Girl Guide Project

Hello everyone!  Hope you are all well, not stressing out too much.  It's easily done with the holiday season fast approaching and all that needs to be done beforehand.

A while back I agreed to help my daughter who is a girl guide leader with their service project.  We're making a quilt (or two) for Victoria's quilts, an organization that donates quilts to cancer patients.  Here's a link if you would like more information http://www.victoriasquiltscanada.com/index.html. 

We thought it would be a great opportunity for the girls to learn two techniques:  basic sewing and applique.  The girls will each make a four patch block and applique a heart or flower (or something else of their choosing) on another block.  I've agreed to sew the blocks together for them and do the quilting if need be.  We also thought it would be fun for them to paint a special block as well.  Take a look and see what the girls did last night.

Enjoy!
Mary-Frances



We needed 100 or so blocks to make sure each girl (and the leaders too!) could make a four-patch.



Here's the fabric the girls painted.



Here are some of their masterpieces.



And a few more.

We did manage to get the four patches done, but the applique will have to wait until next week.



For some of the girls, this was the first time they had done any sewing, so I think they did pretty well.



I'll be busy the next few days putting these blocks together and ready for them to quilt next week.


 


 

Snow Day!

Hello everyone!  Guess what happened yesterday?  That's right, it snowed.  Our first big snowfall of the year and the roads were insane.  DH took my car to work so I was home, without a vehicle, which means I had a snow day!  I did a little quilting, a little housework, a little reading and a little on-line Christmas shopping.

Enjoy!
Mary-Frances



The view from my sewing room.

 

...and the backyard.




One hexagon done...



...and another one!

 

I started playing with the placement of the triangles, here's one option...



...and another.  So many possibilities, so little time!



Getting Christmas containers ready

Hello everyone!  I hope all is well in your corner of the world.  I did a little switcheroo on the front containers this past weekend.  I took out the fall/Halloween decorations and added the Christmas ones.  I've noticed some of the big chain stores have some of their fresh greenery available, which means a trip to the garden center is in order.  I always go there first as they have a wider selection of greenery like spruce and pine. I then buy the cedar at a big name store as it is less expensive. 

Here are some photos of the front containers, they have plants that I hope will last through until the spring (fingers crossed).  I'll be sure to post photos of the back yard containers as I get them ready for Christmas this coming weekend.

Enjoy!
Mary-Frances 



Some of the greenery is turning yellow - not a good thing.  Will pick up some Wilt-Proof at the garden center and see if that keeps it looking green....at least until the new year!





I might add some lights to the cedar.




The Christmas wreath is on the front door - I'm not the first on the block though!




Found these fun pillows and draft stopper at Pier One today.



I'm in love with my new ruler, is that wrong?

Hello everyone!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  I had a chance to try out my new ruler and had a blast.  Who knew triangles could be so much fun!  I think I'll have to go through my magazines and look for patterns that call for triangles because now I can actually make them.  Here's a peek at what I did...

Enjoy!
Mary-Frances



I cut the fabric I purchased into 2 inch strips.



I added some of the fabric I received in a scrap exchange - thanks again Kelly!




The strips were sewn together and are ready to be cut.



Voila!  A fab triangle!



I have twelves triangles in total from one 40 inch strip of fabric, notice the blue fabric in the center....



...becomes the outer fabric in this block.  



A whole lotta no, then finally a maybe

Hello everyone!  Have you ever started a project with an image in your head of what the quilt will look like and then part way through realized there is no way your quilt will look like you imagined it?  Sometimes that's actually very, very good.  And sometimes, not so much.  That seems to be the case with my civil war print quilt.  Do you want to see what I'm talking about?  Ok, but don't say I didn't warn you....



So here's the block, it's not so bad, the colours and fabrics are good...



...this is what it looks like all together, which is how I had originally planned it, but it kind of makes me nauseous with all that paisley floating around...I don't think that's a good thing... 



...I thought I'd try this....mmmhh no, not this one...

  

...how about this?  Meh, does nothing for me...

How about this?  Ummm, no, now it's making me dizzy....



Ok, so what about this?  Definitely a no, the paisley look like tire tracks now, not the look I'm going for...



Ok, well, this one has definite possibilities, it has nice movement, the scrappiness looks good, the paisley is not overwhelming (it actually looks worse in the photos for some reason, has to be the camera, right? lol) and I think some log cabins in the center might do the trick.


So after several attempts, I think I might have found something that could work....I'll keep you posted!

Enjoy!
Mary-Frances

Friday Night Sew In

 

Hello everyone!  Have you heard about the Friday Night Sew In?  It's happening next Friday, November 19th.  It's easy peasy, all you have to do is sign up at http://www.handmadebyheidi.blogspot.com/
and come Friday, you get comfy and start sewing!  Post photos on Saturday, the 20th showing what you worked on and then on the 21st, you just might be one of four lucky winners to receive something from Me and My Sister designs.  Could it be any easier?

Note - the FNSI post is dated October 26, so you will have to scroll down in order to sign in.

Enjoy!
Mary-Frances

New Ruler = more possibilities!

Hello everyone!  I'd like to extend a warm welcome to Lisa Marie, thanks for joining us!

Last week, I went to my LQS and picked up some brown, sage green and pink reproduction civil war prints for my latest project.  I had almost made it out the door when I spotted a roll of fabric I just had to look at.  Any guesses as to what kind of fabric this was?  Yup, they're florals, and they had a decidedly old-fashioned look to them, so I just had to add them to my collection.  I'm sure there's a support group somewhere for people like me....wait a second, they do, I think they're called guilds...hahaha.

Anyway, the label attached to the fabric said I would receive a free pattern with purchase, so I hightailed it up to the cash register, eager to get my 'free' pattern.  I've been itching to do a string spider web quilt, so when I saw this....

I knew I had to have it.  Hexagons!  Yoohoo!  A new shape and technique for me.  However, in order to make the quilt, I needed one, teeny, tiny, little thing to help me....

A new ruler.  So that's how I wound up with this shiny new toy essential piece of equipment and a whole bunch of new possibilities for my quilts! 

Enjoy!

Mary-Frances