New Project for 2024

 I've been involved with the Canadian Quilters Association (CQA) for quite a few years now.  I've lived in different provinces and regions all across Canada and am a proud Canadian, as I do not really have a 'hometown'.  We moved around too much for that!

In that capacity, I was asked questions and then researched to find out more information about 'A Quilt For Canada'.  This was NOT a project of the CQA, but some people associated this project with them.  

It took a while, but I eventually, through luck found out all about it!  

It was 1990 and Canada's  125th Anniversary was coming up.  Deborrah Sherman who published her own quilting magazine had an idea to collect blocks from across Canada and create a large quilt to celebrate Canada!  I love projects that promote Canada....

By the time the project was complete, there was a total of 464 blocks sent in from all the provinces, the USA and abroad.  All Canadians, all ages, all abilities put stitches in the final sandwich pieces that were then connected into one quilt.  The finished size is 15' x 17'.  That's FEET! It was displayed in Ottawa and then toured Canada a bit with Eaton's and also the Creative Sewing and Needlework festivals.  

I have since received permission to share images of the blocks and the project.  Deborrah still has the quilt , as no one in the 90's wanted to take possession of it.  I'd love to see this beautiful work displayed again.  We are hoping to find a permanent home for this LARGE quilt, so I started another blog about it.  Check out A Quilt for Canada.  

I will be posting blocks each week and more information about the project.  It will take me the year to post all of them, so please be patient! LOL! Some of the block descriptions do not have a photo.   If you have pictures of the block you or someone you know made and we do not, please share! 

Making of A Christmas Card

 I have been making our Christmas Cards for almost 30 years now.  These are from 2011 and 2013

I still make my mom cards each year to send to her family and friends.  It's a perfect birthday present, and she does not have to buy cards.  This is this year's:

Most of the time they were stamped and coloured.  Lately though I have been thinking that this much work was not too appreciated.  So I started dabbling in digital cards.  That is, create it on the computer and then get them printed to send out.  This year I went a step further and just made postcards.  They are usually recycled anyway.  But they have photos of me, my hubby and our dog, Shadow if they wish to keep them.  I photographed a background:

Then placed it in my digital program and had them printed by Forever.  Got them a couple weeks later and they look great!  This is also the company I send my scrapbooks to be printed.

I hope Christmas is a happy one for you all.  

Crafty Gifts

 So I like to give crafty gifts. (NOOO!!!) 

BUT I am generally careful who I give these gifts to.  In the past, like most of you, I have given crafty or unique gifts that were not appreciated, or discarded.  Yes, once you give a gift, it is out of your hands what they do with it.  I have however placed quite a bit of time in making this item for YOU.  Because I thought YOU would like it.

That said, one of my friends is crazy for giraffes like I am.  When I saw this blackwork pattern I had to make it.  As I was making it, her name kept coming into my brain.  So I decided it was to be given to her.  I can make myself one later. She got it this past weekend.

This is the first in an experiment that I want to combine blackwork or cross-stitch into wall quilts.  And these two gave my skills a work out!  I found out that I haven't been threading my machine right for quilting, so that is why the thread kept breaking!  It does not lie as flat as I would like, but it is still nice.  I even stitched some hearts into the border fabric.  Yes, I used furry fabric (probably shouldn't have but I wanted to make it special)

So here it is, my first of hopefully a series of such quilts.  

More Christmas Postcards

 

A couple weeks ago I showed the fabric postcards I made last year.  This year I stepped up my game and made more after the initial swap was done.  My swap friend got this one:

And these went to some other quilty friends that would appreciate the work...

Basically these are 5x6" with the top being fabric blocks or scraps, embellished with anything I like. (usually from the dollar store) Machine or hand stitching embellishment.  Then add a layer of Peltex and then a backing fabric.  Then zigzag the edges to keep it all together.

These are addictive, and I have another batch being readied for more friends...

EPP Block of the Month

 So in September I Joined a couple ladies I me in Halifax for an English Paper Piecing block of the month.  The Esther Block.  These two sisters were very interesting to hear speak and their presentation was very good!  I've always said that take a pattern and no two will be the same due to the differences in the maker.  The samples Laura and Sara showed in Halifax of the same pattern done by each of them well showed that!  

The Esther Block is named after their mother and this monthly challenge is just that.  Check it out if you're interested in playing with us!  The November challenge took me a bit to figure out with the fabrics I chose, but I got it.  

These were the fabrics I chose:

The September prompt is to use that piece of fabric you are most excited to cut into. 

October's prompt is to use a strong design element in the large half hexagon in the outer border.

November's prompt is to create a flower motif using both the large central motif and the large half hexis in the outer border.

We were given our choice of sizes to work with and I of course went with the largest blocks.  This means one of the sides of the hexagon is 1.5".  Why?  Because I'd never done it before... Always getting myself into odd situations.  Warning, the blocks will be HUGE!  Each block finishes at 16"x18".  I THOUGHT i was going to make a wall hanging with it, but I figure it will make a nice lap quilt at the end of the year with only 12 blocks....

Christmas is coming!

 I've been working away on my Christmas cards lately.  Just because making regular cards was not time consuming enough... I decided to up my game and make fabric postcards too.  

I was introduced to this idea last year.  So I entered a swap with my guild and made these.

The darker one was swapped along with the start ornament.  My mom got the Noel card.  Both were appreciated. 

This year I'm making one to swap that has been sent and finishing up 12 more to give away!

Hugs!

Learning New Skills

 I love learning.  As I get older, I seem to want to learn more....History, nature, and especially different hand work.  Another friend of mine offered classes on hand embroidery.  I'd always wanted to learn properly and to add this to my other work on cards and and quilts.  6 weeks in her home and we learned about cotton, wool and silk threads.  Which needles to use and how to achieve the look we want.

As we worked on our pin cushion, I would also practice the stitches on a needle book as well.  This way I had two finished projects that were also useful by the end of the classes.  

As usual I am hooked and have signed up for another stitch along starting in December with Sue Spargo.  Looking so forward to this!

Cindy