Another Little Quilt Swap and a Tail of Two Kitties

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My little quilt for the Another Little Quilt Swap was posted on Wednesday and is on its way to my swap recipient. I called it “Purple Hydrangea”. It was made with 1″ hexagons and half hexagons.


The tale of two kitties began with the two of them sitting staring out the window at the leaves and the squirrels. At this point everything looked calm.


Next thing we knew, Lester was — well, it looks like he was trying to perhaps nudge Smudge out of his way.


Then Lester was, I think, basically walking over or around Smudge. Well, trying to is probably a better description.

Then another nudge?

And then the flying paws. A few hits at one another and then it was over and they were at either end of the window.


A Final Few from the Quilt Show

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This one cracked me up. It is so much fun to look at each block!


I love the look of this star within a star block and the flying geese border.


This was truly wonderful to look at — each kimono appeared to be in a different fabric.

One of the small quilts — the water lilies were dimensional and incredibly effective. This was definitely one of my favourites.


Looks like this winter is going to be a tough one — as far as hand pain goes, that is. The cream helps relieve the aching, which is great. However, I found today that when I picked up the iron to press something that I’ve got trouble on that front. I’m going to be on the hunt for a very light-weight but good iron, it seems. I thought my Black & Decker digital iron was relatively light but I clearly need something that’s much lighter. Any suggestions?

Another picture of Smudge in the window.


More from the Quilt Show

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There were so many quilts at the show that even with two of us wandering about with a camera and taking pictures, I know for a fact that we missed taking photos of some wonderful ones!

This one really caught my eye. I love the effect.


I love how the colours pop against the black background in this one.

A quilt of hexagons was sure to draw my attention.

As was a quilt of kitties.

Many of you asked and the cream has made a difference. It’s called Myoflex. It’s totally odourless, isn’t one of those heat-producing creams and is greaseless. I felt a difference almost immediately! We were able to find a generic brand here called “Extra Strength Odourless Analgesic Cream” for about a third of the price. I’m thrilled to find something that works. My wrist feels quite a bit better! I’m thrilled.

Smudge is happy as long as it means more pats for him. Although the look on his face in this photo makes me think he was plotting something!


York Heritage Guild Quilt Show

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I don’t know if I really overdid it with some stitching or if this is just the cooler weather setting off a real flare-up of arthritis, but my left wrist is unbelievably painful. However, a friend told me about a cream, that has no scent, which apparently really helps her so I’m going to try that.

On Sunday we headed to the York Heritage Quilt Show, “A Celebration of Quilts X”. There were some gorgeous quilts to be seen and some great vendors. I picked up some more of the YLI Heirloom thread, which is my absolute favourite for hand piecing and applique.

Now for some pictures from the show. I will post more pictures during the week.

I loved this one. It so perfectly captures how many of the trees now look.


This one was so rich looking. I was immediately drawn to it. Me, who has no red in my stash to speak of! Seeing something like this is making me re-think the idea of a red quilt.

Just after I snapped this picture, a woman asked me if I liked it. Obviously, I said yes. The woman was the quilter who had made it — and it was the second quilt she had ever made! it’s so striking in the black and white!

And Smudge — leaf watching is a full-time occupation for the boys these days.

Friday

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I have changed the settings in the comments section. No further anonymous comments will be allowed. Why? If someone feels compelled to leave a nasty comment, they will have to take ownership of it.

Does he look sad to you in this photo? I’m not sure if he’s sad that the leaves are falling off the trees so quickly or if he’s just plain tired out from chasing them as they drift past the window.

Thursday Tidbits

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While working on my ALQS quilt, which is almost done (photos this weekend before I mail it off), I couldn’t resist doing 2 more butterfly blocks. Three more of these and then a small quilt will be made.


The last Snow Crystal block is being taken apart. I have heard from quite a few people about that white on white and, as that is supposed to be a pink and white quilt rather than pink and yellow, it seems the best thing is to get rid of that fabric altogether. So un-sewing it is! I flirted with the idea of soaking a piece of the white fabric in turpentine to see if I could get rid of the painted-on design but it was pointed out that the turpentine may well affect the fabric in other less desirable ways.

I love the colour of the leaves on this bush on the roof garden! Sometimes it looks as though the bush is on fire — depends on how the sun is hitting it.


Smudge took up residence on the windowsill for a few hours. They’re both getting a lot of exercise chasing leaves as they drift by the windows. The other day Lester was actually growling at one that had the nerve to land and stay on the window. He did not like that at all!


Snow Crystals, Butterflies and Kitties

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Another Snow Crystal block is almost complete. The white on white is the same one I had used in the blue and white Texas Star quilt. I had forgotten just how difficult that is to needle. I’m putting a note on what’s left of it so that I won’t be tempted to use it again for hand piecing anything! Actually, I wonder if there’s a way to get some of that paint off — maybe soak it in turpentine or something!

In a comment left yesterday, Rosaline noticed the corners of the pieces are sort of rounded off. That’s another one of the benefits of the newer Inklingo collections — the shapes are printed like that which makes it so so easy to line pieces up when stitching.

Peg has been encouraging me to take up embroidery again. I wanted to experiment a bit before committing to tracing a lot, so I printed out a few of the 2-inch hexagons with butterflies from the first Inklingo collection and did them. I’m hooked! First I’m going to do about a dozen of these hexagons with butterflies and surround them with batiks and/or hand dyes.

These are my first two butterflies. My knots need a little work for the knobs on their antennae but, all in all, I’m pretty happy with the results.


This has to be one of the best pictures of Lester yet. I love the reflection of him in the window!

Smudge, resting a paw on one leg and then resting his head on that paw. Too cute!


Another Snow Crystal

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… is finished. I love this pink. I wish I knew what it was as I would search for more of it. This in itself would make a fantastic deep pink and white quilt. Working with it has been fabulous — it has a wonderful feel.

The back of these blocks is as much fun, to me, as the front. Finger pressing as I stitch the block makes the final pressing go very very quickly.

Smudge, looking reflective. Lately he’s turning into a snuggle cat at night. He glues himself to my side and it’s almost impossible to move! If I try to move him, a paw comes out to give me a not-so-gentle reminder that he does not want to be moved!


We’re going to have a glorious week, by the sounds of it, with temperatures in the 60’s. How wonderful for the first week of November! Environment Canada released their long-range forecast for the winter and they’re saying (not that I believe this totally) that we will have a mild winter with much less snow than last year. Their forecast for the summer was way off, so I’m hoping that their winter one is at least mostly right. It would be fantastic to have a mild winter.

Stitchers’ Angels and Another Little Quilt Swap

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For some unknown reason, I seem to have not shown any of the pictures of the things I’ve made/am making for the Stitchers’ Angels and Another Little Quilt Swap swaps. I guess I got so engrossed in the Snow Crystals that I totally forgot to show these.

First up — for the Stitchers’ Angels swap I made a project book. Edited to Add: It’s my own design and is based, in part, on a project book DH made for me when I was making diamonds from Quilted Diamonds. That one was made from a Duotang binder and had no spot for pins or scissors, but had the felt “pages” and I loved it!




… a star pincushion and …

… a small needle book. These goodies are off on their travels to their new home.


My partner in the ALQS likes purple. I decided on a big purple flower made of hexagons. A stem and some leaves have been added and I will have pictures of the completed top sometime later this week.

Lester, keeping an eye on the goings-on out on the roof garden. That was taken a few days ago. Today there are less than 25% of those leaves left. I love that we’re into November and still have leaves on the trees at all! Every week that the leaves stay is a bonus.


A Snack Quilt

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Working with the diamonds for the Snow Crystals blocks has been fun for me. The pieces in those blocks are, to me, quite large. I’ve been enjoying how quickly I get a large block done (yes, to me a 9″ block is large). It certainly is different from working with a half-inch hexagon or 60-degree diamond.


Today I got a new Inklingo pattern for a hexagon quilt made with 1.5″ hexagons called the Snack Quilt. Those are big hexagons; one could have this quilt put together in next to no time, especially with the hybrid stitching tips for putting it partially together by machine and partly by hand. Me? I’ll do it all by hand because I enjoy the hand sewing so much but I can see the time-saving benefits of the hybrid stitching.

I love Linda’s reasoning behind the naming of this quilt: “On Halloween, I am more into Chocolate than Slasher Movies. There is waaaaay too much chocolate in this house today, all of it Fun Size, and haunting my every thought. So far, I have resisted, but who knows what mischief will happen by moonlight!

I am not a fortune-teller but I foresaw this chocolate nightmare, which might as well be called invasion of the body snatchers, and I have a suggestion … you might want to try the new pattern on the web site, called ‘Snack Quilt.’ When I fill my bowl with fabric hexagons instead of chocolate, it turns a horror show in front of the mirror into something a little less terrifying, a little less like a pumpkin.”

What a great idea — rather than filling up a bowl with left-over Hallowe’en candy, fill up a bowl with fabric shapes and sit and stitch a few together rather than eat up that candy!

Smudge and Lester say the whole thing is just a big yawn! 🙂