Willow Garden ... number three

Since I moved to The County with Gene in June of 2000, my home has always been called Willow Garden.

Larry and I decided that this one would also be known as Willow Garden.

All we lacked was a willow tree.

We solved that problem today with the help of Mike at TrimPro Property Maintenance .

Life is good!

New Fabric

I am trying NOT to think about fabric and quilting until I have things more under control at the new house.

I have a couple of decks to build and a small fish pond to install ... and eave trough to have replaced ... and dricore sub-flooring to go down in case water gets into the basement again.

In the mean time, I seem to spend too much time on the net looking at fabric shops.  An even bigger problem is the ease with which an order can be placed ... ;-)

My latest find is a shop in South Dakota that carries a wide selection of Australian aboriginal designs.

Check them out if you like interesting fabric and fun colours ... Heartsong Quilts.  They seem like really nice folks.

They sell sets of a dozen sampler fat quarters of the Aussie prints, and give you 13!  I ordered three sets ... 39 fat quarters!

I LOVE them ... but I am not even thinking about what I might make with them ... well, not much anyway ... :-)

It is hard to capture the heart and soul of fabric with a camera, but here are some pictures of the latest additions to my g-r-o-w-i-n-g fabric stash.

:-)

I'm thinking that I should be able to pull out lots of purple from this selection ... but, as I said, I am trying not to think about it.

Off to put it away.  

Out of sight.

Life is good!

A Cross-Generational Quilting Project

Many years ago, likely in the early 70s, I got two quilt tops from my Grandmother.

At one point since then, they got very musty, so I wrapped them up and stored them in the freezer.  I found them when we moved ... in the freezer ... and no longer musty.

The tops were a good size ... 78" x 88".  They were made up of twenty blocks measuring about 18" x 20".

The fabrics were from my childhood ... my grandfather's pajamas, an aunt's dress, sun room curtains ... a real trip down memory lane!

The poodle fabric is so much fun! 

I suspect that my Grandmother made these tops in the late 1960s.  I also expect that all of the fabric was left over from projects or salvaged from old garments.

After deliberation, I made the decision that I'd take the tops apart and rework the blocks.  I did the math and decided that if I put six blocks in each new quilt top, added some colourful sashing and borders, and put on equally colourful backings ... that I could make seven interesting lap sized quilts.

Thus, I am about to make seven lap quilts for my sister and I (as was the original intent when they were given to me) ... and five more, one for each of our  kids.

I have some wonderful fabrics assembled to use for sashing and borders ... fabrics that will truly add MY touch to my Grandmother's handiwork. This is some of them.  The rest are in the washer and drier ... :-)

I am pretty excited to be involved in this project ... finishing quilts started 45+ years ago ... a joint project, by Jennie and Bill Stearman.

Life is good!

Anna's Quilt

The smile tells it all!!

Anna helped pick the fabrics from my stash and LOVES the fact that I had it quilted with a butterfly pattern.

I'll get a better picture of the whole quilt next time we are at her house.

SO happy to be able to do this!

Life is good.

Done ... mostly

I have finished Sloane's quilt ... except for trimming threads.  

I use Larry's nose hair scissors to do that.

I don't own a pair of my own, although at least one grand child has 'suggested' that I could use a pair.

:-)

Next Idea ...

For my grandson, Will, who loves green, I'll add lots of different greens ... and some novelty stuff in the border.

For Grandpa (aka me), who loves purple, I'll use lots of the batik.

Quilting Sloane's orange quilt today.

Life is good.

After deliberation ... I'm going to use the full-on orange for the backing of the quilt.

Purple is my favourite colour.

Orange is Sloane's.

The quilt is for Sloane ... so ... orange it will be.

Besides, Larry had a dream last night, and in his dream 'someone' told him that the purple-ish fabric that I brought home, just wasn't right.  Hmmm ... I'm SURE Sloane was sound asleep at her own house ...

Life is good!

Ready to be Quilted

Quilt number four, Sloane's quilt, is ready to be quilted.

I'm pretty happy with it.  It was really fun to assemble!

Now ... to learn how to quilt ... lol! 

Having Fun

I am REALLY enjoying working on this quilt!

Every block is different and just grows as I piece the fabric.

Gifted ... and now ... Archived ... :-)

I gifted my first quilt yesterday ... to this beautiful young woman ... to honour her first birthday ... :-)

It felt good.

It is my intent that this blog become an 'archive' for the quilts that I create. 

I am happy with this one.

Life is good!

Great Fun to be Had!

We picked this up yesterday at George's Trains Trains.  

Larry ordered it thinking that grand kids would enjoy it.  It is battery powered!

And ... ages 4 and up ... that covers us all!!

It is 'garden scale'.  

The plan is to use it outside, on the patio this summer, as we won't get to the garden railway this year.

Life is good!!

King Sized Quilt

I forgot to post a picture of this qult project.  It is the third one that I did.  We'll use it on our bed.

I am having it long-arm quilted, because it is so big.

We should have it back before we move in permanently to out new house.

The pattern is simple, but I love the colours.  It is all batik fabrics.

Playing on my New Machine!

I have the first four blocks done for my next quilt.

These ones are mostly oranges.

Some will be more purple.

I hope that the 'top' portion will measure 39" by 74". which is the size of a twin bed mattress top.  Then I can add a plain border in the orange/purple batik and some trim bits, to make the whole thing have some drape as well.

So far, this has been great fun!!  Twenty Four more blocks to go ... but they are all different ... :-)

And my new machine is a DREAM to sew with!!
Life is good!

Next Quilt

I fell in love with this piece of fabric with the oranges and the purples.

When I brought it home, I had no idea what to do with it ... but some of the fat quarters in my stash looked awesome with it.  I stuck them all in an idea bin and left them until I had an idea. 

And then I came  across this quilt on ... and an idea suited to one of my grand daughters started to brew ...

I loved the bigger bits.  They are fun and provide a focus for a curious mind.

I loved the sort of log cabin looking pattern to it.  What a great way to incorporate some of the fabric sitting in my idea bin.

And I think that a border around each block, and around the quilt, using the oranges and purples fabric might just tie it all together.

And for the focus bits, I came across all these prints of things that she loves!

This will be my first project as I learn to use my new machine!

Woohoo!

Life is good!

Always Flowers!

When I went to Larry's house the very first time, I took flowers.

When Larry came to my house for the very first time, he brought flowers.

When we began to share a home, we decided that we'd always have flowers in it.

:-)

The flowers in Belleville right now are beautiful ... and so, when I return to East York today, I'll bring part of that arrangement with me.

Life is good.

Another Day in the Life of ...

Today, as is usually the case ... was an AWESOME day!  After working away at some of the mundane household stuff ... I headed out in search of adventure!

I went to Thrashers' Garden Centre, to find someone who can prune a couple of ailing trees for us.  We wanted someone who will try to save, before he cuts down.  The person I am chatting with via an email address from Thrashers describes what they do as ... saving and restoring trees.  He sounds like the guy we need for our two ailing trees.

While I was at Thrashers, I saw this wonderful Train and decided that we had to have it for our front garden.  And now, we do.

:-)

While I was there, I got a voice mail saying that my new sewing machine was in at Fun With Stitches!

It is an early birthday gift from my loving husband, Larry Tayler. 

OMG ... This machine has all of the bells and whistles that a quilter could wish for without having to mortgage the house!!  It comes with a table, and attachments for use as a potable unit.  I was the envy of all at the quilt shop.  I can't wait to see what I can create!

Life is good!

Willow Garden

When Gene and I moved to the County in June, 2000 ... we named our B&B ... and his Art Studio ... Willow Garden.

In 2002, we started to add livestock, and the notion of Willow Garden grew.

Then in late Fall of 2003, we moved Willow Garden to Ameliasburg ... the farm, and the Art Studio, but not the B&B.

When we moved to our new Willow Garden, Gene bought me this tree.  There had always been a willow at Willow Garen.

Gene passed away in May, 2009 and the Art Studio ended.  The farm continued for a few years before it fizzled out in 2012.  Then, in 2012 ... all Hell broke loose ... so to speak.

:-)

  In an attempt to take control of my life, I sold Willow Garden, the farm, in 2013.  I needed to move on.

And ... I met the most amazing man, Larry Tayler ... and fell madly in love for the last time.  We bought a house together.  Larry has decided that we need to plant a Willow Tree in the back yard ... and name THIS place Willow Garden as well.

I love this man ... and I love our house.  I`ll get better pictures of the new Willow Garden soon.

And so ... we will have Willow Garden Quilts ... as well as Willow Garden Railway.

Life is good!

How Did the Quilting Come About??!!

Without going into a lot of boring and gory details, I developed a VERY severe case of Cellulitis in my lower left leg and foot.  It seemed resistant to most antibiotics and I ended up hospitalized for ten days.  They were pretty sure that it was, or would become Flesh Eating Disease.  It was not, and did not ... :-)

Because of related blistering, I ended up having the skin layer removed and had second degree wounds over 75% of my left leg from the knee to the toes.

When I left the hospital, I needed a walker with wheels, and a human body to support me, in order to get around.  

Larry has been a SAINT through all of this, and I am filled with love, joy, and gratitude at having him in my life.

The recovery has been slow, and I have to stay off of my feet for much of the day.  This was NOT a good thing for me, with my ADHD!!

So ...

I had a wee sewing machine that Larry bought me for Christmas.  I had always wanted to quilt ... and it seemed TOO east to buy fabric on-line.  I discovered that I could cut fabric and sew while sitting down, and even with my left foot raised for much of the time.

And thus, began my addiction to quilting and fabric ...

:-)

Oh ...

My recovery has continued nicely.  Today, ten weeks later ... I walk without even using a cane, and rarely even with a limp.  The pain, and Cellulitis is almost gone.  I will be on oral antibiotics for just one more week.  The skin on my leg has regrown without plastic surgery ...

AND ... for the past week ... I have actually FELT GOOD!!

Today, I am most thankful ... that I am able to get up twice in the night and walk to the bathroom, rather than having to use this urinal!

:-)

I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities that life continues to present to me every day!  

Oh, my perspective on what I am grateful for has changed significantly ... but ... my goal is to always feel this grateful!

Life is good.

Second Quilt

My second quilt is inspired by a Layer Cake package that I picked up at the Creativ Expressions Show a few weeks ago.  It features a Berenstein Bear Birthday theme.

I did this one in a Disappearing Nine Patch Pattern as well, but I cut the ten inch squares into five inch squares.  I liked it a lot better, but thought that it was so busy that the details in the fun and playful fabric got lost ... so I outlined each block with a red border.  The rest of the quilt just sort of grew from there.  

I machine quilted it myself on my wee machine and put the binding on as well.  The over-all effect of the quilt is wonderful, but I dread an experienced quilter to look at my first time quilting!

My First Quilt

My six year old grand daughter, Anna helped me to select the fabric for this quilt.  It has gone to my long armed quilter friend to get quilted and bound.   This quilt is done in a Disappearing Nine Patch Pattern.  I used ten inches squares, which made it easier as a first quilt, but I thought that I might have preferred the uncut squares to be smaller.

So ... for my second quilt ...