Finished-Almost

 

 

 

I finished the organizing yesterday.   There is still some more to do but that will have to wait until I get the rest of the cupboards.  In the meantime, here is a preview peek.  My serger will be at the far end on an old treadle machine cabinet and there will be custom made shelves under the long arm.

The second photo shows the cutting table on the right and ironing surface on the right.  It will be lovely having all that area for both those tasks.

Today, I will be cutting fabric and getting that in marked containers with a list of possible patterns.

Speaking of, I thought of another scrappy pattern.  I will try it out today and pass it on as a freebie.

Tomorrow I go for my laser eye surgery.  I am not sure how quickly I will be able to go on the computer after it so if you don't hear from me for a couple of days, you will know the reason.

All our lovely snow that covered the trees has disappeared overnight in a rainfall.  We are 6 degrees C above freezing today.  Tomorrow it drops back down so I am hoping the roads will be alright.

For those of you that believe, prayer request for safe travel and successful surgery would be appreciated.

blessings,



The Day After

Thank you everyone for your kind words regarding the death of my father-in-law.  It really does help to read and hear the expressed condolences.
We drove to Orillia which is about a ninety minute drive from here under normal conditions for the visitation on Sunday and then again Monday for the service.  Yesterday, the drive took 2 hours because of the weather conditions.  It was snowing so heavily that we could only see 100 feet at the best of times.  We did pack a bag in case we needed to stay over but it seemed okay for the return trip.  And it wasn't really bad until we were just going past the village on the way to pick up the dog.  Then everything really deteriated.  However, we had to keep going at that point.  We got Heidi and headed home on almost clear roads and good visibility.  Got to our driveway, made it to the hill and got stuck.  Unloaded Mom-in-law, plowed through the snow,  then husband went back with a sled to get the things in the car.  The vehicle is now parked at the bottom of the driveway waiting for our road to be plowed.
We all got a good nights sleep and are taking it easy today.  The weather bureau is still calling for freezing rain so we are happy to be indoors. I am going to try and finish organizing my studio.
I am going to have to make an appointment with a dentist because I lost a filling yesterday.  Always something.\
Blessings,

In the Midst of Life....

Just a quick note today.  My father-in-law died last night.  It wasn't unexpected as his health had been failing for some time.  Still it is a sad time for the family and especially the grand and great grandchildren.
Have a great weekend.
Blessings,

Orphan blocks

This deer, along with some friends was in our back yard yesterday.  I took the photo through the window so the colours aren't true but you can see the doe clearly.
It is still quite cold here but not as bad as yesterday.  It is gradually warming up up to normal temperatures.  The addition is cool enough that I need a jacket but that enables me to work out here so, no problem.
Yesterday, I got some of my blocks put into a small table cover.  I had a dozen hand stitched backed squares that I trimmed and joined with some lace.  Won't win any accolades but it is done.  I also started putting together 12 log cabin blocks.  It will be a runner.  The biggest problem with all these orphan blocks is that they have been around for a long time and my skill level has improved since making them.  Some don't even have 1/4" seams.  However, with a bit of unsewing, I am ending up with something usable.
When these are finished, I have a number of blocks with cat themes to work on.  Another table runner?  A wall hanging?  Not sure but it will be something.
Blessings,

Cold Feet

New Pattern

It was minus 37 this morning and has warmed up 4 degrees since; a snappy day. My husband had to put an additional heater in the chicken house.  However, the water is running, blog photos upload is working and our home is toasty.
I started out to take Heidi for a walk yesterday.  I put on her warmest coat and her little booties, did the same for myself (my booties were much larger) and out we went.  She loves being outside so she was bouncing and prancing and off came the first boot before we had even cleared the driveway.  The second dropped off at the beginning of the trail and she lost the third in the snow.  At this point, the prancing had stopped and she sat down, raised the front bare paw and looked at me.
I got the hint, scooped her up and returned home; picking up the booties as I went. I think I am going to try attaching them to her coat with elastic sort of like the stringed mittens we had as children.  My other idea, if the first doesn't work, is to make her something like a footed sleepers that fasten over her back.
I need something that will not only protect her from the cold but reduce also the amount of snow that clings to her feet and legs.

I posted this photo first of all to make sure the uploads were working and to show you one of my latest patterns.  It will be for sale on craftsy and through this blog.
Stay warm.
Blessings,

Roosters and Sunshine

What a beautiful day. It is cold and our water pipe is frozen but it is still beautiful. Whenever we get a cold, sunny day, I cannot help but get my camera and start taking photos and, of course, if I do that, you get to see them. The pipes seem to be frozen in one section and my husband has a heater on it so we should be getting water soon. There is a small area, just a few inches, which isn't covered by insulation and it seems to be the culprit.

This photo is of my husband's most recent painting. Now that he has a nice big room for his use, he is able to spread out his supplies so he can work without knocking everything over. Rooster at Dawn is for sale if anyone is interested. Blessings,

Free Pattern

At long last, here is the free pattern I promised. I would love to see a photo of your completed quilt. If you have trouble reading the pattern as it is printed here, contact me and I will send you a copy. Google still isn't working correctly. blessings,

AROUND THE BLOCK SCRAPPY 45” x 50” This quilt can be constructed in a variety of ways. It can be square or rectangle. It can be a true scrappy, partial or non. I am going to give you the directions for a partial scrappy rectangle. If you would like to make your quilt square, simply change the center block to a square and then add the rounds. You can also change the finished size by increasing the size of the blocks or adding more rows. If you change the blocks, remember that the size of the 4 patch block must be the same as the cream squares i.e. 10 “four patch, 10” square. Supplies: (108) 2 ½” squares light coloured fabric (108) 2 ½” squares dark coloured fabric 1 ½ yards cream fabric for squares and border 1 1/4 yard red fabric for border and binding 50” X 55” batting 3 yards backing fabric or 1 ¾ yard extra wide Method: Sew the light and dark coloured squares together to form pairs. Sew the pairs together to make a four patch. From the cream fabric, cut (36) 4 ½” squares Press the blocks and squares at the end of each of the next steps. Sew (2) four patch blocks together. Sew (2) cream squares together twice and sew to each long side of the joined four patch Sew (3) cream squares together twice and sew to the top and bottom of the joined four patch. Sew (4) 4 patch blocks together twice and sew to each long side of the center block. Sew (5) 4 patch blocks together twice and sew to the top and bottom of the center block. Following the previous steps, add a round of cream squares and another round of 4 patch blocks. You will increase the number of blocks and squares sewn together each time. Borders: Cut (4) 1 ½” strips from the red fabric and sew around the top. Sew to long sides first. Press. Cut remaining cream fabric into 3 ½” strips and sew around the top, joining if necessary. Press top. Layer top, batting and backing, quilt as desired and bind with remaining red fabric.

Pictures at Last

Well, as you can see, I am once again able to upload photos. It isn't as convenient as before but it will do until Google fixes whatever needs to be fixed. The quilt photo is to give you a rough idea of what the free pattern will look like. There are a number of variations which I will include. It is, as you can see, a scrappy.
It is quite cold today but the sun is shining. After the morning news, I have been moving chests of drawers from one room to another and filling them with whatever they are supposed to hold. My husband picked up a nice one at the Restore (Habitat for Humanity) yesterday. It is real wood and has four drawers. If you have one of those stores in your area and have never been to it, check it out. Think of it as a combination department and building supply store. A lot of the things have been salvaged from buildings that are being demolished so you can get beautiful doors and windows at a fraction of the price. An added bonus is that the money is used to provide a house for those who would not otherwise be able to afford one.
My dear one also brought me my shelving unit with doors so we spent some time assembling it. There was a time when doing something like that together would have resulted in a quarrel but we are, thankfully, matured past that stage.
Well, back at it. Each day brings me a little closer to completion. Roger has to make me more shelves for the new unit as there were only three.
Blessings,

The Baby has Flown

I came home from a meeting last night feeling as though I had just seen my child leave for university.  I had been working with a local group of business people to organize a Chamber of Commerce for this area and it has now happened.  By-laws have been approved and memberships taken.  The baby has sprouted wings and flown. Although I will be kept informed of what is happening, I won't be directly involved as I have other projects on which I would like to focus. 

I am really proud of the steering committee and all the work they have done.  They had to learn about a lot of regulations as well as such things as logos, signage, web sites and budgets and they have done a wonderful job. 
Yesterday, I did a lot of work in my new studio.  There is still a great deal to do but I can now see how much room I have and if anything needs changing.  My husband has gone to Huntsville today and is bringing back a shelving unit with doors for my fabric.  It will be sitting right by a south facing window so I don't want the material to get sun damage-providing it sits there long enough for it to happen.
I was getting so antsy with not making anything that I took a break just before it was time to make supper and cut out some fabric for place mats.  I used one of those panel type prints that had two pictures repeated three times.  There are the perfect size for place mats so I will make them to give as gifts. 
It seems as though we are getting back to more seasonal temperatures today so I am looking forward to getting outside for my walk this afternoon.
Blessings,

Technology

I have had a few very frustrating days.  My Internet went down on Sunday and multiple calls to the tech support wasn't helping.  I called three times yesterday with the last one resulting in more information about the tower where I was (or wasn't) receiving my signal.  This morning, another call, more information:  my modem wasn't receiving.  Solution (and no, I cannot move everything to the kitchen) was a network adapter which would cost $40.00.  This was a lot cheaper than the booster which had also been suggested. 
When I got off the phone, I thought I would try something before calling my friendly tech supply store to see if they had the adapter.  I unplugged the modem and moved it to the other side of the computer stand roughly facing the direction of the stronger tower.  Voila! Problem solved. 
If this doesn't continue to work, I will get the adapter but right now I am getting a nice bright green light instead of a wispy yellow.
Google still doesn't seem to have solved the photo upload problem for blogger.  I may have to go another route to make the free pattern available.  Will let you know.
And now that the Internet problem has been solved, I can go back to organizing my room.
Blessings,

The House Smells Yummy

Our move progresses.  We are just waiting for my new bed so we can do a shift around of rooms and then I can get at setting up the guest room.  The bed should be here tomorrow which will be great.
I still have a number of totes in the quilt room and I am at the point of looking at them and then walking away.  Too much thinking isn't good for a quilters soul.
I made three small zucchini loaves this morning and 5 bread.  The house smells nice.
Google is still having problems with their image uploads.  I have installed Google Chrome as per their suggestion but without any success.  Until they get the problem solved, I can't pass on to you the free pattern.
It has been a week now so surely they will have everything fixed soon.
If you live in Newfoundland and Labrador, stay safe.  I see on the news reports that you are getting a lot of snow and more to come so please don't go out unless absolutely necessary-heart transplant, giving birth.  This is a good time to go through your quilting magazines and pick out your projects for the year-or to make concrete plans to finish the projects you have already started.  We all seem to have a lot of those, don't we?
We Heidi is waiting to go on her walk so as soon as the last of the bread comes out of the oven we will be off.  She is going to get soaked as it is raining but we need to get out.  One of these days I am going to buy her a doggie raincoat!
Blessings,

Google Problems

I have been having problems uploading photos to my blog and finally found a page where I could get some information.  Apparently, Google is having technical problems.  Glad to know that it isn't me.  Will be even gladder (is that a word) when it is fixed.
I am making quite a bit of progress in getting my studio sorted out.  Right now, I am not being too fussy about sorting or organizing.  For example, all fabric is being shoved onto the shelves where they belong. 
One unforeseen benefit of the move is that my Internet is working better.  It is about 25 feet closer to the tower so I don't know if that is the reason.  I will see what happens on the weekend when the cottagers are up.  The extra users seems to slow everything down.
We had a herd of deer wander through the property this morning.  I was getting dressed and looking out the window and saw them meandering through the trees.  They made their way up the hill, around the house and to our neighbours property.  Our Heidi let them know she was on the job
It is a nicer day today.  The sun is shining brightly and it is above freezing.  My husband is outside scrapping snow from the roof so we don't get a back up during the thawing and freezing.  I can understand why some people choose to rent or live in a condo.  Owning a home is a lot of work.  However, I wouldn't trade.  I love the independence of owning my home and, of course, it is my husband that does the maintenance anyway.
Back to the boxes and totes.
Blessings,

A Positive Non-Resolution

Haven't got anything more done in the new studio today.  We went shopping to buy some furniture and other stuff and came home with groceries and no furniture.  Of course, if we had been willing to pay full price we would have got what we needed but I prefer to wait until I can get it second hand.
It is quite mild today so it feels damp and cold.  I would soon have an honest cold day; one where the temperature is low but the sun is shining.  This weather makes me feel like  wrapping a blanket around myself and sipping cot cocoa.
I read something today about New Year's resolutions.  The article said instead of making, and breaking, them we should concentrate on house cleaning.  By that, the writer meant, cleaning out negative attitudes, discouraging friends, etc.  Interesting idea.  Not sure I could stick with that either but it sounds more productive and positive than some of the other resolutions I don't keep.
Today, I resolve to empty one more tote and put the contents in their new home.
Blessings,

The Moves Afoot!!

We have started moving things into my new quilt room.  What a lot of stuff!!  It is going to take a couple of days to get everything in the proper rooms and then the organizing starts. 
It is hard to not feel overwhelmed.  My husband is better at this than I am.  I hate re organizing my rooms.  Once my furniture is where I want it, there it stays until we move so you can imagine how I am coping with this major upheaval.  It will, of course, be worth it once it is done.
I will be posting a picture later on.  I also have a free pattern to share.  You should have it by the end of the week.
And now, back to the move.  Left overs for supper tonight.
Blessings,

A Fabric Voyage

I have started moving things into my new studio.  Books and magazines are now on a shelving unit.  That part was easy although I do need to sort through the magazines and donate the ones I no longer need.  The hard part is going to be all my containers of scraps.  I've done one.  Done meaning that I have gone through it and weeded out the bits and pieces I don't want.  That is one pile.  In another pile is the fabric that I am keeping.  I now need to go through it and put it in some sort of order i.e. panels in one container, dark fabric scraps in another etc.  I hate this process but it needs to be done if I am ever going to be able to use the scraps.  I did find one largish bit of pink which will be perfect for an applique project I am doing and forgot I had. 
I guess if I could think of this as a voyage of discovery it would be more fun.  After all, I don't even remember what is in these containers anymore so it is like discovering them for the first time.
Our Heidi is feeling better today.  She was still sluggish this morning which resulted in being allowed to sit on a lap much longer than usual.  However, she was just as bouncy as normal when I took her out for a walk so she is pretty much recovered.

I had a photo I was going to post of the studio but yahoo isn't working properly-again. So here is one of our lovely maple bush in the winter.
Blessings,

Droopy Dog

Our little Heidi went to the vets today for her needles and check up.  She is in good health other than starting to put on a couple pounds too many (aren't we all?) She got three needles including the rabies and didn't even flinch.  She is rather spaced out now though and just sitting and staring.  Even when we swept the floor and vaccuumed, she didn't move.  Normally, we are having to scold her for chasing the cleaning tools.
From previous experience, we know she will be back to normal tomorrow but it seems strange to see our normally bouncy dog just veging.
We are getting a nice bit of snow today.  Enough to make the driving a bit tricky when we were out but not enough for the driveway to need plowing.
I am going to try and get myself into the sewing mood this afternoon.  I feel like the dog but I won't get much accomplished if I just sit and stare; or play computor games.  I need to pull out some fabric  to finish an applique project and make some mug mats for our library.
I also have to start thinking about getting the quilt room ready to be moved.  My husband is calling the inspector today to get him over for the final check.  Once that is done, moving day follows.  Yahoo!!!
Blessings,

Neighbourly Gifts

Aren't these mice adorable?  They are made of cherries dipped in chocolate, a Hershey kiss for the face and pecan ears on an Oreo cookie half.  A neighbour dropped them off for us and, really, they looked far too cute to eat.
Another neighbour brought over some delicious muffins a couple of days before so we have been spoiled.  The word had gone around that we were ill and, in addition to the food, we had calls to see if we needed anything.  It is wonderful to live in an area where people take the time to do a little extra for each other.
We are pretty much recovered now but still run out of energy earlier than usual.
I hope everyone had a lovely New Year's and are now ready to tackle 2013.  I pray the coming days bring you peace and happiness.
Blessings from all of us here in the backwoods,