Saturday Showcase

Hi Peeps!

It's been a while, I KNOW, but life keeps on getting in the way!!!

I finished another table runner. This one is for my Mother in Law, for her birthday tomorrow. We will all see her tonight as we are going to supper at a fancy Italian restaurant. Yumm!

Here's the back. This is another remnant that has been hiding in my stash for years!!! Use it up, I say!

This is my next scrap project. This is the Jumbo Prism Pillow Tutorial by Lee at Freshly Pieced. Have a look at all the great things on her blog. I have lots and lots of scraps and plan to use some of my bolt of Kona-Snow for the solid.

Here are my vintage china tea cups. The green one is my favourite, it is made by Ainsley. I have been slowly collecting these from garage sales and thrift stores, though the thrifts stores around here charge a mint for them.

Post-war vintage platter, inherited from my dear Granny. She was a war bride from England. Her father said "on no certain terms was she allowed to date one of those hick prairie Canadians"!!! So, she married him!!!

Another treasure from my Granny. I think this one is from the 50's. The rooster comes off and there is a depression for putting chopped green onions or crumbled bacon in. I chipped it within a week of gaining possession…grrr...

The latest box of scraps from my dear friend L in Arizona. As you can see, I had a lot of fun digging through it! Aren't those little owls cute? I am still cutting pieces for my son's hexie quilt, though I don't have that many more to baste. I will take a break from basting hexies in the evening after this. I am planning to work on a EPP 6-bladed star quilt. I have cut the kit for it already.

This is on one of the walls in our 'dining room'. It is not actually a room, just more an extension of the kitchen, and the balcony sliding doors are just to the right. My kitchen is decorated in a loose Mexican style. I have been collecting Mexican painted pottery for years and years.

Canada Day is coming up next week…and the Aurifil thread giveaway is coming soon!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Jacqueline

A finish and some extra special Happy Mail!

Hi peeps!

I finally managed to finish the table runner I was making for my Dad's birthday. We are having him over for supper on Sunday, though his birthday is actually today. Link to the tutorial is on my Cute Tute Links page.

Here's a close-up of the quilting. I did 'in the ditch' for the side pieces and a continuous decreasing square in the center. 

I just love those cavorting chicks and chickens! Aren't they cute???

I backed it with an piece of Debbie Mumm fabric. I have been hoarding this scrap piece for ages, I think it was from one of her first lines! 

I had JUST enough, with a strip left over for my 'string' box…will make a string quilt one of these days...

Got some Happy Mail from Connecting Threads. They had a rare pattern sale, so I stocked up, and the 2 books were Clearance. 

I really need to make that Sit & Stitch pincushion. The arms of my easy chair are getting a real beating from all the pins and needles I stick into it!

More from Connecting Threads…I rarely buy kits as they tend to sit around and get lost in my sewing room. I really wanted this pattern(Wedges), and of course, the blue-green batiks were a must! The thread was on sale for $1.95 a spool, so I stocked up on some favourite colours. The lime and orange are being discontinued!

Spoiler alert: I wrote their customer service to complain about the many thread colours that sold out too fast for me to purchase…they got back to me to tell me they will give out a special coupon code(on this coming Monday) to all their customers who lost out, and the code will make the thread @$1.95 again. Not sure if they will give this code to everyone as I only got notification for it because I complained.

Now for the extra special Happy Mail!!! Soon after I started this blog, I contacted Mr. Alex Veronelli of Aurifil threads to see if I could get some samples to try and some to give away as well. The man is a sweetie and did not disappoint! Look at what he sent me!!! Those colour cards are a $30 value!!! The local UPS guy was impressed that we got something from far-away Italy!

I received 12 spools and I have chosen the spools I'd like to keep. I have 8 spools to give away! I will be having a giveaway soon…for 4 different people! Each person will receive a large spool, a small spool(curtosy of Aurifil of Italy) and a package of John James needles(curtosy of little old me!).

I am giving you a heads up, so you can get organized!!! I will have 2 conditions for this giveaway; you must follow me by email(that includes my Google+ and Bloglovin people!), and; you must comment and let me know what kinds of tutorials you would like me to show you. But not yet!!!

I will let you know when the giveaway is to start(hint: Maple Leaf) and you will have a few days in which to register. I am giving you time to put on your thinking caps, let your creative thoughts flow and think up tutorials...

I did do a tutorial recently, but am having a hard time attaching it to this blog! grrr…

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Jacqueline

Gone garage saling!!!!

Hi peeps!

I was so happy that I found the pattern and link(on the Cute Tutes page) for my citrus table runner, that I whipped up another one! It just hast to be quilted and bound! I love the centre fabric-it has cute country chickens all over it. The picture doesn't do it justice at all! Terrible lighting today.

Today was our complex-wide garage sale, but since it is raining(typical!), only half of the people who signed up participated. They just used patio umbrellas and opened up their garages. I got the above treasures for $1-$2 each, plus an awesome zip-up hoodie from Old Navy for only $2.00! What a steal! It is in the wash right now. That crock pot cookbook is actually a 3 in 1, so tons of yummy recipes to try. I love, love using my crock pot and am always on the lookout for new recipes.

Speaking of recipes, I have add a Yummy Recipes page. There are only 2 recipes(tried and true!) there at the moment, but more are on the way. I keep on forgetting to take pics when the hubs makes a favourite one I'd like to share.

I also managed to get these kitchen towels finished. I did the embroidery on them last month and trimmed the bottom edge today. They are for my dad for Father's day. I will be doing up a tutorial for them soon, stay tuned!!!

I just HAD to show you this pic I took of Gracie. She looks pretty ticked off, doesn't she? ha ha ha 

I used the flash on this photo because the light is terrible in our dining room today.

Thanks so much for reading and have a great weekend!

Jacqueline

Bella Clutch, aka camera bag!

Howdy folks!

So, here is my modified Bella clutch all ready for my camera. I lined it with soft baby flannel, in pale yellow. I didn't have the metal hardware needed for the handle, so just inserted the handle strip into the side seam as is. 

Please note that my bag is much deeper than the original pattern. I needed it that way so it could hold my camera and a few necessities.

Thanks so much to Clover and Violet, for having this great tutorial. I will have a link on my Cute Tute page soon. Have a look round their blog, it is packed with lots of tutes and other great ideas!

I made this table runner a few years ago. I will try to find the tutorial for it…might be lost in the Forbidden Room, aka; my sewing room!

Here's a close-up. You can see I did a bit of simple hand quilting in the white border. I used to do a lot of hand quilting, but since I had Carpal Tunnel surgery on BOTH wrists I don't have full range of movement anymore.

Got some Happy Mail from Christa's yesterday! Just love, love that juicy gumdrop print! I had been eyeing that cube of Double Wedding Ring sticky notes for ages. She is having a close-out sale and I got the last on at half price!

Also fron Christa's, these cuts of Kona cotton. This is; Azure, Sand, Robin's Egg Blue and Lipstick Red. I got 3 yds of Sand and 2 yds each of the other three. I should have got more of the red. It is my favourite shade of red…but it is so hard to tell on a computer. She is all sold out of Kona now.

Last, but not least, I got this Cheese and Crackers boy quilt kit. It was $60, but I got the last one for $30! Such a smokin' great deal; an Atkinson pattern, 10 fatties, half yard of the blue and yardage of Kona-white.

That's all for me today, the hubs needs the computer…grrr..I can't complain though, his need is directly tied to getting a paycheque!!!

Another hexie shot! Can't get enough of these little, happy bits of scrappiness!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Jacqueline

Gettin' caught up...

Hi all!!!

Thought I would show off the ~1,000 hexies I have already basted for the Kid's quilt. Just under 3,000 to go! (Notice how I have re-purposed the bag that my fabrics from Fort Worth Studio came in!)

We managed to catch the tail-end of Saturday's PM Day parade. Our little town is celebrating 100 years of incorporation this year.

The firefighters come armed with spray guns….

…and the kids too! It is an annual event and kids are encouraged to join in the fun. It was a really hot day and I ended up getting squirted too! Eek!

The 4-H kids were showing off their sweet bunnies. Poor things looked a little hot, even though they were in shade.

Here's me in front of an equally hot(yea, right!) red car. That dorky, floppy hat came in real handy! There were a whole bunch of booths this year and I bought a big bag of Kettle Corn. Sooo good, but soo bad for me…hee hee hee

Do you remember me telling you about saving up my pharmacy store points? Well, they had that extra points sale this past weekend and I got all this for $12.22!!!(you just have to pay the taxes on the non-food items). I spent $219.93 of an available $220.00 worth of points. YEA!!!

I got 2 x 8-packs of Duracell batteries(on sale) for my camera, Tylenol(on sale), 2 x Lactaids for the Kid, 4 x Palmolive dish soap(on sale) and tons of food(most on sale) to a total estimated $300.00 worth(full price) of products/food! I did bring a list and a calculator, but even still, both the hubs and the cashier were uber-impressed! She said I should go on The Price is Right!!!

Next post I will be showing the finished Bella clutch and some Happy Mail!

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Jacqueline

Happy day!

Hi all!

I decided that my new camera needed a case or bag of some kind and I remembered that one of my favourite blogs had a cute, but largish zippy bag tutorial, and you know that I'm all about trying free tutorials!!! The Bella Clutch, by Clover and Violet fit the bill! 

You can find the link on my Cute Tute links page.

I did change it up a bit. Remember all those 2.5" squares I cut with my AccuQuilt cutter the other day? I thought that since the tute called for 2.5" strips, I could substitute my squares. I made mine a bit longer, to account for the width of my camera.

I did some basic straight-line quilting in purple variegated thread, using my presser foot for the width from the seams. I am lining it in flannel, to protect the screen from scratches. I am making just one set of slip pockets(pink dice flannel scrap), and am making them deeper, as well. That way I can slip in a small pack of batteries, bank card, my keys and a pack of cigs. No need for a purse!

What do you think of the lime green zipper??? Now I have to sew it in, yikes!

Today is the day of our annual town-named festival. There is a parade(going on right now), as well as a bandstand for local bands, musicians and dance groups.  

There are tones of booths selling food and arts and crafts, as well as Community Service booths(i.e.; local Community Policing etc.). 

It is a beautiful hot, sunny day and the hubs and I are about to head over to the park to see the goings on!

Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!

Jacqueline

A cuttin' machine!

Hi peeps!

Here's a close-up of my appliqué wall-hanging I shared a few days ago.

I was in a cutting mood yesterday, so I got out my trusty AccuQuilt Go Baby and the Econo die(love it, has 3 different shapes to cut on the same die) and went to work on this pile of scraps from my stash!

They were sent to me by my dear, dear friend L in Arizona. She is a prodigious quilter and sends me a big box of her beautiful scraps a couple times a year. I love that peacock fabric near the middle of the pile! 

It looks like my hubs' empty booze bottles have done a little photo bombing!!! *sorry*

I got out my old loaf pans to keep the unruly piles of cuts from falling off my ironing board. I use my cutter on my ironing board as it is easier on my back, and I can place the board in front of the balcony doors to keep cool. I got a bunch of  2.5" HSTs, 2.5" squares and 4.5" squares done. I will probably add the 2.5" squares to my hexie shoebox for the Kid's quilt. I am thinking that the HSTs would make a great border for the Paper Bag charity quilt!

Here's an old pillowcase full of my off-cuts. Once it is full, I will sew the opening shut and donate to a local kitty cat shelter, for use as a kitty bed.

I had a hankering to make a Paper Bag quilt! Do you know what that is? You put your cut squares in a paper bag and mix it all up. Then you close your eyes and choose the next squares to piece together. I will be piecing mine with Kona-snow as my alternate, making a checkerboard quilt for charity. I still have A LOT of squares to cut(thank you Go Baby!!! It's one of the best investments I have ever made for quilting tools, other than rotary cutting supplies). I kinda over-did it yesterday, so have to take a breather today.

This is my sweet baby, GRACIE. She has had a bit of a rough time. She was the runt of her pack and never quite learned how to cover her litter box additions. She was two years old before she learned how to meow!!! She recently had a nasty infection and I really thought we were going to lose her, but she pulled through. Thank you, Lord Jesus!

I couldn't find GEORGE at the time of this post, so look forward to seeing a picture of him sometime soon.

It is such a beautiful day today, I think I will go outside and read a quilt mag in the shade!

Have a super day and thanks so much for reading!

Jacqueline

Crummy weather

Hi all!

So, I was planning to shoot a tutorial today, but the weather isn't cooperating…grrr…it is overcast and starting to rain. Bah…

I thought I would share a pic of my winnings, from the semi-annual Sew Mama Sew Giveaway. They arrived safe and sound and Tina, of Seaside Stitches, had included a nice little card, too! The tiny lapel pin is so sweet. I can't imagine foundation paper piecing such a small item! I think I will stick to my scrappy hexies!

I thought I would share a photo of my beloved Pffaf! She is Model# 7530-Quilt and Craft Pro. I have had her for over 14 years, can't believe how the time has flown by! She has quilted so many quilts and other crafty projects. Every once in a while, I think I will go ahead and get another machine, but she is such a good old gal, I really don't need to. 

I have never had a Bernina, but have lusted after them for sooo long…it is a Bucket List item!!!! 

Which kind of machine do you sew on?

The guy who lives behind us has been running his table saw all morning and now I've got a Migraine on deck.

See ya later,

Jacqueline

Got some Happy Mail!!

Hi peeps!

Look at this yummy fabric I got a few weeks ago from Fort Worth Fabric Studio! Those turtles are so darn cute I just couldn't help it!!! I am going to trim up some flour sack towels with the coffee bean and apple prints. I bought what they had left(3 yds) of that juicy Amy Butler print and might make myself a Washi Dress for the summer. 

See what they give you in your order? Some hot choco(this brand is hard to find up here) and a nice, thick pen. My order was wrapped in a clear plastic bag(not a zip-top one though), and sealed with a sticker. Yay!

I did get my coordinating Fabric Boxes done yesterday. I wanted to see if I could make a tall one for my scissors and a large spool of thread. I made the 10" square, then measured 2" in from the corners to make it skinny. 

It was a bit fiddly to sew down the inner flaps and sew on the buttons, as I have kind of big hands, but I managed! As you can see, I totally changed my ideas on the buttons. I think the little red ones are super-cute!

Here they are with my cute scissors that were sent to my by a friend in England. I am so, so, sorry, I don't know how to make my pics stand up straight!! If anyone knows how, please comment!!! Thanks!

I dug this book out of my sewing room and did up some tea towels for my Dad for Father's Day.

It has tons of well-photographed stitch how-tos.

I would love, love to learn how to make a Bullion Rose. So pretty!

Here are my ideas for trimming the towels; the red paisley is too dark and I am leaning towards the antique toys print. Any thoughts? I'd love some help on this one. The prob with the Debbie Mumm stars print is that I don't have much of it, so the trimmed edge might be a little skimpy.

This is my one and only finished hand appliqué project. Just not my thing I guess. I have large, fat hands and find needle-turn too fiddly.

A gratuitous shot of some hexies I did last night.

I store my basted hexies in a plastic shoe box from the dollar store. I wedge them in there tight so they self-press. No ironing for me on this project!!! I can fit about 1,000 hexies into the box and when it gets full, I dump them in a large, clear plastic bag.

I am ready for my close-up, Mr. Deville!!! Ha ha ha 

They look so good, just like a handful of potato chips! YUM!

I am off to sit in the shade,

Thanks for reading,

Jacqueline