Non Quilting Topic - Retinoblastoma

I don't normally share personal stuff on my blog, but am making an exception this time. This past week has been a whirlwind. It all started out innocently enough our daughter took her youngest son in for a routine eye exam, it quickly became a nightmare. 

Brandon 

In less than a week this cute little 3 year old went from what we thought was healthy to having been diagnosed with Retinoblastoma in his left eye. Two days later we were at the Ivy Eye Institute in London. The next morning his parents were on their way with him to Sick Kids in Toronto. He has had surgery and the doctors removed his left eye on Thursday.

Brandon with his brother and sister

It feel on my hubby and I to try and explain what was happening to their little brother without using the 'C word. This is one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do and never want to do again!

 They have been hanging out at grandma and grandpas the past 4 days. One thing I have found out taking care of a 6 and 9 year old is exhausting, this grandma isn't as young as she thought.

I wasn't sure if I was going to post this next picture or not. 

Our daughter and SIL wanted to make sure that Brandon's brother and sister knew that he was okay, so off to Toronto we went with them. It is roughly a 2 hour drive when the traffic is good, it took us 3 hours to get there. I am glad we did take them as both his older siblings did feel better and had a chance to talk to a social worker at Sick Kids.

after surgery

He is to get the eye patch off today and a temporary eye in place. He will to be fitted for a prosthetic eye in 6 weeks. 

Hopefully he comes home today.

Please if you have young children or grandchildren have their eyes checked ASAP.

Mini Round Robin Finish - 'Oops and Friends'

one round robin mini patiently waiting for quilting

You can read about how 'Oops' came to be here, Sandra of mmmquilts first round here, Tish of Tish's Adventures in Wonderland round here and last but not least Julie of Pink Doxies round here.

Once I sandwiched my Mini Round Robin quilt, it was full steam ahead. With no clear plan I put it under my domestic machine's foot and just started it felt so right, isn't that the way with friends. It seemed to flow as I went.

ahh a finish

In the center I echoed the star then did some meander stitching in the grey to make the star pop a little. I maybe should have used a smaller meander to make it pop more. In the seminole blocks of both Sandra's and Julie's round I again did some echoing. I also echoed the star points that Tish did extending the star into the black corners that Sandra added. I love feathers, and quilted them in the black rectangles that Tish added in her round. To finish it up I did some paisley's in the darker purple outer rectangles of Julie's round.

hanging out in the garden

The back shows the quilting much better than anything I can describe.

the back is an Andover grey print

I used two colours of Aurifil thread, black and dove for the quilting. Dove is one of my favourite colours of Aurifil thread.

The label

Every quilt needs a label, whether it is written right on the back or attached. 

one more look at 'Oops and Friends'

This piece holds a very special place in my heart, it helped four friends become one. 

Thank you Sandra, Tish and Julie for helping 'Oops' grow up and for being the best of friends!!!

The Not List

I am horrible with lists. I can make a list with all the best intentions, but and that is a big BUT I never seem to follow them. I start out good, stroke number one off the list and that is as far as it gets. That's not to say I don't like things organized, because I most certainly do, just not lists.

I have a few things I'm working on and in no particular order and NOT on any list, they are as follows.

For my guild meeting tomorrow, we are doing an applique demo. I will be bringing my sewing machine and demoing machine applique. I usually do a blanket stitch with invisible thread. Unless I am using the 'Crafted Applique' method by Lara of Buzzin Bumble, then I sometimes do a straight stitch.

I designed a sunflower pattern in EQ7 for my guild members, and then touched it up in my graphics program. I am going to get better at using EQ, can't learn the program if I don't use it. Right?

Next up on my not list is to finish writing up the pattern for this quilt. I have 3 blocks left to make. More on this one later.

Pattern writing in progress rather slowly I might add

I have been trying to decide how to quilt my round robin mini. Not a single idea, I haven't even sandwiched it yet. I think that may be up next. You can read more about it hear.

round robin mini

Mother nature continues to play games with us in South western Ontario, it is October 16th and I am wearing my shorts, we continue to have humidity. It is going to feel like 26 Celsius today. Although I do enjoy being able to see the beauty of nature that surrounds me, especially when my world has been turned upside down. My roses are still blooming but I do have a glimpse of fall in my tulip tree.

rose just starting to open

white rose bud wish you could smell the lovely fragance

Tulip tree leaves starting to change colour

 If you want the pattern for the Sunflower Applique it is available for free in my Craftsy store.

Speaking of Craftsy they are holding a fall sale on supplies. This post contains affiliate links.

Hope you are able to enjoy a glimpse of nature around you.

Bloggers Quilt Festival Second Entry

My second entry in the Quilters Blogger Festival is another BOM that I just finished designing for my quild. I am entering it in the applique quilt category. I am especially proud of this quilt and what it represents. You can read the full blog post here along with a little Canadian history.

Canada birthday quilt

When I was designing and making the blocks I kept thinking of the various symbols that are Canadian. I think I succeeded in representing those symbols.

Bloggers Quilt Festival

Amy  of Amy's Creative Side is running the Quilters Bloggers Festival. My entry of a quilt in the large quilt category is Pinky you can read more about it here.

Pinky

I made this quilt as a result of making extra blocks when I ran my guild's BOM last year. You can read about my medallion quilt here and here. I didn't want to make two of the same quilt even in different colour ways. 

Medallion BOM quilt

Pinky now graces one of my granddaughters bed.

Guild BOM for 2016

I  designed my guild's BOM last year and am at it again this year. I wrestled with a few ideas and wasn't sure what I was going to design. Last year I designed the Medallion Quilt you can read about that here and here and some examples made by my guild members here.

 Inspiration finally struck! In 2017 Canada celebrates her 150th Birthday, I thought it would be nice to design something celebrating her birthday. I thought something that depicted Canada would be nice.

Maple leaf

The maple leaf is recognizable as a Canadian symbol and flies proudly on the Canadian Flag since 1965.

Hockey

Ice hockey is the official national winter sport of Canada. It defines Canada like nothing else does. It started on a frozen lake as early as 1825.

mountains and moose

The Canadian Rockies are a system of multiple ranges of mountains which run from the Canadian Prairies to the Pacific Coast. Much of the range is protected by national and provincial parks.

Another Canadian symbol is the moose which represents the country's native wildlife. A bronze statue can be found in the Canadian Paliament's House of Commons. It is also featured on the coat of arms of the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Ontario.

 Lake Erie and a lighthouse in Port Dover

Canada has about seven per cent of the world's renewable freshwater. The Great Lakes basin, is the world's largest freshwater lake system. The five great lakes are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. I have been to all 5 of them and live near Lake Erie.

CN Tower in Toronto and the Beaver

The CN Tower is a 553.33 m-high concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario near the northern shore of Lake Ontario . Constructed in 1973 and completed in 1976 it was the tallest building in the world until 2010 and is now the third tallest building in the world. 

Rogers Centre, originally named SkyDome, is a multi-purpose stadium situated just southwest of the CN Tower and is home to the Blue Jays. It opened in 1989.

The national animal of Canada is the beaver. It became an official symbol in 1975 but was used as early as 1678 on the Hudson Bay Company's coat of arms.

Parliament Buildings in Canada's Capital Ottawa

Canada’s Parliament Buildings are home to the federal government in Ottawa. Designed in a gothic revival style, the buildings officially opened on 6 June 1866, about a year before Canada's Confederation.

The Parliament Buildings in Ottawa are a visually striking complex of buildings located on a promontory overlooking the Ottawa River.

Following Confederation in 1867, the newly opened Parliament Buildings became the heart of the Canadian government and a national symbol. 

They are composed of three blocks, the Centre Block and the East and West Blocks are to each side of the Centre Block and create a public plaza facing the city's urban core. The surrounding open grounds are interspersed with monuments of important political figures who helped shape Canada.

All the parts as one 'Canada'

I didn't mean for this post to turn into a history lesson, but there you have it a few facts about this great country I proudly call home.

the back

A couple pictures showing the stitching on the back.

close up of the stitching on the back

The finished quilt is actually a wall hanging measuring 36'' by 36''. I used the 'Crafted Appliqued' method for all the applique you can read more about Lara's of BuzzinBumble method here.

Thank you Sandra of mmm!quilts for testing the blocks. 

Mod Bear Paw Finished

I finally got my Mod Bear Paw Quilted I tested the pattern for Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts. You can read more about the it here. Lorna is hosting a QAL of the pattern just pop over to her blog to start in on the fun.

It sat by my sewing machine for at least a week basted and waiting for me to decide how to quilt it. Lorna did wavy line quilting and I at first thought I'd do the same, I didn't want to over quilt it as it's a baby quilt. But when I actually started quilting it I just went right into loop-de-loops problem solved. I used Quilters Dream batting a 70/30 combination and really like how it stitched. I usually use  Hobb's Premium 80/20. But I do have to say I love the way the Quilter's Dream quilted.

early morning shot

My sewing machine is a thread snob and seems to have a real likeness for Aurifil when FMQing. I used Aurifil 2600 for the all over loops.

one colour of Aurifil thread

The backing was pieced from the leftover pieces, little to nothing added to my scrap stash and that makes me happy.

an easy pieced backing

Craftsy is having a Farewell Summer Sale. It's your last chance to save on some of Craftsy's most popular supplies. Sale starts Friday the 16th and runs til Sunday the 18th at 11:59pm MT.

Craftsy Summer Sail

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