Soggy Halloween

This pumpkin may be smiling but I wasn't when I tried to make him yesterday!!

A soggy straw bale RESISTS paint but I guess this will have to do.

I know he is missing a top...maybe today.

It will be fodder for the cows in a couple of weeks anyways!!

I have attempted to tackle my stash this week.

It has gotten out of hand and it's getting hard to be creative in this mess!

I saw a tutorial on fabric folding...

I think it was on this blog.

Using your 6"x 24" ruler......

wrap your fabric around it ....

then slide it down and fold in half.

I started my stacks according to color.

Jane couldn't believe my stash fit on ONE bed!

Maybe there should be different words to refer to the quantity of your stash.

Like stash(a little), stasher(alot) and stashest(too much).

Can you believe that mess fit in my pie cupboard?

I love this cabinet.

 It reminds me of the very special friend who gave it to me.

It is being put to very good use.

And can you believe... I have room for more now?

Taking inventory is a good thing.

I bought my first pre-cut this summer and now I have 7 charm packs and 2 layer cakes.

I am going to have to nip that addiction in the butt before it starts!

I started to work on the blocks for Winterwonderland only to realize I had missed 2 of the embroidered blocks.

This boy was one of them.

So NOW......I have one to go!!

 Of course, it is the largest one!



Aren't these christmas tree selvages cute?

Definitely going to incorporate them somewhere!

Happy Soggy Halloween to all!!

)

( ^_ * )

Time to make popcorn balls!

Christa

Wish upon a Star

As I anticipated...or should I say...

BECAUSE I anticipated my class with Anna Hergert was going to be great...

It was!!

We took our favorite block and drafted it on grid.

Mine was this star.

Predictable......Points AND yellow and blue..

I know, I know.....

Then we gridded it again only, but distorted it this time.

Then the fun begins......

Do I like it like this?

Or this?

Maybe this....

No .. not this one.

Too repetative.....

But this....

Yup - this is the one!!

So then it was to be made in fabric.

Ignore the puckers and such but you get the idea!!

And Voila...

 a new star is born!!

I think I will give this another try.

Imagine the embellishment with these amazing variegated threads from Anna's Store!!

It was lots of laughs,wonderful friendship and great inspiration.

What better to do on a cold and snow weekend!

Thank you to the Weyburn Girls for organizing it and Anna for the great teachings!!

 Keep an eye out for Betty, Mary and Linda at your next event!

I think I will be seeing them next weekend at the Kenosee Retreat!!

Get inspired!

Christa

Scrappy Row Robin

A Friday Smile!!

Doesn't this just warm your heart? I sure works for me!

Winny's kitties are doing great.

I finally got my Row Robin Quilt to Terry Whitman.

I did this last summer just using my scraps out of my bin.

Terry did another awesome job!!

Little flowers on the baskets.....

 to her 'signature' clematis leaves amongst the trees......

And the cutest curly q's amongst the tulips.

I am always impressed with the results!!

Even a different pattern on each of the rooftops!!

Love it!!

Thanks, Terry!

I am taking a class with the Weyburn Crocus Quilters Guild tomorrow.

Anna Hergert will be our teacher.

I am looking forward to the creativity and camaraderie.

It is going to be a fun weekend!!

Christa

T'is the Season...

No....

Not Christmas...

However that is only 2 months from today!!

It's Round up and Cattle Drive Time!!

There were some anxious cows ready to hit the road to come home yesterday!!

It's an 11 Mile trek for the first herd to come home.

And I have to say - it was one cold day!!

We switched off every couple of miles to warm up....

And rested at a couple of watering holes.

A couple more days of round up and all the cows will be home for winter!!

On the Miss Rosie's 'Bounce' Front

Terry Whitman quilted my rendition of Bounce for me this week.

LOVE IT!!!

You can read the beginning of my Bounce here and here if you missed it!!

I decided to use the few leftover pieces of the layer cake to pipe the edge of the binding.

I used the PIPING HOT Binding Tool to make my piping and was quite impressed with the overall result.

The piping is one of the ideas I picked up at Creative Stitches in Calgary last week.

Didn't Terry do an INCREDIBLE job on the quilting!!

Thanks again, Terry!!

I love it!!

(and yes.. that is remainder of snow in the forground..)

Off to bind my row robin quilt also back from Terry's !!

Stay warm,

Christa

Creative Stitches in Cowtown

My daughter, Chantel and I made the trek to Calgary this week.

Look at those mountains in the distance.

The fall colors were amazing.

All our leaves fell off a month ago.

I was born  and raised in many places in Calgary(and the rest of the provinces)

so it always feels like home to me!!

I love everything from the mountains to the Tower!

Creative Stitches was at the Roundup Center on Stampede Park.

The quilt exhibit this year was 'Quilts of Valour' and was a viewer's choice contest.

Stonehenge's Oh Canada! sponsored it.

I have my own stash of Oh Canada! from my trip to Grande Prairie, Alberta.

They will be donated to the families of our troops.

This one was Chantel's favorite.

Two quilts were donated anonymously. These kimonos were one of them.

There were twelve in total to choose from.

This autumn colored one was my favorite.

This postage stamp one was beautiful.

A close up of the postage stamp!

One of the presentations we watched was about bordering your quilt by Bernice Bone of Rumpled Quilt Skins from Okotoks, Alberta.

I feel like I have seen this quilt of the ships before.

How about you, Colleen?

This was my favorite technique from the borders talk.

It is a double piped binding that the store offers as a class.



I am going to have to do some research on this technique.

We also listened to Debra Justice of Labours of Love. She does amazing heirloom sewing and I have attended her talks before.

This time she was talking about organizing your sewing room and had some great ideas.

This was her favorite ironing board cover because of the gridding and mat cleaner.

Thought I would give them a try!

 I got some socks!!

WHO can resist Laurel Birch??

Not me!

The grab bags of wonderfil thread were on sale. 

 

It was also a Scrapbooking Show so there were tons of pretty ribbons and such.

With inspiration to get organized, I purchased this at Ikea.

There were other things we wanted but they will have to be shipped!!

One of my favorite stores has always been The Sugar Pine Quilt Shop in Canmore, Alberta. 

They did not let me down. Great inspiration!

We also made time to spend some time with family.

This is my sisters, Tannis, me and Larissa when we were small.

Forty years later......

And this pose was not a set up... same order!!

And we each brought a daughter along!

 Michaela, Breanna and Chantel

Thank you to Aunt Julie and Aunt Simone for hosting our get together.

It was great to see everyone!

Chantel and I had a great time and left town before the snow hit.


NOW....
 I am ready for winter!!


Christa