Christmas is coming?????????????

I am sorry to go on and on about my spin classes, but I am in LOVE with them. I went this morning and had a super workout. You just can't leave the class without feeling good even though you are sweaty and tired and hungry!!!!   I haven't been going on Wednesday morning as they changed the instructor and I had NOT heard good things about her. I try to get to the Wednesday evening class, but I can't go tonight so I went to this one. While I wasn't that thrilled with the instructor - I really did try to keep an open mind, but she doesn't present the same level of motivation that the others do. She doesn't seem to connect with the participants. That is hard to describe but there is a difference.

Well no worry - I had the batteries changed in my heart rate monitor and I sort of did my own thing and it was awesome. And I had to laugh because there was a video playing when I went in (there always is) and I thought - I recognize this. Yep - it was around the mountains in BC!!!!!    So I felt like I was riding across Canada again!!!!

Weighed myself (hey - you have to keep on top of these things). Body fat percentage is even lower than when I got home. Weight is down a bit - my metabolism is going strong and I intend to keep it that way. I even had to tighten up that heart rate monitor (haven't really worn it since I got back because the batteries in both parts were dead) and it kept falling off this morning. But now it is tightened and should be fine for Friday morning.

OK - now what did I get done in the quilting department????   Well not enough, but I did get through some of the items on my written TO DO list (nothing on the visual list) and now I have made a NEW TO DO list for today.   No - I lied - I did get something done on the visual TO DO list.


I went through a bit of that stuff that was donated to the guild. Now a bunch of it has already gone to our boutique for the quilt show. It is for sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Come and see us!!!

I found these mini patterns - if you look close you will see that they came from Quilter's Fancy!!!!   Remember that store??   That was one of the FIRST quilt stores that I ever went to and I was in SHOCK when I saw the QUANTITY of fabrics all lined up by colour. I will never forget that!!!!!   And funny, but I drove past that location yesterday on my way to visit my client - more on that in a minute.   No date on these patterns. 

Mug rug patterns from Canadian Quilter's Association - dated 1990.

Two orphan blocks which went in my orphan block box

This cute pattern by Angie Krotowski. Remember her - she is the one that made that big CBC quilt many years ago. Seems like she had a store - the address is on the pattern. There was ONE block done. I kept the pattern and the block and the rest of the fabric got donated to the guild. 

Lots of photocopies of patterns. 

Everything that was photocopied - I put in the recycled paper bin. What are you going to do with all those???  You can't sell it and no one is going to want it - so recycling it went. This is a HUGE problem - people copy patterns all the time and NEVER use them. So that is a HUGE waste of resources. I used to be really bad for that. Now if I do copy, I am EXTREMELY selective about what I copy.

There is still this to go through. Looks like a lot of patterns with templates. These might be worth keeping, but I am thinking I might see if they can be sent to Africa or somewhere where they will actually be used. I doubt they will get any use here.

More cutting on the Farmer's Wife blocks. I think I got about 5 cut yesterday.  Some of them are FIDDLY to cut - small pieces and LOTS of them. 

See - loads of pieces for that block and SMALL

And I really hope I have enough fabric to cut all the blocks. The pieces I am left with are getting smaller and smaller, but there is still a LOT in the book. 

Bagged, tagged and ready to sew blocks for Farmer's Wife!!!!

OK - so Sunday evening was vegetarian night at our house. What to have????   Well DH was in charge of a tofu stir fry. All I can say is that we all need some practice in the kitchen. At first bite I could taste that it was LADEN with oil. Now DH thinks that MORE is better but in the case of oil??????   He toasted the tofu in oil, did part of the stir fry in oil and then ADDED more oil to cook the other veggies and then added SESAME OIL - oh yes - it was swimming in oil.   I rarely cook with oil - I hate cooking with oil. I hate greasy food!!!!    When we asked how much oil he had used he wouldn't tell us, but he did admit that he used too much. Oh yes - it is a learning experience for all of us.

My issue is with spring rolls which was my menu item.

Can you see my rice paper waiting to be rolled up????  

 Well my issue was not following a recipe - just the general directions from M. Hmmmmm - she told me to bake them - with OIL. I put a bit on, but I didn't like the texture of them.

Ready to bake - those rice paper things are STICKY

Baked spring rolls - very chewy texture

Anyway - then I tried them fresh. I DO NOT like the texture of those rice papers. Too sticky and gummy for my liking. Reminds me of dim sum which I HATE because of the texture. I guess that the only way I am going to like spring rolls is if they are fried and I NOT eating them fried. So no spring rolls for me!!!!

M got off easy again with a salad. But onions - holy cow - the thing was FULL of onions. I like onions but not that many. 

Oh yes - we are learning a whole lot with this new cooking venture. And indeed there is a LOT of dinner discussion as we try to figure out whether the meal (or item) is worth repeating!!!!    Ah - the things that a family does for entertainment!!!!

Meanwhile, Sparky just sits on the sidelines - hoping something will fall and she can make a dash in to scoop it. 

Went to Wal-Mart last night (a rare occurrence for me) to find rubber cement and they had NONE. But look what we did find.......................

The LEGO advent calendars are OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of Christmas - here is a prezzie from Ronda. A gorgeous nutcracker and I got the pressie early so I could put him out with the rest of my nutcrackers. Well it is a bit early but he will be ready!!!!

M and I spotted a magazine with all kinds of cute Halloween stuff and she remarked - Oh wouldn't it be nice to do all that stuff for Halloween. Well yes it would, but it takes time. I was motivated to get out a few Halloween decorations last night!!!!   Including a BIG spider for the front door.    Beware if you come to my house.


And my client. This is the same fellow that I made the FOUR quilts from his neck ties. Now he has TWO of his wife's dresses that he would like a quilt from each.

The one on the left should be easy as there is already a HUGE star for the center. Then work a border from the sash and the top and find something to match to make it a bed or lap size. The other one is fair game - got to think about what to do with that one. They are both long - the one on the left was made (and you can tell it was probably home made) - anyway it was made in 1967 - the year of the centennial. The other one, he has a photo of the entire family and his wife was wearing that dress. I am going to put it on the label. 

On that note - I am LATE LATE this morning and my HUGE TO DO list beckons.


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


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