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Sunday, December 27, 2020

Stich Along

 Hello All!

When Covid hit, I was needing something to distract myself, and a cousin has posted some Blackwork she was doing each week.  I had done cross stitch before, but not Blackwork.  I checked out Peppermint Purple { Blackwork Patterns & Cross Stitch Patterns – Peppermint Purple  }and found I quite liked her designs.  So I started the 2020 Stitch along.  This is where she publishes a pattern each week, and we add to our growing piece.  Many followed exactly the colours, many did their own colour choices.  Some adapted for one reason or other. I miscounted my cloth needed and so I missed out on the last couple months of this one.  She did give me permission to publish this.  So here it is!


This was a free weekly stitch along, and we needed to join her Facebook page to get the updates. 

 {  (20+) Peppermint Purple | Facebook } And she's doing another one in 2021!  Also free!  Such a generous lady, who lives in the UK, I just figured out!  A lot of her patterns are downloadable after purchase, so you are good to go.  Lots of encouragement from the other members too!  It is quite peaceful focusing on this once a week.  A little "ME" time.  

If you are curious, check her out!  Beginner friendly!!


Hugs and Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Merry Christmas!

 Hello!

Now that most of my cards have arrived, I can post this year's card.  


This year was not as bad as previous year's in the motivation department.

I happily worked on these and looked forward to sending them out, compared to the last few years of just giving up, or forcing myself to do so.  Winter blues, or SADS is common, and it hits me usually in late October, early November.  I have a light box I use each morning and oddly, this year's Covid restrictions motivated me!  

I wanted to make a little tea kit to share with some members of our Quilt Guild who were really feeling isolated, so I made some large mats or Mug Rugs as some say.  Combined with a tea packet, a treat and my card I went around to their houses to leave a surprise.  Some I had to notify ahead of time as they lived in apartments, but most I just left and ran.  Brought Kara with me and I finished feeling quite up!



In each card, I also usually include a letter with our updates of the year.  
This year I decided to share a poem I found on the internet....
I've since discovered the author is Shawna Hickling from Calgary, AB, Canada


Hugs to all!
And I wish you a healthy and happy 2021!

Sunday, December 6, 2020

Jewels Into Hearts

 Hi!

Since we live in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario we have an international bridge to the US at our disposal.  Since March 17 though, it has been closed due to Covid-19.  Scrolling Pinterest, I saw a fun quilt with hearts that were English Paper Pieced.  I can do that!   




So I ordered the 1" jewel paper pieces and once they finally arrived, I stared making hearts. I decided to keep them in blues and teal, 1 for each day the bridge is closed.  I thought that it would make a nice wall hanging....

I believe that this will now be a quilt...



And I have started to pester my friends and family for 5" square pieces of blue fabric.  I want to make each heart a different fabric, and so I need help!  We are at day 262 and still counting!

Here's what I have so far...

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Still Here!

 Hello!

Sick of hearing why things are delayed or cancelled because of Covid-19?

Me too...

But I'm still here!

I've been working on projects and not quite finishing some. But I DID finish the latest installment of my god child's scrapbooks!  Here's just a few of the pages from that album, including one of me at the very end, at the same age she was in her picture...






Hugs!
Cindy


Sunday, August 2, 2020

Flip Flop Quilt

Hi!

As I become more confident in my sewing skills, I try new things.  
I wanted to make a quick quilt for my godmother and thought.. Hey!  Quilt As You Go!
The premise is that Each square is quilted individually, top, battang and backing then you just attach the pieces together.  

Use Steam A Seam on the back of the fabric and cut out the flip flops...


Got through the individual squares alright. I left some squares empty and just quilted shell shapes.



Sew the back pieces together first, then hand sew or machine sew the tops.
I used some decorative stitches on my machine to make sure the seams would stay down and hopefully mimic sand and water.
Completely threw me off, seeing the individual seams on the top....





But, for something I just put together without a pattern, not bad first try.   

My godmother has now received it, and she seems to like it.  So I'm glad! 
That's my guy posing with it outside...




Hugs!
Cindy

Sunday, July 26, 2020

6 months Temperature Blanket

Hello!

Well, you can plan ahead for some projects, but some you can not, and so have to be adaptable.
I started 2020 with a temperature blanket.  I posted about this on February 2. 

I was using Bernat Handicrafter cotton solid yarn in these colours in degrees Celsius:
-30 to -26 Robin's Egg  0
-25 to -21 Mod Blue  0
-20 to -16 Hot Blue  0
-15 to -11 Blueberry  1
-10 to -6 French Blue  3
-5 to -1 Blue Jeans  6
0 to 4 Teal  10
5 to 9 Sage Green  6
10 to 14 Emerald  2
15 to 19 Chamomile  3
20 to 24 Coral Rose  2
25 to 29 Tangerine  2
30 to 35 Country Red  1

By mid June, I could no longer find most of these solid colours available, so I stopped and now have a 6 month temperature blanket.  It's quite nice, but I would have liked to complete the year.  Oh well!
The number of balls used is written next to each colour.



Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Photography

Hello!

I used to be a professional photographer.
I took wedding photos, portraits and had a portfolio.



This was at the end of negative based photography and the beginning of Digital.  People were becoming more photo savvy and not willing to pay for a real professional.  I then worked in a 1-hour lab.  That's where I met my man of 25 years....

I sold off my professional equipment years ago, and now only have my phone and digital camera.  I've just packed up the last of my negatives and slides and sent them off to be digitally scanned so I can have them forever on my computer system. What a task!  Pick only your best stuff because it's about $1 an image!  

But I still dabble in photography.

At the beginning of this pandemic, I made an impulse purchase of a Lensball.  I finally got it 3 and half months in.  You might have seen ads about this item.  Yesterday I got this overwhelming urge to go on a photo safari.  Packed up the basics, my dog and headed to the beach on Lake Superior.  






So I played.  Man it's nice to just take pictures and delete what doesn't work.  I took ALOT of pictures on film that had to be developed and printed.  This wasted ALOT of negatives.  So easy now!  Shoot & delete if you do not like!

There are days, I miss this, and so off I go to play....

Hugs!
Cindy

Sunday, July 5, 2020

Keeping Creative

Hello!

I do not like the new Blogger.  I cannot find things easily and it publishes posts I was working on and not completed yet.....

That said, here is some more of what I've been doing to keep myself busy.
On my deck I continued the idea of a fairy garden.  This is what it looked like in May, when planted.



And now a couple months later it looks like this!


Hugs!

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Happy Canada Day!!!

Hello 'Eh!
We really do say this more often than we realize. LOL!

I had a friend recently ask me to make her a pile of Canada cards.
I really enjoyed getting into it and making them fun.

My original card was this (along with a summer one)   It was made in 1995.


The batch she got was very similar, but not exact due to no longer having some of the stamps from then.


Now for my house decorations!
Due to no public gatherings, we were encouraged to decorate our homes and send in pictures.  
Here are mine!


Hugs!
Cindy

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Nova Scotia Tragedy

Hi!

It takes me a while to process bad events.  
There was a mass shooting rampage in Nova Scotia, Canada on April 24.  
In response to this event, the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild requested completed quilts in Blue and White to be made and sent for the victims of this violent event.  
I reached out to my friends here in the Soo and 5 of us created a row to add to a lap quilt that was created for this purpose.


Here is the completed and quilted quilt.  It is on its way to Nova Scotia with love.



Hugs!
Cindy

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Austrailia Quilts

G' Day!

Back in January I showed you some blocks I made and sent to Australia for Quilts to be made for the survivors of the massive forest fires. I've been patiently looking at the posts from the Wollongong Modern Quilt Guild and looking to see where they put my blocks. 

The quilts they have put together are amazing!  There have been write ups about this initiative and I've really enjoyed seeing the updates and finished work.  And SO much work from the members of this guild!  Here's just some of the tops completed and where some of my blocks have ended up.










They apparently received over 14,000 blocks and are able to make hundreds of quilts!
I hope each person that receives these quilts feel the love from around the world.

Hugs!
Cindy

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Bicylcle

Hi!

Last year I took a class with Sally Manke.  She had this cute bicycle pattern and was willing to show us how make one of our own!
I had not learned about Dresden blocks by then, so it was nice to learn something new.  My 30 degree ruler has seen a lot of use since then!


She then went step by step showing us how to use bias tape makers and encouraged us to make the bicycle our own.  I used leather scraps for the seat, joints and pedals, for example.


The group of us traded some flower fabrics also, so we would have a variety of flowers in our baskets. Here we all are!



It took being told to stay home to finish it.  So here it is, back from my long arm quilter, Shawna!  I told her to do what she wanted this time and made my little bicycle look like it was going! SO Cute!



Thanks so much Sally for this class and all the tips!
Thanks to my hubby too, who precariously perched on a ladder over stairs to hang this!


Hugs!
Cindy

St. Patrick's Day and International Quilting Day!

 Woohoo! Time for some green Quilts! LOL! Not often that these two days land on the same weekend. I finally finished one of my UFOs (unfinis...