Snowman Courthouse Steps Flimsy

My old, old, old UFO, Snowmen Courthouse Steps is finally a flimsy!

This top has finished at 72" x 100.5".

This finish marks my first finish for 2011 and my first UFO finish towards 11'n'11.

Snowman Courthouse Steps Quilt

This is a quilt top that I started many years ago. I posted previously about it on March 11, 2006: http://silverthimblequiltingarchive.blogspot.com/2006/03/digital-camera-as-design-wall.html

This quilt also appeared on my list of UFO's that I wanted to finish in 2008: http://silverthimblequiltingarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/reflecting-on-2007.htmll

I pulled this project out for our guild retreat last Saturday and I got some of the blocks finished. It took me a while to figure out how I was piecing the blocks after having this project sit for so long. I managed to get 2 rows of blocks finished at our day long retreat. I then worked on the remaining 5 blocks Friday night during the Friday Night Sew-In and then finished them and assembled the blocks into rows and joined the rows together on Saturday morning. You can see a couple of pieces of fabric that I am auditioning for borders in the photo: a yellow inner border and a blue outer border vs a yellow inner border and a green outer border.

Once the borders are done later today, I will be ready to think about a "reward project".


These are two snowman panels that surfaced when I was going through my Christmas fabrics in December. These panels have aged in my stash far too long. I am looking for ideas where I can incorporate pre-printed panels in quilts and will be using these panels as "reward projects" soon.

Friday Night Sew-In

Tonight is Friday Night Sew-In.

Why don't you join me?

Pansy Lap Quilt - Finished Flimsy

When I was in a local fabric store a month ago, I fell in love with a pansy fabric that was marked down to clear it out as there was less than 2m left on the bolt. I was then on the search for the perfect pattern that would allow me to showcase the gorgeous print with minimal cutting. I found the pattern I was looking for in the Dec/Jan 2011 issue of Quick Quilts (page 14 - Manor House designed by Kari Nichols). This one finishes at approximately 53" x 70"--a perfect lap size.

I am working on the "reward" system right now. If I finish an old UFO, then I get to work on a reward. A reward for me is a simple project - something new - something that will qualify as quick gratification because it is fast - something that I can finish quickly so my reward doesn't turn into another UFO. This pansy project was my reward for finishing my Christmas Patience Corners to the flimsy stage.

I wasn't quite ready to call it a night last night when I had the lap quilt finished so I made this matching candle mat (still a flimsy). This is Sandra E. Andersen's design and is called Candlelight.

This is a picture of the mountain that I can see from our living room window. We woke up to a light dusting of snow on the ground this morning. The snow on our lawn was gone before noon, but the snow remains on the nearby mountains.

Patience Corners Christmas Quilt - Flimsy

My Patience Corners Christmas quilt is finally finished to the flimsy stage.

This quilt finished at 95" x 107".

The inspiration for this quilt was Finn -- http://finnleah.blogspot.com/. I started this project in December 2006 shortly after Finn's post about her Patience Corners quilt. http://finnleah.blogspot.com/2006/12/as-per-normas-request.html The scrap fabrics are all from my stash -- many leftover from larger projects -- and the border was one of my bargain purchases at Liquidation World in December 2007. http://silverthimblequiltingarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/stash-busting-efforts.html

Thanks for the inspiration Finn!

Patience Corners Christmas Quilt

I finally finished putting together the blocks for my Patience Corners Christmas Quilt.

Next up................a red inner border and a poinsettia outer border.

I want to start a new project as a reward for finishing this one so the borders will be going on soon.

I am back to working on the "reward" system. :)

It isn't Christmas until the train comes to town!

Greeting the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train (http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/General+Public/Holiday+Train/default.htm) has become one of our families' Christmas Traditions.

The CP Holiday Train travels across Canada stopping at many communities along the way to share a short Christmas program and to collect money and non perishable food items for local food banks.

This year the weather cooperated--it was a night without wind, rain, and snow.

These are some of the pictures I took of the decorated rail cars.

One of the boxcars holds the entertainers. This year's entertainment was provided by, The Odds. http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/General+Public/Holiday+Train/Bios/default.htm

Even the jolly red guy made an appearance!