Mark Lipinski- Better than Prescription Drugs

Tuesday night my friends, Kelly, Margaret and I went to see a trunk show by Mark Lipinski . Mark is the editor and main writer for the Magazine, "Quilters Home". We had a ball, Mark told so many stories. He is a natural stand up comedian. We laughed so hard we had pains in our sides. I swear to you we could not have laughed more at Yuk Yuks.

The next day we took his class. It was great, a mystery quilt in which we learned how to: design a quilt, plan out where the blocks will go, and learned how to piece curves. Then make more blocks to complete your chosen design.

Mark likes to collect odd and shall we say irreverent quilt fabric. One lady in class had found some while shopping and brought him a piece. It was the hit of the day.

Here is a photo with the shop owner, Darlene from Country Concessions, in Cookstown. It is a great quilt shop with a huge selection of fabric, I am sure they are the largest in our area.

These are picture of quilts from others in the class.









This is my friend Kelly's. I love it, the batik is a fish print.







Finally here is mine, I absolutely hate it, however I am going to persevere and see what else I can add to the colour scheme (yellow) to soften it up.







As Mark was leaving we caught a glimpse of his license plate. Note the red flames around it that light up when he brakes.

Ready Set - Mark!

My friend Kelly and I are going to Mark Lipinski's Trunk Show and Workshop, Tuesday night and Wednesday. We are so excited. I intend to take my premiere issue of his magazine and have him autograph it for me if possible. Country Concessions intends to be open early and has a sale on his new line of Frabric "Krakow",and that is always dangerous for us. Kelly and I got together on Saturday to cut our fabric and put it into the required labeled baggies. Kelly brought a lovely ham and cheese Strata made with spinach that we put the oven as soon as she arrived and if filled the kitchen with the most amazing aroma. After we had lunch and finished out cutting we sat in the liviing room having fresh strawberries and tea while we watched Kelly;s DVD copy of  , a "Night in Rodanthe", a real chick flick. It was a really great day.

On a less exciting note. I have not been feeling up to snuff lately. I think I mentioned a while ago that this blog was a kind of therapy for me. Among other things, I won't bore you with now, I have what is call Peripheral Neuropathy. It is a tingling of the feet and hands (primarily feet), a kind of nerve damage and is accompanied by numbness and pain. I was at the neurologist last fall and prescribed a drug called Lyrica which I have been taking but I am overcome with such an array of side effects, not the least of which is a profound need to sleep alot and deeply, unfortunately it is only during the day. I sleep poorly at night because of the feet pain but I do sleep in the day and so much so that at least once a week. I can sleep about 7:00 am until noon hour. It is that horrible kind of sleep where you feel almost catatonic when you wake up and have to keep shaking your self awake.  If anyone has had any experience on this drug I would love to hear from you.

I am seeing the doctor soon and intend to ask him to take me of this drug.


I am really enjoying a book I am reading now,    Sisters Coice by Emilie Richards. It is a nice story with some references to quilting. Try one if you get a chance this series starts The Wedding  Ring.

Throw me a Curve - Mystery Quilt

My Kindred group met a couple of nights ago for a pot luck. It is always nice to get together for a gab as we sit around stitching after dinner.

I brought a Spinach Salad, so simple to make:

A large amount of baby Spinach leaves
Red Onion, slivered in half rounds- as much or as little as you like
A can of Mandarin Orange Slices, drained OR a cup of thinly sliced strawberries
1/4 cup of slivered Almonds
Kraft or Renees Poppy Seed Dressing, or a simple vinagrette.

Everyone Loves it.

Mark Lipinski is coming to town and my friend Kelly and I are going to attend his trunk show and the workshop. Here is the fabric that I have chosen for the Mystery Quilt Workshop. I hate Mystery Quilts. 
I much prefer knowing what it is going to look like. But I so enjoy Mark that I am willing to give it a go.

We were to choose three fabrics a Dark, a Medium and a Light. I am going to use the Large Blue Print as my Dark, the Orange as Medium, the yellow and green as light and the stripe will be an extra likely for the border. Stay Tuned.   

A Purse - February's Project

I finally completed this purse. The pin Yo-Yo pin is removeable. I think I like it, but I will make the next one a little larger.

Happy Quilting!

Me and my Shadow

Not much new and Quilty this week so I thought I would share some photos of my daugther, Shadow.
Hubby and I adopted Shadow from the Orillia OSPCA shelter when she was a little over a year old. She is almost 6 now.  Apparently she was born at the shelter, adopted out and eventually returned. We never understood why because she is the most wonderful pet. She has been a fabulous loving girl who is the most affectionate girl we've ever loved. Her name was Shadow when we got her so we left it.

I am sure for most pet parents and humans ones too, each child has some things that they do that are special, only onto themselves and although you know you love them all equally, there is just that little one thing.
We have had several dogs but this is only one that likes to rest her head on everything. The other night she even has her head reading on the open dishwasher door.  Here are a few of the moments  I've captured....................

We love her so much..............

Sniffles and Progress on Eaton Embroidery Blocks

I have been down with a wicked cold this week. Which has left me lolling around the T.V room in my PJ's and stitching only when I have not been sleeping or blowing my nose.  You might remember that a little while back I told you about a quilt my kindred group is going to make to donate to a Charity Auction. We are using Old preprinted linens put out by Eaton's , likely in the 40's.

I have completed my two large blocks, except for the edging, and I am working on one small one that we will use for the label on the back of the quilt.

The small one (that will be the label)  I am edging in black stitch. However the large blocks will be laid on top of another plain piece of fabric and a satin stitch used to complete the edging. Then the remainder of the top linen block will be cut away. It is necessary because some of the blocks don't have enough for a seam allowance. 

Sunbonnet Lady

I was thrilled to pick up my mail today because it contained a package. I ordered some "Red" Sunbonnet Sues from a lady who sell on Ebay. She makes them using fusible interfacing (Eleanor Burns method) so you can iron them on and then stitch them down either by hand or machine. I had  never ordered anything like this on line before however she had good feedback and the price was right. I am not sure what I was expecting but I must tell you they are fabulous. I can't imagine how I could possibly make them as well and in such a beautiful array of colours.
She also sells 30's repro tea pots, butterflies, Sue's, Sam's lots of other things to help you in your Quilting.

 I have a special project in mind which is why I wanted mine all in red. Stay Tuned. I can heardly wait to get started. She made mine special order all in red prints.

Anyway the Sunbonnet Lady can be found on Ebay.http://cgi.ebay.com/SUNBONNET-SUE-Kit-in-30s-Repro-Set-12_W0QQitemZ120380025534QQihZ002QQcategoryZ19162QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pass the Dessert Please

Last week my Mom and I went to a restaurant "FulFords" at Fleming College, a special treat to celebrate Valentines Day.

http://www.flemingculinary.ca/index.php?page=fulfords

It is run entirely by the students in there Culinary Program. It is open for lunch a couple of days a week and  and one evening for dinner. It is truly a a fine dining experience at  very reasonable prices. you need to make a reservation, but I assure you it is out of this world. We had 

Carmelized Onion Soup,

Mango Ginger Salad

 Veal Saltimbocca

 (veal pounded thin with a lay of sage leaves and procuitto, served with Potatoes Dauphinoise, and snap pea, red pepper saute.

Roasted Fruit and Toasted Almonds

Raisin Cinnamon Apple Crisp served with Student made Vanilla Ice Cream

   

Almost, Looked too good to eat. I can tell you, they were both fabulous. 

More Pictures of my Memory Quilt

As promised, I was home this weekend to visit Mom and took some more pictures with my new digital camera. I made this for my parents 50th.

The Perfect Handbag

Dear Quilters,

I really do need your help!!!

I have never make a handbag.

For more than the last five years now I have been collecting handbag patterns. I have saved them from magazines, purchased them from quilt and fabric shops, looked at them on blog tutorials, and admired those of my friends and fellow Quilters.

Alas I have not made one for myself (nor do I have any Quilted garments to wear but that is another Blog)
I have purchased much fabric appropriate for a handbag, even imported from foreign countries. I have purchased several different sets of lovely handles and no less than 2 sets of magnetic closers.

But nary a bag insight. I fear my problem, yes phobia, may lay in finding the perfect hand bag pattern. I don't want to spend several hours making a bag only to find that is not perfect.


I know, I know how can one be sure unless one caries and experiences a bag personally, before making that determination. It is so much easier to buy one from a shop use it for a week or two and then declare it , good and useful, pockets in the right places, right number of pockets. Right amount of large space, length of handle appropriate, right size and location of cell phone pocket. Is the bag to large to small and on and on and on. There are so many factors to consider.

Therefore my dear Quilting friends, I must confess I am locked in procrastination and indesion about which would be the best handbag to make.

I couple of year ago I went to a Quilt show. A a lady had exhibited two purses she had made, unfornately she did not indicate what pattern she used if any. There were many features I liked about the bag but mainly that fact there was a removable fabric compartment that could be washed. The compartment came complete with some pockets, and some large open space. I have attached a picture.

Please, Please, Dear Quilting Friends, help me get over my phobia so that I can make a bag. Please leave messages about your successful experiences in bag making, patterns and what you like about you bag.
I would sincerely appreciate your input.

And yet another WISP............

About 7 years ago I was in a group at our guild called Tinners. We each past around a large cookie tin containing one fabric and a theme. (Mine was red fabric and a floral theme)

Each person made a block of there size and choosing representing your theme. I got the blocks back and resized them make them all the same and put it away again. Hopefully, Thanks to the challenge this will get finished this year.

I was thinking that this might make a nice quilt to donate to our new Simcoe County Hospice. 

I Need some Help, Please....................

A few years ago I won a set of blocks at a quilting retreat. On the way home I stopped and bought some fabric I thought might go with it. Not all of the Blocks are the same size and some are lighter and some are darker.

Anyway, no matter how many times I look at these blocks and I can not figure out what to do them. Any Suggestions would be really helpful. Thanks.... I'll await some suggests and barring that some devine inspiration.

2009 A Project a Month Challenge

Over at May Britts there is a challenge going on.  I have signed up and my first completed quilt will my Hubby's, nautical theme Quilt.  I gave it him as a to unfinished Christmas present. I have since added the borders and machine quilted it.

Photo Quilt from the Past

As I have nothing new to share with you right now. I would like to show you one of the quilts that I made for my parents 50th anniversary. My Inspiration was a book by Ami Sims on Photo Transfer Quilts.

Once you get started you will be come hooked on sorting through old pictures. So if you want to organize your photo collection, now is a great time to make this quilt. It can have as many or as few pictures as you want on it. First I sorted through all of the photos that I was going to use and transferred them onto fabric. I decided my colour scheme would be Golds to go with the 50th and Black to make it pop. I collected all sorts of buttons and did some cross stitch to represent the things that my parents loved to do. I put their wedding picture in the middle of the quilt with Satin Ribbon Roses above and below there picture. I then put pictures of Mom and Dad's families above there picture and all of the family and friends below the picture. The black border was covered with a vine, leaves and gold yo-yo flowers. (the edge was not scalloped but  I used scalloped scissors on the photo I took before putting it in my Quilt Journal Album - Prior to Digital Camera) Next time I am home to visit, I will get better pictures.

    

PS Hubby's Toe is on the mend.

His Left Foot

Hubby has been suffering with a painful ingrown toenail for months, actually it has been almost a year. It took me at least 2 months to convince him to see our doctor, 6 months for him to get into see a specialist and another 2 months for them to schedule the procedure.
Well today was the day and I will be playing nursemaid for for the next few, I suspect.

  Good thing I have lots of hand work to work while I sit with my patient.

.......and yet More Snow

It has been snowing here non stop for 2 days. Fortunately we have a snowblower for the driveway. This is the view out of my kitchen door, very early this morning. Looks like there is another couple of inches for me to shovel.

I am preparing binding for Darling Hubby's quilt so that I can have hand work ready for the inauguration tomorrow. I want to see history in the making.  

Ahhhhhhh for Summer!

New Kindred Group Project

Yesterday I got together with my kindred group " Friends In Stitches". We try to meet at least once a month  and we work on a charity project. We always have at least one charity quilt on the go as well as our own projects. We have a lot of fabric donated to us, we usually come up with a plan. on how to use it.

Some time ago we had a box of things donated for our use. It included what I will call some preprinted Penny Squares. These squares are a pattern owned by Eatons  (A large Canadian retailer, very popular before they went out of business in about 2000)

 Here is a picture of one of the squares.

Our plan is to embroider 12 squares to make another Quilt for Charity. These are preprinted fine linen panels .

My Dear Friend Kelly and What a View

My friend Kelly and I spent a Saturday together this past weekend. I so look forward to the time we get to spend together.

We usually start at the kitchen table each with an extra large freshly brewed cup of Tim's (brought by Kelly) and chat while we peruse the latest issues of our Quilt magazine. Once we've finished our coffee and catch-up we get down to sewing. At least that is our plan. In reality we sew a little, talk a little, share websites we have found, talk about our future quilts and how we want to finish our UFO's.

Then Kelly keeps me company while I prepare lunch for us. After lunch, we sew a little more and finally put in a DVD, this time it was Judith Baker Montano's latest on Crazy Quilting. We have a cup of tea while we watch and then in no time the day is over.

Kelly and I share a lot of the same "Quilty" interests, we both love hand work, the "A" word, we both love embroidery, beading etc. We make great travelling companions because I like to drive and she is a great navigator. Kelly is a great listener and I am very lucky to have her as a friend.

As  I don't have a picture of our day together, I'll leave you with a picture taken from the window of my Mom's Kitchen. Wow!

New Experience

I had the opportunity to spend sometime using a longarm machine owned by a lovely lady; Colleen at our local Quilt shop. It was a real eye opener. It sure gave me a new respect for their work and the length of time it takes for them to perfect the craft and the quality of there work .

The smaller quilt is one that I made almost three years ago and had not gotten around to finishing it.
It will be donated to RVH hospital. Our guild has a program where we make quilts for the premature babies at the hospital. They use the Quilts to cover the isolettes and then the mothers get to take the quilt home with them when baby goes home. I am just finshing the binding.

This second one is a lap quilt that I made my husband for Christmas. It still needs binding too.

It was made from a kit I bought in Newfoundland, from Cathy Pittman at The Piecemaker, in South Conception Bay, a fabulous little shop right by water. The kit was only the small inner panel inside the red piping. The pattern was called Stir Crazy and used about 20 different fabrics relating to the sea.

I wanted to make a nice lap size quilt for hubby, so I asked my Kindred Group for some suggestions to add to it. They suggested the red piping. Boy did it make Quilt have the pop I was looking for. I also had these panels which included a lighthouse and beach sceen, so Brenda (a member of our group) suggested  using the lighthouse portion of the panels as cornerstones. The rest of the panels and extra fabric I bought, plus my stash was used to make the bricks in the second border.

I am really please at how it turned out. I used the bamboo and cotton blend batting. It has a lovely hand and I think could be used for hand quilting. I would be anxious for your comments. 

Happy New Year

Good Morning everyone, I am a little late getting all of my Resolution type plans in order, but here goes.

1. Get into a more Healthy Eating Regime, (not the "D" word), get more active, etc. More on this later.

2. Make a Memory Box - I have decided that I have lot of little things, notes of love and encouragement, cards and pictures that mean a lot to me and I would like to keep them in a place that I can revisit them and keep them without worrying about losing them. I have a lovely tin box that I am going gather up my things and keep them in.

3. Make a list of each room in my home, and further break down the list of what I want to do in each room E.G. clean out closet, clean out dresser drawers, Declutter shelf in the closet etc. My plan is to prioritize each one and as I have time work on each task for a short time. I think that I will be more satisfied if I can do one small task and see it through to completion instead of just saying clean this room, which can be a daunting task at time.

Right now I have several Doctor's appointments this week and a couple of small hand sewing projects I need to finish for my Kindred Group. So I best get cracking!

 Here are some pictures I took over Christmas. Hubby in the midst of the aftermath. My fur baby before we started opening, and Lovely bouquet my husband brought me home on Christmas Eve.