Bear Tracks is finished

 It's done, finished, binding on, sleep under it finished. The last stitches on the binding went into it yesterday, and it was on the bed last night. I love sleeping under newly finished quilts, although it took the fan blowing at top speed to be able to do it in the heat of summer. LOL!! The Bear Tracks pantograph that I drew up worked really well. I wanted the quilting to stand out a bit, so I used King Tut thread, which is a bit heavier, and is a variegated cotton. The colours in the thread are mostly oranges and golds. I love this quilt, everything about it sings to me. It feels soooooo good to have it done. My Rose log Cabin quilt is stalled at the moment. We're finally putting down the laminate floor in the room that has my design wall in it, so it's a bit inaccessible. But that's OK, because I've loaded my Shakespeare in the Park back onto my machine, and am slowly working on that. With the new wheels on my machine, I'm able to do a lot more on it than before, so I'm glad I had all the thread issues with it a few months ago, and had to rip it out. And now, after I grab something cold, like a Coke, out of the fridge, I'm going to go back and do some more on it.

 

Design Wall Monday July 18

I'm up and moving early this morning, for me at least. Summer is well and truly here, and it was hot and muggy sleeping last night, so I finally gave up and got up, figuring it would be fun to get an early start to the day and see how much I can get accomplished.

We got home from our long weekend camping trip yesterday, at about 4 pm. So there was plenty of time to be able to get my Bear Tracks quilt finished. WOOHOO!!!! And I love it in person every bit as much as I did when looking at the photo on the pattern. The colours in the picture are bang on, as far as how it actually looks. This one is definitely going to live right here. This particular quilt pattern is from a company called Glad Creations and I really like their stuff. There is another pattern from them, called Auntie's Choice that I have purchased and want to do someday. But not for a while yet. Today, I'm going to browse design wall's at Judy's Patchwork Times Then I'm going to see if I can get the beginnings, at least, of some sort of quilting design figured out for this quilt. Then I want to at least get started doing a little bit of work on my July UFO. And best of all, I'm going to start a new quilt, more details to follow.

Design Wall Monday July 11

Bear Tracks is up on my wall, and it is so close to being finished.  Right now, it is actually sideways. the bear paw blocks go on the top and bottom when it is finished. And that is all that is left to do, sewing the bear paw blocks together, and the attaching them to the quilt. The pattern shows to add 5 inch blocks on top of the bear paw blocks at the edge, but, if I end up putting them on,  I think I'm going to cut those in half. This thing is huge already, 90x100. But I think it might need something on the other side of those paws. It looks unfinished with the cream background on the edge. So, I guess that's another thing to add before it is finished. It's going to have to wait, though. We're going up to see Noel and Laurie and Avery on Wednesday afternoon, if I can extend the reservation on our campsite. If not, we'll be going up thursday for the weekend.




She's had a chance to use the diapers for a while now, and has expressed which ones work best, so I've promised her I'll finish the rest and bring them up with us. There are 1 dozen of the cloth diapers, and 6 of the pocket diapers left to do, plus finishing the edges of the inserts. So that is my task for the next few days, or however long it takes to get them done. If the weather stays nice today, I'm going to take my sewing machine outside and work on them there. Here's a pic of little Avery in one of the diapers.

There are more design walls to see over at Judy's Patchwork Times
If you have some time, go take a look.

I love productive days

I spent almost all day yesterday in my sewing room. What a wonderful feeling. And got so much accomplished. Crazy Curves is now finished and taking it's place as a snuggle quilt in the living room, for now at least.
      

I quilted sun like points in the square areas, and feathers in the curves. The binding is completely machine done, using a faux piping technique found here It is now my go-to binding for almost all the quilts I do now. 

I used a black multicoloured for the binding, and the same green as the narrow border for the piping. I love it. It looks good finished, and saves the hours it takes to hand stitch them down. It took about 3 hours, start to finish to do this binding, from cutting the strips, to the last thread being cut at the finish. Captain Picard and his crew kept me company while I did it. And that wasn't all I was able to do yesterday. I sewed the main part of Bear Tracks together, after fixing the pieces that were turned the wrong way.  And then I finished up the bear track squares that I need for the borders. Today, I'm going to see if I can get some of the border sections put together, and added on to the quilt. I've found a free clip art graphic of some actual Bear Tracks. I'd like to see if there is a way to somehow make a pantograph out of this graphic. I think it would make a really good quilting design, if I can figure out a way to do it out of continuous lines. Anyway, I'm off to see if I can't get in another productive day.

Design Wall Monday June 13

Bear Tracks grew some more this past week and is still on my design wall. All the main blocks are done, and are half sewn together. There is still a fair bit of work left to do on it, though, in order to get all the border units done. Unfortunately, it's going to have to wait. There are more walls to look at over at Judy's Patchwork Times
I have a few customer quilts that have to get finished up. I've been badly procrastinating on them, and the pressure of knowing they are there waiting is starting to bother me. I'm working 3-11 Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so there won't be a whole lot accomplished these days. But I'm off for 11 days after this, some of which will be spent visiting Noel and Laurie and Avery. We're going up on Friday, coming back Sunday, hopefully armed with lots of pics. It's hard to fathom that tomorrow it will be 4 weeks since he was born. The time is flying too fast.  And speaking of time flying so fast, yesterday was Matt and Becca's first wedding anniversary.  It seems like just yesterday I was trying to get all the bridesmaids' dresses done. Wow! They have had a good year, though, and are growing together as a couple in the Lord. Matt wrote this to Becca:

Well sweetie, it's official now. 1yr! You are sleeping right now, but as I look and see how comfy and how content you look. I am truly blessed to have you as my wife. I thank God for these moments. 1yr ago my life changed for the better! I love you very much and look forward to many more years of happiness with you!

What mother could hope for more for her daughter.

Design Wall Monday June 6

We finally have a decent summer day. The kind where we can comfortably sit outside in the yard on the swing for morning coffee. Pure bliss. The irises are in bloom, the roses just starting to show a bit of colour, and the peonies just starting to open up. The pond is partially reconstructed, and the water is gently trickling, making an attempt to cover up the occasional annoying barking from the dogs next door. There is barely any breeze, so, after I finish writing this, I am going to pack up what I need to work on Bear Tracks and bring it all outside.
My design wall has a couple of things on it. My progress so far on My Tweets and my progress so far On Bear Tracks.

And then, no post right now would be complete without a picture of the reason why there hasn't been any recent design walls, or much quilting going on. Our beautiful, adorable grandson Avery. This is going to one of the last current pictures I have of him, unless his Mom and Dad take pity on me and send some down. We don't know, right now, when we are going to be able to go back and see them again. I miss him so much already, and we just left them on Friday. He'll have changed so much by the time we get to see them again. (sigh)

If you want to see other inspirational design walls, pop on over to Judy's Patchwork Times There is always lots to see there.

Design Wall Monday Week 18

Today's most important task is done. We went and voted. Now all we can do is wait and see what the Canadian people have decided about our government. We'll be watching the news coverage tonight to follow along, and see what kind of government we are going to have for the near future, at least. If it's another minority, it's any one's guess what will be in place a year from now. Anyway....... on to the fun stuff. I haven't made a lot of progress in the last couple of days on this Bear Tracks quilt. I need 13 of the bear paw blocks, and I so far have 9. Each of the blocks gets surrounded by sashing, but this picture gives an idea of the colours. I must say I'm liking it. I'm going to spend the rest of today working on this, and then watch the election coverage later tonight. Tomorrow I go back to making some more diapers. I've really enjoyed being able to make them. It's a really nice thought that every time he is put into one of the cloth diapers, he'll be wrapped in his grammy's love. He should be making his appearance sometime within the next 2 weeks. Laurie's OB is talking about maybe inducing her next week. So very, very EXCITING!!!!!!!! If you are interested in more design walls, full of inspiration and eye candy, go on over to Patchwork Times

Bear Tracks progress

In the last couple of days, I've gone from thinking about starting a new quilt, to doing it, and enjoying every minute of it. I think this has to be one of my favourite blocks. It is so graphic, and has such a strong contrast to it, depending on the fabrics used for it. I have to make 4 more of these blocks, and then 28 more separate paws that end up in the final border. The I can move on to the nine patch blocks. Unfortunately, I can't do any more on it today, since I have to work this afternoon.  I'm starting a new job on May 6th. It's at the same hospital, but it is a regular part time position, rather than the casual part time that I've done for at least the past 10 years. I really liked the casual. It had a large degree of flexibility to it, since I was able to pick and choose the shifts I worked, and take time off when I wanted to, simply by saying I wasn't available. However, with the closing of one of the veterans units, the available shifts for the casual nurses has really dried up, to the point where it has lost all it's flexibility, since there aren't a lot of shifts to pick from. That's why I've been working almost exclusively weekends for at least the past year, since that is all that has been available. With this new position, I'll have a semi-regular schedule, and actually be able to work it so that I'm off at the same time as my husband. With a new baby coming into the family very soon, that is an important consideration, since we'll want to be spending as much time as possible visiting with him, and getting to know him. We've booked some vacation at the end of May, and booked a campsite at a park less than 10 minutes away from their house, so that should be fun. I hope it warms up by then, but if it doesn't, it's a hydro site, so we'll be taking electric space heaters. Should be fun. However, I'd best go get ready for work.

Design Wall Monday Week 17

I still don't have much up on my wall. But I can show you "My Tweets" block #3. Block #4 come out on April 15, and I have some of it prepped, and glue basted down, but not enough to show yet. I was hoping to get more of it done while we were up in Collingwood, but I spent the spare time that I had reading, instead. Like all of my other projects, I'm behind in this one as well. I reall want to start a new quilt. I've had the pattern for a while, and I love it It's called "Bear Tracks" and there is a picture of the pattern here I've pulled all the fabrics I'd like to use for it, and even cut out and did enough half square triangles last night to do 4 of the paw blocks. Here is a pic, although not a very good one, of the fabrics I've pulled.

But, I have 3 customer quilts that need quilting, and I really have to use some self discipline and get them done before that baby up in Collingwood decides to make his appearance. I promised one of them by the end of the month, which is only 5 days away. I'm going to have to ration my viewing of the design walls, over at Patchwork Times as well,or I'll never get anything done today. I'd like to get that quilt at least loaded onto the machine today. And as long as I sit here, nothing is going to get done, so I'd best be off and doing.