On To The Next Thing...

Even though my birthday is not the end of the year, is usually feels like it is.  This has been a year that caused some upsets, but like all the other things in my life, I just put my head down and keep trudging along -- have to say that my Mom taught me that. When I was a child and had walked home from school in a winter storm and came in crying that I was so cold I could hardly move my mother said to me, just put your head down and keep on going 'cause if you don't you will freeze and die out there - keep moving cause it will keep you warm...  That little piece of wisdom has helped me though many tough times in my life.  Just keep on going...

This last day of the year is time to finish up and think about new things.  New Years Day is really just any other day, but in todays society it means a new start, a reason to correct mistakes or clear up old habits that may not be good for us.  A day to start new things and try new things...

This year, I have developed a bit of a whine, it has not been the best year ever for me and I have somehow developed a habit of blaming it on other things and other people - and sure some people have upset me BUT I am the one who has let them!  So my own little change is to try to get back to my own little independent self.  Only I steer my life, so I need to make it go in the direction I want it to...   Other lives do affect mine, but I have to find a way to minimize those effects and either change my direction or deal with the effects that another persons life has on mine...  Easy to say, now, just to try to do it!

I have been finishing up a small lap size quilt for my cousin.  This little quilt is RELATED to the christmas quilt I finished up in the fall because the blocks are made by a co operative group, so my cousins blocks have sat in her closet for as many years as mine did -- so I offered to put them together and complete a quilt for her -- she did buy the extra fabrics needed to sash and bind it and I pieced together leftover bits of batting from other projects so it has not cost me anything except the time -- which I must say I have more Free time than alot of other people who have larger families or full time jobs...

One of my favourite things is the Birthday Lunch (or party or simple gathering) that I usually share with my cousins. I do like simple things and just getting together to say hello how are you is a highlight of my life.  I don't like big get togethers, just a few friends enjoying each others company -- I used to wonder why, but now I know and it is a selfish reason - I like to be a big fish in a little pond and am never comfortable being a little fish in a big pond -- if you know what I mean...

Well, now, off to finish up my cousins Christmas Quilt -- definately it will be ready for her to show off next year at christmas in her house, and to think about what things I can do to put my life on its own track without relying on or blaming anyone for its direction.

HAPPY NEW YEAR (AND A SAFE ONE TOO)

Quiet for Christmas

In my house, Christmas is a very quiet time.  My sons are grown and even though we usually have Christmas dinner together, we no longer feel the need to exchange gifts or go places or do alot of 'seasonal' things.   It doesn't mean though that we don't enjoy watching what others enjoy about the season -- the decorated trees, the crowded malls, the gatherings and parties that my friends and relatives send to me in pictures.

 My nieces in Victoria have been sending me pictures of their children opening and playing with their gifts -- it is a joyful and memorable time of their life.  The photos from my cousins of their children and grandchildren gathered for a Christmas Eve tradition they call Fish Pond is always fun to see - young to old all taking part in recreating the nativity play and then "fishing" for gifts in a "pond".  I so much enjoy seeing photos of  a new baby boy, born a couple of weeks before, with a beautiful dark head of hair, he is born into a loving and sharing family. 

Letters and cards from distant family and friends arrive in my home and those will go into my memory albums of Christmas cards from the past 50 years or so!  Looking through and remembering the people and places where those cards came from is one of my favourite activities of this season.  Opening and reading words that both of my grandmother's sent to me through the years, just looking at their writing is a wonderful memory.  Cards, both birthday and christmas sent to me by my father brings back the memories of the wood doll house he made for me when I was about 5 years old, of the bottle of nail polish he gave me the winter I turned 13 and so, so many other memories of him. 

Now this year I added some letters and cards that were not written specifically to me, but to an Aunt of mine. When I traveled to Manitoba this past summer she gave me letters my Mother had written to her through many many years .  There were some very insightful words and thoughts that were in those letters from my Mom, many years ago.  My Mom passed away, just over a year ago and those letters will be one of my great treasures.  My very earliest card in my collection is from my Aunt Vera -- she was my godmother and was an important part of my growing up years, she sent me a birthday and christmas card when I turned 7 and now it is such a cherished piece of my past!  As a child, perhaps cards are not so important as the gift that comes with it, but somewhere, somewhen I started to save these things and today when many of these people have passed away, their thoughts written in those cards are now so very important to me...

I guess that is what Christmas is to me, for the most part, a time to remember those who have been and gone and those who for many different reasons I cannot visit with in person.  My brothers who live a distance from me and have close to them their own children and grandchildren, my sister who chooses not to correspond or communicate with me or my brothers for reasons that she only knows.  I miss them all and I think of them at Christmas.

Well back to sewing and finishing up a Christmas Quilt for a friend -- not meant for this Christmas, though, so it certainly is not late - she had quilt blocks saved from years ago, and when I saw them I said I would put them together and she would have a finished quilt for next year... I will be posting pictures of it soon as the top is almost together.

continued organization

Gee, there is SO MUCH to get organized!  Working, creating in a jangle of fabric is possible and I have been doing it, but as things get put in its proper place, the projects become easier to form in my head and the tools and supplies are easier to put together for a project.  On Tuesday, I received two middling size boxes of MORE fabric!  Alot of scraps and christmasy fabrics along with about 4 unfinished projects started by the lady who passed along this bonanza...  How much fun is it to look through then sort in colour or type a stack of new to me fabic - LOTS OF FUN!  I decided that with all that fabric I could call a few of my quilting buddies and offer them a pick through of the fabrics too...  Everyone of them took home a small stack of their favourites!  But before they came over, I added a box of quilting magazines to the give away pile -- and some of those went off to a new home too!  Better in hands that will make use of them than sitting in a box at the back of a closet...

One of the unfinished project cried to be complete, so I spent about 3 hours finishing this little quilt.  The top was already done and even the batting was packed with it, so I put on a backing and cross hatch quilted the centre "trip around the world" area on my machine, and free motion quilted a string of hearts all around the border, picked out another fabric from the boxes and put on the binding.  It is just a crib size quilt so did not take much to finish up.  Now, today, I think I will take it over to the lady who passed along those boxes of fabrics to me...

Today, back to reorganizing and cleaning project -- I better be quick because another interruption of gifted fabrics could render the project at hand impossible if I find another quilt that is in need of finishing -- as if I don't have enough WiP's of my own!

Sorting, Organizing, Gifting, Making Room

I know practically everyone is making and buying things for christmas, sewing and crochet, baking and shopping for those who think something home made is a not particularly interesting gift -- who would want a quilt when they can have a new ipod or something similar???  I am a non conformist.  The gifts I give are pretty much ALL home made if someone doesn't want those kind of things, I would appreciate them saying that I shouldn't bother to make something for them cause they would rather have a store bought thing -- and since I don't do store bought, except toys for a few kids - I feel quite guilt free in not spending time or money on someone who doesn't want what I make...  Harsh, well, I don't think so, but then some might.

Anyway, since all my present making is complete and I don't do Malls at this time of year, so is all my shopping...

So.  As you have perhaps read from the previous few posts one of my local fabric chain stores are closing down (we hope it is just to change locations).  I think I have bought my fair share of 50%, 60% and 80% off fabrics in the last couple of weeks!  Now, since I do have a sewing room but only one closet as my fabric storage area and I try not to overflow it -- I am in need of making space as most of what I bought is still in bags on the floor.  Unacceptable, cause it makes it difficult to get from sewing machine to ironing board to cutting table.  I am going to dedicate this week to a clean-up, clean-out, organizing, and scrap cutting (into uniform squares)-- 2 1/2, 3 1/2, and 5" squares and 2 1/2 inch wide strips.  I already have shoe boxes that are designated for those very sizes, so all those odd size scraps can but cut and put away and the scrap box emptied and begun again.

Every sewer, well many of them do get their rooms in an untidy mess on occassion so this is my year end project -- shouldn't take more than a week, I hope...

And the other reason for concentrating on the job this week is because one of my most unfavourite events occured yesterday -- it snowed...  the weather guy says the snow should be gone by tomorrow but I don't count on it.  My cousin loves the snow, especially at christmas--but other than looking pretty when it is freshly fallen, I see nothing nice about snow -- for me, it is dangerous (mobility issues) and the cold and dry doesn't agree with me at all...

Other than that, it is really quite a wonderful day...

Promises

Aw, well, I didn't get back to you on Monday -- but I was ever so busy!

I had christmas presents to wrap and box up to ship to the nieces and their daughters... I don't generally do very much for Christmas, but that is one thing I enjoy -- finding things for little girls is a new adventure to me. Dresses and purses and dolly type things. Pink and purple and bright bright blue!


Then my long suffering spouse finally caught me in a soft moment and I agreed it was time to replace our 22 year old RCA stereo TV. We bought it in the spring of 1987 for $999.99 with our tax refund for that year... It was the biggest and best TV we had ever had. After a bit of shopping, not too much, actually, my husband chose a 32" Sony HD and who knows what else, for only $479. I say only because compared to the old RCA the new Sony has bells and whistles not even thought of 22 years ago! Only down side, is we have to wait for the cable company to come and bring and hook up the digital box so we can benefit from all the extra channels available.

But really all that did not take up the whole day, not nearly...

Up here in the Pacific Northwest we are generally in our RAINY season, but yesterday it turned cold, brrrrrrr, cold...
The rain means cloud, doesn't it? In fact, in my little townhouse even a sunny day has not particularly been very sunny for our neighbour has had three very large trees in their yard that just happened to block any chance of sun even on the sunniest of sunny days. Well, in August just past we went away on a bit of a holiday, and when we came back, the first thing we noticed was NO TREES! Until I saw those three trees removed I did not realize how much of the daylight we had been lacking...

NOW......

Archie, our three year old siamese craves the kitchen window sill every morning when the sun peeks out. Today, even with the cold - it is almost 8 degrees below zero CELSIUS.... He is basking in the sun and enjoying the smells and freshness. Can you imagine a more luxurious and happy existance?

NOW.

Where my kitchen used to be gloomy and always feeling cold, I am inspired to make a double batch of oatmeal and raisen drop cookies.
There might be quilting done later today, but for now I am going spend an hour or two or maybe even three creating cookies in my wonderful sunny happy kitchen.

A woman's perogative...

Yep, as they used to say -- I think, it implied that women were a bit air headed or flighty -- that it was a woman's perogative to change her mind...  Today, though in most cases a changeable mind is a good thing.

So the new quilt is not going to be based on that churn dash block -- regardless how much I like it, it just did not want to set up nicely in that scrappy type of quilt -- I guess the block is more suited to about 4 strong fabric contrasts with a sashing and wide borders, not a scrappy block with no sashing in between.  I have not put a picture up today because the new organization of fabrics in rectangles, squares and triangles is not as yet "set in stone" so by the end of the weekend I should have made that decision and perhaps have a good part of the quilt top put together...

Now.  Another dilemna.  Fabricland, which is pretty much the only large fabric store (chain) in the province, maybe even in the western part of Canada, is closing out their local store, though they are planning to reopen when they find a suitable retail space, and because of that, they are having clearence of pretty much everything in the store....  70% off is pretty excellent pricing when it comes to getting those quilting tools -- today I bought myself a new 24 x 36 cutting mat for just over $32.00  usually priced around 150.00 -- along with that I picked up fabrics about 15 meters worth.  Thats not all, a couple of rulers--12 1/2 x 12 1/2 and a 4 1/2 x 4 1/2...  Is there more I need to stock up on?  You bet there is!  But some things are sold out already -- not a spool of white or beige or black or grey thread of any type to be found in the store!   Also I am thinking buying alot of fabric is not really a good choice unless I am buying the fabric as quilt backing because as trends change and even my own colour preferences change too much of this past seasons fabrics  may bog me down and at some future point I may resent having some of these fabrics in my stash along with the guilt that I should use what I have before going out and buying more...  So I am not looking at feature fabrics for future quilts but fabric that "reads as solids" or are relatively neutral so that they will be good for the backing on future quilts...  It is rather difficult though even to choose those types of fabrics cause even though I tend to make twin or lap size quilts , will I need a 5 meter piece or 7 or maybe even 10 meters to use on the back...  Well, I may take a wander back to the store on Monday just to check out what might still be on the shelves and do I want any of it???   I will certainly be thinking for the next little while.

Churn Dash for Christmas

When my sons were children, each year for my birthday, which is Christmas Eve all I ever asked for was time to sew on that day. Mostly their father would take the boys to the local community centre and they would spend time out on the ice playing Dad and Sons hockey, or if that wasn't possible the would often go to a park nearby and trudge along the snowy trails.   I sewed to my heart's content and usually made a christmas quilt or at least started it for the next christmas.

Now I don't have to save my sewing time for odd moments when the kids were at school or asleep and when their father did not need me to help wrap presents or to bake christmas cookies and other christmasy type things.  Today, and most every day now, time is all my own - the boys are grown and have their own places, and the light of my life has his own things to keep him occupied -- so I can start on my Christmas Quilt before Christmas Eve.

I am beginning to have quite a few quilts associated with Christmas - a few queen sized that took more than one Christmas season to complete.  This year, I happened upon some Moda Charm Packs as you can see in the photos below.

I did purchase 4 charm square packs a couple of months back, but it was not til yesterday, that I pulled them out of their bag.  Yep, even though the charm squares are called Peace On Earth, they are not too, too Christmasy.   First being quite partial to triangle, I took two of the packs and make them into a stack of half square triangles.  Then I had to think on it for a few days, or was it weeks?  Anyway, some time in the last 24 hours I decided the charm packs would become, Churn Dash (Hole in the Barn Door) Blocks.

Not sewn yet into blocks, but the plan in my head says that they will be alternate light or dark blocks, so today, I will spend a bit of time, putting the blocks together and thinking on whether or not the top will be needing a border or no...

Oh, I also want to point you to the Sew, Mama Sew blog/website.   They have a listing for Giveaway Days.  Check out Sew, Mama Sew and follow through some of the blogs that are offering giveaways.  My friend Marianne Penner  is participating and has a wonderful giveaway on her blog too.  So perhaps you can go visit and maybe find yourself the happy recipient of a gift!