Green Eyed Monster

So, sweetiepie Simone has returned home, and the proverbial green eyed monster has reared it's ugly head. Amazing! She was only gone for a day and a half ... but Iris (not so sweetiepie) decided the house was hers!!! Simone is currently cowering under the bed in the spare room as mommy won't let her in the basement. Perhaps this is a good thing as she needs time to be quiet and heal, and I'd rather have her on a floor I frequent where I can at least talk to her, albeit from another room.
I have a friend coming over tonight to help me with Simone as I need to remove the medication patch from her right shoulder --- update, update - Dinner went off without a hitch, but getting hold of Ms Untouchable was another story .... to be expected mommy now has several puncture wounds/swollen fingers and a sore arm from the necessary Tetanus shot. Friend went home unscathed (luckily) and poor Simone has retired to hiding behind the quilt stand in the spare bedroom. When she eventually re-appears will let blogland know. Here's hoping she doesn't hold permanent grudges!

On the craft front ... I've made major progress on mother's door hanging over the weekend - BTW wasn't it a glorious weekend? Lots of time on the patio stitching and stitching and stitching. I also managed to make it out to one of our local Quilt stores which is closing it's first location in favour of the second, and consequently had a 50% off sale!

Yes ladies, you read correctly I said 50% off!!! Now I know this goes against the grain (pardon the pun) 'cause I vowed to buy no more fabric until all my UFOs were completed (yeah - right) ... but then again, 50 % off! The catch 22 was that you couldn't ask for a fat quarter cut you "had" to buy a meter - oh hardship!! So, with patterns in hand for my next major applique project (see below) I dutifully spent dollars and got myself all supplied up! Wish me luck!!!

Maggie Walker's Cats in the Garden

TTFN

Gadzooks!

Ms. Iris in Carrier

So, Simone baby is scheduled to go to the Vet for the big snip snip (spayed and shots) this Thursday - wish me luck getting Ms. "untouchable" into the cat carrier, which is why I dragged it up from the basement last week, re-assembled it and put in her cat bed and favourite blankie .... only to have Ms. Iris sleep in it all day Saturday!!!!
Granted , Simone did played with - or rather taunted Iris most of the morning through the vents in the carrier, so perhaps all was not lost - maybe she has/will get used to the thingee and not get tooooo toooo hysterical when I affix the door, then capture her inside in anticipation of the morning car ride to Dr. Blue Cross. Let's hope so! Now I know some of you out there are against de-clawing cats. Iris, when she came to me was already de-clawed, so I am considering having Simone de-clawed (front only). It makes for a happier mommy, and both furry babies are indoor cats - ALWAYS, or at least until mommy can afford to fence in the back yard! Here's hoping the spaying will calm Simone down and perhaps - just perhaps she'll become touchable, that is IF she ever forgives me for sticking her in the carrier and taking her away!!!

What else did mommy accomplish this past weekend? Well, I made my own version of the Spoonful of Sugar Loyalty Card wallet. Now, as usual my first attempt was just a wee bit too small and my loyalty cards didn't fit ... so I made a second one and watched my seam allowances a bit more carefully - and ta da! Oh boy oh boy - another quilty/fabricy thingee - woohoo! What else? Well, I managed to spend loads on $$$ at the grocery store, and I was somewhat domestic and steamed then froze a whole bunch of Asparagus in prep for next winter. Of course it meant I had to re-arrange the now overfilled freezer - but hey - as Miss Scarlet once said "I'll never be hungry again. ..."!


TTFN

The Quilted Jacket

The Quilted Jacket

So, I've been sitting on - no, not accurate - I've been procrastinating with this pattern for approximately 4 years - ouch!
I'm not a seamstress - I've never taken any, and I mean ANY real sewing lessons. I never took Home Ec or 4H or any of that domestic stuff... which is why I've been procrastinating. I really can't sew a lick, which is why I'm best known for applique - you don't have to be accurate - you can be more creative in applique. My piecework in quilting is never 100% - my seams always go wonky and, as Kaye Woods would say - I'm a pointless person! None-the-less this past month I finally plucked up my nerve with the encouragement of my friends in our quilting group and got down to business.
As you can see I finished the jacket, and .... drum roll please .... it fits!! I even managed to make button holes with the machine's auto buttonholer. Now for me that is a real accomplishment!

The pattern called for 8 fat quarter - I've been collecting them for 2 years now, I have lots and lots left over ;). It was also supposed to have raggedy seams, but I chose to leave the seams on the inside, and, since I wasn't into the raggedy look I actually bound the seams with bias binding made from the leftovers of the 8 fat quarters. I got some white flannel with pink, blue, yellow and green polka dots for the "batting" and spent a week machine quilting the fabric.

Having proudly taken it to our last get-together to show-n-tell imagine how red my face was the next day when I noticed that the left sleeve was only 1/2 quilted! YIKES! What the heck? How could I??? In my enthusiasm I finished off the whole jacket without completing the quilting! So, last night after work out came the dreaded unsewer (aka seam ripper) and , as you can see below , I proceeded to quilt the remaining 1/4 section of the left sleeve, re-sew the sleeve, rebind the sleeve and re-hem the sleeve! Phew!

TTFN

Spring Vacation !

So I'm just coming off a one week spring vacation. The weather was great and I accomplished - oh - about 60 % of my to do list - not bad eh? One of the things on my list was to make a canvas liner for this wicker bag. So, off to the infamous W store for another meter or two of the somewhat funky canvas ..I then had to figure out how to fabricate the planned liner ... hmmm .... after a couple of days on the patio, enjoying the sunshine, CBC radio 2 and some good wine I finally had a plan! Of course, as with all good plans, things did not go swimmingly and there were some alterations along the way (I am an intuitive sewer, not an educated one). Along the way I invented a few new techniques (or maybe not) and finally got the thing done.
Back at work now and none too soon! Simone has gone into heat (mommy procrastinated too long in getting her fixed ...) and she is now howling for all the neighbourhood to hear! YIKES! According to all the websites I've read this could last 4-6 days then I'll need to rush her off to a Vet that rumour has it will fix her up right quick in one go. Yeah, but oh my aching wallet!

TTFN

Always a Bridemaid

So, last night was challenge night at the guild, the theme this year was Canadian, aka anything with a maple leaf. So at last winter's shop hop I noticed this kit and thought - hey, that would be good for Canada Day as one of my door hangings ... and bonus - it will work for the challenge! So after piecing the maple leaf I got another brainstorm and decided to add the silhouette from another pattern with trees and a Mountie with his horse. A Mountie, for those readers who aren't overly familiar with Canadian culture, is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) person and they are famous for their musical ride.

So, I pieced together the border from the leftover red squares, found a piece of white with red maple leaves for the back, then bound it in black. I hand quilted (yes ladies, it's hand stippled!) and it only took me a month, not like last year's challenge which took me 3 months! All in all I'm pleased with the results and happy to at least win - ok ok - it's third prize for the second year in a row. I was feeling kinda bad since I used a kit for the challenge, but hey - the person who won first prize used a kit (I think I recognized it), so what the heck! ... Maybe next year I'll move on up to second prize?

TTYL

Star Trek and Chain Letters and Shop Hops Oh my!

Last week, after two weeks of serious deliberation, and definitely against my better judgement I once again weakened and responded to the 2 chains letters sent to me. Why ? umh, err, well, that's the cruel magic of these pernicious missives ... I know better, I had previously resolved to never never never again be dragged into one, and then ....

To all the recipients of my momentary weakness please feel free to do as you wish. Some may reciprocate, passing it on and enjoying the opportunity to share. On the other hand some may want me dead, and to those here is a link to a certificate of Chain Letter Nullification; sorry.

Please, no comments, email epistles or other repercussions. Just take it in stride. Chain letters, unless specifically requesting money or issuing physical threats, are not illegal and thus no more harmful than forwarding unwanted e-jokes or spam-like emails re psychic encounters or alternative cures for cancer, etc etc. etc., and haven't you all been guilty of one of those???
Pay it forward and use the purple charm squares in some charitable project. Now there's an idea!
On a more interesting note ... this past Thursday my friend and I experienced the new Star Trek flick.WOW Now, I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool trekkie, but I have been known to enjoy many episodes of whichever version. I was away living in West Africa when the original series played, so for me these shows were always reruns. None-the-less, I have seen all the movies, my favourite is The Voyage Home. So now I might just have a new favourite!!!

This past weekend two child-free women, aka myself and a good friend, spent Mother's Day weekend on a local Shop Hop tour - woo hoo! For those who've not experienced a shop hop - you get in your car and drive miles and miles around the province (kilometers and kilometers) visiting "local" quilt shops, seeing what's new and exciting in all their stores, spending money on fat quarters and getting a free wall hanging/table runner pattern. My friend was justifiably complimented at each stop on her wonderful "mini-me" japanese print fabric bag and managed to win 3 (or was that 4) door prizes. I was called Sunday @ 6 pm as the winner of a door prize from Quilters on the Square. Woohoo!



TTYL

I'm Blind ... I'm Roman Blind!

Ok, ok, I'm not actually blind .... but I did make a Roman blind this weekend for my spare bedroom and I'm rather proud of my efforts - woohoo! The back 2 bedrooms face east and always get the morning sun ... which makes them very hot in the summer, so this should help!

It all started when I found some cute (read cheap) cotton canvas like material in the big box W store. Hey, that would work fantastic as a liner for the wicker carryall I have that has lost it's straps and I now want to use for the summer with my little blue cart I drag to work everyday. So I bought a bunch - it was on sale - I don't remember how much, probably 2 meters, and took it home. After rediscovering the shopping bag a few days/weeks later, I took a good second look and thought - hey, this would make a fabulous Roman blind ... so now you see how my mind works .... and why so many of my projects morph into other things ....

fabric pre cutting & sewing

Well, as if I didn't have enough to do this weekend .... like have brunch with mother, get haircut, grocery shop for the month, banking for the month, finish seeding the dead grass areas on the front lawn, finish spring cleaning the house, laundry, work Saturday, re-pot the plants I've been rooting for the last 6 weeks, fertilize plants @ work and top up with soil, respond to those 2 purple charm square chain letters (PLEASE stop sending me chain letters), play with the ever so patient (thank god the kitties still love me!) Iris and Simone, load/unload the dishwasher, finish that library book that's overdue, get to the 3 week old ironing, etc., etc., etc. .

None-the-less I merrily went about creating a Roman blind for the spare bedroom. Now that it's completed I realize there are probably much easier methods to create the same effect, but then again, how do you know that until you've made the first one ?
So, after sewing on the horizontal (yes, I know, usually the tape is sewn on vertically, but not this tape, no... that would be too normal...), inserting the 5 wooden dowels, discovering the dowels were 1/2 " too long, breaking off that darn 1/2" 5 times, deciding I had just enough left-over beige piano trim that would look just lovely on this blind ...Blind on sewing counter with piano trim pinned

Then determining how to attach the darn thing to the window, then finding the board for the header, sawing it to fit, 3 times - Yes, I know, measure twice, cut once ... but I didn't account for the extra space needed for the 2 L brackets, then I forgot to account for the screw heads holding the L brackets in place (planning beforehand was never my strong suit, I'm much too spontaneous for that ... or is it AAAD Age Activated Attention Deficit), and finally, YES finally getting it all in place!

Phew! I'm exhausted, but damn - my new Roman blind looks good!

finished product!

Too bad I don't have anymore windows where I can use another blind!

TTYL

SPRING!

AT LAST! Spring has sprung - yahooooooo. Took long enough to arrive and now that it's here I'm pressed for time (what else is new) - so much gardening and spring cleaning and sewing and visiting with friends and sitting on the patio and quilt shows ... I'm exhausted already!

Speaking of visiting, this past week was another interesting chapter of my wee quilt group.  Did I mention that I am the happy recipient of another ---- YES another of those purple charm square chain letters ! - Actually, make that two (the same chain letter TWICE!) Does this mean I'm popular ??? Oh No! I hate chain letters, but on the other hand I also hate to disappoint .... what's a girl to do???? Please ladies please - No more chain letters!

My Spring Garden!

TTFN

Spring Cleaning!

Every year I say I will never again do Spring cleaning ... and then another year rolls round and somehow the urge to get cleaning sweeps over me (pardon the pun) and off I go again. This year it was precipitated by me hosting an Easter dinner for family and friends. Whilst cleaning the living room I became reacquainted with this "portable"vintage Singer which has been hiding against the wall beside my pine jam cupboard. Hmmmm, is it electric?, does it actually work? are there attachments, a manual? What gives - I must investigate! Luckily the key was attached to the handle, and yes, it is electric. The manual was in a plastic bag neatly placed under the foot and the machine is still threaded, as you can see by the pink spool, so I will know how to thread it should I chose to attempt to use it! But, there seems to be no attachments including no "shuttle" bobbins which this machine apparently uses. Another hmmmmmm.

I doubt I will ever use it as I rarely use my Featherweight or my computerized Husqvarna. I have found my Kenmore - aka THE WORKHORSE - to be my best friend, it is always there, does most of what I want, and never argues with me - tension wise.

So far my investigations based on the serial number lead me to suspect this vintage Singer was made in 1936-1938, but I have yet to determine what model number it is.

Speaking of Kenmores, I'm in love .... I have recently joined the ranks of the privileged class and purchased a dishwasher for myself. Woohoo! Granted, it's only a portable (which, by the way means you pay way too much extra for), it takes up way too much space in my dining room, and is ugly, but - and this is the point - it hides the mess while waiting to be filled up and washes the dishes for me - a chore I have become increasingly discontented with. I figure, with this market "downturn" I'll never get a new kitchen, so why wait to get a builtin .... I might as well spend my money as lose it on the market.

Easter Tablescape

TTYL

Last of the Mohicans ... er, well, Last of my Quilt Show!

So, for all my adoring fans out there in cyber land ... above is one of my best and worst buys! It's the best because it cost me exactly $1.00!! and my worst because it is in perhaps the worst shape of all my quilts - it's falling apart and is rather dirty! It literally came off the floor in a junk shop and I just couldn't bear to see people walk all over it so I persuaded the shop owner to sell it to me! It is also my only Log Cabin quilt. It is of a certain age, as they say, and contains Velvets, Worsted Wool and I suspect Gabardine fabrics, hence is quite quite heavy.

To the left is a lovely blue and white Pineapple I got at an auction on Manitoulin Island, and to our right is a SILK (yes, I said Silk) blue and white Delectable Mountain quilt, at least that's what I think is the name of this pattern. These two blue and white quilts live on a small quilt rack in my living room, which is blue and white!
This utility quilt pictured above I got at another junk store and although I don't recall the actual amount - it too was a real bargoon! It's a simple 9 patch and is my favourite quilt as it has a flannel backing. Actually, if you must know I call it my sick quilt since whenever I am sick I like to lie on the couch and wrap myself up in this quilt to keep warm. Isn't that what vintage quilts are for??
And lastly ....... TaDa! On the left are the left-over blocks from this guild cobblestones workshop, and on the right is the final finished product. I suppose I should have waited until show-n-tell night at the guild, but it's been SO long since I finished a full sized quilt I'm just too excited! And yes ladies it's all hand quilted! I used the same fabric for the borders as the backing, and even managed to scrimp the 4 corner blocks out of pre-cut workshop blocks! Way to go! Workshops are really the way to go - if you haven't tried one yet give it a whirl!

TTFN ladies!

Losing my Mind! or How long does it take to Change a Light Bulb?

So, I have the sense that I'm losing my mind. I can't seem to remember where I left it. I had a mini meltdown back in November when my calendaring abilities completely escaped me momentarily, but that's not really when it started. I wish it was but have to admit that this has been creeping up on my slowly but surely. I would also dearly love to lay the blame on my active work and social life, but this too would be deflecting reality.
Recently I read an old Oprah magazine article (2007) entitled The Midlife Memory Meltdown by Cathryn Jakobson, in which she describes several memorable (pardon the pun ...) syndromes of this not so funny affliction.

• first there's the quick - who is she? dsyfunction (haven't I always been this way?)
  
• colliding planets syndrome (aka my calendaring malfuntion fits in here)
  
• then the damn it they were just in my hand afflication, followed by
• what am I doing here? paranoia (aka where the H--- am I?/how do you get there?) and
  
• wrong vessel disorder (where you put your car keys in the frig and your milk in the oven). I have yet to personally experience this last one - phew!

I would respectfully add to this list a re-awakening of a minor dyslexic life challenge of mine which involves switching letters (or numbers) around. ARGGGGGGGG more than just a wee bit irritating!
According to a news article on the BBC website today "Brain decline begins at age 27" (reeeeally, I find these stories serendipitously). So, it's not recent, and it's not just me - I've been going downhill for a long time now and only just began to notice, and, as Oprah's article reassures me, I am not alone!

Moral of the story? For all those out there currently laughing at me or making fun of me for my current (and I hope temporary) inability to read a calendar, a map or remember your name

WATCH OUT - YOUR TIME WILL COME!

But then again, there is the question of how long does it take to change a light bulb? In my case it took 2 HOURS! Yes, I said 2 hours, 'cause the #^&*%@ thing was not just a "push in/pull out" kinda bulb like the hardware store guy said, but a stuck in the new light fixture kinda bulb! So, while standing on the stove, with arms over my head (not a comfy position for someone still dealing with Frozen Shoulder syndrome) I coaxed the bloody thing out of the light fixture with the aid of some needle nosed pliers. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Woohoo!

Not bad for an absent minded old lady eh?
FYI - here's my spring tablescape .... hard to see, but there's a Bird on the table and my garland of white stars in now gracing the curtain swag!
TTFN