Farm Girl at Heart...cont'd

# 80 Carrie Nation

This is such a light airy block...just love it. I was delighted to use some tiny amber coloured 1 1/4" squares from my friend Brandis, leftovers from a mystery class we took part in 3 years ago.  Is that too long to keep those tiny pieces?

Patio Lanterns that I made with my tiny 1 1/4" pieces from the same class. The Quilt pattern was called Trail Mix.

One of the other benefits of quilting is coming across a block named Carrie Nation. The discussion could end there, or I could Google this name and learn about the very determined woman from the American Temperance League that this block was named for.

This experience reminded me of when I used to collect stamps as a young teen and I wondered who was this Alfred Noble guy that was featured on so many of the Swedish stamps.

Keep on asking questions, keep on learning, keep on creating.

love and hugs
Kathy

April means Green

April means green over at SoScrappy this month. We are all encouraged to get those green scraps out and used up. So while I do have a "few" WIP, I think I will put some concerted efforts into adding greens to my Farm Girl at Heart Quilt and close the gap on the finish line.

# 81 Gentleman's Fancy

Not an unrealistic goal when I consider that this is #81 out of a possible 111. Heck, if I applied the "1 a Day" theme here, I might see the end of this before May rolls in.  Fingers crossed folks.

Check out what others are accomplishing over at SoScrappy in the name of Green. Of course this also makes me just a little bit more excited (if that is possible) to be going to Ireland in just 62 days with Sew Many Places and the International Quilt Festival of Ireland...you know you want to come with Kim Caskey and I! Check out Kim's photos and experiences from her time there in 2012 and get back to me with just how excited you are to come with us.

love and hugs
Kathy

a Pear today

Ana Buzzalino, of Calgary, was the February guest lecturer and instructor to the Edmonton & District Quilters' Guild. I asked her how many students had taken this same Painting of Fabrics class with the pear as subject matter...she stated 300. How to make mine distinguishable in the ranks of many. First - finish it. Quilted, binding and label on. I love the techniques taught and would highly highly recommend her to come to your guild.  She has an impressive trunk show and her teaching style is non rushed while being very instructive.  We  all came away with our painted pear.

 Love and hugs
Kathy

What have you been up to this week?

It has been quite the weekend. We have supported Dianne Blahun's estate sale and through the generousity of her husband have raised another $1125 for the Edmonton & District Quilters' Guild Founder Graduate Scholarship Fund.

I have sewed on Orange scraps creating more sprouts to go with the pink and purples.  Now when these are finally ready to be put into a quilt they won't be standing stalk still like some giant sunflower, but rather think of them in waves of colour similar to an English style garden. check out the others working with Orange at SoScrappy.

 I was also successful in completing Step 2 in my POF 50 Shades of Grey. What fun it is to see completed rounds from the other 1100 quilters who are participating.

Step #1

Step #2

And now it is time to create a few more cards, this time for Easter.

and block #79 of my "Farm Girl at Heart" quilt.

#79 Broken Window

Tonight, March 23, celebrating the 30th birthday of my baby Diana. Shown here hamming it up with her big brother Larry.

Love and hugs to all
Kathy

Christmas preparations in March

  My office was in need of a replacement wreath. Enter my friend Wanda Cracknell and her knowledge and experience making 'Christmas Bauble' wreaths. Wanda is a very talented artist and masterful "re-purposer".

 
 It takes a lot of baubles to make one of these special wreaths. We had been collecting 'baubles' for months.


 To start with I covered a styrofoam wreath with glue soaked red fabric and then wrapped with red and white garland. I want to use this 'vintage' glass Santa that was a part of the ephemera of odd Christmas decoration that are no longer used at home and find a place at the office.
 
 Starting with the larger balls I laid them out in a random pattern before I started hot-gluing them in place. Survived a whole day of gluing and only one hot-glue blister!

 
 Thinking about how I want Santa  - at right angles with the hanger or just slightly tilted to the right, and then the auditioning of the baubles begins.

Drum roll please....
I/we now have the most awesome Santa/Bauble wreath.  I am so thrilled with the final results and can hardly wait for Christmas...it just gleams and twinkles...and will be an awesome showpiece in our front office.
  

Favourite time of the week...

Friday night at home alone is my favourite time of the week. In my studio working on whatever I want.
This time it is making a few more sprouts in the colour of the month as per Sue over at SoScrappy. I have been following along as best I can and I am aiming to get linked up with my newest orange sprouts.  I love these little things, made from scraps (in the colour of the month) and "leftovers" from a monumental colourwash project I did years ago.

Tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday I will be working at the Estate Sale of one of our members who was so tragically taken from us way to soon by a drunk driver. There are no words to describe her family's loss and rage at the senselessness of it. What can I do...support her family through words and deeds of kindness.

wishing you all the best
hugs
kas

Three beautiful Saturdays in a row!

Life sometimes throw out little nuggets that I just love.
For instance I recently had a flat tire and while thinking how am I going to get this fixed (or moved to be fixed) I thought about my Hyundai Roadside Assistance...so the road is in front of my house so that qualifies. Well it qualified indeed...they sent over an AMA truck within 60 minutes. Donut on and I was off to the tire repair shop (screw in tire!!).



Creative time included a stop at Urban Scrapbook to register for my Thursday Techniques Classes (cannot show you any pictures as these are intended to be used a family gifts), and then home to finish a Disappearing 9-Patch for the EDQG charity project and another block for my Farm Girl at Heart, #77 Smokehouse and #78 Domino Net

#77 Smokehouse

#78 Domino Net

 

 

 

I have also started another mystery quilt over that the Prairie Quilt Mercantile site...this one they are calling Plenty of Fish, I have chosed to use 50 shades of grey and have finished step one.

50 shade of grey step one

love and hugs
Kathy