Christmas Eve!

It's noon on Christmas Eve day! Don't know about you, but it doesn't feel like Christmas is actually here. Yes, it's cold out there and lots of snow. The tree is decorated and the presents wrapped. The grocery store was super busy at 9 this morning and the food dish is ready to take to my sister's for Christmas dinner.
It still just doesn't feel like Christmas. Maybe, I'm too far ahead. Usually, time is spent running around buying last minute gifts and rushing home to finish gifts. Maybe I should go to the mall for ol' times sake. NAW. Think I'll just sit and read some modern quilt books or piece some blocks or watch the yule log or movies while drinking hot cocoa. YEAH that's sounds better!

A Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Night!

World Ending

Will the world really end tomorrow or Saturday? Hope not as there is still a lot of quilting that I have to do.

 

I'll have to live to be 300 to use up all my fabric so this 11" deep tub is filled with 150 meters, 164+ yards, for Victoria Quilts, Okotoks, Alberta chapter.

 

 

And even though this fabric is getting a new home it's always good to get more!

 

 



Never Say Never

Went with a friend to one of the quilt stores so she could purchase some Minky and we could visit with a sew group that meets on Thursday.

"I'm not going to buy anything!" Wrong.

As we walked in, a clerk walked past with a couple bolts of the Urbanista from Studio e Fabrics. After visiting we're looking around. "Slow down, we need to look more carefully." Around the corner, it's Urbanista. OMG. Betcha you can't guess what happened next?



Canadian Maple Leaf Quilt

Finally, enough time to spend this morning catching up on all the blogs that I love to follow and visiting many more. I love being a Canadian, am extremely proud to say I was born a Canadian and even though it gets so cold that you have to wear long underwear, I love living in Canada! Especially living in Calgary where the mountains are so close and the skies are so blue.

Many years ago, when P&B Textiles created a fantastic red & white maple leaf border, I designed a red and white quilt to show my patriotism to Canada. Many people made it for their kids going away to college/university outside of Canada. For years now a twin size Canadian flag quilt design has been rolling around in my head.  But, Cheryl at Dining Room Empire has come up with an even better idea. Check out her Canadian flag quilt! Gotta love, love, love it!

Strawberry Santa

Ok, so it's not Christmas yet but it's only one month + a couple days. Everyone is always looking for something unique to take to their guild's Christmas party or to potluck at friends or even for your own get together. Here is the easiest and most yummy, yes yummy, treat by Kiwi Crate.

Remembering ...

Thank you to those that fought so hard to make our freedom possible! 

 http://www.youtube.com/embed/Dd1FNPx_YN4

Black & White

Have been experimenting with black and white fabrics. Add a colour and voila.

A beautiful warm day today. The lake is still open and the ducks are still eating from the bird feeder. Check out the duck footprints in the snow.



Delivered

I never thought that the word "Delivered" would be so exciting. Not only was this exciting for me but it was exciting for the 2 UPS Stores involved in the shipping. As one of them said "It's not even my box!". The last 7 days were nail biting, up, down, phoning, anxiety, relief, unbelieving, very grateful. A huge THANK YOU for all that helped get this shipment to its destination.

Canadian Thanksgiving

Here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, there is always something to be thankful for besides family and friends.

Thankful that the weatherman got it wrong. It is raining and not snowing today. Yabba Dabba Do!

Thankful for elastic waist pants. May your day be filled with all the joys of turkey and pumpkin pie!

Next Quilt

AHHHHH! Look what I found in the basket at Traditional Pastimes. A 1/4 meter roll of blacks and a roll of golds. They screamed so loud to take me home that 2 of each came home. Ya gotta love that!

Getting Ready

WooHoo all 16 large quilts are bound and resting on the table. On top of the quilts are items that have to travel with the quilts as well. Hemmed 12 lengths of broadcloth for backdrop. They also have to be fireproofed. Under them are 2 table covers.

The dilemma is do they fly with me or are they shipped down and flown back with me. All was packed into these 3 large suitcases.

Notice the chrome wheels. Now I can pack the largest, 28", suitcase full and it is 70 lbs. So, was worried that when they were bursting at the seams they'd be well over 50 lbs. Nope, under 50 lbs. Why, no books and tightly packed fat quarter bundles. Only 1 more month to Houston.

I just love my back yard. It is a forest, a bird flight path, a feeding place and a stalking area. You got to laugh at Rocky, the neighbour's cat. He's been stalking these ducks for 40 feet, that are lunching up on the bird food that the birds spit out from the feeder above. Now what's so funny is that there is a 4' chain link fence and a line of spruce trees between him and the ducks. When he jumps up and over the fence there is such a racket from the chain hitting the poles that the ducks just fly away. Then he sits in the garden and stares at them in the lake. I'm sure he's thinking one day I'll get you. NOT!

One Binding Remaining

Fifteen, yes 15, bindings on. The last quilt from the quilter to be ready for pick up today.

Oh no, is it the 15th? Whew it isn't! Piece the 12" sampler block for the next Freebie 15, aka saturday sampler. What is it about not willing to pay for the next block?



Last Top!

Ok, last top; what colour, what fabrics?  Remember the clean up for quilt inventory.  Here they are under the stack of quilts.  This background with yellow and blue 'n red batik.  Final top completed.  A new favourite!

Stack of quilts waiting for bindings.  Count them, 12, plus 3 at the quilters and last one going this week.

Bindings waiting for quilts.  Deadline September 15 this year.



There Done! Oops!

Two more tops completed. Yeah I'm done!

Same quilt but different. Modern fabrics vs civil war/Jo Morton fabrics.

Let's clean up and take inventory. OHHHH NOOOO! Two more quilts are needed. Oh one just needs a border. Whew!

Now and for certain, only one more quilt top to be pieced. No problem!

Two Done Two More To Do

Woohoo! Two more quilt tops done. Tropical Breeze in traditional fabrics, i.e. shirtings, calicos, civil war... prints.

And Elegance in batik. With many thanks to a great friend I only had to add the borders.

Yep, the backs are pieced and ready for the quilter.

Another Elegance Done

It's done within a week. Thank goodness the Olympics are on as that is the only thing worthwhile listening to on tv while I'm piecing. Even the back, in back art, is complete.

Arctic Tropical Breeze

Another sample ready for the quilter. Tropical Breeze block of the month in Arctic whites and blues.

Only 6 more to go. Is it possible to make a sampler quilt top a week. Here's hoping. My volunteer position duties that should have taken 3 weeks took 8 weeks. So here we are again behind schedule. Cross your fingers. Olympic marathon of watching and piecing!

The neighbour's cat, Rocky, has taken over inspecting the backyard and making sure all is well. This time he decided to hang around thus preventing duck family of 8 from dining on the bird seed. She waited and waited and waited... only to return later in the evening for dinner.

Block 18, Crystals and Ducks

Block 18 and counting, but who's counting. It was so nice to go back to 2" squares.

Spent a few days in Chicago at the CHA show. Connie Tawfick, of Connie Crystal, had a make and take for this crochet wire beaded necklace. Wonderful wonderful lady. Beautiful Crystals and Beads. I highly recommend Connie Crystal for your beading requirements.

Sometimes ducks have it made in the summer heat paddling on the water all day and then lunching up on bird feed that the birds throw on the ground. This is the family of eight ducklings. The other family has six ducklings.