It's here!

It arrived last week, but it took me this long to post about it. Shameful!



Yum.

Thanks again to Katy of I'm a Ginger Monkey for this fabulous pillow!



It's made up of fabulous pieces of Liberty of London, Kona Raisin and Kona Cerise.

Oh yeah, and in case you are wondering...it looks EVEN BETTER in person!

365 April

1. 365.97, 2. 365.98, 3. 365.99, 4. 365.100, 5. 365.101, 6. 365.102, 7. 365.103, 8. 365.104, 9. 365.105, 10. 365.105, 11. 365.106, 12. 365.107, 13. 365.108, 14. 365.109, 15. 365.110, 16. 365.111, 17. 365.112, 18. 365.113, 19. 365.114, 20. 365.115, 21. 365.116, 22. 365.117, 23. 365.118, 24. 365.119, 25. 365.120, 26. 365.121, 27. 365.122, 28. 365.123, 29. 365.124, 30. 365.125

things i love to hate

I just come right out and say it: tracing patterns sucks! I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that.

Up until yesterday my pattern tracing has gone a little something like this. Find pattern I like. Decided which size to make (if applicable). Tape many pieces of plain printer paper together. Squint through paper to find appropriate lines. Trace in pencil since I'm bound to do it wrong. Fix mistakes. Go over pencil lines with pen or sharpie. Repeat for all pattern pieces. WAY TOO MUCH WORK!

A few days ago I had an epiphany. Parchment paper! It's wider than normal paper or any of the other food papers and wraps that come in rolls. At about 15" wide, it's wide enough to trace almost any pattern piece I could need. It's semi transparent so it's easy to use for tracing, thicker than tissue paper so it's more durable, but not so thick as regular paper , making it more flexible.

I was so stoked when I thought of this that I had to fight the urge to run out and get some parchment paper right then. Instead I stayed home and finished a big project I really needed to get done. (More on that later.)

I bought some parchment paper and a set of coloured double tipped permanent markers on my way to work tomorrow and did some pattern tracing while the kids slept.



My biggest problem (possibly bigger than the paper issue) is my need to have ALL the sizes traced. If I've made a pattern once I feel the need to make sure I have all possible sizes traced so I can just get to the sewing the next time I want to make it.

Enter Handmade Beginnings.

There are no fewer than 5 patterns in that book that both require the pattern to be traced AND I find to be amazing and indispensable. The Quick Change Trousers, Cute as a Button Booties, Sleep Sack, Baby in the Hood Jacket and Picture Perfect Dress are all fabulous, relatively easy patterns that are great for baby showers and gifts for friends with new babies.

I am currently in the middle of making not one but 2 Baby in the Hood Jackets and I can tell you I will be making plenty more. My only sadness comes from the fact that the sizes only go up to 24 months, otherwise I would be making them for the twins as well.

All this to say, I have finished tracing all the sizes for 3.5 of the previously mentioned patterns and I've used a whole 33' roll of parchment paper. Good thing it's cheap! I think I may need an intervention soon, because after the patterns from Handmade Beginnings I'll be moving onto my 2 favourites from Style Stitches and then the Ice Cream Dress by Oliver + S.

Somebody stop me.

plain spoken III - top complete!

I can't believe it! Yesterday I finally finished the quilt top for Plain Spoken III. You know, the on that was a pile of fabric sitting on my desk in November and is going to become a wedding quilt for our friends who were married in October? Haha, clearly it was never going to be done on time.



As of this week, I was still super stumped on how I was possibly going to quilt this beast. It currently sits about about 119" by 117" which is probably unreasonably large. But on Tuesday my dear, sweet, intelligent husband suggested a brilliant idea! I'm not going to share it just yet. I want to make sure it works first. Fingers crossed for me!

When the top was finished it was too big to hold up outside and no one was around to hold it for me anyways, so I decided to set it up on our bed and snap a couple of shots. You can see just how big it is. It hangs quite close to the ground on either side and it is so long that it is pulled all the way to the headboard and tucked around the mattress AND box spring with about 6 inches underneath at the foot board. It's true that I have it on a queen sized bed, but still. I am hoping that quilting and washing will reduce it's size by about 4-5 inches each in width and length.



I've decided to quilt it the exact same way as Plain Spoken II. I'll quilt straight(ish) lines about 1/4 inch apart, across the width of the quilt. And I've decided to be really daring and quilt it in medium gray! I keep trying to remind myself what Clinton & Stacy always say "neutrals go with neutrals" and stop freaking out about quilting a brown and beige quilt with gray. Again, this was dear, sweet hubby's idea. And when I checked with my ultra stylish brother, he agreed that no shade of blue or brown would be quite right and would make it seem too matchy. I like the idea of it feeling a bit more eclectic, so I'm just going to go for it!

The goal for today is to iron all the layers, baste it and start the quilting. Of course to do that, I have to move my dining room table into the living room, wash the floors and wrestled 120 square inches of batting, backing and quilt top over my ironing board. Hmm...maybe I'll just iron on the kitchen floor...

Wish me luck!

time off plans

I have almost 2 full weeks off starting today (what can I say? my job rocks!) I have decided that I had better use this unexpected gift wisely and try to be productive. So, here (in order to keep me accountable) is a list of the goals I hope to accomplish by the end of the month:

1. Finish the Plain Spoken III top, wash the backing and baste the quilt.
2. Finish cutting all the pieces for my Single Girl quilt. Piece all the rings.
3. Find a great deal and order 25 yards of Kona Snow for my Single Girl quilt.
4. Make a throw pillow to match the Single Girl quilt.
5. Do some spring cleaning and organizing. Mainly in my sewing area and the storage closests in the house.
6. Put away (most) of the winter stuff.
7. Make all of the Craft it Forward gifts that I owe people. (More on that later.)
8. Organize more Crafternoons with Esther (I'll call you Esther!)
9. Do LOTS of blogging!
10. Go to the gym everyday but Sunday.

There is also a distinct possibility that I could end up with a paid sewing job for some curtains that need to be altered. They are massive and heavy and would require me to bring my machine to them, so if I do end up getting that little job I will have to put aside 2 days to go and get that done.

So there we go. 10, maybe 11 things that I would like to get done by the end of my "vacation" time. The gym thing would be really nice to accomplish since I have been super lazy recently. I wanted to start running outside a few weeks ago, but the weather in Calgary has been uncooperative as per usual. I think it would help my energy levels and overall happiness to be doing something active each day.

To help me keep organized, I've started using Teux Deux. Have you heard of it? Not only does the name make me laugh, but it is super easy to use and also quite nice to look at. Check it out. Of course the downside is that when you can keep track of your to do's on a daily basis it's easy to see how little you got done the day before if you were being lazy. Oh well.

get jealous

Yeah, get prepared to be insanely jealous!

If you aren't familiar with Katy of i'm a ginger monkey, you should definitely check her out. She does amazing work, and was most recently one of the hosts of the Single Girl Support Group.

She just hosted a giveaway for a GORGEOUS pillow made from the Single Girl pattern and a pile of really beautiful Liberty of London prints and GUESS WHAT??

I won!

I'm so over the top about this. In the 3 years I have been reading sewing blogs and entering giveaways I have only won one other giveaway, and thanks to the ever incompetent Canada Post, my prize never arrived. I'm sure it's sitting in limbo somewhere in a big warehouse in Ottawa or something like that.

Anyways, here it is:



Photo by: imagingermonkey

Seriously. I can't wait for it to get here. I'm sure it doesn't match anything in my house, but I think it will be my special pillow I carry around with me wherever I go.

Go ahead, get your jealousy on. :)

cosmo bag - complete!

I did it. I made a huge bag from a pattern and I didn't screw it up! I got Style Stitches by Amy Butler out of the library last week and decided to make the Cosmo Bag. Not only is it the first bag in the book, but it might be the cutest one too!

The bag is a present for a friend who is super funky and stylish, so I sure hope it lives up to her style!

I used a cotton blend home decor weight fabric from ikea for the main body with a dark wash denim for the straps and exterior detail. For the lining I chose Kona cotton in Cerise. Overall, even though the pattern is super labor intensive, I really enjoyed making the bag. Other than one or two steps, most of it is really straight forward. I specifically love the pleating and the giant button covered in coordinating fabric.



I will say this for the pattern: it could have used a few more diagrams or photos. There are not enough. At a few points I was thoroughly confused and had to re-read the step several times. I was really glad to have found a few different sew alongs online that had extra pictures and explanations.

It was a real bonehead move for me to use denim for the straps and exterior detail. It was already really thick and then I added interfacing, and since the seams are all supposed to be ironed to the side, in some cases there were as many as 6 layers of interfaced denim at one seam. I re-sewed the top stitching around the edges of the handles 5 different times.



I added a little label on the inside of the bag to give it a little something special. I didn't really want to add a Superlative Sewing label so I made a cute little squiggle with a custom stitch on my machine.



I did make one change to the pattern. Instead of 2 floppy slip pockets on each side, I made 3 on one side and a zipper pocket on the other.

Now here's the crazy part: This bag took me over 12 hours to make! I'm really hoping that was mostly because I hadn't made it before and because of all the re-sewing of the top stitching because I want one for myself! Happy Birthday Mel!

dqs10 - received!

I finally got my doll quilt from round 10 of the Doll Quilt Swap! It arrived in my mailbox on Monday, all the way from Canberra, Australia! The lovely Leah of PuggleLogic made me this beautiful abstract quilt entitled "Birch in Winter".



With the quilt came a sweet little card and a Cherry Ripe chocolate bar. At least I think it's chocolate. I've never heard of it, but I'm excited to try it!

My photos definitely don't do this little quilt justice. The quilting is phenomenal! I don't know where Leah learned to quilt like that, but I am seriously jealous of her skills.



Thanks again Leah, I was super happy to get your quiltjavascript:void(0) in my mailbox!

rant

I've had a few things rolling around in my head for a few days and I finally decided to put there down somewhere so I can stop thinking about them. Here goes:

1. Almost everyone I know, myself included, has opinions about raising and interacting with children. Since I don't yet have kids of my own, in many ways I don't feel qualified to have opinions. However, I work as a nanny to 3 fabulous kids and have for a couple of years now, and it has provided ne an opportunity to sort out some of my personal opinions and ideas about raising children. Don't worry, I'm not going to share them with you here. I believe that everyone has the right to raise their children in whatever way they feel is right and best for them and I try very hard not to offer advice unless specifically asked. But I'll admit, I have criticized (either in my head or to a family member or friend) some odd parenting choices I've seen from time to time.

The reason I have been thinking about this is becuase of something that happened last Friday. I took one of the kids to a fun morning play group with songs, art and activities. He is normally a very happy and out going little guy but was obviously feeling a little off his game that day. It was a full hour of mini meltdowns and temper tantrums, and if I was feeling bold enough, I should have just taken him home early. That probably would have been the best solution. Not because I felt he needed to be punished, but because he wasn't happy and I wasn't happy and it was stressing us both out. Oh well, hindsight, right?

After the free play portion of the morning, we moved on to art and the meltdown ramped up even more. I did what I could to move him on to doing something he enjoys and try to redirect, and when that didn't work I calmly said "no more" and let him sit where he was and work it out. The idea was that he usual calms down quite quickly and comes back to where the fun is. He had been sitting on the floor crying for no more than 15 seconds when a mother fom the class came up and gave me a faux sympathetic look and said in a very syrupy voice "would you mind if I try holding him?" I was so surprised by this that without thinking I agreed. It was only once she had picked him up that I realized how pissed I was. She proceeded to bounce and snuggle and coo at him like he was an infant and say things to me like "oooh, he's a sensitive little guy isn't he?". After a minute of this, he was more upset than he had been and I regained my presence of mind enough to take him back.

Here's my question: why was this woman thinking it was her place to step in? He wasn't in any pain or being neglected, he was a toddler having a temper tantrum. And why, when she offered "help" did she thinking it was appropriate to do so in such an obnoxious and condescending way?
I am young, yes. Not necessarily too young to have a child of my own, but young. And I look younger than I am. I frequently get mistaken for a high schooler, and I frequently get mistaken for a mother when I am out with the kids I nanny. But still, why would you offer unsolicited parenting advice to a stranger or offer to hold them with the not so subtle underone of "I can do it better than you."

I recently read a serious of posts entitled Momness by Kacy of Every Day I Write the Book, about this subject and I have to agree. Unless you know soneone and their kid(s) personally, butt out. And even if you do know them, tread lightly and respectfully and offer something constrctive instead of just plain critical. Otherwise you may get punched in the face. Because that is what I felt like doing.

Moving on.

2. A sure sign of spring in our community is a sudden and steep increase in the number of people knocking on our door. I don't know what it is about our particular part of town, but I have never had so many unwelcome visitors to our front porch.

To name a few: ADT, the Jehovas Witnesses, the Mormons, municipal political candidates, the scouts, the yellow pages, the Calgary Herlald, the Calgary Sun, it goes on.

Last weekend we had the Scouts AND the Jehovah's Witnesses (twice) over two days. I was irritated by the scouts because they were doing a bottle drive to raise money for their troop and had posted big billboards asking people who wanted to donate to put them on their porch, clearly labeled, by a certain time on a certain day. We don't give money to the Scouts. We don't want to give our bottles to the Scouts. So we didn't put any bottles out. And guess what? They came knocking anyway. I was polite and friendly to the boy that came to the door, because he was a kid, but I was irritated that a leader was sending their kids around to ask.

Not 5 minutes after I sent the Scout away, a pair of men dressed in suits and carrying little pamphlets on Jesus came knocking. I opened the door and greeted them and they immediately started in on their speech. I quickly interrupted them and said as politely as possibly, "I'm sorry but we have a sign on our door that clearly states 'No Solicitors". We are not interested." Big shocker, they started telling me they weren't soliciting but merely telling me about Jesus. I call that soliciting religious information. I wasn't so polite after that. I told them I consider them solicitors and they are not exempt from the sign, and to please leave immediately and by the way, don't come back.

Call me mean or cranky, but if I want information on your religious organization or political campaign, or a vacuum, or alarm system or ANYTHING ELSE, I will come find you. Please do no knock on my door at 9am on a Saturday morning and bother me with it. I will shut the door in your face.

The Jehovah's Witness's came back the next morning and then I was really pissed. I pointed to the sign, said "What does it say???" And again, they told me they weren't soliciting. Seriously. I told them what I told their friends yesterday and to get lost.

Needless to say, I will be our replacing the sign with something bigger and more menacing. How does this sound:

PLEASE NO:
Solicitors, Peddlers, Sales People, Religious/Spiritual Organizations, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, Canvassers, Free Trial Offers, Energy Companies, Flyers, Phone Books, Yellow Pages or Home Security Companies

If you think you might be exempt from that list, you are NOT. Do not ring the bell, knock on the door or leave anything behind. We don't want it. If you ignore this we will call your company or organization and complain, and we will call the city and complain about you and your company.

Neighbours, Friends, Family and Newspapers always welcome!

Haha, do I sound like enough of a grump yet?? Obviously I won't put all that on a sign, but people interrupting my personal time make me cranky...so maybe I will!

a random finish

A WHILE back, (like...November?) I made a set of 10 colourful over sized bibs as a custom order. I was asked to make them for a child of an acquaintance of a friend. You follow? Anyways, the girl who got them is around 10 years old and has severe cerebral palsy which means (among other things)that she has no control over her saliva. This results in excessive drooling which means this poor girl has to have her clothes changed about 4 times a day, just to keep her from being soaking wet. The family has tried towels and bibs to help, but nothing seemed to work.



I came up with a plan to make a bib big enough to fit me that had a fun cotton on the top followed by 2 absorbent layers (1 cotton, 1 cotton batting) and backed with a plastic layer to prevent it from soaking through. I had a pile of fun fabrics sitting around in my stash that I had yet to find a use for and I thought that since they were going to become a part of her wardrobe, they should be more fun than just whatever I had lying around. For the backing, I purchased an eco-friendly white shower curtain liner and cut it to pieces. It was a bit difficult to sew with but did the trick.

I picked out some cool stuff and added a second pattern to each bib for the strings. I used 1"bias binding to make the strings and it seemed to work pretty well.



Here they are on their way to their new home. I didn't deliver them in person, but rather let my friend take them over and I haven't heard whether they work well, but I sure hope they do! In any case, they were super fun to make and it was really good to actually put some of my stash to good use.

hubby turns 30

Well, it happened. Joel turned 30! We had a great time celebrating this weekend and I thought I would share some pictures with you.

On Friday night we went out for dinner to Charcut. Yum! They are a fairly new roast house type restaurant located in a new boutique hotel downtown called Hotel Le Germain. Decor was a great mix of modern and rustic, with lots of leather and wood and glass everywhere.



We ordered a wide variety of things off their ever changing menu. There were warm soft pretzels with homemade mustard, shaved lamb with grated gruyere, pickled heirloom carrots, cucumbers and beets, roasted chicken and charred vegetables, prawn fetuccini and duck fat fried poutine with truffle gravy. Needless to say, by the time we were done with all that we had no room left for dessert, despite the fact that a friend of ours there is one of the dessert chefs and has an original recipe on the menu.

Saturday was the main event and Joel's actual birthday. I got up and went to the grocery store despite the 10cm of snow on the ground that had fallen the night before, and bought some fresh french bread and lots of fresh fruit. We had a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and fruit and then I spent the rest of the day getting ready for the party.

We decided to host a Gentleman's Evening which if you think too hard sounds a bit like strippers and beer, but trust me, was waaaay better than that! 20 of us gathered at our house, decked out in our finest. The boys played in a poker tournament while the girls provided wait service for the evening. Thank goodness I have girlfriends who are willing to regress a little and spend the evening serving the men while they smoke cigars, drink scotch and play cards! It all felt a little Mad Men.





There was for food than 50 people could have eaten, and a VERY well stocked bar. Joel and I worked together to come up with a drinks menu for the guys to order from, including some signature highballs and martinis.



Since we had to split the group into two to play poker, after both tables had dwindled to 4 people we took a bit of a break. The guys (and Mel!) stepped outside to smoke their cigars, which were Cuban because well, we can have those in Canada. After that we cut the cake (complete with 30 candles) and enjoyed a few pieces. The cake came from Marble Slab Creamery and was beyond delicious! Chocolate Amaretto with Skor, Krispy Krunch, Reese's Pieces and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups mixed in. SO decadent!



We had a blast! And as far as I can tell, so did everyone else. No less than 4 guys at the party said they wanted to repeat the event at their own birthday. Even all the hard working ladies said they had a great time, and it was fun to watch the men "get manly" for the night.



Of course there had to be some birthday kisses too!



I do wish I had been able to snap some pictures before the party instead of after. When it was all set up, the place looked fantastic. Call me crazy, but I ended up disassembling our 110" long sofa with two chaises and moving all the parts to different places in the house all to make room for the second poker table. I hung paper pennants (made for his party last year) in different directions all across the kitchen, living room and dining room.



I also added a Happy Birthday pennant banner on the short wall by the front door.



Like I said above, we made up some drinks menus that we printed back to back and cut in half to make them long and skinny. We hung a full page version with extra info on the cabinet door above the bar counter.



I was so happy to be able to give Joel such a fun party. 30 is definitely a milestone and everyone should get to ring it in with a bang!

There is actually going to be one more part of his party which will come in a month or two. We are planning a white water rafting trip with about a dozen on our friends. We just need to find a date that works for everyone and book it! I have to say, I'm looking forward to that part a lot less than I was looking forward to the party.

365 March

1. 365.67, 2. 365.68, 3. 365.69, 4. 365.70, 5. 365.71, 6. 365.72, 7. 365.73, 8. 365.74, 9. 365.74, 10. 365.75, 11. 365.76, 12. 365.77, 13. 365.78, 14. 365.79, 15. 365.80, 16. 365.81, 17. 365.82, 18. 365.83, 19. 365.84, 20. 365.85, 21. 365.86, 22. 365.87, 23. 365.88, 24. 365.89, 25. 365.90, 26. 365.91, 27. 365.92, 28. 365.93, 29. 365.94, 30. 365.95, 31. 365.96

DQS10 - complete!

It's done! And a week ahead of time, no less. A freaking miracle by my standards!

It took me weeks of doodling and waffling on all sorts of ideas, but about 2 weeks ago I finally decided on a plan and got to work. I was feeling pretty intimidated considering my swap partner said she likes more traditional patchwork and I don't usually work in that style.

I feel like it turned out pretty well!



There are definitely some wonky bits and some cut off points, but I did the best I could and I am happy with how it turned out. Of course, once I was done all the blocks, I looked up a tutorial today and found out it would have been way easier to assemble them as 4 patches instead of in rows like I was building a log cabin. Oh well, live and learn. Next time I will try it the other way.



The back is pretty simple. I added a pieced in label and since my partner won't get it for another week or so, I have covered her name to keep it a surprise. I also added a little hanging sleeve which is a first for me. I don't know why I had never done that before.



I also made a fun little reversible mug rug to go along with it. I hadn't made one yet and since they are very "of the moment" I thought it would be fun to add. I guess if I had to pick, technically this would be the front. Originally I was going to quilt it in concentric organic circles, but I got about 4 circles in and hated it, so I changed to straight lines.



And here is the back. Totally improv, and I think I might like it more than the front.



I also included a little hand written letter and a bundle of some favourite scraps. I wanted to send more, but shipping internationally from Canada costs an arm and a leg, so I had to try and keep the weight down. I actually really wanted to add this neat Kath Kidston book I have, but clearly that would have added too much weight.

I'm super glad to have been able to participate in this round of the Doll Quilt Swap, and will definitely sign up for the next round! Now I just have to post this little package tomorrow and sit back and wait for my little quilty to arrive.

a long week

One of the downsides to my super awesome job (feel free to want to set me on fire after I finish this sentence) is that when I work several full days in a row it feels like the longest week of my life.

This week has felt extra long. Of course, that is not to say that I didn't enjoy my days with the kids, I really and truly did, but I just feel exhausted. Here's the kicker: I only worked 3 full days this week. (I should say that a full day for me is usally 9-10 hours instead of the usual 8.) Oh geez, as I write this I realize what a complainer I sound like.

I tend to get kind of whiny and emotional around the time change every year. I don't sleep well, I just feel lazy and un-motivated. It's not a good scene.

The point of all this complaining is this: when I get like this, it's good for me to sit down and think of all the things I have to be proud of or thankful for. So instead of 10 on Tuesday, here is 10 on Thursday.

1. I have an awesome job that means I get paid to play with some of the cutest kids you'll ever meet. It also means I work for people who are kind, generous and great parents who treat me very well. Lucky.

2. I am married to a sweet and hardworking man. He fills my life with laughter (especially when I really need it) supports me in all my endeavors and works his hiney off at school and his internship so he can get a job that will (later in life) support our family.



3. I have the cutest cats in the world! Seriously, at least a couple of times a week, Joel and I marvel at how good it is to have them in our lives. We both had pets throughout our childhood and had to wait 5 and 11 years respectively before getting our own pets, and we couldn't be happier. They are sweet little monkeys who follow us around the house and make us laugh constantly.



4. I live in a great house in a great city in a great country. We are heading into our third year in this house (amazing since I moved 8 times in the 5 years previous) and it feels like home. We may only rent but it makes such a difference to live in a place that I feel comfortable in, and that allows us to live a lifestyle that we love. It has enough space for me to have a dedicated sewing area and 3 extra rooms which we fill with guests and roommates. Also, despite the current silliness going on with the Canadian government (seriously, silly) I love being Canadian. I am happy to say I live in a country of such beauty and vast wilderness, where people from every culture and religion are accepted with open arms and I can live peacefully and safely.

5. I have great friends. I won't bore you with the names of all the people you don't know that I love but I count myself lucky to be friends with such a long list of truly high quality people. A special shout out to my long time dear special friend Krissy. Oh, and also, Candace-bo-bandace who I love spending Sundays with. You two make my heart happy.

6. This week I did some major sewing for once. What's up Doll Quilt Swap! I am so happy to have been chosen to participate, and while I was really stumped for quite some time, I am now finished except for binding. I spent many hours making tiny HST's and while they aren't quite perfect, I am really happy with the result. More on that later.



7. I was super productive in other ways this week too! I cleaned the WHOLE house on Monday. (A really amazing feat for me) and then made sure it was tidied up again on Wednesday. I made dinner TWICE this week which if you know me means that hell might possibly have frozen over. I did a ton of laundry and...yup, that's it. Haha, but seriously, that's a whole lot of domestic goddessness for me to accomplish in one week. And guess what?? I plan on continuing tomorrow!

8. I got back into reading this week! I guess technically I got back into it while in Mexico. I read Jodie Picoult's House Rules, which I do not recommend. I enjoyed it until the very end when I literally though "Really? I wasted over 500 pages just for that weak ending??" This is all beside the point. I started reading The Poisonwood Bible this past week and so far so good. I've had it for a while, but finally picked it up on the recommendation of the aforementioned Krissy. She says it is her favourite book in the entire world and so for her I am giving it a read. And Krissy I promise we will chat about it when I am done. Or maybe I will write you a letter?

9. I got some really positive feedback from one of my families this week. I talked with J's mom today when she got home and I have to say it feels good to know that I am liked and that I am doing a good job. I try to tell them, but I hope they know, I love my job and I love their J. It truly makes my life good to work with them and I look forward to lots more time spent with them.

10. I have a quiet night to myself tonight. Hubby is off playing poker with the boys tonight. Just me and the cats and our roommate having a quiet night to himself elsewhere in the house. This ia a pretty rare thing, and I don't usually look forward to it. Joel and I talk about this sometimes, how we feel like we spend much less time away from each other than many of the other married couples we know. Not that they spend too little, or we spend too much, it's just different. We are best friends and homebodies and love to spend evenings in, eating dinner together and maybe watching our current favourite tv show or working side by side on various projects. But tonight it's just me. I've got a stack of books from my trip to the library today, a cup of tea and a cup of chocolate milk, How I Met Your Mother is queued on the tv and I am in our warm on toasty bed. Life is good.



Wow, writing that out makes me feel good. Oh, and one more thing: as depressing as it was to have to switch back to waking up in the dark, since we are so far north, I have to tell you, we gain almost 4 minutes of daylight each day! Yes!

Thanks for reading through my very long list of ramblings. I'll get back to quilting and sewing related things in the next couple days once my DQS10 package is shipped off.

tropical breezes

So, as I posted about several times, dear hubby and I went on vacation to Mexico. It was AWESOME!

Our first tropical vacation together, and our first trip that was just for us. Each time we have gone away (other than our honeymoon) we have to gone to visit friends or family. All of those trips were great and it was wonderful treat to visit with people we love, but there is something so great about getting to be with just each other.

We flew out on a VERY cold morning. -37 degrees celsius (-34 F?) is more than enough motivation to go somewhere warm.



The resort we stayed at was amazing. For those of you looking for a great place to stay, check out the Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun. Seriously.





We went for a VERY long walk down the beach to Playa del Carmen one day.



We saw amazing birds and iguanas all week. Checked out Coco Bongo and it is exactly as crazy as it's name sounds. You should check it out too. But be prepared, we were up until 5am. Yikes!

The food was awesome, the staff were great and super friendly, and lets be honest, who needs the cold? I wish I was still there.

It was a wonderful and much needed break from reality and responsibility, and it was so great to spend a week with Joel.

Sigh.

Maybe next year when Joel is done school we can go to somewhere warm again!

365 February

1. 365.39, 2. 365.40, 3. 365.40, 4. 365.41, 5. 365.42, 6. 365.43, 7. 365.44, 8. 365.45, 9. 365.46, 10. 365.47, 11. 365.48, 12. 365.49, 13. 365.50, 14. 365.51, 15. 365.52, 16. 365.53, 17. 365.54, 18. 365.55, 19. 365.56, 20. 365.57, 21. 365.58, 22. 365.59, 23. 365.60, 24. 365.61, 25. 365.62, 26. 365.63, 27. 365.64, 28. 365.65

the family quilt - finished!

Let me tell you a story about a very special quilt. From the beginning I loved the idea but wasn't sure I would love the process. In fact I was pretty much dreading it. The quilt was commissioned by my mother for my Grandma and Grandpa (affectionately known as Nini & Papa). She asked me to include a selection of family photos and to make it in a style that would suit Nini & Papa's condo.

Eek.

After weeks and weeks and months of procrastination and frittering away time, I finally came up with a plan that I felt would create a balanced quilt in a traditional style. Originally I was going to see if I could find some Bonnie & Camille fabric but that was a no go locally and I didn't have time to find it online, I found something else.

I pulled a collection of fabrics in pinks, creams and browns.



I started cutting and piecing and it was all coming together well. Until I realized that when you use iron-on transfer paper, you shouldn't iron the pictures. I had to re-stick the paper backing on the pictures and try to iron around them all to keep them intact.



Anyways, after it was all said and done I was pretty happy with it. I only quilted in the ditch to keep it simple, and used the backing wrapped around the front to bind it.

The best part about this whole project was seeing the pictures from when my grandparents opened it.

Here they are, as recorded by my step-dad:











Aren't they so cute??



My Nini is so beautiful! Apparently she was so touched by the quilt that after all the kerfuffle she sat down and had a good happy cry.



After they opened the quilt we all hopped on Skype for a while to chat. On the computer screen you can see Joel and I sitting in his office and I wrapped in one of my great-grandmother's quilts.

It was a great experience making something so personal for people I love so much. So much of my childhood is filled with memories of my grandparents. They were (and are!) so good to us. We spent weeks during the summer at their cottage, lots of Sunday night dinners at their house, playing pranks with my Papa, going to see movies where my Nini would pack little goody bags of treats to sneak in. They are great.

Apparently the quilt is hanging on the wall in their bedroom where they can look at it often. That makes me smile.