Sneak peak

What could I be working on? Hmmmm...here's a peak.



I'll tell you why these are actually work when I'm finished...sewing and swearing lol.

Canadian Gail and On Commenters

You didn't have your settings set so I couldn't reply via e-mail. But it is a good topic for a post too so here goes.
For me here in Ontario, it costs about $9 to ship up to 8-10 yards of fabric. I find that it really is worth ordering fabrics from the States. I try to suport my LQS (local quilt shop) when I can, but it really is very expensive in comparison, and to be honest I don't feel very welcome or comfortable there.
Fabrics at LQS run between $13-$17 a meter, rarely decent sales, and Jelly Rolls are about $45 and charm packs run about $4-8 more than the ones in the US. Fabric from the States at full price is more around 7.50-10, and with all the options it is easy to find sales. Jelly rolls normally under $30.On top of these we pay sales tax.
If you order from the US go over a certain amount, and Customs picks up on it, you can end up paying an extra 5-18%.

Especially if you live in rural areas, or don't have a great LQS I think it is worth ordering from one of the big US online quilt shops.

And for all others who have commented, if you have not received a message back from me, especially if you asked a question, and haven't received a message back, check your settings. You could be sending messages from blogger with a no reply email address to protect your privacy. I can't e-mail you back and I'd love to.

Birds and Bees BOM

I got more blocks done for the Birds and Bees BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop. I really love the fabrics. I'm sure I've said it before but Fig Tree Quilts designs the most beautiful fabrics. And for some reason not matter what mood I am in they always seem to fit. This is the Dandelion Girl line.

Here's a close up of the fabrics.

I didn't trim them because I couldn't for the life of me find my 12.5 square ruler and I don't like using the long rulers to trim unless I have to.

I'm still feeling the effects of the wedding on Saturday. I'll say one thing for that side of my family, they really know how to party! It was the most beautiful wedding. Outside, surrounded by hundreds of family.
The groom has two children and the bride took vows to love them after the signing of the registry. It was the sweetest thing.

Lots of stuff

So I lost my camera. Well not lost exactly. More like misplaced. I do this a lot. With everything. I'm always looking wildly for something, and most of the time it is something I have put in a safe/proper etc place. Like my camera. I had put it in my backpack on Canada Day so I could take pictures. I just also happened to completely forget about it.
But like most things, eventually it turns up.

This is a great way to spend a weekend.


Little Bit was so happy about fishing. Her poll has a little yellow fish attached so she always catches something, and it makes a plop noise when she casts so she was in heaven. The only problem? Well she is developed a fear of all bugs. They are all bees or butterflies to her, which she is terrified of. She used to like everything but the butterflies, that's an old phobia for her. So every time a fly, gnat, or other random flying bug got within 2 feet of her she'd start screeching. And man does the child have some lungs.
We were here


and here

On the quilty side of things I have gotten a few blocks done for various projects but only have Lillebet's Garden photographed.


I really like the blues, and the instructions are really well written. My only tiny complaint, and it's the first one in 5 blocks, is the template given to make the skinny triangles wasn't quite right. But not so far off I couldn't fudge it. Which I did. And am pretty good at LOL.

I will attempt to get pics of the other things I'm working on up soon. I am going to a wedding this weekend so will be totally not doing it but maybe Monday...if I've recovered...

Happy Canada Day!

I got this pic in an e-mail, I wish I knew who took it so I could check out their other work.
Spent the day by the river with Little Bit and DH. They fished, I worked on prepping leaves for Lillebet's Garden quilt. Though first we drove out to Ailsa Craig to the Cotton Post, which was having a killer sale. I'd hoped they'd have a blue to go on my Two colour quilt challenge but no luck.
I've been crazy busy lately, I'm really hoping to get back into blogging more regularly.

QST

I finally got the half square triangles turned into quarter square triangles. There are 93 of them. I actually found ironing them to be more boring than sewing them.


Tomorrow I'll dig out my flannel sheet so I can use it as a design wall, and get all the blocks up along with the qsts.

Paper piecing

I finally got around to doing another paper pieced block. They really do take a long time. This shot isn't very good but I really like the block.


I need to find better papers. I think I'm going to have to break down and order more disolvable paper online.

Geography

55

Created by OnePlusYou

Not sure if I did well or not seeing as their are around 190 countries in the world...though part of my problem is I can't spell half the place I thought of.

HST and JK graduation

I've been making half square triangle for the Gather Leaves pattern I started months ago. Lots and Lots of HST. Which I find to be incredibly boring to make.


There are 93. Now I have to sew them into beautiful and equally boring quarter square triangles. As you can see, the pattern is mostly made up of them.
.

Little Bit had her last day of Junior Kindergarten Friday. She still doesn't really get that fact. Since she loved her teacher it's going to be hard to explain she doesn't get to go for the next two months. Hopefully daycare, which she also loves, will be an ok substitution for her. She hasn't slept well this week, getting up early and not falling asleep until late. So Friday around dinner I found her like this. She slept for about 13 hours straight, and then took a 3 hour nap in the afternoon yesterday.
Hopefully it means she'll be in a better mood this week. She is one cranky child when she is tired.

Birds and the Bees BOM

I finished these blocks a few days ago but didn't get around to taking a picture until yesterday.



I'm getting a bit better at the applique. Doesn't look too bad. I guess. Ok, I'm trying to convince myself I'm getting better and I will. I hope.

Two colour challenge Border Fabric

I'm still debating what to do about a border. Everyone, including me, thought the fabric too busy. I found these fabrics online but I can't tell for sure if they would go with my quilt. One of the really poohy things about only having one quilt shop in town is that I end up having to order online, which takes forever, and is always a guess if my screen, their picture etc are showing the true colours. These two are from Moda's Porcelain line. Anyone have/seen it? And do you think it would go well with Windham's China Blue?



The other idea I have is to use this, well try fussing cutting it, so the strip are the border.
There are two problems though with that. One is I am really horrible at fussy cutting, especially a border fabric. The second is I only have a yard, though I could get more without too much a problem, I think Fabric Shack still has some on sale.

Two colour challenge update

So I started today with this

And ended up with this.

Not bad for an afternoon. Funny story about the picture though. I decided sine DH was at work and I don't have a design wall, I'd just through the flimsy on my bed (yes I am about the only quilter without a quilt on her own bed). So I'm walking around the bed smoothing out the top a little when I notice a smell. A bad smell. The I look down. I've been wearing my crocs in the apartment lately because my feet have been hurting some. You don't feel doggy poop in shoes. You do, however, track it absolutly everywhere when you step in it without noticing. So before the picture could be taken I had to clean the carpet. Luckily, we have one of the home steam cleaners so it didn't take more than about 20 minutes, but oh was I pissed. And I can't even know which one of my demon dogs did it. These are the two likely suspects, but neither one if giving it up so I guess I just have to accept that it got me to clean the carpet, which needed to be done anyway.

So do you think it needs a border? If so what kind? Just plain, maybe 3 inches, of this?



Let me know what you think.

Comments

Thanks to all you have left comments on my blog. I just want to let you know how much it means to me. I'd love to respond but a great deal of the comments are from no-reply email. I'd love if you could set your settings so I can e-mail you back! Who knows maybe we could become good cyber friends.

Kind of spooky

According to the oh-so-scientific quiz at
Blogthings

You Are A Hazelnut Tree

You're a charmer with a killer sense of humor. You are very demanding, but you can also be very understanding. No matter what, you always make a lasting impression - you're quite popular. Passionate, you are an active fighter for social causes and politics. In general, you are moody, honest, a perfectionist, and very sexual.

What's Your Celtic Horoscope?

Reason this is spooky is this one actually describes me pretty much perfectly. And it is arrived at by my birth date apparently. The only not exact thing is my sense of humour, it's killer if you like wit, not so much if you find the gross factor to be hilarious.

I'm Alive!

I can't believe it has been so long since I blogged. I got really sick with pneumonia for a while there. But not I am all better and back to sewing! YAY!

I got another of Lillbet's Garden BOMs finished yesterday.



I like the block but these fabrics are getting uglier by the block. I'm really hoping that when it is all put together and quilted I will like it. If nothing else it will be good practice if I ever get around to doing all the applique.


As I look at the picture it is not that the fabrics themselves are ugly, I just find the impact to be jarring, where I had expected from the picture on the website, and the pattern, to be softer. Oh well, I will see when it is all done.


I have made some progress on my Triple Irish Chain for the Two Colour challenge. I have the strip sets done and am hoping to get them cut and finished this week.

I cannot find the disolvable foundation papers anywhere so now I am trying to decide what to use to finish the paper pieced blocks. I'm hoping to surf around later and find some thing.

Two Colour Challenge

I know I promised to decide on my pattern by yesterday but obviously that didn't happen. I am going to try a triple Irish chain.
Here are a few of the blocks. I wouldn't put these specific ones next to each other because I made them using strip piecing so are too similar but at opposite ends of the quilt I don't think it will be too noticeable.



So my cyber friends, do you think the chain will be obvious enough? Or are my blues blending too much into the neutrals? DH think so but I think it might be ok still. My neutrals are not horribly neutral and I wish I had a lot more of them, but I'm trying to stash bust/diet a little right now.

5th paper pieced block

Here is my fifth paper pieced block. The colours are off for some reason. It is the same black etc used in the other blocks but there is a definite blue hue to them in the picture. I am finding when sewing the patches together that the add bulk of the paper, even the really thin disolvable kind, really makes it difficult to put the patches together nicely. And pressing them becomes a nightmare trying not to stretch the fabrics.

I went to Walmart trying to find the papers I preferred and could not find them. I was really bummed about it, and I could not find an associate to help. Which is a constant problem there. Which, among a million other reasons, is why I don't buy fabrics/craft stuff there very often.

I went to the doctor yesterday because I have been coughing like mad since Sunday. Apparently I have bronchitis that is attempting to become pneumonia (which is the weirdest word, not even remotely close to how it sounds and not following any real rules of the English language). So I'm loaded up on antibiotics and was given two inhalers. Luckily, if you can call it that, Little Bit is going to see her biodad for the weekend so I will be able to rest some.

Well I've procrastinated enough, I have to finish my readings for class tonight.

Another PP'd block

I finished another of the paper pieced blocks. It is a beautiful pattern but I could not sew it properly to save my life. Nothing matched up properly and I ripped out more seams than I care to remember.
I use the disolvable papers, which normally are so much easier for me to work with, but they don't take having seams ripped out very well. They'll survive one or two oops but after that the paper tears and has so little bulk left to work with. Normally the lack of bulk makes it easier for me but not when I really shouldn't be sewing. I ran out of the papers a little while ago so really have to get to the store to find some more. LQS doesn't carry them and I really don't want to wait to order them online so I think I'll take a trip out to Walmart tomorrow. Shhh...don't sic the Walmart/Quilt police on me for shopping there. I know, I really do, and if I had a lot of money I wouldn't shop there but I don't, so I do, so :P

In other quilty news, I have narrowed down my choices for the two colour quilt challenge to Lady of the Lake or various sizes of stars, probably sawtooth, although the stars and chains still keeps popping up when I think about it. Ok I am the most indesive person. And I really do want to get on with the fun part, cutting and sewing. I'm not big on the actual quilting part, and I hate, HATE, doing bindings but piecing I love.
I'll think about it some more today. I promise I will decide by Friday.

Tomorrow I have my first meeting with the Palliative Care team at the long term care centre I am volunteering at. I'm really nervous. I'm so afraid I'll make an idiot of myself. I know my stuff but it is scary going into a new setting with people who have been together a long time, and I do not know how receptive they are to my field. Death, Dying and Bereavement are not exactly big topics, even in the health care field.
And next week I start agency visits for my practicum. Things seem to be happening really quickly, even though they have been over a year in the works.
Ok deep breathes...and remember to breathe and everything will be fine...right?

Little Bit in the Woods

Here is a picture I took yesterday of Little Bit. We have a really nice walk/forest/park across the street from our apartment buildingsThis picture shows no matter what Little Bit is always going in more at once than I can even think of.

And isn't this the most mischeivious look? Can you imagine the things she gets into?

I took 99 pictures, well I probably took about 85 and DH snapped the rest, including ones with me in them!! I was not amused, especially since I was wearing sweatpants and no makeup and he took them of me playing with Little Bit on the equipment! I'm honestly shocked my camera didn't cry.
DH is on this tangent about the fact that I am never in pictures because I'm always the one taking them. How this is a problem I don't know. He gets a few pre approved pics a year with me in them. Like Christmas, A birthday etc.

BOM Lillebet's Garden 2...well actually 3

Here is the third block in Lillebet's Garden. The colours aren't great. But in the overall design they look good.



Which looks like this.

BOM Lillbet's Garden

I finished another of the blocks for Lillbet's Garden BOM. I'm not a huge fan of the instructions or the fabrics sent with this BOM. The fabrics are not as shown on the website, and they never said anything about different colours. The insructions are mostly good but every once in a while...
Oh well. I've committed to buying it so I'll make it and hope things look good in the end.


Speaking of committing, I agreed to be a Palliative care volunteer at a local long term care/nursing home. Basically I get called when people are dying and need someone to sit with them. The point is that no one has die alone, unless that is what they want. I also get called in to talk to families if they need bereavement support. My placement will be at another long term care facility but I think I will learn a lot at this place too.
I'll be going in once a week for an hour or two even if there isn't anyone specifically palliative. This way I will be familar to residents before they need me.
DH is worried but I think it will be a very enriching and rewarding experience.

Two colour challenge

I was wrong about the book. It hasn't come yet. The rest of my book order got here but not the quilt book. So pooh.
I'm going to set up all the other girls' links on a sidebar. Otherwise I'd be listing forever.
I think I've decided to go with blue and neautral for my colours. I have some nice older looking blues. But I only have about 6 of them.
I do however have 1-2 yards of each. I think I'll use about 8 neautrals.

I guess I'll just have to wait for the book to see how much I need. Or I could of course just do something totally differnt. These blue say Sawtooth to me so maybe I'll do a bunch of stars.

I seem to be in a star mood of late though so I kind of want to do something different.

Paper piecing and a New BOM

Here is yet another paper pieced block. I really like this one and may make some more another day. I had originally thought I could make all the blocks like stars using colour but I have decided I'll just go with the flow and make them as I'm inspired.

I started a new Block of the Month through the Fat Quarter Shop. This is one of my favorite online quilt shops.
The quilt is called Birds and Bees and is designed by Quilt soup. They really have some cute patterns.

This block is called Honey Bees. It was ok to make. I remembered while I was making it that I don't like applique and am not very good at it. It looks wonderful and beautiful but I'm really not very comfortable with it. I had to make two of these.

I'm still trying to decide on my fabrics for the Two Colour Challenge, (checkout Nicole for info) I can't decide. I did get the book The Simple Joys of Quilting. I haven't had a chance to check it out but hopefully it will give me some inspiration.

New Challenge Quilt

Nicole is hosting a Two Colour Quilt Challenge. She and Susan, Erika, Jane, Julia, and Patti are all going to do it.
I've been wanting to make a red and white quilt for a while and this seems like a great opportunity. The peer pressure should help.

I'm thinking of maybe doing a Lady of the Lake, or a 9p and snowball quilt. Something simple and classic.
I also have a bunch of blues and neautrals. Hmmm...I may have to think about this one.
If I do the blues and neautrals I could do a jewel box or Road to Oklahoma. There are so many patterns that look amazing in blue and white/neatral.

I'm not a huge fan of scrappy, at least not making them myself, but I think with two colour quilts it looks really nice.
Blues would be easier because I wouldn't have to worry about them not going together. Reds are a lot harder, you have to watch for the undertone, purple, yellow, brown, etc.
So do I go comfortable and blue or be adventurous and try red?

Really unfun week

First, I know unfun is not a word but it is about the nicest I'm going. My back is still giving me fits. The spasms have bruised my kidneys and now I'm just unhappy. Little Bit is away for the weekend with her biodad and she really didn't want to go.

Second I just noticed that my Wednesday post never published, so if you wish you can skip down and read it now.

Today I got another of my stars done. This one is ok, the problem I had is I ran out of the paper I normally use and just used computer paper, which if fine except that with smaller blocks it is very stiff.

I don't really like this block. I tried playing with it in EQ using all sorts of colour combinations and placements but I never really feel in like, let alone love, with any.
I'm sure after all the others have posted I'll see something that makes it pop.
Something I've noticed when I look at paper pieced blocks is a lot of them make the Maltese Cross when you put them together, either in the center or as a secondary pattern with multiple blocks. It's weird. Or maybe I'm just weird for noticing.
I really hope I get feeling better because I am not enjoying not being able to do anything.

Back pain and paper piecing

So my back decided to cause me great pain the last few days. I was doing Little Bit's hair after her bath on Saturday, turned to grab another elastic and popped three ribs out of place. Which cause my low back to start spasming, which forced my tailbone out of place. Very painful. Very irritating also. So until today I haven't been able to do much. I've been to the chiropracter twice and go again tomorrow. Little Bit is mad at me for not being able to play much the last few days.
But the pain is starting to diminish and I'm too stir crazy to not do anything so I decided to do another paper pieced block, it's not a star but it will be used as one.


I have discovered that I am a) not really patient enough for paper piecing to be my primary method b) paper piecing causes more back pain than regular piecing and c) my attention span is shorter even than I thought it was.

The pattern is another provided Carol Doak and her amazing online quilt group.

Wall Hanging

So up until about 2 hours ago I still had a snowman wreath on my apartment door. As it is now officaly spring, and flowers are actually bloomimg, I decided I had to change it. I didn't want another wreath, I just haven't liked any I've seen.
So I dug through my small flimsies and got out my Urban Indigo star, familiar from my header.
I quilted it and it looked ok. It wasn't pieced the best because I was just making up the design as I went so didn't really plan well.






So not too bad right?
Well then came my nemisis. The binding. I hate binding. I am not good at it. I can't hand sew because my fingers cramp after about 12 stiches.
So what in blue hell (does anyone know where this saying came from?) made me think I could attach attractive binding to a quilt with 8 points and 8 indents? Yeah this was dumb. A perfectly decent wall hanging is destroyed by my binding. I don't really want to show anyone but I will.




Ok not too bad?
Wait until you see the back. Its bad, really bad. But I was at a point that I really didn't care.
I mean who is going to see it, right? It's against a door.



So out on the door it went. It'll keep people from thinking my door is the door to the garbage room. Which will keep my little puppies from barking up a storm and making me deaf.


My exams are done now and I don't start back until May 8th so I'm hoping to get a lot of sewing done. I want to try a few more paper pieced stars.