Log Cabin mini pincushion

While I was working on my Log Cabin Mini, I had a leftover orphan block that needed a good home.  Why not make a little goody for one of the students in my log cabin class….seems fitting. I finished this little orphan block into a lovely log cabin pincushion to give away to one of the students in my class. I hope that it inspires them to continue making log cabins..in any shape, size or form as the possibilities are endless.

Dog Gone Crazy

I was delighted to find this free BOM on line recently. I think it’s adorable and if anyone is a dog lover, it’s perfect for you. I showed it to my grandson Ayden and he thinks it’s wonderful and asked if I was making it for him. Guess I know where this one is going!

You can go to the site http://syverkstan.net/dogbom.htm to get all the information. It’s called Crazy Dogs.

I had a few little dog applique pieces in my stash from a hundred years ago, can’t even remember where I got them from but they will work perfect with this quilt. Now I’ve gone dog gone crazy looking for fabric for all the different dogs!  It’s just too cute!

Getting my Fill

I was delighted to find a few quilt stores in Orlando while visiting. Dear Hubby was kind enough to let me get my fill at Cornerstone Quilt Shop. It’s a nice shop with a good selection of fabric. I loved the service as they were able to give me great information about the upcoming quilt show in Orlando on the 1st and 2nd of February. They also had a complete list of all the local quilt shops which was great. Wow there are tons in Orlando.

I was able to pick up some fabric for the BOM I’ve started called Crazy Dogs, a great package of quilting sayings printed onto fabric that can be used for just about anything and a the Pineapple Quilt Book, A Piece of Cake…I’ve wanted to do one of these for forever.

Yummy in my Tummy

This all started with my sister….she bought me this little purple thing…a cupcake corer. You make your cupcakes, push the corer into the center of your cake, pull it out, then push on the  handle. Out comes the cupcake centre, leaving you a wonderful little hole to fill with goodness.

Enter marshmallow crème…

Put the little cupcake lids back on…hiding your surprise filling

Decorate and voila!  Yummy in my tummy

These were for my son’s 19th birthday..I know they are a little juvenile but he did get the humour in the car and stop light wraps.
You see we have this thing….ever since I retired 3 years ago, I don’t have a car…..
I had a car, it was mine, I liked it, liked driving it. About that same time, said son got his driver’s licence, and it seems he liked my car too….now I hardly ever have my car, said son thinks it’s his.
Not that I mind, it would only be sitting in the drive most of the time, and he’s a good driver, works hard at school and his part time job and well he’s the baby and you know, they’re always spoiled!
He always laughs when I ask him if I can borrow my car!  He better remember this when they put me in the home.

The other little goodies on the cupcakes…the lion and Elmo were for the benefit of the grandsons as they came to celebrate his birthday too.

Sulky International BOM

“I love Sewing” is a free Block of the month offered by Sulky International. You can find it here…
 http://www.sulky-international.de/scripts/clsAIWeb.php?seite_id=319
It looks so sweet that I couldn't resist. I did struggle a bit as the instructions are in centimeters and I’m used to inches, but I have my trusty centimetre tape measure and it’s proving to be reliable. I had picked up a few fat quarters of the line Quilter’s Home, which seems perfect for this project. I’m using some of my scrap and stash as well.

Can’t wait to see next months’ block.

Reality Check

Well we have arrived in Orlando and are staying at the Sheraton Orlando North. Dear Hubby is playing in the Guns and Hoses Annual Hockey Tournament. Dear Hubby is a retired officer but still partakes in hockey…..of any kind.  This is the second year I’ve come with him…not too hard to be persuaded to travel to Florida even when there is hockey involved.

What makes it even better is that there are literally hundreds of firemen and officers partaking with Dear Hubby.  Almost all are considerably younger. Dear Hubby is a die hard.

So I did get a major reality check while we were here. After one of the games we decided to head back to the hotel and go down to the pool and hot tub.  Dear Hubby and I are in the hot tub when we are invaded by tons of firemen and officers from the tournament who have the same idea.  A quiet  couple of hours in the sun, soaking it all up in the hot tub. Suddenly the hot tub is filling up with about 20 perfect specimens of  eye candy….yep pure eye candy, all naked from the waist up. 

Now I’m in my late 50’s, but I’m not dead!  These guys were definitely gorgeous, definitely eye candy, so sweet that I’m sure I now have diabetes from just being in the same hot tub with them all!

Half the Annual Firemen’s Calendar was in that hot tub with Dear Hubby and I.  Mr. January, Mr. March, Mr. September for sure. At one point Dear Hubby nudges me and says “Did you hear me?”….sorry hun, did you say something?  I was mesmerized.

A few of the fellows started talking to Dear Hubby and I, asking where we were from, talking about our kids and family, kibitzing back and forth. Dear Hubby and I got out after a bit, sat and  dried off then started to leave when one of these delicious specimens yells..“Hey Mom and Dad, you’re not going already are you?….The music's not too loud is it?…come on stay and have a beer!”

OMG…MOM AND DAD?…that was a definite reality check….I guess I  just don’t see myself as being in my late 50’s but obviously others do.

If that’s not bad enough, the next day I’m at the arena, waiting for Dear Hubby’s game to start and a delicious specimen come in with all his hockey gear and I open and hold the door for him.  As he’s going through he says……”Thanks Ma’am”  

Ma'am…MA’AM?

That’s it!….I’m looking into one of those mini facelifts they advertise, I’m just going to have a few hundred wrinkles removed.

Definately a reality check!

Thank god for Dear Hubby, he’s still my Mr. January, Mr. February, Mr. March, Mr. April, Mr. May……….

Snowmen Measure Up

Just finished these little guys….these will be great to just tuck into your purse or sewing bag to take along. Enclosed in these cute little packages are retractable tape measures. I appliqued the nose and bird in felt before plus sewed the button eyes on before sewing them together with a blanket stitch.

This ain’t no cabin in the woods

I guess you could say I’ve been on this log cabin kick as of late….First Fields and Furrows, then my Log Cabin Star in grey and black…my House Hunting finish and if that isn’t enough..how about a mini Log Cabin to tease your brain cells. This little mini is one I designed for Kindred Spirits Quilt Co. Made out of 1 inch strips, each block measured 4X4.  Certainly a labour of love.

LCL Groupie–Leighla

Talk about a great color combo…I love these colors together…I think it’s because they are both soft and subtle.  Leighla is making this Log Cabin Quilt for her living room and it will look spectacular  wherever she displays it. We had a couple of choices for layouts but the grey on the outside is her favourite. Love it Love it.

I’m moving to Happyville!

Finally, finally finished my House hunting BOM….What got me going?….my Log Cabin Group students. I was teaching a log cabin class at Kindred Sprits Quilt Co. and took a few sample log cabins from my repertoire to show them. Since this one was not completed, I just took the centre block of log cabins that I had sewn together. Once I took it out to show them…I was so ashamed it was not completely finished inspired to get it together and quilted. 

Plus one of my resolutions for 2013, was that I would finish up some of my UFO’s…not all…some I said… as I would never be able to accomplish that in a year, let alone a lifetime. 

So she’s done….and so cute. Now I just need a girl grandbaby to gift it to.

The backing was an absolute miraculous find…little houses all in a row with the saying…” My heart always comes home to you”, plus it was in the perfect matching colors for the front of the quilt, plus it had little houses all over it, plus it was only $3.00 a meter. OMG MIRACULOUS!

I’m so happy I finished it, it’s such a happy quilt and every time I look at it I smile….isn’t that what quilting should be all about.

LCL Groupie–Gail

This one is a beauty….I’m partial to it I guess as I just love the fabric line “ Little Black Dress”. I love the way the lights show up across the quilt. Looks amazing!

We’re getting there…LCL group

Debbie and Bianca were not quite ready for their layout photo-shoots, but they did get all their blocks finished. Debbie chose warm browns and neutral pulled from her stash, while Bianca opted for gorgeous batiks. Looking good ladies, can’t wait to see what options you choose for your layouts.

Florida Bound

We are heading off to Florida today for 5 weeks. I’m a little apprehensive as this is the first time we’ve done a trip for this long. We are leaving our kids at home…they are hardly kids, 30,24, and 19. They are adults really, however still hard not to worry about them and all the things that could go wrong when we are 2000 kilometers away. We are staying a week in Orlando and then 4 weeks in Tampa.

This is what we said we were going to do for our retirement…so I better suck it up.

This is what I have packed……LOL….and this is just my sewing and craft stuff.

I have my sewing machine, thread that I might need, cutter, rulers, mat, wool for crocheting, books to read, my needlepoint, and 4 sample projects to finish for Kindred Spirits Quilt Co. Also a 4 year old Thimbleberries quilt that only has the first instalment of 12 completed, a 4 year old double pumpkin seed applique quilt that needs to be finished, and a tulip table runner in case I get bored.

The crochet , reading and the needlepoint I can work on during the drive down as it will take us 2 full days to get there. The other projects I hope to complete during dear hubby’s afternoon nap time.

I’ll keep you posted on our adventures…I know that there is a quilt show in Orlando  AND Tampa while we are there!

LCL Groupie- Lorna

I love this quilt…mmmmmm so pretty, so spectacular. This is Lorna’s beauty and we had laid out two options for Lorna….would have done a few more but Lorna was tired it’s hard getting up and down off the floor to move blocks around. She has opted for the star pattern, which I absolutely love.

Can’t wait to see it all complete with her fabulous border choices.

LCL Groupie- Jane

This is Jane’s Log Cabin Quilt almost ready to sew together….we just took a few pictures to make sure what layout she liked best. She had chosen Christmas fabric for her quilt and the blocks look awesome.

She chose layout number 3…my favourite too!