Glory Days

Sandra and I went to see The Boss a couple of weeks ago when he was in Toronto and what a show!  He sang and played for 3 1/2 hours non stop and he’s almost 63!  While Bon Jovi will always have first place in my heart, Bruce sure comes a close second. 

I got my blue string quilt finished and tried very hard to get some pictures this afternoon.  I had a little helper and nothing I did could keep him off this quilt.  I’d put him up on the chair and by the time I got in position to take the picture, he was back on it.

I also finished my Border Creek Station Mystery Quilt.  I had the top finished at Retreat last April, but I needed to piece the backing before I could get it quilted.  Have I mentioned I hate piecing backings? lol  Sherri is running a 10th Anniversary Mystery this year so I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with.

Yay, one without Ben!

Both of these were quilted with the Seven Treasures of Budha boards from Circle Lord.  I get so lazy, once I have a template set up, I try and do a couple of tops when it’s on there and both of these seemed to lend themselves to this pattern.  This fabric was by Moda and I’ve never worked with anything that unraveled so much.  I was constantly picking threads from it and I still have more picking and clipping to do.  I think my next top will be batik and that eliminates that problem!

I’m working on a second sock but I’m starting to get second sock syndrome.  I’m using a new yarn from Dyeversion that is bamboo and lycra so it has a bit of stretch to it.  It feels wonderful and the lycra will stop it stretching out of shape as pure bamboo socks have a tendency to do.  I’m forcing myself to finish this before I start knitting anything new but I have so many yarns calling my name!

Leo went over to Sandra & Darren’s the other day to help install a chandelier so he took Ben with him to see hit kitty cousins.  Here is Miles’ reaction to Ben:

 

While Grandmas shouldn’t have favourite grandkitties, I must admit Miles isn’t my favourite – he’s bitten me once too many times!  Here is my favourite – sweet little Abby – she loves everyone, including Ben!

 

I’m not sure where Lucy was when these pictures were being taken – probably off eating which is her favourite sport!

 

Retirement Rocks!

I’m thoroughly enjoying retirement and don’t know why I didn’t do it 30 years ago   There’s been a lot of knitting going on around here, but not much on the quilting front.  Here is my Scalene scarf.

 

 

Here’s Bruno modeling it for me.  Bruno is a very special bear to me.  My Mum wasn’t known for giving frivolous gifts.  I can remember more than one Christmas and Birthday when I received underwear.  However, one Christmas she gave me Bruno – she had seen him in the mall, fell in love with him, and bought him!  It was one of my best Christmas gifts ever.

 

I also finished the Mystery Shawl by Stephen West on Ravelry.  I’m really pleased with it and it certainly took me out of my knitting box.

 

I just noticed my little knitting inspector is in the corner of this picture.  I better go and move it off the bed before she decides to knead on it.  This is a better indication of the true colours.

I still haven’t figured out how to get my font on Windows Live Writer to stop reverting to some teeny tiny size.  If you know how to fix this, please, please let me know!!

Sandra and I went to Cleveland two weeks ago and had a great time.  We went to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame which we both loved.  My favourite part was concert footage from the 25th Anniversary concerts featuring Bono, Sting, Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jeff Beck and many others.  It was held in a small intimate theatre with comfy seats and you didn’t have to listen to all the screaming that normally goes on at a concert.  It was worth the trip alone!

We also went to the Cleveland Art Gallery and the Museum of Natural History as well as the new Casino which has opened downtown.  I was pleasantly surprised with Cleveland as I always remember Leo telling me quite a few years ago when I was going somewhere and had to drive by Cleveland – he said, if you get a flat in Cleveland, keep on driving.  It was clean, the people were friendly and it was very easy to get around.

We also hit two great malls in the suburbs – you didn’t think I could go to the States and not go shopping did you??”

Here are a few pictures of our visit.

Our hotel was in this beautiful building built in 1890 called The Arcade.

 

 

My beautiful tall daughter.  She complained that all the pictures I took of her were unflattering because I’m so much shorter than she is so they were taken from a lower angle, while all the ones she took of me were flattering (yea, right) because she was looking down!

 

These huge guitars were all over the city.

My blue scrap bin was full to overflowing, so I decided yesterday to make a blue string quilt.  I have 48 blocks done.  This is my basket before I started:

This is what is looks like 48 blocks later:

 

Notice any difference?  No?  Neither do I!!!!   There’s probably at least 2 more string quilts in that bin!

Here are half of my blocks on my design wall and now I need to start sewing them all together.

Milestones

With friends like mine, who needs enemies.  My good friend Lee has reminded me on more than one occasion that I haven’t blogged lately.  She was also very anxious to point out that I would need to change the information on my sidebar.  It did say “a fifty something mother, wife, etc.” and that now needs to read “sixty”.  Yes, I turned the big 6-0, but it’s just a number, right?  Happy now Lee?

I also retired from my job where I worked for 27 years.  It was very emotional leading up to that day, but I feel wonderful now and can’t imagine why I was emotional about leaving.  Retirement rocks and I won’t be sitting here again!

My other so called friend Diane talked me into doing the current mystery shawl on Ravelry by Stephen West – Rockefeller.  Sure, let’s knit with wool when the temperature outside is 150F – what a great idea.  See what I mean about my friends!!

This is my progress to date on the shawl.  This pattern has really challenged me.  It hasn’t been difficult but there are many things I haven’t done before, like the Icord edge, German short rows and it’s been eons since I knit with two colours.  I can hardly wait to sew in all those ends – NOT!

I seem to be doing more knitting lately than quilting, but here is my Before and After scarf.  When you are knitting this, it looks like a rag, but once it is blocked, it turns into a princess!

I finished another scarf (don’t ask me what I’m going to do with all these scarves) but the ends aren’t sewn in and it hasn’t been blocked yet, so I’ll save it for another day.

 

Way back in May, Lee and I took a class through our Guild to make this Weekender bag.  I’m really pleased with the finished product, but with the money we put into this, I’m sure we could have bought a Birkin bag!  There are 4 zippers – two large ones across the top for two separate areas, and one on each end for two more pockets. 

 

We had a heck of a time finding parachute clips wide enough to accommodate the strapping for the shoulder strap, but I finally found a boating supply store online and ordered them there.  Here is the link to the pattern. 

Sandra also had a birthday this month, and since she’s shoe crazy, I made her this:

I also incorporated shoes in the lining.

 

I just finished some blocks for Quilts of Valour – Hugs Across the Nation Campaign made from Northcott’s Oh Canada line of fabric.

Actually, Lee and I went to Northcott’s Canadian facility yesterday.  You are allowed to shop there if you have a Vendor’s Permit.  I had no idea there were so many different colours in Stonehenge – dozens and dozens of them.  We weren’t thrilled with the prices, though.  This is a wholesale facility and the fabric was anywhere from seven something to eleven something a metre.  Since you had to buy a whole bolt, I didn’t think it was any great deal.  If you shop the sales online, I think you can do much better and then only need to buy what you want.  Since it was in the area, we also checked out Sew Sisters which is a nice little store with a great selection of very reasonably priced batiks.  You’ll be amazed to hear I didn’t buy any   Lee treated me to lunch for my birthday, so it was a great day!

I have quite a stack of quilts that need to be quilted, including some Cuddle Quilts for the Guild, but it’s been so hot and humid here lately that I haven’t been inspired to do much. 

 

It’s Been Awhile

My life has been pretty dull and boring lately which is my excuse for not blogging. 

I did get my Wonky Stars top finished and it now needs to be quilted.

 

This was a really fun quilt to make and there might be another one of these in my future. 

A good friend of mine was stressing over one of her tops.  She bought a kit last year when we were in Paducah, and unlike me, got busy and got it made.  She had tried quilting it herself but just wasn’t happy, so I offered to do it for her.  As you know, I don’t quilt for others as it just makes me too nervous.  I’m always paranoid that the cat will throw up on the top or my machine will leak oil all over a top.  Neither of these things have ever happened, but there is a first time for everything and it would be my luck that it would happen on someone’s precious top!

As soon as I saw her top I thought it needed some swirls to give movement to the sharp lines so this is what I did.

 

She entered it in a local quilt show and it won a ribbon!!!!  This is what she wrote on her description which almost had me in tears.

 

Hopefully you can click on the picture to enlarge it so you can read what it says.

We saw some lovely quilts at the Show.

These are my friends Julie, Lee and Diane – and Diane is pointing to the quilt behind so that you’ll think she made it – she didn’t but it is a gorgeous quilt!

I’ve always liked this quilt – it has been hanging in a local quilt store for a while – until Diane pointed out to me that it doesn’t line up.  It’s not the quilter’s fault, the pattern is designed that way, but since she pointed it out, now that just screams out at me.

Look at the star points and you’ll see what she means.

Isn’t this just too cute!

This was one of my favourites and just goes to show you how much my taste has changed since I started quilting.  I wasn’t a big fan of Civil War fabrics but now I’m always drawn to the quilts made from them.

This is such a distinctive style made by award winning quilter Carol Goddu – just look at the detail!

 

Here are a couple more of my favourites.

 

You know I love scrappy!

 

 

 

Our Guild’s Quilt Show is running this weekend – if you live in the area, please drop in as there is a lot of talent in our Guild!  Here’s a link to all the details.  I’ll be there all day tomorrow, so if you see me, please say hello!

It took me 3 years to get this to bloom the first time, but I’m thrilled that it’s blooming again just 5 months from the last time!

Wednesday is my Mum’s 90th birthday.  There is absolutely nothing we can do for her or give her to celebrate as her condition has deteriorated so much.  All we can do is remember her in more pleasant times and hope for an end to her suffering.  This was taken on her 80th birthday – Happy Birthday Mum, I love you.

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.