On the eighteenth day of Christmas, my true quilt gave to me….

A table runner.  

This was a kit that my friend Libby gave me at a quilt retreat several years ago.  It was a very cute kit with everything pre cut except the prairie points.  It was a quick fun project to put together.  I put it together not long after I got my Sweet Sixteen Handiquilter machine.  I then used this quilt as a way of testing my tension, and playing with the Sweet Sixteen.  Every strip has a different free motion quilting pattern as you can see below.  



I learned that I could play with tension, and have some fun with it.  I also loved playing with some different patterns that I made up, or had seen in other quilts.  

It was a fun project, and it is added to my Christmas decorating items.  This table runner gives me great memories every time I see it!

On the seventeenth day of Christmas my true quilt gave to me….

A birthday party for my mom. 

It will be her 70th birthday next week.  Being so close to Christmas, and with the timing of the date and Christmas, it was really hard to plan something special on her birthday.  So, we chose to have a family supper, and invite a few of their friends over to help celebrate.  I chose to make a cake (from scratch) for my mom as part of this celebration . Below is the results.  I don’t eat wheat flour, so I am not sure how it went over, but I know the frosting was awesome.  I felt like I have a chocolate coma after eating some of that (you have to taste it as you are icing the cake).  Ha!

I have attached the link to the recipe.  Decadent Chocolate Cake.  

In keeping with the Christmas theme of the month, I am sharing their tree.  It’s very festive, has handmade ornaments, and even some quilted ones I am sure.  I’ll take some pictures tomorrow of some of the Chirstmas quilts adorning the walls at my parents house.  

May you be having a wonderful weekend before Christmas.  

On the sixteenth day of Christmas, my true quilt gave to me….

A Christmas mystery quilt. 

This quilt is one which I completed when I lived in Virginia.  When I was a more active member of Burke Quilters Unlimited, I believe I had coordinated this activity as part of the Christmas season quilt doings by the quilt guild.

I really enjoyed how it turned out.  In regards to how the quilting went, that’s was done several years later.  I decided to try my hand at free motion satin stitching writing, which you can see in the border of the quilt, with a closer picture below.  

The words are from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas song – “Trim Up the Tree”.  I thought it was fitting, as I was trimming my quilt tree with quilting – a free motion pointsettia pattern that I made up.  

I think I was fearless in my quilting, and how much fun I had with this.  By no means perfect, but by all efforts – fun.  

I hope  you had a great December 16th.  See you tomorrow!



On the fifteenth day of Christmas, my true quilt gave to me….

My Christmas tree.



I enjoy this ritual every year.  I’m a little late putting the tree up this year.  A few reasons, but mostly because I knew that putting it up would bring me many memories of past Christmas seasons, where I got the ornaments, and just enjoying the tree.  I feel like it almost brings some magic with it.  I really enjoy the process of looking at every ornament and remembering where I got it.  And, each finding a special place on the tree.  

So I hauled all my boxes upstairs, unpacked everything, put it all up, and sat and looked at my handiwork.  I have a few more icicles to place on the tree.  

I unpacked all of my Christmas quilts.  I found a few quilts that I tend to forget I have until I unpack them.  I’ll take pictures of a few of them tomorrow.  For now, I’m enjoying my tree.  Making some Christmas wishes on it, and wishing everyone a safe holiday season.  

On the fourteenth day of Christmas, my true quilt gave to me…..

A quilt that was created as part of a class assignment during an art quilt class series I was taking from Cyndi Souder while I lived in Virginia.  (Check out Cyndi’s website, Cyndi’s class options, and above all, her wonderful work!  She is an amazing teacher!  Moonlighting Quilts.). Cyndi teaches classes at  Artistic Artifacts.  (I’ll tell you about my experiences with Artistic Artifacts (Judy Gula) in another blog post, but all I will say now is that it is a very fun store and hard to leave without some wonderful goodie / artistic influence item, fun things!

Back to the quilt.




This is a piece that started from a sun dyed & printed piece of fabric I created.  I think drew leaves on and coloured them in with pencil crayon, outlining the areas before starting with quilting.  I then set the pencil crayon with textile medium.  I need to do some final quilting (I am going to quilt the outline of a dragon in the distance.  I think it suits the composition.)

So, showing how time has passed, I believe I did this at least 7 years ago.  Crazy.  I love the colours.

Lessons from this quilt – I really enjoyed the effects of sun printing / dyeing.  I need to do this again.  I had fun drawing on the fabric with pencil crayon.  I need to give myself more license to play.  

I hope you are enjoying some of this journey into some of my quilting development.  I am enjoying some of the memories for sure – I really loved Cyndi’s class, and I miss taking it and where she encouraged us to go to with our art.  

Stay warm!

On the thirteenth day of Christmas, my true quilt gave to me……

Cookies.   Chewy Chocolate chip cookies.  

I have been working with a contractor on a project, and as it is Christmas, decided I could make some chocolate cookies. 

My kitchen adventures continue as the butter was frozen at the beginning of the evening.  To try to bring it to a more workable temperature, I used the microwave. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always bode well for the cookies.

My plans always have twists and turns.  I put the cookies too close together on the cookie sheet.  I used a new cookie sheet (that I had purchased for laying fabric on I was rusting, and hadn’t used yet); I also used an old cookie sheet.  I put the cookie dough on the sheets in lumps that were too large.  

The cookies seem to always have their own minds in how they will be turning out.

Homemade cookies are always welcome.  And, that’s what I’m counting on tomorrow.  Spreading holiday cheer with chocolate.  Think that’s a good idea.  

Well wishes for the season, and I’m looking forward to seeing what I come up with tomorrow.  Ha!  

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true quilt gave to me…

A challenge quilt.  That didn’t make it into the challenge.  

When Cherrywood Fabrics had their “Wicked” challenge, I tried to get the quilt completed and mailed off in time. (Check out their website, their dyed fabrics have a wonderful suede look and feel to them – very beautiful!  Cherrywood Fabrics )

Let’s just say I was 2 hours too late to get the quilt sent overnight to meet the deadline.  (I will admit I haven’t learned my lesson yet, but that’s another blog post.  Ha ha!)

I was pretty happy with my result.  It is fusible appliqué, as well as a pieced background.  Yes, I am crazy to piece curves, but it was fun!

And, I probably haven’t mentioned before, many of my designs I draw out on the computer before executing.  I use several different software programs, and if the design is fairly rectilinear, I use Revit or CAD.  

So what did I learn?  Well – that procrastination doesn’t pay off.  I also decided that I love working with Cherrywood fabrics.  Check them out, and see what you think.  

Enjoy your twelfth day of December!

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true quilt gave to me….

More wheat.  On a quilt.  

I decided to do some quilting in the background with a wonderful variegated thread that mimics the colours in the rust dyed fabric.  Really enjoying this.  It will be fun to see how this ends up.

It’s coming along pretty slowly – and I’m hoping I have some traction now.  SHould be interesting to see what tomorrow will bring.  Stay warm!

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true quilt gave to me…..

A king sized quilt.

Yes, the daily blog for the 10th is a big late, but better late than never. 

I’m winding down from the annual company Christmas party.  It was a very nice event, I think everyone had fun, and I’m glad I went.  I’m also glad that I actually didn’t “party like a rock star”, so my Sunday will be a usual day.  Ha!  I can’t say the same for some of my coworkers….  But I digress.

So, the king sized quilt.

I bought the fabric for this flying geese quilt in Olds, AB.  I believe the store was closing out when I purchased much of the fabric, and I think I made it and finished it in the 90’s.  My mom quilted it, and bound it for me.  I believe this is one of 2 king sized quilts that I have made thus far.  

This one resides on my bed much of the year.  I still love it.  The binding is starting to look worn.  But it’s been a great quilt for me.  It has seen more country than some people ever see in their lifetime, just from following me through my adventures.

I believe it was a Quilt in a DAy Pattern for flying geese.  I do love flying geese, but not sure if I will ever make one at this scale again.

What have I learned – I like having a king sized quilt on a double bed – it drapes over the edges in a wonderful way.  I still love the purples I used in the quilt.  

So, my late night blog in keeping with blogging once a day – technically this is my Saturday finishing up.  Enjoy!

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true quilt gave to me…..

A Friday I’m thankful for.  It’s been a long week and I’m trying to be better about dealing with the stress of some weeks, and so I’m taking some time to be thankful.

It’s Friday!  I need to catch up on some sleep tonight.  And I’m looking forward to doing some quilting this weekend.  Ha!

This was my Friday night supper….

Cooking is kind of like quilting..  You have to gather your ingredients, you prepare them, you put them together in a specific order, and you finish preparing, and present!   Just doesn’t last as long as a quilt.  :-). But can be satisfying as well.

What have I learned about quilting this week?  I enjoy being challenged, but some things scare me a bit.  It’s good to be pushed outside of your comfort zone.  Just not sure what mine looks like some days.  Ha ha!

I wish everyone a wonderful Friday evening.  Better quilting blog tomorrow!