UFOs , stash and my life

Toronto Trip

2010-03-21T08:14:00.000-05:00

Isn't this just yummy! While I was in Toronto I went to the Toronto Textile Museum I was lucky there was a Quilt display on the whole third floor. Yippee!

So While my DH and the rest of the family went to the Hockey Hall of fame. (boring) I got to see some wonderful quilts made in the 1800's.

This is a log cabin whose finished strips were no wider than my pinky nail. Can you imagine doing this by oil or gas light in a small stuffy room?

The whole reason for the trip was to go to the Toronto Art Gallery to see the King Tut exhibit. It was worth every penny we spent to see it. It wasn't the gold or the massiveness of the displays that moved me although they did amaze me. What hit me as I looked at a piece of wall that was made in Seti's time. That this piece of wall was being carved as Moses was being raised in Egypt. I got all goosebumply when I though of the time that this part of a wall exhisted and brought into focus everything I was taught in Sunday School. We are as dust motes in time and can only hope to be better people than our history teaches us.

Side Tracked

2010-02-27T20:52:00.000-06:00

I have been frantically piecing cutting pressing. I have this log cabin quilt in my head and I got to get it out. I have two other projects that have to be complete in 2 weeks and I have barely begun them. I have been sidetracked.

Its not only this quilt top that has me off kilter its this Round Robin Block exchange. I finished my blocks - Union Square from Marsha Hohn's site. I want a Christmasy Quilt. I finished Alicia's blocks (Sunny Lanes) and they are now on their way to Pat.

I really like this block I wonder what it would look like with Scrappy Beiges? What about totally beige. OKay in 2 weeks and only if I get the 2 quild projects done.

hugs
Deedee

Just a peek

2010-02-21T21:36:00.000-06:00

This is what I got back from my LA. Fabulous!!!
It is Bonnie Hunters smokey mountain stars in batiks. I have to get this labeled and bound for the upcoming quilt show in Winnipeg. If I get my but in gear I might be able to finish another one.

I just think that these nickel and quarter size pebbles are just the thing for this quilt.
I have finished the flimsy of my girly quilt. the Strip Twist. I will take a photo outside if its sunny out.
For now I will just go and cut some strips for DSD Graduation Quilt.

Finding inspiration

2010-02-05T10:06:00.000-06:00

Started off checking off my usual haunts in blogland today and well found a great artist. Check it out.

artsy chick quilts

Shop Hopping

2010-01-13T22:27:00.000-06:00

I was so sure I was going to be able to keep up with the blogging thing but i got sidetracked. I am doing the January Bunny Shop Hop. OH I could hardly contain myself...so I didn't. So now I have 20 fat quarters of Black and White or White and Black on there way to my home as we speak.

I also found some cool halloween purple with skulls tonal print I went and got 3 yards of that. I do have a project for that particular yardage when it arrives. I started ages ago on Bonnie Hunters Orange Crush. Well I didn't go for her color scheme and went with Black instead of neutrals and what ever bright and lively colours I had in my stash so the work in progress is Halloween Crush. That purple will be the best border and binding.

I phoned and ordered the Beige Behemoth Quilt Block of the month but I only did that so I could get some more neutrals in my stash from the Sew Sisters Shop in Ontario. I mean I have the Block of the month pattern because I ordered it last year but I figured that they will be using new fabric lines in neutrals and this was the easiest way to get them . I mean I don't go out and look for Beige Fabric. I don't like Beige so I don't go to the store and go and say I need BEIGE! I go out and look at PURPLE and ORANGE and buy those instead. It is logical in my own mind.

I tried ordering a few more things from another shop with Paypal but I couldn't remember my passwords , One to get into my email and two my paypal account. I think this was just a sign that I should stop shopping so I kinda stopped oh but the window shopping was great. The only thing that was missing was the fabric fondling.

There is a couple of designers that I am being drawn to but haven't purchased anything of their lines. The fabulous Kaffe Fasset and Phillip Jacobs. There colors and style are kinda funky and I haven't found any of their lines here in local shops so I will be good for now and save up for the hundred yard dash for fabric sometime in my future.

So what have i been doing ... lets see I washed my floors on my hands and knees with the toothbrush for the small cracks in the hardwood floors. With Taco and JJ drooling and dragging food all over the floor and the 7 year old cookie monster that I have been watching for the past week It was time. That is it for housework. That is enough don't you think?

I also cut out 124 1.5 inch squares in darks for one project I started 2 years ago. Its a medalion BOM. I mean I have all the stuff here and it was one of my projects of the day thing. Another one was 2.5 inch squares for a Christmas gift of a table runner for next Christmas. I am off to an early start because I know I will end up quilting it around the 20th of December 2011 if my track record holds true.

If you can't tell my lovely cat Wicket was very curious about what was on my mat and wouldn't leave until I took a picture of her.

Friday and Saturday Gone Frogging

2010-01-10T07:20:00.002-06:00

As many of you know Frogging a polite term for ripping the damn sewing out that you just did to fix the f@%# mistake that Is Glaringly apparent in the piece once it is almost complete.

I was working on my third panel for a scrappy Bargello ( Another Bonnie Hunter Quilt) and well its not matching the 2 panels already sewn. After counting and matching colors in the panel I figured it out. One too many strips. Okay that shouldn't hold me up to much. Oh I was sooooo WRONG.

I turned it around and starting frogging and it came out fairly quickly. I took out what I thought was the offending piece and sewn the tube back together. Still was not matching ... I took out the wrong piece ... back to frogging This time I marked the piece with a quilting safety pin. Again took out the correct piece this time and stitched it back together.... What I forgot to do was return the piece that I took out the first time by this time I was getting seriously Peeved. (again polite term). Back to Frogging

I finally got that piece together right number of strips sewn back into a tube ready for cutting into strips. Pressed and set aside while I took out the next panel It too had one to many strips. Caught it before I cut into strips yeah!.. so I set it aside with the other panel and went and had a cup of coffee. So I could have a fresh start on Saturday so I would feel better if I got the panels cut into strips and done into the panels again.
Saturday bright and early 7 am after taking the dogs out I was completely awake because it was Frigging Cold out I decided I would put on the coffee and start back on the panels since Friday was a wash for project a day

. I matched up the fifth panel and was grateful that it matched. So I cut it. What I didn't count on is that I matched it to the one that I didn't take that offending strip out. Now since there was Three panels with and extra strip same . I matched up the colours to the panels that I already had sewn together and What the F@%# one extra strip but now I had cut the panel into strips grrrrrrrr. Did that mean that the first two panels that were already sewn were the actual wrong panels and I forgot to put a strip in. ??? I now notice that my colours are not matching and there is a green not where it is supposed to be and a red that extra in 2 others. I remember why I put it away in the first place. Question to all you quilters, do I just give in and sew it the way it is sewn or rip some more.

What is going to be my project today?

Strip Twist n Stuff

2010-01-08T09:49:00.000-06:00

What happens when you let a fabric crazed woman whos going through menopause loose in her stash ?

I ended up with this while I was cutting the strips of 2.5 inch fabrics that I cut for my girlie Strip Twist designed by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville. What happened is that I got distracted and started doing something else and the next thing I know I have this pile of stuff laying on top of my strips. I KNOW I put them right there!.
Any way messed got moved and I located my 9 inch strips that I had cut for my Strip Twist that had become the Project for the day.

Project for the Day started because of the Chaos of my projects was getting out of hand. I figured that if I work on one project a day for the next year I might have a few finishes instead of just starts and UFO's. ( I have a short attention span.) Who am I kidding I LOVE new projects and all that yummy goodness of crisp Best Pressed fabric waiting to be cut. Back to the Project of the day, this isn't a resolution its just a way to keep me focused (pretty hard) on one project for a day to work on. I have no deadlines, no pressure just some good clean sewing fun.

I had started the Strip Twist some time in the past 2 years and just did a few blocks here and there. So I ended up with these blocks. Not done yet.

Because yesterday I had cut , lost found and then sewn these bits together. there are 50 pairs of strips to make 25 blocks to whip together. I think I need to make another 30 pairs for the size I want.

Not leaving Wednesday out but I was working on the never ending pile of half square triangles to do the pinwheels in my OTR . I chose to do the pinwheels in purple so they stand out a bit and my leader and enders have no purple in them. They have to be pressed open and then sewn into 4 patches. The bricks in this project was cut out when Bonnie first started this in what seems like ages ago.
Lets see what trouble I can create in my sewing today.
Be Safe and use a Klutz glove. I gotta get me one of those.

Hugs

January 3 Blatherings

2010-01-03T11:44:00.000-06:00

I am going to wander off and cry for a while. If you haven't heard Crazy Mom Quilts is (sob) quitting her blog. Oh I know she doesn't need me in her life blog stalking her anymore but what else am I to do? I mean what other meaningful non relationships can I commit to? Who wants me blog stalking them? Is it you? Like I know you show up here every once and a while but are you my type?

HA! Now you are thinking I am really crazy .... well according to my meds that is a yah.

Al l I need now is for you to see my ever expanding stash and you would know "Yup that girl has a problem or two".

New purchases for the new year. 10 meters of Batiks ... 40% off yeah!. Gotta have them because I am doing a paper piecing nightmare. You know the ones that Judy N what ever her name is makes look eazy peezy I also did some online shopping. oops. I know paying off the credit card is supposed to decrease the debt , not give me more $ to spend on online SEX (Stash Enhancing Expeditions)
Well I am off to get humanized so I may go out in public so I can pick up the required workbook for another workshop I will be taking in 2 weeks. Got the date sticky post it on the fridge. Wrath will be mine if anyone moves it.
This post will self djasdlo.......aidf......asdi;................ik......................eek..........

Happy New Years continued

2010-01-01T12:49:00.000-06:00

The little guy in the santa suit is Alek sitting in a sled my husband made with Sidney my niece. This is one of Bonnie Hunters quilts from Quiltville.com. I am just calling it Alek's quilt. and the right next to each other is Brownie and JJ.

Happy New Year.

2010-01-01T09:03:00.001-06:00

Do you all have those magic resolution lists that make you crazy as you try and meet your goals for the year?. I don't ...Its the same every day , every month ....get some UFO's finished. I have 8 of them on my ironing board waiting to be basted or quilted or even put the binding on so I can try and finish them off . 2 of them are tops that I ebayed. Can't figure out why I did that since I have a bunch that I have made my self to do. Another is a wall hanging that I started for my sister and all I have to do on it is put on the binding. That one has been sitting for 8 years and I can only hope I can find that piece that was to be the binding. HA. I have a round robin that needs its outer rounds to be attached. Lets hope I haven't misplaced all those blocks. That has been sitting around for about 7 or 8 years as well. I have another wall hanging that started out in a workshop 4 years ago I like it I don't know why I stopped working on it. I am adding dodads and bits of organza to fini the top and then bind it. One log cabin to quilt and bind. One more pink baby quilt to finish before baby Kasey hits 4 months. And finally I have to pick out the quilting on one quilt and start over because I am sorry I even tried to work on it I am ashamed of the stitches. oh well once picked out it can be redone (by machine cause its faster).

Its the end of the year!!!

2009-12-29T20:57:00.000-06:00

Well its been a hectic couple of months and in 2 days it will be New Years. These aren't my quilts but I thought they would brighten up the blog. I have yet to find the card with my baby quilt finishes. They have gone to their respective owners and been pooped and puked on so they are home. My nephew thought that it was to good to use but I corrected that Idea. I told him that the best complement I could get is if Alek would love it to death. I only have 3 more baby blankets to make. One is for Luke one for Kasey and one for a little baby bump that has yet to arrive.

How did this happen

2009-12-13T10:06:00.001-06:00

It seems I blinked and skipped right by Halloween and the month of November and the beginning of December. Anyone know how that happened. I recall going to 2 workshops, turning 45, missing my son (he moved to another province) going to 2 quild Christmas parties( at each one I got fabric organizers) I think someone is trying to tell me to clean up. Loosing 3 blocks for a block exchange and remaking one of them I found the other two.
Today our nephew's girlfriend went into labor and we are supposed to be having a birthday dinner here. I think half of the quests will be at the hospital waiting.

This is neat.... and how true

2009-11-03T14:58:00.003-06:00

Ode to My Wife the Quilter
- Author Unknown

She learned to Quilt on Monday,
Her stitches all were very fine.
She forgot to thaw out dinner,
So we went out to dine.

She quilted miniatures on Tuesday.
She says they are a must.
They were quite lovely,
But she forgot to dust.

On Wednesday it was a sampler.
She says stippling's fun.
What highlights! What shadows!
But the laundry wasn't done.

Her patches were on Thursday -
Green, yellow, blue and red.
I guess she was really engrossed;
She never made the bed.

It was wall hangings on Friday,
In colors she adores.
It never bothered her at all,
The crumbs on the floors.

I found a maid on Saturday.
My week is now complete.
My wife can quilt the hours away;
The house will still be neat.

Well, It's already Sunday.
I think I'm about to wilt.
I cursed, I raved, I ranted;
The maid has learned to QUILT !

Halloween costumes

2009-10-29T09:02:00.000-05:00

Basically around this time of year my sister has this fantastic idea that I want to make her and her kids halloween outfits. eh not really but I will do it.

I am making a corset for my sister. she wants to be a sexy witch lol. Okay wear a corset for a full evening see how you like it ( I am putting boning in). The girls out fit is a fit of 8 yards of that cheap pink satin to make a very girly princess's dresses....far cry from the dead brides all the girls were last year.

I have been making halloween outfits and there makeup for my family for decades....Dragons & Demons, Baby Dolls and Ninja Turtles. Lady bugs and fairies The most fun I had was the Demon. I had rented it out a few times after my son used it. Each time it one a prize. I had built this head with spray foam and paper mache and hooked up red light where the eyeballs where supposed to be attached the battery pack. Voila creepy glowing eyes. Unfortunately that is one costume that I don't seem to have a picture of.

Yesterday found me hunting down sites with spooky stuff with instructions. Go here if you want to see some really fantastic props. If you have any any homemade Halloween props, outfits or quilts that you want to share with me and others. Leave me a comment maybe I can get a list started...

I remember!!!

2009-10-23T18:55:00.001-05:00

I Remember !!! Tonight I have to get my crap together for a workshop. As for the buns well I just have to make a trip to the bakery again. I still haven't decided on what I am going to work on. I have so many WIPs and UFO's its kinda hard to decide.

I could work on my many leaders and enders that I have maybe make something out them ...like work on my Orange Crush. I think though I desperately need to be able to do something that I can finish in one day.
I have been good for not starting to many new projects (yeah right) and I am sick of squaring up half square triangles for my Old Tobacco Road.

Worse comes to worse I could also cut out that evil pink satin for the Halloween costume that my niece weedled me into making. I hate cutting satin and I hate sewing it . darn stuff slides all over the place.
Anyone else have that as a pet peeve?

Hugs everyone

ps. isn't he the kewlest Alien.

This past week

2009-10-20T19:28:00.000-05:00

Well I posted that I was going to a workshop for last Saturday, guess what! I was to bring 3 dozen buns for the workshop on Saturday so off I went to the Bakery (Just so you know Upper Crust Bakery in Selkirk is the BEST) to get them . I drove off to the Church hall so that well I could park close to the doors. I got there with a half hour to spare so I drank my Timmies ate my yogurt and berries and waited for the arrival of the gals...I waited and waited .... and waited. 9:15 saw me driving back home to check my email in case that it was on Sunday. ...NOPE.
So there I sat at home having more coffee and deciding what I was going to do with 3 dozen buns. I went there a week early.

I hope I will remember that this Saturday is the workshop. With my memory shot I think I will need a reminder because I have been doing a lot of dough head things and forgetting a lot.

A Big Huge THANK YOU goes out to Lori from Dakota City Quilter for these wonderful goodies. I LOVE Halloween

There is a giveaway happening in blogland

2009-10-20T08:23:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe is having a give away. This is what she wrote in her blog.
"A Fat Quarter Bundle of Red Rooster's Pumpkins & Spice Fabrics by Whimsicals. Hello! Yes, that's 27 fat quarters."
Isn't that one of the best prizes! You have to go here to enter in this fun Halloween giveaway

A new week

2009-10-13T11:19:00.000-05:00

Quilt guild meeting tonight. I am going on a 1 day sew along with these ladies this weekend. I have to decide what I am going to do. I have a number of Bonnie quilts that have been languishing in there bins ....I have to quilt up 3 baby quilts.... I have tons of cutting for my Shakespeare in the Park. I have my boo itty bitty quilt to do. I have about 80 pinwheels to do for OTR. I just have to too many choices. I am off for more coffee. I need a Timmies fix. Lets see what I come up with a little later today

Pay it Forward!!!

2009-10-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

I received my Pay it forward from Pam It is a lovely fall Bag with a pin cushion that she has shown on her blog. and a lovely little Double Wedding Ring pin. THANK YOU PAM!!!
;)

So who wants to be in on the fun? I am committed to creating, making, sending 0ne gift for Three People this year. All you have to do is commit to making three gifts for 3 people in the next year once you have joined me . I already have one taker She is one talented quilter. She does applique, paper piecing and regular piecing. As soon as her blog is set up and running I hope she puts photos up of all the quilts that she has shown me.

So Think about it let me know and I will get back to you!!!

On another note I woke up to this today... sigh.... Yup that's snow...
Hugs everyone.

More pictures of the Show

2009-09-24T06:07:00.003-05:00

Just pictures today. I have a horrible cold and I haven't slept all night. Off to go make some tea. Its 6:23 am....sigh

PineRidge Quiltshow 2009

2009-09-22T13:36:00.002-05:00

Just a little Eye Candy from Pineridge Quilt Show in Pineridge, Manitoba

More to come

Quilty hugs for everyone

2009-09-11T13:27:00.001-05:00

When we stood still the towers fell. Where were you when we all stood still. For some, time stood still and never went forward for them. We stood still and watched in horror, terror and in shame. We stood still and waited for word from friends, lovers, family. For some it never came and the tears for their losses have not stopped.

I do not understand why, Tell me why. For the first time in my life I felt utterly afraid. Of what would follow the attacks of the Towers. Of what they would do in response to these attacks. Of what might be the world my children would live in.

Hell what type of world do we live in? When Mothers kill their own babies, Fathers rape and abuse their daughters and hold them in captivity for their own sick needs. When Sons learn that abusing others is the norm and no longer the exception. When Daughters believe that sex is love and have children of their own before they are in high school.

I burrow into my quilt and wrap those I love in the quilts I have made for them. The quilters that I have met and the ones whose blogs I follow , I don’t see that ugly world in their lives. It touches our quilty world but we seem to rally round and still wrap each other in warmth , kindness, friendship and family. If only we could wrap every one in quilt.

Coming out of hiding

2009-06-30T10:54:00.003-05:00

The worst thing about depression is that you just curl up into a ball and have the biggest pity party on the planet. I have lost contact with scores of people because I couldn't handle it. I screened phone calls, quit seeing some family members barely went online. Chocolate and the tv were my best friends. Counselling was something I hated doing . If your honest with yourself it hurts and makes you come out of that little cacoon that you have been hiding in. Lets say I wasn't coming out to put my feelings outside where they could be seen. Very few people and I am talking about 3 people I let into my house for about 3 months. This is another step. Getting back online.
I am hoping some people forgive me and if they don't I cannot worry about them. I have enough of the garbage still floating around in my day to day life, that oh well that I really didn't need them in my life in the first place.
I still battle with going to work every day.
Lets see if I can get back into the swing of things in my quilting world.

packing and moving

2009-02-26T05:33:00.002-06:00

Stay tuned Pictures of the crazed packing and moving coming soon to a blog near you. Moving day in 3 days. Will be offline for the next week or so until everything is settled. Have fun folks and keep sewing. Next question do I buy a sewing table or a sofa ??? drop me a line and let me know what you think. lol

And the winner is...

2009-02-19T20:01:00.004-06:00

Averett Lady Nana

Please contact me at honeybit64@yahoo.ca to give me your snail address.

Giveaway closing time

2009-02-18T23:41:00.001-06:00

I will be closing the entries at 12:00 pm Central Standard time. I will hopefully have all the entries cut up and in a large pail to make the draw and have it posted by 8:00 pm.

Quilty news sorta

2009-02-16T23:02:00.003-06:00

I have been a bad girl. I went shopping. Again. I ordered a quilt block of the month from SewSisters in Ontario. I think I fried my brain cells out when I went on my trip and I have been on a spending spree for the past month. Maybe its stress. Pretty things always get my mind off of the unpleasant stuff. And I know there has been enough of that going around here.

These ladies are fast. I ordered it on Wednesday night and I received my first package today. Kudos to them, and I am suprised at the post got it here so fast. WOW. I haven't opened the package. I haven't even sneeked it into the house yet.

I decided I want a coffee cups or teacups quilt for the wall where my dining table will be. So the next thing do I make it myself or do I invite all my quilty friends to play with me? I have seen some great cup quilts and I think that it would be a fun project to take on. Applique I think and the colours all over the map on a neutral background. Fast Fuse would be easiest I think. Leave me a comment if you want to have coffee or tea with me. Even if you don't hook me up with a link with blog that has a great cup quilt so I can see. A girl has to have coffee in times of stress. Or a nice calming cuppa tea.

Don't forget to leave a comment on my iceday give away post for the Moda Maypole give away.

Quilty Hugs all

I got the house!!!

2009-02-16T05:17:00.004-06:00

This is my new house, brand new house. I built into the conditions of the house fridge stove and dishwasher and the GE profile series washer and dryer. I will have a sewing room in the back of the lower level with enough lighting installed. Since the basement is unfinished I am thinking that I should wire the family room for surround sound. I take possession on March 1st. Of course this is assuming all of the money stuff with the bank doesn't fall through. But my mortage guy at the bank said we were okay for a higher amount. So it shouldn't. You know what this means! I will be packing everything of mine. I am scared of finding out exactly how many boxes of fabric I really have. I mean once it is packed up . It will be out there to see. I really don't think I will have to worry about having a storage unit rented out but... I have a stash. I have to buy a living room set. I found one on sale yesterday. They say it is partially landscaped but I am going to get Brad one of my mothers friends to do up a paving stone patio out back in the summer. Spring will bring me to putting in my lilies into the yard. I have a lot of gardening to do in the future. Hopefully the transplanting I won't lose to many of my perenials. Some I have gotten from my moms garden. I have a crap load of planning to do.
OMG I bought a new house.

I sit waiting.

2009-02-15T11:42:00.002-06:00

You know the longest time to wait is when your waiting for news. I put an offer in on a new home yesterday and the deadline for this is today at noon. I don't want to not get the house.
don't forget to put your name in for the draw

Happy Valentines to me

2009-02-14T07:23:00.003-06:00

truth be told I haven't been honest with you all. Me and my husband are separating. I am searching for a new home that will allow me to pursue my own hobbies and him his hobbies.
The separation is his idea. I hurt. I am angry. I want to scream. Life as I have known it for the past 13 years is going to change in a big way. We were finally financially stable. Our paychecks allowed to have the perks. My kitchen that I helped design was almost complete. I am looking at significantly older and smaller homes. Wish me luck I am putting in a bid for a house today. With anyluck I will be the winner and will be moving out of this house in 4 weeks. Sooner if I can.

I love him and I am going to make a new life for myself with out him. I am scared. Not of being alone but of sinking into the dark chasm of depression. I was diagnosed with it 5 years ago.

I need strength to work through this. This may be temporary or it might be forever. Who knows. I certainly didn't expect him wanting to separate when I woke up a month ago.

But for all those lucky people who still with their loved ones Happy Valentines.

Ice Day Giveaway

2009-02-09T08:39:00.007-06:00

Since about 3 am the rain has been beating on the sides of the house it stopped around 6 am. That being said all that lovely water froze to my car, steps ( currently ready for ice skating championships) and the highways. I had to slide out on my bum to get my poor furbaby taco back up into the house this morning because she couldn't make it up the steps with out falling back down. The reason for the bum is because that is what I landed on when I took one step outside. Needless to say I am not driving in that. I have to work like everyone else but I need to keep myself in one piece more!!!
So I am having an Ice Day at home where I get to play with my fabric. Yippee!!!
So does anyone else have an ice day going on?

Any way who love jelly rolls? I have an extra one just sitting in front of me. It is Maypole by Moda. See what happens when I am bored online I order things usually about 2 or 3 am in the morning when I can't sleep. When I do that I don't always keep good records of what exactly I ordered. So within a week of each other they got delivered. I liked it so much I ordered 2 from different online shops. Since I am having an Ice Day , I will make it even better by hosting a giveaway. I don't know how to do buttons, so I won't give you one. Leave a comment saying you would like to be entered between Today February 9th and February 19th. For extra 5 entries give me a link on your blog and let me know! Please remember anonymous people cannot win.

So who has instructions for buttons for the technically challenged???

I have been a bad blogger

2009-02-08T06:52:00.002-06:00

Wow I didn't realize that It has been such a long time since I blogged. Bad Blogger.
Now that my guilt has been appeased, I will take the time to fill you in on the fabric happenings as well as that same old same old.
I met one of my resolutions as I have taken a whole day sorting out my stash (not my idea it was DH). I got one of those big white storage pantry cupboards and filled it up. Its dimensions are 72 x30x16. Apparently, I need one more. I had most of my stash in rubbermaid tubs. Well those tubs got pretty annoying fast as sure as heck the color I wanted would be in the bottom tub. I have tubs every where in the house. I still have tubs to sort through. One more day of that I think but I have a crumb and string bin. Gotta work on that. When do people have time to . I also found a love for those clear drawers. I have them sorted in my way. Embroidery Machine and its notions and stablizers and such. Quilting, My Kenmore and all her bits and bobs and an assortment of my silk finish threads. and My everything goes. That one has everything in it. From yarns and beads for embellishing to spray adhesives.

I have an assortment of neutrals. For some reason I thought I didn't have very many and well since I was taking a break I went online and ordered some creams, and some pinks and some greens. These are all light romantic colors I don't normally go for. That girly girl inside me took over when I was ordering. Damn her she has no sense when it comes to shopping. I mean darn it all she ordered 60 fat quarters. They come in bundles of 20. What was she thinking. I was only browsing and making wish lists and being responsible. I KNOW she went OOOOOOOOOOO Pretty! and hit the add to cart button. It wasn't me , I wasn't in control of my senses. If you want to see the store that that evil girly girl got stupid on click here

Have a great day folks

January Madness and other stuff

2009-01-24T22:01:00.005-06:00

Well now that the pesky cold from hell has left me only with congestion of my sinuses, the most adventerous I have been is reading blogs. Much to lazy to do anything else. I had tons of good intentions. Exercise (lmao) make a UFO list. I got to 10 and I quit. I really didn't want to know how many starts I actually do have. There is every single leader ender project from Bonnie Hunters site. Old Tobacco Road, Orange Crush, Strip Twist, Sisters Choice, Crumbs galore and times that many from every project from project classes since 2 years ago. Oh my and then there is my swap group(strips and blocks) I am suffering from overload. Not to mention I have been shopping online for 2 months solid. My credit card may never be the same. So with projects and stash in hand I must leave this humble abode.
After much discussion with DH (HAH) "We" have decided that me and my fabric must move out. This is in effort to get my sewing stuff out of the way while the renovations on this darling humble house can get completed. Not even I will consent to living with out a bathroom, shower, washer dryer for any extended time frame. Not to mention, furniture while the flooring gets installed. With nothing to put my darling sewing machines on even I cannot forsee me squatting on the floor with my sewing machine beside me working on the next swaps blocks. You see people I have to go house hunting. I refuse to rent. Why would I spend good money for someone else to profit. I mean If I purchase another house with all working plumbing and with floor I can be comfortable while this house gets the final ransack. And well me and DH can work on our relationship with out getting on each others nerves over fabric and renovations. AAAAAAAAAAAArrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!
Living on my own with only my furbaby Taco Bell. Such luxury oooooooo I mean loneliness right. Actually the tension between my husband and my fabric has been reduced. He walks right by the pile I have out to iron and he doesn't even growl at it.
I HATE packing, moving, unpacking. This is punishment for having to large a stash I tell ya!.
Another happening is my baby boy is 25 years old today and he would shake his head that I am on THE WORLD WIDE WEB and announcing "baby boy" I quite politely informed him that when he is 50 I will still call him my baby boy. What else when you remember every defining moment in your child's life , firsts of every thing. First Tooth, first booboo, First steps , first stitches, first day of school, First A in class, first girlfriend, first broken heart, first car, graduation, first apartment. Truth be told he is a damn fine young man if I do say so myself.

And if any of you fine lurkers want to read another funny tutorial check here

Up first a bit of frivolity

2009-01-17T10:43:00.003-06:00

There has been many things that have happened since Christmas. I actually got on a plane to fly. ( My broomstick was in the closet) and went off to the magical paradise of a Resort in Dominican Republic. This is a place where there are no dishes to wash, No dinners or lunches to prepare. The beds magically get made with fresh sheets every day and lovely exotic drinks are handed to you by gorgeous jaw dropping men name Carlos or Angel.

It was a memory filled trip! We all swam with Dolphins and sharks and Manta rays. We fed hundreds of fish who apparently were starving. Hours were spent basking in the Sun which in effect fried any memory of -50 degree weather went completely out of my mind.

If only I could go back there. Why you say? Because the windchill for the past week has been - 50 here. Seriously I could be a snowbird now in my life and I so would love to be in a warm tropical setting with an ocean breese to cool me off , along with fancy little cocktails.

New favourite drink is Chocolate Martinies. (Spelling oops). For the Chocolate loving ladies out there it is a lovely concoction made with Creme de Cacao, Vodka and Dark Chocolate Syrup. Shaken not stirred with a fancy little umbrella with a cherry on it. Yum

In reality I am ignoring my laundry and dishes and hoping the magical beings that took care of all the mundane things were here so I could just sit at my table with strips around me to make the next Bonnie Hunter Mystery . Double Delight is a gorgeous pattern check it out. I don't really need to start another WIP since I still have the OC and OTR to do. (they are waiting patiently in their bins waiting for me to get busy. OH well
Hugs everyone

Christmas!!!

2009-01-07T02:09:00.006-06:00

Well it was a wonderful Christmas!
Everyone loved their presents spending time together. It was exceptionally hectic at my house as we were leaving for a family vacation. But that is another posting.
This year it was supposed to be my husbands turn to play Santa Claus he has the perfect belly for it.lol. He was unfortunately called into to work just before sitting down for dinner Christmas eve. So Jess stepped into Santa's boots and brushed off her lap so all could sit and tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas.
Once we started to open presents the kids excitement turned into a dull roar of giggles, OMG's , shrieks and "look at this mom!".
Santa was also giving presents to the grown ups. Practical Gifts such as Spanish for Dummies book for my husband and a new to me book by Stephan King for when we go to the Dominican.
I had been extremely lucky this year with the gifts that I received from my Secret Santa! Chookyblue SSCS was a success! I received a lovely girly girl bag, a sweet Christmas stitchery, a couple of FQ's and a stitchery book all of my own from Jo in Taz! Having a heck of a time posting this picture even though its well past Christmas

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T05:36:00.002-06:00

Thats right it's down to the last hours of mad scrambling for tape and wrap. I am done shopping. I think. I hope. We always seem to forget one child's present. The list is long for the nieces and nephews. New babies to buy for or sew something special.

I already know what my present is . We leave for a trip, some sunbathing for momma, cabana boys and fancy drinks, ocean view and all my family with me. Yippee! Punta Cana, the countdown is on. I have never been anywhere where there is swimming in December.

Life on the beach gotta love it. I think this might be a mistake I could take to the snowbird life with a passion.

With the daylight fast approaching, I have much to do last minute baking for my Mother inlaws Christmas. Gotta love noise If you go there tonight. Santa is coming to all the kids delight. And at the end of the evening silent night.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Past

2008-12-21T19:41:00.004-06:00

Visits from Christmas past. These are pictures from the first Christmas with out my mom. I am glad I took pictures although my heart wasn't in it that year. My favorite little girl Sierra Rose. She is one ball of energy. We have a pic of the Einarson women and that isn't even all of us.When at my mother in laws AKA Ruby, Santa comes for a visit. All the little ones and a few big kids get their pictures done with him and then the Chaos ensues. Shrieks and squeals as presents are handed out with a few helpers. Big Dumb Dog aka JJ. He is such a big sucky baby. He is so happy it was hard to get him to sit still for just a moment to get this shot.

Just a few more days and the chaos of Christmas at my mother inlaws will start. Jokes and laughter, young and old, friends and family will all gather for a meal and then wait for Santa. There are a few more little ones who have arrived on the scene since these pictures were taken. New memories to be made, new stories to tell, new babies to cuddle. Family time. Isn't it going to be great!

Its Here!!!

2008-12-18T05:27:00.002-06:00

My parcel has arrived from my SSCS partner. I haven't even read who it is from yet. I don't think I can make it to Christmas Eve.

I am Back!!!

2008-12-14T08:56:00.005-06:00

Really am glad to be back on track with my life. I took a hiatus to help out with my sister and her family. A little while back she was rushed to the hospital in agony here in Selkirk. They in turn sent her to a Winnipeg hospital who sent her home saying it was just an ovarian cyst. JUST said a man doctor, like to hear that if it was JUST on his testicle. Any way she was sent home and she stayed there for about 6 hours and went back to the hospital in Selkirk and they promptly rushed her in for surgery. Appendix decided it wanted to be a bigger part in her life and threatened to burst. It was actually seeping already and when they got in they hoped they managed to clean out all of the fecal matter and infection out of her abdomen . A few days later taking oral anitbiotics and pain killers she was at home and puffed up like a balloon. Allergies to the antibiotics so off she went to the hospital again. After Antihistamines and new meds she went home and then came back to hospital yet again she was in alot of pain couldn't walk and well just miserable. So they kept her there. We are now talking over a week with only ice chips and IVs giving nutrients. After 2 weeks she was finally given soft food (read Jello and pudding) after they had to go and clean out her abdomen again and hook her up to another bag to continue draining all infectious fluid. So until then liquid diet.
My part in all this . Looking after the kids. Afterschool activities take them to birthday parties, swim lessons, dance lessons, science club and finding sitters for when I couldn't be there because I work too. I had to stay at her home as my niece Alysa is allergic to cats. Yeah fun times. I am not used to young children. Anyway time passed and my sister was given a clean bill of health and sent home to her family allowing me to finally be here and catch up on all things here.
I am so glad to sleep in my bed have my furbabies around me. I gotta say I love all my nieces and nephews but boy am I glad my kids are grown. I am too old and selfish to have younger kids taking over my time lol. Waiting for grandbabies is okay when they arrive I know they can go right back to their parents. I can do the fun stuff and spoil them and send them home hehehe.

Sunday Morning

2008-11-23T01:43:00.004-06:00

Well its quiet here at this time of the morning. The fur babies are all tucked in sleeping and snoring away on pillows and quilts. DH is also snoring away on the couch . I think he was waiting for me to go to bed and well here I am still awake.
So what am I doing at this time. I am trying to finish my SSCS of course. I had decided to hand quilt it and started and well I don't think that was a good decision. My hand cramped up within 10 minutes. My stitches are not as good as they once were. Its the carpal tunnel thing. My thumb gets achy and kinda stuck and its hard to straighten it out because it hurts. I will still muddle through this though and I hope my swap partner doesn't mind my stitches are not even. I found a little yummy treats to go with the gift and a few little gifties that I hope she likes. I am actually getting a bit excited because I hope she likes what I have for her. Soon it will be all wrapped up and sent off to .... a secret place, to a secret someone. I have been reading her blog regularly.
I don't know if I could wait until Christmas to open then. I am a curious sort. But being that we are not giving big presents this year so we could do a big family vacation it will be nice to have something to open then.

Addictions

2008-11-19T04:58:00.004-06:00

Well it occurred to me that I was really really addicted to fabric. Since I have been stuck getting home so late I haven't been able to go to a store any store really and well you would think that is a good thing. Nope I have discovered that online stores are open 24/7 and my paypal account is in good standing. So where was my fabric fix coming from?
I found one store that was clearing out fat quarters, all for only a dollar each. I bought 50.. , and before that I purchased 10 yards of Kona Snow. Another store I got 5 FQ bundles of specific colours. Reds, Blues, Greens, Beiges and Blacks. Thats another 40 fat quarters. ( I fondled these ones this weekend since they arrived.) In another two shops I found Layer cakes and now I have Layer cakes and jelly rolls soon to be arriving.
Saturday I went to the grocery store and since there was only housework to do, I started out to the evil new store in Stonewall. That store is crammed full of goodies. I actually had to start saying "I do not need more fabric" as a sort of mantra to turn me around and get myself back home.
I never thought of myself as having an addictive personality but wow. I had recently paid off my visa in full and just from fabric shopping my bill is going to be huge again this month.
I know for certain my addiction cannot be hid from my husband because of the number of parcels that have been arriving. I can't just stuff them in my bag and sneak them into the house. Gone are the days when I could only afford one or two FQs and those were easily snuck into the stash.
I also been asking myself do I need help? Yes... Do I want help? I am 60/40 on that question. Is my addiction affecting my daily life. Sometimes, It looks like a fabric shop exploded in my house and that just freaks out DH. Is my addiction causing harm to others. Nope, family and friends get quilts from me.
So why am I complaining? Because DH (its always the mans fault) hasn't started building my studio yet. I have to stop buying until I have space of my own just for my toys and stuff. Until then I have DH tucking JJ under my stuff. Doesn't he look like he is enjoying being under My quilt. The Quilt that I purposely made for myself. ( and I am still doing the binding)..... He does look cute all tucked in though. AAWWWWWWW. He is such a sucky baby dog.

44 years and Counting

2008-11-17T05:23:00.000-06:00

44 years ago my mother, bless her, gave birth to what she would have called her biggest work in progress. *VBG* ME!!! I was a terror. at 4 I was running away from home going all the way down the block to Granny's house I would go. Skip ten years and I was still running away to Granny's House. Skip another 30 years and Well here I am living in , you betcha Granny's House. lol

I received a present from a lovely lady named Sunna. She didn't know It was my Birthday and as I got around to opening my mail, out popped a little sparkly pink ribbon pin. Thank you very much Sunna. She also blessed me with a few Scrappy Geese to go into my OTR yes!!!

I finally opened my parcel with my postage stamps. Very Pretty Ladies and Thank you to Sweet Pea (Paula) for Hostessing the swap. I have enough little bits to keep me going for a little while if I get a chance to piece them together into a Triple Irish Chain or just maybe a Postage stamp . I am currently waiting for my Kona Snow to be delivered and then I will decide. Not to mention my 9 patches were just delivered. Kodo's to Karen D. for being the Hostess of this swap. They had been delivered to somebody else and they finally returned them to the post office. This has happened a few times for me. I wish someone would take the visa bill though. If wishes were horses....

Well it has been hectic around here and the earliest I have been getting home is 8:00 pm since I leave for work at 6:30 am its a long day. Things just pile up and wait for me to take care of it so the last 2 Saturdays I was a whirling dervish trying to clean up my home so that I can sit at my machine and work on my OTR or something without feeling guilty. errrr I hate house work. DH tidies but with 3 furballs living with us there are rabid dust bunnies seeking out prey attaching themselves to eek my fabric! DH says there is just as many bits and pieces of strings here but he exaggerates. I chain piece so there is not at many. lol.

I had cut out a large chunk of the pieces needed for the OTR so I got to spend quality time with my machine Last Sunday not so much this Sunday. I have all the bits for the 4 patches sewn into 2 patches last Sunday and was chaining them into 4's by the early afternoon. Once I had enough of that, I began piecing the half square triangles for the pinwheels. It never ended. By 8:30 I was stiff and tired and seemed to have made little progress in the pinwheel department. I can't believe some ladies actually got theirs done in one weekend. Maybe if I didn't break and go out for dinner have a naps , lol.

I am also working on my Secret Santa Christmas Swap. Bits and pieces of it are all over the place. I told you about SAD and I am having acute attack right now and have changed my mind on colour ways twice now so I have starts for 3 presents. I know she has similiar tastes as me so I wonder if she is having the same problem on her end for her SS. Enquiring minds want to know! Well I want to know , Wicket my darling kittie looks like she don't care. lol

Now I went and did it I mentioned Christmas. Do you all have as many gifts to finish I am sitting at 9 and I hope to get them done and photographed all before Dec 24. Since I seem to only have time to sew on weekends. I am thinking I will only get 2 or 3 done . errr that means I will have to go shopping and I don't know about you but I hate shopping in the holiday season! It's way to much for me. People, perfumes and lineups AAAAA. Well gotta go and sew or something is not gonna finish.

Oh and I have to mention Canada Post is going on strike so maybe that is why I am having so much problems with my parcels arriving in a timely fashion. Errrr!

Hugs and Blessings
Lynn

With age comes wisdom I think

2008-11-01T06:43:00.003-05:00

Wow I can't believe it is November already , my time has just been flying away from me. I loved looking at the leaves as they changed colors. The alive feeling I got feeling the brisk wind in my face . Today most of the leaves are gone. I can see my breath in the still cool air.

It is my Birthday month. Yippee I think I am supposed to get older. lol. With age comes wisdom so they say. I have learned a few things I think. Appearances are not everything. Body parts are not where they were in the eighties. My hair is healthier with out perms colours and 20 pounds of hairspray(even with the gray). I can't believe I would take allergy medication every day so I could spray my hair. I love myself more today than I did then. I would spend hours agonizing over how fat my clothing made me look. I was by no means a svelte willowy gal like I wanted to be. Just solid athletic and healthy. I wish I could go back to and tell that old me that I looked great.

I would warn myself that I needed a big sewing room in the future so that I would have been planning for it and have it by now. lol.

Most I made up patterns for my own use. I only had a small Kenmore sewing machine that had seen better days. My mother got it for me as a christmas gift one year. Did any of you go through the pastel and lace Molly Ringwald phaze? I wore pastels and lace that I added to clothing or made . and now that I am older , realized that they did NOT work for me. I also did the punk look. Purple spiky hair, nose ring and black clothing. A precursor to todays Goth look. I expect that if I was that age now I would be a Goth chick . Pale makeup spiky or Rasta hair wearing the big army boots and plaid skirts. The fringe clothing worked for me better. Even though my mother wouldn't sit beside me on a bus. lol.

Today I am comfortable in a pair of yoga pants and big T. Or if I am feeling flirty a girly gypsy skirt with sequins, or practical work clothing to wear on the quad or doing yard work. I have clothing that fits all the different facets of my personality. I wear what I like and am not set up as one look. At this moment I look sloppy its the weekend. This afternoon I may dress as I was going out for tea. I am quite pleasantly called bohemian. I like that.

Embracing me in all my moods is ok. And its great to be silly and laugh at yourself. I think I have a lot to learn and so far I learned alot. Lets see what the next year brings.

Just hanging

2008-10-18T14:32:00.004-05:00

I have been listening to a wellness guru on cd's in my car. I think I will have to rethink doing that because I had to pull over on the side of the road I was laughing so hard it hurt. Loretta Laroche is filled with sage advice and well if you want to get more info to de-stress your life look here .

What am I reading? Blogs all over the place and hopefully will add a few new ones to my list of favorites. This one Ladies tutorial is pee your pants funny. You just have to read it here!

I have to admit I haven't sewn a darn thing in a week. and my stuff is still set up on my kitchen table. I am not really feeling guilty about it. I haven't done laundry since last Monday. I have dirty dishes on the counter. I know the floor needs sweeping and a wash. I am trying to make a list of things that I should not do and do them. I had cold chicken for breakfast . I watched Legend at 10:00 am this morning. I had cereal for lunch. I had a nap at 4:00 in the afternoon. I had Candy corn. I read blogs and an hour on a murder mystery. I will be going out for Chocolate cake and Coffee at 9:00 pm. And since I am coffee so late Its not even going to be decaff. I think this will be the perfect should not day!

Hugs and blessings to all

October is Quilt Pink

2008-10-10T12:30:00.002-05:00

Well as I get over my bronchitis which makes it a chore to walk even the beginnings of October brings a lot of reflection. North Americans think Orange and Purple and Halloween. I also think PINK. October is Breast Cancer Month. This is the disease that carried my mother away on her next journey. I urge all to take part , buy a pin, donate to a walker, Walk yourselves. Funding research is the only way we will be able to take this cancer and concur it.

My mother having survived it once became a mentor for First Nations women of all ages who were newly diagnosed. She gave workshops on the topic of holistic, traditional medicines and working with the Western Medicine. Her second battle with the disease left me and my sisters without the Matriarch of the family. May we only be so brave.
As a quilter, I am making a quick link to McCalls because they have some wonderful Quilt for a Cure patterns.
http://www.mccallsquilting.com/golden/qfac_patterns/

Hugs and wishes for good health for all
Deedee

Just a little whine.

2008-09-27T19:00:00.004-05:00

I really don't have much to say other than whine. I woke up with a cold. You know the kind.
Head is full of stuffing you bend over and feels like its going to explode. I have the runny nose too. Great just because I have a friend who has school age kids and they are all sick. Yep going back to school means measles, mumps and every strain of flu and cold imaginable. Her 2 darling daughters are great girls , and when they are sick they hang all over you because they want to be coddled. What was I thinking going over there. Oh yeah right , we were fondling fabrics.

And pre menopause. Whats that? You get to have hot flashes and sweats and still have your period and can't guess when its coming. Yeah!!! that's right up there with things I have to have. I am the most miserable woman in the world when I am hot. Claws are bared, Bee in the bonnet, grumpy as a bear, psychotic all these words come to mind as I drift through the ever erratic hormones.

DH is spending more time with his hunting buddies , good thing too. Its safer out with a bunch of guys with guns than being at home with me. One wrong word and BLAMO! I will rip his hide with words so sharp you would think they are a filleting knife.

His last words to me before heading out the door was "oh yeah , your going through the change"
Heaven help the poor world if Men had the same hormone problems, because they are for the most part stupid. Great for opening stubborn jars but to have some type of"their"empathy not gonna happen. Their quick but doofy wit will get them bonked on the head with a frying pan.

Could you imagine a man freaking out with fluctuating hormones , they would be completely unable to function. DH sits on the couch and whines and pouts when he gets a little tickle in his throat. Could you imagine half the populace then beating the snot out of each other because Big John has cramps and is moody . LOL I can

Oh well enough of whining , I am going to go spread my germs to my loving sisters. I was taught to share with them at all times.

Hugs
Deedee

Friday Fling and Saturday Quiltshow

2008-09-21T09:32:00.004-05:00

Its been a wonderful week off and boy did I need it. I didn't work quite as hard as I should have on fall clean up in the yard but darn I loved the week off.
Friday I found the energy to tackle the wall of quilting stuff which for the past 9 months has been sitting in my living room. My bad. In the effort of taming the stash monster I had totes full of stuff, and I had no idea what was left in them. So I started sorting. I found my patterns and kits for up coming projects that I swear that I wouldn't start until I did a few UFOs. I still love the patterns and will attempt them in the future after Christmas maybe. My DH just about fell over when he got home and could see the wall.

Total totes emptied and sorted 5 and that left me with 2 full totes put away in the room with my fabric cupboard. The cupboard was a whimsy that DH picked up. Its a little pine garden style shed with shelving. Its smells great. I lined the shelving and walls with clear shelf lining so I can still see the wood but my stash that could fit in there is now protected from any fluids that may seep from the pine boards. I still have 3 plastic drawer carts to organize. These contain my sewing machines feet and bobins , odd rulers and other numerous bits. Each are for different machines so I am half way there. Still have 4 bins in my bedroom to sort but all in good time.

I have earmarked a couple of patterns, one to my Secret Santa Partner from Chookyblue's SSCS
. I may even make a layer cake with my stash for *&^%#* in $^(*&)*^@ as part of my SSCS
I have another pattern for a Pay it forward that I am going to be doing later this fall.

Yesterday was a quiltshow at Pineridge Church. Very pretty quilts and some that are WOW . I took some pictures and loaded them onto the computer last evening and DH said they were okay but not particularly liked by him. He doesn't like the 2 colour quilts and said they were not as nice as mine. And the others needed more colours. Dear Man that gave him brownie points from me because I love making scrappy quilts.

Swap Parcels

2008-09-15T16:48:00.002-05:00

The parcels have begun to arrive. So far I have received from Sallie, Sunna, Judy, Joanna, and Louise.
My interest is peeked and I need to peek! This is like telling a kiddie to wait until morning at Christmas. But I know there is more to come! I hope to make something special for the ladies in my swap. I am hoping that I can get my program to work properly for this. This is I hope, the first of many successful swaps.
We have discussed having a batik swap . Unwashed. mmm, Nickels and a few others that have been tossed around. We will be having one in October.

I have the week off to deal with court and a few other legal issues dealing with my mothers estate. Fun Fun Fun.

I plan to sneek in more than a few hours of sewing.

Remembering

2008-09-11T05:28:00.004-05:00

Well last night was a restless night. I sat in my bed searching out poems. Not that I am a big poem enthusiast but rather somber task of searching for the perfect poem for my mothers memorial in the paper. On Saturday it will be 2 years that she has passed.
With each season the remembering becomes less painful. We sat with her those 9 days in the hospital taking turns sitting with her. There are happy little moments in those days of quiet resolve that she was going to leave us behind and that we better get our sh*t together. We bickered with each other as we were want to do. Striking up a surge of emotions that we could not voice. Helping her get up one moment she quite angrily shot " Why don't you start listening." I quite smartly answered her question with " After 41 years why on earth would I start now." She started laughing at that moment and agreed with me. My aunt was with us and was surprised at the vocalization of dissatisfaction and the laughter from both of us. It was how we communicated. We were to much alike to get on well together. Truth be told we never quite sure how too. I look back at our numerous arguments and think how silly and petty. She had me at quite a young age and I believe we both grew into adulthood at the same time, which in turn would explain why our arguments were more suited to siblings than mother and daughter.
Hug your family today folks
Hugs and blessings to all
Lynn

Girly and fanciful

2008-09-04T21:10:00.004-05:00

Well for anyone that knows me in person they know I had hair down to the bottom of my bottom. I was standing next to a coffee shop just getting my 3rd cup of coffee of the day and I was gazing into the window of a very posh looking hair salon. You know the places. Hair dressers are all 20 something and beautiful , surrounding modern chic, and hairspray that cost over $20. I had a moment of I need change. So after sitting for 25 minutes with my eyes closed, I opened my eyes to a me without what seems to be 2 feet of hair. The style is cute easy care and was very nicely done. I have had a hang up over my hair for a good 17 years and had the same two women cut/trim my hair. The last time I had a cut was in 1999 and that was only because I went my usual salon and first time ever had a new person perm my hair. She didn't read my chart that I had on file there since I was oh I would say 14 or so. So you have to say long time customer, got over processed over cooked over curly frizzzzzzzzzzy mess. Not happy. So you know the nightmare where you wake up and your hair starts breaking off and chunks start coming out. That was me. So to Fix what they messed up I ended up with what I would call a boy's bowl cut. AARGGGHH! Picture is only drawing because I have burnt all photos of me with the nasty ugly boy's bowl cut.

So since that nastyness I have only had 2 very dear friends trim about an inch of my hair at a time. So I had nice long hair , but the drawbacks was that the ended were sunfaded and becoming split so the top of my head nice dark brown, bottom of my hair Coppery red crusty hair.

ILOVE MY HAIR. No split ends no odd colours, wash and wear, lighter lighter lighter only difference is when I went to wash my hair I used to much shampoo. lol. Change is good its girly and not to young.

And speaking of girly there are so many quilters that have amazing quilts with a very feminine soft pretty quilts. I don't think I could ever make something that fanciful and girly. I mean when I hit the shops with credit card in hand, I jump for the bold and the beautiful. I just don't pick up those nice soft girly fabrics. I love them but I just go for the brash in your face colors. I would have to change my shopping habits. Now there was a time that every time I went into a shop I would pick up a red or burgundy FQ. Who am I kidding I still do actually lol but I see other colors and currently in a orange and purple mode. And the soft greens and rose prints are left behind. I know I love those quilts and the girly girl part of me goes I want one, the bright free spirited me goes I want that orange feather print and the purple and lime batik. And I still don't have a girly girl pretty quilt.

The girly girl is the the part of me who loves historical romances and cutting flowers in my garden. Enjoys sitting in the shade with my pomeranian (girly dog supreme) reading said historical romances. I will probably buy a quilt like that for myself just to feed that frilly girly girl inside me. Meantime I have a bunch of purples that I have to cut up for my Old Tobacco Road.

Good night every one
hugs and blessings to all of you.

Swap Diva Deedee

2008-08-31T15:16:00.003-05:00

Its happened I leaped off the nearest tower of stash and took the plunge into Diva hood.
We set up a Swap group, and boy that happened so quick I am currently giving my head a shake. Wow the response was absolutely great. Lots of you wonderful quilters are wanting to share!!!

I love Sharing, for me its a way to liven up my stash, receive colors and patterns that I would not have thought of myself. The first swaps are going to be put online by tomorrow pm. I have spent the last hour doing the guidelines for 2 swaps that we will be having for Sept.

Since it has been retreat weekend, my whole weekend has been quilt or swap related. Cutting stash. I have the bandaids to prove how busy I have been and I have piles of 2 patches for the Old Tobacco Road that is one of Bonnie Hunters Mysteries. And I have been pressing 4 patches for the Orange Crush mystery another of her mysteries. Enjoy whats left of the weekend folks.

HUGS
Deedee

OC, OTR, Sisters choice and Swap maybe?

2008-08-30T12:52:00.006-05:00

Good day to all my visitors. I am doing the virtual retreat this weekend from Yahoo's Stashbusters group. This is a good thing as I am working on the Orange Crush Mystery, Old Tobacco Roads, and Sisters Choice.

Yep I have SAD, commonly known to all as Sewers Attention Deficite. Once I start something it can and will grow to a few somethings because I am cutting for a project and next thing I know I am working on 2 quilts and in this case I am working on three quilts. I am currently not working for the break part in the day. Sustenance in the form of Chocolate and a Latte, and I am sure I could look for the nutritious foods but whats the fun in that. Need a glass of wine too but I will wait for that until after I finish using the rotary cutter. Don't want to drink and cut.

Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville has started another mystery quilt. Its called the Old Tobacco Road. Now I haven't even finished the second step of the Orange Crush but here is a peek at my Step one.

How did the sisters choice get started you ask. Well I took part in the scrappy 9 patch swap from Blockswappers group and I got some fabulous patches back in return. I had shown a pic in a earlier post of the blocks I had made , now here is some of the wonderful blocks I got in return. As per Bonnies directions I hadn't put the points on the blocks yet and I was going to wait for when I have all 70 blocks to do this. Then Bonnie put up her OTR mystery up and well it had 2 inch half triangles, A BAZILLION OF THEM LITTLE BEGGERS, and how she started on hers for the quilt is she made it from the cut off spare triangles from the sisters block for one. So I started cutting out for the 2.5 x 6.5 strips so I can use on the sisters choice and spare triangles for the OTR.

And of course since I was cutting I started cutting for the 2 inch strips for that quilt as well. But suffering from SAD I promptly thought of the 2 inch squares that I couldn't use from the OC and started pulling out that tote with that project.

So last night after doing some of all this cutting and drinking a pot of coffee, I had all three projects lined up next to my machine so I chain piece them. So after 12:30 am rolled around and I finished the piles that I had I then had to iron the pieces so they would be ready for the next step. Once the iron was out this morning I figured I would just add a new bunch of fabrics to the pile and started ironing all my FQs to use in the OTR and of course there was some colors that I could use the OC and once ironed I began cutting again. I am now at the part where I was at last night at 11:30 with piles of little squares waiting to be sewn together and In need of Sustenance.

So in my moment of clarity I decided to Blog and take pictures of all the little bits going on in my house. I know nothing like this ever happens to anyone else out there. lol

Oh and since I am still suffering from this I also have the halve brained idea for a centralized strip swap of 2.5 inch strips , 1/2 width of fabric . 10 fabrics a set. 10 sets max.
All sets can be the same or different.

The Bog Run

2008-08-17T07:25:00.005-05:00

Well Saturday was the most fun outdoors I have had in ages. We participated in East Selkirk's 2nd Annual BOG RUN. The Proceeds go to Cancer Care Manitoba. The bog was 300 metres in length filled with soupy mud. It was a HOOT. I guess I never quit liking playing in the mud .
This pretty picture was DH on his baby a 450 Polaris or maybe its 500. The MCs were a couple of people I went to high school with so there was a little ribbing going on... they wanted to know if DH ever took his quad out of the garage since it was so clean.
Thats me in the red helmet finishing my run. I was covered in mud. It was the first time that I went on a ATV run so I was a little nervous but the kid inside me was screaming with excitement. For one thing I didn't even know how to start my DH machine. lol. There was only 3 female contestants so I got second prize . I didn't get stuck. I only ran into one side at the turn. I did the course in 58.6 seconds. I am doing it again next year!
Of course DH was on call for the airport and sure enough he was called in so we didn't do the second run. The second run was better than the first because of all the machines going through there was ruts underneath that muck and you could get stuck. There was one machine driven by a couple. the girl was first place in our catagory and she made it in 50. 4 seconds. Her partner on his second run. He got stuck seriously stuck and he had to be hauled out of there,his time for partial run 8 minutes. There was some serious wise cracks about how a girl got 1st place on the same machine

Its Thursday

2008-08-14T04:52:00.002-05:00

Well I have a lot of things going on. Monday I received my Postage Stamps from Jo in Scotland. I have just been fondling them every chance I get. I am still going through all of them(there are 35 bundles of 50) and reading the names people have placed on their little bundles. Wish I had thought of that. What I have been doing with them is separating them into colors. So far I love them all and I haven't even got through them all. I actually have 20 new fabrics to go into the next swap, and I haven't gone through all my stash. It becomes apparent that my tastes have changed in fabric over the years. When I first started seriously into quilting my colors were the tastefully muted colors of country prim. Now I am building a stash of bright colors, I have an abundance of purple tones in Batics, and as contrast I have Orange. LOTS of Orange. Purple Passionate Quilter eat your heart out.
I also signed up for Chookyblues Christmas swap. Thats the button you see on the right side of my blog. Last night I received my partner . SSSHHHH its Secret but I went to her blog and spent and hour last night reading all about her. She seems like a very wonderful woman and has a life that when I was a little girl , she is what I wanted to be when I grew up. ;-)
This blogging thing is totally addictive. I have read about people from all over the world (if they are in english that is) I have read about their triumphs, goals, wishes, and heartaches. You get to see a part of them that if you were just introduced to them you wouldn't know. Its personal, its sharing its about loving your life mostly. I admitted recently to Paula that I stalk her blog.
Any way my goal for today is a complete day at work. I have absolutely no desire to be there. Office politics as they are make me sick, really, I am emotionally exhausted when I get home. I am looking for a new position under the thought that a change is as good as a rest. I will post pictures of my postage stamps later right now I don't remember where I put the camera.

Have a great day folks.

It was reno work

2008-08-11T05:32:00.002-05:00

Well I didn't sew a thing this weekend. The weekend was filled with house and yard stuff. We actually started replacing the fascia on the house in preparation to put up new gutters and downspouts. I think we are going to go with white trim on the house because of the white vinyl windows that we installed. That way we can do cream coloured siding. I hate the stucco on my house. Its gotta go. We located the spot on the roof that leaks . I guess during the last storm a couple of shingles were blown off and at least we know where to fix , unfortunately , the weather that is called for today is thunderstorms so it won't get fixed today. I also decided that the deck is going to get redone. The boards on the decking are old so its time to get a new deck top.
I could make a list of things that need to get done before winter because its all outside work. I actually enjoyed painting the fascia, and I didn't have to climb the ladder because of the deck . It will be nice to have the house look nice finally on the outside.
Maybe tonight if its raining I can do something quilty. Have a good day everyone.

Reno work or sewing

2008-08-08T06:03:00.003-05:00

Well for the past few days I haven't touched my sewing machine, or my rotary cutter. I have to decide on which quilt I want to work on. I may just put stuff away for the week and let my mind declutter. I have a ton of ideas floating through my head and I have to write them all down or my brain is going to explode. We still have a lot to work on in the house and I think I may just work on the kitchen for the weekend. .. Yeah right ... I almost feel a need to sew right now just thinking of it. Oh I am a great procrastinator, I can come up with a gazillion things I have to do other than cleaning ... same with working on the house. I really didn't want to work on the house ourselves. That's what contractors are there for darn it! But I suppose that DH will want to become one with the power tools this weekend and my house will end up being covered in dust of some sort. I signed up for a pumpkin swap with the ladies from quilted sisters. I have to make 14 pumpkins of any sort and size 6,9 or 12. I think I will go Prim on these and I will have to go stash diving for my country ish oranges. Some one call out for a search party if I don't come up for air by Sunday.

2008-08-06T00:43:00.001-05:00

more cat pictures

2008-08-05T21:07:00.002-05:00

Any way these are the pictures that I was trying to load last night of the nine patches I made.

The Picture at the bottom is the block from the missing magazine. Anyone out in blogland know which magazine because I am having a hard time locating the pattern in the scores of Mags that I picked up in the last year.

The Forgotten Stash

2008-08-03T11:23:00.003-05:00

Well I haven't cleaned the hatch in my car for over a year. I found 7 bags of various yardage and FQs that I do not repeat do not remember buying. My hatch was filled with various items that I do not use every day. Winter parkas, Blankets, candles, flashlights, sewing machine(never know when your gonna need that)Picnic plates and cutlery, Various shoes and rubber boots, Hoodies, spare pants and socks, tools and one tire. Man I was ready for everything. While taking the items out I was finding bag after bag of stuff that I probably shoved into the hatch so my husband wouldn't find more fabric that I bought. It was kinda like an early christmas. I have now snuck it into my laundry room and its waiting its turn to be prewashed and slide into the overwhelming tubs and shelves of stash I already have.

Well after I drafted the beginnings of this post me and DH went to a dinner party. Best friends neighbor said " I have a lot of Fabric that I am not going to use. Do you want it?" Well it was in front of DH and he said "she doesn't need anymore fabric, besides she has fabric in a bag in her car." Apparently he went into the hatch of my car to look for something after I cleaned it and found the one bag of fabric that I left in the car and the sewing machine. He asked in front of all if they would help in an intervention. Darn, now he is going to be checking my car if I go out shopping.

When we got home he asked me if I really pull over for a sewing fix and do I have stash in the glovebox. Reasonable question.

Before the dinner party I was chain piecing a 6 inch block for a quilt that I can't remember which magazine I got the pattern from and well I need to know when to stop sewing these blocks. It is a ufo that I started before I made the ugly quilt (see previous entry)because I felt the desire to mindlessly piece. I started with sewing the 1.5 strips together and then I cut them into pieces around a 2.5 inch center. Its a scrappy quilt. I have to go through my bedroom shelving to find the magazine. I know its in this years publications so that is a big help.

I packaged and tried to courier out my scrappy 9 patches to Karen from Blockswappers. Unfortunately there is a darn Civic Holiday tomorrow and they are not picking up until Tuesday and they didn't have the waybills to make up the parcel. When I go to work tuesday I will get it picked up there to I had sewn 70 blocks , of which 50 were for the swap. They look nice. I want to make the sisters choice quilt from quiltville.com and I realized that if I had just used my stash I would have only had to make 2 more blocks before I need to put on the star points. The variety of blocks and fabrics that I will receive has me getting excited. And then there are the 1.5 inch squares that are on their way here. My husband will just have to suck up that fact that I am a Fabric Addict.

Well I have just spent the last 5 minutes trying to upload pictures and they wont go.
going to try one more time. If there is no pictures I went to bed.

Islendingadagurinn

2008-08-03T08:43:00.008-05:00

Well, Yesterday was lovely me and darling husband went to Gimli Manitoba. It was warm and humid but the breese of Lake Winnipeg was refreshing. The street vendors sold jewelry, quilts, homemade knitted items ( there was a shawl I loved out of my price range) caps, throws and sweaters with icelandic patterns. The knitters out there would have loved the skeins of wool they were selling. I know I did and I don't knit.

We took in the historical village and the viking battles. The group of vikings was made up of Icelanders from all over Canada. In the village there was vendors selling their wares. Intricate handworked silver, carved bone combs and hair ties, goblets made from horns, leather crafts and woodworking. It was great. The outfits that the villagers wore was homespun cloth. The King of the villagers wore Chain mail. Oh boy you could smell the sweat and rust on his outfit.

Mid afternoon it was annouced that the king had died and a funeral procession of vikings carrying their king on their shields commenced. One of the Kings sons came sailing in on a dragon boat with a small band of his followers. Soon the insults were flying and the brothers battled to the death over leadership of the people.

I loved every minute of the day with only one regret. We didn't get to Amma's teahouse. I wanted to have a nice cup of tea and some Pönnukökurs or Vínarterta, DH wanted a burger and fries. Oh well next time.

Rip and Snort and missing in action

2008-07-26T06:46:00.002-05:00

Well I had to put the Scrappy Bargello away for a bit. I was getting too put out with it. After cutting one of the panels and arranging them, I realized that one I inverted two of the colors in one section and missed one strip entirely. Three of the panels are sewn together ready to go. One of the remaining panels is cut "HORRORS" into its strips . Okay its fixable just remove the offending mixed pair and reverse them and then cut 2 1/2 squares of the missing color and insert. But being that I wanted to keep making the panels I took the last panel, not yet cut thankfully, and found the same mistakes. Figures I thought it was going to be a quick quilt and because I was in such a hurry its not. Serves me right.
I should be working on scrappy 9 patches for a swap. I got them started a while ago and now I have to 1 find them 2 finish them 3 mail them in 6 days. HA
the problem is finding them little beggars. I joined up on a swap a while ago and darn if the time doesn't run away from me. I just looked at the calendar and cursed. Why do I do that to myself. I started with the best intentions fully expecting to get them done and then life interupts and I end up rushing. Its like I like the adrenaline rush I get from being under the gun. I will blame my mom for that. She was the person that would always come over and say I need 5 matching skirts or dresses or mini quilts for tomorrow. So I have been conditioned. I miss her.
Have a quilty day folks and wish me luck in finding the 9 patches.

Win this quilt

2008-07-20T20:07:00.000-05:00

Orts of time

2008-07-13T09:01:00.003-05:00

Well the word Ort has been a bit of a conversation piece on stashbusters. I like it. I think I will use this word a lot . My sewing has been on orts of time for the past week, my quilts are Ort quilts, I have orts of time to plan a design. hehe love it.
Seriously though I have had only orts of time to sew and I have had such big plans. Big thunder boomers out and my power goes, my furbaby goes into hysterics, and my $*^%^$ roof started leaking. We just had the roof redone a few years ago and as far as I am concerned it shouldn't be doing the leaking thing. Friday say 3:00 am, Taco has hysterics in bed and I being now awake started to listen for the trees to fall over on our house, but 30 minutes awake and one quivering dog later I hear the first PLOP, power is out so now its where is the now continuous plops coming from. Plop, plop, plop and it is now official I have a leaky roof.

Canada Day

2008-07-01T08:10:00.003-05:00

Any way this is a frontal of my new baby. I have to move some stash around to get her settled in her new home. DH has been rumbling about having to move stuff around. lol
Its really hard to sit and sew right now. I had big plans to finish this Scrappy Bargello. But my stash keeps looking at me. I turn around and there a FQ or two sitting, staring at me. Am I supposed to feel guilty over not using them? I could cut out another kit for myself but I already have 5 kits cut up. What do they want to be in? There is nothing fabulous about them .... what to do with them. Not to mention I found some flimsies on my bookcase. I know I didn't make them, they must have moved in over the winter from some other quilters house.

And then there is a postage stamp swap. What was I thinking. 1. 5 squares . Seriously do I really need to have 1250 square running loose in my house. What if they multiply. Worse yet hide and then multiply. My house would be over run with those little beggars and I would never get them all. A friend , and I will use the term loosely mentioned " Oh I picked out a cross stitch pattern and I made that into a quilt from stash with postage stamps". Okay what would I do , Its going to happen I have been looking at cross stitch patterns looking for inspiration. I was completely happy with making an triple irish chain a few days ago with these squares.
Did I mention I have a short attention span.
Then there is the garden. Some big azz weeds are yelling at me "Nah nah". Some of the beds have been taken over by some seriously tough and nasty thistles. They are daring me to pull them out. The tiger lilies are threating to move out of the bed. There is actually a few daring babies in my lawn. I can't just run them over with the mower. They are beauuuuuuutiful flowers. That means I am going to make another flower bed sometime in the near future so my flowers can have their babies. I am such a sucker.
This is my fur baby Taco Bell. She is not very inpressed with me right now. It being 33 degrees celius with the humidex that is hot so I cooled her off with Big Dumb Dog at the creek. BDD jumped right in happier than a pig in S*#@. He swam around for a good half hour just happy to be swimming. Taco being a city gal that was raised in an apartment before she came home with me was above going in the creek. She needed convincing that cool water was a good thing. She is still not convinced but she was really energized once she was cooled off. I had ended up carrying her out to the water up to my knees and I faced her to the shore and I slowly lowered her into the cool water. She paddled furiously to shore cooled off but not impressed with me. She won't even look at me right now as you can see and the swim was 4 hours ago.
To All the Canadians today "Happy Canada Day"

New Baby is home

2008-06-30T23:17:00.002-05:00

Well got your attention. Actually I purchased a lovely old Treadle. She was manufactured in 1915 in Quebec. Shes a little worn as you can see but she still sews. She came with her original manual and attachments. You can't see it in this picture but she has great cabinet with a few age spots there is carving around the drawer knobs and a raised design on the sides. Since I have always wanted a treadle and the one that I learned on is across the street in my cousins home I had to get this one. I don't know her name yet. For a 93 year old lady she was well taken care of. I had seen younger plain jane models for absolutely ridiculous prices with no character and are seized in need of refinishing.
When I picked her up today the owner said her mother bought it and since she is now moving there is no room for her. Aren't I the lucky one, and my DH didn't even say a thing when I came home with a new sewing machine. Grand total to date is 6 machines. My goal now is to get a long arm. Research time. and well start saving my money again so back to no buy for now. Besides I think I have enough stash to work on for a "few" quilts.
Any way its time I worked on the Scrappy Bargello. I have one more panel to start and finish and then I have one panel that I have to frog I missed one color in the panel so its one short and I don't really want to change my layout. I believe my fabric total for this is 160 different fabrics and I haven't even thought of the border yet.
I think I will take a peek at Bonnie's site http://quiltville.com

Getting back to sewing!

2008-06-29T10:01:00.004-05:00

Well my kitchen is finally looking like a kitchen. I have cupboards and they look great. We are still waiting for the flooring to come in so I can be a little patient about that. What I have been working on. For one I have been cutting out Bonnie's Orange Crush Mystery and cutting up strips for whatever . Last night I was finally able to pull out my sewing machine and sew. I was having withdrawals. I needed something that I could just mindlessly sew so I started sewing the 2.5 inch strips together and by 3:00 in the morning I had half the scrappy bargello sewn. So far I have 150 different fabrics in it, ALL from stash. I think I will be doing more of her scrappy quilts just to reduce the piles, nay Mountains of stash that I have. I need to cut out 30 more fabrics into 2.5 strips so I can get a finished size of 72 inches on the bargello portion of the quilt. I am not sure what I will use for the border treatment but I am sure I have enough of something. green, yellow, pink, burgandy something. I know when people buy me presents or I get giveaways I always get yardage. Maybe that isn't helping the stashbusting but it makes me feel good.
Well I didn't realize how long its been between posts. For the past 3 months my house has been in a state of upheaval. Boy I can't wait to start the bathroom. NOT. Surely over the next few months I will get a few Christmas presents completed and I also am required to do a small wallhanging of lilies. Its for a coworker that is retiring. I wish. then I would have time to play with all my fabric. ... well maybe lay in the sun to.lol. I will post pictures of the bargello hopefully tomorrow. Smiles everyone, Smiles.

Lazy Gal Quilting: Liberated Quiltmaking Reprint

2008-06-17T05:52:00.000-05:00

Lazy Gal Quilting: Liberated Quiltmaking Reprint

Check out Tonya's blog and leave a note if you would like a reprint of Liberated Quiltmaking. AMQ needs to see a a number to validate a reprint.

2008-04-26T13:17:00.002-05:00

Just so you all can get a chuckle I set off the panic alarm in the
reception area of a Government office of Canada that I work in. Forces of Good ran to my rescue as I tried to stop the alarm from continuing its horrendous sound. Directors , my manager, my supervisor, co-workers, Assistant heads and all big brawny male types came running to my rescue some from the basement of the building. (I am on the 3rd floor) Me in my complete embarrassment Turning a full fire engine red have been accepting of the ribbing I have been enduring since that days lovely afternoon festivities. I in my apparent stupidity went
" oh whats this"
and stuck my finger in the hole of a little tiny box and as the mind slowly
kicked into gear thinking to myself "This must be the" and then the alarm
went off. I knew at the very second of inserting my finger exactly what
it was and have been firing off apologies to all parties involved in my
rescue. So how is your week going?

Quilt Reflections 2008

2008-04-13T16:48:00.008-05:00

Well this was one fantastic weekend, Quilt Reflections 2008 had arrived there was many beautiful, inspiring pieces and I had the pleasure of going to a trunk show and dinner on Saturday night. I camped out at the Canad Inns Polo Park in Winnipeg since thursday night I was so excited to go. Friday went well enough I volunteered so I was on White Glove Patrol in the morning while it wasn't open , they had opened the show to seniors from a few homes so they go through with wheel chairs and didn't have to battle the crowds. I also got to see all of the beauties before the
Some of the Artists and award winners are people I know they are from The In Stitches Group from Little Britain Church. Judith Panson won 1st place with her beautiful panels and also won best in show with them. Its funny I knew her sons when we were growing up and they must be so proud of their mom. These are just some of the quilts that I took pictures of. Some of the quilts sing with colour and the movement some created wow wow wow!!!
I ran into a few quilters that I met last year and If you look at my older blogs there is one with Wild Thang and I got re-aquainted(spelling?) with Melissa M. I just received a phone call that I was a lucky winner of one of the challenge quilts. Yippee.

Ugly Fabric - Cut it up

2008-04-06T11:00:00.004-05:00

Bonnie says. If its still ugly you haven't cut it small enough. Well To you this may look cute even pretty, not sewn well or cut square but cute anyway. To me its was a OMG what did I buy!
On a trip I wandered into a quilting store. Nothing strange about that. 10 feet from the door was a SALE sign, on it was bundles of Fat Quarters. 10 for $25. The one on top looked pretty enough, the bottom one too, so I bought it. I didn't look closely at it I just when cool sale. When I finally got it home and opened it up I was shocked, horrified. Inside it was the most ugly Fat Quarters I had ever had the displeasure of buying.EEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW!

The fabric it self was not the best quality the colors were muddy in places and the patterns , well I certainly didn't care for them at all so they went into the pile of fabric that I had bought, that ended up in the WHAT WAS THINKING pile. Truth be known I hoard , everything, I am a complete pack rat. I save everything. I am trying to get rid of stuff but for some reason, (shopping, thrift stores, yard sales) things seem to stay around and multiply.

Friday I had the day off and since I finally picked up the black that I was so intent on buying the week before (twice as much as I was going to) I had some extra so I wanted to do something that wasn't in the WIP pile and UFO pile I wanted something new. By the way I always want something new to do. So I picked up the pattern that I ended up buying at the evil new store. And to myself said hey I have enough black to make a lap quilt. I can do that in a weekend. But I really didn't want to cut into some of my other fabric because of the Orange Crush mystery I didn't know for sure what colorway I was going to go with. I just wanted something that could be carted around in the car or use on the couch and eat on and not worry about so I went to the PILE. I had no problem with the FQs the black made made it look not so bad and the ugly parts I could cut them smaller , just like Bonnie said. If It ended up really ugly I would send it off to the thrift store. Somebody might like it.
I cut everything on Friday night and set them up so I could just keep on sewing . I didn't square anything up. Its ugly so who cares. I am busting stash and ugly stash at that so I gave myself a pat on the back for that part.

Saturday I pieced all the blocks and put them together and since I am busting i asked around to see if anyone uses Artic Fleece on their backs. Yup. was the majority answer so I now have the top less borders , Fleece that takes up half a tub and husband that is asking me when did I buy all that. So I explained I was making an ugly quilt with ugly FQs and using ugly fleece. DH asked why I was making an ugly quilt and my reply was so I could have a quilt fix. Whats it for he asks. So i can have a quilt to hang around on the couch with and watch movies or for what ever. So his reply to my answers was your making an ugly quilt to hang around with and be in OUR living room for everyone to see. No I don't want people to see it in our living room. So why are you making it again. So I can bust stash. Since he didn't get it I am now showing you all. Not in my living room but on my kitchen floor, before quilting . That what I am doing to day. Wish I squared up those blocks though. It doesn't look so bad.

Orange crush

2008-04-04T06:31:00.003-05:00

Well these are the color I have chosen at this moment to be in the Orange crush mystery. I have asked do I really want to change the dark prints to black would that work for this pattern. who knows ... Well Bonnie knows so I sent her the question. Knowing how absolutely busy she is I don't know when I will get an answer. The green tonal is way off my comfort zone but hey i have to use it sometime. My past forays into scrappy quilts are usually more autumn colors with a few zingers thrown in for a bit of a punch . This one looks like its going to go for a halloween party. That is my all time favorite holiday.
Yesterday I started my day off by having breakfast with DS. I ended up going to the big city just to have breakfast with him. I miss him since he moved to Winnipeg. We don't get together as much as we used to since he is off to work when I am getting home from work. I am off work today as well so I think I will be scrounging through the bins to find all the bright colors and cutting up 2 inch strips. The majority of my stash is FQs so I always have an assortment of stuff for the scrap quilts. I would like to make this one more controlled so we will see.
Currently working on a basket weave top. I have been sewing and cutting 1.5 in strips into 4.5 strips. I didn't realize how many I would need so I began by cutting out of the sewn 1.5 , the 4.5 that I need for this quilt , 1.5 for four patches, 2.5 for something in the future and another 4.5 for Rail fence ... I think. Hell I don't even remember if I told you all this in my last post. lol. All the left overs will go into a string quilt or crumb quilt. either way what ever I am sewing I know I will have a large assortment of Leaders and Enders now. lol

kinky bali love

2008-03-29T19:19:00.010-05:00

Well here starts another evening of fondling fabrics. I started this day out that way as well. First of all I had a road trip in mind for picking up some black cotton. Safe item... just walk into the store and pick up a couple of metres of black. pay and walk out the door. Simple, I did however made the mistake of going to a different quilting store.hmmmm. Let me tell you you walk up to the door and you are greeted by flying geese surrounding the doorway...looks promising its a small house outfitted as a quilt store . Let me tell you even the most devote fabric buster would be quivering in her boots as the sites that greet them as they walk in the door. 4 gorgeous quilts immediately grab my attention. ooooo pretties. A basket of gismos and gotta haves right in front of me ooooh ... I think to my self a couple of things there in that basket I have to pick up , might as well pick it up now. That is just what was in the doorway and I havent even walked into the store proper yet. Well I am comitted now to entering the store... can't let the store cow me into submission . I can be strong. I am just there for black fabric.
One step over the threshold eyes dart to the right, 6 feet shelving with an assortment of FAT QUARTERS. There is oranges yellows bold and bright, brilliant hues of the florals , spring greens sprouting up on another shelf. Damn I was in trouble. Okay I bargained with myself I will purchase a few patterns maybe .... something springy maybe a floral wall hanging pattern. I have 10 years of quilting magazines at home and a bookcase of books . I don't need another pattern I start mumbling to myself .
"Hello welcome" damn, I am spotted its only going to take the owner 5 minutes talking to me before she figures out I am itching to spend spend spend . " hi " I say to her and duck into a side room that has an assortment of bolts floor to ceiling with sizable display of Black and whites in the middle. I take a deep breath and whoosh I let it out. I am not getting out of here without buying a little something why there is a wall full of neutrals that I know I don't have a big supply of. Then the fondling starts. You know your in trouble when you get all hot and bothered over a swirly purple and pink piece of fabric. How do you help yourself. I didn't bring a safety person with me ... a friend that does not support my fabric addiction. I don't don't have a phone number for Fabric-holics anonymous. "Can I help you" rings out from the other room " No I just need some black fabric" I blurt out. I start pulling bolts off the wall and oogling them, this would be great in..... I love this it would work with that fabric...would 3 yards be enough?
Yikes I have planned 10 projects with the fabric in that room in less than 5 minutes. Slowly back away from the room. Okay I am back in the main room with the owner. And she knowingly asks" First time here?"
Again I mumble "I just need some black, solid black".
" I'm sorry I just sold the last yardage earlier today. I do carry a large blah blah blah blah blah...."
Okay, I tuned out at that point I spotted some patterns and I drift off in my own little mind. I start sniffing out the yummy bali's and batiks that were hidden from view in the back room. That does it. I pulled a purple out, a mauve , a hot pink ....until there was 20 bolts out and in a pile on the centre display. I opened them up laying them across each other, softly touching them. A veritable orgasm of color, woohoo! Come on ladies you know what I mean when you finally get to where you want to be.
Okay so I didn't sign up for the no buy challenge. I would be falling off the wagon every time I get within eyesight of a quilting store. I still think there should be a 1-800 number so people like me can be talked down into reality. Anyway here are some of the goodies that I bought. I already prewashed the fabrics and they are now ready to pressed. Now once I fold them up where am I going to hide the sizable bundle of color from my husband.

lack of sewing space

2008-03-25T05:11:00.006-05:00

well here goes as my mind starts to wake up ...need more coffee though... I thought I would post a couple of pictures. My kitchen in progress. So far the electrical is just about finished on ones side just have to run the wiring for under cupboard lighting and put the insulation back in place. Count down is 4 weeks for the cupboards to arrive. I have to pick out a new range hood microwave. Have to replace the plumbing which was something we didn't expect to do. Sew with that going on my table is in my living room and I started having withdrawals. I just had to sew something anything. I couldn't pull out any of my bigger projects or small ones for that matter. I couldn't get to them . They are all in tubs or totes until I get some space back... never mind my table doesn't really have a top . Its buried somewhere under stuff. I hate stuff. Well not if its my stuff. there is a tin of cookie cutters about 20 magazines to recycle, a box of shredding (cleaned out our personal files) 3 Christmas presents which for some reason my husband keeps on forgetting to send up north to the nieces and nephew. One sewing machine, one tote of 1.5 inch strips. This one tote is threatening to expand so I ended up sewing mindlessly for 1 hour last night to get strips sewn together . My plan is to do the basket weave quilt that the Quilting Twin has on her blog. This satisfied my need to sew and for better or worse start another project. I am hoping to get a few quilts out of those strips. I will cut down the strips to 4.5 for the basket weave, and for a rail fence , I will cut up 1.5 for small 4 patches. What exactly I plan on doing with those. ehhh I will figure that out another time. All that matters is that I got to sew. and sew with no interruptions and I couldn't be happier about it. I have so many things patterns floating around in my head that I couldn't get them all done if I had 10 lifetimes. The pile on the chair is my sewn 1.5 strips. Did pretty good eh without a plan. I hereby solemnly swear to sew for myself for 15 minutes a day on anything I want. ( i will probably keep it to the strips until I can get my table back in order). Oh and I was invited to another bridal shower I just have to mark down the date. One of my grannies favorite granddaughters is getting married to a wonderful man. For all of those at the ceremony grounds his name is Paul Ikwe. (inside joke)
http://quiltingtwin.blogspot.com/

UFOs

2008-03-21T10:03:00.005-05:00

Well here goes my ufo list
Alien landscape,Log Cabin, Fat Cat, Coneflower, baby rail quilt, Pink sweetheart quilt, rag quilt, 3 snowmen wall hangings, Scrappy Triangles, Starry Night quilt, 3 lone star quilts, Buckeye beauty and last but not least my oldest charm quilt to which I have used as a practice quilt for applique, Machine quilting using my strange but new feet attachements. Last one has about 1 foot of quilting left to do and then the binding yippee. I am having piecing withdrawals though. I have all that beautiful fabric that I want to cut into and make a few of Bonnie"s patterns. Soon as soon as I finish 2 quilts then I can piece one. In the mean time the blocks for 3 BOMs are arriving adding to my overflowing tubs. . sheesh that 17 of them ... scary thing is I might not have got them all. I need help. lol

Alien Landscape UFO

2008-03-16T11:05:00.003-05:00

Well hear is another UFO . I started this in a class January 07. I didn't care for the colorways that I had then so it hit the UFO pile I found it again and used some really ugly batik brown thing some fancy yarn and some tulle now it looks better. At least I like it now. I have to quilt it by Tuesday. I will be adding other embellishments beads and such at the Little Britain Hall then. I need something that will pull the water feature into the foreground any suggestions people. In the mean time DH is starting to day to pull down the drywall in the kitchen because we have to have all the electrical and drywall up primed and painted by the time my cupboards arrive. So my sewing time that's already at a minimal time will get even shorter. I love the idea of having cupboards i just don't like it cutting into my sewing time. And it will since I set up my machines in the kitchen. I am looking forward to putting out my Grandmothers and my own china since a number of the cupboards will have glass fronts. I just have to find space for all my addictions like machines tubs and totes and drawers full of thread. I will gladly post a pic of the cupboards when they all are up and the counter top is in.

Coming out of the darkness

2008-03-09T09:50:00.003-05:00

hey world i am back. almost one year to the day i went into hiding. Most people didn't notice. So what. I am back and that is all that I care about. Most people don't realize that depression is a very scary thing ... you can't talk to people ... you feel alone....and you feel judged by everyone. I fell into a very deep bout of depression. I am talking the most happy things in my life didn't feel worth it. I became a puppet that someone else was telling me what to do. I couldn't follow through with anything. I had every intention of fulfilling all my obligations but suddenly i became frozen. what if i wasn't good enough. what if people didn't like what i did. I became almost manic in spending , people would love me if i bought them things, Let me tell you i spent alot of money. Meaning I went through my savings like a bat out of hell. Fabric busting didn't happen for me... my favorite fabric store was at times my own demon or angel. one day i was feeling completely out of touch with reality and i walked in there and spent an extremely amount of money ....I won't say here in case DH actually reads this and i don't need that to come up. lol I bought a car , I had laser eye surgery, helped buying my son's car, paid off some loans,bought a memory craft 110000, enough thread to take me through to the next century, ate enough food to put on another 20 pounds. I shopped online , I ebay shopped. and i quit going to native ceremonies for a bit.
Next thing i know i am slowing down and i started to quit buying things to fill up that hole inside of me. I started to think that I might not be such a bad person. I figured out again that I am the only one that needs to love me. I started to sew again. I realized I can live on my own make decisions that I feel are best for me. I started to enjoy the treasures I bought (STASH) because of the amazing colors that I picked. Ideas started to gell in my brain and I began doodling again. Then the pictures and drawings that I did. the process of how to make them into fabric art. The foundling of fabric make me feel good actually made me feel good. While I was sick all it did was make me feel guilty that I was alive.
I am no longer hiding in the darkness and back in the world of amazing color and i relish it , I sing out of tune (poor people around me) I dance and jiggle my big old butt around the house and I am letting myself be silly. Oh and I rescued a sweetie pie pomeranian and she loves me, meet Taco

Quilts and Wild Thang

2007-04-21T17:58:00.000-05:00

Well I have recieved complaints from a few people that I haven't been writing enough. I just haven't had anything to say. Well this is the quilt that I basted and am currently machine quilting. Since this is one of my favorite Scrappy Quilts i figured that i would show it here. Once it is finished quilting i will probably show it again. The fabric from this quilt is scraps left over from hundreds of fat Quarters . Scrappy is the way to go for me. When i take a picture of the log cabin i did it is with the same fabrics the colours look so different. I will put it up. Maybe tomorrow.

Well this was a project of insanity. There is hundreds of half square triangles. My husband thought that i was losing it. 2 inch half square triangles. He doesnt' really appreciate the cursing and the work that went into matching all those points. It isn't perfect but what is really? Heres a close up look at those darn 2 inch half squares. Previously to this i was a not one to pin . It made other quilters shudder when i told them that i usually wing it and not pin. I actually took the time for this one. hense the cursing. I was stabbed by pins . Poked and stabbed. My hands looked like there was crazed sugar testing being done on my hands.

Any way today i went on a field trip to a nearby town of Beaujejour. ( i probably spelt that wrong) for a quilt show. It was great the ladies there put on a really nice show. There was Challenge quilts, they were using Blues as the challenge fabric.

There was a number of absolutely gorgeous quilts. Doll quilts, miniature, wall quilts , bed quilts , and tree skirts. The bottom two quilts are made by Melissa M. They are her original works and I love the red and yellow one . Its called WILD THANG. In this piece she has couched yellow yarn in the vertical red strips and it just adds a zing. P.S. I have her permission to post a picture of her quilt. I had on of just the yellow but it was blurry so you get to see 2 of her works.

I had gone there not expecting to know any one and low and behold I ran into Ursula of Gimli fame. She was there with her daughter. While I visited a bit and went around the hall and church twice , she went off to go see another show in East St. Paul. I plan on going tomorrow.
thats it for now but i will add a new posting later tonight. Ciao

Flooding 2007

2007-04-06T09:39:00.000-05:00

Spring time here on the praries mean well snow rain high temps and low temps. Last week we had wonder +9 degree weather everything soggy and it rained melting the snow even faster.

This past couple of days well Somebody opened the floodgates south of winnipeg and now we are flooded again. There is only one direct road from Selkirk to East Selkirk and now its flooded. And then it froze right back up flooded.

This is the road I would normally take to go to the grocery store. as you can tell I am having a bit of a problem with that.

The ice pack has buckled and broken for at least 4 miles and its all jammed up. Since that happened the tempertures have fallen freezing the slush around all those big chunks of ice and its not moving. With the road closed it is a 15 k trip around going south through lockport or north to the big bridge. From the big bridge it is all ice chunks all the way into Selkirk. Wednesday night my cousins Omma was evacuated from her condo because the bottom of her building filled up with river water. They built a dike system to protect these apartment from this happening they built them upt to the hieght of the 1997 flood thus ensuring that the flooding couldn't happen again...RRRRRRIIIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHT.

The municipality also built the dikes up around the Selkirk Park and The Marine Museum. Now to me the Marine museum is special the boats that are housed there more than a few of my uncles and great uncles worked these boats when Selkirk was the home of Selkirk Fisheries. Long time ago I used to wait at the docks with my mother and grandparents and watch the boats come in waiting to see my uncle Snake Island Slim , its a bit of a colourful name but he is a bit of a characture and it suites him. I digress back to the museum.

There is a lighthouse there that my grampa ran for the government after he came back from WWII. This was on Black Bear Island. Their home was on a nearby island called Matheson Island ( Previously called Snake Island I don't know why they changed the name)

Any way this is the lighthouse that was my grampas and inside there is carved into the wood the names of my Uncle and my mom. I actually had my Wedding photos taken in front of the lighthouse and on the Kenora. Just keeping family history alive folks. Actually I will probably do some fundraising to help them out If anything is selvagable. It takes a lot of work and $ to keep this Museum open. I don't even think they recovered financially from the Flooding that happened in 1997

Any way I will put up a few more pics and then I am planning to work on something quilty. Maybe one of the swaps that I am now saying what am I doing signing up for this many in a 2 month period. 3.5 inch 9 patches. 10 per set. or may be the strip swap with 10 per set, or the row robin, or the monthly block swap, the row robin, or maybe work on the big orange egg or coneflower wall hangings. Or I could .......

Blanket stitch Applique classes

2007-04-01T22:37:00.000-05:00

This was a lonestar top that I had done for a raffle a few years ago I just found the disk that the picture was on. I did it for Lil ' Peguis Ceremony Grounds. Not the best of pictures I had to take the picture with it laying on the floor and me standing way back to get most of it in. Not my favorite just because I had paperpieced a round to get smaller diamonds in one row. But I was happy with the end result.

Well these two masterpieces are from my classes I took on the 31, and 1st. The one that looks like a big orange egg is actually the body of a fat cat. Unfortunately this was as far as I got before having to leave for the day . The class was done by Inez D. You Manitoba gals should know who that is. The class was Machine Blanketstitch Applique. Since I am a piecer this is all new to me. So like before I am moving out of my comfort zone to learn a new skill. Inez's work is fantastic. And she made it look so easy. cutting templates of freezer paper and ironing around the 1/4 seam , measuring and tacking in place. My only complaint was i didn't have enough time to do more . Meaning I have another WIP.
But before I could do any sewing I had to phone my husband to do me a small favor . Seems in the excitement of leaving for class I forgot a few things. My foot pedal and my power cord. Seems pretty important things to forget. And of course since I didn't know what pattern I was going to use I brought the patterns and fabric for 3 projects, in a small suite case. I had to bother people for pencils for marking the freezer paper. I brought my travel iron nice and hot but forgot my pad to iron on.
Todays class went a little smoother but someone ordered snow and it was a greasy slippery ride into the Peg to get to class. This one was fusible applique and thread painting. Its going to be coneflowers. So far I have attached the stems and leaves and starting the button hole applique stitch on the stems. Yes another WIP.
WIPS actively on the go 6, attentions span for myself to complete said WIPs 0. Plus I have 3 BOM that started in January , haven't touched them yet. . ... I need a sewing room to spread my projects out in. My DH is feeling a little crowded out by my quilting fabric and all the tubs and totes and my machines. Oh well maybe I won the 649 and I can have a magestic sewing palace of my dreams. Better go and check my numbers.

Time out

2007-03-27T12:04:00.000-05:00

Well after my last fiasco with the buckeyes I took a well deserved rest from the beauties. I know what your thinking and no it will not become a UFO. It will be the only quilt that I have made that will fit my bed and I am looking forward to having it on my bed. I have been pondering what type of border I will use on the quilt. I just don't know anyone with suggestions send me a post.
I actually spent the last few days outside in this beautiful weather we are having. The sunshine is melting the snow very quickly so my only concern is I hope my septic field doesnt flood. the basement in which we normally have trouble is nice and dry. The highway people were out flushing the culverts so the water will flow . but the melt water well it started creeping into my yard again. If I had a newer house that had the ground built up this wouldn't be a problem. but in comparison to the house 2 doors down me and my neighbor gets his water runoff. I can't wait until this weekend . I signed up for 2 classes one Saturday and one sunday. I think I will have to get a materials list since I I haven't gotten one yet. One my todo list today is one swap block and putting together my blocks for a row robing so i can send it off . I will see how much i will manage since well its beautiful outside again today. But since the lighting is so great I might get some sewing done . I promised myself that I will do at least 15 minutes and I want to set up my embroidary machine to do a few tea towels for gifts. Have a great day folks......

buckeyes and bastings

2007-03-21T17:51:00.000-05:00

Well last night I went to a satelite group of Manitoba Prairie Quilters. Its at Little Brittian Church. Well I was inspired yesterday to actually begin the finish of a quilt. I had pieced the flannel backing to an adequate size and hauled everything with me to the hall. I had previously used basting spray but for the life of me could not find it, but the pins, they were there waiting to make my fingertips raw. Someone had already had the tables set up for basting so I just had to wait my turn. That was my evening bent over tables pinning my quilt. It took me an hour and a half but hey its done and now I can machine quilt it. This will be another full day exercise in rolling and tucking and shifting under my machine to get it to do what I want with it. The only question that I have is what color thread do I use. this is an extremely scrappy quilt. I do not want it to be biege. but what if any varigated color would I use. The back is easy it is beige. and I have enough thread for that.
Today I continued to make buckeye beauty blocks. I had them all set out on top of my bed in order to sew and make a pleasing arrangement of colours. I had finished the blocks Yippee.
That was short lived as something evil possessed the blocks and they either grew to larger than 12.5 inches or shrunk to 11.5 inches. The first row was very easily put together no headaches matching seams. Then it all changed. first two blocks easy , next block shrunk . It was a very pretty block. but I cannot make it grow. I switched the blocks around and carried on with making the rows. Row three made me mad no matter how many times I frogged the block aftersewing it, It would sit still until it got under the needle and my seam allowance would be a millimeter to half an inch . AAAAAAAA. Tossing those 2 blocks aside I went and rearranged the blocks another time. Next Row the third block was to big. Now I know I could have cut it down but it would have made the squares, rectangles and squares and I couldn't do it. As this pattern of sewing and swearing continued I ended up with blocks that will be very nice throw pillows or a table runner something else anyway and I now have to make another 7 blocks.
Maybe tomorrow I think I am done sewing for today.

How did this all start

2007-03-18T18:54:00.000-05:00

Dancing sounds innocent enough. My mother decided that we needed to find out about our native heritage. Dancing was the first step in my journey into my heritage. When I was sixteen my mom said Lynn there is a Powwow in Sandy Bay on Saturday lets go. okay I foolishly said. Next thing I know my mom drops yards of fabric beside me on the couch. you and your sisters need dance outfits then and We have to make them before Friday night. ( We ,meaning me) This began a longstanding tradition of being Voluntold to do some sewing for my mom. It also became the start of my STASH. My grandmothers were great enough to keep me out of trouble by showing my how to sew, now it was time to do something with it. Quilting just kind of evolved from doing dance regalia. My youngest sister Leanne was just a preschooler and years of dance outfits required. My mother stuck her in every kind of dance class, Clogging, square dancing, tap and jazz. and of course Powwow. Every time my mother came home with something for me to sew. Crinolines. I hated doing crinolines. Full skirts to swirl, sequins to add to a tap skirt, and then came the Shawls. Ladies Fancy Dance was the style of dance we all learned. The ladies wore shawls.

No this isn't one of my sisters Its just an example of the style of dance regalia that I have sewn. Then my mother asked for lone star shawl for my sister. I didn't know making lone stars was supposed to be hard I just did it. I of course went okay just buy me a rotary cutter and a mat. Buy this time I was collecting Quilters Newsletter and Quiltmaker and the rotary cutter was changing the way we pieced quilts. No more stupid little templates. We went out picked up the biggest mat I could find and a rotary cutter and all the fabric. . That was it. one lonestar shawl 10 hours of sewing and cutting and one shawl. After I woke up I went and purchased a good iron. Next thing I know I am hip deep in making lone star blankets for my family and others for native ceremonies.

Buy this time my baby sister was 16 and I have been sewing her regalia for years. Every year it seemed like my mother collected kids (she was a foster mom for 27 kids) and got them into dancing powwow, and I had sewn for everyone of them. I even spent a few years teaching mothers how to make their children's regalia for a dance troupe. Even I couldn't sew for 20 or so kids. My house was full of color and ribbons of every color yarn and shiny sparkly material. My mother feeding my fabric addiction because she always had things for me to sew and she made me crazy with what she wanted me to sew. I am the one that in a sewing emergancy ,could whip up what you needed last minute. Years of my mother going "We need 5 dance outfits by 11:00 tomorrow morning and I said you would do it", made me crazy, but fast, and really good at improvising.

I had bags of shiny colourful material scraps from all those dance outfits, these all went into crazy quilts . I was determined to embroider. My mother did it wonderful work. She didn't sew but she could embroider. My pitiful attempts .... French not.

My mother passed away from Breast Cancer on Sept 13, 2006. Part of this story is in remembrance of her and how she made me crazy and how all this started.

Lost in the big city

2007-03-14T19:05:00.000-05:00

Well today I went for a ride to winnipeg. As most cities goes it isn't so big. Not completely horrible to drive in except when I am driving. Off I go to meet Linda at Fabricland inthe southend of the city after spending 15 -20 minutes getting directions to find it off I go with the hopes of a fun afternoon. I am cruising down pembina and what theres Futureshop damn i missed the parking lot for Fabricland. So I parked in the next buildings lot behind the fabricland . I spend the next hour or so fondling fabrics and looking for green fabrics .( Previous comments on greens earlier) Well there were a few greens there Linda was finding them for me. Thankyou by the way, but they were setting off my yuck detectors. I stated I am not a biege person. I also am not a green person. and the fabrics were all so so so .... anyway I didn't buy any green but I did leave with a couple of florals to practice thread painting. So now we are going to go have coffee or tea at tims. I have a memory problem... She said Dakota after ST Marys. I remembered St. Marys. next thing i know i have totally missed the turn onto Bishop Grandin and am still heading towards the university. U turn at the next place I can to get back heading in the correct direction. Meanwhile I lost Linda she was in the correct lane and I assumed she took the right turn off. . Anyway I pull up to St marys I turn and now I am going into St Vital Mall Parking lot. I don't go there don't like shopping there don't like parking there and I see no Tims. I figure well I will just go inside and phone Linda and get her to come save me. as I am cutting through the lot I hear honking. Its Linda I am saved. I see her laughing at me and she motions for me to follow her which I think I should have done in the first place. What saved me is that you can see me coming and going ...I have a bright Yellow and I mean SUNSHINE YELLOW Focus. I think she ended up following me to save me from myself
I finally made it to Tims. had a fun conversation. I think we made the man next to us nervous he left kinda quickly. I had fun . I missed my husbands lunch break but oh well. Sh*t happens.
I have to leave my house more often .

2007-03-13T16:37:00.000-05:00

Well these are a few of the buckeye beauties that I had recieved from a swap. The colour scheme was autumn with biege TOT. I signed up for 3 sets of 4. So I only purchased the TOT biege. I didn't own beige. the rest of the autumn colors I got from my stash. I also fiqured out that I am sadly lacking in blues and greens. Its funny how you gravitate towards certain colours. I have a number of wines burgandys and reds, a fair bit of oranges and more than my share of purples. I have complained before that I am not a biege person. I go into a LQS and I will inevitably pick up a few reds and oranges.

It a compulsion I am an obsessive compulsive fabric purchaser. What if that fabric isn't there when I figure out how to use it? how much should I buy. With this swap with some of my favorite colours I added to my fabric palette in block formation. Patterns that I haven't seen before. Only one fabric piece in a block was the same that I have in my stash. I even used it my blocks for the exchange maybe they are having the same thoughts as me... scary

Actually I figured out that I have to make 18 more blocks (four down) to make a coverlet for my king size bed that I bought by mistake. How can you buy a king sizebed by mistake you ask? Let me tell you its actually pretty easy if you have my brain. all the right circumstances have to be perfect the stars have to be aligned just right. and you have to have a memory like a colonder.

We have/had a queen in the bedroom makes it real cozy . now I haven't had much of a brain since my mothers passing so little thing go unnoticed by me on a regular basis add a lot of confusion since we were moving furniture out of my mothers house and her friends apartment (who I bought the bed from) One demanding sister and confusion with movers 3 times. Its real easy for your mind to wander off farther than you think. Now I had only seen the bed in passing once. it was beautiful was all that I could remember. and I agreed to buy it I thought it was Queen sized which I knew fit in my bedroom. I got to mothers friends apartment realized I already paid for it and it was KING sized. Well I went home and started to move stuff around. it was gonna be real tight. I had to confess. Dearest Darling Husband Can you take the closet out of the room because the bed that is coming tomorrow won't fit otherwise.

Ladies and gents what do you think Freud would say about my bed?

And oh yeah size does matter.

depression sucks

2007-03-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

Somedays it is hard to get out of bed. specially if i get up and I am faced with mounds upon mounds of unsorted fabric. Its all washed but its not folded or ironed or placed in color order. My husband was in a snit about all my fabric .... I told him "I NEED A SEWING ROOM NOW"
We have c0me to an agreement .... we spend one weekend on a room start to finish new lighting insulation drywall new window , closet space voila. A room to place my bins, in the closet of course with the exception of the stuff I am working on. Unfortunately I usually have at least 4 or 5 things going on so I don't get bored or frustrated. Today I spent the day working on blocks for a Buckeyed beauty quilt and cutting 2.5 inch strips from stash. I have enough for a lap quilt but I figure I can attack my stash and make it even bigger. 12 of the blocks I got in a swap that was fun. I realized that my stash has changed I had been purchasing brights and colorful materials as opposed to the relaxed autumn colors. I think the next thing I will cut out will be brights so I can make a black and bright quilt, but i have to finish another log cabin first. No pictures this time .... I am embarassed of the stash sty that I have made...I am going back to bed.

Gimli Friday night and Saturday

2007-02-20T22:18:00.000-06:00

Friday nights class started a little late due to a kitchen mishap. It was Alien Landscape class by Heather Lair.

This was definitely outside the box for me. Most people see my scrappy pieced quilts so taking an artsy fartsy class was a big learning experience. In my class was Linda M and Ursula, Helen (I used to work with her) and her daughter in law Brandy ( I think its Brandy) and a couple other ladies whose names I forgot . Sorry Serious Colander Brain. OMG (the lady that will now be known as Brandy) her piece was gorgeous when she finished it. It looked like a countryside with rolling hills. See for yourselves.

Helen & Brandy Brandy's Landscape

Linda 's Landscape was vibrant and bold. As you can tell she looks happy about it.

My landscape is at this moment a lot of fabric that is dangerously filled with pins. I will post a pic when I get it done.

Saturday we did a class done by Heather Lair again and the quilt was based on her Klimt series. We all started at 9:30 in the morning. Learned a little , talked a lot good times had. One thing I learned, I don't like working with Organza. The feel of it gives me the heeby jeebies. Well this is me very tired but extremely happy at 1:30 am Sunday morning. It was finished as far as I was concerned at that time. The gradient side pieces are from a piece of fabric I painted at a class a couple of years ago works well with it doesn't it. Since I have had it home I decided it needs a little extra something. Stay tuned for additions that I make. From Friday until Sunday morning I met old friends new Friends.

I made the deli owner across the street my new best friend , he had the best coffee. Java JAVA JAVA. I think next year I will bring a coffee maker with me so I can have a cup whenever I want. I was having serious caffeine withdrawals. I didn't work on projects that I already had started but you know that's okay . I got invited to a quilting group for Tuesday right close to my home . Maybe I will work on some of that there, or maybe not.

Gimli Retreat 2007 the beginning.

2007-02-18T21:55:00.000-06:00

OMG I had the most wonderful weekend. I was at my first quilting retreat ever. It was a first for a few things. I left home by myself with no husband , no kids, no mom. I for the past 42 years never went away by myself for something that I wanted to do and I didn't have to worry about someone elses packing, entertainment for the kids or husband or listen to what I should be doing. IT FELT GOOD!!!

Well to say I had know idea what I should bring. I brought a couple of projects to work on (did not look at them once) besides the material for class. Since I didn't know what I would end up doing or not doing, my bag for fabric stash and tools ended up in my big suitcase. I brought a variety of stash. You would think i would pack the obvious like thread in the colorway I was bringing for my classes. NOT. Beige I brought beige. I am not a beige person I love bright colors and sparklies. I did remember to bring my rotary cutters and rulers and mats oh and my foot pedal for the machine, pretty important thing a foot pedal is. One lady there mentioned someone forgot theirs. I was very happy it wasn't me.

I felt so much like the new kid in school. Slightly panicky and excited. It was like the first day of school and you don't know anyone. and then wait for it, a face you recognise. Yippee I have a friend here. My friend Linda M arrived with her friend Ursalla and I felt so much better. It didn't take long for us to figure out where our classes that we signed up were and we grabbed our seats and started to set up. We were lucky both of our classes were in the same room so we didn't have to pack up and move at the end of class we just were able to set up shop for the weekend.

Since class wasn't scheduled to start until 7:30( 8:30 because of a kitchen mishap) I started poking around in the other class rooms to see if I recognised anyone and nosy around other peoples projects. I am soooo glad I did, it took about 15 minutes for me to realize I had a bad case of stash envy. Fabric and colours in every ones stash looked so much better than mine, and I brought a good bunch of stash, a large suitcase full. Some ladies brought tubs of fabric. I was in fabric heaven.... I had finally found people that were just like me... Fabric People...I was not alone, I wasn't the only one.

I am tired now so I think I will retreat to my bedroom to sleep. I will talk more about this tomorrow

VALENTINES

2007-02-14T07:45:00.000-06:00

Valentines is a day filled with love . not just romantic love but love of family , friends, and friends you haven't even met yet. I recieved a special Valentine from kwaanishiinh (a dragonfly) a very beautiful dragonfly. On her wings she carried a valentine from my mother. Little things that ment something to my mom.

My mom passed away from breast cancer in Sept 06. I still hope that I will wake up and it have been just a nightmare. But that is not to be. Instead she had this kwaanishiinh (dragonfly) send me gifts. worry dolls , worry stone, sparkly shoe and a pink ribbon.

My mother travelled alot in the past few years and she brought home a variety of things. worry dolls from South America, She picked up rocks from all over she has a few baskets of them. some are so smooth that its relaxings just to rub them. My mother also had a shoe fetish . if it sparkled she would buy them. her shoes had beads sequins stone and fancy sewing. She had a LOT of shoes.

When she recovered from her first bought with breast cancer she became an advocate for native women with breast cancer, and became involved with the National board. One night a year ago we spent an evening sewing together pink ribbons with a feather on them to sell to raise money for Breast Cancer.

My valentine carried gifts of my mother on her wings. Happy Valentines Day

Ladies night out.

2007-02-11T16:30:00.000-06:00

Well here are some of the lovely ladies that I spent my Saturday night with. We had a lot of laughs lots of goodies to eat and of course we worked on our projects that we all hope never become UFOs. This was my first ever ladies night out quilting style and I had a blast. Now I am really looking forward to my weekend retreat coming up next weekend.

I wasn't half as wierd or wired on caffiene as I could have been. The picture below is one where we decided to take pictures of each other, on her blog I slightly resemble a cyclops. ( camera positioned on my forehead) I can only say that I hope that my next weekend will be filled with as many beautiful people as last night was, filled with laugher and giggles and helping each other out setting up order of blocks to be sewn together.

Swaps

2007-02-10T05:56:00.001-06:00

Well I did it . I joined a swap. I joined a round robin and now in a row robin. You know I have always felt inadequate when it comes to showing my work. I am not saying that I don't sew well . More like I hope I sew good enough for everyone else. Ladies you know I am not the only one out there that feels that way. Always felt that my stiches might end up a little off kilter. Not good enough for a swap I might not hit that perfect scant 1/4 inch seam. Well I am now proud to say I am good enough. I am good enough to share with others. I am good enough for my self and I am good enough to challenge myself with a new style. Today my goal is to cut up 3 sets of four buckeye beauty pieces for a swap that I joined . The feeling is kinda like you know the water is going to be cold but you stick your toes in anyway. Well I didn't stick my toes in i jumped in with out checking the water. These ladies in one of my groups seem friendly enough. Nobody has sent out snotagrams to others. These ladies always seem to find the time to answer questions that newbies have. Suggest other ways of doing things one of them might work for you.

I worried about my one little block going to strangers in the round robin , what are they doing to it. Are they going to put colors I absolutely detest on it . What if the block was so weird they couldn't do anything with it. As I got the other peoples rounds I looked at it and asked myself what would do this justice . What would help make this RR sing . for every bit I had sewn on anothers work. I went with what was in my heart and that I fiqure is what its about. sharing pieces of yourself with others as you send your blocks around the group.

I got my round robin back yesterday. Its beautiful ladies . Thank you.

Stash family History

2007-02-07T06:34:00.000-06:00

This lovely little pile of 50 odd fat quarters are all that remain of my ironing. I have prewashed everything. Just to Let everyone know I am a Fabriholic and in need of some serious intervention. In the weeks since Christmas I have purchased (laugh at me and my fat quarters) 109 fat quarters but I just have these left to iron. in six weeks thats like 27 yards. That doesn't include the flannel I purchased for quilt backings ( 6 different ones) plus a little bit for play and raggedy quilts for my nieces. In my defence I must state that I come from a long line of stashers and packrats.

Some people have traditions handed down through the family , things that others take great pride in. My families traditions is hoarding things like stash and doilies. Through out my life stash was there. When I was little I used to go to my great grannies little home. It had 3 rooms and a porch/mudroom with out door facilities. I loved going there when I was small granny always had something new in her basket for sewing. Her home was filled with quilts she made and hand made rugs. the prairie point rug was my favorite. It was made up with so many colours. and for a little kid you could stick your finger into the praire points. Sometimes she would get me to fold the squares into the triangles and then sew them into a rug. Other times she would get me to roll up the strings of fabric so she could have a ball of fabric to crochet into a rug.These bits of fabric were in and around her Chair in the living room. or under her treadle machine. My quess these bits of worn clothing that she she cut up was her stash. The tradition continues to her daughter My granny , I loved her so much , but she was a confirmed pack rat. She never through any thing out because you never knew when you might need it. When I moved into her home in the early nineties It was my job to go through everything, 265 doilies I counted two UFOs and stash. After my grandmother retired she worked in a second shop. there she would spend 6 days a week in a month and sort the donations . Some things were to worn to go out into the store and well you know it it ended up in my grannies closet to make its way to a quilt or even a rug or two. all those worn flannels and polyester double knits (yuck) were her stash. As for the doilies some were so fine I know these ones where great grannies. The bigger ones made with a heavier cotton were my grannies. You can never know when you need a doily. Moving down the line is my mother. She passed away in Sept of 06. I miss her so much. She grew up on an island on Lake Manitoba so she collected floats from fishing nets. I have absolutely no idea why she collected them they are just there. There are boxes of them in the garage. I have absolutely no idea what we are going to do with those.

All in all every one has a quirk or two. Mine is to have hundreds upon hundreds of fat quarters . Good thing I love scrappy quilts.

Farts and Fabriholic

2007-02-03T07:52:00.000-06:00

Fabric aquisition road trips. .... I have had one or two to many. Ever since I pick up my beautiful little yellow car I have been travelling to all the near by quilt stores in Winnipeg. I have picked up something at every one of them. The other day as i was in a QS i thought hey I am going on a retreat in two weeks. I need 1 fabric many different shades. I did it. bought 12 fat quarters . I brought them into the house in my tote so dahling husband didn't see that I brought new fabric into the house. In numerous totes I have brought in yards and yards of fabric. guilt is the reasoning that I snuck the fabric into the house. Like an alcoholic I have stash hidden around the house. I even have two of the big tough tote bins at my mothers house with fabric in it. I need help. Evey time i go to a quilting class which I joined to use up my stash (like that is happening) I pick up something . My body quivers in anticipation when I hear my fav QS has new fabric. They have the Chocolate line . I love chocolate. Just the name inspires me to pull out my credit card. Fabric calls to me it unfurls from the bolt and waves at me as I walk in the door of the shop. Sale bolts jump up and down 50% off us come here take a look take me home you need me. STOP I say I shouldn't buy you and then the Fat quarters start up. We don't cost as much as a full metre or yard come and take a look at us . We are blue violet reds oranges. buttery creams and there is some chocolates sitting demurely on the shelf. Its at this point I should run. Sigh I never do. Now my stash is languishing in bins and tubs and totes through out the house and now they are screaming at me . You haven't touched us. The guilt level reaches a new level I join stashbusters . They will help me. I aspire to be as good as those ladies that are signed up for NO BUY. Brave these ladies are. In two weeks I go on a retreat ...there is a quilt store in the same building. That will be a true test of my willpower . Will my nerve and intentions stand firm, or will i give in to my compulsions. only time will tell.

Batteries

2007-02-01T06:58:00.000-06:00

I went to a shower a few years ago and played some games. Everyone knows what the purse game is? Well here is how it goes the host makes up a list of items and and when she calls them out and you have them in your purse you stay in the game. I carry everything in a massive tote. A screwdriver was one of the last items , me and the other woman had them in our purses. Me a regular sized Phillips and the other lady a tiny wee one for glasses, we both stayed for the next round. They called batteries next. I had a sandwiche baggy with eight batteries in it. Yeah I won. Batteries hit my purse one year that darling step daughter recieved her digital camera. They came in handy as her camera ate the batteries so quickly. I still have batteries in my purse because of my camera. Mostly because I forget to take them out, but the event of a discman stoping, a remote control quitting and the worst thing, childrens toys running out of juice when the toy is the one thing that is keeping the darlings from driving me and their mother insane, I am prepared.

Postcards

2007-01-31T21:58:00.000-06:00

As I journey into finding joy in my life I decided that even little quilts would use up stash. Maybe not enough for my husband to notice but I would indeed be back doing something that I loved. Sewing , creating , and fondling fabrics. I was recently invited to join a small group by a lovely lady whos link to her blog spot is somewhere on my spot. Linda M by the way . I have seen some of the lovely work that has been done WOW. not white on white but WOW! Some of these postcards are just incredible pieces of art. Saying that I am probably going to submit whoever reads this to my beginners attempts. To my non quilting friends and family if you read this your probably thinking white on white? Come over have some coffee or tea and I will gladly pull out fabric for you to look at. Trish if you read this your quilt may be 4 x 6 inches. lol

Family and hobbies

2007-01-30T07:20:00.000-06:00

This poor man is my husband Greg. he has on his lap Wicket my cat and beside him is J.J. his dog. As you can see in the corner of this picture he is like most males of the species and has a remote fixation. He recently purchased an Ozzy remote as he calls it. Instead of 4 or 5 remotes on the table there is only one big touchpad remote for all the toys. he is waiting for one that can program me to remember to do house work. Electrician by day his hobby is collecting woodworking tools kinda like me and sewing machines and doing woodworking thingies in his shop. The other day he purchased a large shop dust filtration system. Its supposed to collect all the wood dust from his workshop. Currently it is set up in my living room in front of the wood stove. I haven't said a thing about this massive item in my living room. He actually made note that I haven't said a thing about getting it out of the living room. I figure it will be moved when he is ready to use it. He also mentioned that I couldn't and shouldn't dare say anything about 1 tool (Big One) in the living room since at this current time I have 5 tubs of fabric and 3 sewing machines in the room and a couple of projects on the kitchen table . My stuff is all in view since it is an open room concept. I have been on a kick of organizing my fabric. It may not look like it at the moment to the non sewers eye however in my defense i am a fabri holic and I am sorting my stash.
When he was working on his apprenticeship he had to go to The Pas for 5 months. We were working on renovating the living room and kitchen area. I lived with his saw in the kitchen the entire time he was gone. It was this big heavy thing that I could not move so there it stayed until he came home and finished working with it. 10 months in total. Aniversaries have come and gone and I still don't have kitchen cupboards. Mmmm , he can live with my stash.

Its not what you think

2007-01-29T12:47:00.000-06:00

Sex Farts and UFO's don't mean what you think , I am not out of my mind. (sort of). Its a lovely bunch of words that describe my life as a sometimes quilter , an all the time piecer, a stashaholic and my desire to enhance said stash with new stash.
Stash multiplies sometimes apparently on its own. I look at a piece of fabric that I pulled out of a bag and say I don't know when I got this , I don't remember buying it.

quick lesson #1

UFOs are UnFinished Objects. I Don't know any quilter that doesn't have at least one.

SEX is Stash Enhancing eXpedition

FART-- Fabric Acquistion Road Trip ( most trips to the city end up as one since my local fabric store closed and wally world opened)

I gave my darling husband a quick lesson on different parts of a stash. Crumbs are the iddy biddy pieces that a sane person would throw out. I only keep them if they are over 1 1/2 inches. ha.

strings are the long strips that I cut off fat quarters and yardage to square up an edge, sometimes i messed up a cut and have to start over again. Both of these items I have been hoarding in bags , totes and bins mixed together all willy nilly. I came up with the idea to separate the multitude of crumbs and strings into there own bins thus allowing myself the opportunity to see what I have and use the new scrapsaver ruler that I just purchased from my Fav QS.

The first time my husband saw my stash in all its glory he jokingly said I had enough fabric to make a house cozy. ... and he married me anyways.