Day one of the Visit.

Post will probably be rather short for the duration of my sister's visit.  We got a lot of things done today as they are taking steps to move over here.  So much to do and figure out.  We are off for a shopping trip/dentist appointment in Huntsville tomorrow.
We got back from the airport just before supper time last night and husband had a nasty surprise waiting.  Something had got one of the new hens.  He has reinforced the area.  They were outside in their fenced in area but something managed to get in. 
Always something.
Blessings,

Photos

This is a photo of actress, Betty White, in her home in 1952

Block 5 of Vintage Tiles Revisited designed by Dorothy Baker.

Mystery Quilt-Final Step.

I still, for some reason, can't upload pictures.  Is anyone else having that problem?
Because of the photo problem, I won't be able to show you a picture of the final mystery quilt steps but, I think that the diagram/photo on step three should be sufficient.

Mystery Quilt  Fourth and final step

Continue adding strips following the picture in step three.  The last row will not have the white triangles at the end.  When you have this row in place, sew the rows together as you have them in the layout.
Before doing that, make sure you have sewn the sections in each vertical row together to make long strips.
When all the strips rows are sewn together, trim the bottom so it is even with the shortest strip lengths.  Remember that this last row does not have triangles.
Press the top and finish with border strips, layer with backing and batting and quilt.  Bind using your preferred method.

I will post a photo as soon as I am able.  I would love to see your finished project.
Blessings,

Left Brained Quilter

I have been trying to upload a photo today but haven't been successful.  Photo upload isn't working on any of the on line groups I belong to either.  Can't just be a yahoo problem because this blog is Google.
The picture was the latest block I have completed from the Vintage Tiles Revisited that I have been doing.   I will try again tomorrow.
I have started the binding on the quilt I just finished.  I will have to keep at it as I need to have it in the quilt store on Wed. so they can use it to advertise the class I am going to teach.
I read an odd thing today.  Not really odd, I guess, just something I hadn't thought of. The article was talking about how we can be right or left brain quilters.  The little test was to cross your arms and then re cross so a different hand/arm was on top.  Whichever way felt most comfortable indicated your dominate side.  Didn't work well for me as both felt okay.  I know that I am slightly left dominated although I am right handed.  I was born left handed and made to change when I started school.  Consequently, I can use both hands although I am not as proficient with the left.
Apparently, for those who are frame (long arm) quilters it is good to know which side is dominate as you will work better moving your machine in that direction.  Who knew?  Always something else to learn.

Blessings

Another Freebie Coming

I have come to the conclusion that I am getting old.  I was checking a date on my calendar and realized that all my appointments are medical; not one social engagement amongst the lot.  I have a dental on one day and my physical for the following.  I am sure the latter will set off another round of tests.
I am glad that I can still drag my aging feeble self to my sewing machine and cutting table. This evening, I will have more lighting so I will be able to tell between stray threads and the pattern on the fabric.   My husband just installed a ceiling fixture that has 6 lights and it is between the cutting table and my machine frame.  In keeping with the rustic look, the electric cord running from the light to outlet is a nice bright orange.  It was from an outdoor extension cord that had an unusable plug.
In between helping him by holding things in place, I have made some stew, pumpkin curry soup and a big container of coleslaw.  We also went out and picked both raspberries and blueberries.  There are lots of the latter this year but the birds beat us to the raspberries.  We are going to have to get out there a little more frequently.  It appears as though we are going to have a good crop of blackberries as well so the jam should be especially tasty this year.
Yesterday, I was musing about drawing a quilting pattern.  I did one.  When I get in onto the computer, I will put it on my web page where you will be able to access it.  It will be free.
Blessings,

Round up those Chickens.

My sister will be here in less than a week.  It will be so nice to have her and her husband here.  And then, very soon after their arrival, my other sister and her grandson will be arriving.  We can have a mini family reunion!
It is still lovely and cool here.  I should be able to finish quilting my top today and start on the binding. 
I have been thinking about designing some simple quilting patterns but will have to think about it for a bit longer.  I suspect that it is one of those things that look easier than it is.
I wish I had had my camera outside yesterday.  Our chickens decided to do walk about and wandered down the lane.  They were getting closer to the road when my husband decided to round them up.  Off he went in the ATV, circled back and herded them up the road.  Quite the sight.
We have started picking our raspberries.  I think we are going to get a good crop this year.  Our apple trees still aren't forthcoming so I think we are going to have to really fertilize them.  The tomatoes, on the other hand, are also going to give me a good supply.  I hope to make at least two batches of  chili sauce. The cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkin are also showing signs of production.  It is going to be a busy fall.
I need to get the last steps of the mystery quilt posted.  Sorry that I am behind on this.  I seem to have been extra busy lately.  I will make a note to include it in Friday's blog.
Blessings,

Another Quilter Amonst Us

Doesn't the cooler weather make you feel like getting outside and enjoying the day?  I am feeling human and energized again.  Yesterday, our nephew and his family came to spend some time with us and we are able to walk around the village and then go for a drive.  If it had been as hot as before, we probably would have kept indoors. As it was, we all kept wandering outside even after we got home.  The dogs were walked (they have a Scottie) chickens admired, blueberries picked as well as just sitting and talking.  A lovely day.
I also had some time to show Mary my quilts and how each was constructed of blocks.  She was soon able to find the block and identify some of them by name. After looking through a couple of my books and a magazine, she was hooked. I believe another quilter has been created.  She is already a very creative person and quite proficient on a sewing machine so do doubt she will be turning out masterpieces in a very short time.  I am looking forward to seeing her work and perhaps will be able to share some of it with you.
Husband and I just got back from church a while ago and I think we are going to be having a quiet day.  I will probably do a few more rows on the quilt that is on the frame and will need to get my project ready for tomorrows quilt group day.
Other than Monday, next week is a fairly quiet one.  My brother and his wife and coming over on the weekend to cut some trees as, despite the recent heat, we know that winter will arrive again.
Blessings,

Morning Mist

What a lovely morning.  The air is fresh and cool.  There is a breeze blowing through the house and, outside, all the plants, birds and animals are taking a deep restoring breath.  We had a small thunderstorm last night that included a good amount of rain.  We have a severe thunderstorm watch for today but right now the sky looks overcast but not dark.
We went outside before breakfast and just walked around enjoying the coolness.  The sun was just starting to peek through the woods at the back of the property, burning off the mist and creating a chapel-like effect. 
My husband is outside now cleaning up the material left over from putting the stone work around the base of the studio addition.  I am tempted to bake bread but I'm not going to.  I have a quilt in the frame and I am going to get started on that.
I do have a turkey is the electric roast pan.  It will take all day to cook and will be ready for our weekend company. I have already got my housework finished so the rest of the day is mine.
Blessings,

Picking Blueberries.

Yesterday, I went with a friend to a part of Ontario that I hadn't seen before.  Whitby is on the shore of Lake Ontario and we did take a short walk to the shore line despite the temperature.  It was so hot that I expected to see the boulders that divided the water from grass to be turning to lava.
It was just a quick trip, drive down, visit a friend and then head back.  I was home shortly after 5 exhausted but glad we had gone.  I hadn't seen my friend for a few years so it was nice to catch up on how she was doing.
It is slightly cooler today but not enough that you want to be running around.  We went out early this morning and picked our wild blueberries.  We got enough that they will be a nice addition to our winter jam supply  We really need a good rainfall as our raspberries are ripening but are quite small.
My husband and I drove to a community north of us this afternoon that has a small but well stocked fabric store.  Her prices are quite good so I try to get there as often as possible.  I got the backing I needed for a quilt and a nice panel to make into a crib quilt.  Once I get the fabric washed this evening I can start quilting my top.
Blessings,

Hot, Hot, Hot.

Those of us in  Ontario are enduring another heat wave.  It is 33 degrees with the humidex being much higher.  My little dog is laying at my feet and when I move, she moves.  I am not sure if she is feeling in the need of comfort or what.  She doesn't seem to be hot but I think I will put a cool cloth on her paw pads just to make sure.
My husband let our baby chicks and turkeys out of the coop today.

 

 

They are in a shaded area with water to drink and are really enjoying themselves exploring the new area.  I have gone out to check on them a couple of time to make sure they are alright.  They are just a few weeks old and it is amazing how much they have grown.

I finished another top today and may get it in the frame and work on it this evening.  I will be away tomorrow but I can get the quilting started even if it is only deciding on the pattern and getting everything loaded.

Blessings,

Top Finished.

I have finished the top on which I was working and Heidi is letting me know that it suits her colouring.  I was going to put it in the frame today but I am sure I will find some mistakes so will take it to group on Monday and let them look over it for me.
Blessings,

A Little Salt

It is wonderfully cool today.  I got up early, exercised, had breakfast, watched the news and am now making bread.  I did bake when it was hot but it wasn't fun.  Today, it will be nice to put on the oven and enjoy the smells rather than just enduring.
I really need to get outside and do some gardening as well but I have got all enthused about this charm square pattern I started yesterday.  I have already thought of a couple of alternatives.
But, I must discipline myself.  Gardening now and fun later.  I have a rose that needs transplanting and if I don't do it, it will die.  I must also pull a few weeds.  I will just have to tell myself it is exercise.
Yesterday, I finished the top I have been working on.  Not sure I really like it as there isn't a lot of contrast but it is done and now I will get it loaded onto the frame and quilted.  I have it laying over the frame at the moment and I keep checking it because I know that as soon as it is all quilted, I will find a mistake.  I sometimes hang a top upside down to help me get a better look.  The mind is an odd thing.  It knows what it is supposed to see and that is what it tells you it sees.
As a writer, I often read sentences in reverse  to try and pick up errors.  I still don't catch them all but I do find some that way. The biggest errors are often wording which gives the wrong impression.  For example, if I had said ' read what I have written in reverse' you might have though I was writing backwards. That was my original statement.  A couple of rewrites makes my thoughts a bit clearer.  I hope.
All this makes you realize why the police take eye witness accounts with a grain of salt. 
(And now I must proof this before posting)
Blessings,

Charming.

I don't know if I am a bit (bit!) stranger than other quilters but there have been times when I started sewing fabric together to make a pattern, decide I don't like it and took  them apart.  This is more likely to be the case with pre cuts rather than shapes I have cut for a specific pattern.
Sometime ago, I either was given or bought a couple packages of charm (5 inch) squares.  They sat in a drawer for quite a while.  I would periodically take them out move them around on my design wall and then put them away again.  I must have decided on something because when I opened the bag today, a number had been sewn together.  The reason I took another look at them is because I recently had a link sent to me that contained a video of  charm pack uses.  One was particularly attractive and quick.  All it takes is the charm packs and 2 and half inch white strips.
I have started unstitching the squares and sewing them into this pattern.  I quite like it so I think it will be the last stop for this lot of fabric.
If you would like to check the pattern, here is the link: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7i6Wrl4rZ8

I am doing the Falling Charms pattern but there are a couple more ideas that you may also find interesting.

We are having a lovely breezy day.  The temperature is down 7 degrees and is wonderful.  I hope it sticks around for a while.
Blessings,

Send Down the Rain.

It is raining!  Not a gully washer but a good steady downpour that will sink into the ground rather than run off the surface.  We have needed a good shower for a while now.  It seems that everyone was getting rain; some like Toronto area and the west were overly blessed, but us.
It has been so muggy that I now feel like running outside and dancing amongst the drops!

I got a bit more work done on the quilt top today.  Just a couple more border rows and it will finally be finished.  My nephew came over for a surprise visit in the afternoon.  He is the manager of  a solar project in our area and this has been his first visit to the site.  As he lives a couple of hours south of us and I didn't know he was at the site, it was really nice to see him. We had a cup of tea and caught up on the family news.  He and his wife have two lovely children that we don't get to see as often as we would like.

Short rainfall.  It has stopped already.  We need a good days worth and it is predicted for tomorrow so perhaps we will get more.
Have you been working on the Mystery Quilt?  There will be one more post and then I hope I will get to see some photos.
Blessings,

Birds of a Feather

I don't usually post on Monday but, then, I am usually at quilt group.  I had planned on going to Orillia today with my husband but we decided it was silly for both of us to go.  I am staying home this morning as we can't leave Heidi all day.  I will go to quilt group after lunch.
I was awoken last night by a strange sound.  While I lay there it happened again.  Not sure just what it was but think it might have been something feline-bobcat?  Not a wolf, coyote or fox and not an owl (reasonable sure on the last one).  It cause Heidi to scurry to an open  window and sound the alarm.  That, naturally, woke up my husband who thought she needed to go out.  Took a few minutes for everything to settle down again.
This morning there wasn't any sign of any damage to the chicken coop so all is well.

This Handsome fellow is our guardian of the flock.  Roger calls him Stuart.  Not sure why. I think I would have gone with Reginald or something equally lofty.

 

 

 

Robins nest in the oddest places.  This one is on the arm of the outside mirror of our old bus/camper.  We think the eggs are hatched; or some of them anyway.  I didn't want to get close enough to startle her so this was taken at an odd angle with the telephoto lens.

blessings,

 

Logic?

Sometimes I think I spend more time trying to do something than in the actual doing.  I am almost finished the quilt top that I have been rushing to  complete.  I have to sew on one more inner border and the outer one and then I will be able to get it quilted.  I knew I was going to need more of the inner border fabric and purchased it a week or so ago.  Between then and now, the wiring in the studio was done and everything that had been moved was put back in place.  And now, I can't find that fabric.  I am going to do a good search today and, if I can't find it, I will have to buy more tomorrow when I go to Orillia.

Speaking of that quilt, I have made the pattern twice before and it is always interesting to see how different it looks with another colour scheme.  I will post some photos to show you when I get this one done.


Quote:  Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.

Don't know who said that but I like it.

Blessings,

Mystery Quilt Third Step

Well, yesterday was a fun day.  I spent the greater part of it sitting at my computer.  I was having trouble accessing one of my accounts and when I contacted the company, I found that my pc had been hacked. They had to set up another e mail account to use and then spent almost two hours cleaning everything out.  They had asked permission to take over my computer and then I was required to sit and watch what they did.  If I had to go to the bathroom, I let them know and they stopped.  This was to ensure that they didn't do anything other than what they were entitled to do.  It was quite interesting watching my cursor move around and thousands of files (there were over 7,000) being removed.
We were experiencing a bit of thunder activity at the time so I was hoping the hydro didn't go out.  It was all eventually done.  I now have a lifetime security system and free 24 hour tech service for 3 years.
I thought I had to remove my old e mail accounts and use the new one which caused a lot of panic and work.  I did, finally, contact them and was told that the old ones were okay to use.  I have, of course, changed all my passwords.  What a to do. My internet bill should now go down and faster service return.

Mystery Quilt  Step Three

 

On your design wall or table, lay out your first row of strips; triangle end at the bottom. NOTE:  Refer to Figure 1 for correct placement of triangles.

When you have the layout that pleases you, we are going to trim the non triangle end.

Trim strip # 1 to 8”, #2 & 3 to 5 ½”, #4 to 8”, 5 & 6 to 10”, 37 to 8”, #8&9 to 5 ½” and #10 to 8”

If you are using more than 10 strips across, continue trimming at 10”, 10, 8, 5 ½, 5 ½” etc.

2^nd Row.  Line strips under first row.  When you have your desired layout, join the strips to the bottom (triangle end) of each strip in the first row. 

DO NOT TRIM THE SECOND OR FOLLOWING ROWS.

 

Figure 1

 

3^rd and following rows, continue as for the second row until you have the desired length.

 

 

Blessings

Studio is Wired.

I have been missing in action for a couple of days.  I don't usually post on Monday but do on Tuesday.  Yesterday, my computer was turned off because, Yahoo, the hydro was being installed in my quilt studio.  Last night I was able to get back at my sewing and could turn on a light over my cutting table.  I still have a bit of work to get everything back to its place but, boy, is it nice to be able to sew again.
I hope to have all the blocks finished for the top I am working on as well as get another top onto my frame for quilting.
I did my baking yesterday while waiting for the men to finish their work so, other than a luncheon meeting, I am free for the rest of the week.
I am going to be making a few slab blocks to be sent to the Alberta flood victims.  I don't think my husband will see much of me today.  I better decide on what I am going to get for supper now.
This photo is to remind you of the wonder of winter but also, if you don't like my favourite season, to not complain if it gets very hot.  I don't like the heat but it is okay for me to complain because I don't do so when it is cold!
Blessings,