Adventures

Hubby and I have been spending Saturdays just having adventures.  Here's a few photos from our trip a couple of weeks ago.

Being morning people, we were out the door bright and early, and headed to Orangeville, where we selected some fresh produce at the farmer's market and did a little window shopping.  After that, we did some driving through the country roads around Hockley Valley, and the Forks of the Credit.  

Next stop was for lunch at Spirit Tree Cidery in Caledon.  On Saturdays they offer pizza with gourmet toppings baked in their wood fired oven.

And of course....any trip to a cidery warrants the testing a few of their brews.  We each sampled a "short flight" of pear cider, applelager, and draught cider (and brought home a few bottles for enjoying later) on their deck.

Due to some road construction, we had to do a little variance to our route, and passed by the Cheltenham Badlands.  I've never seen anything quite like it!

I'll post photos from our next Saturday adventures soon!

Over six years later...

I haven't paid much attention to my blog this year, which meant that there were dozens and dozens of unpublished comments just sitting in Blogger limbo.  I took a couple of minutes tonight to sort out the spam from the real comments, and I'm just so amazed that even six years after I published the tutorial for the Seven-Shirts quilt, it continues to generate about 12000 hits monthly, and I still receive such nice comments and emails.

When I look at the quilt now, I would have arranged the light squares in the nine-patches so that the matching pairs would have been opposite one another.  I wonder if this would give the top a more 'woven' look?

The photo above is from a a few years back when I went to a ladies get-away at a cottage near Port Lambton.  I've been invited to go back twice a year since, but haven't made the trip.  Today I looked at my course outlines, and my work calendar, and there didn't seem to be anything too pressing, so I've decided to book the week before Thanksgiving off, and just go.  

Today I took a bit of a break from reading text books and academic articles for school to start a couple of chapters of The Happiness Project.  I don't think I have the level of commitment that the author seems to have had, but it's still a quite pleasant read. 

One down....nine to go

I'm talking about courses to complete my Masters Degree.

I finished course #1 on Saturday - guess what I got?

I haven't done ANYTHING remotely crafty in months - - unless you count sewing a button on Hubby's shorts, and I don't!  To be honest - I just haven't felt like it.  Recently, however, I've been starting to take longer looks at quilty photos in my Facebook newsfeed, and sneaking Pinterest breaks from time to time.  Perhaps the crafty fast is coming to an end?

Guess where I am?

Yep - I'm at school.  Remember all the angst I went through from 2008 - 2011 doing my undergrad degree?  Well....I suspect the brain remembers university sort of the same way it remembers labour & delivery.... it wasn't THAT bad, and it was worth all the pain in the end.  So, I've enrolled in the Master of Social Work program - Leadership in the Human Service specialization - at the University of Calgary. So, while most of the program is online, I do have to actually travel to Calgary (a 4 hour/$500 plane trip across country) for a week twice over the next two years.  

I flew in on Sunday night....well, actually Monday morning - my flight was delayed by four hours due to electrical storms that effectively shut down the airport in Calgary on Sunday morning, and backed up the skies for the rest of the day.  I didn't get to bed until 3:30 in the morning - and had to be in class for 9am. But...if that's the worst thing that happens to me this week....I'm good with that!

I've been in classes all day for two days - with articles to read and assignments to complete each night.  It's been tough - especially having crossed a couple of time zones.  Being a early morning riser, and barely making it to sunset before I'm tucked in at night...it's particularly challenging.  I keep looking at the clock and wishing it was telling me that it was much later than 8:15 mountain time.

A little thrifting

Not much quilting going on here - - I've been binge watching Downton Abbey this week.

Hubby and I went out to run a few errands, pick up a few groceries....and as long as we were on the road...a little thrifting.

I found this colouring book, and was anxious to learn more about the artist, and the purpose of the book.  As a social worker, I don't--as a rule--do any clinical work, but for a $1 I may find some use for it in my practice.  

Anyway, I learned that this colouring book was created to raise funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign, to support African women who have lost their own children to the AIDS epidemic and are raising their grandchildren under very difficult circumstances.

I also found this turquoise beaded necklace for $4 -- I have a serious case of like for it.  Hubby doesn't like this photo.  He thinks I look oooooold.  I think he has some sort of filter in his eyes that still sees me as 27.  I'm going to be 46 in less than two weeks.  Heck!  That's almost FIFTY!!!!  He's nuts.  I don't look old.  I look just the right age.

Another Pinterest pin - - NAILED! (but not in a good way)

Ah...the best laid plans...etc., etc.

Being a new-comer to the K-W area, I depend on the GPS on my phone to get me EVERYWHERE.  (I suspect the most seasoned native armed with a map and a compass would be unable to navigate themselves across this town - - but I'm naturally suspicious).  I saw this pin on Pinterest from "Positively Splendid" and thought, "AHA!  THIS is exactly what I need to attach to my dashboard to hold my phone when I'm wheeling around."

(photo from positivelysplendid.com)

AAAAAND here's the nighmare I made:

I had a number of problems with the construction of this THING.  First of all, the pattern calls for a layer of Peltex AND a layer of fusible fleece.  Not a problem, I happen to have both of these substances.  I should have stopped at this tell-tale instruction: "Note: The photos below do not show the fusible fleece backing on the back main body piece, since that was a later addition to the pattern." I can confidently say that the pattern was NOT tested after making additions to the pattern instructions.  Here is my evidence:

1.Trying to turn this thing inside-out was akin to pulling teeth.  Most of the seam on the top curve is hand sewn, because I had to keep ripping out more and more stitches to turn the piece.  Have you ever tried handsewing a curved edge that has fused fleece on one side and Peltex on the other?  Don't.

2.The material was too thick to close the grommet.  I had to cut the stitching out around the hole, and dig out some of the peltex and fleece.

3. The vaguely box shaped pleat at the bottom - too thick to be functional (i.e. no extra space was created within the pocket.

Okay...so the thing is done.  I can make use of it, right?

Nope - I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (a great phone!) - it's dimensions are: 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm (5.95 x 3.12 x 0.33 in).  In short?  It doesn't fit.

Back to the drawing board...

"Can I Ask You a Favour?" (the most dreaded words for a crafter to hear....)

I traveled to my hometown today to celebrate my grandmother's 98th birthday.  While I was there, I received a text message from a friend.  I was shaking in my boots when I read: "Can I ask you a favour?"

I'll spare you the negotiations - - but what it boiled down to, was I agreed to stitch together 20 knitted blocks that were donated to a group she works with that cares for abandoned cats and dogs.  She was feeling pretty sure that  the blocks could but put together to make a nice blanket that they could auction off to raise funds for the group.

The reality of it?  I have ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE of the weirdest creations ever knitted.

The casting on and casting off techniques are completely unique to me - - I can't say I've ever seen anything quite like them.  

And there are at least two full cats of fur knit into these...uh....trapezoids. The cast-on edge is about 20" - - the cast-off edge is 14".  The are slightly "C" shaped, and about 9" wide.  The donor intended them to be used as bedding in the cages for the homeless kitties.

WHAT am I supposed to do with these?  They aren't suitable for anything except bedding for cats.