Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Fall is in the air

quilting at the campsite
it's finished
Well it is getting to that time of year...... fall I am not ready for it I have been enjoying summer alot this year.
Last week was very much summer except for one tree.... in our campsite of course .... it has turned yellow and was dropping it's leaves.
just a touch of fall

the chokecherry tree
There were chokecherries to pick there as well sew of courxe I picked enough for a couple more batches of syurp, 32 pints . I think that should be enough for this year.

I did manage to work on a quilt the one day that I was alone at the camper as well as little reading .
set up on the picnic table with my feather weight
some good reading and a few new projects to try
 I got a few walks in and a few days on the beach for a swim and just some good old relaxing  . I even had a cook on some days.
Sew now it is off to work I go.
Take care out there
Stay in stitches
Annette

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Challenge 2012 for the Stitches Conference


Stitches Conference Challenge 2012

Haus of stitches featured fabric for the stitches conference challenge. The fabric comes in both blue and copper. One must have taken a class in one of the 10 years that it has been on. Then you purchase 1 meter of the challenge fabric and create anything you would like with it. It can be wall hangings tote bags large or small quilts runners etc. just as long as they can tell that the fabric is in the finished item. They will be judged at the next conference in 2012. Sew I have picked up the fabric shown and now I have to play around with a few ideas of what I would like to sew up with it. I have also picked up a couple extra pieces that are from the same line. Sew as I get started I will give you a few sneak peeks of what I am up to .
this is the challenge fabric with a center medallion the fabric is by Peggy Toole for Robert Kaufman called Jewels of India

this is some of the fabric line for Jewels of India

On Holidays

I have been on a few days off and they sure seam to be busy. We took in the induction ceremonies at the baseball hall of fame in Battleford.  We picked chokecherries on Sunday and then made jelly and syrup on Monday. We had a visit with my brother and his wife on our way back home. Then off to the city 2 days in a row with dentist appointments, and now we are at the camp grounds, I will be home Thursday and hope to get this posted and maybe grab something to work on in my down time.

 Sew far I am only working on a pair of socks for my mom. My daughter's quilt is on hold the fabric should be here in the next day or sew. I may bring it out here to work on a little, not sure if it stays windy we will not take the boat out to go fishing.

 I did get the embroidered badges made for a friend. They are just for fun. They have frogs on them this year and is the third level of life saving, sew we think. Her daughter is a life guard at the local pool in the summer. Her first year she was saving gophers, last year it was salamanders and this year she has been saving frogs and pumping the chlorine water out of their tummies. I should have been taking pictures of these sew that I would remember what I have done from year to year with them. And once again I have dropped them off and there is no picture…….sorry. It is really cute my friend makes up a certificate and presents them to her daughter. We have talked and think that they would look good in a denim quilt. Sew now we have to wait until next year to see what she will be saving for her level four badge.
Sew I did make it home of a short stop to pick up a few things out of the garden and now we will be heading back to the campground ( about 40 mins away).
stay in stitches
hugs Annette

Monday, August 15, 2011

off to Humboldt

The class I was to teach is on hold for now. Not enough students in the summer time, is our guess ,sew we will try the tote class again at a later date.
Sew now I have a free day, and a friend and  I will go for a drive to Humboldt and visit the shop to get a  few goodies and have a visit as well as we all are busy it seams in the summertime.
I may find some fabric to finish the baby quilt, might pick up the challenge fabric for the stitches conference, I will have to check and see if I need any thing more for the bras I want to sew up, and who knows what else we will find there. Next we will go to Nutter's .. the bulk/health food store .... one of the places I get some of the foods I can cook with.... gluten free...
It looks pretty good out there not too much rain with the storm   more like a thunder shower I will be watering later in the day.
With the start of a new week one can make new lists for items to get done......I still have not gotten those Christmas stockings built I just have to have them ready for the babes name as he or she is not here until Christmas time, I just want to be ready.And I should get some of my UFOs done sew that i can move them to the finished list.Sew lets just see what I get sewn this  week. I sure helps to let you know what I have been doing, sew thank you for letting me share. 
Later this week I will draw for one of my Summer daze tote patterns, just leave me a comment and tell me what fabrics you might make it out of, and be a follower. It uses 2 or 3 contrasting fabrics and one accent fabric.
left has 3 colors right has 2 colors ,plus accent flap
I will make the draw Thursday.
staying in stitches
hugs
Annette

Sunday, August 14, 2011

the weekend of fish flies

Boy Oh Boy was this the weekend of fish flies..   little flying bugs , bigger than mosquitoes , but they do not bit. they do how ever leave little green specks on everything ...campers chairs people . They were sew crazy that you could hear them all night long and only got a little quieter when the sun started to come up.You did not walk in the shad or thought the trees or you would get a mouth full of these little pests.I know our next weekend out will be spent washing things down to get there poop off of the camper and anything we had out side.
We did find on place that was not to bad with them ... out on the water

Saturday we went tubing and took our friends out ,  they came to Canada a few years back. This was the first summer that they had the chance to go tubing. they enjoyed it and will do it again .
we had a great time with them and went boating after supper .
Sunday hubby and I went out to try our hand a t fishing. We fell that there just are not any fish in that lake ... at least not for us.But then we talked to our neighbour out on the water and he gave us a hook ( a special one he said and hard to find here in Canada )to try and told us where to try as he has mapped out the areas that have worked for him. It was crazy in less than 5 minutes I had a fish on the hook and landed in the boat ... about a three pound pickerel
August 14/11 finally my fist fish on Long Lake...And I though it must have been weeds again

well that storm is still making noise out there, I forgot that I could unplug and just use battery power on the lap top sew I was still able to get this post in .
Sew now I will get off the system and curl up with a novel for a little bit before I head off to bed
Good night all
in stitches
hugs
Annette

busy week at home

Well I did manage to get some sewing done,,, for myself. I thought it was about time.
shadow box quilt queen size
I got a good start on my daughter's quilt,Now I just have to sew the sashing strips in between the rows and then a black border and then I have to wait for the last border fabric to come in the mail( ordered from Connecting threads  they have some great prices one many different products for quilting) Looks like I have some cleaning and organizing to do from this picture.
Then I started to work up a little bundle I picked up from walmart  ,   a flannel bundle just right for a baby quilt.

this is what I was able to make from the 4 -1/4 yd cuts with very little left over . This little quilt measures 48 inches square.  I did buy two thinking that they were only fat quarters , sew now I can plan to make another the same of play again and see what I can come up with.

Then I made a little buddy a couple new pencils cases for the start of grade one.... hope he likes them

Last weekend when we were camping I tried to capture a picture of the northern lights but I was not successful ... only dark night skies .
Sounds like a storm brewing out there sew I think it is best to sign off and I will add more in the morning.
stay in stitches
hugs
Annette

Sunday, August 7, 2011

weekend is over back to the grind

Well the weekend is all but over. We enjoyed sun some rain with a thunder and lighting show, northern lights and a bit of fishing ..... or just dragging a hook in the water ...sew far the only thing I have caught is weeds.... maybe next time I will get a nibble.  
It was great to see the crops are turning and the farmers will be out swathing soon , that is if they are not all ready hard at it.
 Sew now that i am home again I am busy catching up with the wash ( hanging out on the line already) and getting organized for the next week . My week off went by sew fast that I am ready to start it all over again but it is back to work in the morning as one of my co workers has some time off now.
We did get a nice visit in with some friends that have a cottage at the same lake that we camp at. They just had a new grandson, and grandma is looking for a quilt. Sew now I will have to go a figure out prices for some of the quilts I have on hand.
I do have to get back to my quilting It seams that I have put if off too long . I did get started on the quilt for our daughter and will work at it until I am ready for the border then we have to pick out something that we think will work. I also want to work on a couple baby quilts and a couple rider quilts for our son and my hubby .( rider quilts that i make are made with the Sask. Rough Rider flags that were in the boxes of beer the last couple of years they are the provincial football team)
Well I am off to hang some more laundry
have a good rest of the day
in stitches
Annette

Friday, August 5, 2011

getting started on new projects

Well I have officially started my daughters quilt.I will go out side to do some of the cutting and might just set the machine up out there as well ... it is a gorgeous day out and the sunshine is calling me.It's been hard to be indoors sewing when it is sew nice out. ( another Shadowbox quilt in batiks )
It's been hard to get a start at a few of my projects I keep letting other get ahead of me.Sew now that I have started with the quilt for my girlie i will plan a few more projects including a couple bras from the kits I picked up in June.I know that sound crazy but they are not that hard to make .
The garden has been producing many cucumbers and zucchinis, we had a feed of new potatoes as well, cooked with dill  and served with butter, sew basic and good.
the carrots will not be to far off and the beats as well ..... then that will mean a few extra jobs to do I'm right out of beat pickles, and I will make up some beat rolls for the family to enjoy.
Sew I  am off to cut strips at the patio table and catch a few rays as well.
Stay in stitches
hugs
Annette

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

August already!!

How did that happen. Summer sure if going by fast, I think I will think of it as half started instead of half over.
We had a great time at the lake this past weekend. time spent with hubby's brother and his wife as well as her sister and her two girls. On Monday hubby's sister came out as well.  We all enjoyed the campfires and tubing on the lake Sunday , the weather was perfect, blue skies no wind and we even found a little bit of a beach to enjoy a swim before boating back to the camp area.
I am off work this week sew I hope to get a few things sewn up and a little reading. I have already made another Summer Daze Tote in two colors for another sample and next I want to start on my girlie's quilt, she is looking forward to it and will be painting her room to go with it.
The book I am reading is one of the Elm Creek Quilts Novel ...... by Jennifer Chiaverini. The Union Quilters. This is book 15 in the series. There are 4  pattern /project books that feature quilts and blocks from the novels. The Union Quilters is based on the civil war in the USA and how the women helped their country men with there talents.
The garden is starting to produce as well, I have been picking cucumbers and zucchini as well as yellow beans. I have to keep on top of picking as there are slugs out there again . Not sure what to do to get rid of them.
and with that said I should go a pick a few more goodies and weed a little, as the chocolate zucchini cake cools.
sew until next time keep in stitches and enjoy your day
Annette