Ready for Christmas

The house is feeling like Christmas. The decorations are all out and presents are getting wrapped. 

I got this cute mug rugs at the Leduc Guild Christmas party earlier in December. 

They are so sweet. I have a single one beside my machine. It has enough room for a drink and cookies. 

I took over the kitchen with cookies. I love making these cut out cookies. I have been making them for years, maybe even 34 years or so. My great Grandmother made these ones. It is one of the good times I remember about her when I was very young. The 1st few times I made them would have been with my mom. I know around the time I was 14 or so I took over making them. I think I have made them every Christmas since. 

I had oldest son to help me with them. He is done his exams and was home playing computer games. We had a great time just talking and decorating the cookies. 

Gemma and youngest son cuddling together. 

Gemma wearing her new hat and scarf for Christmas.  

Merry Christmas 

Dog Christmas Party

Last night was the Shape Up Christmas Party. Shape Up is the group of teachers mostly Justine Davenport and Jessica Patterson, I play agility with. It is a great group of people. I love every one of the lessons I take from the girls. Also I have so much fun with the students too. Can you tell I love this silly dog agility thing?

I needed a gift for the Christmas party. I made another Pot Warmer. This time in green and black. 

I few people wanted my gift. They did some of those games were you can seal a gift up to 3 times. 

I also included a few dog ginger bread in my package. Yes, in all my baking I have made cookies for the dogs. They are made with human food so we can eat then too. They are OK but not too sweet. 

Gemma resting her head on my husband's feet. She loves the foot stool but has now taken to stealing his chair every chance she can.  

I have also been working on the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt. I am a few steps behind but hope to get more done this week. I have not taken new photos of what I do have done yet. 

Pot Warmer

I was asked to make a pot warmer to give away for a fundraiser. I had make a carrot casa-roll in my big Red pot and taken it in my warmer ( it just keeps the food warm). It was a dog agility party at the end of the summer. One of the dog club members asked if she bought the pot, would I make the quilted cover.  Together we donated a really great prize to the Christmas Raffle for the Dogs at Large agility club. 

Well I went with the Red, Black and White prints. I am very pleased with how it all came out. 

I found little brass rings. Well I kind of recycled the brass rings. There are no more brass ones left. I had to dig out a couple of fancy gold and black buttons to trim it with. 

Another photo of the pot in the cover. I just realized I did not take a photo of the pot. It was a nice big cast iron and ceramic heavy one. 

I have added this to Crazy Mom Quilts and her Finish Up Friday

As this was for the dog club I have to show you a photo of Gemma. She got a new tug toy the other day. It is not easy taking a photo of her tugging and hanging on to the tug at the same time. 

Before and After

 Before

I have had a big mess all around my ironing board and I really do not like it. I see the big X under it as a big waste of space. I am for ever throwing bags or little boxes under it. 

Well I replaced the board.

After

So I got this Ikea shelving unit in Red. Love the colour. I then put a 20 by 60 inch board on top. Look at how good it looks. Works well too. I covered the board with felt and then cotton ducking. I have a few white bins from Ikea too. Two of them have yarn in them, One units is set aside for the iron board stuff, best press, spritzer and pressing cloth, that stuff.  

Also I have added a TV to my room. My mom gave me an extra one she had. Lucky me. 

Gemma Gifts

I showed you what I sent to my Dog gift exchange the other day. Now to show you Gemma gifts. She loved it all. Loads of treats, green leash, rainbow tug, rope ball and for me a charm bracelet for me. 

Still more, I got a gel drink bottle and dog sign. The Gemma gifts, lots of pink balls. Her favorite is the big treat ball in the front right. It has a little bell in it so extra special to her. Another tug toy, the green stick floats so good for water and a green bone chew.  

It was getting dark when we opened our package. 

Tugging and taking a photo at the same time. 

The nose!

More fun than she knows what to do with. 

Christmas Dog Exchnge

I signed up for dog agility Christmas gift exchange way back in Sept of this year. I got my victim preference page in early Oct. So I had close to 2

months to shop or make something for her and her dog. This is what I sent her, She just got her package on Monday. 

I ordered a custom leash with her dogs name on it. It came from 4 My Merles. I had a little help picking out the fuzzy one. It is a leash but some dogs will also tug a bit with a leash like this. 

The best custom gift was this little wall hanging. It is a 12 by 12 canvas photo of her dog and then I finished it like a quilt and put a hanging sleeve on the back. I also got a dog tag with this photo on it too. So she can carry Moses with her. 

This is the original photo of Moses I used. I took it off her Facebook page. Then I used Dream Scope App to make the photo more artsy. I think it was Clashing setting that I used. 

Here is the image the app made. I then uploaded this image to the Art Cow and ordered the 12 by 12 un-mounted canvas. The framed one would be nice but I did not want to pay for too much shipping. I still needed to ship it to my victim. 

I used this photo that Bev took this Sept for me. 

And I got a canvas of Gemma like this. I am not so sure of this one. It looks good far away. I have thought I could add it in to a wall quilt and add the works. Run like no one is watching. She is so silly. I will have to show you what I got from my other partner, another day. 

Allietare Started

Step 1  a bunch of 2 inch triangles hanging with my colour chooses.

I am working on Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt again this year. It is called Allietare, it has memoirs of  the trip to Italy that she did last May. My Aunt Smiley Quilter and her sister was on the trip with Bonnie.

Boonies link up party today is Here, I guess many people are not linking back to the post correctly. 

I did most of the cutting and have started step 2. I do not have a set of 4 completed units just yet. The first 3 sets need ironing, they look like they are a the correct size so far. I am using to first method Bonnie suggested and know it would be good for me. I did not even look at the second method.   

Yes I am sewing on an old singer machine. She from 1948.

So the first method gives you a whole lot of left over tiny triangles trimmings. So what was I to do. I sewed a few together. I have 2 mini pinwheels. Not sure I will do many more of those.

I have also added this to Judy Design Wall Monday.

Selvage Place Mats

I have been cutting off selvage bits and saving them. My mom also gives me some too. I was sewing some of the little ones into a little strip set but did not know what I would do. Well here they are. I have made 8 place mats. 

I love the word ones

Here are all 8 together. Now that I have shown them off I can start to use them. 

I have added this post to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish up Friday

Hexagons Gone Crazy

Katja Marek and her Millefoire Quilt 

I got to go see Katja Marek and her beautiful hexagon quilts. I took my mom too. I had seen some of these Millefoire quits on the internet but did not really understand what it was or how they were getting put together. Well now I kind of understand the beauty of these quilts.  If you want to see more then what I have here go see Katja's web site about the Millefoire. I am not sure I will work on the Millefoire quilt, but I think I will do more of a sampler. 

 So after seeing her quilts I just had to start some blocks myself. This is block #1 from her book The New Hexagon. I had to use the Kaffe Fassett collection and work on some fussy cutting.

 For now I am happy to just make some blocks. This is Block #1 again. These blocks are all hand pieced using English paper piecing.

Block #2, I just love the pencil fabric and love how it turned out for this block. 

Block #3, some of the pieces are pretty small like the little green triangles. Katja says to glue baste the fabric to the paper. I have never used glue but tried it with glue. I am hooked on the glue basting, faster, helps with the crazy little pieces, and not to sticky. 

The first few blocks together.

Here is the book. All the 52 block patterns are in the book and then some great projects to work on too. 

I also got block #4 done before I finished taking photos. There is planned 2 new quilt a longs for the new year that uses the New Hexagon Book. One is the Glorious Hexagons and then Katja is doing a new one called Blocks on the Go. I think I will follow along with the Glorious Hexagon.

Yes I have started another quilt. It will be 2 started this month, as I am working on step 1 of Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt today. I hope to have some photo by Monday for her link party. 

Jacket and Bag

Last fall I started this jacket. I have been getting some good use out of my jacket this fall. We now have snow and it is not really warm enough for snow. I looked back and I had not posted a finished photo of my jacket. I have had lots of great comments. One lady want me to make one for her. I told her she could not pay me enough. I am not sure she liked my answer. 

I got this cute bag done this month. I love the west coast fish batik fabric and I am very pleased with how it shows off the fish well. I got this fabric on a holiday to Victoria BC. The quilt shop had fabric with Eyes on sale. So I picked the fish out. The Pink batik was so nice, that I went back to the local shop and got what was left on the bolt 1.8M. Glad I have more to play with, it goes with so many fabric, just enough purple or blue in it. 

I kind of followed this FREE Pattern on Craftsy, it is called Sew South Tote Bag . But I did it without all the interfacing and I quilted the outer fabric and used batting in the handles. The bag measures around 18 by 20 or so. Great for taking a quilt project with me or some shopping.  

I have added this too Crazy Mom Quilts Finish up Friday

Soon, so soon, We will be able to see the first step of Bonnie Hunter's new Mystery Quilt. I am ready to start it. That great Pink is in the stack. 

Pizza Box Update

The Black Gold Quilt Patch (Leduc's Quilt Guild) started a Pizza Box exchange earlier this year. I have been working on my blocks but not so good at updating the blog. 

I am one of the more experienced quilters in the exchange so if I get to pick out a block, I am trying to make an effort to do harder blocks. This bright little star block used Y intersections. I love the movement of the lime strip. 

This block was full of music fabric. I needed to add one more from my stash. I have loved this horn fabric, yes a little bit of Christmas but still a favorite. Then we were to do some 4 patches with some of the fabric we added. 

It has been fun to see what everyone asks us to make for them.