My Busy Little World

On August 29th, 2014, I became a grandma to beautiful little Zoe.  She is sitting here with my dad, her great grandpa.  She is his 11th great grandchild!!  Your world is forever changed when these little people enter your lives, you just can't get enough snuggles and kisses...they are absolutely wonderful!!

I am still quilting away whenever I find the time.  There are so many quilts out there that I would like to make and soooo many beautiful fabrics that I am convinced I need!  I have enough books, patterns and fabric to keep me quilting for years to come, but for some reason I keep stocking the shelves and filling the drawers with more! 

Of course Zoe has received a few quilts from grandma and I am always on the lookout for more cute little patterns and fabrics to make her just one more.  She will never be without a cozy quilt to snuggle under, full of grandmas love.

I hope you are all well and life has been treating you good.  Until next time.....Cindy

Sneak Peek

 

This is a peek at the BOM I am working on.  It is an Applique Pattern by Geoff's Mom Pattern Co. and it is called "Star Garden".  I better get working on it, since month two is coming out next week!

 

 

Happy Stitching everyone,

 

Cindy



Hexagons

Playing around with 2" Hexagons and 5" Charm Squares.

Isn't it cute :)

Have a great Sunday,

Cindy

Pomegrante Quilt

Still working away on my Pomegranate Quilt, 12 of the 16 blocks done!  Only 4 more to go....woohoo!!  I will finish this in 2013!!

Happy Stitching Everyone,

Cindy

Another Christmas Project

A cute litte Christmas wall hanging.  This is a Free Download on the Fons and Porter website, called Stars of Hope.  I had it all pre cut and ready to sew for a Retreat I went to in November.  It took me about a day and a half to complete the top...

......I am making a second one!

Happy Quilting,

Cindy

My 2012 Christmas Quilt

I showed you the finished top part of the quilt in the last post.  Here it is all put together, quilted, bound and already hanging up for Christmas 2012.  

A Little Something I've Been Working On

Top is all finished, now to join the rows and put it all together :)

Happy Stitching

Cindy

Baskets, Baskets, Baskets

Today I thought I would lay out the baskets blocks that I have completed so far.  I think I counted 45 finished, and 10 basted and ready to stitch.  A very long way from the finish line.  I believe there are 300 baskets in the quilt I am making.  It is from the book, "When the Cold Wind Blows".  I posted about it two or so years ago when I started this quilt.  If I don't pick up my pace a little I will be working on this quilt for many years to come!!  Not that its a bad thing, its always nice to have something to pick up and work on.  

Hope the Sun is Shining in your neck of the woods :)

Happy Stitching,

Cindy

Fall Table Topper

Fall Table topper from Judy Martins book that I blogged about a short while ago.  I am hoping to take it to the quilters tomorrow, should have it bound and on my table just in time for Fall :)  Its quite long so I had my daughter hold it up for me, try not to look at the background mess...lol!

Do you have a fall project you are working on?

Happy Stitching,

Cindy

Happy Birthday

Today would have been my moms 74th Birthday.  She loved yellow roses, so I went to the local garden centre and bought a yellow rose bush and planted it in one of my flower beds in my back yard.  She also loved Inukshuks, so on our family camping trip to Mt. Kidd this year, my sister and I collected the perfect rocks.

So here is my little tribute to my mom.  I think she would have loved it :)

Not a day passes without her in my thoughts.  

Cindy

So Close to Done!!

Here is a sneak peak at my daughters wedding quilt that was supposed to be done over a month ago!!  Better late than never I guess.  She had asked for a Wedding Ring Quilt, but that just didn't happen.  So I asked her what colours her and Jason liked and Blue was it!  A very blue quilt it is.  I was inspired by the quilt in the book called, 

Weekend Quilts and Projects by Barb Adams and Alma Allen.  The Quilt is called Lazy Morning.  I wasn't fond of the plain 14" squares and decided to do sashing and corner stones instead.  

Still not quite finished but I have worked my butt off on it today.  Hopefully in the next couple of days I will have it all finished and off to the quilters!!

Happy Stitching,

Cindy

Book Junkie

Hi,  my name is Cindy and I am addicted to Quilting Books!

Seriously I have more books on quilting than the local "Indigo" I'm sure.  They are everywhere in my house, so whenever I sit down, wherever I sit down, I can glance through the glossy pages, even if its just for a moment.   Quilting books are great eye candy!

One of the more recent books I have purchased is Patchwork Among Friends by Judy Martin.  I have a few of her books but have never really sat down to read them, I have however always admired the beautiful quilts though.  This book I decided to read, starting at the beginning.  There is so much useful information, she covers everything from finger pressing to working with bias edges.  Two of my favourite patterns in this book are, Thanksgiving and Rolling Hills Log Cabin.  Maybe one day I will clear my WIP pile enough to make one of these beautiful quilts........a girl can dream :)  Do you have a "quilty" addiction?

Happy Stitching and I hope the sun is shining brightly in your part of the world, wherever it may be :)

Cindy 

Wedding Bells

On Saturday my oldest daughter Chalsie married her sweetheart.  It was a beautiful day.....the weather was fantastic and everything went so smooth!  Chalsie is the first of my four kids to be married.  The party was a great celebration...I danced like no one was watching, hugged tons of people and just enjoyed the day from start to finish!  Now that the wedding is done I can get back to my quilting.  I haven't seen much of my sewing room these past 3 months, except to sew table runners for the reception tables.....21 in total!

This is my beautiful daughter on her wedding day.

Well off to make supper and then maybe hit the sewing room.

Happy Stitching :)

Cindy

Back in the Sewing Room

On January 22nd I lost my mom.  She passed suddenly, and we were all left feeling totally empty.  Mom was an amazing woman who took care of everyone she knew and even those she didn't.  Mom was the reason I learned to knit, crochet, sew and then Quilt.  Together we would travel to yarn shops near and far, in search of the newest, softest wools or the best yarn for a new pair or socks or mittens.  Mom made sure all her grandchildren and great grandchildren, had new baby afghans and sweater sets to come home from the hospital in.  This last Christmas everyone had a new toque, knit by grandma.  Those toques will be cherished forever.  She taught me to knit and crochet at a very young age, and at 12 I was enrolled in 4-H sewing.  My love of sewing only grew as the years passed, and about 5 years ago I opened a quilting store.(I know longer have the store)  Mom was my biggest fan and supporter, I knew she was proud.  Now it was my turn to teach mom...together we picked out fabrics for quilts she wanted to make....she never finished many quilts, but she along with her friends were in my shop every Tuesday with a Latte for me and a visit.  I think she just liked the visit, I know she did :)  

Now as my siblings and I go through her fabric and yarn stash we reminisce, we cry and we laugh.  She left an amazing legacy.....and a ton of projects that need to be finished....I think she is getting me back for my teen years!!  I miss my mom terribly, but I take comfort in knowing that she is with me, stitching along beside me, on every project I tackle.  She will forever be my strength.

I couldn't find it in me to quilt again until this past week.  I have an amazing friend who would gently nudge me with small patterns and tell me to look at new fabrics online.  On a recent trip she took she picked up a cute mini foundation piecing pattern for me..I loved it......and now I am back at my sewing machine.  Thanks goodness for great friends, who are there when needed, I don't know where I would be without mine.

Sew I thought I would show you a sneak peek at what I am working on.  The strips for these little diamonds are cut at 

1 1/4" wide.  So they finish at 3/4".....tiny!!  So far I have 3 of these little diamonds done and two half diamonds.  Maybe next time I will have the whole little quilt finished.

Until Next time,  Happy Quilting,

Cindy

A Quiet Day at Home

Happy 2012 Everyone!  I can't believe we are already nearing the end of January.  Where does the time go?

We are slowly crawling out of a week long "deep freeze" here in Alberta. Temperatures were in the -33 degrees Celsius range with wind chills around -40...brrrr!  The weather man has assured us that we will be back in the positive in the next few days, hitting a balmy +6 by Wednesday!  I can't wait :)

Since no one is home today I decided it would be a nice day to try to get some uninterrupted stitching done. ( I also made the executive decision to make today a pajama day!)  So instead of working on a current project I dug into my closet of UFOs and pulled out a quilt with 6 completed blocks and only 24 more to go! 

The pattern is from the American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine June 2010, it is called Odds & Ends.  Its a great quilt to use up some of those smaller pieces you might have laying around.  Anyhow I have all the block centers cut and sitting at the machine waiting to be sewn together............but for now I am going to enjoy a little reading time in my quiet house :)

For those of you looking for a couple good books to read.  I just finished Secret Daughter (awesome story) and The Kitchen House ( another great read). Now I have started The Weight of Silence and so far it is very good.

Happy Stitching,

Cindy

PS - my Amaryllis Bloomed, isn't it beautiful?

Orca Bay Catch Up......Not Quite!!

I don't know about you guys, but the last few days I haven't even been able to look in my sewing room, never mind get in there to sew!  Last night I thought I had better sneak in there to see where I had left off with the Orca Bay Mystery.  As it turns out, no Magic Quilting Fairies stopped by to get me caught up, everything was just as I had left it....

So I managed to get back at it....

some quarter square and half square triangle blocks waiting to be pressed!

   my blue 3.5" strip pieced blocks all done....phew!

and some of the little 1/2 square triangle blocks along with the little brown triangles to add on to either side. 

a few of the red strip pieced blocks, along with a basket full of strips to make many more!

I have tried to do at least a little of each step and have even managed to completely finish a step or two...yay me :)  Hopefully I can get into my sewing room and get caught up on this darn quilt one day soon!  But for now I think I will sit back and relax and bring out the Coxcomb Applique Blocks :)

Happy New Year Everyone,

Cindy

Christmas Quilt

This is the Quilt I made at the Retreat I went to in November.  It was a pattern in the  Primitive Quilts and Projects Magazine.  I had pre cut all the pieces ahead of time, so I just had to sew away :)  I am thrilled with the way it turned out....and I only had to buy the sashing and border fabrics the rest were from my stash!

Happy Holidays to Everyone,

Cindy



Sew, Sew, Sew

I have all of the Orca Bay Part 2 stitched but some are still in need of a trim.  Part 1 and 3 are still at different stages, but I keep sneaking away to my sewing room, between loads of laundry and dirty dishes!!  My plan is to have all 3 steps finished by Friday...

I have recently (like the last three days...lol) started using the start/stop button on my sewing machine.  I was a little hesitant but now I really like it.  No more foot pedal....I know it sounds crazy doesn't it!!  A couple of friends were telling me they only use the start/stop button and love it, so I thought, what the heck...it was a little awkward at first, my foot kept looking for the pedal, but not anymore!!

Happy Stitchin'

Cindy

I am Still Here

So its been a busy month...I have been on two Quilting Retreats....excellent time at both!!  Two different groups of ladies and two very different locations.  The first was held in a Lodge over looking the Bow River, the view was beautiful.  The second was in the town of Banff Alberta, another beautiful location with the mountains in the background.  I could go on one retreat a month, if it was possible!

This is three of the gals on the first retreat (I forgot to take pics at the second one!)

This is the view of the Bow River.  Its really low right now in this area.

This is my friend Kate and her first quilt!! Doesn't she look proud?  My friend Cheryl gave her the fabric and I cut it all up for her, so all she had to do was sew!! She actually came to get some Scrapbooking done, but I think we got her hooked on Quilting...heehee!

I have been busy working away on the lastest Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt, Orca Bay.  She is on step three, and in her usual fashion, there are many small pieces in each step!  Sooooo...I haven't actually finished one step completly but I do have some of each done......

I have decided to use brown instead of black in my quilt.  I have enough brown to do this 10 times over!!  Hopefully this will make a small dent in the stash.

This is what it looks like outside right now, (we have a winter storm watch in our area) so my plan is to sew the day away and get caught up on Orca Bay... or at least finish up with one of the steps!

Happy Stitching,

Cindy

A Small Finish

This was a little quilt in the August issue of American Patchwork and Quilting, called Sweet Carolina.  It has been sitting around for about a month waiting for me to finish it.  I decided to hand quilt it, nothing fancy, just an Echo all around the applique.  So last night I found a good binding fabric and finished it off :) 

Tomorrow I will be packing up this and...........



these containers......

  I am off on a Retreat for the weekend.  I have three piecing projects to work on as well as some hand applique.  I went on this Retreat last year and it was a lot of fun, and the food was amazing!  If the weather holds I will be able to go for a walk along the river.  Hopefully this year I will remember to take my camera so I can share some pics.

Happy Fall Everyone....

Cindy