This quilt was made for one of my friends and co-worker Fara after her husband passed away suddenly and left her and their 2 young boys on their own.  I called it A Fabric Hug for Fara and made it in her favourite colour lilac/lavender and her husband's favourite colour royal blue.  In some of the blocks there are Forget Me Nots and others have Pansies which are also called "Heart's Ease".  The pattern was called Heart and Souls which I thought was so appropriate.  She loved it!

Here is the March block of Bertie's Year BOM.  And yes, I know it's July.  I have almost finished April and am itching to get at June's - so stayed tuned for those coming soon.  I just LOVE these blocks as they are so much fun as they all have piecing, applique and embroidery.

 

And here is Ken's Step Back Cabinet that he made for my quilt studio and painted with milk paints to give it an antique kind of look.  Isn't he just the handiest fellow! 

Here is Toby in front of some of my amazing philopendulas which I have finally found the right place for and they are sure putting on a pretty show this year.  Doesn't Toby look like he's smiling for the camera?

Here are 3 photos of a very curious little Common Yellow Throat that spent several days rapping on the living room window.  He wanted to come in so badly.  This side of the house is covered in pink rambling roses up to about 12 feet high and 3 feet thick that small birds have taken to nesting in.  This little fellow and a female common yellow throat were 2 of the birds that spent a lot of time trying to get into the house through closed windows.  There were also 3 Song Sparrows that did the same.  We think they were all young ones that had just left their nests.  Quite a lot of entertainment to say the least! 

Is there anything happier than pots full of pansies and johnny jump-ups?  I don't think so!

My front porch (with a couple of my husband's home made Adirondack chairs and child's picnic table in glorious blue, green and purple) is looking just a wee bit bare at the moment, even though I have pink and yellow fairy wings, lungwort, daffodils and my amazing red trilliums (thanks to Uncle Gerry and Aunt Dorothy) in bloom.  The little teapot water feature is the latest in a series done and redone by my handy husband.  I think it is definitely the best one yet.  The copper pipe and stabilizers between the teapots, and the lovely teapots themselves which we picked up in Vancouver's Chinatown the last time we were on the mainland, are just so pretty.....I can hardly wait until June when everything will be lush enough in the background that it'll be like a private little oasis next to the porch.  I hope spring is finding everyone across the country by now.

The following 7 photos are of my FINALLY completed 2013 challenge "A Tisket a Tasket, Posies in my Basket" which I sent out to 5 of my quilter buddies.  I know that the 3 in my neck of the woods have not quite completed theirs yet, but need to check in with the 2 out of area ladies.  The requirements of this challenge were that they had to use the 4 fabrics I supplied, have at least 1 basket and bird and have a "surprise" element.  I love the way mine turned out, even if it did take months longer than it was supposed to.  I'll be taking it to work to hang on the side of my cubicle's locker to brighten up my days.

I joined a postcard exchange recently and this is the wonderful postcard I received from Jo.  The detail on this beetle is amazing and Jo's workmanship is too!  Check out Jo's blog at http://explorationsinstitch.blogspot.ca/

 

This is a quilt I started working on when I took some time off work.  Everything except my little earth child and the wisteria vine is made of 3/4" and 1/2" hexies.  That is a LOT of hexies.  I am very happy with how it has turned out.  I have never made such a purple quilt before, but must admit I think the colour scheme is outstanding on this project.

Here are some pictures of my quilt studio which is my favourite room in my house.  Don't you love the spool holder my handy husband made me?  Almost looks like a work of art (at least to someone who really likes thread).

Here are the February and January mini quilts from Bertie's Year BOM.  They are a fun mix of flannels, piecing, applique and embroidery.  I am doing mine with button hole stitch applique.

Just as a point of interest, the Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt is 76 inches by 66 inches, so not exactly teeny!

Here is a baby quilt I made last year.  I started it about 2:00 a.m. one night when I had a bit of a panic attack when I realized that I didn't have a "girl" quilt for Tara's baby, just a "boy" quilt....what if my assumption the baby would be a boy was wrong!!!???  I had it completely finished by noon except for the binding when I received a call - she had a boy!  Well, in that case I got to keep it for myself.  It hangs on the wall in a cosy corner of my quilt studio behind a glider rocking chair and armoire that were my mother in law's.

Here are pictures of Carol's Vintage Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt.  Carol is my sister-in-law's sister who we stayed with when we were in Ludlow England in 2008.  At that time she brought out a partially done quilt that she had started when she was about 12 (if I remember correctly) and asked if I would like to take it home, which I did, and then it sat in my closet until 2013 when I brought it out to show my quilting buddies, in particular Bonnie who is one of those amazing people that enjoys finishing up other people's half done projects.  Well, with Bonnie's help we got it all put together and added the cream border.....and again it waited until last month (Feb 2014) when I took it to Kismet Quilts (a lovely quilt shop in Port Alberni, BC that does amazing machine quilting) and they quilted it for me.  I put the binding on the day I got it back and now it is just waiting for Bonnie to get back from holiday to see it before I return it to Carol.  Won't she be surprised to see the finished project after about 45 years in the making!

I just got an e-mail from Jo, the recipient of my first ever fabric postcard, that it had arrived in perfect shape today!  I just had to send it "naked" as it seemed such good fun to think about people getting a peek at it along it's journey from west coast to east coast.  I must say that I can see these becoming another addiction for me.  Fun and fast and oh so sweet! 

Well, after 2 months on stress leave I'm back to work at the Welfare office next Tuesday.....don't know if I'm looking forward to that or not.  Hopefully they'll take it easy on me.

Meanwhile I have been quilting up a storm.  I have signed up for Bertie's Year BOM (my Christmas present from my sweetie) and have January and February completed....pictures to follow.  I have also been hexie crazy lately.  I'm in the middle of doing a wall hanging on which pansies, lupine and wisteria are all made with hexies....phew - that's a lot of hand work!  And not quite ready to post.

I have also made my very first fabric postcard - such fun....it went off in the mail this morning - hope it makes it to the recipient without any problems.  I have to wait until she gets it  before posting on blog.  The theme is Spring and the saying I put on it is by Robin Williams "Spring is Nature's way of saying "Let's Party!".

Cheers, Lynda

In case you don't know - if you double click on the pictures you can see them enlarged (much nicer).

Here is Toby with my pots of coleus and begonias from last summer and fall. I was so impressed with how well they did that I'll be planting the same again this year.

A very rare juvenile Northern Goshawk eating rabbit in Toby's yard.  There are only 2 breeding pairs in mid Vancouver Island according to our local bird expert.  He took all day, but ate the whole rabbit except spine and some guts.

The following pictures are Cassidy's Dream Boats, I love the Sailboats on the rickrack sea, Madison's duvet cover, the bears and bunny appliques are so sweet and I thought the bowtie blocks set in a hugs and kisses setting made the most of the yellow and grey colour scheme (new colour scheme for me) and I was unsure if I would like the finished product, but yes I did.  Noah's Trip Around the Word was the result of a request for a "nautical" theme....with a name like Noah what else could it be?  Wade's Chevrons was the most challenging for me...burnt orange was a tough one and I'm not a big fan of chevrons, but his mom was delighted with the outcome and I definitely delivered what she requested. 

Well here I am again.  2013 is long gone and I have been very remiss in adding to my blog.  I have been sneaking the occasional peek at blogs done by others and am completely in awe of the amount of stitching so many of you do...and the projects have been so lovely.  I have promised myself to upload a pile of pictures of my finished projects from 2013 by the end of February - so saving power failure tomorrow is the day....(fingers crossed).

 

I have enrolled in Sheila's postcard exchange and am looking forward to making my first ever fabric postcard.....a new and quick, quick, quick finish.  Sounds like fun doesn't it!  I've been told they are very addictive....but then what fabric projects aren't?

 

Today was wonderful - sunny and warm and a trip to Nanaimo with my best buddy Janet to buy pellon for the postcard(s), check out the sale at The Stitchers Muse (a wonderful needlework store chock full of threads, beads, fabrics, and all the bits and bobs needed to be creative).  I bought a meter of beautiful green, blue, cream batik, some beading needles....about to start a new crazy quilt block, 2 balls of crochet cotton (a gorgeous deep purple and a classy Christmas red) and several skeins of assorted DMC and Anchor embroidery thread on sale for only 40 cents each!

  

Next stop across the road for lunch - chicken wraps with Caesar salad and chips (very yummy). 

 

After lunch we went up to Winston's Tea Shop to replenish our tea supplies.  I picked up Cream Caramel Rooibos, Morrocco Mint Green, Lady Grey Black and Jinglepot Dream Black, all loose leaf teas.  I haven't tried the Morrocco Mint Green before but since I've been using mint teas for "relaxing" I thought it was worth a try and it smells amazing.  I absolutely love this little tea shop as it has the "very best of teas", a fantastic variety (probably 80 or so teas to choose from) and many tea pots and cups to tempt me.

 

The final stop was to pick up a few groceries and a cup of Timmy's tea before heading home. 

 

Successful day in my book!