Fun Stuff

So, I showed you I was painting fabric - it's starting to come together! I had bought a book called Shoreline Quilts by Cyndy Lyle Rymer a long, long time ago, and always wanted to have a play with the cover quilt. The technique is one I've never done. It's done collage style, sticking down the parts with spray adhesive, then covering with a layer of tulle and quilting. I've got mine covered with tulle, but will wait a few days before quilting - that's supposed to help keep the adhesive from gumming up your needle, according to my friend Cathy No-Blog, and I always listen to her. Right, Cathy?



This is so freeing - all the parts are freehand cut, except the background strips - I did use the rotary cutter on those. The rest I just played with scissors. It's all pure play - I highly recommend this method!

So What Do You Do....

when you're starting a new project, and you go to the fabric store cuz your stash is depleted, and you can't find just the right color fabric?

You pull these out....



and make your own.



On a totally different note, I don't watch much tv, just the local news and Lost. I'm hooked on Lost and anxious for it to be over...just so I won't be hooked on it anymore. What I do like is borrowing dvd's from the library. One that I borrowed last week is The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a show on HBO. I LOVE it. I had tried to read the books but all the names threw me for a loop, but the series is wonderful! Very funny and lighthearted. If you get a chance, see if your library has the dvd's or if you have cable, you can watch it on HBO.

Last night I said I would take some pics of my latest project, and today I did. I'm sad to say this is the ONLY project I've finished this month.

Ta-da! My new curtain.



This is from this pattern, sent to me by the lovely Bell. I opted to not do a full quilt, but only something to cover the bottom half of my window.



Pictures are always clickable for a closer look. Oh spellcheck doesn't like "clickable". Or even "spellcheck".



I am seriously smitten with this. I also opted to not do the cornerstones, as my piecing skills have deteriorated over time. I wish the colors were truer - these are repro '30's pink fabrics. I probably could have just used two rows, as I move the curtain down for daytime, but I love it. The more daisies the better, I say.

The other day I got some hugs in the mail. ROYAL mail.


These colours are not true either - the actual wristwarmers are MUCH richer looking.

The lovely Midge from Soggibottom made these and sent them to me. Honestly, they're like wearing a hug - they are the softest wool, in the most mouth-watering colors. They come almost to my elbow and keep me SO warm! Now my fingers don't go numb while I'm blogging, and you know that's important! Thank you darling Midge, they are getting a workout for sure!

Look, I can hold a mug with them.



I can type with them!



Egads please don't look at the filthy keyboard! Darn that maid, she's fired. Go check out Midge's blog, she has a new free pattern for the sweetest stuffie bunny you've ever seen.

Is anyone else having a hard time getting motivated this year? I am. I'm seeing all kinds of terrific stuff that you've all been doing, and I'm only a little bit tempted to join in. I'm not sure what I want to do - draw, design, stitch [I have been doing stitcheries - in the evening], break out the quilt books and try something new, I just don't know. I have a gazillion ideas for quilt designs, and just the thought of putting them to fabric makes me tired. I guess I'll just not worry about it, and relax, and watch lots of dvd's and listen to audiobooks while I mindlessly stitch. After all, it doesn't get much better than that, does it!

Remiss

I've been so bad. I've received three lovely blog awards and I haven't blogged about them. :( So, tonight I will. And then, sometime in the next few days, I'll show you my latest finish and a beautiful gift - everytime I go to take a picture, either I can't find the card or the batteries are dead, so my posting has been delayed.

The first was from Jan at Just-A-Mere. And just to show you HOW remiss I've been, Jan gave me this award last November. I have no excuses - Jan, please forgive me for taking so long to mention this!

She nominated 15 blogs, and I'm supposed to as well - but how can I pick??? I ask you. So if you're reading this, and you comment here, you know I read your blog as well - cuz I read all the bloggers who comment on my posts - so go ahead and copy the pic, consider yourself nominated. I love you all. I think you ALL have the best blogs - it's because of you I joined the blog party!

The second award is from Paula at Quilt Happy, Quilt Often.

To accept this award, you have to thank the person who gave it to you [thank you, Paula!], paste the award on your blog, link the person who nominated you [Paula], tell 7 interesting things about yourself, nominate 7 blogs, and post links to them. So here goes. FYI, I'm not interesting.

1. I know how to drive a semi. And I'm good at it.
2. I'm 1/8th Native American and my mom used to threaten to send me back to the reservation if I didn't behave. I don't THINK she meant it....
3. When I'm not sewing, I read one book a day. Unless I read two. If I'm sewing, I listen to a book on tape.
4. I'm terrified of heights. Can't even stand on a chair without thinking I'll fall.
5. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
6. Menopause was the third best thing that ever happened to me - motherhood was second, meeting Jesus was first.
7. I never made it to college - maybe I will yet? I joined the service for the GI bill, and they dropped it the day before I went in. After I got out, they reinstated it. Yes, I took it personally. Still do.

See? Not interesting. This is why I comment on your blogs more than my own.

Now, 7 blogs to nominate - this is the hardest part!!!! Firstly, Jenny of Elefantz - I love her to pieces [quilter's pun, sorry] and she has been my inspiration for ever, it seems. She's a kindred spirit.
Second up is Midge. Another kindred and I want to go live in her world. It's beautiful there. I adore her.
Third is Tanya. I SO look forward to her posts and projects. I would love to travel to her home someday!
Fourth, Terry. She is an amazing woman and a hero of mine.
Fifth, Valerie. It's been pure joy getting to know her and her granny.
Sixth, Lauranie. I met her when I first started blogging and I'm SO glad I did. But I wish I had half her energy!
And seventh, Terri. My very, very dear friend who I met in a yahoo embroidery group, was privileged to meet in person, and lives WAY too far away. If we were next door neighbors, we'd never get anything done, we'd be sitting on the porch yakking all the time. Or maybe shopping. :)

Whew. Still with me? One more. Allie gave me this:

The Lemonade Stand Award, given out for bloggers that show great attitude and gratitude. Now isn't that a lovely award? Here are the rules:

Put the Lemonade logo on your blog or within your post.

Nominate at least 10 blogs with great attitude or gratitude.

Link the nominees within your post.

Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

[Copied and pasted from Allie's blog.]

Now how am I going to pick 10? Here goes....

1. Sheri
2. Paulette
3. Mickie
4. Carrie
5. Darlene
6. Jocelyn
7. Shasta
8. Bell
9. Kim
10. Jan

You know I could have given out more, but your eyes are probably glazed over. If I gave you an award and you don't do awards, I'm sorry, I hope you take it in the spirit given - that I truly appreciate you and want you to know.

Please.....

Please pray for the people of Haiti. I cannot fathom the devastation.

BRRRRRRR

Nothing much is getting done around here, all I want to do is huddle under quilts. Lots of quilts. Every quilt I've ever made. Even though I live in a place where this happens every year, and it's not a surprise, I still don't like it. It's mornings that hit me the worst - crawling out from my warm, cozy nest to a frigid room is not on my favorites list.

I've been working on my daisy quilt. It's not going to be a full-grown quilt - I'm doing 3 rows of 5 blocks each, and it will be the new curtain for my sewing room. Half curtain. I really like it a lot - the whole background is pink, and a daisy on each block. It reminds me of the old-fashioned bathing caps with all the flowers. It makes me happy.



I had a hard time deciding how to applique it. Blanket stitch by hand didn't look right. Blanket stitch on the machine made it pucker. I finally decided on straight lines, 3 times around, using a stablizer under it. I LOVE it.

Mum and I went to visit my friend Shirley, she just got a new puppy. A Standard Schnauzer named Greta. Oh she's so cute!!! And SMART. She has some funky attachments on her ears, to keep them upright - it'll take 6 weeks before they come off.



You can't see in the pic, but her fur is really lovely. A light grey undercoat with longer black hairs on top. Pretty girl.

This is the tree outside my sewing room window - in spring, it's covered with tons of pink blossoms. Don't ask me what it is. Nature and I get along best when seperated by glass.



It's wearing a winter covering of snow. I took this pic for Midge, I think she has more snow than we do.

Did you see Jenny of Elefantz's new patterns? Four of them. Must. Have.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! It’s finally here – the new year. To me, it always feels like a blank slate to be written on in ink….or a very colorful marker. I’m too old to use pencil anymore. I want to write on this new year with boldness, with confidence, with passion.


Our dog, Abby, wearing her party hat on Christmas.

Out of the entire past year, the only thing that stands out as memorable to me is blogging. I started last March. You, yes you, have filled my year with inspiration, kindness, and friendship. I'm so grateful to be a part of this community.

I’m back to blogging from my self-imposed hiatus of healing. I’m not healed, so I’m going to learn how to live with it. I live with pain anyway, it shouldn’t be too hard. I’ll take breaks when I need to, and try not to feel guilty for not replying to all posts or comments. I love your blogs, and I love to let you know that I love them.

I didn't make many gifts this year, I simply couldn't find the desire! Here's a few I did make - a couple of rice bags, for the microwave, one for my brother [the fishing fabric] and one for my aunt.



I also finished the pillow for my mom, from Vikki's pattern, Mother's Love. She LOVED it.



I finished her quilt too, but neglected to get a picture of it. She loved that too. I didn't take many pictures this year, I need to change that! I'm finally learning my camera - just discovered the other day that I can change the exposure on it, can you imagine? We've only had it for about 12 years.

Jenny and I did a little swap for Christmas. We made aprons for each other. I opened mine and started to cry - look what she did -





She made a design just for me. I don't wear it for cooking, I wear it in my sewing room! My phone has a headset, but I need something to carry the phone part in, and the pocket is perfect! I take it off to cook - heaven forbid I should get food on it. She spoiled me rotten, look what else she did....



The peace stitchery is now a pillow on my bed.



And the gorgeous placemat could NEVER be used to put food on, what if I spilled? No, it's hanging on the wall, safe from harm.

And speaking of Jenny, she's got a new BOM coming out and it's another winner! I don't know how she does it but I hope she never stops. I can't wait to start this one! What a great year this will be.

Tomorrow I'm going to find some time to sew. I have another quilt started, the one Bell sent me from this post. The four-patches are made, the daisies are traced, and I really want it done. I want to stop making real quilts [gasp] and focus on art quilts this year....but I MUST get this quilt out of my system, I love it so! What will you focus on this year? I can't wait to find out!

I wish you all happiness and prosperity in this coming year - may it hold all the joy you hope for!