I have a new blog header.....

made for me by Peggi Meyer-Graminksi. Check out her site... she does great work!

Boston Terrier.....

fundraiser is on Saturday in Calgary at the Alberta Kennel Club Dog Show.... I will be there at the Rescue booth......drop by if you are in the area!

Guess this is the last day of July... so summer is half over!! Went way tooo fast for me.... My daughter had her 21st birthday yesterday....... she's saving the festivities for the weekend.....

Mean weather......

this week. We have had extreme weather over the past few days..... this storm looked like it was going to hit us yesterday.... then it just blew right by - all in about an hour.... We have lots of wind today and the clouds have blown away!

I have spent the last day or so making bags from an Amy Butler pattern. I made two different ones......a summery one and a fall one.... can't decide which one I like better. I used a different closure on each one...

Tutorial on how to make...

a rag rug. Vintage Chica has a great tutorial on how to make a rag rug. I was given one by my friend Shirley and I made one...... this is a great tutorial and will inspire me to maybe make another one.... I just love these!

Also, surfing around I found this great site - CQ Magazine Online... lots of info if you are into crazy quilting.

Thought for The Day
You can be right or you can be happy.
Gerald Jampolsky

Fall Swap...and....

I just joined a Fall Swap. Looks like fun, and since Fall is one of my favorite times of the year - I will really enjoy it!

I also won a Christmas in July package from Blue-Bird Quilts......... I guess the Universe is confirming that Christmas really is a fav!!!! Thank you so very much, Lyn.

Great Give Away at Ohio Quilter's Journey.... she is looking for some quilting inspiration! In return, she might send you some quilting inspiration!!

Quilting Distraction......

I finished my braid quilt - it is on the small side, about 40 X 50 or so. This was made with one package of jelly rolls (40 - 2" strips). I think if I make another one that I will use two packages and make the braids longer, and perhaps have another two rows to stitch on each side. I like the result, tho, and wonder if I should applique some little teddy bears in the white sections??? Then it would be a super little "boy" baby quilt...... any suggestions would be most welcome.

Thought for the Day

There aren't enough days in the weekend.

Rod Schmidt

5 MONTHS TILL CHRISTMAS!!!.....

once again, that got someone's attention! I was thinking that this a.m. and in the course of the afternoon decided to start one of my UFO's - Reindeer Frolic. I have decided NOT to do needleturn applique - mainly because I would never get it done :) ... but have decided to make the appliques white wool and to machine button hole stitch around the them. I have completed two blocks.... the middle block, and one of ten of the other blocks.... a good project to work at slowly, but surely....

Pattern win....

forgot to mention that I won this pattern from Ocean Waves Quilts - AND since Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year---- I was thrilled.... Thanks, Barb!!!!

Boston Terrier Rescue.......

August 1- August 4 is the Alberta Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show in Calgary, Alberta. Once again, the AKC has given the Boston Terrier Club of Canada Rescue a booth at the show to raise funds and awareness. I will be manning the booth on Friday, August 1, 2008. This is a wonderful opportunity for our organization to raise some much needed funds and to also spread the word about rescue ..... Big thanks go out AKC!!

I will be giving away this wonderful dog sweatshirt to some lucky person who donates to our cause. So... if you happen to be in the Calgary area on the weekend of August 1 - make sure to stop by and say hi!

Thought for the Day

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.

Carl Jung

Blog Award.....

Betsy, from Quilting Fiesta, sent me the above award..... Thanks! I would like to pass the award onto the following sites:

Teresa from Stitchin' Friends..... she is always busy with quilting and home renos .... AND.... always posts all the best quilty give-aways!

Rhondee from Rhondee's Blog - she has designed an original pattern that looks wonderful AND she also has lots on the go.

Just Jonna is a wonderful artist - her blog is an inspiration.

Teresa from Moonvalley Quilter designs patterns in EQ6 AND she gives the patterns away free on her site..... very talented.

Quilting Distraction.......

I received a jelly roll package at a recent retreat... and I have been fascinated with them. 40 some 2 1/2 inch strips - what to do, what to do. Now, mind you , I have TONS of UFO's to finish (some not even listed) so I really should have just put the jelly roll quilt on the list and moved on.... but I really, really love the fabrics and wanted to make something with them. So, I decided to make a braid quilt - and I am enjoying the results. These are the first two rows - looks like I will have 6 more rows, plus I have decided to do two rows with a cream color on one side - then sew these two together to form a cream insert down the middle of the quilt - perhaps a good place to add some wool applique???? or machine applique.... well, as a quilting distraction it worked out nicely. I found the pattern for the braid at Quiltville. It was being used as a border, but I thought a whole quilt would look great!

Thought For the Day
Multi-tasking arises out of distraction itself.
Marilyn vos Savant

Orphan Dresden Blocks....

have been claimed and are on their way to Florida!!!

Dresden blocks finished.....

I finished two quilts from some vintage Dresden Plate blocks that I received from my mother-in-law. These blocks were purchased by her at a garage sale at the retirement centre in Penticton, B.C. The actual "dresdens" were pieced together - some by hand and some by machine... and only about three were hand appliqued to backgrounds. I finished hand appliquing these to the backgrounds. I didn't have enough of the original purple so I had to purchase some and these turned into the second quilt..... The fabrics for the dresdens are late 40's or early 50's and really are quite amazing.

I have a few orphan blocks from this set that I received - two large white blocks, two purple blocks - each different purple backgrounds - and 4 dresdens that need to be appliqued to a background. If there is anyone out there that would like these - please email me and I would be glad to send them to you. I cannot make ANYMORE of these - LOL..... and I hate to waste them. They might make great pillows or bags....

Thought for the Day
There is nothing so easy to learn as experience and nothing so hard to apply.
Josh Billings

Tooie the Boston Terrier.........

got an enormous paper cut on one of his little toes when he "tore" at an envelope that I had sitting on the floor..... BUT.... then the little paper cut turned into a torn toe nail after he caught it in the carpet!!!! .... THEN the toe nail had to be removed..... poor little guy..... The picture on the left is when he just was "limping" around with the little paper cut..... the pic on the right is after the "surgery" to remove the toe nail. Of course, we have to ensure he doesn't get infection.... so he pretty much has to stay in the house..... The bandage is off now.... and it looks pretty ugly... but so far so good......


Thought for the Day
Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.
ANATOLE FRANCE

Thanks Rhonda......

I won a little contest on her blog and am receiving a few little totes!!! Will post a pic when they arrive..... Thanks again!!

Greenbrier..........

IS FINISHED.... I am absolutely thrilled with the way it turned out.... I hand dyed the majority of the wool (with the exception of one or two pieces that I purchased) and hand appliqued all the blocks. I absolutely love Sue Spargo... and hope to continue on with other quilts she has designed. Now, it has to be quilted - which, I must admit, is my favorite part of quilting.......

Extreme Weather........

We have the most extreme weather in Northern Alberta !!!! Most of the time these storms seem to by pass us.... these two didn't however.... yesterday we got lots of rain in a short period..... I am amazed at the variety of these storms..... it gets extremely quiet...... then the wind picks up ..... and there are sheets of rain.... then the storm is done.... they are really quite beautiful AND.... makes a person respect Mother Nature a whole lot more! The photo on the left is looking east and the photo on the right is looking west....

Thought for the Day

I think along the way, as we treat nature as model and mentor, and not as a nuisance to be evaded or manipulated, we will certainly acquire much more reverence for life than we seem to be showing right now.

Amory Lovins

Some Sewing........

in the midst of all my confusion from moving, I did manage to get some sewing done.... well, actually i have gotten alot of quilting done... I have finished two customer quilts in my new studio. This block is for a monthly block swap and is going to Australia. I took it into town today and mailed it but I am not sure if it went Air Mail!!!! I think it was sent surface. I am so used to having all my mail sent Air Mail automatically that I never thought to even ask.... if it's surface my swap partner won't get it for about a month or so.... I will have to watch from now on to ensure my mail goes properly.

I also completed a little "doggie" blanket for a good friend of mine, Kate, who is going to be the mom of a new puppy in about a week - Pandora is a miniature Schnauzer. Hopefully she likes her new little blankee!!

Thought for the Day

Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.

Belva Davis

Quilt Retreat.....

I attended my second June quilt retreat on the weekend of June 23 - just a few days before I moved!! It was great to spend some time sewing before I had to get down to the business of moving!! These are my friends (L-R) Shirley, Wendy and Pjam..... taking a look at a joint quilt that Shirley and I worked on. I quilted it for another friend and Shirley added some wonderful silk ribbon embroidery and embellishments. There were several wonderful quilts displayed at the retreat.... The two smaller quilts on the right side were the mystery designed for the retreat.




There was also a challenge held - Twas the Night before Christmas... there were several wonderful entries.









The weekend started off a little rainy - then the sun came out. This little guy decided that he would have a snooze in the rain on one of the afternoons!! - He is quite a beautiful dog with the most amazing eyes.....

Left the big city.......

Well, the move is complete.... I have left the big city and am now a resident of Island Lake, Alberta...... I will definately miss the mountains.......A few weeks ago, my friend Shirley and I were on our way to the first of two June retreats... we stopped to take these pics... so I could have a reminder of my hometown! These pictures were taken just outside of Calgary - in Cochrane, Alberta...

Thought for the Day

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.

Maya Angelou