Call Me Old Fashioned….

…but when I buy a quilting magazine..I want to flip through it BEFORE I buy it…In other words, I do not want it in a sealed bag!!  I mean really…when I see it in a bag, I wonder what are they trying to hide?!  Are their quilts so pathetic that they don’t want anyone to see them??  Do they think if they put the magazine in a plastic bag we will think something REALLY good is inside..a big guarded secret?  Well I have news for them- I WON’T buy a quilt magazine that comes in a sealed plastic bag. (This diet is making me grouchy…)

Yesterday I saw this on the news stands…

Normally I would have left it on the shelf..it’s in a bag after all…BUT it also had this inside…I was curious…so I bought it.

Now the magazine…would I have bought it had it not been in a plastic bag?…probably..there are a couple of quilts that I really like and there are a few articles that I want to read, so yes..I would have bought it.  The CD?  It has one quilt on it that I love…but I know I will never make it..WHY?  Because before I make a quilt I like to savor the pattern…I read it over several times…get the fabric out and lay it down on the pattern and play around…can I do that with a CD…?  Sure BUT first I would have to print it off…call me old fashion but I like having everything in a magazine…

YIKES! I just had a thought…Is this the  magazines way of getting rid of paper and going to CD…scary thought!!   It’s kind of hard to curl up at night to a good Quilting CD….

What are your thoughts…will you buy a magazine in a sealed bag?  What about quilting CDs…do you like them? What do you do with them…AND how do you remember what’s on a CD?  So many questions for so early in the morning…I better pour us another coffee while we mull this over!

Have a Fun Friday and Happy Quilting!!

It’s a girl!!

While we were away we got the exciting news that my daughter’s best friend gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl!  Lisa, the baby’s mom, was like another member of the family as the girls were best buddies from Grade Six on..and what’s been really nice is that the girls have remained close all these years.

So this morning I went to my quilt stash and pulled out this quilt top…

Does this quilt not scream out LITTLE GIRL!!

So it was off to the nearest fabric store for some nice soft flannel for backing…

Oh..and then I saw these…aren’t they adorable?

Look at how teeny, tiny they are….

These little bibs were so sweet…and there are THREE of them!

Did I mention that little Isabelle already has a head full of hair…

Sunflowers and bumble bees…and little girls…perfect!

 

Happy ‘Bee’ing me!

So, hopefully, if all goes well, I will be busy quilting this sweet little quilt for a sweet little baby!!  One things for sure, Auntie P has GOT to stay out of the baby department!!

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Quilting!

OPAM Challenge Finish…

..and just in the nick of time with only three days left in April!!  The pillow is stitched but I had to stuff it, temporarily, with some wrapped up warm and natural batting until I can make or buy a pillow form…it’s a little lumpy and bumpy but at least you get the illusion of it being a pillow.

   If you remember..the pillow is hand appliquéd wool on a black wool background…the black is a slightly mottled black.   Looks richer and much better in real life..

..but you get the idea!!

So this is my first and only finish for April.

Sheesh, another month down…is it just me or are the months turning into weeks as they fly by!!  I thought life would slow down after retirement but that’s not the case…life just keeps whizzing by…I have enough fabric and patterns to keep me out of trouble for another 50 or 60 years…do you think I’ll live to be 118?  Yeah, that’s what I thought…I better get busy…

Today I’m off to Hand Quilting…can’t wait to see all the ladies and the lovely quilts we will be working on…don’t worry I’ll take my camera!!  (Sure hope they remember me!! ;o)

Have a wonderful Wednesday and Happy Quilting!!

All Good Things Must Come to An End…

..and that includes the ‘holiday eating’…sigh….no more ice cream, desserts and Mexican food!  The second day back home this is what I did…

YIKES!!!

The third day back…I hauled out the South Beach Diet books…this was my snack…after a long brisk walk…

  And it’s not even REAL cheese..it’s low fat cheese…;o(

At least there is always fabric to comfort me….

ON THE QUILTING FRONT!!!  ~ Gran, The Knot-y Embroidery Lady is having a wonderful first year Anniversary Give Away…look at what she is giving away to some lucky winner:

Boy, could I use this as I rustle up another…salad…;o(

Have a terrific Tuesday and Happy Eating Quilting!

Renee at Play on Salt Spring…

Hey, did you notice the new gal on my side bar…Renee at Play on Salt Spring…better known as the Shower Lurker! (If you missed that story see Feb. 26th posting for the Shower Story…) Yup, Renee is jumping into the world of blogging!  Her life will never be the same…as in..better!!  Ahhh..the places she’ll go…the people she’ll meet…who knows..maybe someday, someone may even recognize her coming out of a shower stall…

Renee lives on beautiful Salt Spring Island just off of Vancouver Island..in fact when I look out of my sewing room window I have a gorgeous view of Salt Spring Island…wave Renee and I’ll wave back!

This is Renee’s studio..she had a very successful Pottery business but now she is retired…which means…Renee is REALLY at Play!   Hurry over and say Hi…and have a look at the gorgeous pottery that she use to make!

Wonder what Renee will be making now?  Did she ever finished her wool sunflower project?  Is she in fact, hooked on wool …?  Was that Renee leaving a Thrift Shop clutching three wool coats…?  Inquiring minds want to know…go…check it out… Common Renee…Show us the WOOL!

Have a merry Monday and Happy Quilting!!

We’re Home…

…safe and sound! We took the Black Ball Ferry instead of the BC Ferry and must admit we loved how fast it was!!  Also as you drive off the ferry you go through customs…Everything is done in one step and one wait!  AND the best part~ the Ferry docks in downtown Victoria…this is the first building you drive by

…gorgeous isn’t she…our Legislature Buildings!

Everything looked wonderful at home!! Tulips were still blooming…

Ted, our wonderful neighbour mowed the front lawn for us so it was a VERY welcoming site!  The backyard was a different story….the grass must be a foot tall!! But she is GREEN!! 

And then there is the mail…YIKES!

  See those parcels…YES they are for ME!! 

Look at what Ulla from Finland sent me for Christmas…a gift!!  The only thing is it came after we left…  Inside was this lovely pincushion, needle case (which will really come in handy NEXT holiday!!), a heart shaped cookie cutter, some grey wool roving (to make Finnish sheep!) and two chocolate bars…and they WERE delicious! THANK YOU SO MUCH, ULLA…what a lovely surprise to come home too…

What’s this another parcel??  Yes, I won Linda’s give away…quite awhile ago…

Do you remember this gorgeous pillow, well I won it and it is even nicer in ‘real life’!!  Penny from Sew Take a Hike Blog gave us a tutorial on how to make the roses using knit fabric. Now I can make them myself… or at least try…

Penny also sent an extra gift (you shouldn’t have…but so glad you did!!)  Gorgeous wool…which I will felt after the laundry is done!  THANK YOU SO MUCH, PENNY!!

And this?…hmmmm…It’s from Dawnie, another blogging friend from Australia…hmmmm…Inside was a lovely note and this darling Digby Dog Pincushion Pattern by Anni Downs!!  LOVE it!!  How thoughtful of you, Dawnie!   And look…Dawnie had Anni write a message on the pattern!!  How cool is that?  THANKS SO MUCH, DAWNIE!  Isn’t the world of blogging wonderful!!

Now..for the world of reality…and UNDER the bed…YIKES!! This isn’t all fabric…is it…?

 

No…it’s not ALL fabric…I have books and patterns and wool…and I do see a towel over there…Yes, it’s definitely a towel…I have my work cut out for me… :o)

Have a super Sunday and Happy Quilting!!

The Great North West….

We are currently in Port Angeles, Washington, staying at a KOA RV Park tonight and will catch the 8:20 am. Coho Ferry to Victoria tomorrow morning.  If all goes well we should be home by noon tomorrow!

As I walked the pups around the park for their last walk of the day I snapped a few pictures for you to see what the great North West is like…a little different than the desert!

Giant fir trees instead of cactus…

and don’t forget the mighty cedar…ahhh smells wonderful!!

Lots of cute little signs so that you don’t get lost in the woods….

Grass instead of sand…

Salal covers the forest floor…instead of tumble weed..    Dandelions instead of gorgeous desert wild flowers….  Tulips instead of flowering cactus….

Flowering cherry trees instead of flowering yuccas….

  Spring rockery flowers instead of more wild flowers…

Totem Poles instead of Palm Trees….

And BIG bears instead of Road Runners…

AND did I mention RAIN instead of sun!! 

Are we there yet?

Just give me a dog park and I’m happy!!  I even like washes..dry washes that is…it’s a little cold here and my feet are wet!! 

  On the quilting front~ More stitching…Baskets of Life..

Have a super Saturday and Happy Quilting!

Homeward Bound…

Well we are heading home…tonight we are staying at a KOA camp that could easily be the setting for a Stephen King novel…dark and gloomy with lots of fir trees and hardly any other campers…. Creepy…but the good news is..we are just outside of Portland, Oregon which means we should be home tomorrow!  Whooopteeedoooo!!  It’s great to go on a holiday and leave Winter behind…BUT there is NOTHING like going home!

I did lots of stitching today…working on the Baskets of Life blocks by JAM (JoAnn from Wool Crazy fame..) It’s a good thing that it’s suppose to look primitive because my stitches are all over the place!!  The road was SO bumpy!  Get ‘er done is my motto…here’s a peak…

See~ there are three stems without flowers…this is where I will appliqué three woollen stars.

Also I HAVE to show you my LAST quilt shop of this year’s Snowbirding trip… all good thing must come to an end!!  The LUCKY quilters of Salt Lake have got two award winning shops…both voted in the top 10!!  Material Girls Quilting was featured in Quilt Sampler Spring /Summer 2008!  I was lucky enough to pop in for a quick visit on our last day in Salt Lake City.  I was only able to get a few shots at the entrance to the shop but I think you get the idea!

There was an overload to the senses walking into this shop.  So much to see..I loved all the baby quilts..you can see some of them in the picture below.

The quilter’s economy is going strong…look at how busy this shop is…at first I thought there must be a sale happening..but no…just a lot of quilting happening in Salt Lake City!

Salt Lake City and area have an abundance of Quilt shops…the Quilter’s Haven and Material Girls Quilting being just two of them!

So that’s it for this Snow birder's Shop Hop for 2010!  Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did?  Do you have any favourites?  I know I do..!  Who knows.. you might just get to visit some of these wonderful shops!

Have a fun Friday and Happy Quilting!!