Cure for the Common Funk

Wow!  Apparently if I'm not crafting, I'm not blogging either.  Though why that stopped me from reading blogs too?  No clue.

Work got busy, hit a crafting funk, add to the list of reasons (excuses) here....

Fortunately, it was nothing a retreat couldn't cure.  A few friends and I spent the weekend out of town and took over a rental condo for a sewing retreat.  In between much visiting, fabulous food, and swimming in the bathtub a little sewing was done.

Our location was fabulous though there was one really bizarre feature.  We had this tiny galley kitchen and a *huge* two person jetted bathtub with a huge mirrored wall.  I'm not sure who their target clientele is but it certainly isn't quilters...  (I should have taken a picture)

This is what I brought with me to work on.  (Even knowing I always over pack I still walked out the door thinking I should bring another project or two to work on)

This is what I actually worked on - I made the back for the red & white drunkards path.  Still haven't figured out what I want to do for the border but the backing is finished and I know how I want to quilt it.

A few farmer's wife blocks were thrown into the mix.

Then I <gasp> finished something!  This cute hat is reversible.  (It fit everyone but me. :(  Apparently I have a big head)

Since, I couldn't let that finish interfere with the non-finishing streak I've been developing; I started a few somethings new.  Here are the tops to 3 kits I unearthed from the UFO pile.  They're now ready for applique.

This is all the stuff I didn't get to.  (That grey & white 9-patch...  That's gonna be a queen size quilt.)

I hope everyone has been enjoying all sorts of crafty goodness these past few months.

If you want to check out what other people are working on, check out WIP Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced.

Decisions Decisions

The red and white drunkard's path was progressing like a dream.  I managed to get all the blocks together and now....

I have to make a decision

Do I add a border?  I'm debating between a scrappy red border or just adding binding.  What are your thoughts?

In the meantime, I've taken good advantage of my indecision to make a bag!  I used the same tutorial as last time and now I finally have one of these bags for myself.

The Focus Projects:

1. Winding ways - no progress
2. Table runner - no progress
3. Red & White Drunkard's path - the top is together
4. DONE
5. iPatch - no progress
6. Farmer's Wife - no progress
7. Casserole Carrier - no progress
8. Heart wall hanging - did a little embroidery and applique
9. Soaring Complements - no progress

WIP Wednesday #15

New projects - 1

Completed projects - 1

Currently in progress - 8

UFOs - 60

If you want to check out what other people are working on, check out WIP Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced.

A Focused Week

Progress!

It's amazing what one can do when inspired.  I spent pretty much the entire week focused on the drunkard's path and now I have all the blocks completed.  I played with a few layouts and this is still the one that calls to me.

I did manage to sneak in a few more Farmer's Wife blocks despite all that focusing. :)

 42 - Fruit Basket

 31 - Evening Star

 91 - Strawberry Basket

51 - Hovering Birds

The Focus Projects:

1. Winding Ways - no progress
2. Table runner - no progress
3. Red & White Drunkard's Path - all the blocks done!
4. Tiny Irish Chain - DONE
5. iPatch - no progress
6. Farmer's Wife - more blocks
7. Casserole Carrier - no progress
8. Heart wall hanging - no progress
9. Soaring Complements- no progress

WIP Wednesday #14

New projects - 0

Completed projects - 1

Currently in progress - 8

UFOs - 60

If you want to check out what other people are working on, check out WIP Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced.

Tiny Irish Chain

The first finish of the year!

This quilt was a kit that I picked up way back when at one of the local quilting stores.  

It is 45cm x 45cm (18x18 inches).  Those square that make up the Irish chain are tiny.  They're 1.5cm or .5 inches square!

I kept the quilting simple on this one.  I've quilted along the diagonal in the centre and did stripes in the border.

A Tipsy Flower

It's been a funny week.  Yesterday they announced that it was going to warm up to -30 C (-22 F) and my first thought was Yippee!!  It was actually a few minutes until I registered the fact that I was excited about -30.  Yup, it is *cold* here.

The good thing in all this is it's been great weather for staying in an quilting.  I realized that the deadline on the drunkard's path quilt is fast approaching so I took a break from Farmer's Wife to play with circles. Now that I have a few blocks to play with, I've been arranging and re-arranging.  So far, this is my favourite configuration.

I didn't completely abandon the Farmer's Wife and managed a few more blocks.

89 -  Steps to the Altar

44 -  Gentleman's Fancy

69 -  Practical Orchard

7 - Birds in the Air

The Focus Projects:

1. Winding Ways - no progress
2. Table runner - no progress
3. Red & White Drunkard's Path - Lots of blocks made!
4. Tiny Irish Chain - quilted
5. iPatch - a few more blocks snuck in
6. Farmer's Wife - more blocks!
7. Casserole carrier - no progress
8. Heart wall hanging - no progress
9. Soaring Complements - no progress

  Apparently it's been a real block party this week.

WIP Wednesday #13

New projects - 0

Completed projects - 0

Currently in progress - 9

UFOs - 61

If you want to check out what other people are working on, check out WIP Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced.

A Lucky Duck

A very lovely squishy parcel arrived in the mail yesterday!  (It made me wish I'd stopped off at the mail box much earlier in the day so I could spend more time cuddling it, petting it, and generally just welcoming it to the family. :)

Just before Christmas Toni let me know that I won her giveaway!  Thanks to the very kind Kathy at Pink Chalk Fabrics she was able to host a giveaway for not one but two fat quarter bundles of solids and I was one of the lucky winners!

Here it is once I'd unwrapped it from it's protective layers keeping it safe in the post.

Here's a better shot of all the pretty colours.  I'm trying to pick a favourite but it keeps changing. :)  I love them all!

Now, what will I do with them?  There are a few that would work well in the Farmer's wife quilt I just started....  Maybe I want to use them together as a set...  Though I had an idea for a scrappy quilt with solids a while back and was contemplating collecting solids just to do that....  Oh the possibilities!  (Actually that's my favourite part of uncut/uncommitted fabric - all those possibilities)

Thank-you so much Toni,

The Farmer takes a Wife

I don't know about you but as much as I enjoy the holidays, I am glad to get back to regular life.  With the return to regular life comes the return of WIP Wednesdays.  Yeah! 

This week's (or two) crafting actually started back in July.  I found this lovely dot fabric while travelling and fell in love.  I really really needed an excuse to bring some of this wonderful fabric home with me and had been eying Farmer's Wife ever since the book came out way back when.  Well, that was enough of a reason (excuse) to push me over the edge and a new project was born. 

I did promise myself that I'd hold off for a bit on the project, focus on finishing a few UFOs first and not start this new project until Christmas break.  I made it!  (Then the flood gates were released :)

 Block 14 - Butterfly at the Crossroads

 Block 103 - Whirlwind

 Block 43 - Garden Path

Block 81 - Snowball

Focus Projects:

1. Winding Ways - no progress
2. Table runner - no progress
3. Red & White drunkard's path - no progress
4. Tiny Irish Chain - no progress
5. iPatch - no progress
6. Farmer's Wife - Blocks, blocks, and more blocks!
7. Casserole Carrier - no progress
8. Heart wall hanging - no progress
9. Soaring Complements - no progress

WIP Wednesday #12
New projects - 2 
Completed projects - 0
Currently in progress - 9
UFOs - 61

If you want to check out what other people are working on, check out WIP Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced.