Bill is coming to town

Hi everyone,
So, an unwanted visitor is going to be tearing up our city tomorrow. I was here when Hurricane Juan touched down on the mainland and took out the backbone of the entire power grid. It took days for power to come back on. One person died in that storm (an ambulance attendant working to help people died after a tree fell on him).

We had a house with a pool then, nestled in a lovely forest. Several 40 foot high trees were blown down, but luckily they fell away from the pool and house. The local yacht clubs were disaster areas, with broken boats flung about like toys. Both of our beautiful city parks were extremely damaged.

Juan was a Category 2. Bill is predicted to be a Category 2. Juan hit us at high tide. Bill is predicted to hit us at high tide. So you can understand that Nova Scotians are scrambling to prepare

My storm prep consists of spending today sewing like mad to catch up on my swaps in case the power goes out.

(Yes, Mom, if you are reading this, I have enough food/water/flashlights/batteries/candles/meds/cash.)

See you all on the flip side.

Nothing Important to Say Here

Really, I have nothing but trivia.
It has been too darn hot here to sew, since the weekend. The heat wave finally broke today, for which I am very grateful.

I mailed out my packets for the Quilting Sisters Bee. The story of my Excellent Adventure at the Post Office can be found here.

My cat, Lulu, fell off the balcony (4 floors) and disappeared for a night. Early the next morning I had to get to a meeting so my neighbours had a search and rescue mission. They were successful. Lulu is now safe and sound at home, not injured at all. She is no longer allowed on the balcony.

My admin assistant has been on vacation for a week. This makes me cranky.

The gratuitous photo above is a block of applique. I'm not sure I like the stark contrast between brights and white and the raw edge applique with the fancy, frilly design. It has been sitting in a drawer for months.

The block is from Aie Rossmann's Affairs of the Heart book.
What do you think? Should I carry on with it?

My Town

There is a lovely small farmers market very close to my home. Once in a while I get off my butt and get there early on a Saturday morning before it gets too busy.

I took some quick shots with my iPhone camera.

Where: At the Dartmouth ferry terminal, looking over the harbour to Halifax.

When: Saturday, Aug 15, 2009 Time: 8:10 am
Temp: hot with lovely ocean breeze

Where: Dartmouth ferry terminal looking toward the MacDonald bridge, which I drive back and forth to work.

When: Saturday 15 Aug 2009

Time: 8:10 am

The Weekend Will Be HOT

Hi everyone:
Here on the east coast of Canada we get lots of fog, rain, mist and cool temperatures.

Every once in a while the sun swings by real close and hits us with the big guns. This weekend is going to be one of those times.

That temperature forecast for Saturday is 32 degrees Celsius. In Farenheit that is 89.6
We still have to factor in the humidex to get the "feels like" temperature. Now, before you start laughing at me for being a wimp, let me remind you that I live in Canada. That means I live north of most of you. And I live on the east coast. I actually live very near the ocean. Where temperatures are moderated by our proximity to the ocean. In Halifax we don't do 32 degrees very well.

So, enjoy your weekend everyone. If you need me, I'll be in my fridge.

Wordless Wednesday

Swap Till You Drop - August

Hi everyone,

Yet another swap I signed up for in August is the Swap Till You Drop (STUD). This is a monthly themed swap. Unlike the Doll Quilt Swap, partners are not secret for this one (hi Mari, if you want to be surprised, STOP READING NOW. Please.)

Everyone else, follow me. So, the theme this month is buildings. I have chosen the fabulous tree houses courtesy of Jenny of Elefantz. If you haven't seen her blog yet you should totally check it out. She is absolutely delightful.

There will be hand stitching. There will be circles. Mwhahahah ...

A day with coloured pencils ...

... is a fun day.

Hi everyone,
I know it is only August so Santa's elves are still on seasonal layoff, but I'm hard at work making scrappy Christmas blocks for a swap. I like the scrappy look which often also means random fabric choices, but I'm not so good with random. In fact I'm downright allergic to random. So, I got out my quilt design book and coloured pencils to, er, plan my random. Or something like that.

I'm having fun and that's all that matters! Right?

How many of you plan your scrappy projects? Come on, 'fess up!

A City made of fabric

Hi everyone,
By virtue of lovely serendipity I recently discovered the amazing work of an author named Catherynne Valente. From what I can discover of her background she has a solid intellectual grasp of folklore, fairy tales and mythology which she uses to inform her marvelous fantasy tales.

Cat is currently writing a story and releasing it in weekly episodes on her website, to be enjoyed for free or a donation, whichever the reader prefers.
In Chapter 8 of the Fairyland story, the little girl named September and her escort, a friendly dragon, enter the city of her destination, Pandemonium. September sees:

Pandemonium spread out around her, a city of cloth. Bright storefronts ran ahead of them, built with violet crinoline and crimson organdy. Towers wound up in wobbly twists of stiff, shining brocade. Memorial statues wore felt helmets over bombazine faces. High, thin, fuzzy houses puffed out angora doors; fancy taffeta offices glimmered under the gaze of black lace gargoyles. Even the broad avenue they stood on was a mass of ropy, pumpkin-colored grosgrain. And there! That crooked, creased, ancient leather obelisk must be Groangyre Tower! The warm wind filled a coppery satin balloon at the tip-top of the tower and blew it up into a fine cupola.

Sigh. Can't you just picture that scene on this sunny Sunday morning? I can.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making begins with Chapter One here.

A Cheater Post

Hi everyone,

I belong to a virtual quilting bee. (Actually I belong to several, but today the focus is on just one of them).

The Bee is called the Quilting Sisters. Our blog is here.

The idea is that each quilter chooses a month in which she will send fabric and directions for a block to the other Bee members. We all make that block for her and mail it back. By the end of a year we will have collectively pieced 12 quilts of awesome variety. Cool, eh!

For the the Quilting Sisters, I chose the month of September. When I asked my fellow Bee members if they wanted to see my choices on the blog or be surprised by what arrives in the mail, they opted for instant gratification. So, with chants of "Show! Show! Show!" ringing in my head I have photographed my fabric choices and prepared a blog post.

Note: What follows is an extract from my Quilting Sisters post, so I consider this a cheater post.

But first, a little bit of the story behind choosing this fabric. It went something like this.

1. Determine pattern, namely Amy Butler's Nigella Quilt, named after her fabric design.

2. Look at said fabric online, decide the time required to ship it to Canada so it can be cut up into pieces and shipped to 11 other places is too extensive and silly.

3. Use this as excuse to go fabric shopping locally.

4. Visit fabric shop closest to office. Find nothing suitable. Pout.

5. Visit fabric shop close to home. Find nothing. Pout even more.

6. Having exhausted the only two options for shopping locally, sigh heavily and go stash diving.

7. Spend a couple of hours flinging fabric around and shooing away dogs and cat.

8. Realize none of the groupings really work.

8. Drink wine.

9. Consult a battered, dog eared copy of de Bono's "Lateral Thinking" book.

10. Switch from a light background with dark applique as depicted in the pattern to the reverse.

11. Grab fabrics, arrange in group, stand back, look at group with squint, cheer. Success!

May I present, my September fabrics.

Some of this fabric is from the Opulence line by Paula Nadelstern for Benartex.

There might be 40,000 people outside my window today

Hi everyone,
If you follow professional hockey at all you will recognize the name Sidney Crosby, whose family lives about 10 blocks away from me (photo by Keith Srakocic/Associated Press) Yes, that Sidney. Captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, winner of the Stanley Cup championship. Captain Crosby turns 22 today. To celebrate he is bringing the Cup home to show his closest friends. All estimated 40,000 of them.

This morning he will and the Cup will land by helicopter on one of our military ships in the harbour. The first event will be for military families at Shearwater, our air force base. Later in the afternoon he and the Cup will be in a parade, ending up at the community ice rink. There he will have photos taken with fans and the Cup.

When I saw this schedule I immediately declared today as "work at home day" because I anticipate the traffic around my house to be, in a word, gridlocked.

If I get any good pictures of the festivities from my balcony vantage point I'll post them here.

Finally, Sidney Crosby's parents deserve hearty congratulations for guiding their son's growth into a hardworking, respectful, successful young man. I hope they can relax and enjoy this day.

Summertime Swap progress

For some reason I feel the need to prove that I am still working on this project. It is due to be mailed to my secret partner in early September. I am handquilting, so it is taking some time.

There, now I feel better.

Shabby Ducklings

Hi everyone,
I have to leave for work soon but took advantage of some sunshine to snap a photo of the Doll Quilt Swap project. The quilting is done, so I just need to attach a label and the binding. I had a lot of fun making this because I got to indulge my inner girly girl.

Progress Report

Hi everyone,
This is a long weekend in Nova Scotia, to celebrate Natal Day. I have renamed it "Yay! Catch up with Quilting Day!".

Here you see my creative space for the past several hours. Yes, there is a dog under my desk. She likes to curl up around the sewing machine foot pedal.

The DQS7 piecing is all done, and the quilt sandwich made. It is too cloudy today for a good photo, so here is a work in progress shot of some blocks.

Arrgghhh - I'm sick

Hi everyone,

So, re-entry from my little business trip is not going well. I'm feeling ill. Too ill to sew or blog. Will be back when I can.

By the way, the dogs' sleepover went very well. Apparently they didn't miss me one little bit. The brats :)

Drive-by Post

Hi everyone,

I'm just stopping by right quick to let you know I can't really post until the weekend. Work is kicking my butt and I'm going to be away on an overnight business trip at the end of the week.

No sewing is being done here. I'm madly washing doggie beds and blankets and toys because Kobie and Dorey are going on a sleepover! They will be staying with my niece while I'm away. This is a first for the dogs and I really hope it goes well (cross fingers, toes, eyes, etc.)

Just look at these two troublemakers. Would you take them into your home for a sleepover? No, I didn't think so.

Try not to have too much fun without me. :)

What happens in the sewing room stays in the sewing room

... unless I blog about it.

So, I'm working on the Little Bouquet Quilt Along. Cherri's instructions are wonderful, full of step-by-step text and pictures.

But, my type A self is having trouble wrapping my head around making wonky flowers. As you can see, on the left - my first attempt is pitiful. I could tell immediately it was WRONG so I tried again. The second attempt (on the right) is better, because I started using triangle scraps instead of strips. Now I have to keep practicing.

Note: Mr. Troll wanders into photos from time to time. He can usually be found in the presence of swear words.




I also spent some time this weekend working on my Doll Quilt Swap #7 design. It is just a small log cabin, nothing wonky or weird about it whatsoever. (4 inch finished, featuring Ducky and friends)

Do you think I could get this tiny little block right the first time? No. Let's just say I spent some quality time with my seam ripper. My excuse? I'm thinking too much about work. I am in the process of hiring a new employee so I have a lot to think about.

Yeah, that's it. Blame it on work. Heh.

How was your weekend?

A new swap in town

Hi everyone,

Are you up for a virtual quilting bee with a year long commitment? Then I have just the swap for you.

The "A Piece of Work B" group is starting up. So far there are 6 members but we need 12 to get going. The idea is that each member is assigned a month in which to send out fabric and choice of block style. Everybody makes a block and sends it back. By the end we will have a quilt full of blocks and some new friends!

Sound good? The signups are at the Flicker group, go here. Click to join and introduce yourself to the admin.

Hope to see you in our bee!

Swap Profile

Hi everyone,
Quilt swaps are a lot of fun but the process can be frustrating if the partner you are given is too mysterious. When I am trying to decide on a project for a partner I like lots of information about likes and dislikes to help me choose.

So, in the interests of being a good swap partner, here is a bunch of information about me.

I am:
Canadian, middle aged, divorced, employed full-time, child free by choice, companion to 2 small dogs and a young cat, home owner, introvert, Apple fan girl

I can:
quilt, knit, crochet, embroider, needlepoint, rug hook, sew clothes, teach others how to use computers

Some examples of styles I like:
can be found at my Flickr favorites page and I am currently in love with all things Shabby Chic and the fresh modern quilt styles. My most favourite blogger right now is Oh, Fransson!

I really enjoy:
needlework of any kind, reading, listening to music

I dislike:
cooking

I will not:
garden

I try to avoid:
controversy, driving after dark

I have the following types of stashes:
fabric, yarn, quilting thread, beads, scrap book paper, coloured pencils and crayons. O.K., I admit it, I adore sparkly, shiny, colourful, pretty things. I must have been a dragon in a prior life!

I read:
science fiction and fantasy such as William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, Neil Gaiman, Cathryanne Valente, Cory Doctorow, Anne McCaffery (love those dragons!)

My guilty pleasures:
Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series, Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series, chocolate

I am currently listening to:
The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, Otis Turner, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Abney Park, Rasputina, The Penguin Cafe Orchestra

I would love to have:
any fabric by Kafe Fassett, Amy Butler, Lizzy House, or any of the other currently popular designers. Where I live the quilt shops are a year or two behind the trends. I could order on line but I hate to pay for shipping.

Items I would love to have but will never get around to making for myself:
quilted purse;
iPhone cozy;
placemats.

Whew! I think that's enough about me. See you around the blogosphere!

Little Bouquet Quilt Along experiment

I am participating in the Little Bouquet Quilt Along. Much fun is being had.

One of the supply list items could not be found in my stash (ya, I was shocked too). I don't have any non-fusible interfacing. I do have fusible (miles of the stuff). So the designer suggested I try fusing two pieces together.

Another participant mentioned that she is using baby wipes, which reminded me that I have a stash of used dryer sheets (they work really well for applique). I decided to try both the dryer sheets and the fusible.

This pic shows the difference in weight and transparency between the two. The fusible is heavenly soft whereas the dryer sheet is rough.

LBQ experiment

This pic shows the finished blocks. There is no visible difference. The weight and stability are surprisingly different. I'm not sure how the dryer sheet version would hold up to machine quilting. However, since I prefer hand quilting, I can't see myself trying to get my needle through the thickness of the fusible block.

LBQ fronts

LBQ backs

Conclusion : depending on your quilting method, either version of interfacing will do. Or, you could just go your LQS and buy some non-fusible. :)

I have two blocks of twelve done so far. But the sewing machine must be abandoned for the moment, because my two "kids" are demanding some attention. Kobie is telling me in no uncertain terms to turn off the sewing machine and pay attention to her or she will find something to amuse herself with. And I won't like it.

Kountess Kobie

Duchess Dorey

Duchess Dorey says "Mama, pay attention to meeeee. Me! Me! Me!"

The cat is very quiet though. Hmmm, better go see what she is up to. Excuse me....

"Lulu? Where are you? Lulu?"

New blogger eh?

Don't mind me; I'm just kicking the tires on the new blogger.