Happy New Year!

Ahhh....one last day of holidays to relax before heading back to work tomorrow.

I took some time this morning to get the bindings of these two quilts - - both of them are Bonnie Hunter designs -- stitched to the front.  I believe I'll spend the rest of the day with my feet up hand sewing the bindings to the back.

Jamestown Landing and Celtic Solstice

This week has been particularly busy, as we traveled to Newfoundland to ring in the New Year and celebrate the wedding of our oldest son.  Sailor Boy lives in Halifax, but his new wife was born and raised on The Rock. 

Itty Bitty and Sailor Boy

The wedding was held indoors, of course, but a lot of the photos were taken outside, with the added bonus of "natural confetti" falling from the sky.

This was our first visit to Newfoundland. We met some of the warmest, kindest people while we were there - - although we could have used an interpreter to understand that Newfie accent!

....and moving along....

I can make any number of excuses about why I've been such a bad blogger these last few months....but talk about BORING!!!

Let's move on to more exciting topics:

1. I haven't sewn much over the past six months.  I recently have started flogging this old horse - Jamestown Landing from Bonnie Hunter's "String Fling" book.  Let 's do a little math.  The overall quilt centre (minus the borders) are made up of 21 x 18 little 4x4 blocks, each with approximately 8 pieces in them - roughly 3000 pieces.  Wow.

2.  I've applied to two universities to pursue a master's degree in Social Work.  I won't know for awhile yet if I've been selected.  Fingers are crossed.

3.  I bought a new memory foam bath mat - - the cat will not step on it.  It freaks him out.  I can now confirm--without any reservations--that THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG with my cat.

4.  Itty Bitty has just completed the first semester of his fourth year of undergrad.  Thirteen more weeks until he completes his degree.  This has been the shortest four years of my entire life.  He is also applying to grad school to complete a Master's degree in social work - different universities though.

This past semester he spent Fridays with me at my office doing an elective practicum.  It's been so much fun. Okay, not fun exactly. He has heard some truly horrific stories, and seen some hair-curling, run-screaming-into-the-street sorts of sights - - but certainly has the professional, non-judgmental, this-is-so-completely-normal, social-worky approach down SOLID. Besides, he's also really good at lifting heavy objects, mind-numbing clerical/administrative tasks, and run-down-to-the-courthouse-to-get-me-documents-and-while-you're-out-bring-back-coffee sorts of jobs.

5.  I've been reading quite a lot.  I also went to my first ever book club meeting to discuss "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion.  I want to recommend this book to everyone I meet.  I understand it is going to be a movie - - and the movie just will NOT be as good.

In the past 24 hours, I completely consumed "This Won't Hurt a Bit" by Michelle Au - very readable.

Lastly, I've been working through the "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon again.  I started to read them when they were initially published back in the 90's - but since watching the TV series in the summ...wait...WHAT?!?!? You haven't watched the TV SERIES?!?!?!?  Wow.  Go do that.
Anyway - the books have been re-released to coincide with the  television series premier in August and I have been yummying them up:

  

I'm ready for book #4 - and my sister-in-law has given me #5 & 6.  Why is the bookstore so far away????

Anxiety Level: Warp Factor 8

It's a bittersweet time

This past week I've been saying good-bye to my long(ish) term clients.  Lots of hugs - a few tears - a couple of laughs - - I have this one guy, incredibly ill with bipolar that I've been working with fairly frequently in the last two years or so - - he came in Friday and we reminisced about all the good times we have had when he was manic.  A mom and son that I've seen from time to time to work on different issues dropped in the same day and brought me a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates.  The mom speaks almost no English at all, but told me "I love you".  I was so touched, because I recognize that this gift represents a big chunk of their income once the rent is paid - getting misty typing this story.  A woman that I've seen a half dozen times in the past six months stopped by the office and told our receptionist to tell me that she wished she could move to Waterloo so she could still work with me.  Ahh social work process - termination phase is an emotional roller coaster for everyone!

We were approved for the house we REALLY wanted to rent - I'm getting excited about settling into our new 'home'.  
We went to a town-wide yard sale in Mannheim yesterday, and I made a couple of purchases to feather our nest.  I've been on the look out for a headboard for Itty Bitty's bed for about five years, and finally found one yesterday for $5!  Nothing quilty - unless you count this jar that I am going to fill with buttons:

It's a Longaberger Blue Ribbon quart sealer.  I thought it might have a little bit of value, but I must say I'm shocked at the prices I saw on eBay for them.  I have a scrap of fabric printed with vintage pearl buttons on it that I will cover the lid with.

Okay - so some stash-talk.  I went to Quilter's Nine Patch in Elmira last weekend, and purchased some $5 bags of scraps.  I had a blast tearing them apart, and chopping them up, and piecing them together!  Here's one example of the contents of a bag that I brought home.

This month's Annie's Creative Quilters Fabric Club.  Yup - I'm cancelling my membership.  I haven't made anything with the fabric I've received - - it's just going in my swelling stash.

Itty Bitty has a "thing" for Batman.  I couldn't resist these two fat quarters that I picked up at Greenwood Quiltery.

On to what I've been sewing! From the bags of scraps I got a lot of Civil War reproduction scraps.  I pieced 59 nine-patches (finishing at 3") - I'm quickly filling my jar!  I now have 170 blocks.

 I am still making split nine-patches (finishing at 6 inches).  I think I have 91 blocks now.

Okay - so I couldn't NOT cut into the orange/pink/grey prints that I showed above.  I had this pillow pinned on one of my pinterest boards:

I can't say I "nailed it" - - there isn't enough contrast in the fabrics I have used, but I think if I quilt around the perimeters of each cross, it might highlight the pattern a bit.

Sunday is all about 'Slow Stitching' - I used up the smallest sock monkey scraps that remained from the bag of scraps I bought (yes, another $5 bag from Quilter's Nine Patch) to make a mug rug for a young lady at work.  I need to stitch down the binding.  I added some ric-rac as a "flange".  It didn't turn out as cute as I thought it would.  Oh well!  

I have two more blocks ready to go for "Love Blooms Here" - the series from Quiltmaker magazine.  I'll probably work on hand appliqueing tonight in front of the TV.  

Making Some Celtic Solstice Progress

I've been a busy girl!  Too busy to do any sewing this week.

Tuesday night, I gave a lecture to the Royal City Quilters' Guild.  I was proud to have been asked, and I tried my best to be interesting.  I think it went just fine!

I haven't mentioned this earlier - - but I'm having surgery on Tuesday morning.  I'll be taking four weeks off work for recovery, so I've been working my buns off to tie up any loose ends, close as many files as possible, meet any deadlines, and train a temporary replacement.  I'm beat!  I hope my temp replacement will work as hard as I did and leave me a clean desk when I get back.

So, this weekend will be about getting some housework done (I sure won't feel like it come Tuesday!) laundry caught up, and this week's Celtic Solstice Clue.  At least it's not too challenging, and I should be able to finish it in one sitting.  Last week's clue is still on the table!  But I've got about half the blocks done.

Itty Bitty was home for a couple of nights this week - but he's gone back to school.  He has one more exam to write on Wednesday, and then he'll be home for the holiday break.  He can look after his mummy! Keep me hydrated and medicated, and roll me over every once in a while so I don't choke on my own drool. It was nice to have him even for a couple of nights.  He's a big help to us.

What Does a Cat Have to Do to Get Into a Picture....for crying out loud...

Itty Bitty is home for the long (Canadian) Thanksgiving Weekend.  We dropped Hubby off at work bright and early this morning, and I forced him to drive me to all of the thrift stores in town, looking for some quilting goodness.  I bribed him with a stop at Tim Horton's for a Pumpkin Spice Muffin and tea.

I bought some quilting magazines, Amy Butler's book "In Stitches", a zipper, and a bag of scraps - all for less than one new magazine on the news stand!

Whose bum is that sneaking in on the perimeter?

Well look who's here?  It's Gibby!  Look at all 

the good stuff I found at the thrift stores!

Whatever...just scratch my chin - wouldya?

Some Sunday Stash and Slow Sunday Stitching

Okay - there was some serious stash enhancement this week.  After all - there was a big sale on at The Greenwood Quiltery. I snuck in there on Tuesday, looking for a little linen, and left with a rather large bag.  But, I also found a great thrifty find on Friday!

I needed pink and green thread for my B.L,D towels, so my plan was to check a couple of thrift stores which are on the way to the Lens Mills store, and see if I could score some cheap thread. I had a coupon for 30% off thread that I printed from the Lens Mills website, so I was willing to go with "new" thread, but because I only needed a little, well....you know how cheap I am.

First stop was St. Vincent de Paul store.  Some quilter has made a significant donation here, because I've been scoring quilty stuff every time I visit.  This time was a brand new table runner kit.

 Linking to Dreaming in Patchwork

You can see that the Copyright on the fabrics is 2013 - and all six of the fabrics are from a collection called "Neutral Love" from ConnectingThreads.com.  The kit is not on the website (I had to know what the retail price is!) but I still think I got a great deal for $5.

But no thread.  So next stop was the BFM, where I did find two sandwich baggies full of threads - pink AND green - and a 1/2 yard of a white on cream print - a neutral always finds a home in my stash, and a couple of hard cover quilting books. 

I was up at the crack of dawn this morning and immediately sat down with my morning coffee and some Slow Sunday Stitching.  I stitched the centre appliques in this Dear Jane block:

Linking to Kathy's Quilts

The stars are appliqued as two separate pieces.  Thank goodness for "That Quilt" or I'd never figure out how to have made this block.

Yesterday was a good Dear Jane day.  Here are two more blocks I finished:

I'm very happy with how Starburst came out. The points are as perfect as I am likely to ever get!

....which sort of makes up for Papa's Star.  I was dreading this block (likely why I left it to almost the very end)! At least two if not three of the star points are going to get snipped off when I add the sashing.  But it's good enough for me.

No big plans for Fathers Day here - we walked down to a neighbourhood restaurant this morning and treated Hubby to brunch.  Now we are ready for a nap. 

I did warn Itty Bitty that he was helping me baste a quilt today.  I've accomplished all of my goals for June (with the exception of the next two BOW's from Grandmother's Choice). So I'm gonna DO it!  I am going to finish a quilt!

I made a thing!

I've had this project, with a great tutorial pinned on my Pinterest board for some time, and been on the look-out for an inexpensive table so I could have one just like it!  

On Saturday, Hubby and I went out to Shedden, ON for "Rosy Rhubarb Days"--an annual event we look forward to--and I announced before we embarked on the village-wide yard sales: "All I'm looking for is a foldy tabley thingy, and a Stevie Wonder CD."  (I have very specific desires).

Well, no CD, but I did find a table for $3.  I had some old polished cotton in my stash, scraps of quilt batting (I bought a chunk at a yard sale the same day for a dime!) and between the three of us - - Hubby, Itty Bitty, and me - - we successfully created a small pressing table!

What Gibby and I Have Been Up to This Morning - a Saturday Morning Sleep-In/Sew-In

This is what Gibby has been up to this morning:

9:00 am

10:00 am

11:00 am

Noon

Yes, he has done nothing but sleep in Itty Bitty's back pack.

What I have been up to this morning:

Dear Jane LS4 Virginia's Kite

Grandmother's Choice: Art Square

Backing for one of the Sampler Pillows

WIP Wednesday

...and every other day that ends in "Y"

I've been working away at the pillows using the cross stitched samplers.  I need to piece another back and then figure out how I want to quilt them.

I've been enjoying my week off - - Itty Bitty took me for a ride to the local quilt store yesterday so I could pick up a bottle of Best Press (mine has gone missing - I wonder what he did with it? hmmm..)  Of course I couldn't leave with just one purchase, so I did a little stash enhancement - it was on sale!  What can I say?  The top print and the three pieces of Kona were all remnants, and three of the FQ's were in the sale bin.  The only fabric I paid full price for was the pink Japanese print of sewing notions.  Itty Bitty made me buy it!

This boy has a death wish...

The war is not over yet...

First there was THIS, then there was THIS....

He's taken it to a whole. notha. level...

His keys.  His wallet.  On my hand quilted pillow top.  I am thinking about turning his bed into a pin cushion.

I pieced this pillow together using scraps from scrap bags I purchased at Quilter's Nine Patch in Elmira.  The front design comes from Sherri McConnell's "A Quilting Life".  It's a great book!  The back is just something I cobbled together.

I treated myself to a package of those Clover Wonder Clips a little while ago, but just opened the package today.  I like them!  


I got them at Michaels - they come in packages of 50 too.  (Get a coupon!)

Dangerous territory....

He did it again...

There have been some ongoing skirmishes regarding Itty Bitty's encroachment of my sewing space.  Just look at THAT!  He's just lucky that I didn't slice his jeans up into 2.5" strips.

I spent the whole day yesterday coughing...and coughing...and coughing.  Colleagues diagnosed me with walking pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and whooping cough.  I was annoyed - particularly at the FABULOUS seminar I attended yesterday on Somatic Experiencing of Trauma.  I am sure everyone seated around me wanted to kill me.

I had a dreadful night - maybe a full four hours total - coughing, and congestion, and aches and pains.  This morning I awoke with laryngitis.  So I'm staying home.  I was supposed to go to Toronto today to attend a work related workshop that I've been looking forward to for two months!!!

So, before I headed back to bed, I decided to do a little sewing.

Hand quilting done on this pillow front:

And pieced together a back with scraps.

I don't have anything left for binding...I'll have to dig deep in the stash to find something suitable.

Mother's Day

Today turned out to be a great early Mother's Day for me. It could have been a couple of degrees warmer, but at least it was dry.

The three of us struck out early this morning for town wide yard sales in Heidelberg.  Just like last week, we were in Mennonite country, but this week, we were SMACK DAB CENTRE of Mennonite Country!  It was interesting parking roadside with horses and wagons front and back!  We had to be careful not to step into 'road apples' as we walked through the neighbourhoods of modern subdivisions.  No remarkable finds this week - - a few goodies though.  Itty Bitty got a bookshelf -- something he's been looking for for a couple of weeks.  I got some quilting books, some embroidery transfers, a few odds and ends.

Then we went to the St. Jacob's Farmers' Market.  All the years we've been regular visitors to St. Jacob's, this was our first visit to the market.  After browsing around, and picking up some fruit and veggies, we headed into St. Jacob's proper, and Itty Bitty treated us to an early Mother's Day lunch at the Stone Crock.  

The men patiently waited while I visited Reichards Quilt Store.  It was busy, and all the fabric was 25% off - - and then I realized it was a Shop Hop!  RATS!  I missed it!  Oh well, I had a bit of a mini-shop hop anyway, because on the way home we stopped at a quilt store in Elmira that I had never visited before: Quilter's Nine Patch.  OH MY!  I'm going to become a regular visitor.  I came out with a bag full of goodies!!!

Tonight I did some quilting, and finished one of my pillows.  I used my walking foot for the first time ever -- had to get out my instruction book to figure it out!  I'm hoping to finish the partner to this one tomorrow!

And here's a photo of the new borders on Virginia Bound. I used my Dear Jane ruler to cut the string blocks.  I feel like I want to do one more border...hmmmmmmm.  Or maybe dark binding will be enough.  Any thoughts?

Itty Bitty is home

All done his second year of university, Itty Bitty has returned home and trying to take over his bedroom my sewing room.  We had a "discussion" the other day about trying to coexist; there were clothes all over the place, my design wall his bed a rumpled mess, random things falling out of the closet.  I felt we had come to a common understanding.

Now this.  A stack of books on my sewing table.

Itty Bitty is a criminology major.  Judging by the book on the top, he is well aware that dangerous psychopaths live among us - - he's just not extrapolating the idea that he could have a dangerous psychopath living WITH him!  He is definitely playing with fire and needs to get his shit off my table.