Thursday, November 29, 2012

Free Motiong Quilting Challenge November

It's hard to believe that this year is almost done and that we only have one more challenge ahead of us.We sure have had some great teachers sharing with us this year .... thank you to all of them and to Darlene for organizing this challenge and all the lovely prizes. I still have to check out all the bounus classes and give them a try too. I think I should try one a week and see how that goes. I do know that the more I do the better I feel I am getting with my FMQ. Fingers crossed to see if I can get that done , I'll try.

Well for November it was a swrill pattern and ways to adapt it. It was a great class with hand out sheets for practicing. Our teacher was Sarrah Vedeler, I thought she did a wonderful job with the online tut/class.


I have done some paracticing and then quilted a logcabin block and a card trick block. I do like how they stitched out .


I will be linking up with SewCalGal   here  , as the  month is almost over and anyone following knows that means you have to get yours in before the next month begins.

I did get a couple little aprons made using tea towels and a little cotton fabric for the ties.On one I added a band at the bottom to give it some extra lenght.
 I thought they turned out cute I just might have to get a few more tea towels and make some to have on hand for gifts.
Have a great Day
in stitches
Annette

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Holiday Lane Pillow Hop - Flurries in the forcast

It's Thursday Novemeber 29  ............. Sew .........
 

Welcome to my little post with the Holiday Lane Pillow Hop.
lots of snow + kids = snowmen
The snow if falling and we have been shoveling for a few weeks already.
Winter is here for sure. It is a wonderful season filled with fun and laughter as the kids play in the snow.


the flat version
It is a season that is very busy with baking and shopping and a little decorating, and a lot of last minute sewing

ready for a cuddle


This little pillow helps in the decorating area I have it on the back of my couch with a Christmas quilt, my only decorating to date. I love how they go together. Just waiting for someone to curl up with a good book and snuggle under the quilt.
My version of Holiday Lane has a slight snow fall happening , just the touch it needed for my corner of the world.
just one more picture to show it off a little better

Many Thanks to Madame Samm and Pauline for getting us started with these cute pillows and also thank you to Jill for the pattern to make them with.
Be sure to stop on  by and see what the other Lanes look like this Holiday season. Here are the link for today's blogs


Crazy for Candles
 
I will have a give away of one of my favorite patterns of my own designs,Crazy for Candles .... a candle/ table mat. Hope it becomes yours  too. And a few fat quarters to help you get started.
You can play with your machine with this one and see what all those fun stitches look like..... you know the ones that we never seam to use very often.I just heard that a gal in my October class that I taught a few weeks ago has made at least 7 sew far and is still having fun with the pattern.
Just leave me a comment on my blog. ( let me know that you want to be included in the give away. Please leave me a way to contact you if you are a non reply commenter.)
In your comment let me know what your favorite Christmas treat was/is .....
I have always love the home made fudge we made as kids right around Christmas .... I'll have to look for the recipe and share it with you.

 Now a days I am changing up a few of our family favorites as I am gluten free and that dose  not always end with eatable goodies. But sometimes you just have to make it for the family and nibble on something else. Which works for me, it limits the amount of extras I eat over the Holiday season.

Just a note I was unable to find white wool sew I fused two layers of white fannel and used that in the area for the snow. I was happy with the thickness and feel it has, and I thought it work rather nice as the snow.

Draw date will be December 1st.
Now stop on by and visit the other blogger's today and do not forget Friday is the last day of the hop sew I have included  those gals too
Thursday November 29
             In Stitches and Seams That's me
Elaine - that other blog

Friday November 30
Linda - that other blog
 
I hope you all have enjoyed the hop and all the work that Mdme Samm and Pauline have done to keep it going for us. I do also hope that Pauline is felling better to.  We could not have all these great connetction with out the time and effort you put into it for us...... Thank You both Sew very much......And a big Thank you to Jill for the great pattern that gave us all some play time.
 
In stitches
Annette

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

2012 Chirstmas Quilt Show

Well here's a first for me a on line quilt show featuring quilts for the holidays and winter themes.
If you would like to join in on the fun go to here 2012 Christmas Quilt Show to find out more and see the show.
Here is one of my latest Christmas designs I call it Silent Night , Holy Night
 And here is one of the Christmas stockings I made for a friend this year. I am having some fun with this funky little tree.
Sew if you are able to join in on the fun and see some great quits and leave some comments to show the quilters you are enjoying their work. And even better yet would be to add your talent to the show too!
Enjoy the show.
In stitches
Annette
 sorry for the repeat in the items shown but I just found out about the show and wanted to share these in the show :)

Works in Progress ..... Silent Night


I seam to always have something on the ironing board or at the sewing machine.

The last few days I have been working out a idea I had for a Christmas wall hanging. I wanted to make something special for my Prayer Partner at church for the Christmas gift exchange next week.
I looked at a few of my patterns on hand and then thought maybe I would design something that would do the trick.
The next morning I had an idea in my head and sketched it out and I now have it sewn and quilted and only need to do a label for it.
I call it Silent Night, Holy Night, I have done it up two ways one with a little embroidery and the other with an extra window in the church. You gotta have options.
I may do up a pattern for it as well but that would be for next year. Sew with out further adieu here they are

Hope you like how they have turned out, I hope my Prayer Partner likes it too.
I will be linking up with The Needle and Thread Network stop in and check out what the others have been up to as well.
 I will be posting in the Holiday Lane Blog Hope on Friday. There have been some great pillows sew far.
Have a great week stay in stitches, I know I will. I still have a few more gifts to make.
  in stitches
Annette

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

W.I.P. Wednesdays and other stuff

Well  I have finally got s good start on the Christmas stockings I have had on the back burner for a little while... I am working on the last one now.
here's a peek
Stocking for our great nephew


last one under construction
note.... at the time of this posting I have them all done :)

I still have to decide on a project for my prayer partner and have it ready for the 3rd of December.I do have a couple ideas I just have to make a decision and get a move on.
I will be linking up with The Needle and Thread Network those ladies amaze me each and every week with all the talent they share with us. Thank you Monika for making this all possible.

I won a give away in the last hop Wicked on Sew We Quilt, All the way form England .... Thanks sew much Lyndsey

a little bundle of goodies in a cute little tote
This is my second post of the day as I was asked to participate in the Canadian Blogger hosted by Sew Sisters Quilt Shop .They are going province by province with a host blogger that links you up to other bloggers from her province and of course there are some great give aways too.
 Take care and enjoy some sewing today/tonight
in stitches
Annette

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Canadian Bloggers Connect

 November 21

SewSistersQuiltShop
Well today the links will all be from Saskatchewan. Sew grab yourself a cup of tea and have a visit with the blogger's for today.
I have called this province home all my life.I love the skies... they are alive..... and you should see them at night with the northern lights that dance through the night.

I have been a blogger for almost 2 years and a quilter for about 30. I have grown as a quilter a lot over the years and hope to continue to grow with new ideas and skills in the years to come.
 It is not a hobby it is a way of life!

I have been designing a few patterns for almost 10 years and teaching those patterns and others to many new quilters.
This year has been a bit of a blur.... you never know where one quilt will lead you..
I took my designing to a new level this year by entering a Challenge with Haus of Stitches for the 10th anniversary of the Stitches Conference.... a first for me. I designed a quilt I call Jewels of the Night.
I was amazed to have won the large quilt category as well as viewers choice. This was the first time I have entered anything with my quilts. I have donated to charities in the past, but this was all new to me.
Jewels of the Night

I also used the same quilt Jewels of the Night to enter a challenge on line with McCall's Quilting
for the Quilt Design Star 2012. This entry led to a busy summer of designing and making quilts. I was lucky enough to be designing right to the finials with the contest. I feel I was in great company all the way through and would encourage all of you to try you hand at designing and enter next year. ( watch for the May/June issue of McCall's Quilting, or check the web site, for more information)
                                        "If you don't try you'll never know"
this is was I said about myself in the beginning and I am sew glad that I did. Here are my entries for the different challenges that we had this year. Check out their web site to see what everyone created and to see the bio pages on us as well..... There where 3 Canadians in the finals this year!!!And one of the winners came  from Ontario. Way to go Lisette!
    
Guide Me Safely Home


Flutteryby's in My Garden
Holding On..





I am always doing some type of sewing / quilting and love to share what I know with others and I have even been a guest speaker at a guild this month. This was another first for me.... some how I thought it would be very hard to do. The ladies made it very easy for me to feel comfortable and show them what I had been up to this summer.

 I do have a couple tuts on my blog and hope to do up a few more this winter, just to share some ideas I have come up with. Sew you are welcome to stop by anytime to see what's new.

Now I am trying to get a few items made up to give as gifts this holiday season..... just like the rest of you I'll be busy right up until Christmas getting caught up.

I love how we all can get to know sew many more quilters through the blogs and I have created some very special friendships here too.

Sew I hope you enjoyed learning a wee bit about me and stop by and check out the other blogger's with today's links
Here's the schedule
 Here's how it works:
Each day host bloggers will introduce themselves and their work on their blogs. They will include links to more blogs from their province so you can visit those blogs as well. The host bloggers will also host a giveaway of some of their favorite goodies from our store so you have a chance to win every day of the week!

The host blogs!



Sunday, November 18
Kick-off!
Michele
Monday, November 19
BC
Felicity
Monday, November 19
BC
Cathy
Tuesday, November 20
NS
Jeanette
Tuesday, November 20
NB
Holly
Wednesday, November 21
AB
Shena
Wednesday, November 21
SK
Patti
Thursday, November 22
QC
Marika
Thursday, November 22
MB
Heather
Friday, November 23
YT
Vivian
Friday, November 23
YT
Janet
Saturday, November 24
ON
Cathi
Saturday, November 24
ON
Cara
Saturday, November 24
ON
Kaye
In stitches
Annette

Thursday, November 15, 2012

5 weeks ... but who's counting

I just can not believe how fast time is flying by.
Just over 5 weeks until Christmas and I have to get started on sew many things to get ready for the Holiday.
I did get my Holiday Lane Pillow finished to be posted on the 29 th if my memory is right ( I'll be double checking that today)
I have 8 more set of half blocks made for my son's quilt and many many more to go( my goal is to have it pieced by the holidays and maybe quilted to )and 3 Christmas stockings to make as well as a Prayer Partner Christmas gift .... glad I have ideas for these already.
I will do a little baking as we do not seam to eat as much of the goodies any more ( might just be me as I  am gluten free) I always make a favorite for each member of our family.( full flour for them ).

I have to take both my sewing machine and serger back to the store to be serviced again they have ordered a new mother board for the sewing machine and the serger is still out of whack I have tried new needles / re threading/ different needles/ different thread/ different fabric all with the same results. I will be sew happy when they are both running like new again. I have been making baby undershirts for a friend to take with her on her mission trip coming in February as well as for Lutheran World Relief  Canada - Baby Bundles.
Well I hope you did not mind I did not get any photos in the post I will next time
I wish you all a great day filled with love and laughter and a little sew too
In stitches
Annette