Thursday, August 31, 2017

Harvest Season 2017

It has been a fun and fast summer....

Mom and I went for a lunch at Maryann's cabin with a bunch of friends 


Treated like royalty....


We were fed like those geese they fatten up for foie gras.....


 Then it was straight into a harvest that is super early and very poor...


The heat has been on all summer and the rain has been non existent...


Even baling straw took no time at all....


 There wasn't much straw so hauling went quick....
 

 We didnt even use the big truck...just the half ton...


 You could lose a leg in the cracks in the field....

The dogs loved the fact that they got to ride INSIDE the cab since the box was full!!


 I had the pleasure of helping the Vandenhurks again with their harvest.


 Got to love playing with a new Claas combine I don't make the payments on! 


 Justin has been running grain cart and trucking for them


 With all the dust and smoke in the air, 
 there has been fabulous sunsets....


 If it has to get dark early at least it's a beautiful sight!! 

 

Amongst all this work,

 I managed to squeeze in time,
 with my sisters and niece from Calgary 


I am missing my sewing machine 
and 
am looking forward to a rest yet it's still August!! 

 Hope your harvest is going well! 

Christa 

Monday, August 14, 2017

Cherrywood Challenge 2017

When we were in Houston last fall, 
I admired the 2017 Cherrywood Challenge.
It was BLUE!!

If you know me at all.....I love blue.

No brainer....I had to try.

I have entered the Hoffman Challenge twice and both pieces have travelled.
(one still is!!)

I have nothing to lose but time...

This piece had to be VanGogh inspired, 20"square, read 70% blue, 
and
 contain all Cherrywood fabric

I didn't know a whole lot about Van Gogh so I started doing a little research

Every search brought up 'Starry Nights"
I loved it but figured that will be most people's inspiration

So I decided to go 
with
 'Starry Nights Over the Rhone'
 
I started with my plan using the required 3 blues and a black 
and 
added yellow

I folded my inspiration photo in sections 
and
 then my required size pattern into the same sections
 
 

I know....it was rough...but a guideline!

I wanted my fabric to resemble brush strokes like Vincent's
 
The layering began....
My husband came to look at one point 
and
 asked if it was required to chop it up that small??

Nope....but I needed to in order to get my desired effect!!
 

I don't do much thread painting so I 'roughed' in my buildings and people...
 
 
Before you know it....

I had MY rendition of Starry Nights Over the Rhone!

I saw a quote of his I liked so I stitched it into a corner
"I dream my painting and I paint my dream"

 

I submitted and waited.....
Then the email came!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How exciting!!
Let's see where it goes from here!
Christa 


Saturday, August 12, 2017

Tula BLUE Batik Butterfly

This butterfly is ready to fly!! 

Terry Whitman did a fabulous job quilting this one for me!! 


This quilt turned out way better than I envisioned it was going to!! 

 I love batiks but was not sure if they would work....

  I guess you never know till you try it!!


 Thanks, Terry!!


I love it!! 

Christa 

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Artisan Cabins of Moose Mountain Park

I was all packed and ready to hit the road for the lake 

when I discovered my peaches were in need of dealing with!!

Detour.....

I quickly got them in to the freezer and was on the road!

Mom came with me to help hang my quilts! 

Wasn't long before we had it all decorated

 I brought some of my most recent and favorite things..

 

 Even a few flimsies! 

 This inifinty quilt was one of the crowd favorites 

as well as 

my cows and farmers wife quilt

 

 I worked on the next row for my Halo Medallion quilt 

 There were over 300 people through my cabin in 5 days....

even this little munchkin who ate our cinnamon buns! 

 We saw a wedding....

 Made a new lunch bag out of my 'storm at sea' mini quilt 

 Sold my Bali Wedding Star quilt....

It is a wedding gift for an air force pilot! 

Hope he loves it! 

 Arnold got whipped by Shirley in card games 

 Stitched outside....

 Stitched inside....

 Nearly finished by Border Creek Mystery....

Had great visits with family and friends, new and old!!

Sold quite a few bags and purses.....

Thanks, Nikki and Lexie! 

I just loved how these two little boys left me comments....
 
Carter....Great Work! 
Ashton....Keep it up!! 
Thanks to all those who came through! 
 
It was a great time and I really enjoyed meeting everyone! 
 
Christa 

Bucket Bag Tutorial

 I thought I would try to show you how to make one of these bucket bags... They are fast and easy. I used 2 Fat Quarters and some batting. I...