Time to return

 It’s been awhile and a lot has happened.  Slightly over two years since I've posted anything.

I have been busy.  I’ve done a lot of cross stitch, a lot of designing, a lot of knitting and sewing.

I'm back to making pillowcases for Ronald McDonald House down the road and around the corner in Hamilton.  Yes, basically that is how I get there.  A lovely drive on a pretty much empty road.  Sometimes we stop into the nursery coming home and pick up a thing or two.  Right now I'm waiting for the 'mums.  My favourite flower.

Anyway onto business.

I saw this fabric and instantly thought of Australia and Newfoundland.  Puffins, penguins and seagulls

and the cuff would be sand dollars.  I can tell you stories about all of them but those sand dollars???  Try standing in the North Atlantic off the coast of Nova Scotia until the tide is so far out you can find them.  Ankles were not happy with that cold water!!

The pattern I use is this one and this is the only one I've ever used.

20+ Free Pillowcase Patterns

So let's go with a series of photos.

First of all sew the cuff to the body of the pillowcase.  I always zig-zag after the straight sewing.  Then you pull the body through and yes it does work.

Then you press and you press well.  Make sure there is no puckering because you might regret it.  Ask me how I know.

Sew the long side of the pillowcase WRONG SIDES TOGETHER.  Then I trim away all the loose threads.  That isn't mentioned in the directions, but it avoids all the loose bits when you do the final sewing.

Let the directions in the pattern take you the rest of the way.  Once you start it won't take long to finish up.  I usually make one in about an hour.

This is it!!  The final products.  I love it and I have enough fabric to make more.

If you buy a meter of two different fabrics you have more than enough to make a body and a cuff from one fabric.  The second pillowcase will be a sand dollar body and "critters" cuff.

I found both the fabrics at two different stores because I had bought out 

Northern Sky Fabrics in Edmonton, Alberta

and I wanted more!!

I do believe 

Kawartha Quilting and Sewing in Bethany, Ontario                                                                                       may still have some.

I shop a lot online and every store I deal with and will mention here are fabulous to deal with.  This line of fabric comes from Dear Stella, based in New York City but probably gets their cotton from overseas where it is manufactured in India, one of the world's largest producers.

Have a lovely day.  I'm sewing today because my delivery date is the middle of September and in the meantime I have to get a quilt backing made, knitting to do and I saw this cute little cross stitch.  Never a dull moment.

Thirty

 Sorry

I have made a very big decision.   

For a very long time I have devoted my time and money and efforts

to make quilts for us, for our family members, but lately for

charity.

I have decided after a lot of thinking

to no longer quilt.

I have one baby panel downstairs and I will do that and gift it

to a young family I know and that will be it.

The cost of quilting is now beyond my budget.

Some companies are now charging over $20 a meter 

and I have to think a lot about that before I start a project.

I quoted someone $800 for a quilt and they nearly passed out.  I lost that contract.

I hope you have enjoyed the blog over the years.

I think now it's my time, to give to those that don't put demands on my time 

and

just to do things for me/us

Be Happy!