's the right side. Once this block is done, I can put in a couple of turns.

On the knitting front, I finished the hat I was working on and made another one.

I love the colours in this one.

The colours are equally nice in this one. I made this a tad bigger.

Two hats for two little girls made with washable wool.

I'm linking up with The Needle and Thread Network. Stop on by to see what other Canadians are up to this week.

A Thank You Letter

This post could also have been titled "Why we quilt or Why we give our quilts away."

I made this quilt last summer during the Row by Row Experience. I went to many, many quilt shops all over southern Ontario during several weekends - thanks to my husband who did the driving. On the Row by Row Facebook page I noticed that people were completing their quilts super quick and bringing them in to win fat quarters and other prizes that the shops were giving away for being the first one finished. I was determined to be one of those winners - but by hand quilting my quilt. This was the result.

Here it is being put together.

And here it is on the frame being quilted.

In the first photo, the bottom row shows two loons with a baby loon on the mother's back. My eldest daughter, Laila, loves loons. In the bottom photo you can see Sunbonnet Sue and Fisherman Fred (or Sam) and again, I added this row because my eldest daughter likes Sunbonnet Sue. Laila has two little boys and I wanted to make this a fun quilt for them. All the applique is fused on and top stitched by machine. I didn't needleturn anything because time was of the essence. I still have many row patterns and am planning on making another quilt.

During the summer, there is an open air quilt show at Pioneer Village called Quilts at the Creek. I have put in at least one quilt each year and this year's theme is blue. Since this quilt was already finished, I thought I would just keep it in the cupboard until then and after it was shown, my daughter could have it. Well, Laila and the boys were here for our second Christmas in January and since she had the room in her luggage to take the quilt, I gave it to her.

All this preamble is to lead up to this very nice thank you email I received from her.

Hi Mom, 
I wanted to let you know that I'm really enjoying the water themed quilt
it's a nice size for use. 
It's in the living room and being used as a throw (even though we have 

piles of blankets.) 
 
It's just nice to look at the different blocks and fabrics. 
And I like the row row row panel - as it's a theme song with us. 
 
It's still stiff -so the more we use it - the more it will loosen up 

and be a comfy blanket. Right now it is positioned as the roof of a fort.
  

Thank you for letting me have it - just wanted to let you know it's 

being used rather than just stored in a closet 
as it is a work of art - 
but this art is going to be functional.
 
Laila

Handmade - Part 2

I got the quilt put on the frame.

I noticed that when I stretched it out that the sides are all on the bias. I do hope that I don't have a big problem on my hands when it's all finished.

I did start quilting it but there is no way that I want to do this much quilting in each triangle.

I think I will stick to keeping it real simple. I want the colours to stand out - not the quilting.

Handmade - Part 1

Making something by hand:
It's a slow process. It can be un-exact - meaning that it's not perfectly made because it is hand made. But there is thought behind it and often a whole lot of love.

 I wanted to make little Teemu a nice warm winter hat.

My eldest daughter was with me when I went to buy some yarn. I was hoping to find a nice variegated yarn and the bonus was that this Paton's Decor yarn (Reflection) has 25% wool and is machine washable. So, I tried out a new (to me) pattern. This is the 12 month size and turned out to be OK. I tried it on the twins because I wanted to make them each a touque too.

 This yarn is Bernat's Sheep(ish) Stripes in Femme(ish) and turned out to have 30% wool. It too is machine washable. I really like variegated yarns and will be making one more but I think I may just make it one size up. The pattern is super easy and is just knit one, purl one. I'm adding about a half inch in the length for this one.

The dud. I got this far and I'm not liking it. It's a thinner yarn- King Cole's Drifter DK in Boy Blue. I love colour but I didn't like how the rib was working. It seemed way too loose and that's why I changed patterns and yarn and went with the Decor for Teemu. I'll find another use for this yarn.

Hand made or handmade may be slower but sometimes, it's just the way to do things.

I'm linking up with The Needle and Thread Network.