UFO Update and pictures

Today is our day to post our progress for the UFO challenge over at Blackberry Creek Home Arts hostessed by Sue. I am so thankful that Sue has once again allowed me to take up the challenge for 2012. I was a bad bad UFOer last year and finished maybe two items. I think she understood why as just a couple of years ago she too lost her husband. So thank you Sue for hosting the challenge. My goals for this year are along the same lines as last year - to finish off all, some, hopefully more than one item this year. I have three quilts that need to be layered and quilted, I have one that I am working on the hand quilting and I have about ten or more embroidery projects that I would like to finish. Along with this, I am also challenging myself to use up some of my mounds and mounds of yarn. To that end, I have finished three little baby hats.

I originally am from the Calgary/Banff Alberta area and one of my nieces works at the Canmore hospital. My sister has been knitting small hats for the newborns and the preemie babies for a few years. The hospital now has opened a new section and is expecting 500+ babies to be born durng 2012. Quite a few of these babies will come from the Stoney Nakota reserve which is actually where I am from. Before I was born, there was a coal tipple (processing and loading) station on the reserve which serviced a mine that was in the Kananaskis region. The mine closed down before I was born. There was still coal to be shipped, cleanup to be done and disposal of equipment and buildings. My dad stayed on to do all that and to keep an eye on both the mine area and the tipple area. So these babies are related to the aboriginals that we knew and in some cases hung out with when we were young. The reserve is in not good shape these days (as are most of the reserves in Canada), and so I am so proud of my sister M. for taking up this challenge given her by her daughter. I have decided it is a good way to use up the extra bits of yarn.

All three

The Beanie

The Squash

The skier

I am not sure how long I will do the hats, guess it depends on the amount of yarn I find hidden.

Now a few pics of the new abode. I now live in a small town just outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is quiet and it is new - so nothing to breakdown in the near future. I do miss the character of the older homes, but for now this is my choice. I need to regroup and rest from the last few years of struggle. 

The dining "room" and kitchen eating area.

I haven't found a small table for the kitchen eating area yet, so am using my sewing machine table.

My kitchen

The "living" room

The house has the great room concept.

I will add the rest of the pictures in tomorrow as when I went through them, well they just need to be redone.

Have a great day!

Blessings

Jean