UFO Madness!

I've been busy...what else is new? We've been getting 3 times the amount in deliveries as we stock for Christmas! I come home so tired! Friday our furnace at home went on the fritz! ugh, apparently it needs a new motor...the furnace is only 9 years old! The part won't be in until today (Monday)! So I have been living like a refugee from the war! Lots of quilts, sweaters and space heaters! My parents always the optimists, tell me "Now you know what it was like when we were kids in Holland!" My dad says they would leave the window open a bit "because it was healthier" and when they woke up the water in the basin would be frozen and they would use the water from their hot water bottles to wash up with! Yes Dad I am grateful for the what I have, although I wish I had heat!

I did get to spend Saturday at the UFO day with some of the guild and managed to complete the top for my Dutch Mini quilt (July 21st post) I was making. I am glad it is done! Please put mini paper piecing down as "Once is enough"!




Here is Christine at our very organized and tidy work station!

First Snow

Yesterday:

Today:

sigh.
wasn't ready, never ready.
leaves aren't even raked yet.
brrr.

I'm in!

It's true! I'm in for Gwen Marston's Beaver Island retreat in Michigan next year! This is a picture of the postcard she sent as a confirmation! Way cool! I'm going with my quilting buddy Christine!!!! woohoo!


Took out Kaffe Fassett's Passionate Patchwork from the library and there was a neat idea of an unquilted top used a blind in the window. Just last week I saw Hedgehog's post of her quilt hanging in front of the window and it inspired me to make this:


Also, I finished my Sakura wall hanging:


Also, got my bingo card made for the guild (Fons and Porter, September/October 2006):



Sometimes it feels great to get the little things done!

Lest We Forget

A friend of mine wrote this for Remembrance Day:


FIVE MILES TO PASSENDALE


LET NONE SLEEP TONIGHT WE`VE GOT A WAR TO FIGHT
CAME THE EARLY REVEILLE HORN
WITH DRIED MUD ON MY FACE IN THAT FRONTLINE PLACE
AND A DUTY AS SURE AS I`M BORN
THE PRICE WAS QUITE HIGH FOR A HILL SO NIGH
THAT CURRY WAS FROZEN TO THE CORE
BUT HAIG SAID PUSH NORTH WITH YOUR CANADIAN FORCE
ALL FIFTEEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR

WHEN DOES LIFE BECOME AN OBLIGATION
WHEN MEN DIE TO SAVE OUR NECKS AND NATION
DO YOU FEEL IT BEARING DOWN UPON US ALL
THOSE OF US WHOM LIVE AFTER THEIR FALL

WE WERE THE 3RD AND 4TH CANADIAN DIVISION
WHO WERE THE FINAL SACRIFICING MISSION
TO PULL OUR GUNS BACK OUT OF THE MUD
OR BE SUCKED INTO A GRAVE OF DIRT AND BLOOD
EIGHTY PERCENT IS TOO HIGH WAS THE GENERAL`S CRY
THESE MEN ARE DESPERATE TO FIND COVER
HOWEVER THE MESSAGE CAME THROUGH
AND ALL THOSE CANADIANS WE KNEW
BECAME THE KEEPERS OF OUR BROTHER

A REPRIEVE OF COURSE FROM THE OPPOSING FORCE
ALLOWED THIRTY MINUETS TO REMOVE THE DEAD
BUT WE ALL KNEW THAT WHEN FINALLY THROUGH
THEIR SIGHTS WOULD BE BACK UPON OUR HEAD
TO RESTART THE WAR AND NOT KNOWING WHAT FOR
WAS A MOMENT THAT PERPLEXED US ALL
YET THE COMMAND CAME DOWN AND AGAIN WE FOUND
OURSELVES HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE WALL

IT WAS A SENSELESS PARADE AND A FALSE FACADE
THAT THIS HILL NEEDED TO BE TAKEN
OF COURSE WE ALL KNEW THAT THE GENERAL`S VIEW
WOULD BE OF HUBRIS, PRIDE AND HIS BACON
SO WE DID OUR JOB IN THAT NOVEMBER FOG
TO PLEASE THE COURTS AND ALL THAT TALE
AND WE DID WHAT WAS DONE, IN THE END WE HAD WON
THE LAST OF FIVE MILES TO PASSENDALE

WHEN DOES A LIFE`S REGRET BECOME OUR DEBT
FOR ALL THOSE WHOM WE`VE NEVER KNOWN
WHO PAVED THE WAY SO THAT WE COULD SAY
THANKS FOR MY LIFE, MY LIMB AND MY HOME

JOE RENAUD

Downtown Sinking Fast!

I got an unexpected day off work today. Apparently at 5 in the morning a water main broke in downtown London, causing the power to go out to the downtown. This is the photo of the city trying to clean up the large sinkhole that appeared in the street afterwards!



The street lights were all out on my way to work and police were starting to direct traffic at major intersections. There was no power at my store, but I had to wait for our Wednesday comic shipment to arrive. My employee arrived and said the bus routes were a mess downtown as well as 20 minutes behind schedule. Hubby arrived around noon. The comics arrived and we did our best unpacking, counting and putting them aside for the regulars. By 1PM we still had no power so we called it quits and took a walk around downtown to see the chaos. If you want more photos they are on the store blog.

There is news video footage here and Free Press here.

As of 7PM there was still no power to downtown.

Sigh, tomorrow is going to be a busy day..... if we have power.

I have been very busy, and haven't been able to post. First, a Halloween photo. Pirates jogging by my house came to say hello. They had just completed their 10k run through Springbank Park. Participants were encouraged to dress up! Father and son make a great team!


Finally Echt Hollands is done and back in my possession! I sent it out to Sue Chinn of Huntsville to be machine quilted. And what a wonderful job she's done!



A detail from the back with the label I made:



Thanks Sue!!


On Saturday, our guild had a room booked so we could work on UFO's. Here is a very flattering photo of myself basting my Robyn Pandolph piece:

We were in a church basement and it rained most of the day but every once in awhile sun would shine through that window. I liked the way it shone on my quilt.

Here comes the Rooster!

I've been saving this post for awhile. I live within walking distance to my downtown, basically in the heart of the city. I walk to work every day and I love it! I cross a bridge at the end of the street, walk through the park and then I am downtown.

One day, at around 9AM on my way to work, I swear I heard a rooster crowing, down by the river! Imagine a rooster in the city! It's a wonder to us city folk! I paused to see if I could catch a glimpse of this bird, peering over the railing, squinting at the trees along the banks of the river. I couldn't see anything, but a cyclist along the path sure did a double take when he heard it. He too stopped to see if he could find the rooster!

For a few weeks, from my house, I could hear him crowing in the morning around 7AM. Remember how unseasonably warm it was the last few weeks of September, all our windows were open; I could hear him in the distance.

I mentioned this story to a friend who works at the local paper, and they did this story on it. But they could not find anyone who actually saw the rooster. That made me determined to find it. One early morning me and my digital camera were down by the park looking for him. I found him sitting in a tree! I took photos, but alas, they did not turn out. My camera has no zoom and it is only a 1.3 megapixel. It was also a little too dark. I went later in the afternoon and found him, very close to the same location, wandering about on the ground and managed these 'big foot' like photos:

And in case you can't find him here is the photo cropped:

I submitted my photos to the local paper and they called and said they were going to do a story, taking the "big foot" angle, but I am sure some real news took precedence. Quite a number of times I went to the same spot to check on the rooster and he was always there. I told my neighbours that I have seen the elusive rooster and I can show you where, I would take them them the next morning to show them!

Well of course, you can guess what happened. He wasn't there anymore! And we haven't heard or seen him since! I did see Animal Care and Control hanging about, so I suspect they rounded him up. I heard from someone, that the person who let the rooster go at the river was on the local radio station confessing his sins. All part of a prank apparently, someone put some chickens in his apartment as a joke, and he didn't know what to do with them so he let them go at the river. True or false? I don't know, now just part of the legend!

Well, my quilting buddies, I have been doodling roosters all the time. I am seeing roosters everywhere. In craft stores, and at the Russian Quilt show in Ailsa Craig, there were at least 3 rooster wallhangings! As Gwen Marston says, in her book, Collaborative Quilting, "When in doubt, make a chicken quilt". I am not sure I need or have the energy for a whole quilt dedicated to my rooster, but I did make a couple of fabric postcards, one for my neighbours and one for myself.


And for the finale here is Alice in Chains:

Superhero Blocks continued....

I came up with this great Spider-man block. I thought this block would be really hard with the legs, but when I was sketching it out first, I realized that I could make one block and cut it into pieces to create the legs!


OK, my Superman block, needs work!


I improved my Green Lantern block by adding the green around it:

The menagerie, or Superhero headquarters, so far:


Also managed a couple more fabric postcards for this month's guild swap. The top one is "The Butler did it Again" and the bottom is "Autumn Trails". I am really going out on the embellishments with that one (read sarcasm) I used some gold thread and did some french knots! Embellishments go outside my 'comfort zone'!

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!

Mmmmmm! Mom's butternut squash soup! Yummy! It was a good meal, a great winter meal for 30 degrees Celcius! We've been having a bit of a heat wave here in Southwestern Ontario! We sat out on the patio, the A/C has been on, it's crazy, wondering when the cold snap will hit!


I added borders to Black Cats Staring. I've gone thread shopping. I have been using up my embroidery thread, but I thought I would experiment with perle cotton. I don't think I will get it done in time for Halloween. I may hang it up in the front window any way, I'll see how it looks first.

Been experimenting with free pieced super hero blocks. Here is Green Lantern:

The Punisher:


Batman:


The Hubby didn't like the Batman one, it's not pointy enough, I'll keep experimenting!

Sunny and warm!

I went for a drive in the country with my parents. We have had such wonderful weather lately. Sunny and warm. Above pumpkins for sale at the Lucan (oops sorry it is Birr not Lucan) General Store at the side of the highway.




Don't you just love the wings on that goose!


I also spent some time on my front porch handquilting an abandoned project. I was inspired by a photo of a japanese garden, black bamboo and the cherry blossom fabric I had. I had wanted to try some reverse applique. It didn't quite have the visual impact I had in mind and I left it hanging on my design wall ( I think the circle was too small and the background fabric too overpowering.) I was going to call this piece Sakura and make 3 more seasonal wall hangings...

But I just got a book out of the library called "Quilt & Embellish in One Step!" by Linda Potter. It contained some Sashiko inspired stitches and I thought I could use them on this piece! Now the stitches very quietly makes the circle more pronounced. I am using just regular embroidery floss, 2 colours pink and green. I've echoed the centre of the blossoms in the centre of my circle. I am much more happy about this piece.


I also finished my little triangle hand piecing. I made 2 of them. I just have to put binding on the second one. I sewed myself into a bit of a corner using 1/8 inch seams. I thought it would be more secure if I used the machine to attach the binding with a 1/8 inch seam. It's quite wonky but it was fun. I got a feel for how it might have been without a sewing machine.

This is a cat block I came up with when doodling. I want to put some button eyes on it.

100th Post!!!!

I've managed to keep this blogging thing going! I really do love it though, this on-line journal has been so good for my creativity. I really love this quilting community. So thanks for all your comments, suggestions, and encouragement!

I just received my first fabric postcards in the mail! Aren't they great! Thanks Cynthia and Sewnut!


As I've mentioned before, I am participating in Tonya's on-line classroom. Here is one of the things I am working on. It's a Halloween inspired quilt. When you don't have a pattern, you can get a bit carried away! Mine started with black cats:


Then I got to doodling, I thought I could make some cat blocks, and then wouldn't it be great if their tails could cross the 't's:


Oh boy! What did I get myself into? Will it all come together?


After a bit of cursing, and a dash of self-doubt, I present Black Cats Staring!


It still needs a bit of work: eyes, border, a web for my spider....but I think I will rest now.

Postcards

This is a birthday card I made for my hubby early this summer. Again using some images from his old t-shirts. I cut the letters out of the back of a concert shirt I had used for his t-shirt quilt. I actually sewed the fabrics right onto a blank card. Hubby loves it!


We are having a postcard swap at the guild this year. I call this next one "The Butler did it!". I used mainly scraps of Amy Butler fabric.


This one is called "Sakura".

The fun never stops!

Why is it that everything positive is followed by a negative? Positive: I painted the store (part of it anyway). Negative: the air conditioner dies a fiery death!!!!

We hadn't even opened the store (just before 10AM), my employee, JW, and I were chatting when strange sounds and a burning smell were coming out of the A/C. It is a sleeve A/C that vents into the alley beside the store. JW cut the power to the A/C and I went to check it out in the alley. I could see flames inside the sleeve and I ran back yelling "It's on fire!!!" JW grabbed the extinguisher and I called 911. The fire was out before the Fire Department got there. The FD checked it all out to make sure it was OK and used a large and noisy vacuum-fan-thingy to air out the smoke and dust. They were all done and gone by 10:10 AM. Nothing was damaged, just covered in a fine dust from the extinguisher. Clean up took until noon.

Grateful for:
An extinguisher that worked!
JW, an excellent and capable employee!
Happy that this happened while we were there and not in the middle of the night. There are apartments above the store. I will have nightmares about what could have been!

Oh my gosh! Have I ever been busy!

First I am taking Lazy Gal's on-line course! And I am having a ball! There are about 20 ladies from about 6 countries and all have such varied and wonderful backgrounds!

Second I've decided to paint the store! egads! What an undertaking! When we first moved into this location, we couldn't decide on the colour for the walls so we just left the primer on the walls! Isn't that terrible?! 6 years later and finally I am tired of the white walls! It was hard to decide on a colour because their is so much colour in the product and the product is very busy looking. Well, I've really gone and done it! Red is my choice! Not a subtle red...Disney paint...Mickey's Pants...is what it's called. I used this colour on my A-board sign for the sidewalk. I told the paint dealer "I call this Superman's cape!"


I've made another tote bag; this one's for a friend using her t-shirt:


While I was at the cottage, I did finally finish the binding and quilting on my 2 Suske quilts:


My camera does not like orange :( I've tried brightening it up using Picasa, but still it is not the true colours. It really does look better in real life:


I've finished piecing my Amy Butler piece; the blocks are about 8 inches each and it is 7blocks x 8blocks. I didn't have any place to hang it, so I laid it on top of my bed, so there is another quilt underneath.