Saturday, December 29, 2007

A Challenge!

I was still thinking about this question when I went to bed last night (see previous post). And I came up with a quilt for Wolverine... I imagine it to be a scrappy patchwork made up of flannels, plaids, even some corduroy, in browns. Definitely well worn, even has holes from where his claws have gone through it!

Which brings me to the challenge...Quilt Pixie even beat me to it with her comment to my last post!...Apply the quilting question to characters from any of your favourite books, tv shows or movies! What kind of quilt would Starbuck make from Battlestar Gallactica? and so on. It's a fun exercise in imagination, applying your knowledge of quilts to other scenarios! Try it!

Friday, December 28, 2007

What quilt story would a Super Hero tell?

Tonya sent me an email with a link to this blog Black Threads. Kyra E Hicks is a quilter and author. Kyra asks the question What quilt story would a Super Hero tell and do Super Heroes quilt? Of course I had to weigh in with my 2 cents (see my comment to her post), but then I really started to think about it. What quilt story would they tell? Would it be the Batman story of the death of Robin, would you use pieces of their costumes, in crazy quilts or patches with their symbols on them? Would you use Superman's cape as the backing for the quilt? would the quilting citizens of the marvel universe join together to make tribute quilts after the fallout of Civil War like the quilts made in the wake of 9-11? Perhaps some well meaning therapist has the Joker thread up a crazy quilt in Arkham Asylum? Would Mary Jane take up quilting in her later years, while Peter Parker is out saving the world? or perhaps she would take it up to make a crib quilt when they have their first spider-baby? Aunt May, Martha Kent wouldn't they quilters? OK, OK I am being a bit of a comic nerd!

But how about the wonky superhero blocks I was making earlier. If I had a child I can imagine myself pointing out the different blocks and telling a little story about each superhero..."Do you know why Batman uses the bat as his symbol?" I would start out and then proceed to tell a little story of the origin of Batman, and of course the child would roll his eyes and say "Mom, I've heard that one before, tell me the one about the Punisher! Does he have lots of guns?" Ha! Kids say the darndest things!

Please check out Kyra's blog and website. I really enjoyed both, she posts a lot about Civil War quilts and the Underground Railway. In her kids lit blog she posts about books for kids.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Greetings!

Merry Christmas all! This was the email card I sent out this year. Usually I like to send a photo of the cats, but they haven't been behaving christmasy lately.

Christmas was great as usual this year! Ate too much as usual, but it was all so good! My parents upgraded their camera for Christmas, so I inherited their Sony Cybershot, 4.1 megapixel to replace my Olympus 1.3 megapixel. woo hoo! Stay tuned for higher resolution photos! Hubby got me this quilt book (photo taken with new camera!):


It was quite the surprise. I keep a list of books I want to keep an eye out for near my computer and he swiped it without me knowing. He couldn't find any of the books here, so he got my in-laws to look for them in the states. B&N didn't have any in stock and wouldn't mail it to Canada, so they arranged to have it sent to a friend in the states and picked it up later. Oh so much covert shopping going on! Didn't suspect a thing! I am looking forward to trying out the exercises in this book!


Saturday, December 22, 2007

More Postcard Swap

Here are my latest postcards that I received from the LFQG postcard swap. The blue Let it Snow one, has loose snowflakes trapped under a layer of tulle. When you shake it, it snows! How cool is that?!

Below are my October postcards I received. I didn't participate in November's swap. Basically, you drop off your postcards into the box at the guild meeting. Then for every one you drop off, you receive one (that is not your own) back in the real mail. I like to drop off 2 at a time! Beats getting bills in the mail!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Suske's Beauty Tips

"It's all about grooming and my secret is to take a shower everyday!"


My cat Suske is not afraid of water. She loves it! Whenever you take a shower, she likes to jump inside with you and sit there. She won't go in by herself and let the full force of the shower hit her, but if you are in there and blocking it a bit she will stay until you are finished. She also likes to lick the water dripping off your fingers! Crazy girl!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Christmas postcards


These are my 2 fabric postcards for the guild postcard swap. The santa card is from a block I never used. I just added boots to finish the block and then put on eyes and a moustasche. It was also the first time I used TimTex. I usually just use whatever I have on hand, interfacing, some batting whatever, so my postcards are pretty floppy. I am surprised that I like how the TimTex turned out. One lady I know uses the interfacing that you use in curtains and that turns out nice, too, not as puffy as the TimTex.

Here's a photo of my Batman tea cozy. Tonya (Lazy Gal) and I were discussing Batman fabrics so this photo is for her. I can't survive a day at work without a pot of tea!

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Santa Collection

Tonya asked me to post some photos of my Santa collection. I started out collecting old fashioned Santas before moving on to pop culture Santas. I liked old fashioned Santas so much I made my first tree skirt with appliqued Santas. This was made before I was really into quilting. Then it took me a year to cross stitch 4 santas and make them into a quilted wall hanging. Then I made a cross stitch santa bell pull, which bled red when I washed it. I now put Jack as Santa as my tree topper (it rests in a coffin box). I also started a post card collection and I keep any Santa cards in a Santa tin. I hang up the 2 hats to indicate that Mr and Ms. Claus live here. I'm not really into collectors plates but I have Alex Ross' Superman carrying Lois Lane with Christmas hat and Batman as a Christmas present with the Joker and Harley Quinn.


I've always collected Simpsons stuff, but I particularly like the Christmas stuff. I've got a Homer and Bart as Santas string of lights as well as Homer heads. I also try when I can, to pick up the Carlton Cards' Simpsons decorations, but I really wish people would give them to me for Christmas instead. I have Homer stepping on the cat with sound effects (heh,heh), Homer squeezing into the chimney and Homer and the kids on a sleigh. Most of these decorations end up on my store Christmas tree. Again I use Jack as a tree topper, this version is the Gold Millenium Jack placing the star on top. And this year we have a life size Jack in pajamas to put with our store tree. Other decorations include Homer as a nutcracker, and I have 2 Coca Cola Santa piggy banks and for awhile I was collecting icicle Santa decorations.




Whew! that really is quite tacky! It doesn't look as bad in real life.

On the quilty side of things, I made up some gift bags with Tonya's free-pieced letters and I think they look marvelous!

Sunday, December 02, 2007

New Profile Photo


For those of us who were first to take Tonya's Lazy Gal Class, we decided to send Tonya our names to her as a thank you and on Friday we revealed our blocks to her. Above is mine and I will be using it as my new profile photo. I am sad to see my Spike block go, but I will bring it back as a header for my blog eventually. (Once I figure out how to change my header and I make "quiltasdesired" as a block as well..If anyone has this template and knows how to do it, let me know...I've been hesitant to change my template to the new easier version, because I've been happy with this one, so far...I just want to personalize the header)

I don't have much other quilty things to reveal, it's getting crazy at work, and I spent Saturday Christmas shopping and Sunday, Dad and I put together my new cupboard for my sewing room. Then we decided to see if we could make some headway on the eaves troughs. I didn't get to clean them out before it snowed because the leaves were so late in dropping. Then the snow froze the leaves into the troughs and the downspouts were getting all backed up. When finally the snow was gone it was too windy to go up on the ladder. Well, yesterday it snowed again, but today it was raining. It was enough to allow a bit of melting and I was up on the ladder shoveling out logs of frozen leaves and ice out of the troughs! Absolutely miserable work, but it's all done! Just in time too, because tomorrow we are expecting 20-30 cm of snow, that's 8-12 inches for you Yanks. I am glad I don't drive to work, I expect the roads to be pretty terrible tomorrow!

PS. Thanks Dad!I couldn't have done it without you!