I’m Still Alive

My best friend Lee, who doesn’t blog and therefore has no idea just how hard it is coming up with something remotely interesting for people to read, has reminded me I haven’t updated this for quite some time.  Maybe I should suggest she be a guest blogger

I quilted  quite a few charity quilts for our Guild.  Why do people think it’s O.K. to get rid of the ugliest, cheapest fabrics for charity quilts?  Don’t the recipients deserve to have nice quilts too?  I feel like I’m trying to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse and we all know how successful that is!



These ones aren’t too bad, but then again, you can’t see the backs!

I embroidered two little door hangers for my adopted grandsons for Easter.


As my good friend Joan said, I always think I’m going to enjoy machine embroidery more than I actually do.  I’ve given this some thought and other than the fact that it’s boring sitting there watching the design stitch out, there are so many things that are out of your control.  The design can be poorly digitized, the machine can act up, the thread won’t play nice – so many things that you can't do anything about.  At least if you mess up when quilting, it’s your own fault.  You can do everything right with machine embroidery, yet you can still end up with a project that is less than perfect.

For his birthday, Johnathan told me he wanted a blanket (not a quilt, he was very specific) with an elephant on it that he could cuddle in bed.  This is what I came up with and he loved it.  It’s basically just a flannel receiving blanket with the appliqued elephant and his name on it. 



I finished this Honey Cowl a while ago, but forgot to take a picture.  I’m not thrilled with this – you can double it around your neck twice which will be nice and cozy for walks in the winter with Ben, but just looped around once, it looks a bit strange to me.  I think everyone and their dog has made one of these so it must just be me!



I’m working on a new quilt that I got from the Moda Bake Shop website.  This is a really fun project and I’m using Moda’s Ruby line to make mine.  I haven’t got a lot done, but here’s my progress so far.




I’m also working on my first ever toe up socks.  So far, so good, but I’m just starting turning the heel now, so I should perhaps withhold judgment until that part is over!


I just got back from visiting my Mum.  She is a poor soul these days and while I thought it would get easier as time went on, it gets harder every time I visit.  She is so agitated and she’s been having a lot of falls.  She broke her hand a couple of weeks ago and had to have it casted.  Then, because of her agitation, she picked almost half the cast off and it had to be recast.   I wish with all my heart that she could find peace.

I have a busy week ahead – why does everything come at once?  Next weekend is the Amherst Quilt Show and they have advance sign-ups for the Seminar in September that I’ve attended for quite a few years now so Lee and I are going on Friday.  Saturday is the Knitter’s Frolic in Toronto.  I haven’t been to this before so I’m not sure what to expect, but I’m sure we’ll have an enjoyable day.

I’ve also started my ‘days to retirement’ countdown – only 20 more working days and I’m done!!!!!  I’ve been at my current employer for 27 years, but it’s time – life is too short.