Blog-hop and giveaway coming soon!

This time around I am going to enter the Quilting Gallery Blog Hop Party with Giveaways!

From December 10th until the 15th you will be able to visit a whole host of blogs and enter a ton of giveaways...  remember to watch this space for mine!

2012 Christmas Quilt Show

I decided to enter the 2012 Christmas Quilt Show as it gives me a chance to share one of my favourite things I have made. This was for a mini swap and I got the idea from the Pier 1 Imports commercials (love them!).

I still adore the idea of the snowman couple :) The white fabric is all sparkly with silver glitter and so that made me happy too!

Please check out the other entries and enjoy the eye candy!

http://quilting-tutorials.blogspot.ca/p/2012-christmas-quilt-show.html

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today would have been my Daddy's 70th birthday. I had been planning on making him a scrabble board quilt, but obviously I did not. The other thing we would have done would have been to go to The Works, a burger place right near our neighbourhood (my Dad and I lived next to eachother).

Our reasons for going there would have been two-fold. One, we loved it, and spent all of our occassions there. And two, my Dad couldn't drive anymore, as he had dementia, and we can walk to the restaurant in five minutes.

I mention the dementia because I don't have many recent photos of my Dad to share. One thing that happens is that  the personality of the person changes. My Dad and I did not have the same relationship in his last years as we did before. It was hard and made everyday interactions very awkward. Not that they were everyday as he tended to isolate himself at home.

I am happy to say that now I am able to remember the good parts of him as well as the bad and it means the world to me.

This was my gift to him on his 65th birthday. Sadly, we never made the trip.

Tonight we will go to The Works to celebrate his birthday without him, and I will buy him a beer in memory.

I love you so much Pappy, and miss you more than words can say. Happy Birthday!

A little thread, a little cat

So, one of my favourite swaps is underway again, the Trim the Tree Ornament swap. You make ornaments for all the members of your group... you can state some preferences but it still is very open. This year I decided on cross stitch and have 3 started so far.

I hope to have the finished products to show you soon. If I am lucky it will be before I go to the US on the weekend... so much cheaper to send from there.

Now a couple of photos of my sewing companion. She never used to hang out on my table until a few weeks ago.

Keeping an eye on everything :)

 

Offering a helping paw :)

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my Mom's birthday... a year ago we were in Las Vegas celebrating her 70th with friends and family...

Here is a picture of her with Opie... until I caught this moment forever they both pretended to hate each other :) She looks pretty darned great doesn't she... it's one thing about her that I love... she doesn't play the "old" card ever, and sometimes I have to remind myself that maybe she needs me to slow down lol...

I was supposed to see her today but I am down with some tummy troubles, so my co-worker took her over my present... technically my brother and I bought her and iPad, but since I wanted her to have something else on the day (we bought the iPad when my bro was here to help) I made her an iPad cover.

 

 

She called and let me know she loves it :) Pattern is here http://www.michellepatterns.com/product/just-pattern-pieces-tablet-computer-sleeves.

 

Happy Birthday to a wonderful Mom, who even better, is my friend!

Blogger's Quilt Festival 2012

I am so excited to be able to join this year as I finally have a blog :)



I am going to share the quilt I made for my baby niece. I chose this one as I love everything about it! Sunkissed is still one of my favourite fabric lines. This is my second quilt I have ever made.

This is my helper Opie making sure I basted everything correctly.

As my niece was born in March my outside photos all involve snow lol.

I cut into the curved ends of all the quarter circles so when washed they frayed and became super soft. I was so excited this summer, when I met my niece for the first time, to see her using her quilt!

Mairead's Quilt
*Quilt Measurements: 36x45
*Special Techniques used, if any: Raw edge cutting and fraying
*Quilted by…: me! I used straight line quilting to accent each fan... I used hot pink thread.
*Best category – 1 to 3 categories max: Baby quilt and Home Machine Quilted.

I would like to add that it is not my pattern, but is from a magazine. Unfortunately I do not recall which one.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about this quilt and will vote for me when you have a moment!

So very, very thankful

Last night I went to my first grief group. I have been aware for awhile that I need something to help me through all this. It was exhausting. I cried more than I have cried so far, which has been very little. This weekend, Thanksgiving here in Canada, we are burying my Dad in Quebec City with his parents. Needless to say I am stressed.

I came home, weary and drained. On my front step there was a big red box and a whole bunch of packages. Not having much of a clue I brought them in and started opening them.

First the box. Sent to me by my bee-mate and friend Nydia. Inside was a beautiful pillow, all sorts of scrappy colours in it, and sewn with love. I hugged and hugged and hugged it while crying my eyes out. In addition, knowing my fabric diet Nydia sent a delicious and large assortment of scraps. I was (and still am) totally floored that I am so lucky.

 

It was like a warm hug all wrapped up.

Next, I opened my package from Leona, who in addition to being many a swap-mama and swap partner has a blog where she sends gifts to people whose birthday month it is! Well lo and behold, here is my little package, a wonderful charm pack and some fabric glue... she knows what a girl likes LOL.

 

And then my friend Teri, who had hinted that she had sent something my way. I thought maybe a little birthday card and perhaps my winter bitty. Uh-uh... not Teri. She sent a party in a package LOL... it started with a ton of stickers and didn't stop. A ton of fun candy, a whoopee cushion (how can you not love someone who gives you one of those lol) and the most gorgeous Edgar Allen Poe based pillow cover and coasters...

 



 

The front of the pillow... just stunning! I have to get a form for it... I'm thinking next weekend when it is back to normal lol...

 

The back of the cushion (doesn't the Nevermore give you the most delicious shivers) and both sides of the coasters. Remind me btw to ask what kind of batting she used in the coasters, very soft but firm...

Here are the candies (also some other ones that disappeared to work) as well as my winter bitty... do you see how amazing it is? This woman is a serious genius!!

And then last, but most certainly not least, my friend Synnøve... she kindly offered me some of her batiks a few weeks back and I took her up on her offer as I always look at them but never know what to get. This way they were picked for me! Well... not only did she send me a large selection of gorgeous batiks, she sent a beautifully paper-pieced wall hanging of a rose. So many bits of it are so very me, the paper-piecing, the cherries, and best of all, some of her beautiful crochet framing it all. (I am always jealous in swaps when people get her crochet on items LOL)

 

Once again, an amazing gift from a friend with a wonderful heart!

 

Needless to say, today my step was a little lighter than it has been in months. Thank you all so very much, I am truly blessed to call you friends.