Quilts in progress.

On monday this is what the stream looked like, the water is moving and the ice is melting.  It was sunny, but chilly outside.  Then the weather report came along, white fluffy stuff is coming again. It is time for the next round of snow, tiny little flakes are falling at the moment.
Finding the Way

The triangle squares, drawing the lines from corner to corner.

Then creating the pairs.  Placing one cream square on top of a coloured square.

Sewing a quarter of an inch on either side of the line and cutting on this drawn line, once the sewing is done.  This then creates two squares, made up out of two triangles each.  This is a good way to sew, without having to worry about the bias edges of the triangles.

 Trimming the squares, making sure they are all the same size.

The rest of the squares awaiting their turn for trimming.

The Hertfordshire Quilt

The diamond border is next.  English Paper Piecing this border.

Using Clover clips, to keep everything together, no need to pin.

Baby blanket

Quite a number of friends will become grandparents this year, so the wool will be knitted into baby blankets.

A new month is here!

 Lots of sunshine and record high temperatures, we enjoyed every moment of it.  Old Man Winter has decided to make another visit, we are expecting snow and a winter storm.  Soon-soon the snow shovels will be replaced with gardening.  Just the thought of that,  has put a smile on all of us.

We walked pass this tree on our daily walk, this was the stash of squirrel food before the winter, looking at the same fork in the tree, all the food stashed for the long cold winter was almost all gone.

The Hertfortshire quilt got some more additions, some of the past fabric lines from Brenda Riddle. These are some of the fabric for some of her older lines of fabrics. Her fabric lines are easy to add too a new project with her latest line of fabric, using any of the lines she designed before. This makes choosing any extra additions to a project a breeze.  So we can enjoy creating a quilt and have no worries about running out of fabric, it also adds a lot of interest and dept to a quilt.

Foundation piecing the Mariner Compass Blocks.  Found a pattern almost identical to the pieced one in the book.  Decided to make these blocks this way, as I have a very short time to make this quilt.
Even with the time being limited, I did cut out almost an identical second one, which I will do the way the book has it printed, pieced by hand.

Making sure at the end the mariner's compass will fit on my background, which is cut as a square and the finished circle is then appliqued on to.

Segments of paper pieced pieces awaiting sewing.

The finished block, it will still need to be squared to the correct size for sewing into the quilt.
Finding the Way, aka the wedding quilt got some more love. All the Mariners Compass blocks are done. Next up, some diamonds and lots of triangle square blocks.  This pattern is in the book below!

The draw was done the old fashioned way, a glass jar, with a number for each comment in order.  Comment one, was assigned number one and comment number two, the number two.  The jar was given a good shake and then without looking, I pulled out a number.  Did this in the kitchen, so I had no idea who won, until I checked the number on the computer. Congratulations!

1st of March, as promised the winner of the giveaway: Glenda!

It is time to Celebrate!

Three years ago, this blog was born.  It is named after a little bird, a Chickadee!  They are happy and very friendly.  If you put sunflower seeds on your hand, it will not take them long to discover you, food and making sure the food telegraph is sent out to all their friends and neighbours. They share without holding back.  So with this in mind, I want to pay it forward with my favourite book company for inspiration:  QUILTmania!

I will be giving away a copy of Creating Heirlooms, One Stitch at a Time by Carolyn Konig. Please leave a comment about your favourite pattern of all time and why it has such a high honor on your best dressed list, no pun intended.

We cannot make all the patterns in every book out there.  Some are just for eye-candy, others for inspiration.  The others one open and escape into a world of make believe.  The one's you drool over the beauty of the artwork and the amazing creative works, sigh.  Then one wish one could do all of the above, alas, we would need more than one lifetime.  Those are the ones becoming coffee table books, to be opened and read with some good chocolate, they allow us to indulge in the serendipities of life.

Finding the Way, is one of the patterns in the book.  Here is the progress so far.  Changed the center, as I only had the one pink fabric and the pattern called for two pinks.  This is a wedding gift for my brother who is getting married over the summer.

 The cream fabric all prepared for sewing.

A rainbow of coloured squares.  They will all become triangle squares, when all is said and done.

Swe-Swe Fabric from South Africa.

PS: The winner will be drawn on the 1st of March 2018!

Early start on springcleaning?

These days,  it is all about keeping up with just keeping everything tidy.  Snow, lots of it.  It helps to shovel frequently, so that once the snow event is done, one are not left with a mountain of snow  and ice to clean up.  (Except, this past weekend...someone has a sense of humor!)

Housekeeping is important, including with current projects.  365 Challenge from 2016 is officially all cut out.  All ready for sewing and finishing the blocks. Taking the time to do this preparation up front, makes sewing the blocks a lot easier. A few more months to do. Making a start after a long break, is always so much more difficult.  One block a day.

Diane made a baby quilt for a little boy.  Quilting it by machine.

The center is made with a panel.

The back fabric.

Retreat bag, made by one of the ladies in our Makers Club.

The lining on the inside.

Carol made this bright and cheerful quilt.

Purple binding and a fresh spring green backing

Diane took the plunge and joined the 2018 mystery stitching sampler, stitch-a-long.

Her progress so far.

Christmas presents, this year.  One request for a tea cosy.  This fabric is perfect for it.
Alice in Wonderland fabric, you can find it here.

Pouncing stencil designs on dark and light background fabrics.  A quick way to mark quilting lines.

The Hertfordshire Quilt.  Playing with the next round. Will only start to sew this in two weeks time.

The snow along the path.

Romance and Remembrance.

To everyone, there is just something which shows their love for the one they love.  Some do little things, others will drive for miles to go and pick a bunch of wild flowers for their spouse.  Others do not have a romantic bone in their bodies, or so they claim.  I believe if you truly love and care about someone, you cherish them, in each and every way.  You dance with them at weddings, even if you step on their toes.  You hug them, hold their hand, steal an unexpected kiss and surprise them with an unexpected red rose, just because....!  Life is short, enjoy the moments together, now.  Do not wait for the perfect moment.  Every moment is the perfect one!

The Hertfordshire Quilt

Placing the colours where they will go.  Then taking a photograph.  This comes in handy when one gets all the pieces jumbled.

The diamond border pieced and sewn on.

The next border sewn on.

The wedding quilt, playing with fabrics.

All the snow melted, this is what the forest looked like a few days ago....

(until yesterday, when the snow arrived.  More expected again tomorrow.)

Cosmos flowers was the one flower, which grows wild all over South Africa, these flowers bloom in March and driving along, they hug the sides roads for hundreds of kilometers.  When my parents got married, these were blooming as they went on honeymoon.  Every year on their wedding anniversary, my Dad would go and find them and pick my Mom a bunch.  One year he drove almost 80km to find some in bloom.  We asked him one day why?  He told us he because he loved her and she was the most precious person he was ever entrusted to care and to love.  He said it was his job to make sure that she never forgot what an incredilbe person she was.  She passed away more than twelve years ago, he still love and miss her everyday, they were married for 44 years.