Chain Link top finished

I finished off my chain link quilt top this week. It has been trimmed now...I should have done that before this picture was taken...  It should be close to single bed size but I am open to adding a border using the background fabric if it isn't. I like the way the coloured chains stand out on the dark background.  

I added more stitches to my perforated paper cross stitch picture.  The paper is stiff which makes it easy to hold and stitch.  I find the needle will fall back through the hole when I am coming up from the back so I have to make sure I keep it from doing this as I stitch. I hope to work on this tonight and tomorrow for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

My husband was away for the day today so I was on Finn duty.  It was a sunny but cold day today.  He loves to be outside in the sunshine so I got lots of reading done while he basked in the sunshine.  I was wearing my winter coat...  

Angela announced that the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour for April is pink.  I dug out my pink scrap bin and cut out my squares and triangles for my projects at the kitchen counter while Finn supervised.  I still need to cut the background fabrics and then I can make my blocks. 

Finn is vigilant in his supervisory role.  Heaven forbid that I leave his sight. 

I checked the backyard gardens today and saw that the pink hellebore is starting to bloom. This plant came from my MIL's garden. I had one yellow crocus in bloom too but did not get a picture.  I need to plant more crocuses next fall.  Mine have almost all disappeared--perhaps the squirrels thought they were snack food. 

The daffodils are up and have buds.  We will need a bit of warm weather to get them to bloom. 

I made one more poppy for the Legion this week.  I am going to use up the red yarn that I have and then move on to making placemats for Meals on Wheels.  I hope to make 12 of those again this year. 

 I will link up with Kathy, Angela and Frederique.  

Assembling a Quilt Top and a New Cross Stitch Project

I received this cross stitch kit from a friend for Christmas...this is the first time I have cross stitched on perforated paper.  I had to sort all the threads out first before starting to stitch.  It doesn't look like much yet.   

I have made two knitted poppies for the Remembrance Day project.  Others have made dozens...don't forget I am a very slow knitter!

I have fabrics picked out for another Folk Art Doll.  I hope to get this cut out this weekend and sew it next week. 

I decided to add 2.5" sashing between my chain link blocks.  I tweaked the layout on the design wall and set to work adding sashing and corners.  The diagonal rows are sewn together.  The setting triangles are cut out and just needed to be added before I sew the rows together.  It should not take too long to do this. I am aiming for a single bed sized quilt.  I will have to see if I need a border after this part is together. 

I started reading the latest 44 Scotland Street series book this week.  I have enjoyed this series and its quirky characters. 

Finn finds his bed a very comfy place to nap.  He loves a fluffy blanket. 

Our local ice cream place opened this past week so we took a trip over to sample their wares.  Finn is a big fan of a trip to Shaw's.  He had a very small amount of vanilla ice cream in that big bowl.  You would not have known that there was ever ice cream in the bowl when he was done!

You know Spring is almost here when Shaw's is open for the season!

I will link up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers as well as Frederique. 

Kintail Retreat Report

 Christine and I spent last weekend at Camp Kintail at the crafter's retreat.  Others were making paper crafts, scrapbooks, knitting and painting. Four participants were quilting.   It's always fun to see what everyone is making. The food and snacks were plentiful and tasty too. 

My first project was an open wide zipper pouch that I had started at home. This one may just stay here for me to use.  This project was a good place to use the large scale print that I loved but would not be good to cut up into smaller pieces 

Next, I made two rainbow scrap challenge blocks.  Yes, I have started a 4th RSC quilt for this year...  All of the blocks I am making are made from squares and HST's.  This newest block was inspired by one I saw on Facebook. I'm going to match the dots in the background fabric to the scrap colour.  This month's colour is red.  I will be working on my red blocks next. 

Every year, the VP of the Oxford Guild hosts a VP quilt day--she chooses the pattern and everyone makes the same quilt with their own fabric choices.  I had a solid jelly roll and the dark gray background fabric in my stash.  The VP day was on Saturday while we were at the retreat so both Christine and I worked on our blocks on Saturday while the others were sewing at our guild meeting place.  I made 14/20 blocks at the retreat and will work on the rest this weekend. 

Christine's big project for the weekend was a queen sized quilt top that had been aging for a while in her sewing room as a bag of fabrics...  She finished the top and will now be looking for a backing and a long armer.  There are lots of lovely low volume fabrics in this quilt top.

I made this scrappy quilt top at the last Kintail retreat and quilted it at this retreat.  I have found some binding in my stash and will get that attached and sewn down soon. 

Finn has come to stay at our house for his annual Spring visit while our daughter is busy at work.  He held the quilt top down while I cut the batting before the retreat.   He is very helpful. 

I added some more hand quilting to my pineapple quilt at the retreat as well. I need to get back to working on this one on a regular basis if I want to finish it...

Finn has been keeping us entertained and supervised...

I made him some banana, peanut butter and yoghurt "Pawsicles" this week.  These are a big hit!

In my "spare" time, I am knitting poppies for a Remembrance Day display in Ingersoll where the quilt guild meets.  I found red and black yarn in my stash and started on my first poppy...  we have already established that I am not the fastest knitter so don't hold your breath waiting to see a large pile of completed poppies next week. 

I finished my second Folk Art Critter--a rabbit this time.  I gave this cute bunny to my daughter for Easter.  It is sitting on her bookshelf.  I hope to make some more critters soon. 

 I will link up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers,  Angela and the RSC folks and Frederique this weekend.  

Rainbow Scrap Challenge and some Knitting

Blue is the colour of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for January.  I have been participating in this challenge for a few years now and I have still not run out of scraps to use each month.  I would like to make three projects this year.  The first one will be these nine patches with 8 blocks made each month.  I have 2 more to make.  You can see that I am making them so that they form a checkerboard when they are sewn together.  These are my light blue blocks and I would like to make some mid-blue blocks as well.  I will get started on those this week.  

My second project will be 10.5" blocks made with HST's.  I don't have enough variety in my light blue scraps to make these with no repeats but that's fine with me. 

The Oxford Quilter's Guild is doing a colour challenge this year--here are my blocks for each month since September.  September - light/lime green; October - orange; November - turquoise and aqua; December - red; and January - purple and magenta.  There will be sashing between the blocks and a border on this quilt to make it baby sized. 

I found a ball of yarn in my sewing room and decided to make a hat this week.  I will be adding a pompom next week when I borrow my friend's pompom maker. 

My daughter is working on the third row of her book blanket.  

I had a couple of friends over to stitch and chat this afternoon.  We were so busy with our projects that I forgot to take pictures.  Carol worked on a crochet blanket and Christine had a cross stitch sampler with her.  I finished off my had and added a few stitches to my cross stitch chicken--not enough to warrant a picture though. 

While out on a walk at the park this week, we came across these squirrels enjoying a feast of seeds that someone had left out on a log for them and the birds. 

Finn is happy to be home again, back in his role as supervisor when my daughter works from home. 

 I will link up with Kathy and Frederique as well as the RSC folks. 

World's Slowest Knitter Award!

 I bought the wool for this scarf while on vacation in Newfoundland in June of 2023. I started knitting it in November of 2023 and finished it today.  I may win the World's Slowest Knitter Award!  I worked at it in fits and starts...I don't think knitting is my first love as far as hobbies are concerned.  I am very pleased with how it turned out.  I like how soft and warm it feels and the texture of the knitting.  The colours will go well with by black winter coat.  I've already made the matching hat  and still have a kit to make Thrumb mittens to match.  I might wait until after Christmas to tackle those. I have lots to do in the next couple of months without adding another project. 

On the Fall Forest cross stitch front, I have finished the tree I started last week and have now finished this side of the project.  I have moved my hoop back to the centre and I'm working on the next tree which looks like a topiary. I'm still loving the way the trees look where they overlap. 

I hosted a slow stitching day at my house today for four friends.  I made a pot of butternut squash soup and everyone brought something to add to the feast.  We drank tea and ate blueberry coffee cake while working on our projects.  Frances did some rug hooking on a class project. 

Elaine added many stitches to her stamped cross stitch quilt. 

Pat worked on two pairs of socks but I only took a picture of the blue ones. 

Christine made great headway on a large cross stitch sampler.

I worked on my cross stitch and cast off my scarf.  It was a wonderful day!

My butterfly weed pods are fluffing these days, spreading their seeds around the neighbourhood.  I love the bright orange flowers which attract the butterflies in the summer.  I gave a couple of pods to each of my friends to plant the seeds in their gardens. After a light rain earlier this week, I took this picture from directly above the plant.  

Finn has a new cozy place to have a nap.  He likes to be comfortable. 

We went on a couple of hikes in the woods last weekend.  It was glorious!

I will link up with Kathy and Frederique.  Happy Stitching!