Boxing Day

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. My house was filled with family and later more company stopped by. The food was great and plentiful. Today's clean-up was minimal and I am just taking it easy. Soon, the decorations will be taken down and put away for another year. My mind this morning was on the various projects I want to finish and/or start. No rush but something to keep me busy. I'm still slowly crocheting the latest blanket. It will get finished. Hats are on the future knitting list too. I did manage to make a few things for Christmas this year besides the gnome ornaments.

Somehow I came across an online tutorial to make these mitts. It was from a Canadian quilt shop in Cornwall called Apple Hill Quilting and Design. 

These mittens used a recycled wool sweater that I purchased years ago for just this purpose. The lining is fleece and I have loads of fleece in my stash. The zoom class was just two hours and if I hadn't had to unpick some sewing, I would have had at least one mitt finished in that time. As it was, I finished the pair a few weeks later and sent them to my son-in-law for Christmas. I would love to make more soon. Needess to say they are super warm.

I also managed to knit some fingerless mitts. I like how they turned out.

These were made for my grandsons in B.C. I had knit the same pattern before but totally forgot how to make them. Once I made one, it all came back to me.

It's mild for winter and so I decided this morning to go for a walk. Luckily, it wasn't raining. Resting is what I am doing a lot of today. I found myself standing a lot yesterday and my back hurt from just tiredness and strain. A little while sitting in a chair helped. I hope everyone had a wonderful time and that Santa brought them a little 'something.'

Christmas gnome ornaments

Every Christmas I try to find different ornaments for the grandchildren. There are now 13 grandchildren and I wanted to actually make the ornaments this year. I thought of cross stitching small motifs. There were little doggies in Santa hats, snowmen, gnomes or mitts but when it came down to it, cross stitch takes a long time. Even small things are time consuming and that was something I really didn't have. I did a little surfing on the internet and came up with gnome ornaments. These had a youtube video that were made from yarn, stuffing or cotton balls and either a toilet paper roll or a paper towel roll. Lots of yarn was needed for 13 ornaments but since I have a stash of different coloured yarns, it was nice to use some of it up.

This was so easy to make and the youtube video was very helpful and informative.

The nose was supposed to be a wooden bead but since I couldn't find any small enough in my local dollar store, I did find a sprig of greenery that had gold sprinkled 'berries' and I thought they could look very festive.

I actually made 15 gnomes. Two were my samples and I have since given one away. Eleven of the grandchildren live very close and they will be able to pick their favourite. Two have already been spoken for but I didn't want to hand any out until their Christmas tree was put up.

The youtube video was one put out by Taffleberry Lane.

Retreat quilts

This past weekend I was at a quilt retreat. It was just about an hour and a half away. It was a great weekend and productive.

A huge room with wonderful lighting. Large windows too.

I managed to finish putting this 26" X 26" quilt top together. It was a free pattern online that finished at 13" X 13" but that was way too small for me. I am planning on hanging this on my wall just beside the front door so that it will be the first thing you see. I'm not sure whether or not I want to put a border on it or just bind it.

This is the other quilt I was working on. I was just laying out the charm squares. It did get put together but my camera battery died. I shall take a better photo of the finished top. It too is a free pattern online that uses up a whole charm pack of 42 squares.

All in all, a successful weekend. Great company but way too much food.
 

Some extra sewing

I was asked by my middle daughter to make some bicycle seat covers - two of them. She wanted something that she could add a bit of foam to so that riding long distances would be more comfortable. This request, of course, was last minute. I had to finish sewing a sleeve onto the back of a quilt for the quilt show but I put it aside. Luckily, I had a roll of plaid upholstery fabric that I was able to use. I searched the internet for a DIY (Do It Yourself) bicycle seat cover and not only did I get a tutorial, there was even a youtube video. It turned out to be easy peasy and because the upholstery fabric had a rubbery backing, I didn't have to finish any seams. My sewing stash included some half inch twill tape that I used for a draw string.

If you click on the photos, they will enlarge.

Apologies for the small photos but I was unable to enlarge them from my email. I should have taken a photo of them once I had finished them and before I handed them over but once again, I forgot. Perhaps I will get a chance to take photos once they return from their trip.

I did get the sleeve sewn onto the back of the quilt and the quilt show is this weekend. I will have photos from it in the coming week.

Quilt show in Toronto Sept. 23 - 24, 2023

 

Quilt related

 Just a couple more rows for the Row by Row. 

A clearer picture or the finished rows.

I liked the look of this but the instructions that came with the kit were not very good at all. I ended up appliquing the top kite part.

This was a fun one to figure out.

 I may just use these last two as standalone quilts to put up on the wall.

Blankets

It all started with one shell stitch blanket to use up some yarn. It was made years ago while I was in BC visiting my eldest daughter and her family. It ended up in Toronto and is now used by my middle daughter's children in the stroller.

Then, I made another - this time in the UK while I was visiting my youngest daughter and it is a smaller stroller blanket for a grandson. Once again, to use up some yarn.

I bought this yarn in England when I was visiting my youngest daughter and her family. The yarn was a package of three or four big balls on sale and I figured I could do something with it so I crocheted a lap blanket for stroller walks for one of my granddaughters.

After making that blanket, my granddaughter liked it so much that she now takes it to bed with her every night. Her sister then wanted a blanket and this pink striped one is the one I made for her. 

Here's her cousin who wanted a blanket too. I used up that middle yarn that I had purchased in England and a few other pinky yarns that I had. 

And then her twin sister wanted one.

This time, a blue blanket. All the yarns are worsted weight but they seem to be different. Some are softer than others. I actually bought the lighter blue variegated yarn which was a big ball. I just finished this one and have to weave in the ends. These last two blankets are about 38 inches long and they do stretch over time. The twins want them to cover their legs when they watch TV which is housed in the basement. 

I think I will now take a break from crocheting blankets. 

Stay tuned...

I have so much more yarn to use up.

Something new

It's Row by Row time again. There aren't many quilt shops participating. In Canada there are only four provinces that are offering patterns and kits. I liked some of the patterns and decided I would purchase some kits. Here's the beginning.

Please excuse the photo. I took it outside while there was still a bit of light. I'll take better photos as I continue with the rows. Here's three rows. All machine applique. The theme this year is summertime. I have two more rows that are pieced. One is complete and the other is almost finished. The flowers and butterflies in the top row were all pre-cut so it went together quickly. That row is not fused but just sewn around all the applique pieces. The kit came with yellow buttons that are for the centre of the flowers. I will sew them on at some point. I have two butterflies that I will sew somewhere on the whole quilt but I didn't want to add them to that row. I thought it would look too busy. I am planning on quilting a butterfly or two in the empty spaces.

Canada Day

 Happy Canada Day!!!

Some 'little' sewing

One of my granddaughters turned 4 about a week ago. Her mom and dad bought her a Corolle doll and asked if I would make some clothes for the doll. I gathered up some fabric but it was a bit hard to find patterns to fit. Luckily, I had a Cabbage Patch doll clothes pattern that seemed to be the correct size for a 14 inch doll. I sewed up a couple of extra outfits so that her sister, who also had the same make of doll, could have different clothing.

I like the dresses and the matching bloomers.

I found this little piece of coral print and thought it would make a nice dress.

This is her sister's little doll outfit.

I never ended up showing these 10 little treat bags that I made for Easter. 

Each one had pompom tails but no faces.

They didn't take long to sew up. I found the pattern on the internet.

Having these little bags saved me from hiding the treats in the backyard.

Here's a few of the recipients with their bags.

They were filled with a variety of goodies.

I will now be concentrating on crocheting a blanket and sewing up some quilt blocks.

UFOs done

 Finally.

This quilt was a pattern in a McCall's magazine sometime in the 1980s. It was a top for decades that was sandwiched and basted. I did start to hand quilt it in the middle but that was it. I wasn't sure how I wanted it quilted and so it sat, waiting. I think it was a case of not coming with a good idea as to how to quilt it and also what colours to quilt it in. Finally, in 2017, I put it in my frame and quilted it. And then it sat - again. There is a quilt show coming up in September with one of my quilt guilds and so I decided that once and for all, it will be finished. I self bound it and it was completed yesterday. All it needs now is a hanging sleeve and a label. I still love it and it will hang in my hall soon.

This shows how I finally decided to quilt it.

I took these photos off my blog - March 2017.

Here's the other UFO that I'm working on. It's a 3D bowtie quilt. All of the bowties are made with floral fabrics and they are all different. I am having a longarm quilter do the quilting on it. Once it's finished, I shall take another photo showing the quilting. It has no border.

I'm currently working on testing a paper pieced pattern and putting together a Minecraft quilt for one of my granddaughters.

Going back in time

I don't know about any of you but there are some things that I have made that I have forgotten about. This, however, is not one of them.

A parrot for Patric.

Hallowe'en in B.C. Since they live in the interior and there are no other little ones around, the goodies are left out for whatever goblins show up while they are out trick or treating around the area.

I am amazed that I made it. I don't know where it is now. It could probably be used by cousins if it ever shows up.

I made three of these - all different scenes but the same colours and same size.

The two on the right are my creations. I used upholstery samples and some trims.

This was a pattern that I purchased from a now closed quilt shop in Moose Jaw. The mitt resides in B.C. now. I liked it because it could take the place of a stocking. Years later, my friend Judy made me one.

I'm sure that there are other things that I have made through the years but I haven't come across photos. It's nice to see the things that I have made.

Spring quilt show - Part four

I think this might be the last installment but never fear, I still have two other quilt shows in my camera that I have to download and shrink. I hope these quilts help you with some inspiration.

And that's it for now.