An Apple a Day

I was reminded of this quilt a little while ago while stitching with a friend. It was started last year while on vacation, it even made it to a post. The apple cores are hand pieced. The piecing was completed while on various planes and trains. I'd even sandwiched and started quilting it. I pulled it out last week while at our guild coffee meeting. There were only 4 apple cores left to quilt! I'm now very happy to say that it's done and will shortly be hung up on the quilt line.

This was my first attempt at hand piecing. I'd recommend a pattern like this for starting. It was so forgiving of my less than perfect 1/4 inch seams.

Dear Jane give away

I just ran across this site. If you were thinking of starting a Dear Jane quilt and want a head start, run over and put your name in the draw. She's giving away 25 Dear Jane blocks that look quite lovely.

SSCS

It's time!

If you'd like to participate in the second Secret Santa Christmas Swap, run over to Chookyblue and sign up before it fills up.

Last year was a blast. It was fun to stalk my recipients blog and filter through the thousands of ideas that came to mind to finally come up with a parcel to send.

Then there was the excitement of discovering my own parcel in the mail and ripping it open. I was well and truly blessed. The person assigned to me flaked out on the swap. Donna and a friend of hers Linda stepped in and sent me not one but two amazing gifts.

This bag which has become the togo bag for my guild meetings. (Donna, if you ever want to come to Calgary, my guild wants you to teach the bag. :) Also a book that just re-enforces my desire to travel to Australia and a lovely notepad that was claimed and used by too many people in the house.

From Linda I received this amazing wall hanging that now hangs on the clothesline year-round.

More Janes

I too was a little worried about the colour, especially after that first coat. But I'm loving that splash of colour more and more. (The rest of the house is very calm and neutral.)

Ennavic - I'm doing traditional colours for Christmas ornaments this year.... (I'll leave you to ponder which country's traditions for a while. :)

I've got two more blocks to add to the roll call. They're really starting to fly off the machine now. Though, these two also include hand applique. That was done at the third sew day (evening) with my lovely friend Janet (no blog, but interested) Please everyone tell Janet that she needs to start a blog and join us in our addiction. Plus, she really needs to post pictures of the beautiful quilt she's working on. (Hand quilting it to boot).

Back to Work

It's back to work time...

I really wish vacations last longer. I think I'll have to try a staycation again. I got to have not one, not two, but three sew days!! I forgot to bring my camera for all of them, but I did take a few pictures at one. Here we are (I'm behind the camera) pretending to be hard at work.
I also was out learning to play canasta with the girls. I really need to win the lottery and retire early.

Sorry Ennavic, I was teasing you with the earlier bathroom pictures, that was the primer. Here is the finished product. It's not a really rather shocking red and white bath/laundry room now. But I love it! A few little cleanup touches and it's done. (Definitely easier to do without the little helpers. I think your plan of waiting until the youngest is in school is definitely a good idea for maintaining sanity)

And to stay true to the original vision of this blog. Some quilting related pictures! Here are the Jane blocks I finished during the holidays. Seeing them laid out like this, I'm really liking the two colour scheme.

Fun and Games

France was amazing. Since it was for work, I really saw nothing but the office and hotel room, but the little bits I did see of the rose city (Toulouse) made we want to go back.

I've got just over a week off right now. We were trying to go on a trip to Victoria, but it looks like it isn't working out. I've decided to take this time off anyways. It's going to be the only time I can take off for the next several/many months. Things have been beyond insane at work and they will remain that way for the rest of this year. Since I'm not going to Victoria, I'll be trying that new trend of a staycation.

My camera was repaired and came home yesterday! I just had to take piles and piles of pictures...

First things first. The Nun and the Penguin are done! I didn't have my camera before it went off to it's new home. I've asked my friends for a picture of the finished product, so maybe when they get back from their honeymoon. In the meantime, this is what I was working on.

I'm actually able to join one of Judy's weekday quiltatons. Yeah!! I have one quilt quilted and all I have to do is finish off the thread and put on the binding. So, I promptly went to work on something else. Hmmm, maybe this is why I don't have a lot of finishes to show anyone... These are more squares (39 in total) for my blue and yellow scrappy quilt. I've been saving blue and yellow scraps from old projects. (And any stash I wanted to get rid of)

Since I'm on vacation, I decided it was high time for some fun! I've been wanting to paint the bathroom for a while and thought now would be a great time for it. The brown is the old colour I'm getting rid of. The pinkish is the work I've done today. I'll be doing this room in several stages to work around the washer and dryer.

Wow! June!

I can't believe it's already June. This year is just whooshing by.

I've been having adventures, but no quilty pictures to show for it. :( My camera broke and I didn't discover it until the evening of the big quilt show. AAAAHHHHH.

I got to go out too see 700 quilts in one weekend. They've amazing! Plus they're laid out all over Heritage park (historical buildings, people dressed up from the olden days) It's a beautiful setting.

Shortly after that, I was off to France. Yeah! For a business trip. :( It was really beautiful and I wish I could have stayed longer. (Sadly still no camera)

Well, I'm off to drool over a book I got from the library 'Pretty Little Pincushions'. And maybe get that darned camera fixed.