Friday, January 31, 2014

Thursdays!!!!!!!!!!!!



OK - I don't know why this is such a revelation to me, but I LOVE dedicated sewing days.  Oh yes - I can sew all day by myself at home. Keep in mind, I sew in the basement so even on the sunniest of days - I am NOT enjoying the sun. And I am by myself which is fine, but gets boring pretty quickly!

Yesterday was sewing day at the church!   Oh I had such an AWESOME DAY!!!!!!!     So having Monday AND Thursday in the same week - well that is super day times TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!


There were eleven of us yesterday and everyone was sewing up a storm. Tish was working on "chunk" of the month, Cathy and Nelda were working on Rosewood Cottage, Joy was working on Dear Jane, Lynn was cutting Farmer's Wife, Lynda was working on Circle of Life. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm    - all those were classes that I taught or am teaching.   Oooops - am I "creating" the need for those Thursdays?????    NOPE - because Maria worked on another one of her own creations to use up scraps, Linda was working on Border Creek, Donna was working on binding (I think) and Judy was working on scrap quilts. I was madly trimming and binding quilts.

And thanks Nelda for the goodies!!!!!!!!!!!    Oh yes - it was an awesome day. The sun was shining and it was nice and toasty warm in the room.    THANKS to everyone for the fabulous day.

Lynda brought in her bargello to show us. It is STUNNING!!!!!!
This is the quilt that Maria was working on last week. So bright and I love it. Look what she did with the borders because she didn't have enough fabric!!!!
And here is my stack of quilts - I think a binding party is going to be in order!!!!!


One more to go - the backing has the edges serged on, needs to be loaded, the two borders need to be put on the top and I have to piece the batting. And I want it to be done by tonight. Which normally isn't a problem, but I have Sit n Sew today!!!!!!!!!!!    So yes - it will have to be completed TONIGHT. No big deal - it will take a couple of hours.


Anyway - I am just so excited to actually see things getting done and the Monday and Thursday are helping ENORMOUSLY. The others are motivating ME!!!!

It is such a win win for everyone - people motivate me, I motivate them. We encourage each other - we make lists, we separate out the 2014 projects. I just LOVE all the stories of how everyone is slogging through their projects. Bring on those sewing days!!!!!!!!!     Mondays are pretty much FULL, but there is room if you want to get in on the Thursday sewing  day.   I think we are going to aim at the second and fourth Thursdays - once I get my schedule settled down.

The next one is February 27.   There are a couple of spots available - let me know if you want to sign up.

I an in a postcard exchange and got another one the other night at guild.



Post card. I MUST get working on mine, but I still have a couple of months!!!!



I was out the other day and BOUGHT A NEW BIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!



So it is a bit small to ride!!!!!!!!!!

I will have to share my bike collection with you some day!!!!!!!!!!!!  


On that note - I still have a few things to tidy up in preparation of the sit n sew day.   I am excited - it is going to be a fun day and I wonder how busy they are going to keep me?????



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   - No make that an AWESOME day - we are practically having a heat wave out there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   It is only MINUS ONE this morning.


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, January 30, 2014

No room for error!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ack - I did NOT do a good job of planning for this week. I have a LOT of commitments and still trying to get some quilting done. BUT - I am making progress - just working some bizarre hours!

We had embroidery club yesterday and I got something done!!!!!!!!



YES - this border is finally finished!!!!!!!    I do have a couple of extra butterflies that I am going to put on the quilt, but that won't take long and then I can put the final border on!!!!!!!!!!!     YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!1


Then I did a small community project quilt that needed to be done.


Community project quilt - very cute!!!!!!!    I trimmed it and put the binding on and even delivered it!!!!!

Detail of quilting


Then I got busy to work on those five quilts that need to be done. The ones that I can't show you yet!!!!!!

The backing for three of them was ONE big long piece of fireside fleece. I serged some waste cloth on both sides of the fleece. Then I loaded that HUGE long piece. I had a massive roll on the machine - almost wasn't going to fit!!!!!    Then I loaded the first quilt. There is NOT a lot of room to spare.


This is the right hand side of the loaded quilt  

This is the left side!!!!!!


When I was done one quilt, I cut the excess batting away (oh yes - I had to piece the batting for all three!!!)

Anyway - then I just snugged the next quilt top up leaving an inch between the end of the previous one and I have TEN MINUTES left before all three are done.


Adding the new quilt to the bottom of the quilted one


So on that note - I have to get back to the machine. I hope to get those three quilts trimmed and bound today at Thursday sewing and I have to leave shortly.    There is NO PRESSURE in my world!!!!!    Oh my!!!!


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Wednesday, January 29, 2014

The Farm Market


ACK - so much going on - and first thing in the morning, it is tough to get to the blog.


M and I have been trying to locate a farmer's market in the area. We finally discovered the Farmer's Market in Milton.

The INDOOR market is held at Terra Greenhouses.






The market will run until April 5!     It was a bitter cold day with snow blowing around. OK - I know - EVERY day here lately is bitterly cold!    As a result a few vendors were not there.

But what a GREAT use of space. The greenhouses are sitting EMPTY (but heated) - well almost empty and this is a win win for the nursery, the vendors and US - the customers.  

To get to the greenhouse, you have to walk through the main show room and look what we saw.............


Orange umbrella

Orange hat!

Quilt looking (with orange) serving tray

More orange accessories

Big orange flower and a beautiful orange throw

And STUNNING  BIG BIG BIG orange flowers!!!!!!

In the greenhouses - we saw these orange doors - they were NOT for sale, but then ANYTHING can be for sale if the price is right!!!!!



I have to say that on our way out to the car - that BIG orange flower (the metal one in the picture with the throw) - just JUMPED into our bags and into the car. Funny how that happened!!!!


So we walked around the farmer's market and looked at everything BEFORE we bought anything.   Now I was hoping to find people with veggies - I know it is winter, but I thought potatoes, carrots - root veggies, but there was only one person selling product - apples and we have enough fruit in our fridge for the moment.   I would hope that some of the missing vendors will have veggies?????


Anyway - people were selling baked goods (LOTS of baked goods), fermented tea (a substitute drink for wine - non -alcoholic), soaps, salsa, meat, meal packages and a whole bunch more stuff.


Here is what we trucked home. Oh my - I think we went a bit crazy and will be eating all that stuff FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!



One vendor sold NOTHING but items made with sweet potatoes. We bought the waffles
And brownies - which were to die for!!!!!!!!!!!

We bought frozen veggie burgers, stewing beef and frozen black bean tamales (that was from THREE different vendors)
Chicken pot pies (a tad too much crust and not enough filling for my liking)

Asparagus - pickles, salsa and CHIPS made with asparagus flour!!!!!!

HUGE peanut butter cookies

Fresh whole wheat bread and honey (again - two different vendors)
TWO pies - YUMMY!!!!!
Vegan cupcakes

Homemade soap in alpaca felt. Instant loofa!!!!!!



So yes - we bought a LOT of stuff. All of it pretty good!!!!!


We don't normally eat that much baked goods - we hardly eat the stuff (OK - we eat some every day), but I don't think we would go every week. Probably once a month?   I would like to go back though to see who wasn't there that day.


It is well worth a visit - even if you don't buy anything. Oh yes - there was a place where you could buy coffee and some of the goodies were available to buy just one with you coffee.

And then browse the stuff that Terra is selling. Oh boy - if you want Crocs - they have them and not just what you perceive Crocs to be. There were some pretty fancy ones!!!!!   Nice luggage stuff and bags.  Oh yes - we could have gone crazy in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are still looking for the place where we can buy the winter basket, but haven't found that yet. But we are still on the lookout.


That's it for today!!!!!!!!!!!!


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





Sunday, January 26, 2014

Robbie Burns

Yesterday was Robbie Burns birthday. Since he was born in 1759 - he is isn't around to celebrate any more!

BUT never fear - there are people who love the Robbie Burns tradition, although I don't know too much about it and I don't have time to do some research this morning.

We were invited to a Robbie Burns party last night so we bundled up and off we went. The event was beautifully catered by Patricia (and her staff) who owns cookgourmet.   The presentation was amazing and we had so many unusual things like soup sips (a small glass of soup that you could just drink), many many different little tidbits of food. It was quite delightful!

The only picture I got of the food prep.   I wanted to just watch them instead of visiting!!!!


There was also a HUGE selection of whiskey and scotch - and I noticed in the bathroom, there was a printout on the wall of the various regions for Scotch in Scotland!

Just wonderfully done. Dave and Mo are excellent hosts and have a most beautiful home. Thanks Dave and Mo.


BUT the "highlight" of the evening was the piping in of the haggis.  (I am trying not to gag as I write that!!!)

Seriously???????????     People WANT to eat that?????   


Despite the number of people telling me how good it was, how spicy it was and that it was mostly oatmeal - hey - if I had to choose between Patricia's delicacies from the kitchen or the haggis?  Excuse me - was there even a question involved here?????


Anyway, Mark read the Ode to the Haggis with great gusto and apparently that book he is reading from is a first edition!!!!!


Mark brandishing the knife before he cut open the haggis

Dave (our host - my ex-boss) and Mark


A super evening but I went to bed late, had bizarre dreams (can't imagine what they would have been if I had eaten the haggis) and got up late. Sparky didn't wake me until 7 AM. I have a sit n sew today and I am behind.

I will tell you all about our trip to the Farmer's Market tomorrow.

And CAMERA phones take sucky pictures compared to my big camera. Next time - I take the big camera.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, January 25, 2014

A UFO DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Yes - I finished a UFO yesterday. OK - so it wasn't a quilting UFO, but it was a UFO.

It was knitting group yesterday morning. I am IN LOVE with groups. Groups where I can go and work on  my OWN thing and get access to an expert should I need that (and I need a lot of that right now in the knitting area).

So what did I finish????   I started a pair of leggings for M - well several years ago. They were finished EXCEPT for the cast off. I had cast off one pair and the other was at the end, but I did NOT like the cast off. Not stretchy enough. Yesterday I learned a GRAFTING technique for casting off that was pretty slick!!!

The FINISHED leg warmers

The CAST OFF edge. I am so impressed with  myself. It isn't perfect (the ladies were chatting up such a storm - it was hard for me to concentrate on that method!!) 

The left over bits - chopped up

And in the ball ready for the birds in spring

The verdict - they fit!!!!!!

Nice and warm!!!!!!!!!!!!



I really cannot thank Ruthi enough for hosting this group. The money I paid for the group has already paid for itself. I have met lots of new people, learned TWO new techniques and while I may not remember how to do them, I know there are MUCH better ways of doing things.


Now Nancy told me that she had joined the knitting group because she had 2 tubs of yarn that had to get used up. Well - she now has FOUR tubs. I hope that doesn't happen to me, although I have to say that I have found SEVERAL kits for cute sweaters, shrugs and such that I have purchased. I must stay focused.


I told M that she would  NOT be getting another knitted item for a bit as I have NOTHING else started. Well no CLOTHING items. I do have something else started (And that is Tish's fault!!!). I will dig that out and show you. I seem to have misplaced the pattern, so I must find that.


BUT I did a BAD thing - a REALLY BAD thing.   My next project is a toque. (Just wait until you see it) and I needed some needles. I originally bought double pointed. Well according to Susannah - you only knit the POINT with the double pointed. EVERYONE knits with circulars for as much as they can. Really?????   I was just talking to my aunt about knitting needles the other day. Well I was in the store a LONG time researching needles and - well - I just could NOT help myself..................


Yep - I bought this SET of circular needles
I believe there are TEN sets of needles and three different length of cord.  You could get LONG tips (these are long), you could get short tips, you could get bamboo tips and lace tips. ACK!!!!!!!    Too many choices - I think I went for the most practical since they aren't cheap. BUT cheaper than if you had to buy them all separately. 


However I still had to buy another needle for the toque. The size of tip I needed is NOT in this set. It wasn't in any of the sets.


Then I did another BAD thing.

I fell in love with this book.
There are some adorable patterns in here - I couldn't help myself. 

And via cell phone pix - I picked out this yarn for a sweater for M.   It is Madeline Tosh - no less. Supposed to be the bee' s knees of knitting yarn. Oh la la!!!!!



Finally made it back home and got busy with the quilting machine.


Another customer quilt - DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!


Remember yesterday we talked about the Thangles - well I dug out that other project.


Here are the finished blocks
Here is the fabric used. One thing I have learned - NEVER put these two kinds of fabrics together. If the main colour has black - the neutral should NEVER have black. If the main colour has red - the neutral should NEVER have red. It bleeds.  Lesson learned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Bottom line - TWO busy prints together - BAD news. 


I think I will frame the blocks with solid black?  White?????   I don't really want to  introduce another colour, although I could.


And what else was in the box????


More Thangles. 


Scraps from the blocks

The patterns

And this layout as a way of finishing it off??????

At one of our classes this past week, Nancy brought in this Thangles quilt that she had done somewhere. Looks like a different set than either of the two blocks I have done.    It is just half square triangles and many different ways to lay them out.




Lots of ideas for half square triangle layouts if you want to copy those!!!


Whew!!!!!     I was in such a tizzy yesterday. There was so much exciting stuff that I was having trouble concentrating and focusing.   Oh yes - I had to make photocopies and I usually go to Staples, but it isn't close by. When I was at Ruti's, I remembered there is a UPS store near Ruti's. I popped in and they did the copies for me. Charged me slightly more than Staples because of my quantity, but on Tuesday - it is FOUR CENTS a copy for black and white. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    I get to support (ever so slightly) another local store.

And my audio book is so EXCITING - I think I am going to throw the head phones on while I sew today and see how that goes.

I did lots of prep for my two classes today, but the weather is pretty bad so we have cancelled them. YEAH - I get the day to MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!    

On that note - I had better get busy if I want to accomplish anything.



Have an AWESOME AWESOME day!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!




(PS - I will post that recipe for the red lentil soup)