Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Here today, Gone tomorrow

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My Lone Star quilt is back after getting framed and I absolutely love it. It turned out even better than I thought. I was so proud of it, I brought it out and showed my brother and his wife when they visited for dinner.

They oh’d and aw’d and seemed to really like it as well. I asked if they wanted it as they seemed really taken by it. I do love to give my work away to people who can appreciate the work and beauty of quilting.

Of course they said no and part of me thought…oh they must just be being nice by saying they liked it.

Up it went, back on the shelf in our bedroom…..actually with great relief as I really really love this piece.

Then the next day I got a call from my brother…he says….”MaryLynn and I really liked the Star Framed Quilt you showed us and we were wondering if we could buy it.”

Sooooooo….Here today, gone tomorrow.

  I would never think of selling it to my brother, I would much rather gift it. He kept insisting, and I finally said…”look your wedding anniversary is coming up in July, how be I wrap it up and give it to you for your anniversary. I would love for you to have it.  If you ever tire of it though…can you make sure you give it back.” He agreed.

Don’t think that’s gonna happen, but I can hope…..

I just need to enjoy it for the next few months.

Monday, April 29, 2013

My Secret Weapon

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I have to use it sparingly as Pampered Chef doesn’t make it any more…not sure what I’ll do when I completely run out. I do have  one  more container stashed away.

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I used this Sweet Apple Sprinkle on top of these amazing muffins  called Good Morning Muffins from Pioneer Woman. You can find the recipe here.  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/04/good-morning-muffins/

You just sprinkle it on top of each muffin before baking. They were  absolutely delicious.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Heap o’ Love

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That’s how it starts…….cut 2.5 inch strips of fabric, then cross cut into 11, 9, 8, 7, 6 inch pieces, then toss them all like salad and you’ll have a heap o’ love to start a cool jacket made using a sweatshirt as a base. 

I’m well on my way to making a Cabin in the City Jacket by Moonlight Designs. It includes lots of little log cabin blocks…I think over 50 little 3X 3.5 inch babies. I cheated and used Eleanor Burns quick method to get them done …I’m so glad I learned that method…I’ll never make log cabins any other way now.

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Here’s hoping I get the jacket completed shortly!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Dude Baby Bibs

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Oh these are the cutest bibs for the little men in your life. These are samples for Kindred Spirits Quilt Co. and I hated to part with them. They make me laugh every time I look at them.

You can choose from Mr. Businessman, Mr. Cowboy and Mr. Formal.

The pattern is from Vanilla House Designs and I will be teaching  a class at the store on creating them.

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Friday, April 26, 2013

Thimbelina Bag Ladies

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June and Pat were wonderful students stripping their way through the Thimbelina Bag Class. The strips are lined with batting strips and you tuck and sew all the little goodness in. Then you sew all the strips together yet again. It looks amazing made from batiks which is evident from June and Pat’s choices.

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Pat’s all finished and is starting on a second one. Awesome Pat…love it!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

One of these things is not like the others

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How can it be spring and how can I be sick! I’d made it all through the winter months with not a sniffle or sneeze, or cough or cold…..I’m back from the south for less than a month and am sicker than a dog.

I’d been struggling for the last week…it started with the grand boys having a sleepover, they both had coughs and cold…then my chest seemed tight and I started with a dry cough. Then it was all downhill from there….cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, sniffles then Niagara Falls. (no I just wanted to go there and jump!)  A temp followed, then I just wished I was dead.  Finally went to the clinic when I was having trouble breathing and the doc said…you’re running a temp, and have bronchitis, probably not pneumonia YET….go home, get lots of rest, liquids and fill this script.  You should feel better in about 10 days.

Ya, and that’s my Book of Awesome that I was reading while waiting in the office…..and this it totally NOT AWESOME!

@#%^(*^@$)||&)!&%|$!#^$*^)!$&)$!_)*$_!_*_!$_)!_ CRAP!

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Labyrinth is a finish!

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All completed, quilted, bound and at the store as a sample. It really is a beauty. So simple but so complex. It’s a modern looking quilt which adds a nice change from your typical block quilt. Sometimes I just want something different and this filled the bill.

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I quilted it with the pattern Melissa and it looks wonderful. So happy with this one.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Dragonflies Over the Fields

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I’ve been really sticking to my plan of finishing off projects that I had bought years ago before starting new projects. My averages haven’t really been that bad considering how many old projects I have stashed away. For every old project I am getting out of hibernation and working on, I’m completing about 3 new ones.

That’s really not that bad as previously I was not working on any old ones.  I did a quick math calculation and I should have all be tucked away projects and quilts finished by 2567.  I’m on a roll obviously.

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I’ve had this dragonfly wall hanging tucked away for at least 7 years maybe. It was offered at the store that closed prior to Kindred Spirits taking over. It’s done in batiks and somewhere along the way I picked up a really cool batik with gold filigree throughout it for the outer border.  Plus I have enough fabric left over to make a co-coordinating quilt. Bonus!

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I remember how much I liked it at the time, now……not so much.

But I’m not wasting it and some little girl will think it’s totally awesome, and that’s all that really matters.

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Monday, April 22, 2013

Couture Baby Gap

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My girlfriend Pat’s daughter is expecting her second child soon…a little girl. I had embroidered little hats for her first grandbaby Owen and she asked if I would do some again for this new little addition.

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We started with the little baby gap hats…and with my embroidery machine and some patience aligning ….turned out these really sweet couture hats for Shae!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Foxy Lady

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This is the second block I have completed in the Forest QAL offered by http://shape-moth.blogspot.ca/2013/03/forest-qal-comming-soon.html and http://trilliumdesign.blogspot.com/2013/03/forest-quilt-along.html.  All the blocks are paper pieced and will challenge the best of quilters to complete.

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I’ve completed the little fox and a woodpecker and each block took me most of a day to complete. They are well worth the effort though!

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Saturday, April 20, 2013

Perfect for Baby Boys

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Aren’t these adorable. Linda made these cute quilts for her identical twin grandbabies that will be here sooner than she knows. They are boys and the blue themed fabric will be perfect.

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She chose yellow backing for one and blue for the other. Since they are identical, the blankets may be the only thing that they will be able to tell apart. I quilted them with the pattern Angel Wings.

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Friday, April 19, 2013

A border a day keeps the doctor away

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I’m almost there….finished that is. I have been going round and round with this Labyrinth and now I’m getting the final borders on. I’ve tried to spread it out and do a border a day to get it accomplished….just one more and I’ll be finished.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

On a Roll……in more ways than one

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Well it was an eventful day……….any day with my 87 year old mom seems to be that way!

My family is originally from Georgetown, and when my mom retired she moved from Georgetown to be closer to me.  Twice a year she ventures back to Georgetown, about a two hour drive, to get her car serviced. She has a garage mechanic that she has always taken her car to and she really trusts him and refuses to find someone closer to home.

In Georgetown, happens to be Quiltsource Canada, where I order my batting from. It seemed like a good idea at the time to travel with her, and pick up my batting while we were there. Her small car would hold about three large rolls. Usually I have it shipped, but I thought that I would save some time and money by picking it up since we would be there anyway.

It has been quite a while since I have travelled with my mom…with her in the drivers seat that is…usually I’m driving her everywhere. Yes she is 87 and she is still driving. She has gone for her written driving examine every 2 years since she turned 80 and always aces it with flying colors.

Now I say flying…literally.

That’s what we did on the drive!

We were on the QEW and I glanced over and the speedometer read 130 kilometers……yep 130. Within 10 minutes I had cramps in my legs from bracing them for impact.

I did say…”Mom you’re going 130…it’s only 100 here, you need to slow it down or you’ll get a ticket.”

She replies…..(I am not kidding)…” they don’t bother you till 150…that’s what the sign says.”

“What sign?”

“The big one that says 150 kilometers and over, you know the one”

“No Mom,that isn’t what it says….it says that if you go 150 or over they will take your car and you’ll lose your license…not that you can do up to that!”

“Well you have to go with the flow of traffic.”

By the time we got to Georgetown I was white and pastie, and had the worst headache…I’m sure it was because my blood pressure was through the roof.  Plus she tailgates!  and breaks at the last minute!

I was really trying to be respectful, she is my mom and she is elderly and the driving and licensing at age 80 and over is a delicate issue with seniors…but after that ride I would mandate that every senior be road tested. To hell with this business of having them write a  test. Most people would complain about seniors going so slow, but not in my mom’s case…she would place in the top 5 at the Indi 500! 

We dropped the car off, walked into town and had a nice lunch and perused the local shops. A couple of times I tried to get her to let me drive home, saying, “ you must be tired mom, I’ll drive home if you like”….nope she didn’t bite.

We picked up the car and batting and headed home.  The drive home did not fair much better than the drive up.  All the way home I kept praying I would see my grandsons again.  Deep breathing exercise did not help either.

As we passed a transport truck on a curve doing 130 yet again, I did say “ Mom, come on slow down, you are really going way to fast and making me uncomfortable.” She replies…”just let me get past this guy”     *_)!*_*))&$_!(&_!$*&_!$&_*(!^$

She did slow it down a bit after that but kept complaining that if she didn’t go faster, she would fall asleep! She says that if she goes faster, she has to concentrate.

)*!__$)$_%(^!#(%(&$@%(!^@)!

Honest to god, when we pulled in the driveway at home I thought she’d take off her little hat and say “ thank you for flying with us today!”

As I crept into the house, shaking and fumbling for my valium, I vowed that I would never get in the car with her again if she was driving.… ever.

Over tea later, I again instilled the speed issues and that for her sake with regards to keeping her licence she should SLOW IT DOWN. She did say she would…..

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Vintage Baby

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I’ve just taken this off the machine this week . Linda, brought three lovely baby quilts for me to longarm . She is getting ready for identical twin boys that her daughter is expecting. She will be a first time grandmother. She has dubbed the little fellows Harry and David.

I’m thinking that she won’t be doing quite as much quilting as she has in the past once the little bundles arrive.

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It looked quite nice quilted in the pattern Happy Times.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Starry Starry Night

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I finally got my diamonds in the rough together, without much difficulty. Most patterns suggest that you would put the diamonds together with Y seams. However since Y seams are not my best friend , I opted to cheat and sew the sections together with triangle pieces first. I had leftover strips which I made the inner border from. SAM_6135SAM_6132SAM_6134
I thought about custom quilting it for about a half second, then decided I could live with it being edge to edge quilted and completed it in a feather pattern. It’s been stretched onto a frame and is in being framed. Yippee!  Another one done.

Monday, April 15, 2013

I Don’t Have a Thing to Wear Block 3

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These little vintage designs are reminiscent  of the 50’s. Cute little outfits that the most stylish girls would have had in their wardrobes no doubt. The fabric line is a 30’s selection from Lecien.
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I love the little cherry pattern fussy cut into the shorts.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Labyrinth Round Five

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So this is the dictionary’s meaning of the word Labyrinth…I’m on round five and the quilt should be called molasses as that is how slow I’ve been going with this lately. It’s not because of the quilt pattern…it’s just me and my life getting in the way….I can so relate to the meanings of the word...

difficult to find one's way ……to finish this damn thing

for the amusement of those whose motto is “get r done”

complicated or tortuous ….endless rounds and borders

a confusingly intricate state of things or events…my life!

snarl…what I need to stop doing when I work on this

 

lab·y·rinth

/ˈlæbərɪnθ/ Show Spelled [lab-uh-rinth]

noun

1.an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit. Synonyms: maze, network, web.

2.a maze of paths bordered by high hedges, as in a park or garden, for the amusement of those who search for a way out.

3. a complicated or tortuous arrangement, as of streets or buildings. Synonyms: warren, maze, jungle, snarl, tangle, knot.

4.any confusingly intricate state of things or events; a bewildering complex

Saturday, April 13, 2013

My Bloomin Quilt

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My log cabin quilt is coming together quite nicely. I’ve chosen the layout called Crosshatch. Now that I like this layout, I just have to sew all 36 blocks together then add my borders.  I made an additional 4 blocks so that I can make a few pillowcases to go with the quit.  I always like the way the bed looks when you have the quilt on it and matching shams. Seems to just finish the whole room off.

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