Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Choices

My creation

Pulling these fabrics was a lot of work.  They are for the Supernova Quilt Along.  I am a little behind but seeing as I just joined this week, I am cutting my self some slack.  And doing a tremendous amount of cutting.  All this fabric.

I have been thinking about choices lately.  Pulling a gazillion fabrics and trying to make them fit together gives one a little time to ponder.  But just a little time.  Because I don't have much time these days.  You see, it is Spring Break at our house.  That means children 24/7.  Which is awesome ...

But also a lot of work.  

We have played marble games, painted huge canvases, baked birthday cakes for neighbours and brownies for ourselves.  We have played in the sunshine, played Angry Birds on my new Iphone, read chapters of Harry Potter and lost mail keys on bike rides (we found them).  All in the last 3 days.

Leaving my job last summer and working from home has been amazing.  It took a lot of adjusting but I would not trade it for anything.  I think it was easier going to work 4 days a week than my present gig of working at home, full time caregiver, all the time grocery shopper, supreme dog walker and all round fun time gal.  Choices, right?

You'll have to give me your opinion on my fabric choices.  There are 9 supernovas in the quilt and I have chosen 7 fabrics for each supernova.  I have tried to keep my colour choices to just a few, tried to use some of the same fabrics throughout, one print in different colours throughout (Henna something or another) ... 

I am not sure that it all works but it is my plan for now.  I'll let you know how it goes.

L xo

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

So Much to Tell You

So here's the problem. I have too much to tell you.  Not all of it quilting.  But lots to tell. And I try to keep my posts to one or two things.  I can get overwhelming.  Shocking, but true.

Today's two things aren't really mine at all.  But they must be shared.  First up,  S's "in progress" quilt block.  We are just putting this thing together as we go.  I must say, I am loving it.   We have plans to make a few big, big blocks and sew them together and call it a quilt.  I bet this becomes my favourite of all time.



I also love the fabric scrap "wish" bracelet thingy.  This little scrap was just begging to be wrapped around a wrist.  We put it on, S made a wish and we are sure it will come true when the fabric finally falls off.  I am betting it will be late July before that little scrap gets tired of hanging around S's wrist.



Second up, E's art piece.  It is Spring Break here and we have 2 weeks of togetherness.  We made a wish list last week and at the top of my list was to do a big canvas painting.  I am not the world's best artist, by any means, but I thought painting something big would be fun.  E and S picked up canvases too and E got right at it when we got home.  From what he tells me, there are many layers to go and this is only the beginning of the painting.  I love it so much now and am sure I will love it even more when it is done.



It is so hard to keep it to two things today.

L xo

PS - I got an Iphone.  I used to have a Blackberry.  Big learning curve.  Seeing as I taught myself to sew 2 short years ago, I am thinking I'll get this Iphone thing done too.

PPS - I am thinking of doing the Supernova quilt-along.  Awesomeness.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Music Monday - Telephone



I lost my Blackberry.  In the snow.  While skiing.  Saturday.  I hadn't backed it up maybe ever.  It had pictures of the boys that I loved and now they are gone.  And some of Chester.  There has been some (okay, maybe a lot) of crying.  Not for the phone but for the photos.  Phone, smone.  Losing the photos is kinda breaking my heart right now.

Seeing as it is Music Monday, I had no choice but to put Telephone by Lady Gaga on.  But I couldn't actually put Lady Gaga's video on my blog.  Too racy!  So we get Glee.

L xo

PS - So much quilt binding on Sunday (official day of mourning for lost blackberry).  Will have lots to show soon.  Or tomorrow.

PPS - Is it okay to tell you all that I just loved my blog comments last week.  Thanks so so much.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Let's See What I Have Been Up To ..

DSC_0133.JPG

There has been a little sewing over the last couple of weeks.  I am mainly sewing up the Bee blocks that were completed for me for a few of my bees.  I was a couple of blocks short on most of my Bee blocks, but, given that I, too, was a non-completer, I have just made due with what I have and am just grateful for all the hard work and effort that my fellow bee-rs put into my blocks (wow, if that isn't a run on sentence, what is?).

The photo above is actually the boarder around one of my Bee quilts.  The quilt itself was a little small so needed a little something.  A piano key large boarder seems to have done the trick.  It was also suppose to have a smaller inner boarder.  Suppose to.  Forgot about that.  No biggie.

Here's the thing though.  I seem to forget a lot lately.  Not big things mostly.  Little things.  There is a reason for it and I am in the process of fixing it but, in the meantime, I just try to not let it get to me.  Easier said than done for the Type A personality I have.

Anyhow, along with this quilt, I have my Modern Tradition quilt to bind.  It is gorgeous.  Can't wait to show you that.

And I have 2 itty bits of a boarder to finish on this Japenese-y quilt.  Just need to get some help figuring out how to make a few things work.

I have pieces cut but not sewn on an Oh Fransson quilt too.

But before I do that, I am going to pull out some more Bee blocks and get it done!

L xo


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Let's Make a List ...


Of all the "new to me" quilty things out there in the blogosphere that I am in love with ...
  1. This quilt pattern (wish it was available as a download).
  2. This chevron pillow.  I will make these FOR SURE.  And while we are on the topic of Oh Fransson, let's just talk about Elizabeth's book - The Practical Guide to Patchwork.  It kept me going through the sewing drought.  I didn't have time to sew so I would read about quilting.  At stop lights.  In bed.  While making dinner.  Wherever I could find an extra 30 seconds.  
  3. Rounded corners!  Binding is my arch nemesis.  Well, binding and a certain mother at my children's school but you don't want to get me started on that.  I am completely in love with rounded corners though.  I am going to give this a try.  I may also give this binding tutorial a try.
  4. My friend Greta's Postage Stamp quilt.  I mean, c'mon, it is amazing!  Quite jealous of that quilt. [Edit - Greta's quilt is back from the quilters.  Even more gorgeous than before.  Jealous.]
  5. This Hexagon Park quilt pattern.  I've seen it done up in AMH's Innocent Crush (which, if I am being completely honest, I do not crush on all that much - please don't hate me AMH, especially since we will be together in NYC in October).  I have a lot of that Innocent Crush fabric in my stash so I think this is an option to put it to good use.
  6. A Single Girl Quilt-along.  Awesomeness.  Nothing I am going to do, like, tomorrow but so amazed by what is shaking down there. 
  7. What I might do though, is a Single Girl pillow like the one on Fussy Cuts.  C'mon, seriously, how cute is the pom pom trim.  Fussy Cuts is a new to me blog that I am loving, loving, loving.  
  8. Red Pepper Quilts (can't pick one quilt).  Really?  I am not sure how all those quilts get done.  I have quilt finishing envy pouring out of me.  This is one of the reasons why.  You should see the back too.  Fabulous.
Flower Sugar Quilt

[photo courtesy of red pepper quilts awesomeness]


The list goes on and on.

L xo

PS - Another amazing thing.  How the arts and crafts community has bonded over disaster relief for Japan.  People have come up with so so so many amazing ways to raise money for those in need.  It is beyond amazing.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Let's Get Caught Up

  1. First, I am an epic fail in the virtual bee department.  Blogging isn't the only thing that didn't happen over the last 6, 7, 8 months (how long have I been gone).  I didn't sew.  I mean nothing.  I absolutely hated going downstairs because downstairs = all the sewing I wasn't getting done.  And all the sewing I wasn't getting done = all the people I was disappointing.  Not so fun.  I didn't even read a quilting blog the whole time.  It made me feel so so bad that I couldn't do what I committed to.  Same goes for Flickr.  Haven't been on in ages.  Probably have missed too much to mention.
  2. I didn't buy much fabric at all while on hiatus.  It doesn't seem like I missed much.  Correct me if I am wrong.  While there doesn't seem to be much doing with fabric, it does seem like the quilting blogger universe has been very busy.  So many amazing quilts!  I want to make pretty much every quilt I see.  I am not going to make every quilt I see ... how do you think I got into this mess?
  3. I didn't go to the Heather Ross Sewing Workshop in Palm Springs in January, as I had planned.  I am going to the Workshop in New York in October though.  The Workshop is the same time as Canadian Thanksgiving, Yom Kippur and the Sewing Summit in Salt Lake City.  My planning skills aren't what they used to me.  Obviously nor are my calendar reading skills.  Still going to New York.
  4. When I had to cancel the Palm Springs Workshop, I talked to the Heather Ross on the phone.  It was my first brush with sewing/quilting stardom.  She is very nice.  
  5. Since starting to sew again (and by again, I mean in the last 2 weeks), I have gotten a little bit finished.  I haven't trusted myself to sew anything but a straight line.  While sewing again is kinda like riding a bike, I have been making a lot of mistakes.  Thank goodness I have a seam ripper.  The seam ripper and I are new best friends.
  6. I can't seem to find more than 5 things. Oh, I am charging my camera RIGHT NOW so hopefully this will be the only picture free post you have to read through.
  7. I turned 40 about a month ago.  It has been nothing but great so far.  
  8. I made it to 8.  I'll take 8.

L xo


Monday, March 21, 2011

Let's Stay Together



Well.  It has been quite a while, hasn't it?  I have so much to tell you.  I have so much to show you.

So.

Let's stay together.

L xo
 
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