A couple of postcards and a swap

I am so behind at the moment and I have several things to share but limited time to do so , so.... for now I will share the postcards I sent off to my partners in the swap I hosted . The first was sent off to Eglea in  Brazil,  a simple Christmas tree with gifts and thankfully Eglea took a picture as I forgot to take photos of the cards I sent , oops .

The next one was sent off to Annie of Freezeframe  and again I must thank Annie for this picture .

 A Christmas dove for this one . Thanks ladies for swapping with me . Did everyone in the swap recieve their postcards now?  Thanks to those who participated. 

 Now I would like to tell you about a little swap I did with a friend on FB.  Christina and I became acquainted through my son Robert , he also follows her fb page where she shares a daily photo . Christina is an awesome photographer and one of her favorite subjects is horses which I love . It seems she had been admiring my little landscape postcards I posted now and then on fb and one day she asked if I sold them and if so would I sell one to her as she wished to frame it . Since I don't really sell them it came to me that perhaps we could do a swap , a postcard for a photo of a horse , to my surprise she immediately agreed . I was so excited and we discussed and exchanged addresses and I set about deciding on what to make . I went through my fabrics and as often happens they just spoke to me and I came up with this simple little scene . I can't believe it but again I forgot to take a photo of what I sent to her so this was taken by Christina 

This is actually larger than postcard size , probably 6x8 . It is made with all hand dyed fabrics and simple straight line quilting.   Now the best part of this story is yet to come , it seems that Christina had taken a picture of our son when he was a member of the Musical Ride years ago . I knew Rob had met her but wasn't sure whether she had any pictures of him so was thrilled  when this photo arrived in the mail . 

 Such an awesome picture of an awesome son ! She did send along another photo of a horse but this is the one that really made my heart swell with pride.  An exchange well worth having for sure ! 

 I will not likely get back here before Christmas so before I go I want to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas,  may it be filled with joy and all the best the season may bring.  

 Hugs Sheila 

Some mail and a finish

Good morning , it is a cloudy and cold day here today but no precipitation so that's a good thing . I have received some lovely mail this week , the first one arrived from Lin , a very creative and rather elegant Christmas postcard.

Thanks so much Lin , it was a lovely surprise .

 On Tuesday morning I received not one but two postcards , my partners in the swap . I will share Annie's card first . 

Joy indeed to recieve such a lovely card . I love the idea of the fabric border , really sets it off , thanks so much Annie ,  I love it .

 The next postcard is from my dear friend Eglea in Brazil and the neat thing is both our cards arrived on the same day . 

A beautifully wrapped Christmas present and Eglea told me to look inside the present and I thought what could possibly be inside , well here it is , just incredible . 

This teeny , tiny origami Christmas dove of Peace or as it is spoken in Portuguese , Paz .  A wonderful symbol for Christmas especially in these troubled times . Thanks so much Eglea ,  I love the card as well as the little dove . 

Now you may think that I had a really great day receiving two postcards on the same day and yes I did but it did not stop there , I also received a package from my friend Karen whose is off to warmer places for the winter months , lucky lady . Karen sent me an early birthday gift , this gorgeous landscape fabric as she knows I love creating landscapes 😊

This picture doesn't do it justice , it will really  enhance a landscape and I can't wait to give it a try . Isn't the card cute too , suits me just perfect .  Thanks Karen ,  you are a wonderful friend . 

 I finished up the quilting on Isaac's quilt a while ago but just never got around to posting it . I will say the quilting took me much longer than the construction of the top , that border took forever but I do like the look . 

As you can see I went with very simple quilting , thank goodness I did or it would never get finished . Since I hurt my back last December my ability to sit for long times at the machine are very limited so I have to choose the best possible way to get things done . 

 I think i have kept you long enough this morning ,  hope you have a fabulous day , remember it is up to you , you can choose the kind of day you wish to have .  Thanks as always for stopping by I really appreciate your visits .

 hugs Sheila 

What I am working on today

I bet I am the only one who hadn't heard of Minecraft , well until I asked my son what quilt I could make for my  grandson and he suggested Minecraft I hadn't heard of it nor had I seen any that I remembered.  I looked on Pinterest and came across a few photos so went to work cutting and sewing blocks . Pretty simple construction which is really good when you don't have a lot of time . This has to be finished and off to Saskatoon  for Christmas , oh but I work well under pressure lol .

 Not much of a picture but I will share more once I get it quilted . The quilting like the quilt will be very simple just a simple x through the blocks .  Oh I know it isn't all that exciting but I know Isaac won't care and it will be very washable which is important .  I am now all caught up on the Splendid Sampler blocks ,  finished the latest one yesterday , whew , that felt good , didn't want to get behind as I tend to leave things once I get behind and after all this work is didn't want that to happen .  I will show you the latest ones I have done .

So as you see I had fallen behind . 

 Okay , break is over , time to tackle that quilt again , oops before I go I want to mention to those taking part in the postcard exchange to get those cards made and in the mail before December 1st , thanks so much . One of mine arrived yesterday,  yeah . 

 Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day , it is a wet cold one here but no snow yet 😉

Hugs Sheila  

Improv piecing

I just had to share my little adventure today , our guild had an improv piecing class with Valerie Levy as the instructor .  It was awesome ,  so much fun and well I felt like a kid  again with no rules just cut and sew and if it wasn't straight then I got it right lol . Valerie was such a fabulous teacher , and it was so nice to meet her after following her blog for a while . purplebootsandpigtails.blogspot.ca
I had to leave before  I got to start my house but quickly got to my machine at home while it was fresh on my mind . My house should have  had a bigger roof but there you go it isn't perfect just like me . I  like it anyway .

 My letters are rather big I suppose , they were great fun , heck it was all fun . So that was my day filled with colour and play what more can a Girl ask for,  right . Thanks Valerie for this great class .

 Any more interest in the postcard swap ? I would like to assign names as quickly as possible so if you are on the fence hop off and join us , we would love to have you .

 Thanks in advance .

 That's it for me , thanks for stopping by and hope you also had a fun day .

 hugs Sheila 

The Quilting is finished and who is ready for a postcard swap ?

Good morning from a dreary East Coast , grey skies are dominant today and it is a little cool but still a nice fall day . Before I start I want to say hello to my friend Joyce , hope you are reading today 😉
 I have been trying to find time to post a postcard swap , a Christmas themed swap this time since it is getting ever so close.  Our mail out date should be no later than December 1st but preferably sooner to avoid the Christmas rush especially if your partner is overseas . So who is interested ? You all know the drill by now but incase we have some new readers here , the postcards are to be 4"×6" , fabric on front and back with a stiffener such a timetex or similar product,  they should be fairly stiff . It is up to you if you would prefer to mail it in an envelope or clear plastic covering .  I hope we get lots of interest , it is always such fun to get a postcard in the mail and they make a nice decoration for the tree too. If you want to take part this is your next step , send me an email with your complete name ,  address  and email and if you have a blog please include  this as well .  I would realllllllly appreciate it if this is send so I can simply copy and paste to your partner , this saves me hours of work , thanks in advance .
 Now for some news , yesterday I traveled to Antigonish for an appointment but while there I picked up two of my quilts from Lynda Campbell of Fiddle Stitches who does a fantastic job on quilting . since I have only taken a picture of one of them I will share just one for now .

 I think you can guess this is for my granddaughter Elise , I already gifted one like this to Sophia .  Now to get the binding cut and sewn on as I need this for Christmas .  Thanks to Lynda for the quick job and a fantastic job too .
 Now I need to run and finish making lunch so thanks for taking the time to stop in and remember to send me those emails , I'd love to have you all join the swap .
 hugs Sheila

A win and some hand quilting

I really think I should start buying lotto tickets as I am fairly lucky . I recently won these gorgeous solid coloured strips of Free Spirit fabrics from Karen of KaHolly . I am looking forward to using these pretty colours as I tend to stick mostly with darker colours and a change is always a good thing .

 Thanks so much Karen,  I was thrilled to win them and  more thrilled you delivered them to me , it was so nice to see you .
 Our guild is doing a BOM this year and for the most part we are following along with Barbara Brackman of civil war quilts , with her permission.  Since our quilt will be a little larger I will add more blocks that i feel will fit the theme . One of our members showed us how to quilt as you go which I thought would be brilliant as I just might finish it a little quicker.  I can also handle a 12"block far easier than a large quilt . So......I started hand quilting a block a couple of nights ago and have two almost done . I don't use a hoop , so I basted it and hoping this is enough to keep it flat without wrinkles underneath. Here is one block that just needs a little more work . The basting looks a little wrinkly here .

This is called Sweet Gum Leaf and I substituted a block from Quilters cache rather than the original block from Barbara as that block used Y seams and we have a lot of new quilters doing this quilt and I didn't want to discourage them .
I have lots on the go at the moment and trying to keep up but some days my joints say not today.  I have managed to keep on track with the SS which reminds me i didn't take a picture of the last one I made but here is one of the two I did before that.

 I have no idea what I plan on doing with this quilt when it is finished but so far am enjoying the process .

 Well that's it for me today just thought it was past time to share my win with you . Thanks  for stopping by today and do something creative , it is good for your soul . 

 Hugs Sheila 

A trunkshow and a little finish

This has been a very busy week , on Tuesday evening our guild hosted a dessert party and trunkshow with Kathy Tidswell as our special guest . Kathy is from New Brunswick and is a very talented fibre artist creating some amazing work . There were lots of Wows from those in attendance.  I am sure you would like to see a few things she shared with us . I will warn you my photos are not the best as they were taken with my phone and I have to admit I find this thing challenging.

 So this is just a small taste of what we saw , as you can see Kathy is talented and has a wide range of talents, even making her own garments adorned with thread painting.
 Our workshop on Wednesday with Kathy was so interesting,  she gave us instructions on making grasses and weeds, flowers and trees . Sorry I don't have anything to share at this time from the workshop , I will need a lot more practice before I can share any 😉
 However I do have one little art piece to share . On saturday of last week our guild took a trip to Amherst to a Fibre Arts Festival which was just fantastic.  We viewed three quilt shows and various displays as well as a Zonta fair.  I will share those photos at a later date now that I have figured out how to get them off my phone.
So here's my story , there was a lady at the Zonta fair selling her hand dyed fabrics and in a basket on her table was bags of her scraps.  Be still my heart , I quickly dug through the pile and found three bags to call my own at only  $5 per bag.  Seemed like a real bargain to me since I had purchased from her before so knew what to expect , well sort of as you never quite know what is in those bags.  I was willing to chance it and I wasn't disappointed,  they were filled with lovely shades of fabrics perfect for landscape art . Now I had bought a bag or maybe two from her a couple of years ago and I decided to combine my treasure but before doing so felt I should at least take the time to iron them all . That's when inspiration struck . In my original bag I had some very narrow strips that i am sure most people would have tossed in the garbage but I just had to find a way to use them so here is what I came up with.

Notice the raw edges , these scraps were so narrow some as little as 1/2" and they were frayed like this which was perfect for what I had in mind . I proceeded to lay out the pieces and started stitching them down . I am really loving this and it was such fun to do plus I saved some scraps from the landfill 😉

 I will let you go for now but I thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you soon. 

 Hugs Sheila 

Let's Book It

Good morning from a rather wet East Coast but we really needed this rain so we won't complain and those with wells will be very thankful.
 It's time to share my progress on my Let's book it project and I am happy to report I have a flimsy . This quilt is simply called Merry Christmas designed by Jenelle Kent and was in a special edition of the Quiltmania magazine in the fall /winter 2014 . So here it is waiting to be quilted .

I am really pleased, I love the brown and red together,  a new combination for me . Now my hope is to have this quilted by Christmas so I can hang it on the wall . Thanks to Sharon for the Let's Book it event each month.  I also want to thank Sharon for choosing my name in her monthly draw . This adorable little pin arrived in my mailbox a while ago , I adore it.

                                                 Road Trip, we all love those 😆
My computer decided to give me hissy fits last week and it is now in the repair shop so I am thankful for this tablet which allows me to post , a little more challenging but doable all the same .
 Our middle son Roger is home for a visit from the west and we are thrilled to have him , it was much higher too long since we had seen him.  He looks fantastic!
On that note I  must go spend some quality time with him , thanks for taking the time to stop by .
 Hugs Sheila

Some photos of our lovely province

 Today rather than sharing some quilting photos I am going to share some photos of our travels around the province this summer . Nova Scotia is not a big province but it has a very diverse landscape and there are many areas I have yet to explore . First off I will take you to the South shore .

                                        A portion of White Point Beach , just spectacular .

                                       A different view of the long stretches of white sand .

 This is White Point Beach Lodge , I would highly recommend it , beautiful accommodations and food .

                        A very kind Aussie Chap offered to take our pictures on the beach .

                                       The fog was rolling in here but I just love the affect .

                     This is in Chester , a delightful town and lovely place to explore .

 This little yarn shop is in   Lockeport and I went in to see what they had to offer and was surprised to see around 8 or so ladies sitting around in a circle each working on knitting a project and chatting away .

                    It was foggy here as well and the locals told us it is foggy a lot of the time .

 Wouldn't you love to have a tour of this gorgeous Captains home in Chester I believe it was , I know I would love a peak inside .

 This cute little church has been remodeled to become a home , I think they did an amazing job and love their colour choice . I see they have prepared for winter , nicely stacked wood pile .

 This photo was taken as we traveled up the shore roads but I have no idea where exactly this is , I just loved the look of the bright yellow sea weed so had to snap a picture , yeah I am strange like that .
 Now we will head on over to the Eastern shore ...

Not the best picture but can you see the little piper trying to get some food before his long journey south for the winter .

 This Tor-Bay  beach not a single soul around and it was a simply beautiful day with wispy clouds and a gentle breeze .

                           Gorgeous sandy beach here and the sound of the waves crashing in was very therapeutic .

This side reminds me of Newfoundland , very rugged and barren .

                                                      Because I love rocks ;-)

 Can you hear the crash , oh that was so neat to watch and hear , could have spent all day there .

 This is the broadwalk to get to the beach , lovely wooded area with lots of birds chirping and some really interesting vegetation .

                 Couldn't resist this shot , isn't that just the nicest mural for a fishing shack !

 Can you see the berries amongst the greenery ? Those are wild cranberries , wow , I had never seen such large wild cranberries before and unfortunately for me they were not ripe enough to pick . I am sure they would be yummy for Thanksgiving dinner :-)
 So folks that is it for me today , I do hope you have enjoyed this mini visit to my little province and I think the more I explore these little villages and towns the more I appreciate how fortunate I am to live here .
 Thanks for stopping by today , hope your day is extra special .
 Hugs Sheila