Not-so-Plain Jane

Celtic heart

2012-02-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

Amongst the busyness of work and the icky cold (which is much better now, thank you) a little bit of sewing happened this past week.

First, I want to show you the Valentine I made for the OnlyChild. Now that its safe delivery has been confirmed, I can reveal it.

My embroidery skills are not stellar, but I practiced my backstitch while making this little Celtic heart knot mini. I then machine quilted two rows of echo stitch around the design and edged it by machine also. It measures about 8" square.

I made this mini while Skyping with the OnlyChild Sunday evening. I'd do a few stitches, type a message, stitch some more...it took forever!

Also on Sunday night, I made another Dresden block. After I posted about my other blocks, I just wasn't ready to put it all away and go to bed so I cut a couple more fabrics and made this.

I'm really loving these. I still have no idea what I'll do with them.

It was kind of a busy/tiring week (aren't they all?) so I didn't get back to my sewing machine until last night. When I got home from work yesterday, I had a to-do list about a mile long: laundry, vacuum, bake banana bread, clean the bathroom. None of that got done. Instead, I spent some time working on Block 8 of Swoon. I got most of it done and finished off the last couple of seams tonight.

Eight blocks completed! Now I'm starting to get nervous. With only one block left to make, I'll soon have to decide what I'm doing with this quilt. How will I quilt it? Will I quilt it myself? I don't like making these kinds of decisions but I don't want it to be folded up and put aside. This one's for my bed! (And it might just encourage me to paint the bedroom, a job that needs to be done.)

On the homestretch with Swoon...sort of.

Seven and Dresdens

2012-02-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

Good things happened this weekend:

1. I spoke to the OnlyChild twice on the phone and once on Skype. Awww...she misses her mum. She's applied to a university here in town so she may be moving home to finish her degree.

2. I started a new dance class yesterday. The teacher I took lessons from for 6 1/2 years decided to start teaching again. I missed her first two Saturday classes because of prior commitments (a workshop and exam marking) so it was really nice to finally get to go. I now take dance classes on Mondays and Saturdays as well as yoga on Wednesdays.

3. Block 7 of Swoon is finished. I cut out the pieces Friday night (after I cleaned the house - good to get it done) and then sewed it all up yesterday.

4. I had some time last night and today to work on Dresdens. Now I have three completed. Anne of Bunny Hill posted the new tutorial about the middle circles so once I decide on a background fabric I can put the blocks together. I'm still not sure what I will make from them, but I'm loving the process and the blocks so far.

I also worked on a special little Valentine's project this afternoon but I can't show you yet (in case somebody is watching...).

It's clear from reading this that I don't have a life haha. I did nothing but dance and sew all weekend. Hey, I'm okay with that. I actually turned down a couple of invitations, mainly because I have a yucky cold, stuffy head, sneezy nose and sore throat. Nothing too bad, but a good enough excuse to stay home with Bernice.

And then there were six

2012-02-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

Six Swoon blocks, that is.

Yes, I know...I've talked about nothing but Swoon since the new year began. Maybe I need to find an in-between project to mix it up a bit so you don't get bored.

But anyway...I fixed up Block 3, which had been in pieces on the spare-room bed:

I'm now 2/3 of the way done with Swoon blocks. Here are the first six:

And a view from a different angle.

I don't know what I'm going to do when all nine blocks are completed - where will I lay them out to photograph them? I don't have a large floor space anywhere in the house. I guess I'll have to move the table out of the dining room ;-)

Now that I feel like progress is being made on this quilt, I'm starting to think about the actual quilting. This one's going to be huge - bigger than anything I've made before, big enough to fit on my queen-sized bed (once I get the sashing and borders on it) and I'm concerned that I won't be able to quilt it myself on my little Bernina. Over on the Flickr group, there has been a discussion about the quilt-as-you-go method. It looks interesting but I'm not convinced - any thoughts on that? What would you all recommend for quilting designs? Ideas are always welcome!

Oh...Happy February! I changed up the décor in the front entry and put out the Valentine Mini quilt I made along with my Tisket a Tasket quilt and a yo-yo tree. It's nice and red and white in there now.

Swoon, how I have missed you

2012-01-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

But I'm back.

Block 6 is done.

And I received the fabric I ordered from Etsy so I could fix Block 2.

I now have more than half the blocks completed!

Block 3 is about half-done and I have the fabric to fix my mistake on that one too so soon I'll be 2/3 finished. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Best Birthday Parcel Ever!

2012-01-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love it when you get home from a looong day at work to find an unexpected parcel on your doorstep? Me too!

My Mum sent me the best parcel for my birthday (which is tomorrow). I was so excited when I opened it. I wish I'd taken pictures of the cute wrapping paper, but I was like a little kid ripping into it. No waiting for the actual birthday...

Here are my wonderful gifts:

First of all, the handmade presents. If I ever had doubts about the value of a handmade gift, these quashed them. There is nothing - nothing! - like knowing that someone made something just for you, that they put time and effort into knitting, sewing, quilting, thinking of you with each stitch.

A gorgeous sweater in beautiful, soft grey yarn. I love the pattern, especially the sleeves!

Plus, an adorable hedgehog. I need to think of a name for him.

And, Simple Modern Sewing. Love it! I have already picked out some projects to sew.

Thanks Mum xoxo

Sunday Sewing

2012-01-22T21:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning, I went to a "Jumpstart 2012" workshop designed to increase motivation and improve lives. It was okay...full of platitudes and clichés, but since I didn't have to pay for the ticket, I won't complain too much. It gave me something to think about at least. Afterwards, I headed to a nearby quilt shop for their "10 for 20" FQ sale. The pickins were kind of slim, but I managed to find a few yellow/black/grey/white fabrics to help round out my Dresden Plate selection as well as a Dresden ruler.

In the afternoon, I cut about a zillion blades and started to chain sew the tops. But I had to stop and get myself ready for date night with Mr. P. We went out to dinner to celebrate his birthday (which is tomorrow).

Today, after getting to the bottom of my marking pile (of course - it never ends), I got back to those blades and produced my very first ever Dresden Block.

Of course, the block isn't completely finished; it still needs a circle in the centre and it has to be appliquéd onto a background fabric (not sure - white? grey?). This is a pretty time-consuming project. Not that I have an issue with time-consuming. I'm not in a hurry... I wonder how many of these I'd need for a whole quilt.

Every time I think of Dresden Blocks, I think of the beautiful city of Dresden in Germany that was pretty much destroyed by bombs during World War II. I wondered if the two Dresdens were connected...so I did some research and here's what I found (if you're not interested in the mini history lesson, scroll down past it and see what else I did this weekend).

The Dresden Plate quilt block - also known as Grandmother's Sunburst, Friendship Ring, Aster, Dahlia and Sunflower - was one of the most popular blocks of the early 20th century. The Dresden Plate reflects the romance of the Victorian Era with its love of elaborate decoration on household items and décor. Dresden, Germany was a center of the 19th century romanticism movement in art, one that included the fine decoration of porcelain. The plates were embellished with elaborate design using flowers, fruits and foliage. The beautiful plates would surely have been admired by women of the early 20th century. (Information found here.)

Okay, here's what else I did today.

Yes, that is Swoon Block #5.

#2 and #3 are still in pieces on the bed in the spare room but, with this block, I am now 1/3 of the way done!

Never mind that I didn't do any housework this weekend, that Mr. P made himself pizza for supper, and that I wore pajamas all day (clean ones put on after I showered), I finished another block! I only wish I could stay home from work tomorrow and sew #6... But that's not going to happen.

Still, though, my motivation (and courage) is up and I'm determined to Swoon Along.

(Except not this coming weekend as I'm marking exams for the government. Bah.)

Swoon: 2, Rachel: 2

2012-01-21T15:21:00.002-07:00

Last night during FNSI, I finished Block 4 of Swoon; so with Block 1 completed and Blocks 2 and 3 awaiting fabric orders (so I can fix my mistakes), the score's tied 2-2.

I will not let this quilt get the better of me. I will persevere. I will prevail. I will...

I will stop rambling and show you Block 4.

There it is - directional fabric and all. I think I have mastered the directional fabric conundrum...as long as I pay attention, that is.

Anybody else out there doing Katy's Swoon Along? I'm just wondering how long it takes other people to make each block. For me, 2.5 to 3 hours is about the time-frame. That seems like a long time for one quilt block!

I have a couple of hours this afternoon, but I don't want to rush myself - we all know the consequences of me not focusing fully on what I'm doing - so I'm going to try to make some Dresdens instead using Anne's instructions and my new handy-dandy Dresden ruler.

If all goes well, I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Resolved to Sew 2012

2012-01-20T07:59:00.003-07:00

If you don't live under a rock, you've probably already heard about the Resolved to Sew 2012 giveaway at Very Berry Handmade.

Besides the great prizes, like this

and this...

and these lovely polka dots...

this giveaway also gives us an opportunity to really think about what we want to achieve in the sewing room in 2012.

As opposed to "resolutions" as I am, I do love a good list so here's my list of quilting projects I hope to complete in 2012:

1. Swoon...of course. I'll have to let it out of prison sometime.

2. A Ghastlies quilt, ~~shamelessly copied from~~ admiringly inspired by Anna's beauties. I've had the fabrics for a while and the OnlyChild kind of claimed the yet-to-be-started quilt as her own. She might get lucky. Maybe.

3. Christmas stars quilt - I received some fabric in a giveaway from Crystal and then I got the perfect pattern from my Mum for Christmas so that's going on the list.

4. Then there are the two ongoing projects - the bow-ties and the strings quilts. I work on them in between other projects or when I need to do something that doesn't required too much prep. I'd at least like to get the tops done this year.

5. Finally, there are always holiday projects in the works. In fact, I finished one last night:

This was one of the possibilities for FNSI tonight, but I felt like sewing last night and actually finished it. It will hang up on my stand in the front hallway (when I take down Snowdrops at the end of the month - even though winter's nowhere near over).

I've also got a couple of other sewing projects - garments - to make this year. I bought the fabric to make a Paris Jacket from Sew Serendipity. I really wanted a deep, mustard yellow but I couldn't find anything in the right weight (and price range) so I got a goldish-coloured corduroy. Since I haven't cut into it yet, there's still the opportunity to shop for what I want and use this fabric for a skirt or something else. More on that later...

So, there you have it: my Resolved to Sew 2012 list. Go over to Very Berry Handmade and enter their giveaway. I'd love to see what's on your list!

Ready for FNSI

2012-01-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

Friday Night Sew-In is tomorrow and I'm good and ready to stay inside - where it's warm - and do some therapeutic sewing. (Well, sewing is therapeutic when it doesn't drive me crazy.)

I haven't decided if I'm going to bring Swoon out of exile. I'm already missing it, but there is still fear that I will ruin the quilt once and for all.

"Exile" is the spare bedroom, where the blocks are hidden out of sight.

Alternatively, I could work on some more bow-tie blocks. I have lots of squares cut and ready to sew.

I've been adding to my pile slowly. I now have 126 blocks completed; I was planning to make 208 and have a queen-sized quilt, but I think I might make this one smaller now that I've decided to make Swoon for my bed.

These blocks have been fun to make, especially since I received some wonderful red fabrics from my bloggy friends Jen of Miss Punkie Pie and Julie of My Quilt Diary. This is my no-pressure quilt - there's no deadline for me to finish it.

I might also choose to work on a little Valentine's project using these teeny 1.5" squares.

So, I have lots of choices, all of them exciting to me!

I hope you will join me in FNSI - you can sign up with Bobbi this month over at Crafty Vegas Mom.

See you tomorrow night!

Zills!

2012-01-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Zills are little finger cymbals used in belly dancing. I started a new dance class last night (it was awesome!) and we will be using zills in our choreography; I've never used them before so I had to buy a set.

They're very pretty. But here's the bag they came in:

Blah! Boring!

Since Swoon and I still aren't on speaking terms (or I'm too afraid to try again right now), I decided to do a little low-stakes sewing this evening and I made a zills pouch.

I used Anna's Gathered Clutch tutorial and just decreased the width. It's the perfect size to hold the zills and it just makes them that much more special.

In other news, we have entered the deep freeze. We've had surprisingly mild weather this winter with temperatures barely below freezing. That all came to an end on the weekend. We got snow and now we have extreme cold. Tomorrow it's supposed to be -47° Celsius (that's -52.6° F) with the wind chill. Brrrr!

Sounds pretty crappy, eh? I had to think really hard to find an upside to that kind of weather, but I did manage:
1. The dogs don't linger when they go out to do their business so I don't have to stand on the steps begging, pleading, and finally using my stern teacher voice to get them to come in.
2. It's a good excuse to take out the slow cooker. We had beef stew for supper tonight. Mmmm.
3. I have no problem justifying my reluctance to go out in the evenings. I can stay inside and sew!

Stay warm, friends.

The weekend my brain went on vacation

2012-01-15T19:05:00.001-07:00

The OnlyChild and I have a long-running joke that we share a brain, because we think so alike and often say the same things at the exact same time.

This weekend, she must have been using the shared brain because it sure as hell hasn't been in my head.

If you read my post yesterday, you'll know what I'm talking about. But here are some additional blunders from the weekend:
- I forgot to put soya sauce in the stir fry last night. Bland.
- I put too much milk in the fudge and it didn't set. Eating it required a spoon.
- I did a load of laundry today, mainly so I could wash my pants for tomorrow night's dance class. And I forgot to put the pants in the wash.

And...
- After yesterday's Swoon frustration, I vowed to pay attention to what I was doing. However, I still managed to make a mistake in the third block when I used my #1 fabric for flying geese blocks instead of the white. Now I don't have any 3 1/2 x 6 1/2" rectangles to complete the blocks. Plus, I'm probably going to run out of white fabric. I had to put in yet another fabric order. And this time it was more expensive. So I guess I will be using the money I make marking government exams this month to pay off the Visa.

I have banished Swoon for a while.

It can live in this plastic container until my brain decides to migrate home.

I'm not armed, but I might be dangerous.

The Block that Wouldn't Be

2012-01-14T23:58:00.004-07:00

Today was a Swoon Day!

Up at 8:00 am. Breakfast, newspaper, cleaning, laundry, then off to the sewing room.

I finished putting together the first block:

Pretty, eh?

Then came the second block. I'm not even sure I can explain my trials and tribulations with Block 2.

I take full responsibility for any trouble I encountered...

First of all, I mixed up the two fabrics. I was texting with the OnlyChild while I was cutting (never - NEVER - text and cut, people) and while I was supposed to be cutting Colour 1, I was reading the instructions for Colour 2. Ooops.

I had a little panic attack, because the cutting instructions don't really allow for the direction of a pattern (even though that needs to be taken into consideration for a number of the blocks). I was sure I wouldn't have enough fabric to fix my mistake and make it work.

So I went online to find me some more fabric. It's really hard to find a retailer that carries both of these fabrics, since it's not a new line. Plus, for about $10 worth of fabric, I would have been paying $11.95 for shipping. Ridiculous. Finally, though, I found an Etsy shop that had a little FQ bundle with both these fabrics in it. In the meantime, of course, I was sending the OnlyChild angsty texts and emailing Jen to share my woes.

But then, sometime during supper or something, my brilliant mathematical brain (ahem, choke choke) figured out that I COULD fix this mistake with a bit of ingenuity (and that I had just ~~wasted~~ spent $14-something on fabric I didn't actually need).

But, my elation came to a SCREECHING halt when I realized that I had overlooked one tiny, unnecessary error in my sewing and cutting.

Can you see it?

I didn't rotate one of my squares before sewing the HSTs. Sigh. Such a small matter, but it would drive me crazy. And, because of my previous fiddling around, I don't have a 3 7/8" piece of this Sundae in Lime fabric left. I guess I will be waiting on that Etsy order after all.

Tomorrow I'll put together as much of the block as I can then move on to the third one. My goal was to get two blocks completed this weekend so let's hope my brain cooperates this time!

Surprise!

2012-01-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

I got a surprise in the mail yesterday!

I actually forgot I'd won a giveaway from Kaari at French General.

Look how pretty! And the postcards too! Oh yes, I'd love to go on the "Chateau Getaway" in the South of France.

Beautifully wrapped. I preserved the tissue paper.

But it was definitely worth it to unwrap!

Green, white and red goodness. This is going into my Christmas Stars quilt! (And the leftovers will be used for the Christmas strings quilt.)

Thank you, Kaari!

I've been Swooning too.

I cut the background fabric and the first two colours and started sewing my very first Swoon block.

This is my first time ever sewing flying geese. I hope I did it right.

I sewed the leftover little triangles together so I can use them in another project. I don't know what yet but they were too cute to throw away.

I can't wait to show you a block, finally. I cut that white background fabric for three evenings before I got to sew anything together! It's time I saw some reward for my hard work ;)

I think I might have some time to sew this weekend. Stay tuned...

Swoon Along

2012-01-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

My first project of 2012 is (hopefully) going to be the Swoon quilt. Remember I bought the kit? I decided to join Katy's Swoon Along on I'm a Ginger Monkey to drum up some excitement.

My goal for this week is to start cutting fabrics. Not get all the fabric cut...there's no way that's going to happen now that I'm back at work...but I'd like to get a good start.

This is as far as I got tonight:

I took the bundle out and put it on my desk. Then I unwrapped the fabric and divided the fat quarters into twos. That's all.

I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I think tonight will be an early bedtime and I don't think I'll let a rotary cutter anywhere near me in this state.

Another project I'd like to begin is Anne's Scrappy Dresden Plate quilt over on Bunny Tales so I've joined the Scrappy Plate Club. This will be something new for me - hand appliqué - but I'm willing to give it a shot.

I think I'll start with these fat quarters I won from Quilt Dad, John, a while back.

I might not make the full-size quilt, but I'm looking forward to learning a new technique.

I'll keep you posted on how things are going when I actually get started...but right now I need a nap. Zzzzzz.

Post-Christmas

2012-01-06T19:28:00.001-07:00

We're nearly at the end of Christmas vacation - back to work on Monday - and, although this has been a great break from work, it hasn't been much of a "break" at all because I've been so busy. Can't complain, though. I've had some fun. (Well, obviously.)

When I got back from Paris, I faced the chore of taking down the tree and all the decorations. I just couldn't make myself do it on Monday or Tuesday so I procrastinated until Wednesday morning.

Our tree this year was beautiful and it looked so sad out in the back yard, stripped of all its splendour. It looks even sadder out in the back alley next to the garbage cans. I actually feel a little guilty about sending such a gorgeous tree to the chipper.

And then, of course, there was the debris to deal with - needles and branches, presents that were left in the living room, the stand to clean, and the tree skirt and stockings to put away.

All the ornaments were packed away carefully.

And I brought out the new-old tablecloth that my friend Patt found in a thrift store. I love yellow!

We also had visitors! My bestest-ever best friend, Cheryl, and her husband were visiting all the way from the other side of the country.

Their son and the OnlyChild have been friends almost since they were born. Really - they met when he was 10 1/2 months old and she was 5 months old!

We spent a day at the Telus World of Science...we mainly went for the special Titanic exhibit, but had a look at the permanent exhibits too. It's kind of a tradition in our family to take photos any time we seen one of these stick-your-head-in-the-hole things:

Cheryl and I enjoyed some Marie Antoinette tea from Ladurée in Paris in our new Titanic tea cups (she bought one for each of us).

But now the vacation is essentially over. Cheryl is staying with her daughter and another friend for the next couple of days and I will be taking the OnlyChild back to university tomorrow.

Sigh...all good things must come to an end, I guess. Getting back into a routine will be good and I'm looking forward to having some sewing time but, honestly, I need another vacation already!

P.S. I missed my own blogiversary...again. I never remember it. But three years ago, on January 4, I started Not-so-Plain Jane. Thanks for sticking with me for the journey!

Paris in December

2012-01-04T19:43:00.001-07:00

Like I said in my previous post, I didn't take a lot of pictures while we were in Paris, but I'll show you a few. Before I show them, though, let me just say a couple of things.

First of all, the trip was TOO SHORT. There are no words to describe how much I love this city and three days there was nothing but a tease. I NEED to go back. Yes I do.

Secondly, don't get the idea that I am super-spoiled or rich or something. This trip was free. Yes, free. It was a "training tour" for the trip I am taking to Italy with 33 students. So, I only had to foot the bill for a few meals and spending money. Can't get better than that, right? (Well, better would be more time in Paris...)

Thirdly, there are too many places in the world that I want to see. Just too many. I wish the world would quit being so interesting so I would be content to stay home. Ha!

Okay, here are some pics...

Our hotel room at Noisy le Grand (on the outskirts of the city). It was nice and new, just renovated. It was also very close to the Métro, which made getting around very easy.

We went to the Louvre (for a couple of hours - definitely not enough time). While everyone else crowded around, trying to snap a photo of the Mona Lisa (been there, done that), the OnlyChild and I thought it would be more fun to take photos of people taking photos of the painting.

Obligatory photo by the pyramid inside the carrousel de Louvre.

Behind the Louvre

Three of my favourite things in this window - globes, pigs and books!

We had supper here the first night. I forgot to take a picture of my meal - bœuf bourguignon.

The restaurant was right up the street from the Folies Bergere.

Artsy photo taken by the OnlyChild.

Love locks on the Pont des Artes.

Ferris wheel at the Place de la Concorde.

The OnlyChild and me! At the Eiffel Tower!

Those little cabins on the sides were part of a Christmas market. I went down to take a look but didn't have enough time to really see anything.

French Derby (his Derbelganger?)

And for comparison, the real DerbyDog.

I did remember to take a photo of my lunch at Versailles - Croc provençal.

The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. It almost looks like we were there alone. Not even close.

Marie Antoinette's bedchamber.

The gardens at Versailles, looking kind of dismal without the flowers and with all the statues covered.

Might as well get a photo here.

I took the OnlyChild to my old stompin' grounds in the Latin Quarter. Here she is eating her Nutella, banana and coconut crêpe (it scored a 5 out of 5 on the rating scale) in front of the door to "my" apartment. I can't believe someone painted graffiti on the door! Horrors!

I also took the OnlyChild to Shakespeare and Company because it was one of my very favourite places to hang out. Wow, it was busy inside that night!

Beautiful Notre-Dame.

We went to Galleries Lafayette (just so I could show the OnlyChild the stained glass - too expensive to shop there).

My new friend, Penny. This was right before we headed back to the hotel to ring in the new year. I would have liked to stay in Paris (even though fireworks were cancelled) but the OnlyChild had gone back to the hotel earlier because her broken foot was hurting and I couldn't stand to not be with her when the clock struck midnight!

So, that in a nutshell was our whirlwind trip to Paris. Like I said, it was too short, too hurried, but wonderful nonetheless. How could I complain? I was in Paris!

Gotta go back!

Year in Review 2011

2012-01-02T14:05:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year! Bonne Année! I got home last night from Paris - post and pictures to follow (although I really didn't take many photos...). Promise.

I thought I'd do a little Year in Review post for 2011, more to remind me of what I did before I begin a new "Finished" list on the right-hand side of the page.

2011 was quite a busy year for me, both personally and professionally. Here's a quick rundown of the highlights. This was the year that...
1. I experimented with many FMQ designs (Green and White quilt - January)
2. I made a quilt of my own design (Be Yourself - March)
3. The OnlyChild and I took a trip to San Antonio together (July)
4. The OnlyChild started university (September)
5. I finished my Master of Education degree (December)
6. I returned to Paris with the OnlyChild (December)

I made 7 quilts in 2011. Not too bad. I try not to put too much pressure on myself to increase output. I'd rather appreciate the process and complete each step in my own time.

1. Green and White Sampler 2. Snowmen in the Woods 3. Be Yourself 4. O'Cherries

5. Baby Bow Ties 6. Postage Stamp 7. Patisserie Baby

I also made quite a few holiday projects this year, for gifts and for decorating.

1. Pink peeps bunny bunting 2. Halloween raven 3. Halloween cat mini 4. Snowman mug rugs 5. Santa tea towel

6. Sock monkey shirts 7. Snowdrops mini 8. Noel ornament 9. Button tree

There were lots of other smaller projects completed too.

1. Shirt pillow 2. Hobo bag 3. Mini mail sack 4. Mail sack 5. T-shirt pillow

6. Leon the Lion 7. Popo Pig 8. Lamb mini 9. Sew Serendipity dress 10. Sew Serendipity skirt

11, 12, 13. Christmas aprons 14. Valentine's bunting 15. Owl towels

And I can't forget... the Artists Trading Cards for my swap (which ended this year), Washi Easter Eggs, a couple of other dresses, and some knitting projects.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with what I accomplished in 2011 and I'm looking forward to what 2012 will bring. I have a few projects on my list: the Swoon quilt, a quilt made with Ghastlies fabric, finishing my red and grey bow tie quilt and the Christmas strings quilt, and I also have a pattern and fabric for a Christmas stars quilt. I want to make a jacket from the Sew Serendipity book (I have the fabric already) and probably there will be a new dress or skirt added to my wardrobe. My non-sewing related list includes a school trip to Italy during Spring Break and my high school reunion in August.

Who knows what else will pop up?

Last Finish of the Year

2011-12-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it.

I finished the OnlyChild`s 2011 ornament...on Christmas Eve, as usual (despite my early start this year).

I know there are still a few days left in the year, but I won`t be here to start or finish any more projects because tomorrow morning, the OnlyChild and I are headed to PARIS!

It`s just a short trip (5 days total) and it was completely free, except for the spending money. How? The tour company with which I booked our school trip to Italy in the Spring offers "training tours" for tour leaders. As a bonus (because I have a rather large group), I was able to bring someone along with me. Normally, this would be a spouse or another trip chaperone, but Mr. P doesn't like to travel (I know...weird!) and the other chaperones all have family obligations over Christmas and New Year's, so I'm taking the OnlyChild.

We are going to have a great time! And I will take lots of pictures to share with you...because I got a new camera for Christmas this year!

I've been playing around with it a little...

Big head AbbyDog

Sock Monkey Peejay made for the OnlyChild by my Mum

The table set for Christmas dinner (colour select option on the camera)

I've emailed myself a copy of the camera manual in PDF, which I will download onto my iPad...just in case I want to read up on the camera features. Wow - technology.

By the way, my new camera's name is Rosie. She's a Nikon (much to the OnlyChild's horror - she's a Canon girl) CoolPix S8200. She's red and very cute, not that "cute" should be the primary feature of a camera. I can't wait to learn more about how to use her...and I can't think of a better place to experiment with photos than Paris!

See you all in a few days.

Christmas greetings

2011-12-24T15:26:00.001-07:00

Christmas pudding made from recipe by Thimbleanna. Clean sheets on the bed with new Christmas pillowcases (won in the Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway from Crystal). Presents wrapped and under the tree. Meat pie thawing for Christmas Eve dinner. All I need to do now is help Santa out a bit by wrapping some stocking gifts.

With the holiday upon us, I'd like to wish each and every one of you

All the best from my sewing room to yours! xo

Christmas craziness

2011-12-23T06:24:00.001-07:00

It's been a bit crazy around here this week and I am so very glad that today is Friday...and the last day of school before Christmas break. The assignments and tests are coming in fast and furious, so I have lots of marking to do and haven't had a moment's peace at work. It's been the same at home.

Our tree is up and decorated, but there are very few presents underneath since I just haven't had a chance to wrap them.

See that yellow and black box next to the tree? Funny story about that...it's a tool box, a gift for Mr. P. I went out shopping Tuesday after work to look for this. I found exactly what I wanted for a good price, wrestled it into the shopping cart and took it to the till. The cashier asked me if I wanted some help loading it and, after a bit of humming and hawing, I agreed. Well...I drive a car. A small car. The Home Depot employee and I tried every which way to get this box into my car - Trunk? Too small. Back seat? Front seat would go far enough ahead. Front seat? Sure, but I drive a standard and the gear shift was blocked by the box.

In the end, I had to phone Mr. P and get him to rescue me (and his present) with the truck. So much for Christmas surprises! He's promised not to look at the picture on the box until Christmas day haha.

Here's a new addition to our Christmas ornament collection, bought while the OnlyChild and I were in San Antonio last summer:

I picked up a little treat for myself a few weeks ago - a Rupert the Bear advent calendar! It reminds me of Christmases past, when I was a little girl in England. I've enjoyed opening up the little doors to find the sticker each day.

Today, I'm having a little party for my students. My group wanted to do a Secret Santa gift exchange so I said I'd bring the treats. I made sugar cookies with glossy, blue icing:

And some fancy cupcakes:

Oh, that "cracked ice" on top was such a headache. It's easy when you know how, I guess, but it took me FOUR batches to get it right.

The first two batches wouldn't set because I didn't cook it long enough. What do I know? I've never made it before. The recipe is from Martha Stewart Living magazine and can be found here; it's actually a Halloween recipe, but I thought the "broken glass" would work as ice too. The instructions were so vague that I was pretty near ripping out my hair. When I went to bed at 11:15 last night, I had two pans of the sugar/water mixture sitting on the counter and I just knew neither was going to harden.

I couldn't stop thinking about it and I woke up at 2:15 this morning still thinking about it and wondering if I should google the recipe to see what others had to say.

By 3:30, I still wasn't asleep so I got up and did just that. I found out that this stuff has to cook like caramel - so for 20-30 minutes. I tried batch #3 but cooked it too long and it turned yellow.

With the last cup of sugar in the house (including that pilfered from the sugar bowl), I embarked on my last chance...and finally, it worked!

Cracked ice!

I hope my students appreciate this!

I am going to be one tired, sorry little creature by the end of the day. I will bring home my humongous bag of marking, take it straight upstairs, and bury it somewhere out of sight. It will not be uncovered until after the OnlyChild and I return from Paris. I have decided to actually enjoy the holidays and not worry about work! Yes, I'm giving myself permission to power down and cut back on the craziness.

Well, I mean after I make Thimbleanna's Cranberry Christmas Pudding tonight.

Sock Monkey Shirts!

2011-12-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

What a busy weekend!

Yesterday: Cleaned, made homemade hot chocolate mix (for gifts), wrapped presents, made fancy dessert for company, cooked fancy dinner, went to bed at 1:00 am.

Today: Awake at 4:00 am (ugh!), up by 6:30 am, baked banana muffins, made more Nutella Caramel Corn, made pastry, baked meat pies and mincemeat tarts.

And also today...Sock Monkey Shirts!

Tutorial here .

I made both of these while chatting with the OnlyChild and helping her pick out fabric for a baby quilt she wants to make (will I end up making it, I wonder?) Such an easy little pattern...now I want to appliqué sock monkeys on everything.

Back to work tomorrow. If life was fair, I'd already be on Christmas vacation...

The Button Book - FNSI results

2011-12-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

With all the excitement of the giveaway and the return of the OnlyChild, I forgot to blog about this week's Friday Night Sew-In. Heidi and Bobbi decided to host TWO in December to help us get all those projects done.

There's a bit of a backstory to my first finish. A couple of months ago, you may recall, I attended a conference in Canmore with my whole staff. While I was there, I saw these awesome boots in a shoe store:

I was chatting with one of my colleagues, Sue, in the shoe shop about how much I loved the buttons on these boots. The next week, when we were back at work, she brought me this book:

She said she had bought it a while back as a gift for someone but it had never made it to the intended recipient. So she gave it to me!

It has wonderful stories and sayings about buttons along with pictures of some of the most beautiful buttons I have ever seen. This was my favourite (of course):

As a little (belated) thank you, I made Sue a Button Tree:

It is 6 3/4" x 8 1/2" - a little fabric card or tiny wall hanging. I hope she likes it.

I've also made some progress on the OnlyChild's Christmas ornament. I didn't have any time to work on it since last weekend so now I'm finding myself pressed for time to get it finished. Well, I have a week, but I know it's going to be a busy few days at work until we finish for the Christmas break.

The OnlyChild got home last night around 9:30 pm. She is so happy to be sleeping in her own bed with AbbyDog snuggled up beside her!

We're making our preparations for Paris in 10 days. She is so excited!

And so am I.

Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-16T20:51:00.001-07:00

The Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway is now over.

Thank you to all who visited and entered the giveaway. I even got a few more followers, although that wasn't a requirement to win.

I picked a number using a random number service and the winner of the Santa tea towel (and some extra goodies) is...

Comment #60 Sallie of Sallie's Sampler whose favourite handmade gift was a quilt she made for her son.

I have sent you an email, Sallie. Congratulations!

Now back to regularly scheduled programming, which means marking, sewing and the baking of Christmas treats.

I got my sock monkey socks in the mail yesterday. All is right with the world.

And...the OnlyChild comes home tonight for three whole weeks! Hurray!

Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day

2011-12-12T07:00:00.004-07:00

Today's the day!

It's the Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day.

Here's what I'm offering on my humble blog:

A handmade Santa tea towel.

I might throw in a few extra goodies for the winner.

If you'd like to make this yours, all you have to do is leave a comment answering the following question:

What was your favourite handmade Christmas gift ever (either given or received)?

Winner will be chosen using a random number draw on Friday, December 16 @ 5 pm PST. Please make sure I have a way to contact you (if you're a no-reply blogger, leave your email).

For move giveaways, head over to Sew, Mama, Sew! and check out the links.

Update:

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR ENTERING!

FNSI and Nutella

2011-12-10T14:49:00.001-07:00

A wonderful combination, don't you think?

I begged off my staff Christmas party so I could stay home and relax. And by "relax", I mean make stuff.

First up, Nutella Caramel Popcorn. Oh my goodness. I got the recipe from the Vittles and Bits blog.

I assembled the ingredients

Followed the recipe

And ended up with a huge batch of this wonderful, sweet, crunchy delight. Most of it is gone by now. Okay, don't be too judgmental. Mr. P did take a tin of it to his boss's open house this afternoon, but yes, I had it for both breakfast and lunch today. This is the "test batch" after all.

Mine isn't a chocolatey as the picture on Vittles and Bits, but it was darn good anyway. I may have popped a bit too much popcorn. Or maybe it just needs more Nutella. More!

And for Friday Night Sew-In last night, I worked on the OnlyChild's 2011 cross-stitched Christmas ornament. For once I'm getting a head start and (probably) won't be rushing to finish it the morning of Christmas Eve.

This will commemorate our little trip to Paris after Christmas. Don't be jealous - it's a "training tour" for my upcoming Italy trip with 33 students and I just happened to have enough travel points to take along the OnlyChild. Needless to say, she's thrilled! Me too! New Year's Eve in the City of Lights!

Don't look too closely at my cross-stitch above. I ~~made a mistake~~ adjusted the pattern a bit. I'm not quite sure if I will add all the embellishment - the words and border. Definitely there will be a date, but I don't want this tree ornament to be humongous and awkward looking so I'll probably make it smaller than the original pattern (which I found at Blackbird Designs, by the way).

I spent this morning and into the afternoon writing the FINAL paper for my master's course. And since this is the last course I need to take, it was also the final paper for the entire degree. Barring any catastrophes (e.g. I miscalculated or the university reneges on their agreement to accept the course I took at another university), I have officially finished my M.Ed! I won't get the actual diploma until convocation in May, but the relief I feel right now is...amazing.

I think I'll spend the rest of the day celebrating. And by "celebrating", I mean making stuff.

P.S. don't forget to come back on Monday for Sew Mama Sew! giveaway day.

Not Machine Washable

2011-12-08T05:20:00.000-07:00

Another one of my brainwaves...wash my ironing board cover. It was looking a bit dingy and, since I take a lot of photos of projects on top of the ironing board, I figured it needed some sprucing up.

The tag said, "Not Machine Washable".

Ha! I laugh in the face of washing instructions. I put it in the machine anyway and out it came, looking like this:

And there is NO way it's going to fit back on the ironing board.

It's not like I iron clothes on it or anything - although Mr. P irons a shirt for work every night - but I had plans to join in the Friday Night Sew-in tomorrow night and, without the use of an ironing board, I won't be able to.

I guess it's off to Superstore for me. Maybe they'll have a cover in a nice, pretty yellow to match my sewing room.

What are you going to work on for FNSI?

Projects of Christmas Past

2011-12-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Last year, right before Christmas, I made a few tea towels

but there was one I didn't finish. So, last night I completed the appliqué and it's ready to be a gift for someone.

Last year, around Christmas, I also started some green, red and white string blocks. I got a stack made then put them away and didn't take them out again

until last night. I only got two made, but now I remember why I started the project in the first place. Fun!

Last year, maybe after Christmas, I did a cute little stitchery from a picture I found on this blog. I wish I could show it to you, but I can't find any pictures of it - none in my files and none on my blog posts. I also can't find the stitchery itself so I'm beginning to wonder if I imagined it. Nah. Couldn't be.

I planned to make it into a Santa Sack for my mother's stocking presents. Sigh. Since I couldn't find that project to work on tonight (after I finished my marking, of course), I started something else. I can only show you a little peek right now.

I got to use my ruffler foot - and you know how much I love that ruffler foot! I wish I could spend all my extra time at the sewing machine.

In case I don't get back on here in the next couple of days (the marking is starting to pile up again - crazy stacks everywhere - and I have an "engagement" or two to attend), I wanted to let you know that I will be participating in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day.

Come back here on December 12 and see what's happening!

Christmas Aprons!

2011-12-03T16:15:00.001-07:00

I love this pattern from Sew4Home. It was very well-written and easy to follow. The aprons were quick to sew and so cute!

I did change a couple of things - I made the aprons fully reversible by sewing a contrasting band to both sides, as well as a pocket and towel loop. I also omitted the buttons (I know, hard to believe given my fascination with buttons).

Here are my results:

The first one is a gift for my friend Patt; the second may just make its home with me.

I think I'll be making some more of these in non-Christmas fabrics!

Christmas quilt show

2011-11-29T07:38:00.001-07:00

Here is my entry for SewCalGal's 2011 Christmas Quilt Show:

This is the Flurries quilt I made a few years ago. I actually made two of these - one for my mother and one for me - because I liked the pattern so much.

It has a LOT of appliqué and that part took rather a long time, but the actual sewing of the quilt was simple because it's just strips with a border. I quilted it in an all-over swirl pattern. My mum's quilt is backed in soft, fuzzy flannel, but mine just has muslin on the back.

Now that I've got my Christmas decorations up, it's time to bring this quilt out of the trunk so I can snuggle with it!

Head on over to SewCalGal and see some of the other wonderful entries in the 2011 Christmas Quilt Show!

On a wild monkey chase

2011-11-26T16:10:00.002-07:00

Oh, I had such plans for sewing this weekend, but my time last night and this morning was taken up by a wild monkey chase. I was looking for some of these

These are the original Rockford Red Heel socks made by the Fox River Company. They do not sell these socks ANYWHERE near where I live.

Mr. P and I drove all over the city. We went to Army & Navy, The Bay, Zellers, Sears, Winners, Walmart, Mark's Work Wearhouse as well as a couple of jobsite supply stores. No Red Heel socks to be found. Sigh.

I really wanted to make a couple of Sock Monkey shirts from Angela's tutorial (found here) for my friend Kim's girls. I finally managed to order some online (and got 50% off by searching on Google for a promotion code for the company - brainwave!) but you know my trials and tribulations with Canada Post. Who knows if the parcel will arrive in time for me to make the shirts as Christmas presents? I'm researching other options too. Just in case.

In the meantime, I will do some other Christmas sewing. My friend Patt mentioned last weekend when we were Christmas craft sale-ing that she wanted an apron, and she specifically wanted one with a loop for a tea towel. I found the perfect pattern on Sew4Home and bought some fabric to make two.

The colours are a little off in this strange twilight, but the two fabrics on the left go together and the two on the right also coordinate. The apron is lined, with a pocket and trim. I also bought twill tape for the tea towel loop, neck strap, and ties - black for one, white for the other. I'll decide later who gets the second apron. Maybe me?

Right now, though, there's a stack of grade 10 social studies essays calling my name.... I'd better stop monkeying around and get to work!

Snowdrops

2011-11-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

I've discovered that I can, actually, achieve something with just a few minutes or an hour of work. Revolutionary idea, I know.

I used to think that I needed a whole day, or at least an evening, to make it worthwhile to turn on the sewing machine and get out the rotary cutter. Not so. Yes, I know many of you have already figured this out and I'm, once again, arriving late to the party.

This weekend, I started the Snowdrops mini quilt from a little kit my friend Kim gave me last Christmas. I was saving it (really...). When I put up my Snowman in the Woods quilt in the front foyer on Sunday, I knew it was time to make Snowdrops.

I was sewing on the very last button eye, when it broke. So that one little snowman has BIG button eyes. Cute!

It might be time to unpack all the snowmen and decorate for the season (winter, that is - in our house, Christmas decorations must wait until Advent begins).

And how funny that as soon as I want to decorate for winter, the temperature rises to above freezing and the snow begins to melt...

Snowman Mug Rug Tutorial

2011-11-19T15:26:00.002-07:00

Last night during the Friday Night Sew-In, I worked on finishing these:

Then I thought I'd whip up some more and write a tutorial while I was sewing so you could make some for yourselves. So here's my...

SNOWMAN MUG RUG TUTORIAL

Materials for one mug rug (approximately 9" square when finished):

1 - 6" square white fabric
4 - 2" squares red or green fabric
2 - 2" x 6" strips red or green fabric
2 - 2" x 9" strips red or green fabric
Small scrap of orange fabric for nose and Heat n' Bond (or other applique adhesive)
1 - 11" square of quilt batting
1 - 12" square of backing fabric
1 - 2 1/4" x WOF strip fabric for binding
2 small, flat black buttons for eyes

Step 1:

Sew 2" squares of red fabric to corners of 6"" white square.

Step 2:

Trim corners 1/4" away from stitching.

Step 3:

Press corners outwards with seam allowance towards red fabric.

Step 4:

Sew 6" strips of red fabric to opposite sides.

Step 5:

Press outwards with seam allowances towards red fabric.

Step 6:

Sew 9" strips of red fabric to other two sides.

Step 7:

Press outwards with seam allowances towards red fabric.

Step 8:

Make triangular-shaped nose from orange scraps; bond and applique (I used blanket stitch) to middle of white square.

Step 9:

Layer 12" square of backing fabric, quilt batting, and top. Baste (I used 505 Spray for this job) and quilt as desired.

Step 10:

Trim to 9" square and apply binding using your favourite method. I like to use Anita's binding tutorial, found here.

Step 11:

Sew on button eyes to create a unique expression for your snowman.

Step 12:

Enjoy a mug of hot chocolate and maybe a cookie or two on your new mug rug!

For maximum enjoyment, repeat Steps 1 through 12 and create more Snowman Mug Rugs for gift-giving.

I'm also thinking that a whole quilt made out of these blocks would be adorable

Friday Night Sew-In (Christmas Edition?)

2011-11-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Perfect timing! This Friday is FNSI and I have a couple of little projects to finish.

It's been such a busy week but I should be able to take a little bit of time on a Friday night to work on something fun!

Stay tuned for "finished" pics coming Saturday (I hope).

What are you going to work on for FNSI?

The S Word

2011-11-12T17:59:00.001-07:00

It was inevitable.

All my exclaiming about the lack of snow the other day did nothing but encourage Mother Nature. "Oh, look!" she said to herself. "I totally forgot about Edmonton. It's way overdue for a dump of snow."

Okay, so it's a teensy amount of snow for now. More to come later, I'm sure. It did put me in the Winter/Christmas spirit, though. Today the OnlyChild and I, along with my friend Patt, went to a Christmas craft sale. Never mind that we bought food items rather than anything Christmassy or crafty, it was a lot of fun! And never mind that I have totally avoided doing any kind of work this weekend at all - no marking, no writing, no reading for my course, no postings, not even any housework. I might regret that tomorrow or Monday, but right now I don't care.

Instead of working, I enjoyed the time with my girl. We visited a friend/coworker who just had a baby.

Excuse the terrible cell phone picture above. Little Elliot really was the most warm and snuggly baby and so cute! The Baby Bow Tie quilt went to him; his mom and dad were so pleased with it.

Plus the OnlyChild bought him the sweetest onesie - white with bicycles all over it and green trim around the neck and sleeves.

Tonight the OnlyChild and I are going to the Rocky Horror Show - a live theatre performance. We've been looking forward to it for a while. It's been a good weekend, but she has to leave tomorrow afternoon and I won't see her again until Christmas break. She's made me promise not to decorate the house until she gets home. But with the fresh snow and the bite of winter in the air, I'm not sure I can hold off. I'll have to bring out the snowmen at least!

Let's talk about the weather

2011-11-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

Really... it's November 9th today and it has yet to snow in Edmonton. According to the newspaper this morning, that's a weather record. In recorded history, the latest we ever received snow here was November 6. Amazing!

But snow is forecast for tomorrow so I'll hold off on the cheers.

Let's talk about what I've been doing.

I finished my paper last weekend even though the professor emailed everyone and offered an extension until this weekend. "No way!" I told myself. "Let's get this thing done." So I did. The OnlyChild is on her way home as I write and will be staying for the whole weekend. I'd much rather spend time with her than on my course (although I am a bit behind on my reading...).

I finished the green cowl and made another, smaller one. Nothing fancy. Then I happened upon this pattern and decided to knit a scarf in blue. I love this pattern from JaceyCraft. It's easy but not boring. If you want to make one, you can download the pattern for free - just make sure you cast on either 32 or 34 stitches instead of the 33 in the instructions. There was a teensy mistake that Jacey is going to fix.

Now let's talk about what I am going to be doing (besides coursework and school work and marking blah blah blah).

I am a sneaky, sneaky girl. I bought a Swoon quilt kit from Fat Quarter Shop. Normally, I don't go for kits. I like to inject my own flair and personality into my projects. But I just adored the Swoon quilt that Camille showcased on her blog Simplify (scroll down a bit to see the picture) and I couldn't (honestly!) think of fabric I'd rather make it in than Ruby. Beautiful! So, yeah, I gave into temptation and just ordered the kit.

I got the card from the post office in my mailbox yesterday and picked up the parcel this afternoon. I opened it, checked it all out, took a couple of pictures, then carefully packed it all away. There's not a chance I will be starting this baby before the new year. It can be my first 2012 project!

Finally, let's talk about what I haven't been doing.

NaNoWriMo.

The first few days went well. Then I had to write that paper, which took Friday evening and most of Saturday (not too bad - I had all my planning done). I did a little more novel writing on Sunday but my brain was a bit fried and I really wanted to get away from the computer.

I haven't touched it since. Mind you, it's been really busy at work this week too. We had our Remembrance Day service today and I'm one of the committee co-chairs so that has been my focus the past few days. Plus, it's grad picture time at school and that's another of my responsibilities. I've spent every lunch hour booking appointments and answering questions. I've taken parent phone calls and teacher enquiries. I'm sick of it already.

So, by the time I got home from work, I was exhausted. A little bit of work then some total vegging out with the knitting needles. That's how I've spent the last three evenings.

Not very productive. But, oh well...

In a few minutes, Mr. P will be pulling in with the OnlyChild in tow. I have a feeling it will be a late night tonight. I can sleep through our PD day tomorrow. Just kidding...teachers never do that!

Underneath

2011-11-04T21:38:00.000-06:00

You can just see it peeking from underneath my textbook...a ball of yarn to knit the green cowl I've been working on here and there.

I wrote about 1/4 of my paper tonight but now I'm ready to relax and knit for an hour before bed. I'll get back to writing bright and early tomorrow morning.

Needless to say, there's no sewing going on in the sewing room right now!

Happy Hallowe'en and Hello November

2011-10-31T20:51:00.001-06:00

Happy Hallowe'en! I hope you all had a fun day/night. Working in a school on Hallowe'en has its ups and downs. The ups: the students' costumes. Some students put a lot of effort and creativity into their costumes (of course others simply buy the skimpiest little thing in the cheap costume shop). The downs: candy being eaten everywhere, all day. Ugh. And the lack of Hallowe'en spirit displayed by my colleagues.

I was the only one in my department who dressed up today. Boy, did I feel a bit silly sitting in my office in my pirate costume while everyone else wore regular clothes.

I didn't take any pictures this year, but I do have one from three years ago when I made this costume. (I recycled this year.)

Here I am with the OnlyChild. She was in grade 11 that year.

I haven't had much time for sewing lately, but I have managed to do a bit of knitting in my down time. It's a more portable project so I can get a few stitches in here and there. I made one cowl (the grey underneath) and I'm working on another in green. These will either be gifts or will be for the OnlyChild to sell at a fundraiser in late November.

It's probably silly of me to be doing anything extra right now - sewing, knitting, whatever - because I'm up to my ears in marking, planning, writing as well as my course work. But, you know, just in case I get bored, I decided to add another project to my list:

Yep, I joined NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month. It starts tomorrow and I'm supposed to write 1666 words per day to meet my goal of writing a 50,000 word novel by the end of November. Ha!

I did this challenge in 2003 and that novel is still languishing on my laptop, unfinished, unpublished. Maybe I'll go further with this one.

Yeah...

If you don't see me around for a while, I'm probably buried under a pile of paper or sitting glassy-eyed in front of the computer. Don't worry - I'll be back.

Bloggers' Quilt Festival, Fall Edition

2011-10-28T20:37:00.000-06:00

Hello! I had almost forgotten about the Bloggers' Quilt Festival going on until November 4. Amy hosts one of these events twice a year and I love to see everyone's submissions. So much inspiration!

As my submission, I've chosen the O'Cherries quilt I made earlier this year. The pattern came from Moda Bake Shop, but I made a few adjustments. I started off with a honey bun of beautiful Oh Cherry Oh fabric:

And turned those strips into Irish Chain squares:

Which then became a quilt top:

Then the hard part...to pick a quilting pattern. I chose feather wreaths for the white block centres:

Along with some straight-line quilting on the diagonal and feather garlands for the borders:

It wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected and soon I had a finished quilt:

I try to use up my scraps in the backs of my quilts. I love a good scrappy, pieced backing!

I made O'Cherries to match the Postage Stamp quilt that was made with an Oh Cherry Oh jelly roll. I also made a pillow with the scraps from that quilt. They all decorate my cute little guest room under the eaves.

Thanks for visiting!

I hope you go over to Amy's Creative Side to see some more quilts in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival.

In the mountains

2011-10-22T19:21:00.001-06:00

I went to a conference this weekend (Thursday, Friday and home today) with pretty much my whole staff. The conference was kind of a bust, but we got to stay in Canmore, a beautiful little town in the Rocky Mountains. I love it there!

On Thursday afternoon/evening, I went shopping and out to dinner with my colleague Ray. He was looking for a gift for his wife who was joining him on Friday and I was, well, just looking. I saw the sign pictured above and thought, "Hey, this would be cool on a quilt or sampler." So, I took a photo.

Then, I found the jacket below.

I kept taking it off the rack and stroking the orange sleeves and then putting it back. I think I did that for about half an hour and didn't even try it on. "No, no," I kept telling myself, "you shouldn't."

All Thursday night, I thought about it and talked about it. My "roommates" Rose and Erminia made me describe it in exquisite detail. Friday, after our sessions, we went back downtown and I bought it. I'm in love!

The girls and I had such fun strolling around town. We took our pictures with the mountains as a backdrop. We shared a crepe (right before dinner, too!). We looked in every single store, I'm sure. They have such nice shops there - little boutiques that are so different from the chain stores in the city. My favourite has to be the shoe store called Gingerella. Just look at these fantastic boots:

The girl in the shop called them the Smartie Boots. Oh wait, you don't have Smarties in the U.S., do you? (They're like M&Ms but they come in more colours and don't taste as good.)

On the way home, we stopped for pictures at the Big Head.

He's great, isn't he? I told him some secrets...

I arrived home this evening very tired. Thank goodness there's still another weekend day before I have to go back to work!

I didn't bring home much marking...maybe there will be time for sewing tomorrow...

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

2011-10-19T17:36:00.001-06:00

I made this mini raven quilt to send to the OnlyChild as a little Halloween surprise. It was quick and easy and she can hang it on the wall or use it as a mug rug.

I'll give you some quick instructions to make one, although you could probably figure it out for yourselves fairly easily.

I started by looking online for a suitable image. I googled "crow silhouette" and found plenty. I had to pick one that didn't have too many skinny pieces (such as bird legs) because I wanted to appliqué the design, but I wasn't up for embroidery.

I chose this image from here. What I really liked about this picture was the opportunity to add some colour to the little quilt with the moon.

Ignore the watermark (it won't make a difference) and save the picture to your files. There are tons of great images available for Halloween - cats, witches and witches' hats, bats, ghosts...

Insert your chosen picture into a Word document so you can play with the size. I re-sized my image to 6"x6" and then printed it in black and white on plain paper.

Using my handy "light box", I traced the image to Heat n' Bond light.

Yes, my "light box" is my sewing room window. It works. I actually had the image taped to the window backwards so that I could have the bird facing right in my final product. But it doesn't matter - that was just a personal preference.

I didn't take any photos of the actual process, but I fused the Heat n' Bond to my black fabric, cut out the "moon" of my image and around the edges, and then fused the black fabric to a slightly larger piece of orange fabric.

Then I made a little quilt sandwich with the top, a piece of batting and another piece of black fabric. I spray basted these layers together with some 505 spray.

The next step was to sew around the raven, tree branch and moon with a straight stitch, right through all the layers, so I appliquéd and quilted in one step.

I trimmed my piece to 6"x6" and then, with a wide zig-zag, stitched around the outer edges. I could have put a binding on this little quilt, I suppose, but I liked the more primitive finish.

And...voilà.

I think a few of these together would make a cute wall-hanging or table runner. Here are a few more images I might try (all images are clipart):

What fun!

The two-times dress

2011-10-17T20:57:00.001-06:00

Hallelujah! Tonight I finished the OnlyChild's dress.

This is Vogue 8615 and the pattern envelope says it's "very easy". It actually was a very easy pattern, but I call it the 2x dress because it's completely lined so everything had to be done twice. Except for the zipper. Once is enough for that job.

I felt like doing a little dance when I pulled out that last pin after hand-sewing the bodice lining to the skirt.

Here are a couple of awful photos of it. Keep in mind, it's late, it's dark and the fabric is navy blue. Not exactly the best situation for good pictures - sorry.

The OnlyChild isn't here to try it on, so I'm debating whether I should mail it to her or wait until she comes home in a couple of weeks. Hmmm...

And, in case you were wondering how Thanksgiving went, it was fabulous! Great company, great food, total turkey overindulgence.

Mr. P does such a nice job with the dinner. The pumpkin cheesecake was a hit, as was the apple pie. Here are a couple of snaps of our table:

Sunflower centrepiece (the last of the sunflowers this year).

Five of us around our tiny table. It was cosy.

I made soup the next day with the turkey carcass:

I know it doesn't look good, but it was really yummy! I plan to post the recipe sometime soon.

Things are humming along here. Busy as usual. I think I'm second-guessing my plan to make a queen-sized bow-tie quilt. I have 108 out of 200-and-something blocks needed. It's not making the rest of the blocks that deters me; rather, I looked around my bedroom and decided it needs something brighter and cheerier than red and grey. I'm going to finish the bow-ties but maybe in a smaller version. And I'm seriously considering making a Swoon quilt for the bedroom. I've loved that pattern since the first time I saw it.

Of course, I'll have to finish up a few other things before I even start that project. Of course...

Getting ready

2011-10-08T16:20:00.003-06:00

for Thanksgiving tomorrow.

The OnlyChild is home for the weekend. Hurray!

She bought me a university sweatshirt

Mr. P took her out to buy a new ukelele (hers broke during the move). Why can't this kid take a picture that's not goofy?

We baked apple pie for tomorrow's dessert. My apple pie is famous (well, within my little family).

With the leftover pastry and apples, I made little tarts. Those are for today. Numnumnum. They're pretty much all gone by now.

I also made pumpkin cheesecake from Anna's recipe. It's been a long time since I baked a cheesecake. I remembered it being much harder to make. I had enough filling to make a mini version so I think we'll have to do some QC on the little one. You know, just to make sure it's good enough for Thanksgiving dinner. My friend Kim and her boyfriend are joining us.

AbbyDog and DerbyDog helped us with all the work. Sort of.

Once they realized nothing good was going to magically drop to the floor for them to gobble up, they got out from under our feet and took a nap instead.

A nap...what a great idea!

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends!

I am so

2011-10-05T19:37:00.001-06:00

lame.

I wish I had something to show you. I made soup...but didn't take a picture. I made carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (for my students)...but didn't take a picture.

And that's ALL I've made lately.

I wrote the paper for my master's course.
I cut out the OnlyChild's dress (no sewing done on it yet).
I painted my dining room ("Cornerstone" by Behr).
I have marked and marked and marked (of course I have).
I took some of my students to a conference on Monday (that was fun).
I bought my mother's birthday present (but haven't mailed it yet. Sorry Mum; it's going to be late.)

And I keep finding more projects that I want to do. Look at this:

Photo from Sew Mama Sew

Plus, check out Anita's newest project here.

And how about these cute little pumpkins.

In addition, there are still the projects already on my to-do list: the dress, the Ghastlies quilt (yeah, probably not going to be done for Halloween this year), and the bow tie quilt I started back in the summer (but I knew that was going to be a long-term project).

And Christmas is coming. My friend Kim mentioned that she's going to make pillowcases for all her grade 6 students for Christmas and I thought, "What a brilliant idea! My students would love a pillowcase!" I must be crazy!

No pressure.

Friday Fill-ins

2011-09-30T21:07:00.001-06:00

I haven't done one of these posts for such a long time, so when I read Sara's tonight, I thought I'd give it a go.

1. I need more hours in the day!

2. It always amazes me how lucky we were to find each other when we were so young.

3. A great deal of my time is spent doing things I'd rather not do.

4. In the summer, I enjoy iced green tea with honey and lemon in a big tall glass.

5. It was announced that the Edmonton Oilers might actually have a chance at making the playoffs this season!

6. When I need to cut vegetables, I just use my steak knives.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to relaxing a little and working on my paper, tomorrow my plans include finishing that paper! and maybe putting the first coat of paint on the walls in the dining room and Sunday, I want to finish painting the dining room and, if I'm lucky, start making the OnlyChild's dress.

And a photo:

An Autumn scene from a couple of years ago.

Mollie's quilt

2011-09-28T22:12:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't been around much lately. Work is so busy and I'm trying to get through this last master's course. My poor Bernice has been neglected once again and is, sadly, gathering dust. Soon, my friend, soon.

Since I've got nothing new to share with you, I thought I'd show you a picture of Mollie and her Patisserie quilt. I received a really nice note from her mom (my colleague) in appreciation for the gift and she also sent me this picture.

Sweet!

I have a paper due in my course next week so I probably won't be hanging out with Bernice this weekend either. Too bad - I have loads of projects, including a dress for the OnlyChild that's been sitting around since Spring and my Ghastlies quilt that hasn't even been started yet. Oh my! I feel like I'm missing out! I'll try to be a good girl and get all my work done so I can spend Sunday at least in my sewing room.

Scratch that - I've got to paint the dining room too. Sigh.

Halloween Cat Mini

2011-09-20T06:15:00.003-06:00

My Halloween Cat mini quilt is finished! I had very little to do to complete it, which makes me wonder why it took me nearly a month to get around to doing it. I suppose that the month of August doesn't quite motivate me to finish Halloween projects the way September and October do.

The quilting gave me a little bit of trouble on Saturday night when I started it. My machine was playing games (naughty Bernice!) and I put it aside rather than get more frustrated. Sunday night I just re-threaded the machine and it worked. Sometimes it's just those little things (and some patience) that make all the difference.

I know Halloween is more than a month away, but since this little quilt was actually finished, I thought it should find its home on my front table along with a pumpkin bowl and my Autumn yo-yo tree. (Plus, the Little Lamb had been there since March so it was time for a change!) I also hung up the Cat Wall-hanging I made last September after we said goodbye to dear RexCat.

Yesterday, I made the label for the Patisserie quilt and put it in the washing machine. I just need to find some nice wrapping paper or a pretty gift bag (I was sure I had one somewhere...) and I will send this one to baby Mollie. The label is simple and inconspicuous (just like me haha) because I didn't want it to stand out too much. Just a little reminder that this quilt was made especially for someone by someone, and not bought in the baby section of Wal-mart!

P.S. I linked up to Fabric Tuesday.

A Celebration of Quilts

2011-09-19T16:35:00.002-06:00

Yesterday morning, I went to see A Celebration of Quilts which was held at a beautiful greenhouse in the next town. I went by myself and thoroughly enjoyed the outing - it was like visiting a museum or art gallery, which I always feel is best experienced alone.

I forgot my camera (it isn't working very well anyway), but was able to take photos with my phone. I'll spare you the pictures that didn't turn out well.

Most of the quilts did not have any information attached, and even for those that did, I didn't take notes. There were no prizes, although we could vote for our favourite on the way out.

Lots of inspiration in the Christmas quilts. I wanted to take the first one (snowmen) home with me.

I love this quilt, but it had very little quilting on it - just around the squares and I felt kind of sad for it because, with lots of use and washing, it might fall apart.

Do you see that in the corner? It's a Lamb Mini, like the one I made!

There were quite a few spool quilts. Love them!

Very pretty sampler quilt.

This was really beautiful. The colours were much more vibrant than what you see in the photo.

This Dresden Plate was pieced and quilted in...I think the sign said the 1940s. Tiny little hand stitches and all hand-quilted too.

I cannot believe I didn't take a picture of this entire quilt. It was amazing. It's called String Tulips. Look at the beautiful feather quilting!

Another type of Spool quilt. I thought the border was really neat.

Cute!

Flying Geese in reds.

Scrappy Irish Chain - be still my heart! Wow!

More Flying Geese. I might have to make one of these some day.

Another Christmassy quilt.

This quilt was pretty amazing too. All the flowers and vines (which you can't really see) are appliquéd.

This Spool quilt was my favourite and got my vote!

This one was nice too - the black background made the colours really stand out.

Bargello quilt.

Very colourful!

Gorgeous work!

Never mind the kid's quilt - look at that cat! It wouldn't stop licking itself for me to take a good picture.

So, there you have it. My morning spent at the quilt show. A couple of observations I made while walking around: 1) A lot of the quilts were stippled. A lot. And many were stippled on a long-arm machine (you can tell). I've never paid to have a quilt quilted on a long-arm but if I ever did, you bet I would get something more interesting than a stipple. I love stippling but I can do that myself. 2) None of the quilts had that crinkly, washed look, except for the old Dresden Plate. They were all perfectly flat and had never seen the inside of a washing machine. Do quilt shows demand that? 3) At the risk of sounding vain about my work (which I'm not), I have a few quilts that could be in a quilt show, based on what I saw there. Maybe that's something to work towards in the future. Do you show?

It was a good morning, as I said, and inspired me to finish my Halloween Cat Mini last night so I'll be able to show it off tomorrow. I also made the label for the Patisserie baby quilt and tossed it in the washer this afternoon.

Now, what's next? More bow ties? Ghastlies? or should I start on some Christmas sewing? Ahhh...decisions, decisions.

Gifting

2011-09-18T14:44:00.002-06:00

It appears that quite a few of you understand the reluctance I feel about giving away a quilt when I'm not sure it will be appreciated. Thanks for your wise words and for sharing your experiences. Like you, I have been burned before - I have made quilts as gifts and have been underwhelmed by the response.

About 10 years ago, I made this quilt for the brother and sister-in-law of a friend after they had a baby.

The quilt looks really wavy in the photo, but it wasn't. And excuse our unpainted wall.

Even though it was a small quilt, it was quite a big undertaking for me. I was fairly new to the real art of quilting and was just learning the techniques. I thought the quilt turned out really well and I was quite proud to send it as a gift.

I didn't hear from the recipients for over six months, and their thank-you was a little note scrawled inside a Christmas card. I never met the baby, nor did I hear from the parents again.

A few years later, one of my colleagues/friends was pregnant with her second daughter. I was excited to make her a quilt because I really thought this woman would appreciate the gift. She asked for yellow and pink; I couldn't find baby colours so I put together this Irish Chain quilt in brights.

When I delivered the quilt, the mother was disappointed in the colours and also complained that the quilt was too big. I felt like I needed to apologize (actually I felt like I should just take the quilt and leave...but I didn't, of course). I don't work with this woman any longer, but when I see her occasionally I don't even feel like we were ever friends. Not because of the quilt, but maybe she wasn't the person I thought she was.

Then there's this quilt.

Another baby quilt made for another colleague...but with a different conclusion to the story. She was thrilled with this gift and still talks about it when I see her. It became her son's "blankie" - and we all know what a compliment that is!

I don't mean to sound like I crave constant affirmation or that I need to be recognized for the things I make. However, like you, I do this to satisfy my own creative urgings as well as to bring happiness to other people. I just want my hard work to be appreciated.

That being said, little Mollie will receive her Patisserie quilt. As Sherri said in her comment, there is no way to know for sure if the recipient will appreciate the gift, but I know what went into its creation. And I will try to live by Janet's words, "Once I give something away, I seldom worry or even think about anymore..."

On another note, I attended a quilt show this morning. I have lots of pics to share with you...tomorrow!

Patisserie - finished during FNSI!

2011-09-17T18:24:00.002-06:00

The binding is on, now this little quilt just needs a label and to be washed so it's all lovely and crinkly and it can go to its new owner.

I made it for a colleague who just had a baby girl, but I really love it and now I'm having second thoughts about giving it away. I'm always worried that the recipient won't recognize the had work and time that went into the making of the quilt. Those who don't create themselves often think homemade gifts are "cheap". Does anyone else feel that way? Do you end up giving the quilt away after all?

I think every new baby deserves something made for him or her with love.

Keeping busy

2011-09-16T18:28:00.001-06:00

There are no cobwebs growing on me (my house, however, is another story). The past week or so has been filled with activity, some of my choosing.

My friend Kim and I spent last Saturday doing a Shop Hop. I'd never participated in one of these events before and it was FUN! We visited five different quilt stores in four different towns, put I-don't-know-how-many kilometres on the car, burned almost a tank of gas, and bought...

Well, that's what I bought anyway. Just a few stash-builders.

We also went to a concert that same night - Matt Nathanson/Train/Maroon 5. It was great. I had a video to post for you here but my phone won't let me send it :(

What else have I been doing?

I finally quilted Patisserie and I basted the Halloween cat wallhanging. Tonight is Friday Night Sew-In so I hope to do some binding and maybe get the wallhanging quilted. Or maybe I'm being a bit ambitious.

Are you joining us? Go over to see Heidi to sign up!

Work has been busy, too. I had a meeting on Monday night to share information about the school trip to Italy that I'm organizing for Spring Break. I already have 25 students enrolled and I'm hoping to get another 5. I can't wait! And - listen to this! - because I'm organizing the trip, the tour company is sending me and the OnlyChild to Paris for 5 days after Christmas. It's a training tour for me and I'm allowed to bring someone with me so I chose the OnlyChild. Mr. P has no interest in going.

Also, Meet-the-Staff night was this week. What a dog and pony show! I hate being put on display and then having to make small talk. I usually don't have too many parents needing to speak to me, but this year I couldn't seem to get away. It was quite late when I got home.

Kettlebells and Yoga classes also started. As well, my FINAL (woohoo!) course for my Master of Education degree started last week.

Yep, busy.

But one last thing...if you're still awake...I grew a little garden this year - just some green onions, green beans, spinach, carrots and beet... and sunflowers.

Look how tall these are. The fence is 5 ft high and some of the flowers are at least 2 ft taller. It was a bit windy when I took this photo so they're somewhat bent over but I'm sure you get the effect. They are so beautiful that I brought some inside to enjoy.

The OnlyChild has settled in nicely at university. She likes her room, she likes her roommates, she likes her classes. She doesn't much like the food and is requesting home cooking from me. I find that funny, since I've never been known for my cooking. She's missing home a bit and (of course) the Wild Things and we miss her, but I'm so glad she's enjoying herself. Thanks for all your kind words last week. The parting was hard but we're both feeling much better about it now.

Have a happy weekend!

Baby bird has left the nest

2011-09-07T17:16:00.000-06:00

and is getting settled in her new place.

This is the view from her dorm room!

She looks out onto the coulee and is sure to see some interesting wildlife out there.

I lived in residence for two years when I was in university and all I saw out the window was a parking lot. Her view is infinitely better.

The room is tiny, as most dorm rooms are. I'm guessing that her carpet will disappear within two weeks (beneath mounds of clothes and books). I might be wrong about that... we'll see.

After a while, it started to look a little more like home, with some pictures, a couple of plants and the lovely doggy wall-hanging.

And nothing says "home" like a quilt and pillow made by Mum! (Not to mention the jointly-created Leon the Lion from our night in together in March.)

The parting was difficult. We put it off as long as possible, then I realized that the longer I stayed, the worse it was going to be.

Then I got in the truck to come home and almost turned around. I just wanted to take her out for lunch, spend a little more time with her. But I didn't want to have to go through the leaving again, so I kept on driving. And crying.

Alberta just passed a distracted driving law. I wonder if crying-and-driving is illegal?

First Week

2011-09-02T18:43:00.001-06:00

Wow! It's Friday!

I am just exhausted after my first week back at work. It's been a good week, but very busy. Between getting everything ready at school and preparing the OnlyChild for moving this weekend, I haven't had a single minute to work on my two unfinished projects - the Halloween cat wall-hanging and the Patisserie quilt. I really wanted to have a project completed to show you today, but I guess it will have to wait until things calm down a bit.

I do want to share something with you, though.

A few months ago, I contacted Melinda to ask if she would make a special little quilt for the OnlyChild. My blog friend Deb had commissioned Melinda to make a quilt of her Jack Russell Terriers a while back and I thought it was wonderful. I sent Melinda a few pictures of Abby, Derby and Bosun (now deceased) and she created this amazing piece of art:

I gave it to the OnlyChild a couple of days ago and she was completely over the moon! She almost cried when she saw how well Melinda had captured the personality and unique look of each of the pups. I think Melinda's work is incredible! (Thank you again, Melinda!)

This art quilt will hang in the OnlyChild's residence room - a little piece of home to help her adjust. I'm driving her down to school on Sunday...and driving back by myself on Monday. It's going to be a big adjustment for both of us but I'm so excited for her. I loved being in university and I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.

I'll let you know how things go, and maybe snap a few pictures of her dorm room to show you.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Peachy!

2011-08-28T18:27:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a peach salsa-making kind of day!

The last time I made this was two years ago...we'd run out of it a while back and every time we passed a fruit stand Mr. P would ask me, "Are you going to make peach salsa this year?" So I did.

Fifteen jars!

Yum! I already tried it out last night. Gotta do quality control. If you want to make your own batch, you can find the recipe here.

You know what else is peachy? Missy Higgins. I love her music!

In other, quilt-related news... I finished the Patisserie quilt top. This is actually the Coming Home pattern from Camille Roskelley's book Simplify.

If you saw my first version of the top (in the previous post), you'll see that I changed a few blocks around. I wanted more of the Xs but I had made it look like Os. I like this one much better.

I also made the Halloween Cat wall-hanging from the kit I bought on the weekend.

Isn't it cute!

Now I have two projects ready to be quilted...and just one day left before I have to go back to work. Boo hoo.

The 'Bridge

2011-08-26T20:03:00.000-06:00

Mr. P and I took a road trip for a couple of days. He had some meetings in the south and I hung out with my friend Kim in Lethbridge. It is where the OnlyChild will be going to university (that didn't have anything to do with our trip this week) and it's - usually - a five-hour drive from where we live.

We took the scenic route because Mr. P didn't want to drive on the highway. The scenery really was beautiful, but I didn't have my camera (and I'm quite sure my need to take photos would not have been indulged anyway). I scouted the internet so you could see what I saw on the drive.

We travelled through some small towns:

source

Past the Hoo Doos:

source

Through Dinosaur Land:

source

Then to outer space...?

source

Taking the scenic route cost us some time. It ended up taking us six hours to get to our destination! But at least we didn't have the aggravation of highway traffic on those seldom-travelled back roads.

I spent Thursday with Kim and her girls (go over to Kim's blog and tell her it's time she started posting again). Of course we went to a quilt shop!

I picked up some more reds for my bow tie quilt.

I also got about .65m of a Patisserie print to do the borders on my little quilt (you can see it in the bottom right-hand corner of the photo). This was the only print from this line left in the store! I put the blocks together when I got home this afternoon and should have the top done this weekend.

And remember when I made the Little Lamb? I got a Halloween kit to hang from the same stand. I'm so excited about it that I plan to put it together right away. The snowman kit on the right was a gift from Kim last Christmas and it fits the same stand, so now I'm set for the next couple of holidays!

After the quilt shop, we took a little drive in the country to visit a lovely antique shop. I spent a whopping $10 on these three spools.

All in all, a very quick but fun trip. I'm going back down to the 'Bridge next weekend to take the OnlyChild to school. That is a lot of driving!

Small project and new project

2011-08-23T19:18:00.004-06:00

The OnlyChild and I have been packing and cleaning. She's getting ready to go to university in a city 5 hours south! I'm not sure it's sunk in quite yet that she will be leaving.

No more dishes left all over the house. No more baskets overflowing in the laundry room. No more backpack left right where I'm sure to trip over it.

And no more Friday Night Sew-ins with my girl. Or impromptu shopping trips. Or silly movies when we're home alone. Or fashion consultations (how will I dress myself?).

What am I going to do? It is going to be so weird without her around.

While we were doing some clothes-sorting this afternoon, we found this old t-shirt of hers and decided to make it into a pillow for her dorm room.

With a bit of Kona brown and a couple of buttons from Paris, it made a cute little pillow...perfect for a journalism student!

I also started a new project - another baby quilt. This time I'm using a Patisserie charm pack that Jen sent me ages ago and some Kona parchment. I had been "saving" the charm pack until I found the perfect little quilt pattern. So far I really like it, but I need to find some fabric for the borders, perhaps some hard-to-find Patisserie yardage...or not. I really need to cut down on my online fabric shopping now that I have to pay tuition!

I also have to keep busy so I don't spend too much time thinking about my baby chick leaving the nest...

p.s. This post was linked to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

FNSI Results

2011-08-20T16:43:00.000-06:00

Baby Bow Ties - Finished!

All washed and snuggly, and ready to be given as a gift. I hope one of my pregnant colleagues has a boy!

An easy and relaxing finish for Friday Night Sew-In.

Pets on Quilts

2011-08-19T20:22:00.000-06:00

Have you heard about the Pets on Quilts contest over at Sew Cal Gal?

I have decided to enter DerbyDog in the contest. He's been my faithful quilting friend this summer. DerbyDog is really Mr. P's baby. But Mr. P has been doing quite a bit of travelling over the past few months, which means DerbyDog and I have spent a lot of time together. He follows me around the house (even to the bathroom!) and snuggles when I have a lap for him. He also sleeps on my feet when I'm at the computer and (dangerously) behind my chair when I'm at the sewing machine. He thinks every quilt I make should be his, and my Green and White sampler, finished in January, was no exception.

There will be lots of Pets on Quilts on display this weekend over at Sew Cal Gal. DerbyDog (and I) would love it if you would vote for us! And if you'd tell all your friends about how cute he is *wink wink*.

Thanks!

Friday Night Sew-In, August Edition

2011-08-19T08:50:00.002-06:00

Don't forget... tonight is the Friday Night Sew-In

I missed July's because I was in San Antonio. Tonight I'll be finishing the Baby Bow Tie quilt.

Terrible, terrible photo - my camera's on the fritz

so I'm taking pics with my phone

I quilted it and sewed on the binding last night (completely by machine - I'll never do that again!) so tonight's job is to weave in all the threads. Easy!

Hope you're planning to join us.

Twenty Roses

2011-08-18T14:32:00.000-06:00

Mr. P brought home a nice surprise for me yesterday.

Twenty Roses - one for each year we've been married.

I certainly wasn't expecting anything since we don't usually "do" anniversaries. Most years we go out for dinner.

Aren't they beautiful!

Twenty

2011-08-17T11:41:00.000-06:00

That's how many years I've been married...as of today.

Wow, time flies!

I'm trying to come up with a new story so I can preserve my age. How about: it was an arranged marriage that took place when I was nine...? No? Oh well.

Here are Mr. P and me shortly after we first met. We lived in the same residence at university. He was soooo cool! And he had great muscles.

I thought he liked my roommate, Melody. She was (still is) a crazy redhead. But, no, he liked the dorky little brunette.

We went to a movie together a few days after we met - Mr. P, me, Melody and another friend, Bobby (I wonder where he is now?). We saw Casualties of War, a very violent film about the Vietnam War. I fell asleep sitting cross-legged on the seat. I probably snored and drooled. Mr. P probably thought it was adorable. Ha.

Twenty years, one child, and about half a dozen moves later, we're still plugging along. Being married is hard work, isn't it?

Sewing Day!

2011-08-15T09:32:00.001-06:00

My friend Kim was in town this past weekend, so I went over to visit her with my sewing machine.

I helped her finish a quilt top for her youngest daughter:

These photos, taken with my phone, don't really show off the vibrant colours. That first border is lime green!

I also worked on some more Bow Tie blocks.

My container is slowly filling up... I have 108 blocks completed so far.

In other news, I finished my master's course! Hurray! I submitted my final paper last night. I hope we get our marks back by the end of the week. I have ONE course left in this degree. One! I am registered for that last course this fall.

Now I have to get on with the school work I brought home...only two more weeks until I go back to work :(

Happy Birthday!

2011-08-13T07:30:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday to my OnlyChild who is 19 today!!!

At four years old, heading to ballet class.

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo

Extra Extra!

2011-08-09T21:05:00.003-06:00

I added one extra row to my baby bow tie quilt.

DerbyDog was eager to help me decide on block layout.

And then he helped me pick out some fabric for the borders. He chose the dark blue with polka-dots.

So now the baby bow tie is a good-sized quilt at 36" x 36".

I'm not quite sure how to quilt this one. Any suggestions?

Baby bows

2011-08-08T21:55:00.004-06:00

In between my last Bow Tie block-making session and today, when I finally went to buy more red fabric, I started another little project.

I wanted to try making scrappy Bow Ties so I whipped up a baby quilt using some bright-coloured, novelty fabrics.

This is small (24" x 30") so it's going to need some borders, but I think it will make a nice gift for a new baby.

And here are the reds I found at the quilt shop. There wasn't much of a selection in fat quarters but I'm happy with these four for now. I'll try the other quilt shops and see what they have.

I also found another nice red print in my stash, left over from making Anne Sutton's A Tisket A Tasket BOM last year. I made four more Bow Ties out of it.

These blocks are a bit addictive...and kind of mindless, which is exactly what I need right now!

75 Bow Ties

2011-08-06T15:13:00.000-06:00

I might have to make a quilt shop run for more reds...

Chain Gang

2011-08-03T22:26:00.001-06:00

I feel like a prisoner, stuck up here in my little room. I've been working lots of hours on both the master's course I'm taking and on new learning materials for the courses I'll be teaching in the Fall. Ten hours and counting today. I need a break...and I need to avoid answering the phone because Mr. P keeps calling me from work and asking me to run errands. "Well, you're home all day..."

Sheesh, I bet I'm working harder than he is.

Anyway...every once in a while I put the books and papers aside and do a little something fun. And, in keeping with the prisoner theme, I've been on the chain gang - that is, I've been doing a bit of chain piecing.

I have 43 Bow Tie blocks done and when I finish this pile, I should be near 100. They're repeats of the first lot, though, since I ran out of unique red fabric. This will not be a charm quilt.

(I ordered a couple of prints from the Fat Quarter Shop. Shhhh.)

Not much else happening around here. I always think I'm going to have soooo much time to do what I want in the summer then it just races by. Before I know it, I'll be back at school... I don't want to say the S-word too loudly...

More San Antonio...

2011-07-31T10:40:00.000-06:00

The OnlyChild came through for me. She uploaded all the pics to Facebook and I shamelessly stole them so I could show you a few. So...here goes...

Lunch at the Lone Star Cafe. This is what the OnlyChild ordered (chicken fried chicken - we were curious):

And this is what I ordered (and it was delicious):

Cathedral of San Fernando:

At La Villita:

The conference wrap-up party was held at Sunset Station:

There was a DJ inside and a country band outside in the Pavilion

Here's my Ruffled Skirt:

The next day we went to the Alamo. Very cool.

On Monday we headed up to Quarry Market to go cowboy boot shopping. We also spent some time at the University Co-op Store. The OnlyChild bought herself a monkey.

He wholeheartedly approved of these boots at Lucchese:

On Tuesday, we went to the Texas Buckhorn Museum. I already posted a few pictures from my cellphone so these are photos the OnlyChild took. Her camera battery died just as we got in the door so she also had to use her phone.

We left on Wednesday...after going to mass at St. Joseph's Church, doing a little shoe shopping (I bought some yellow shoes that were on sale!), and seeing the Alamo movie at the IMAX (which we really should have seen before going to the Alamo).

And then we headed to the airport...and you know the rest of that long and painful story.

So, there you have it. Our San Antonio adventure in a nutshell. It was fun. It was hot. It feels like it was months ago but I've only been home for three days. Crazy.

Returned

2011-07-29T16:47:00.001-06:00

in one piece from my adventure in San Antonio.

It was a fun trip. The conference I attended was great and we had lots of time to see the sights. I don't have many photos, as my camera is on its last legs, but I will download the pics from the OnlyChild's camera (yeah, you've heard that story before...) and post a few later. For now, here are some from my cell phone...

We arrived at the airport to find that United Airlines lost our luggage, or rather they didn't check it right through from Edmonton to San Antonio so our suitcases were stuck in Denver. They were delivered to the hotel at 2:45 in the morning. Only the first of UA's screw-ups on this trip!

We went to the Texas Buckhorn Museum where we saw a vast array of dead animals, among other things. It was a really great way to spend a couple of hours.

We also went on a riverboat tour. It was soooo hot down there. I like the heat, but the OnlyChild complained constantly about it.

And we bought cowboy boots. I had no intention of buying boots (they are rather expensive), but as soon as I tried on a pair, I was in love. They had to come home with me.

I've already worn them. And, believe me, cowboy boots do not look out of place in Alberta!

And we went to the Alamo, and to La Villita and Market Square. We walked along the Riverwalk numerous times. We swam in the indoor-outdoor pool (no photos of that!). We ate. I had disgusting Mexican food that made me sick. We drank copious amounts of tequila in the form of margaritas. It was a good time overall.

I also wanted to update you on the pain-in-the-butt dress I was making before I left. I finished it on the Monday night (we flew out on Wednesday) so that I could pack it. It turned out really nice...except I don't like the way it looks on me. It is quite unflattering around the belly area. I definitely need to be fixing that (the belly, not the dress) because I really let things go over the winter and it shows. Ugh.

Anyway, here's a quick photo of the dress hanging off the door. I still need to hem it and finish the sleeves (10-minute job), but I was so dismayed that I haven't bothered to do it yet.

The OnlyChild took a couple of photos of me wearing my ruffled skirt so I'll be sure to show you when I get the SA pics from her camera (and cell phone). That is one garment that was a success!

So, yes, I returned in one piece from my trip...but only just. Our flight out of SA was delayed which meant we missed our connection in Denver which meant we had to stay overnight in Denver. In a hotel. Without luggage. And it was late. And we were not happy about the situation. So, the OnlyChild and I actually made United Airlines pay for separate rooms. We needed the peace and quiet. Not to mention, we had nothing but the clothes on our backs so had to sleep nakey. Not something you want to do with another person (who is not your spouse) in the room. I didn't even have undies to wear to bed because they had to be washed for the next day. Yikes - it was not a fun trip home.

But I'm home. And back to real life. Writing, studying, working. And, I hope, sewing soon!

That's right, you're not from Texas

2011-07-19T17:34:00.003-06:00

But Texas wants you anyway.

I'm off to San Antonio, bright and early tomorrow morning.

On my "to-see" list:

The Riverwalk (both during the day and at night).

The Alamo. Perfect for a history teacher (even though I know next to nothing about US history).

Anything oversized.

The OnlyChild and I are going to tease our hair up high so we're closer to God. We're going to go cowboy-boot shopping. And we're going to take pictures of ourselves at anything where we can insert our heads (don't ask...).

Yeeeee- haw! (Do they say that in Texas?)

See y'all later!

Failure to Launch

2011-07-13T18:29:00.000-06:00

I made myself a list for today - two tasks I had to finish for my course.

After they were completed, I could do whatever I chose to do.

I chose to cut out my dress.

But now I'm suffering from Failure to Launch. It's all cut out and ready to go...but I'm not ready to sew. I'm afraid I won't be skilled enough to make it, or that it won't fit me when it's done, or that I won't like it. Or worse...that I won't get it finished in time to pack it for San Antonio next week.

Or maybe the truth is that I was feeling a bit lazy and preferred to mess around in my sewing room, cleaning and rethreading my machine while watching an episode and a half of Pushing Daisies. Maybe.

After my tasks are complete tomorrow, I'll try again.

Bow Tie Quilt

2011-07-10T10:21:00.001-06:00

My next quilt project will be...drumroll please...

A Bow-Tie Quilt!

Inspired by this post and guided by this post, I decided to use my red scraps and pair them with a lovely grey solid.

I've calculated that I will need 210 blocks to make a queen-sized quilt. Last night, I put together 30 blocks.

I like this layout.

And I think this is my favourite block.

A fun new project to work away at...in those times when I am sick of working on my new course and reading the huge 659-page textbook.

New Sewing Room

2011-07-07T11:25:00.002-06:00

If you've been visiting with me for a while, you will probably remember that my sewing room - aka "the studio" - occupied this tiny little bedroom.

(picture from last August, right after I'd painted the trim and cleaned out the room - throwing out 2+ bags of useless stuff that had accumulated)

I have been very busy for the past week and have pretty much had the upstairs of the house upside down for days. But finally I can show you what I've been working on...

TA DA!

My *new* sewing room.

This used to be the spare bedroom - a place for infrequent visitors to stay. I tried to find a good "before" picture but I don't have one. Suffice it to say, the walls were RED (with one green wall), courtesy of a 12-year-old OnlyChild with kind of wild taste. I actually liked the red and green (raspberry and khaki?) but it was getting old.

This paint is Behr's Gold Buttercup (or Buttercup Gold?) in a satin finish. I used the paint-with-primer and gave it three good coats. It was a lot of work; in old houses there are many strange little corners. Those slanted walls are a bit of a challenge too!

I am very happy with the result. I also got myself a *new* dresser. I cut a deal with the OnlyChild - I gave her the cheap old dresser with mirror that was in the spare room in exchange for this equally cheap (from the same bedroom set) armoire that had lost its doors. Who needs doors? I painted it, added cute new drawer pulls and... voila!... a place to showcase quilts and fabric.

And the *old* sewing room?

It's now our new spare bedroom. We rarely have long-term guests and there's just enough room in here for the antique bed, a wicker chair and a small dresser.

The built-in bookshelves that formerly housed my sewing and quilting books now contain the OnlyChild's old books (and some from my childhood too).

My Postage Stamp and O'Cherries quilts work perfectly in here.

And we already have our first guest! My friend Kim is in the city for a few days marking exams for the government. She gave both of the new rooms a Thumbs Up.

Looking back

2011-07-02T07:00:00.001-06:00

Do you ever read through your old blog posts?

Sometimes I do...usually when I'm looking for something in particular. But last night I spent an hour and a half reading through my posts from last summer.

A year ago today I was on my way to Italy with thirty junior high students and four other adults.

We went to see the sights in Venice

Florence

Pompei

Sorrento

and Rome.

It was such a great trip!

But guess what?

Yep, that's right. I'm going back.

Spring Break 2012, I'm taking a group of students from my school on a tour. We were originally planning to go to England and France, but the kids talked me into Italy. Twisted my arm, you might say.

I can't wait.

England and France? Another time...definitely another time!

At Mont St-Michel, France, July 2010

O Canada

2011-07-01T11:50:00.000-06:00

Happy Canada Day!

Sneak Peek

2011-06-29T22:22:00.002-06:00

I've experienced a crazy burst of energy over the past two days. It must have something to do with no marking and finishing my course (and not starting the next one yet).

Yesterday, I...

* moved all the furniture around in my office at school
* painted a room
* went to kettlebells class
* stayed for yoga

Today, I...

* put the second coat of paint on the room
* finished my Sew Serendipity Ruffled Skirt (which was supposed to be my first Summer of No Pants project)

Here's a sneak peek at the skirt. Full pics to follow.

I will be wearing it tomorrow for the Last Day of School! Yippeeeee!

So I failed...

2011-06-27T20:10:00.001-06:00

at the whole Summer of No Pants thing. Sadly, I didn't even get one skirt or dress made before the June 17 deadline. I finished my first and only item on Friday. Sigh.

But, as I promised, here is a picture of my Frayed Tunic Dress from Sew Serendipity.

I had my sweet friend Erminia snap this photo with my cell phone just as we were heading out to lunch today (like real grownups - quite a treat).

There are a couple of things I did different from the instructions, of course. For one, I have less raw edges showing. All the ruffles - on the sleeves which you can't see, the bodice and the hem - are supposed to be sewn with raw edges exposed on top and bottom. I sewed the edges in on the tops of the ruffles.

I also applied Fray Stop to the lower edges of the ruffles. They were fraying madly as I was constructing the dress. I couldn't imagine the mess that would occur when I wore it, let alone what would happen in the wash.

It's really quite a comfortable dress and fits me pretty much perfectly (although Mr. P alluded to the fact that it makes my - ahem - boobs look big and I think there's just a lot of gathering up there). I love that the zipper is in the side and not right in the middle of the back. It's completely invisible. I also love the fabric I chose for this dress - Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2. I am hoping to incorporate the scraps into a quilt, although there's not much left!

The pattern wasn't too difficult to follow, once I got my special email from Kay Whitt; however, it's necessary to flip back and forth in the book which can get a bit annoying at times. Now that I've figured out the system, though, I'll definitely be making more from Sew Serendipity. In fact, I started making my skirt yesterday. It's all cut out and I have ruffles made.

It might be a Summer of No Pants, after all...just a little bit of a late start. And anyway, I live in Canada where it usually doesn't get warm enough for summer skirts until July so I think it's okay.

Three days of work left and then:

* another masters course (I got an A+ on the course that ended yesterday)

* writing learning materials for next year's classes

* a spare bedroom to paint (started taping and filling holes tonight)

* a skirt and another dress to sew

* a trip to San Antonio for a conference

* my next quilt project...?

Yay Summer! Stay tuned...

The Forever Dress

2011-06-24T21:13:00.001-06:00

...so-named because it took me forever to get it made.

But I finished it earlier tonight! I will, someday, have pictures to show you but not yet. It's cute - trust me.

Instead, I'll show you another project.

I'm going to make A - short sleeves and a sash. The fabric store had a pretty dismal selection of knits but just as I was about to give up, I found this fabric.

(So, if you were wondering how my trip to the fabric store for thread went...well, actually I did just buy thread the first time I went but then I went back a couple of days later because there was a BIG sale. The pattern, thread and fabric for this dress cost me $17.00!)

I still need to make my ruffled skirt from the Sew Serendipity book. That's next on the list, but it's nice to have some summer sewing planned...and some time to sew!

Four more days of work!

I ran out of thread

2011-06-18T07:00:00.002-06:00

For Friday Night Sew-In, I spent the evening working on my dress from Sew Serendipity. It was slow going, as I was watching movies on my laptop at the same time but I was making some progress until...

I ran out of thread!

So, I still have the sleeves to put in and the ruffle to sew around the bottom.

But here's a totally goofy, in-the-mirror shot of the body of the dress, complete with correctly-installed invisible zipper (that gave me a LOT of trouble earlier in the week).

I think a trip to the fabric store is in order...just for more thread, of course...

A dirty word

2011-06-16T21:12:00.000-06:00

I know lots of dirty words. My father was a sailor, after all, and sailors are known for their "salty" language. The dirtiest word around lately doesn't have four letters; nor does it start with an "F".

The dirtiest word in my vocabulary is a seven-letter word beginning with M. It's what has been keeping me from finishing my dress, from sewing a skirt, and from picking out my next quilting project.

Marking.

But it's almost over. Tomorrow was the last day for students to hand in work or write tests and exams and today I worked and worked and marked and marked and now I'm almost done. Just a little bit more!

So...there's no way I won't be participating in tomorrow's Friday Night Sew-In.

I've earned it!

You can join in too. Just head over to visit Bobbi at Crafty Vegas Mom to sign up.

And finally, something creative

2011-06-12T16:08:00.003-06:00

I checked back in my posts, and discovered that I have been talking about making the Frayed Tunic Dress from Sew Serendipity since February.

February! Wow, I am such a go-getter.

Today, the stars finally aligned and I got the pieces cut out.

But the day wasn't without its trials. I had work to do today. Not marking - I finished that yesterday - but work for my course as well as some learning materials to write for classes I will teach next year. But, technology let me down and I couldn't open up some files. I took that as a sign that I should be doing something else...like sewing!

I got out my book, fabric, pins, sewing shears and took it all downstairs to the entryway where there is a fairly big, open space. I laid it all out and... Confusion! My foggy little brain just could not figure out this pattern, and I never cut until I'm quite sure I know what I'm supposed to be doing. (Okay that's a lie - and those who know me are probably laughing now. Right, Mum? But I didn't want to ruin this fabric because I love it so much!)

Oh, I was frustrated.

You know what I did? I emailed Kay Whitt, the author of Sew Serendipity. And you know what she did? She emailed me right back. Within minutes. And she solved my problem. The fog cleared, the sun came out, angels sang...well, not really, but I did manage to get my dress cut out. And here's proof:

Bernice has new grey thread, I've cleared some of the clutter from my sewing table, and I think I'm ready to go.

It's been so long. I wonder if I've forgotten how to sew...

Not-so-Plain Jane

Celtic heart

Seven and Dresdens

And then there were six

Swoon, how I have missed you

Best Birthday Parcel Ever!

Sunday Sewing

Swoon: 2, Rachel: 2

Resolved to Sew 2012

Ready for FNSI

Zills!

The weekend my brain went on vacation

The Block that Wouldn't Be

Surprise!

Swoon Along

Post-Christmas

Paris in December

Year in Review 2011

Last Finish of the Year

Christmas greetings

Christmas craziness

Sock Monkey Shirts!

The Button Book - FNSI results

Giveaway Winner!

Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day

FNSI and Nutella

Not Machine Washable

Projects of Christmas Past

Christmas Aprons!

Christmas quilt show

On a wild monkey chase

Snowdrops

Snowman Mug Rug Tutorial

Friday Night Sew-In (Christmas Edition?)

The *S* Word

Let's talk about the weather

Underneath

Happy Hallowe'en and Hello November

Bloggers' Quilt Festival, Fall Edition

In the mountains

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

The two-times dress

Getting ready

I am so

Friday Fill-ins

Mollie's quilt

Halloween Cat Mini

A Celebration of Quilts

Gifting

Patisserie - finished during FNSI!

Keeping busy

Baby bird has left the nest

First Week

Peachy!

The 'Bridge

Small project and new project

FNSI Results

Pets on Quilts

Friday Night Sew-In, August Edition

Twenty Roses

Twenty

Sewing Day!

Happy Birthday!

Extra Extra!

Baby bows

75 Bow Ties

Chain Gang

More San Antonio...

Returned

That's right, you're not from Texas

Failure to Launch

Bow Tie Quilt

*New* Sewing Room

Looking back

O Canada

Sneak Peek

So I failed...

The Forever Dress

I ran out of thread

A dirty word

The S Word

New Sewing Room