The Last Day of the Month...

wow, I can't believe where January went... before you know it, it will be Spring. We received some new fabrics at the shop where I work, and there was a striking floral that I really wanted a piece of. I am not a floral person, but I loved this one... and when I put it with a red batik and green - I knew I had a winning combination. I have been wanting a Valentine's type table runner for awhile, but didn't want to use the cutsey fabric I had - I thought these fabrics would be great... so I whipped this up last night... I am really pleased with it.... I may have to put it on display for a day or two... but eventually it will be on my coffee table.

Thought for the Day

If you want to be the Captain, you have to know more than the crew!

Unknown

Mini Quilt....

I received this lovely little mini quilt in a swap - I just love it.... I saw a Moose this morning on my way into town... and saw two yesterday on my way into town... so, this little guy will look great on my wall! Once again, we have some warmer weather.... I am going to try snow-shoeing this weekend!

Hop on over to Wacky Pac Wannabees, and see my entry into the pincushion challenge. I had fun with this one!

Thought for the Day

"by craning backward,the moose can be seen on the moonlit macadam"

Elizabeth Bishop

Mini Quilt

I don't usually make mini's but I joined a swap for quilts under 15" - This is the quilt that I will send to my partner.

Is there anyone who wants to participate in my Pay It Forward???? anyone????? I'll send you something if you do..... Please see this post if you are interested. It's fun!!!

I was the recipiant of a great little prize this week from Auntie Em. This is just the cutest little wallhanging... and I can't wait to get a jump start on Christmas, 2009. The pincushion is adorable too..... I'm behind in making my pincusion for a challenge (wacky packers, don't read this).... do you think I could use this one - LOL.

The cold has returned to our part of the world - great for staying inside and doing some quilting - which is what I will do tomorrow.

Thought for the Day

Again I reply to the triple winds

running chromatic fifths of derision

outside my window:

Play louder.

You will not succeed. I am

bound more to my sentences

the more you batter at me to

follow you. And the wind,

as before, fingers perfectly its derisive music.

William Carlos Williams

I spent some time...

quilting today.... this is a king size quilt with lots of border feathers and block feathers. This will take a few days to finish, I am sure... but it is fun.............

Thought for the Day
What I know is, is that if you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come

Oprah Winfrey

Pay It Forward

I have joined Julie's Pay it Forword! The rules are simple....

Three people need to join in my PIF. I must send a hand made gift to the 3 people on my list within 365 days. In turn, the 3 people who have joined my PIF must also host their own and ask for 3 people to join. They then must send a handmade gift to each of their 3 players within 365 days. And on and on it goes, spreading the goodness around. There is no set time to send the gifts, so long as they are sent within 365 days of hosting your PIF.

So...... I need 3 people to join in.... post the logo and rules on your blog, and get three people to join their PIF..... any takers????? Keep in mind, that the hand made gift I send to you.... will probably be somehow sewing or quilting related - LOL.

Thought for The Day
What we call results are beginnings.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Time Flies.......

when there are days and days of snow....LOL. We did have one or two days with above average temperature... but we are back to snow days. I haven't seen this amount of snow since I was a young girl (and that's getting to be awhile now!!!).

The other night we had the most beautiful full moon - and it showed up quite early, around 4:30 in the afternoon. I had to get a snap of it....

I had placed an order for some great sale fabrics at The Quilt Shoppe at the end of December, and they arrived today. All of these fabrics were 50% off, so I got some additions for my 2009 Christmas quilt, Frolic, and I purchased some pinks and an autumn piece for my stash. I thought the pinks would come in handy to go with a jelly roll that I have that has a lot of pinks in it.
That should be it for shopping for awhile!!, but you can hardly expect a quilter not to shop when there's a 50% off sale - LOL...

I also received my January block in a block swap that I am in. This is the start of a new year and I have chosen pinks and browns, in any style block. This should be a great sampler. I have 12 blocks from last year in civil war prints, in various blocks, that will make a great addition to my Kansas Spirit blocks. This is another UFO... that should get finished at the next quilt retreat I go to.

I am currently working on a miniature log cabin quilt - 5" blocks. Pics will follow.

Thought for the Day

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

Robert Frost

Swap Blocks....

I received two swap blocks in the mail today. One is for my civil war themed quilt (Kansas Spirit) - this is the last of these blocks. I can now get busy and get this together. The Christmas block is for a new swap I am participating in that will bring a different themed block for each month - at the end of the year we will have a "calendar" quilt. I am looking forward to receiving these blocks.

Warming up.....

It is warming up a bit and we are enjoying a few days of seasonal temperatures. I spent the morning catching up on a few things... blocks for swaps, etc. I made two little "doggie quilts" - rag quilts that are great for crates..... I hope the recipiant enjoys them! I made quite a few of these for Boston Rescue over the past little while..

Thought for the Day
God is not dead but alive and well and working on a much less ambitious project.

Anonymous

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I can't believe it's the beginning of another year...... and we are experiencing extremely cold and snowy weather... just the right kind of weather to get lots of quilting done!! LOL... I will be updating my ufo list in the next few days.... I actually did get quite a bit done in 2008.... finished 5 of my quilting UFO's (this is just old stuff... not any new stuff that I pieced and quilted) and 10 of my pieicng UFO's (again, this is just old stuff, not any new stuff). I really must make a habit of adding to these lists to keep them up to date. I have two new block of the month programs that I am doing thru my guild, so that should keep quite busy this year, plus I have started taking University Accounting classes - so, I should have lots to keep me busy. I think if the snow keeps up I should be able to get a lot done.

I am also teaching a beginner quilting class on Shirley's Learning Fiber Arts group. The classes offered by this group are all free, so if you are looking to learn something new, that might be the place!
No resolutions for me!! Don't believe in them.
I will be having a one year "blogaversary" around the middle of this month... so stay tuned for that... I will be posting a giveaway.

Thought for the Day
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Christmas

is over and we had a lovely, quiet time. The weather has been cold and that has given me an opportunity to get some work done. I finished a beginner class on quilting that I will be teaching on Shirley's Learning FA group. This class will take place in February and it is free. I also pieced and quilted a commission quilt for the daughter of a friend who has graduated college, as well as finished up a few of my swap blocks. So, I am all up todate with most projects.

The last two days, when the weather warmed up, I went walking on the lake. Once in a while you can hear "drumming", which is the water moving under the lake, but the lake is frozen so there is no danger... lots of ski-doos and ice fishers around. This picture on the right is looking towards where I live - I live around the bend to the right.

The picture below is looking out towards the lake, the widest part.

The final picture is looking towards my house as I am coming back from my walk. It feels funny to be taking a picture of my home from about 20 feet out on the lake.....

Thought for the Day

Stand here by my side and turn, I pray,

On the lake below thy gentle eyes;

The clouds hang over it, heavy and gray,

And dark and silent the water lies;

And out of that frozen mist the snow

In wavering flakes begins to flow;

Flake after flake,

They sink in the dark and silent lake.

William Cullan Bryant

Happy....

Christmas Eve... and a Merry Christmas to everyone! The cold has finally let up a bit so we should have a chance to go for a bit of a walk today. I am finishing quilting my Ornament Block quilt and just "putzing" around the house today. I wish everyone a blessed, joyous Christmas.....

Head on over to my friend Shirley's Blog, she has a post about Christmas Eve memories... and a beautiful photo of one of her quilts.

One of my fondest Christmas Eve memories is when I was a young child. My sister is 6 years younger than me, and she "believed" in Santa longer than I did (well, I actually still believe in Santa!). One year after we came home from Midnight Mass, I got to put out her Santa gifts, after she went to bed. She was receiving handmade Barbie doll furniture, made from redwood. It was the cutest little set - handmade blankets with the bunk beds, and little hangers in the wardrobe. She was so excited Christmas morning... I could hardly sleep waiting for her to get up!! When we had our family dinner last week, I brought up that Christmas and she said it was one of her best Christmas memories. Her adult daughter still has the doll furniture.

My favorite memories of Christmas with my children are filling Christmas stockings. My kids think that is the best part of Christmas and still can't wait to open their stockings. About a month ago, my son called and in the course of our conversation blurted out, "We still get our Christmas stockings, right"???

Last Christmas Eve day we had a traumatic event in our household. Our little Boston Terrier, Tooie woke up and couldn't breathe. At four o'clock in the morning on Christmas Eve day we were rushing to the vet. Tooie stopped breathing before we left and I performed CPR (DO NOT ask me how I did this, as I believe Angels guided me through the whole thing!). We got to the vet and found out he had a collapsed trachea caused by an elongated soft palette. He spent the day in the doggie ER and came home that evening. He did have to have surgery earlier in the year and seems to be doing better..... We are blessed and thankful to have our little Tooie still in our lives.

Merry Christmas

Thought for the Day

In the end, only kindness matters.

Jewel

This morning......

was absolutely beautiful... although very cold! As I drove to work the temperature was -39 degrees celsuis (which is -38.2 F) and my tires were like big stones - felt like I was driving a Flinstones car!!! As I came over the crest of a small hill, the sun was beginning to rise in the East and there was a blanket of cloud settled in a farmer's field over the snow...... just so incredibly beautiful. I wish I had a picture to show you.... I thanked God for such a spectacular day....

Thought for the Day
"The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the lustre of midday to objects below"
Clement Moore

I'm so thankful......

I received the most wonderful present from my dear "mom" Shirley - it is absolutely spectacular and I am so grateful for her kindness. Shirley does wonderful landscapes, as well as having a Yahoo group that gives free classes in quilting...... Along with this landscape, there was a handmade quilt holder... very innovative and great for storage. I also received some wonderful thread.... and other Christmas goodies..... I am blessed indeed to have Shirley as my second "mom".

While I was in Calgary, I went to shop at my favorite quilt store, Traditional Pastimes.... AND they had a sale on Christmas fabrics.... well, what's a quilter to do.... I bought myself a new Christmas pattern for next year plus some great new fabrics... This will be my 2009 Christmas quilt...... I will have to update my UFO list for 2009 pretty soon.... I have lots of things I haven't put on there.

My new friend, Jennifer, from Bronze Wombat, has a great tutorial on how to make the folded star patchwork trivet....I have always wanted to make one of these and now I can.... it would be great for Valentine's day or even Easter...Great Job, Jennifer.

Thought for the Day

"It is required of every man," the ghost returned, "that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and, if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death".

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

Be Careful....

what you wish for - LOL.... Well, after being stranded for 3 days in Calgary - I am home.... but oh boy, is it ever cold. It was -35 celsius when I woke up this morning... and so much for moaning about not having snow awhile back. This is the view from my sewing room this morning...

There had been a terrible snow storm in Calgary over the past few days... and while I had a great visit with family and friends.... we couldn't do too much because of the weather. Magpie and Tooie loved gramma's fireplace tho.... and didn't stray far from that!

Help from my Blogland friends.......

Please help the Boston Terrier Club of Canada Rescue win $10,000.00!!!. Boston Terriers are near and dear to my heart and I have been involved with Rescue for a few years. Needless to say we are always in the "red".... BUT I am not asking for money, or for you to buy anything. All I am asking my bloggy friends to do is to CLICK HERE...... and vote for Boston Terrier Club of Canada Rescue.....You can also use the button on the right sidebar....thank you in advance for your holiday spirit!

Thought for The Day
There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to other animals as well as humans, it is all a sham.
Anna Sewell

Swap Etiquette...

I had read the best post about swap etiquette and I searched and searched again, for it.... you know, when you find these things you just have to put a link somewhere so that you can refer to it!!! I found it again..... Calamity Kim has written a great post..... if you like to swap, please, take a moment to read it.
I have been very fortunate to be involved in some great swaps.... and I have hostessed a few in my time too. This article says everything I have ever wanted to say!!!

Thought for the Day
He knows when you are sleeping,
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So, be good for goodness sake!
Santa Claus is Coming to Town