Luck of the Irish to you ..

Happy St. Patty's day everyone! Just in case you thought I had abandoned this project - au contraire .. but since I hand quilt, including hand stippling, this one took awhile. None-the-less its done. Woohoo! If I were to make it again, and I very much doubt that, I would use darker green squares in the outer corners, and a higher contrast neutral between the inner background and the outer background (yes, they are different fabrics)
So, what else is on the agenda? Well, still grappling with what to make for the upcoming Quilt Ontario Invitational show ... hmmmmm. Have lots of ideas - that's not the problem, indecision is the main problem! It will be smallish, whatever it turns out to be. Wish me luck!
Below are this month's fabric postcards .... more Irish, yes, that's right - I'm GREEN all the way!
TTFN

Purse lessons!

So - guess what I spent my weekend doing :) ? Learning/re-learning life lessons and making purses ... I learned that some people think it appropriate to foist their food choices on others (yuck). I learned that my family issues aren't unique, communication aka respect, or lack thereof, are ubiquitous. And I learned that I definitely CAN'T READ INSTRUCTIONS!
I think my grade 1 teacher correctly identified this life issue of mine and she was correct!Knowing my predisposition to jump right in ... I spent two separate evenings reading the instructions for the Simplicity pattern above. Amazingly enough - that didn't help! I still managed to make three important mistakes - and consequently did three sessions of unsewing.
I also left two important items out, a key ring and the bag bottom, and forgot the "hint" I was given before I started = DO NOT USE
elastics, as instructed. Never mind, I learned, and I did get the project completed and am reasonably happy with the results. Above is the inside black bag over which you can attach either the brown Haida print, or the funky pink & turquoise outer bag. All in all I am happy enough with the results to offer a bag to mother and to plan another bag - or two - for myself! Woohoo!

Have a great week everyone!
TTFN

Plumbing

Well, I finally had to bite the bullet and call in a plumber.... the hot water tap in my upstairs bath changed from a drip to a full stream! Oh No! So, after a week of running up and down 2 flights of stairs to turn the water on/off, and, after 3 1/2 hours with a very chatty plumber I have a new tap (woohoo!) no drip, cut off values upstairs, and the taps in the rest of the house have all been repaired. This should keep us going for a while. I chose a "high" faucet so Iris (the cat) can sit in the sink and drink to her hearts content without having to be a contortionist.
So, what's new in the quilting side of my life? Well, I'm currently working on a three leaf clover door hanging for St. Patrick's day. It starts with 3 basic 9 patches, and I am proud to say all came from my stash! When it came to the backing I have to admit I was at a loss, so made a quick trip to the local fabric store where they had a lovely clover patterned fabric - ta da!!
Hoping to have this one done for early March - wish me luck!

Tea Anyone?

Whilst moving the jam cupboard into the dining area last week I rediscovered a number of tea cups. Lovely as they are .... when will I ever use them? Some have wee cracks and some are just showing their age - who isn't? - and stained - again, who isn't? So, I have pulled them from the cupboard and moved them up to the sewing room. Why you ask? My plan is to make more teacup pin cushions ..... maybe to sell at the "Toonie Table" at our next guild show. Hmmm, that gives me a year and a half, I think I can make that deadline!

What else has been happening? Well, I did manage to make the lining for my new dining room drapes, and I was good to myself and denied two requests on my time - sorry ladies.
TTFN,

Upset and Discord ...

I moved some furniture on the weekend. Nothing much, just one jam cupboard, but that involved moving the litter box - now in the basement!. The furry ones have let me know their disapproval. Simone has been whinny ever since, and Iris decided to hide! Here she is in the wicker basket which sits under my sewing table and is supposed to hold fabric, but right now holds the dear one. Cute ain't she? I was sewing on the final border before the binding on my BOM at the time of this sighting!
What else am I working on???
Well, I have resurrected a whole cloth wall hanging that I started oh
about a year - maybe two years ago! I got the "kit" many years ago at the other guild's yearly auction. I thought it would be fun to make just one in my lifetime. It is pre-stamped and the markings are supposed to wash out when I've completed the stitching. Unfortunately the cotton used is extra fine and stitching it is real hard going (probably why I stopped working on it before). None-the-less I am tenacious and will finish it - eventually!
Wish me luck!

I've been Tagged!

I've been tagged !!! Oh no - what the heck does that mean .... what on earth do I have to do ? Ok, deep breath, relax, calm down, I can manage this one ... What is it all about? Well, to copy my tagger "its purpose is to spread the word about smaller blogs", so, here's the rules:

1) Tell your readers who tagged you ...Regan
2) Add a link to their blog ... from Floating on a Quilted Cloud

3) Award 3-5 bloggers who you think deserve this award.

• Barbara Cheesman @ Embroidery Overlaps because of her wonderful free form embroidery
• Joanna from Things Handmade because I LOVE anything with lettering and love how she recycles things and incorporates them into her embroidery
• Cynthia @ Kyrotime because she's a guild mate and her blog is real new! :)
  

Inform them and post directions to your blogspot. Please don't tag people who already have 300 followers. The goal of this award is to get more publicity to blogs that are good, but not so well known.

What else have I been up to? Well, I've been making black velvet book worms (filled with rice) for the library!
That's all for now ....

Snowy Sunday

So if you're wondering what I'm up to .... I'm hand quilting a Baptist Fan pattern on the outer borders of my Tisket-Tasket BOM. I've always wanted to quilt the Baptist Fan pattern and now I am! Only problem is it looks so good it's making my outline quilting of the blocks look pretty puny. Oh No! I may have to do some hand stippling - or maybe try my hand (pardon the pun) at McTavishing! I just borrowed a book on that from the guild library!
It's cold outside and the snow is blowing a wee bit so I have decided to spend another Sunday in the kitchen. Not a bad idea and quite productive!I started the morning by getting a beef stew together in the crockpot ... so that should make a good dinner. Next I made a batch of banana walnut muffins for next week's coffee breaks. Now, what to make for lunches next week? Hmmmmmm.

On Dec. 23rd my favourite aunt had a surprise 80th birthday party . The mater and I decided we would attend, so bundled up and drove
the scary 402 (it was closed for three days the week before due to snow...) The day turned out lovely, nice to see lots of the family for a HAPPY celebration. Unfortunately the first week of the new year was another trip back, this time for an aunt's funeral. It was expected but still sad. Here's hoping family "stuff" is all over and I can get on with creating.
I'm still indecisive as to what to produce for the Quilt Canada Invitational show. I must admit I'm rather intimidated, but as the show coordinator feel somewhat obligated to submit something! Have lots of ideas, that's not the problem ... decision and execution is the issue. Wish me luck!
TTFN,

Happy New Quilting Year!

I don't know about you but I'm always invigorated at the start of a new year or a new project. A couple of years ago I discovered the sweetest book ever - with a beautiful white Persian cat. Well of course it took my fancy and I had to have it. I now use it to hold my list of UFOs, WIPs, and Wanttabes as well as clippings of fabulous quilts other have done which I find inspiring. So, now that it's the new year I really must sit down, look through my binder and determine this year's projects! I see I did manage to complete one wannabe items from last year - TaDa!!!! I actually finished the sewing room cross stitch! I think someone gave me this as a giftee (can't quite remember), none-the-less it cried out to me. I started it early last January and finished it before the new year this year! Woohoo! Now I really need to decide if I will frame it or not, and if I do where on earth will I hang it?
What else did I do on my two (2) weeks vacation? I finally, yes finally made myself a rotary cutter carrying case! I used up scrap strips from the last baby quilt, - Robyn Pandolph's Canadian Cottage fabrics. I even managed to insert a magnetic closure! Well, I still had some leftovers ... so waste not want not ... I made a matching thimble holder and a needle case. Take note - the wee scissors have a scissor charm and the thimble holder has a thimble charm - how clever of me - don't ya think?
So how about this new year? Well, once again I promise myself to NOT BUY FABRIC (insert uproarious laughter here) - except that gift certificate I got for Christmas ....
If I enter the guild president's challenge this year I promise myself to NOT COME IN THIRD (to the person out there who doesn't "get it" that's called having a competitive spirit and wanting to better yourself - not complaining! - You know who you are...)
Anyhoooo that's all for me so far this new year! My Tisket-a-Tasket is on the frame, so you'll be seeing it soon. My other resolutions this year is to NOT take any commissions, to have fun at the CQA Quilt Ontario 2011 conference and to NOT STRESS OUT!
TTFN

I survived Christmas!

Yes folks - it's true .... I have survived another holiday season - how about you ? The first week has been a blur, with finishing up all my "projects", gift shopping, house cleaning and other chores the time has flown by! Here's hoping next week is more relaxed as I need some down time!!! Above is the final Tiskit a Tasket BOM. Yup ! I finished it in one year! I MET THE CHALLENGE - WooHoo! I don't think the other two ladies in my challenge group accomplished it, as a matter of fact I think they quietly dropped out of the challenge - party poopers!
I am so proud of myself, even with totally inadequate
finishing instructions I managed THE FIRST TIME
to get all the blocks together in the correct order and with the seams going in the correct direction! A first for me!!! I originally chose a blue with red somethings as the cornerstone blocks. They looked good together on my cutting board, but after I got them all together and on the design wall the blue was too strong. So, a quick trip to the local fabric store and I was able to find a suitable replacement which I think works better. And, since it was on sale for $3 a meter (yahoo!) I purchased enough for it to be the backing!
Who knows, you may just see this one done real soon! As always I have made the requisite resolution to NOT BUY ANY MORE FABRIC (insert uproarious laughter here). Ok, I do have that gift certificate from the sister to one of our local quilt fabric stores .... but after that !
Anyway, I think I have enough on my plate for the new year. I have an oriental panel to quilt for the mater, something I should make for Quilt Ontario 2011's invitational show (as yet undecided, but I have a few ideas), a quilt display at the library to arrange, and the invitational show to manage! By the end of May I will be ready for a grand vacation!

Happy New Year Everyone
and happy quilting!

A Window with a View ...

This is currently the view from my sewing room window. That's snow hanging over the eaves! Makes ya feel in the mood for the holidays - so, having found an old cross stitch I'd forgotten about I decided to make a wee door hanging for the mater's apt. door. I cropped it down a wee bit with the pinking shears, found some red Christmasy fabric for the borders and used some leftover blue binding I had made about 10 years ago. (I'm glad now that I kept that binding all these years). Overall I'm rather pleased with the results ... Just the right size, feels wintery and snowy and Christmasy to me - what do you think? TTFN

Snow, Snow and more snow!

So we are now into our third snow day .... and I have to admit. besides the D$#^@ shoveling I'm not actually hating it - feels almost like an early holiday ;) I have managed to take care of lots of wee niggling chores which I had fallen behind on, and this is good since it's the busy season. Have missed a lunch, two dinners and our Christmas theatre outing ... but most have just been postponed, so nothing tragic yet. Spent another 2 hours digging the car out - again! The snow drifts were up to the door handles! Yikes!
Then again, I can honestly say I haven't missed the library ... just last week there were two dramatic news stories involving libraries. The first was about two students at Queens University who fell through a skylight. One was killed and the other injured seriously. That happened at my library a few years back but the young person did not die - I believe he was injured for life though! The other news story was of a man who was killed by a crossbow - yes a crossbow - while sitting reading in the main branch of the public library in TO. Yes, I said a crossbow! Who said working in a library was a safe job!!!
TTFN

T'is the Season

T'is the season - the pater dropped by with my yearly Poinsettia. This year I inserted it into my glass globe which I've been keeping on my table. Last year I filled the globe with large pine cones and a read and gold ribbon. I like this year's version. Thank's Dad!
Finished off the Holsteins so got busy and made up
two place mats. The mater purchased machine lace panels with a variety of holiday themes. When she downsized her home I "inherited" the panels. Last year I made the mater a door hanging. I used plain red behind the panels and scrap Christmas fabric on either side. I used another Christmas scrap for the backing and more for the bindings. My quilt guild donates these place mats to Meals on Wheels to add to the Christmas dinners! I have two panels left, wonder what else I can do with them - any ideas or suggestions?
Even my indoor plants think it's the season ... my "Christmas" Cactus has decided to blossom. No ... I can't take any of the credit, actually, neglect seems to be what this plant likes - and I think it worked again this year!
Well, it may be the season but I have to admit I HATE the SNOW! It has snowed here for hours, and I've shovelled twice already! Phew! Supposed to snow again tomorrow - all day. Oh NO! Wish me luck!
TTFN