New (Old) Machine

Hello!

This past year has been a bit nutty.
I volunteered to co-chair a local quilt show for our Quilting Guild, Stitches From the Heart, I volunteered to redo and maintain the guild's website:  www.saultquilts.com and have been managing the library and taking pictures at the meetings when needed.

Oh yes!  We also just celebrated our 25th Anniversary with a big trip to the southern Caribbean and Florida.

So I will try yet again to pre-plan some posts and keep on top of it...

Today I want to introduce you to my newest (senior) machine.

I wanted a smaller, lighter machine for taking classes and easy to maintain.  Luckily one of our guild members had a few extra and was willing to sell me one.  This Singer 221 machine is as cute as a button and runs so beautifully!  It only does a straight stitch forward and back, but for most classes, this is all you need!  From the Serial number, I believe her birthday is in 1938.

Unless one dies, this will be my limit.  Well…. MAYBE an embroidery machine one day....

LOL!
Cindy

More Scraps!

Hello!

Last post (quite a while ago) I was commenting on the piles of scraps I seem to have accumulated...

I actually actively keep an eye out for some fabric scraps...
You see I took a class last year on English Paper Piecing.  Darn you Lily!  I am HOOKED.
In the evenings I calmly wrap pieces of cardstock with fabric scraps and hand sew them in place.
Once I have enough, I connect them into flowers.
Once I have enough flowers, I started creating a quilt top with them.
I do this while watching TV with my hubby, or when I go visit my aunt in Quebec, or if I know I'm gonna be waiting a bit for an appointment.  Not the last step though!  Just the individual pieces and flowers.

Here are some pics of this process...

I'll let you know when I've got a top ready to border...

Cindy

Scraps!

Hi!

Paper scraps from scrapbooking.
Ribbon scraps from card making.
Yarn scraps from crochet.
Fabric scraps from quilting!
I'm getting buried here!

I do hate to throw out something in case it can be reused though.  My husband constantly asks if he can throw away any paper or cardboard, just in case I had designs on it for my crafts.

I've been spending time with a new friend that is getting buried in her fabric scraps, and it's put the urge to do something with my various scraps.  My energy is diminishing and I no longer wish to deal with it all.  SO, it's dog bed stuffing for the fabric pieces, garage sale for supplies I no longer use and sharing with other scrapbook friends for other odds and ends!

I am helping co-ordinate our quilt guild's Quilt Show this coming July and volunteered to make up some give-away items.  Amazing what scraps can do!

Pin cushions today...

Hope you're able to do something with your scraps!!!

Hugs,

Cindy

Inspire Me!

Hello!

Winter is my worst time for feeling blue, so I have tried different strategies to combat this.
Start with giving myself permission to be blue... but not too long!  Then get creative!

In my bedroom I have put up pieces that I worked on, were given to me or collaborated on.  I see these each day when I get up.  Thought I'd share them with you...

My sister went through a drawing phase years ago and I requested copies of these for my wall.

I took a collage art class a few years ago and ended up with these two panels.  Paint, glue, stamping and stencils... so fun!

And before we moved away from Alberta to Ontario I asked some friends to help me alter a puzzle.  The theme was Friendship.

Hope you are able to do something to inspire you each day!
Hugs!
Cindy

UFO Fun

Hello All!

I am participating in a UFO (Unfinished Objects) challenge with my quilt guild and I'm doing much better this year at organising myself!

So far I've completed a Fabric Tree for our local Festival of Trees fundraiser for the Lung Association.  This was completed in September and fine-tuned to be donated in November.  It stood 4 feet high and all the ornaments were hand made by friends and myself.  The final bid was $150 Canadian.

December was a Christmas table topper that I made with 2.5" diamonds all by hand.  I'd always wanted to do a project completely by hand, and had started this last year in April.  So it is hand stitched together, hand quilted and a rolled hand stitched binding.  Finished size is 14.5" diameter. It is not very big, but it took a lot of time!  Major respect for those that did and still do their quilting all by hand with no machines!

I am running away in February so I completed my February project early.  A 16x21" Valentine wall hanging.  This was a class that was offered a year ago at our guild, but a death in the family forced the class to be cancelled.  In that year I have learned quite a few techniques, so decided to tackle it. It is raw edge machine applique and the snoopy heart is trapunto, where you put extra stuffing behind it to make it puff out. This is also my second project that I have free motion quilted it on my machine.

Hoping your 2019 is off to a good start!
Hugs!
Cindy

Fabric cards

Hello!

I have been quilting quite a bit.  There are SO many pretty fabrics out there!  I hate to see smaller pieces just discarded because they cannot be used for a larger project.  Case in point of this kitty fabric. 

I used it to cover a cloth bag, but there was a left over bit about 8x12".  So I used a rotary pinking blade to cut out the kitty panels and made some decorative bits to accent the inside of the card.  And made cards! One of the ladies at the quilt class I take liked them so much she purchased them all!

I used the same technique for cutting out these Asian lady blocks from a panel of fabric.  These were for my AOSA Yahoo group.  I made a few birthday cards and sent along three panels for the lies to play with, as a gift.

Hugs!
Cindy

New Year thoughts

Hello!

Here we go, ANOTHER person giving new year thoughts!
I do love my blog, but have been neglecting it this year due to focusing on family and health.
I realised when I DID do something creative I got a lot of positive vibes from it and wanted more!

A few years ago, I read that it is more important to add something than remove something as a resolution.  This way you will be more successful in completing it.  So I have tried to do so, within my limitations.

This year I am going to try to commit a minimum of 1 day a month to each of my passions: card making, scrapbooking, quilting and blogging!  Obviously I will do more, but setting aside one full guilt free day of playing on these areas will keep me motivated and feeling fulfilled, relaxed and happy.

I just finished a yearly challenge of sending a birthday card to each of the ladies who wished to receive one on my Yahoo group About Oriental Stamp Artists.  Some months were a little late, but all of them got a card.  Here are some examples:

Hoping your 2019 is full of fun and creativity!
Hugs!
Cindy