Backroads of Estevan

My Sunday was pretty sweet...

Ii started working on another wallet for a friend who turns 80 on the weekend

I picked out my fabrics and got started on it

Next time thing you  know....

 there was a delivery of a Strawberry Lemonade

I think I can do these in my sleep now...

I added a few touches to this one

like my Second Story label

I think I am missing the ocean...thus the color choices!

Turned out pretty cute!

Hope she likes it!

I always have plenty of help in my sewing room...

Her name is Lucy.

She is an old girl.

I know why they say.... let sleeping cats lie....

I'll let her have the good chair if I can work uninterrupted!

In the afternoon, we went for a road trip.

I heard about an app called TRIPVIA

It had little trips in different provinces.

It's a great way to check out whatever area you are in!

We decided to give the Backroads of Estevan, Saskatchewan

It was 100km and started in Estevan.

As you drive the map on the app,

the audio speaks about what you will see and where to go next.

It started with us checking out the old coal digging equipment

The shovel from one of the diggers

It took us past  a few churches and Boundary Dam and Power Station

Then out into the country to check out Wood End which was an old RCMP post

It took us to see the new coal diggers of today which were working

We wound our way on the roads checking out a buffalo farm

Through the old townsite of Taylorton, a coal mining town,

 and the old cemetery

It took us through Roche Percee and Bienfait

while

ending with a look at the new power station, Shand.

It was a nice Sunday drive!

Check it out!

There might be a road trip near you!

Christa 

Cruising.... Through Winter That Is...

 This is where we are supposed to be...

We booked a cruise for 2 weeks as soon as we got home from last years cruise

but 

cancelled in May since of Covid.

This was a cruise on the same ship doing the Eastern and Western Carribean.

Our friends having been teasing us about how our day was in Grand Turk, Dominican, ect.

Some day we will cruise again....

We are trying to keep our sanity...

Even though we have absolutely NO reason to be losing it.

We have great lives but SOOO miss vacationing and travelling!

We have been working on a puzzle a friend gave us

It was a tricky one but a nice distraction....

To the wind storm we had this week!!

These bales were rolled 2 miles from where they were...

\

Happy to report they are not mine...just saying

The winds were horrendous.

Our BBQ took a beating...

Three augers tipped. 

Pretty sure one of them is toast...

bent like a piece of licorice.

We have siding, fascia and soffit to replace on the shop and house.

Our roof hung on!

Judging by alot of the damage we saw, 

the new homes took more of a hit that that old ones!

An owl died over at Justins.....

Think he just didn't want to see another 2020...

This was a mobile home that some one was in when it flipped.

Not sure how he was able to walk away from that!!

A few of the old barns in the area are no longer....

Matthew Marcotte's barn is down.

The Emmel Barn at Bromhead,Saskatchewan

The old Red Barn north of our house...

This was such a local landmark.....

Go past the Red Barn....

Justin's barn has a new lean on it but still standing.

So many bins were crumpled like a tornado hit them....

I have not heard of any one losing their lives in this storm.

Surely this is not a sign of what is to come in 2021!!

Thinking happier thoughts....

Christa 

The Eagles Have Landed

I started my Etsy Shop some time ago 

but 

never really spent the time on it I should have.

My Etsy shop is.....

Second Story Quilting

With Covid times,

(who ever would think that would become a phrase...COVID times?!?!)

I decided I would take the time to get some things working properly this year

A few weeks ago, I made my first sale on Etsy.

My Sisters of the Cloth went to live in Indiana!

Pattern by Joann Hoffman

The shipping was a bit of a learning curve.

I had sandwiched it nicely in cardboard 

and

went to the post office.

It was 30"x 30" x 1"

Light as a feather.

Canada Post said NOPE!

Too big.

Check with UPS.

Sure....260$.....that's not a typo!!

I took it home and dismantled it 

and 

packaged it differently.

Still was 40 bucks through Canada Post.

Lord only knows if it got there...could be still travelling!

My second piece was purchased yesterday

Pattern by Joann Hoffman

I was thrilled when this piece was purchased by a Saskatchewan resident.

We were able to deliver in person.

It was great to meet it's new owner.

\

She said she loved it from the first time she saw it!

Sure made me feel good!

A few people have asked how I could sell my wares.

I loved this one but wanted to make a second version of it.

(I love most everything I make)

I can't wait to do it again!

I am a prolific quilter.

I am running out of room, People!

If some one will pay me what I feel it's worth,

I am ok with selling it!

When I sold my very first quilt for 1500$,

I was so impressed that someone was appreciating my work enough to pay for it.

The price was right and I was ok to make another if I needed to.

I know some have said they would never pay what I ask...

Some say they wouldn't sell it for what I ask....

I figure.....You do you!

They just keep making new fabric 

and

 my 'to make' list doesn't seem to get smaller!

Thank you to Rhonda for appreciating my work!

Now to go dig through my fabrics...

Christa 

 

So They Made A Mini

After making 8 wallets in regular size

of 

the Necessary Clutch Wallet

Pattern by Emmaline

Emmaline is a Canadian company out of Alberta.

We discovered the Facebook group called NCW Addicts

There was lots of fabulous ideas on there.

Who \knew? 

That's where I discovered there was a mini version of this wallet.

It is cute as a button!

I am so impressed with the ease of making these wallets

 

 

\Too bad I didn't have anything to put in it!!

I may need to make it my recipe card holder

 or 

my cow/calf inventory.

That is pretty stylin' for the barn!

Christa 

Taming the Scrap Bin

It's crazy the inspiration one can get 

from

 hanging out with a group of quilters....

Even if it is just on Zoom.

\One might think we just chat about quilting 

but

we cover the gammit from how to calve out a cow

to

What is going on at the \North Dakota border with all those acres of windmills??

We could fix the world in our chats!

We love to include our closest quiltshop owner, Tamara Rodham 

of 

Pleasant Pheasant Fabrics

We can't cross the border to go shop yet....

When that border opens, she is sure she is going to need to shut the

store down just for us!

We come in a pack and take the joint over.

We are so missing our little day trips to Crosby, North Dakota.

Thank you for all the fabric teasing, Tamara!

During show and tell on Zoom

our friend, Lori showed a scrappy quilt she has been working on

This beast of scraps under my table needs to be addressed...

So I started cutting.....

I swear the scraps were breeding under my cutting table...

\I didn't seem to make a dent!

It's a simple pattern using 2.5" squares and |HST's

One block done....51 more to go!

It's an easy, no thinking project ....

ready to go when we get back to quilting together!

After all....

when you are solving all the world's problems, 

you need a simple project!

Christa

 

Dear Jane Saga

I thought I would try to get reacquainted with my Dear Jane Quilt.

I had my book coil bound which makes it a treat to flip through!

Just take it to your local office supply store!

I started it earlier last year....like.....this time last year!

I am doing it paper pieced 

as 

I did my two farmer's wifes quilts that way  

and 

I loved it!

These blocks are 4 1/2" finished.

I doing complete scrappy in shades of blue.

(yes...blue....I know what I like)

My little JANE bin is full.

Need to get going!

There are a ton of pieces in each of these blocks.

There are pretty little...

I think some of these seams only have 6 or 7 stitches

I am on row C.....

I think it goes to row Z

I am going to need to pick up the pace 

if

I plan to finish this one in my lifetime.

I wouldn't want to leave this one to my guild to finish after I am gone...

FYI...

Don't even start trying to finish any for my family...

A - They have enough quilts

and

B - if I didn't finish...there was probably a mistake and I quit.

Christa 

 

Happy New Year 2021

 I have to say it just feels like March 2020 to me

but

the calendar says....

It can only get better from here right?

I am going with that on my vision board for 2021.

New Years resolutions??

I will try to blog more regularly.

This is the journal of my life 

so

be pre-warned it's not ALWAYS about quilting.

Farming, quilting, great food, and travel....

I hope we can start doing the last part soon one day!

I can't tell you how much I am going to miss seeing an ocean this winter.

(insert sad face here)

On a good note....

the box from my sister FINALLY arrived.

A little beat up and about 53,000 air miles later!

The homemade vanilla and shooter size proseccos arrived in tack.

(which will be enjoyed regardless of size...)

The bottle of vanilla is worth more than the alcohol.

That vanilla bean is worth gold!!

At least the box would have smelled good!

I finished my Three Dudes quilt with the Royal nights Gem Strips.

They will be posted on Facebook today 

if 

your interested in doing a quilt with it!

I used darn near every inch if this package. 

This is all that's left!

I love when there are no scraps left!!

I used the leftovers to do a scrappy border.....

No rhyme or reason!

I also am LOVING Peggy's idea 

of

  freezer paper(wax side down) on your ironing board!

I swear by blocks are so much flatter with hardly any steam!

That was a fast quilt

and

I love the end result!

I think it's the ocean colors....

Christa