Dreaming of beaches while iced!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we experienced several hours of freezing rain and it hadn't stopped by the time we went to bed. We still had power and internet but the phone which went down yesterday morning is still not up. That is a little aggravation we will soon have to deal with. 

All the ice was gone from the trees and the power lines when I got up this morning! They're saying we'll be getting more but I sure hope they're wrong.

Bad weather or not, I did manage to work on my De Deauville To Cape Cod Quilt Mystere by Roxane at Scrap, Quilt, And Stitch. It feels great to be up to date and just in time since the next block comes out soon! People who know me can appreciate my uneasiness at being late for anything; I just had to get these done. Besides, it was great to dream of beach weather while under this coat of ice. 

No need for explanations here... just the details!

Block no 4

Block no 7

Blocks no 4&7 are next to each other and have been sewn together. Block no 8 will span the top of these two blocks. This isn't a very large quilt; it finishes at 29 1/2" X 42 1/4" before borders.

Block no 6

I got bored with working the stem stitch so I decided to change things up a bit. I pondered long about the net wondering if I could use some plastic netting that cover fruit from the grocery store. Then by the time it came to embroidering it, I knew I just had to do it my way. I think it works. 

By the way, you must click on this De Deauville link to see Roxane's album showcasing everyone's version of this cute Quilt Mystere! It's a wonderful perspective of how each person has interpreted their blocks.

Have a wonderful day and keep dreaming of the beaches! Perhaps someday Mother Nature will quiet our shores long enough for us to enjoy some spring!

Toodles,

Lorette

I have linked to The Needle and Thread Network and Let's Bee Social.

Better strap making... for me!

The Travel Duffel Bag is done and it's a beauty if I may say so! First, the details:

The swivel hook on the carrying strap

The carrying strap pad

The inside pockets

The inside binding

The zipper pulls

The Travel Duffel Bag... it measures 21"x13"x8"; it has a center pocket on one side,

three pockets on the front, 2 are zippered

a pocket at each end

It's really beautiful and sturdy; there's a sleeve into which you can slip an acrylic base stabilizer or foam core board for the inside bottom. It adds firmness and prevents sagging from a heavy load. I didn't have the acrylic nor did I have foam board so I slipped in a piece of Timtex for the moment. My acrylic stabilizer is on order.

There's a lot of strapping to make prior to starting the construction of the bag. It consists of sewing strips together to form a longer strip, enough to cover the length of strapping for the handles and the carrying strap. The instructions are adequate for this procedure.

After sewing the long strip (with right sides together) into a tube, you need to turn that tube to the right side then iron it so the seam is in the center. Once the tube is ironed, you attach a pin to your strapping and slip it inside that tube making sure it doesn't twist on itself as you feed it through. Then you sew it in place along both edges. Many steps!! It makes a lovely strap, don't get me wrong! I don't know about you but I've never liked turning tubes. I always try to avoid that process.

Today, I'm working on my daughter's duffel bag and had to make straps for it but this time I chose to make them my way.

I'm using King Tut 40 weight thread for this duffel in colors that complement the bag.

My strapping is 1 1/2" wide so I cut my strips 2 1/2" wide. I need 110" so the strapping is cut to size, and the 4 strips of purple fabric have been sewn together to make a longer than needed length.

I fold one side over the strapping and sew on a grosgrain ribbon 1/8" from the edge. 

When you reach the end, cut the excess fabric leaving 1/2" beyond the length to fold over and do the same for the ribbon to prevent fraying. Stitch across the end then start stitching down the other side. I don't have an awl so I use my seam ripper for turning the edge and guiding the fabric under the needle. 

The resulting strapping is sturdy, in this case it's two-toned which is the decorative look I wanted and I didn't have to turn a long tube. It looks like a piped edge. Sure you end up spending a little more $$ but the result looks great and making it this way is a time and sanity saver. The bonus is that there is no seam visible as in the strapping of the Travel Duffel. I much prefer this method and will use it whenever I have to make handles for a bag. 

My WIP for this week...

I leave you with a photo of our spruce trees and the water in the bay... someday we'll be living closer to that water just beyond the two tall spruce trees on the left flanking that power pole. I zoomed into this view to show you the spruce trees we transplanted in 2009-2010 along the new driveway that will bring us to the cottage. Over 300 spruce trees were dug up by hand from our back lot, hoisted onto the old wagon and driven down to the new location where a fresh hole was hand-dug and the tree dropped in. A lot of hard work but we're really happy to have done it.

It looks as though we'll be very close to the water but we really won't be that close. There's another field and another row of trees between the cottage location and the water. Plenty of room and elevation. Someday I'll share photos of that location.

I'm linking to The Needle and Thread Network and Let's Bee Social.

Toodles,

Lorette

Outside my window!

We've had some activity in the woods... Our newest neighbor, woodlot owner decided to cut logs off his land but in order to do this, he needed access to the lot. Our land borders his and the road is on our property. Permission was granted for him to have access last year but since that winter was milder with an earlier spring thaw, not all the logs were cut. They returned this winter to finish the job. 

In dry summer, it would be advisable to travel this road on a tractor... even then it could be tricky since the land is so boggy. We've done it a few times by tractor and wagon without problem but if the summer is rainy, one would not want to get stuck in the mud. In winter, with the ground frozen, there's little chance of that so it's much safer. Having seen the men go in and out in their trucks we decided to trek out there in our SUV to see the excitement in the woods.

This monster machine picks up the cut and stripped logs and brings them close to the house.
 before they get loaded on a logging truck.

It also clears snow in the yard before the neighbor can come clear the driveway. Clearly, the day after the blizzard, it was making a path for the worker bees!! His own car was by the roadside and the lot owner was waiting to drive up as well. We don't mind them fussing about a clear path! :)

We also ventured down our new driveway... this road is south of the main route and leads to the water and to the location of our future cottage. We built the road several years ago so that it would be well "seasoned" before we build. We also transplanted over 300 spruce trees we'd tagged from our own wood lot. This was done with a shovel and a lot of hard work digging up each sapling from the back hill and transplanting in a newly dug hole.

Deer tracks are everywhere... we did spot the mother and her fawn later that afternoon.

 It amazes me that this logging truck can come and go in and out of the yard but our moving truck couldn't navigate the curve into the driveway!!! Our contractor did mention that the day before the movers arrived, this logging truck actually ditched the back end of his trailer. He figured he'd be stuck here for quite awhile (it was quitting time!) but the driver of the logging truck used his claw (sorry... I don't know what else to call it!) to pick himself out of the ditch and put the back end back on the road. How clever!!

We've witnessed quite a few of these loads leave the yard and today it's been quite busy! And the last of the monster machines has left the lot. All that remains is for the logging trucks to return to pick up the last logs. We hear rumors that the owner of the lot next door will develop a blueberry field. Wild blueberries are big business in these parts. There's also an apple orchard with many varieties of apples on that lot. We have our own apples that need special attention. Maybe with the chainsaw!!!

Toodles,

Lorette

Ushering in 2014... but first...

I have some unfinished business! I promised pictures of secret and perhaps not so secret projects. 

I come from a family of 5 girls of which I am no 4; we lost our oldest sister January 2013... this was our first Christmas without her and it'll soon be the first anniversary of her death. I made sure to put her last gifts to us in our tree this year in her honor! She so loved to decorate for the holidays!

You've seen the moose quilt without the binding! It went to my youngest sister. This project spent many years as a UFO but I'm so pleased to have it done and delivered! It hangs on her wall today! 

Another not so secret project was this table runner which went to sister no 3. They painted their kitchen and living room walls in grey and when I saw this kit, I knew who needed to have this one! It graced her holiday table this Christmas season.

The next table runner went to sister no 2 who also loves to decorate. I made it extra special using fabric from one of our father's plaid shirts for the hat brim. You may recognise the fabric with printed words as leftover from the Paws for Santa II quilt. This one held a prominent position on her holiday dining table.

December 28th was a milestone for someone we held dear: my mother-in-law's birthday. She would have been 96 yrs old. She too passed away this year and we all miss her dearly. She was a kind and gentle woman with a big heart who never said anything bad about anyone, saw good in everyone, was devoted to her family and community with her whole heart, and who lived an exemplary spiritual and Christian life. She was a devoted wife, mother to 5 children and grand mother to 14, great grandmother to 7. 

This was our first Christmas without our matriarch! We miss you Mum.

With the sale of the house, and the holidays over, we are now in packing overdrive. Christmas has been dismantled and stored a bit more carefully than usual. Room by room, we are clearing the rest of the shelves and cabinets. We've gotten better at filling the donation boxes although not much is left to donate except for large furniture pieces. 

Lolah has an appointment prior to the movers' arrival... she gets special attention from the local Gammill technician who delivered her to my studio. Stay tuned for the process of preparing her for the move.

As we usher in a new year, we're filled with anticipation and energy to embrace 2014 as a great year for new beginnings. I hope you and yours enjoy a wonderful 2014 in good health, happiness and with many fun projects in the works.

Thank you for being part of my first year of blogging! 

Toodles!

Lorette