A new year

Happy New Year!
And we are a week into 2017, already.

This year I am hoping to get some UFO's worked on. So far for my first week I have taken a bag that had a block of the month started from a few years ago that I was trying to catch up on over the summer while camping but only a few blocks got done. So with eight blocks of the 20, to go I started on them again this week. Now I have the blocks not only assembled but I also have the quilt ready for borders. Believe it or not the color I'd like to put in between the main border and quilt top I cannot find in my stash so shopping I must go.

Playing with the blocks

Now well that one's it's on hold I got started on another project and another bag. It started with a Celtic knot that I stitched up 20 blocks with the same Celtic knot and then I did a central panel that I thought would work well with this quilt Block and it has sat for a number of years. I know it is a quilt top borders and all. Only back in to get for this one and then I can get busy quilting it.

Celtic knot quilt

Celtic knot

Serpentine twist
From a class with Virginia Walton

I know that I have a number of other projects that are just waiting to get work done and finished. So hopefully this year I will get a few of those done and share with you photos of those along the way. I feel I am off to a good start, I hope it continues for a while....happy stitching

Thanks for stopping by
I wish you all the best for 2017
In stitches
Annette

Post card swaps

With Christmas a week away, I thought I would share the post cards I have received sew far... first off Shelia hosted a Christmas post card swap  sew far one of the two are here
This is Mary's post card she is from the U.K. and this is her first ever post card. She did awesome

Next I took part in Brand's Mistletoe post card swap.

One from Val in Ontario

One from Mary in B.C.

And the last one 

A smoochie one from Angela from B.C. as well

Here are the ones I sent 

I am sure the last post card will make it's way before long.

They are always fun to make and send off.

Thanks ladies for swapping with me this Christmas.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2017.

In stitches

Annette

Mistletoe and stockings

 I'm in a postcard swap for the holidays. Brandi from A quilter on fire, is hosting a mistletoe post card swap.  I have them off in the mail. I hope they like them, I am looking forward to seeing what they created for the swap.

Mistletoe Post Cards

Then I stitched up a stocking for Christmas, one more to sew up yet.

As I do some of the sewing on my to do list and hemming pants, I have made a quilted sleeve for my daughter's mono. I tried out the product called inerfoam. A foam the you can sew through and you can squeeze t an it will bounce back to its original shape. I did have slipped stitches when sewing the binding on.

Then I tried out a headband pattern and have these ready to mail.

That's what I've been up to, what have you been stitching this week?
In stitches
Annette

A scrappy finish

Well not that long ago I posted the start of this quilt. Sew from the design wall to quilted and bound, here's the finished quilt. It is nice when a quilt comes together.

Close up up the quilting, a little hard to see
But a good place to test out a new pattern

I did try a new to me quilting design, meandering feathers as Anegla Walters shows on her videos. I also used a contrast color on the border to soften the black.
I do like how it turned out .
In stitches
Annette

Treats

This weekend I was the lucky recipient of some goodies.
A friend stopped by with a little thank you for giving her a hand.

A cute sweater cup and chocolates

And then my sweet daughter stop by while we were away and left me my first advent calendar........ full of tea.

Looking forward to December 1

Chocolate and tea what more could a quilter ask for.
Now off to do some stitching
In stitches
Annette

Just add buttons

Well I spent a little time at the machine. Stitching in the ditch, ruler work and button holes.

Using the ruler to create a continuous line design.
Inevitably figured out for the Dresden plate block.
                     Just a little marking and a special foot for your machine to use the rulers is all that you need

The design from the backside.

Ready to trim down and put together

Ready for a pillow

Now just the buttons to add.

sew there's my holiday pillow.

In stitches

Annette

Festive Holiday Pillow class

Last night was night number 2 for the pillow class. The ladies did pretty well with their pillows. We did a Dresden plate block as the focus on the pillow. The back was quilted with a button closure. I will finish up my working samples tomorrow, and the ladies have a little work to do to finish up their pillows. A couple are doing others things with their block. One is making a table topper and the other a runner. Here are a few pictures from last night's class. All in Christmas prints.

I missed taking a couple pictures. I am sew proud of what they all were able to get done as this was a first quilting project for a few of them. I also learned that we could have used a third night to get them completely done. It's  sew hard to figure out the time frame needed. I will be on call to the ladies sew that they can get them done.

Thanks for stopping by.....

In stitches

Annette