Just messing around

I've just been messing around with some "deep stash" bits and pieces this weekend, making some Mug Mats!  They are all quilted now, and I'm ready to stitch the binding on the backs of the dark ones.  The three cat mats are 'reversible'.  Each one is 6" x 8.5".

Itty Bitty is coming home for the holidays today.  He facebooked me to let me know he'd be here in time for dinner.  :)

I warned Itty Bitty that I was gonna blog this...

So, I was invited to go to a wedding today - that, incidentally,  was so special it was featured on the local 6 o'clock news tonight!

Hubby wasn't able to take a day off work, so I invited Itty Bitty to be my date.  He's in the middle of exams currently, but he was happy to put on his party shoes and go with me. I let him drive.

As we are leaving the wedding...

HE: So how the heck do I get out of here?
ME: Same way you got here.
HE: Kicking, screaming, and covered with someone else's blood?

I was tagged!

I was tagged! by Colleen at Colleen Quilts Too!

Let's see if I can get the rules right...

• every tagged person has to tell 11 things about themselves
• the person who tagged you asked 11 questions over at their blog.  Answer these questions in your post
• ask 11 questions of the people you tag (any quilting blogger with under 200 followers)
• mention the person who tagged you (but for goodness sake, don't tag them back!

Okay....so I'll break the first rule by answering Colleen's questions first (just to get warmed up)

1. How did you discover quilting?    I started quilting as a little girl.  My Nanna taught me just about every kind of needlework - to knit, crochet, embroidery (she called it 'fancy work') and sewing.  Quilting was done in the old fashioned way, with templates cut from cereal boxes, and pencilled quilting lines.  In my early 20s, I discovered Eleanor Burns, and the joy of rotary cutters and chain piecing - ah, how sweet it is!
2. Have you taken formal quilting classes?  If yes, what did you like about them, and what did you not like?       I did take a class in 1990, taught by an elderly Dutch lady, and still using all the old fashioned techniques.  I hated it.  I haven't taken any other classes, although I've taken part in a couple of workshops.
3. Has the fact that you blog inspired you to quilt more?  Or has it eaten into the time you have available to quilt?     Nope, I think I am inspired to blog more because I quilt.  I recently took off a year when I barely blogged, and didn't sew a stitch.
4. Tell me the truth - are you just a teeny bit jealous of those bloggers that seem to have a quilt completed every week? (Or are you one of those quilters, in which case, I'm a whole lot jealous!)     Jealous?  Well, not really.  I would like to send all of my flimsies to them to quilt, and we could split 'em 50-50!
5. What is your favourite part of quilting - cutting, piecing, quilting the quilt, handwork (appliqué or binding) or something else?     I like piecing - except when I have to struggle with stitching up long rows of blocks. 
6. Is there a quilting technique that you would like to try, but haven't?  Why not?     I can't think of anything, but maybe my scope is narrow.  I think I've tried everything at least once!
7. Is there something that you like to watch or listen to while you quilt?     I listen to CBC radio.  Saturdays are the best!  I also stitch along with Bonnie Hunter's Quilt Cam when I get the chance.
8. Do you quilt regularly - or in spurts?     Spurts -- but the spurts could last for a couple of years at a time
9. Are you working on a Christmas gift right now? If so, what?     Nope.  I don't 'do' Christmas.  
10. What are your other hobbies?     I like reading, particularly anything historical.  My guilty pleasure is Regency romance.
11. What tempts you more - chocolate or chips?     Chocolate, especially if it's wrapped about some peanut butter!

Okay....11 things about me

1.  I really like my handwriting, and secretly enjoy being complimented on it.  I am pretty picky about the pens I write with though, preferring a 0.7 Sarasa gel pen - black only.

2. My favourite food is cereal - Raisin Bran, Shreddies, Corn Flakes, and Rice Krispies.  If I could have a bowl of cereal three times a day, I'd be a happy girl - in fact, I cooked myself some oatmeal for supper last night!

3. I'm an empty nester, and enjoying all the positives of that (half the laundry, supper time could be anywhere from 4:30 pm to 9 o'clock, etc).  But I do think about my kids a lot, and miss them.

4.  I wish I had more time (and money!) to travel.  My last BIG trip was out to Halifax last year to visit my Sailor Boy.  There's lots of places and things I'd like to see and do. I think my favourite trip was with Hubby when we went to Pennsylvania.

5.  I drive an orange Dodge Calibre.  When I bought it two years ago, I thought I was being pretty original by choosing orange....now I see orange vehicles everywhere.  I think I'd like my next vehicle to be a pick up truck.

6. My favourite movie is "The Quiet Man". The fight scene?  CLASSIC!!!  (dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum, deedle-deedle dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum, deedle-deedle)

7.  I swear.  A lot.  I have a filthy mouth.  I'm offensive.

8. I hate fancy flavoured teas.  I only want plain old ordinary orange pekoe.  However, a chai latte is a nice treat from time to time.  I don't consider that tea though.

9.  If I had a super power,  I would want to be able to wake up early every morning with perfect hair.  I'd never have to shampoo, colour, style - - I'd just get up and BAM!  I can handle the rest of my life fairly well without super powers.

10.  I don't believe in astrology, but that doesn't stop me from reading my horoscope every day.  What the heck is that about?

11.  As soon as I get home from work, I put on my pjs.  I wish I could wear pjs to work.  And no shoes.

So, here's who I am tagging:

1. Rosa at Rosa's World  
2. Paulette at Sweet P Quilting and Creations
3. Jacqui at Treadle Quilts
4. Shirley at Stitcherydoo
5. Gail at The Cozy Quilter

Now, I guess I have to come up with 11 questions. Hmmmm.....

1.  Remember the first quilt you made? What was it like?

2.  Do you belong to a guild? Why or why not?

3.  What's your favourite quilt store?  Post a link!

4.  Everyone has a list of "one day I'd like to make" quilts; what on the top of your list?

5.  What is the number one tip that you wish you had known when you first started quilting?

6.  Of all the 'famous' quilters, quilt authors, fabric designers, quilt bloggers, who would you say is your ultimate favourite?

      Finish these sentences- - 

7.  The oldest UFO I have is _______

8.  I get inspired by _______

9.  I get my best quilting done when ________

10.  My stash is _______

11.  The first blog I check nearly every day is _______

Well, heck!  That was easier than I thought!

Centennial

This week's Grandmother's Choice block Centennial went together pretty smoothly.  I'm learning not to be so anxious to press every seam.  I've noticed that seams "nest" together much better if I don't press them first, so my points are becoming more precise.  I'm pretty happy about that!

Quixotic Furoshiki

I get so excited about the smallest things.  I attended a lecture at the local psychiatric hospital today with my MSW student (who gets the great pleasure of learning from my legendary insight, wisdom and experience for two semesters!) over the noon hour today.  The speaker is a psychiatrist and researcher from the U of T, and the topic was new objectives in the treatment of major depressive disorder.  It was really interesting, and I had a lot to think about and talk about after I left.  But the most exciting thing?

I heard a real person say the word "quixotic"!!!!  Of course I recognize the word, have read the word in many books, know what it means, and even know its etymology - - but I don't remember ever hearing it spoken aloud!  I intend to use it at least weekly from here on out.

I received the January 2013 issue of "Canadian Living" yesterday, and flipping through it, took note of a fun project that uses quilting fabrics: furoshiki

"Originating from Japanese culture where it promotes caring for the environment and reducing waste' Furoshiki is the eco-friendly wrapping cloth.  Using techniques similar to origami, it can be used for gift wrapping, grocery shopping or simply as décor.  Why furoshiki?  It is reusable and multi-purpose.  Its versatility allows you to wrap almost anything regardless of its shape or size."

http://furoshiki.com

Scrappy Progress

Each little block is 4 1/2", and I haven't yet got enough done to really mix up the colours, but this gives you an idea of what I'm working on now.

Pretty nice weekend - we enjoyed breakfast this morning with Hubby's brother and SIL, groceries, laundry, and a nap.

Yesterday we just vegged - picked up some books at the library, watched TV.  We were supposed to go to Brantford to see Itty Bitty perform with his new band last night, but it was really foggy, so we'll have to catch the next show.

Bride's Knot & Aunt Lizzie's Scrap Bag

Now that I've finished piecing together "Cranberry Garland", I've started work on another scrappy quilt that I kitted up a number of years ago called "Aunt Lizzie's Scrap Bag".  It's been fun seeing old fabrics that I haven't seen for a long time.  I stitched along with Bonnie Hunter's QuiltCam last night and made some progress.

This morning, I was up at the crack of dawn, and pieced together this week's Grandmother's Choice block called Bride's Knot.