Scary, Soft, Stringy

Scary?

Soft...

Stringy!

And that was my weekend.

The 40+ essays I brought home didn't get marked.

Instead I house cleaned and then went out with my friend Patt Friday night.

Did laundry and had lunch with my friend Sandi on Saturday.

Spent a couple of hours at the MediCentre with the OnlyChild on Saturday night and

a couple of hours with her at the medical lab this morning.

She's sick, poor girl, and has been for a few days. She finally relented and let me take her to the doctor, who ordered some tests.

Then I decided the rest of the day was mine so I

Finished the flannel baby quilt top (it might end up being one of those "ugly quilts")

then I got a bit bored with that and decided to

Play around with some strings.

Red, Green and White for Christmas.

Maybe I should finish something...

Nah. Playing is so much more fun!

Hope you had a fun (and scary?) weekend too.

Bloggers' Quilt Festival

Amy from Amy's Creative Side is once again hosting the Bloggers' Quilt Festival. It's a happy place where all quilters can get together and share their creations... without having to go out into the cold, or leave the comfort of the computer room.

Here's my contribution to the Festival. This is a quilt called "Flurries" that I made a few years ago for my mother. I liked it so much that I made one for me when hers was done. I think this one pictured is hers...but it could just as easily be mine.

It's a sofa-sized quilt and perfect for snuggling under on a cold, winter night. The recent snowfall we had made me think of this quilt and I'll be pulling it out very soon.

The snowflakes, stars, and snowballs were appliquéd by machine using a blanket stitch. That was a lot of appliqué! It's a good thing I like appliqué. I learned an important lesson while making my mother's version of this quilt (as it was the first one). I thought I'd make the quilt extra-snuggly by using a thick polyester batting and a heavy flannel backing. Boy, did that make the quilting difficult! Since then, I have stuck with Warm and Natural batting, which is thin but, as the name indicates, very warm. I still like flannel backings, though, and would definitely use that on a future wintry project.

Do you have a quilt you'd like to show off? Go and visit Amy for the "rules" and to see a list of the other contributors.

Thanks for stopping by... and don't forget to leave your calling card ☺

Show Off and Tell

I won a giveaway over at My Patchwork Life and lovely Erin sent me these beautiful gifts, picked up as she jetted around South America a couple of weeks ago. Look at that little gecko - have you ever seen anything that cute? Thanks, Erin. I ♥ the goodies!

And, my order arrived from Pink Chalk Fabrics. I love them so much that the $11.00 shipping fee was (almost) worth it. Grrr... postage is so expensive!

And look! I finally spent some time in my sewing room and whipped up these Halloween pillowcases for the OnlyChild. And you doubted I'd get them finished in time... ha!

I have to admit, I really really wanted to make them in Ghastlies fabric, but there was none to be found. Oh what I wouldn't do to have me some of that. Oh well...this is also an Alexander Henry print - it's called Boo Kitty. The OnlyChild thought it was great. I hope she puts the pillowcases on her bed right away!

And speaking of bed... that sounds really good. 'Night all.

Are you in?

Are you joining November's Friday Night Sew-in?

Let's face the painful fact - Christmas is coming! That means we probably all have a list of projects to complete that's a mile long. I need all the help (and time) I can get.

So join us on Friday, November 19!

Go and see Heidi to sign up. See ya there!

"Winter is on its way!"

Did you see that line in my post yesterday?

What was I thinking... yanking on the tale of fate like that.

Blurry picture taken out the window at work with my cell phone this afternoon.

And to think - Saturday, I was wearing sandals.

Sigh.

Antiquing

I just got back from my road trip. I went to a workshop down south and stayed for the weekend with my friend Kim and her two sweet little girls. We had such a good time visiting!

The workshop on Friday was great - very informative and interesting. The speaker was also hilarious, which always keeps me awake.

After school, we went to ballet lessons (and I ran into a former student, which was kind of neat).

Then we went to a quilt store.

Supper was dill pickle soup. Amazing!

Saturday, we went to gymnastics, and shopping at Winners for Halloween stuff, and then out to brunch.

Then... we went to an antique sale.

I bought an old iron.

And some old milk bottles for my button collection.

Here they are displayed together in my sewing room.

I bought an antique typewriter for the OnlyChild. She's been wanting one for a while.

She's already done some internet research on it to find out when it was made. It had to have been manufactured before 1930, according to her information, and most likely sometime in the 1920s.

Ask me how much I paid for it. Go on... how much do you think?

I also picked up these old Christmas lights for Mr. P. He loves retro Christmas decorations. I don't know if they work, but for $2 a box, I thought it was worth a try.

After antiquing, we all headed to the playground at the lake. It was so beautiful there, but a bit chilly. The girls didn't mind as they were running around all over the place. Winter is on its way!

After the playground, we all put on our pajamas and Kim and I were treated to some hair-styling while we flaked out in front of the t.v., courtesy of the two cutest little stylists around. It feels soooo good to have my hair brushed.

Today, after some pancakes, a bit of crafting, and a shopping trip to Costco, it was time to make the long trip (5 hour drive) home. It was such a fun weekend, but I'm exhausted. Who knew a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old had so much energy? But I'm looking forward to seeing them again.

The typewriter, by the way, cost me a cool $20. No kidding. And it works.

Have Fabric, Will Sew

Honestly... I will.

I have not been very productive in the sewing room lately. Other things get in the way. You know, things like work, the course I'm taking, yoga and dance classes, and ... umm ... laziness.

But the other day I received a package in the mail:

Two Kona solids (straw on the left and black) and two cuuuute Halloween prints to make pillowcases for the OnlyChild. Yes, she is 18 but the pillowcases are still fun for her (and for me to make). I use the very easy pattern from Sew4Home. I've used a couple of their tutorials and I find them quite easy to follow.

See - I'm motivated! I have to get these pillowcases made before next weekend. I'm hoping that will help me find my sewing mojo (my sew-jo) again, because it seems to have gone missing.

I still haven't gone back to that flannel baby quilt I started and I really should get that done before my friend/colleague's baby gets to university.

I still haven't quilted the Checkerboard quilt top that I finished in February. I love that quilt so much that I'm afraid to ruin it (sound familiar?)

I haven't even touched the Green and White blocks from waaaay back. Or the Authentic quilt I was experimenting with a while ago (hmmm... that Kona straw will look good with this fabric).

Christmas is coming too, which brings a whole other sewing to-do list. Yikes!

So, now that I've listed all my sewing inadequacies, I'll finish by saying that nothing is going to get done this weekend because I'm going on a road trip. I'm attending a workshop in the southern part of the province, then I'm staying with my friend Kim for the weekend. I'm really looking forward to the whole experience.

Even though it means no sewing.

Next week... surely I can fit in some time next week.

I have to, because I've also got these coming in the mail:

What was I thinking...?