Quilt related post - and sewing

One of the guilds I belong to put out a request for some placemats that were to be handed out at Christmas with Meals on Wheels. Since I use polyester batting, I didn't know if I could participate. Well, the night I attended the meeting it turned out that someone in the guild had supplied some flat batting and some backing fabrics if there were people willing to sew up some placemats. I grabbed some batting pieces and brought them home. I knew I had Christmas fabrics that I wanted to use up so here's the result.

Five placemats completed. Two had binding and when I showed my quilting buddy Marg, she suggested that I make them pillowcase style so I didn't have to do that extra step of cutting and sewing on binding. I must say, it went together a lot quicker. I just quilted in the ditch and actually, I machine finished the sewing of the binding.

I forgot to show this last year. Just before my two eldest grandsons came for a visit in November, my daughter Laila, their mom, informed me that Patric had a loose tooth. I had been meaning to make him his very own monster tooth fairy pillow and so I got moving and produced this. Before I even planned it or sewed it, Patric's tooth fell out. Oh well, I hope it comes in handy for future baby teeth.

I have made other things but because they haven't yet been given to the recipients, I can't show them just yet.

Something old and something new

A belated Happy New Year!

Now that the holiday season is officially over, I have time to get some sewing and knitting done.

My eldest son Mark, turned 40 last week (January 2nd) and he had a party for family and friends at a legion just after Christmas. A fun time was had by all and there was a time when his friends, siblings and wife spoke about him. Some roasted him and others thanked him for being the person he was. I was asked by his middle sister Maili, to re-make a hat that he wore in his younger days.

This is the hat. He made it himself years ago (I don't remember how old he was) out of fabrics from my stash. He does know how to use a sewing machine. (this is a photo of a photo)

This was found in my stash just before I started working on the hat.

It doesn't show up so well but this is the actual fabric my son used to make his hat. It's a light green. I was amazed when I pulled the fabric out off the shelf in my sewing room. He didn't use a pattern but just cut into the fabric and lo and behold, I still had this! I was so happy to have found this because I used it as a template. He has a big head and I didn't quite know how I was going to make those points and have them turn out to meet evenly but I guess luck was with me.

Here's my son-in-law David trying the hat on once I finished it.

Another angle. It appears as if he has a big head himself.

See what I mean? It's a big hat - modelled here by my youngest daughter Ayla with her little son, Atticus. We were so glad that they could all join us for Christmas this year.

The birthday boy himself wearing his old/new hat, a vest he made himself years ago and the shoes he wore to his wedding over 12 years ago. His brother Eric was host to his roast and one of his old scouting friends, Matt is waiting his turn to say a few words.

Here's another photo of the vest. The two sides are very different and vary in length. He's also wearing toy binoculars from years past. (apologies for the blurry photo)

All in all, a good time was had by everyone who attended. To celebrate his 40th birthday, Mark went to Yellowknife for 5 days. Yes, it is winter and yes, it was cold but then again, he went to Whitehorse for his 30th and got background material for his published novel, Snowman. 

I do believe that hat was the last thing I made in 2018. I repaired some very worn out jeans and shorts but we won't go there. I still have some skirts to hem and other garment sewing to do but I am also working on a few quilts.

More to come.

Do you knit or crochet?

If you knit or crochet for a good cause, Yarn Canada has a contest just for you. They have partnered with Bernat and Patons Yarn to give away $2000 worth of yarn to 12 individuals or groups.

All you have to do is write about your cause or who you knit or crochet for. Who benefits from items that are made? Just tell your story.

The contest is open to both Canadians and Americans so go ahead and enter. What have you got to lose? The deadline is December 31st, 2018.

Here's the link for more information and the entry form.

Yarn Canada




And since a blog post should always have at least one photo, I thought I'd show you what I have been up to lately.

I knitted both Luc and Patric new hats. Patric's was black, gray and white and he took it home before I remembered that I should have taken a photo of it. Luc's hat is the one on the left. I started it before he went home but didn't get it finished in time. It will be mailed to him shortly, now that Canada Post is back to work. The twins got new hats too. Severn decided one day last spring that she should throw her hat into the tiger cage at the zoo. I had knitted that hat and apparently, it was her favourite. Her new hat is the one on the right and Mackenzie's is the middle one. I let them choose their own yarn.

This is the yarn I used for all four hats. I like the variegated yarns and colours and also the fact that it has 25% wool content. The yarn is machine washable too. I still have at least one more hat to knit and I was thinking I could/should make a couple more just to keep on hand in case the little ones need a hat. With the pattern being a rib, it makes the hat stretchy and can fit several head sizes.

Little family visitors

Our oldest grandsons (Luc, 7 and Patric, 5) visited us for two weeks in November from British Columbia. While their dad went hunting with his family in northern Ontario, they spent time here getting to know their younger cousins better. Their aunts and uncles spent quite a bit of quality time with them too. Some of the outings they went on included a Remembrance Day assembly at their cousins' school, going to watch Smallfoot, the movie, with their Pops, bowling with aunts, uncles and cousins, a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum to see the spider exhibit and spending the day at the Science Centre. There were other activities such as going on a treasure hunt that their uncle arranged and decorating a gingerbread house and then smashing it with hammers the night before they went home.
Oh yes, they also got haircuts while they were here - even though they didn't want to.

I did manage to sew a bit for the boys while they were here.

 Here's Luc wearing his new apron. Both boys chose their own apron fabric. Luc wanted just one pocket so I made one big one but then sewed it down the middle so it became two. One big pocket just seemed to flop open too much.

This is Patric modelling his new apron. He likes pockets so I gave him three. The previous aprons were getting too small for these growing boys.

Talking to mom over the computer. This is the longest time she has not been with her boys. Both work and going to school for an MBA kept her at home.

Decorating gingerbread men with cousin Teemu with Aunt Maili and little Esme looking on.

There seemed to be a bit of candy munching. Note the new haircuts.

Identifying animal tracks in the snow.

This is the front and side of the gingerbread house that Luc decorated.

Patric decorated the other end and side. 

After a bath, the boys remembered that Pops promised that they could demolish the gingerbread house. Yes, they were allowed real hammers.

Working together and taking turns hitting the roof, they did it.

They were allowed one small piece each.

It was certainly a visit filled with family. I hope the boys remember their time here.

Once again

I have been absent from the blog, but for a very good reason. Once again, I have been in Kent, England visiting my daughter and her family.

My daughter Ayla and her son, Atticus. 

I was visiting to celebrate little Atticus' first birthday. I was there when he was born 11 weeks prematurely. It was a very scary time but he's doing very well now.

Just before I left, I was busy working on this little quilt.

Ayla has an English Springer Spaniel and wanted a small quilt for Atticus to use as a blankie. She saw the Spaniel as part of a bigger quilt by Karen Brow at Java House Quilts.

Once I enlarged the little dog, I auditioned borders and for some reason, everything came together quickly.

I stretched it on my smaller boards and started quilting it.

I kept the quilting simple. There are circles and half circles in the outer border.

The background was just quilted in the ditch.

I knew I had a template or stencil for animal paws and a dog bone. It was in my sewing room and when I went to look for it, it almost jumped off the shelf and into my hands.

This is the backing fabric I bought specifically for this quilt. It was purchased several months before I knew exactly what the front of the quilt was going to look like.

The quilt label - embroidered on Aida cloth. You can see the circle quilting I did for the outer border.

My daughter was totally surprised. She had no idea I was busy working on this quilt just before leaving.

Here's their English Springer Spaniel, Vixen. She's so good and patient with Atticus.

I still have more quilt show photos so I shall post them in the next day or two.