Thursday, April 21, 2011

I'm obsessed......

The flash didn't go off when I took the photo but you can still see it's getting bigger......
I am absolutely obsessed with this quilt....so much so that last night, after attending the York Heritage Quilt Guild meeting I left at the break to get back to this quilt!  I worked for about 3 hours and actually have two more rows almost ready to attach but I was so tired I was scared I'd make a mistake.

Tonight I just couldn't or maybe I should say I just wouldn't get started so as not to work long into the night again.  I need to get some sleep for a change......

I'm really enjoying the challenge of working out each row - unfortunately I may have to set it aside for the weekend - our in store retreat starts on Friday and since I am the chief cook and bottle washer I don't think I could concentrate on the complexity of this quilt at the store.....my plan is to work on my One Block Wonder and a few other projects I have at the store.....

Will take loads of pics and keep you all posted on everyone's progress!!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Monday, April 18, 2011

Progress....

I'm not sure what I was thinking!  At the house I always had two machines set up - one for quilting and one for piecing, that way I could do either!  For some reason when I moved to the townhouse I suddenly got stubborn.....(okay, not so suddenly but still!?!) and decided I had to finish one project at a time....

Look what I've accomplished since I set Sonja up again!  Saturday night I started this absolutely adorable Winnie The Pooh baby quilt - my pattern, soon to be a kit at the store!  I got the 4 patches done and the pinwheels, then I sewed the 4 patch row to the two borders, then I went to sew the pinwheel row to the border and found it was too long - RTFP (read the F------ Pattern) I had forgotten (didn't read my own pattern!) to square off the half square triangles to the size in the pattern.....

So I spent about 45 minutes searching the house for a seam ripper - not one in the house!  No where to be found.....I own a quilt store for heaven sakes, you would think I would have at least ONE seam ripper (in every room of the house!)!  I had to use my small scissor to take out the blocks and resize them!  At that point I decided to pack it in and finish the borders at the store on Sunday - which I did!

Last night we had a staff meeting - the "chicks" all went to Kathy's for dinner which was absolutely wonderful!  We spent 3 hours eating (kidding) and working out the schedule for the next two months.  I'm on an extended quilting retreat (I wish)....while I recuperate from surgery - ONLY 22 DAYS TO GO!

When I got home I prepared my Sweet and Sour Meatballs for Monday`s lunch and while it was cooking I started my next project! 

We got a book in a few weeks ago - Scrap Basket Sensations! and I grabbed one (I need to order a bunch more because we`re sold out already).... I had picked up a Bali Pop at Quilter`s Palette during the first days of their closing sale and I found the perfect project in the book - here`s the beginning of Island Chain.....  
This is a picture from the book of the quilt - this one is a real brain teaser - takes alot of concentration but I am really enjoying it (keeping my mind occupied).   I`m not sure if I`ll manage to get back to it tonight (I hope so!) because I have to soak my foot - it seems I have a piece of glass stuck in there and I really have to get it out - can`t risk a chance of infection and a cancellation of the surgery.......
Hopefully I`ll get  it out quickly and get back to Island Chain....I also have to get the binding on my Holy Snowballs so I have something to do tomorrow night at guild....I always bring some hand sewing or knitting to keep busy!

I just can`t believe how much I`ve accomplished since I set up the two machines.....so I guess my theory was not so good!  There`s just so much discipline I can take!

Okay - off to get something done!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Uh-oh!


Guess who's working again!  Jonathan!  That's twice this week - oh, if only there were sports events every day of the week.....

Still cleaning out the back room at the store - project by project, fabric by fabric, books, magazines and patterns.....unfinished quilts!  So, slowly but surely I am lugging it all home!  Keeping it organized is the key - so it all has a place and once the painting of the house is done (we're on temporary hiatus while Rich is working) it will find it's temporary home until it's done!?!?!

I promised myself that I would try to work on each project to completion and with Holy Snowballs I did just that, it's now at the store where I have the sleeve and binding ready to go on (hopefully tomorrow in between customers) - then the label and finally it will be hung in it's reserved spot.....

BUT, what I found while I was working on this quilt is that once I got to the quilting part - it was not consistant.  I found that there were evenings when I came home and just wasn't up to the task....not in the mood and since I didn't want to mess up the quilting I found myself looking for other stuff to do.....so I cut a quilt and I did some other "quilty" stuff but what I really felt like doing was piecing!  I have solved this problem now ------- and set Sonja (my Janome) back up again!   Now I'm ready to rock.....and quilt or piece!

Hmmm - what shall I do next?!?!  I'm looking for projects that I can complete in the next 24 days (I'm counting down to May 10th!) so, there are two quilt tops I can work on piecing and two layered and basted quilts I can quilt so......here we go!

I'm off to get started!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Finally!!!!

I have open access to "my" computer!  Jonathan isn't home and I can use the computer all I want!  He got a job!  For those of you who know me well, you know that it's been a struggle with him "bumming" around the house for a long time.  He's working at the BOM Field tonite in the food concession and will be working between there and the ACC for major events.  YEAH!
Hey, it's a job!

Anyway, today at the store while Elaine was teaching French Braids I started organizing and cleaning the back room.  It's the place where everything goes and I mean everything!  During the time that we were showing the house and I was packing to move bags and bags of stuff were stored there.  I finally started going through all the bags!  The fun part was I found two bags of birthday gifts!  So I packed them up and they are finally finding their place at home.

First, Kathy made me this gorgeous Fabric Bowl which goes fabulously with my kitchen colours - check it out!
I had this great Rooster Hanger (surprise, surprise - me with a rooster) and once hung it was the perfect place for my new measuring cups and measuring spoons - gifts from Karen and Raili!
Unfortunately, the decorating, the quilting, just about everything has become a very slow process.  I've slowed down to a crawl....experiencing alot of pain the last week or so and so my mind is moving faster than my body.  I am chomping at the bit to get this operation over with - I know I will only be feeling better!  (Well maybe not at first!) but oh what a relief it will be!

Going to TRY to get some quilting done tonight.....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Sunday, April 3, 2011

I'm mobile again!

After almost 2 months of relying on Rich to chauffeur me everywhere, the day finally came to go pick up the "new" wheels!  After much hullabaloo finding insurance I finally settled on CAA and all the papers were in order for the road trip and the licensing.....

Gillian picked me up at around 9:30 A.M. Friday morning and off we went to Niagra-On-The-Lake to pick up the car.  We arrived in town around 11:00 A.M. and decided to have a little lunch.  There wasn't much open so we settled on the Epicurean which I have to say I do not recommend.  I ordered Cream of Cauliflower Soup and Salmon Dill Quiche.  The soup was very salty and had a large amount of ham in it.  The quiche was also very salty and had an overload of dill.  The coffee was passable.....  I know, I sound like a food critic but since I do alot of cooking and serving I figure when I sit down to someone else's table and I'm paying for it - it should at least be decent food!  This was really not worth the money.  Gillian had the soup and a different quiche which she also found salty.....

After lunch we took a ride along the Parkway and into Queenston as she had some errands to run and then finally off to get the certification and emmissions test for the car so we could go get the car registered and licensed.  This took about half an hour, it was really quick!

On the way back to actually pick up the car we were both in dire need of coffee so we stopped in St. David at -
There doesn't appear to be a bench but the coffee was great and Gillian had a Lemon Loaf Cake while I had a Chocolate Cake with what was supposed to be meringue.  We were both impressed with the service and I would definitely recommend this place if you're in the area.  They have a number of tables in the back overlooking the creek and it was really lovely.  They also serve lunch......

Finally - the "wheels", license on and ready to go......a 2001 Kia Sportage - there are still a few things that need to be looked at but I'm driving again and that's all I care about......

Since I had to be back for the Mystery Quilt I was teaching last night we checked our watches to see if we had enough time to make a quick stop.....

WHERE YOU ASK?????  A quilt store of course!  We jumped on the QEW and headed for Jordan, Ontario.  What an adorable little town and in that adorable little town is a store named STITCHES!  ....and in that store is material, quilting material!  Not only material but yarn, the most luscious yarns you have ever seen!  I thought I had died and gone to heaven - I had to leave!  I mean seriously - how can I justify buying yarn when I haven't finished all the projects on my plate!  (So I only bought fabric!)  I have an excuse for fabric buying, I'm working on my Farmer's Wife and I NEED all kinds of fabric for that!!!!!  (As if I don't have enough in my stash.)
Gillian came in to but she is restrained and walked out empty handed.....

Then it was off to Cock A Doodle to get the clues ready and make dinner.....of course we hit rush hour so it was after 5:00 when I pulled up at the store......

But dinner was amazing - one of my favourites and really easy to prepare!

I have to admit it was a very long day and so at 12:30 A.M. I finally kicked every one out but not before Karen had almost a table runner done (the quilt is much larger)!

It'll give her something to work on during the retreat at the end of the month!  ...and I got to drive myself home!  Oh the freedom!

Now I'm off to get some work done.....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann