WINTER

It's here.  This will be my life until about February.  Cold, dark, and snowy  : (

I've never been a fan of winter, but let's have it so we can get it over with !  I will keep myself busy by sewing and knitting the months away.

I made Cindy's block for November.  She is doing the words from a song she loves.  I thought the music note fabric was a perfect background for her word.

I finished the sweater and hat for a little guy to be born this month.  This is yarn from Sackville NB and it is dreamy to work with

The colour is sweet potato, and the hat is made from a Koigu yarn

My little grand girls have been asking me for fingerless mitts a long time. It snowed, so that motivated me to get going.  1 down.......

The winner of the note cards is Soma!  I will pop those in the mail to you this week. Please e-mail me your address  : )  Thank you to every one who entered as well.

Have a great week
Carla

NOVEMBER IN REVIEW (and a give-away)

Does time fly if we are having fun, or as we get older ???  I think both.  November is nearly done and we all know what that means.

*******a little business to start. There were a few comments last post about the slippers etc that I couldn't reply to because you have no e-mail address on your google account. Nothing. Zip. I tried, I really did : (   I will do a proper post soon and include a link to the pattern ok?

I changed my window out again for the season.  This was a lot of fun.  My son welded me a little girl out of re-bar that I could dress up in winter things.  I love her.

A view from outside

Who doesn't love a smiling snowman? I try to make the shop look warm and inviting

These little cards were designed especially for my shop by Kody Stewart Illustrations.  Little knitty note cards.  So cute!

My time doing bee blocks is nearly over.  These ones are going to be for a comfort quilt.

and Anne wanted B's for her quilt. This one will be fun

My needles are rarely idle while sitting. This little sweater is for a friends niece who is having a baby in December. A little boy. I will make a hat to match which will finish off his outfit nicely : )

Did you like the note cards?  How about a chance to win a half dozen. 2 of each design.
Leave me a comment to be entered and how about tell me how your Christmas prep is coming?

Make sure I can get ahold of you : )

Have a fabulous week!
Carla

WHEN BEE BLOCKS GO BAD...

.....they can go really bad.  I was running behind last month because it seems someone took out a few of the days.  Last time I checked, it was June : )

This block is (was) for Simone.  She asked for coloured words pieced in different colours.  I pieced this one in a dark purple as requested, and with a white background. Or so I thought.

When I went digging through my whites to piece another block, I discovered that the white I used wasn't really the stark white she had wanted. It's slightly off.  Back to the drawing board : (

Remember these blocks?  I was so happy with how they turned out. Especially my 'e'. They never arrived in Australia.  In all the years I have been swapping bee blocks I don't think that's ever happened.

Susan has been so patient. I have started making them again.

I love me some log cabin blocks. I'm late with these.  These were fun. Fun enough that I made some for myself too. It seemed easier to make blocks than to clean up my scraps. True story

Lastly these blocks are for this month. Yay!  Mary wanted watery colours with a 'white' background.
I think I got these right

I've got to say, running a business takes ALL the time.  I don't have much time for anything else. It's still fun though and I'm glad I took the plunge : )

Happy stitching!

Carla

MONDAY

It's a new week and I am in for a busy one!  I got all my bee blocks sewn this past week so my slate is clear : )

Susan in Australia is getting these words for her Spelling bee quilt
It just so happens they match my current knitting project so I took a picture

I'm pretty happy with my little 'e'

Kerry asked for this 'Yukon' block. She moved to Canada recently from the UK and is making a sort of map quilt.  It will be a pixelated style so she made up her own style of letters and had us follow that

Rene down in Florida gets this 'strawberry kiss' block in blue.  This is a fun block to sew and easy peasy

Finally, these churndash blocks are making their way to my house. I love this block in any way shape or form, so that's what I asked the ladies to make in my Mid Century Modern group. My current favourite colour combo is plum/mustard so some of them have that : )

Enjoy your week

Carla

LATELY

I can't remember a time when I have felt so busy. Every day is 'hair straight back' !  It sure is fun though having my own little shop.

Word blocks have been arriving in the mail and I'm getting ideas as to how this quilt is going to look

Just a couple more words to come and I can start to assemble : )

I did actually carve out a few minutes to sew a bee block.

I had free reign with the setting of these half square triangles to go in Stephanie's quilt.

My daughter came to the shop and changed out the window display to a camping theme for May.  It even includes a campfire with a roasting 'marshmallow'.

the view from outside : )

even a stump and hiking boots complete with woolly socks!

I had a baby shower to attend a while back so I knit up this little hat to match a jacket I bought.

and I have been wanting to try knitting a little pixie hat.........so I did : )

I had a lovely Mother's day spent with family.  Always so fun.

Have a lovely week
Carla

MARCHING ALONG

My blocks are done for the two groups early this month. Yay!  For the Spelling bee group Mary asked for words relating to stitching so ...........

She wanted black and white backgrounds and I had a big piece of this print which I love.

For the Mid Century Modern group, Linda asked for little churn dash blocks with lots of red.

She also challenged us to use black to make it appear there is a hole in the block without compromising the integrity of the churndash.  These little jiggers are 4 1/2". Cute!

Well I am off and running.  The next post will hopefully be pictures of a fully stocked and ready for action knitting shop. Can hardly wait!

Enjoy your week,
Carla

WRAPPING IT UP

Tis the season to be finishing things up.  I have sewn the last of my Bee blocks for this year.  I was late on a couple, but I got them done and in the mail.

These blocks are for the Joy circle of do.good stitches

Houses for Jaclyn

These two are for Lara.  Simple 9 patches to end the year

This little house is for Michelle in our Mid Century Modern group. Michelle is a speech therapist so I added a little texty print for fun

and this one for Elizabeth in the same group.

On the knitty front, I picked up this little onesie and knew I had to knit matching socks.  These were fun to make but I think they may only fit for one day : )

and my daughter has wanted a pair of 'work socks' for forEVER!  I cast on and it's a race to get them finished in time to stuff her stocking

Lastly, I hosted our staff Christmas dinner again this year. Turkey dinner with all the fixings. Here we are looking stuffed : )

These are a great group of ladies to work with and I look forward to another busy year!

What about you.  Are you ready?

linking up to Wool on Sundays
Scraptastic Tuesday

THE DESIGN WALL--A WORK IN PROGRESS WEDNESDAY

Where do I start?  Some days are overwhelming when I walk into my room to sew.  Perhaps if it wasn't so messy......
I've not done too much other than work and spend time with the new babies.  Cuddles are very important : )

This is my design wall currently. My millefiori has been stalled for months.  Just a few more pieces and #3 will be done, but I just can't get with it

The blocks on the left have come in the mail and I am to make a quilt for charity. Unfortunately our group dissolved, so I don't think I will be getting any more blocks. Oh well, they are easy ones to make so I will get it done.  One day.

Patchwork City are fun blocks too.  Choosing colours each month has been great.  I need to keep one step ahead of everyone that is doing this as a block of the month through the shoppe. This is now sold out so the pressure is on  : )

Then there are the feathers.  I think 5 is it.  I'm deciding on a setting and it looks like I will have some improv piecing to do.  There is another baby shower this Saturday.  Think I'll be ready?

and because Christmas is just around the corner, I am making a scarf for a stocking stuffer.  This yarn is baby Alpaca and wool.  I really like this plum colour

The pattern is by Churchmouse Yarns and is called the Walking Rib Muffler.

I shouldn't be bored anyways

linking up with Let's Bee Social 

WIP Wednesday

The last of the Thanksgiving leftovers have been eaten and it's time to get back at the sewing.

These will be the last of my blocks for the Humility group of do.good stitches, because I'm letting go of a couple of groups to allow more time for other sewing commitments.

Simple friendship star blocks

this star block for Mary in the Mid Century Modern group was fun to do. Her quilt will be amazing
I included some of our Canadian chocolate : )

and because baby is due the end of the month, I thought I had better get busy making more feather blocks.  Now I have three.

My brain is trying to come up with some kind of a setting for these.  I am thinking five blocks kind of floating ? .........

linking up with w.i.p. wednesday
scraptastic tuesday

JUST KEEP SEWING......

This morning I was up before the chickens, so I sewed a couple of bee blocks.  I got a bit behind last month, but I think I am nearly caught up--------with blocks anyway!

Mary asked for a basket block like the ones I got.  She loves 'kitchy' things so I dove into a scrap basket and found this cute strawberry print.

Then there are the do.good stitches blocks where I usually end up learning something new--like patience : /

we were asked to assemble these half rectangle triangles randomly.  These were fun

and these giant leaf blocks were a quick sew

someone needs to cut the grass.......

and when I just can't think about sewing, I knit.  The next grand baby is due the end of October, so I think he/she might need a little pumpkin hat

I have hung onto these little overalls for about 20 years.  It will be nice if someone can finally wear them again : )

Happy stitching!  Enjoy your week end