A Busy Two Weeks

I was away last weekend and did not have time to blog before I left so today's post is a catch up on what I have been up to for the last couple of weeks.  I am happy to report that I have finished hand quilting my Arizona quilt and I am now working on getting the binding hand stitched and adding a sleeve and label.  

The Oxford Quilter's Guild show is the coming up very soon and I have registered 12 quilts in the show.  Most of them do not have hanging sleeves yet so that will be my hand sewing project for the next little while until they are done. I have five prepped and ready to stitch and there are more quilts waiting for sleeves to be made. 

Here is the information about the show in case you are local and are interested in coming to see all the quilts!

The church sewing group finished making the hygiene kits for girls in Africa a few weeks ago, and now we are working on items for our Christmas bazaar in November.  I found some neat vintage kitchen fabric in our stash and made two lined aprons and I am in the midst of making a third apron with bees on it. I used an apron I made for myself 37 years ago for the pattern.  I still wear my apron even though it has a few stains on it.  Maybe I should make myself a new one...

I made two more spinning drunkard's path blocks last week and just have three more to put together.  They will have to wait until I am ready for the quilt show. 

The weather has been up and down here.  One day it is sunny and warm (ish) and they next day we wake up to snow on the ground!  Hopefully, Spring will come and stay soon!  There are a few flowers blooming in my garden including these primroses. 

I have two hellebores that came from my MIL's garden and they are both blooming. 

The first mini  daffodils are out too. 

I am currently reading this cozy mystery, a gift from my daughter for Christmas.  Interesting characters and plot!

I received a kit to grow micro greens and planted them on Tuesday.  By Thursday, they looked like this. 

And today, they are like this.  Growing like crazy.  We will soon be able to enjoy some on a sandwich or a salad!

Snow from earlier in the week...

Finn enjoyed a long walk at the elevated park earlier this week. 

Finn celebrated his 7th birthday last week and my daughter bought him a giant squeaky banana which has proven to be quite popular

My husband and I have been working on a Charley Harper puzzle in the evening.  This one is called "Once there was a field".  I always think elements of his pictures would make interesting quilts. 

I should get back to my hand stitching.  Take care.  I will link up with Kathy and Frederique. 

A Finish and Cross Stitch Progress

TaDa!  This quilt top was made at a Vice President's day quilting day at Oxford Quilter's Guild at least 3 years ago.  The idea behind VP day is to work on a simple pattern chosen by the VP that can be finished in one day. I found the top in my UFO drawer and took it to one of my retreats in November where I pieced the back, pin basted it and did 3/4 of the quilting.  This week, I finished the quilting and added an orange solid for the binding.  This will go in the baby quilt pile.  I like to have some gifts made ahead of time. 

You can see the quilting better in this picture.  I used 28wt  orange thread for the quilting.  The backing looks gray in this picture but it is actually a black on white print called cross stitch. 

I finally finished the mushrooms and trees on my winter cross stitch and have a good start on the Christmas tree  in this quadrant.  Progress is faster when you sit down to do some stitching each day...

Finn laid in the supervisors chair while my daughter worked this week.  I like how the heart on the blanket is right above his head!

Since taking this picture, my daughter has started the third side of the Christmas light border.  You can't tell from this picture, but the Christmas lights puff out a bit from the white background. She will be bringing this home at Christmas to work on it. 

I often attend the weekly sewing day at the guild and in December, they like to make a small project together.  They had admired one of the Wide Open Zipper Pouches that I made one day and asked me to show them how to make them for this year's December project. The free pattern is from Noodlehead. 

My quilting lines lined up almost perfectly...by accident, not by design.  It does look neat though!

Our Christmas tree is up and most of the gifts are wrapped.  I have one more gift to sew this week.  The big day is fast approaching!  I will link up with Kathy and Frederique. 

Oxford Guild Quilt Show

I attended our guild quilt show on Friday and Saturday this week--our first show since before COVID.  I entered 9 quilts in the show and took pictures of them in the venue. There were several of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects including "All the Colours" based on a pattern by Gudrun Erla called Haldora. 

"Scrappy 36 Patch"

"Scrappy Drunkard's Path" and "In Formation"

I put one bed sized quilt in the show--"Memories of Iceland"--the pattern is by Gudrun Erla and is called "Lupine". 

"30's Plus Sign Baby Quilt"

"Scraps on Point" 

( I was very happy that this hung straight with no wavy edges--the edges are all on the bias!) 

"Let it Snow"

Pattern by Modern Handcraft called "Modern Snowflake"

"Summerhill in Solids"

Pattern is by Mary Elizabeth Kinch

This quilt by Gwen T. was one of my favourites.  The background squares are denim. 

Megan H. had this wonderful modern basket quilt in the show. 

Lois W. entered this fun quilt into the "Star Challenge".

My daughter and I have both been adding stitches to our counted cross stitch pictures.  The black stitches on the outside of the sunflower will eventually become bees. I still have a few more stitches to add to the lower petal --I lost the skein of thread and need to find it!

Ottawa Cityscape

My Friend, Christine, gave this to me for my Birthday.  It is so cute and I have it out on display in our Living room. 

The garden is blooming...I'm not sure what these flowers are--they came from my MIL's garden. 

More daffodils in bloom.  I love this soft yellow colour. 

Hosta leaves unfurling. 

Fothergilla bush in bloom. 

Coral Bells--no flowers yet but the leaves are pretty. 

 Finn is now back home with our daughter but he did enjoy a final romp around our yard before he left. Of course, he brought a dirty sock out to the yard with him...

I will link up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers in the morning.  Happy Mother's Day!!