Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year!!!!!

You have no idea how much I am looking forward to 2012!!!!  Well maybe you do!  If you've been following my blog for the past year you know I am very glad to see the back of 2011 - the last 6 hours are ticking down now!

....and what I am doing for New Year's Eve!!!!  I am going to pick up the keys to my new apartment!  Yep - we are on the move again!  Not too far from where we are but to a much smaller place and a place with NO STAIRS!  There are a number of reasons for the move but one of the most rewarding will be not having to climb stairs.  After last night I am even more grateful for this - I came home to find that the steps up to the courtyard in front of the townhouse were extremely icy but worse than that, the courtyard was like a skating rink.  I'm not sure exactly how I made it to the front door without falling but thank heavens I did......

The hard part about the move will be finding a way to fit three floors of furniture into a two bedroom apartment, ha! ha!  It appears I will be learning how to use E-Bay, Kijiji and Craig's List in the very near future!!!!  It's a good thing I have that big room at the back of the store to "dump" stuff until I either sell it, give it away or dispose of it!

I really am looking forward to a smaller space for a million reasons, one being, it is so much easier to keep clean.....even Jonathan will have a hard time living in squalor!  (I hope!)  There's a 24 hour Metro right around the corner (Jonathan could actually get a job!)!  We'll be on the ground floor, so, easy access from outside - won't need to wait for elevators!  It also gives us a nice little garden space in the summer.  At this stage in my life I also have no objection to "purging", whether it be furnishings or all the other stuff I've managed to accumulate over the years.

This move is going to force me to go through all the boxes in the basement that have yet to be unpacked since last February when we moved.  You know what that probably means!!!  If we didn't miss it - we probably didn't need it!!!!  In a way I'm looking forward to it but the new house will be in total chaos for the next few days,weeks, even months!
I'll just need to focus and get it done!  It should be interesting to see what's there....I have a vague recollection but I'm still not sure what's in all those boxes...... I may have to change the name of the store to "Second Hand Jo's"!!!!! ...and start selling "used" items!

I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  I wish you all everything you wish for yourselves and more!  A wonderful 2012!!!!  I just want an uneventful 2012 - a nice quiet year which will give me the time to "re-group" and turn my energies towards the store and my quilting!!!!

Hoping everyone has a great evening this evening and a Happy day tomorrow!

All the best,

Jo-Ann

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

I'm hooked!

Popeye's Chicken!  Yup - I love it!  Every once in awhile I get this craving for KFC, so last week I broke down and ordered it - it's been awhile.  It was absolutely awful and to top it off, it came from a different location because the location near us has closed. 

Last week Rich and I went to Costco and Walmart to pick up some stuff and the Walmart on St. Clair is right next to a Popeye's Chicken,  Rich raves about it and Nancy mentioned it a couple of weeks ago so I said - let's pick some up ---- oh my, how delicious!  Loved it so much that Nancy and I had it last Thursday night for dinner too!  I've had my fill for now but honestly - it really is good chicken!!!!

Back to quilting - all my leaves are done on Lithia Park - finished last night while watching a little TV - now the flowers.....

Today, being my only day off this week, I've been busy, busy, busy!  First thing was to take photos of all the stuff I'm selling that is upstairs -

The DVD/Video Player $30.00

The Wing Chair - Green Plaid $150.00
The Classic 3 Seater Sofa - $250.00
The Sleigh Bed/Matress and Box Spring + 2 Night tables $500.00

The Cottage Clock - $30.00
 The Cottage Night Light - $30.00 - the tent lights up, it's one of those cool things I couldn't pass up when I saw it!!!!
Most of it has already been posted on Kijiji but I know I'm not finished yet!  After that I folded laundry and cleaned the bathroom, took a shower and dressed! 

We're packing again, downsizing!  So I'm really trying to get everything in order so there will be very little to move.  Stuff has to go to the store (no fabric - lol!  That's all mine!!!)
and I have to repack everything I packed up last year at this time......de ja vu!!!  As much as I love the townhouse, it's just too much for me!  Too many stairs, too much house to keep clean and it's also really pricey when you consider how much time I actually spend at home......

I've been doing alot of reevaluatiing after what I've just been through and when I think about what I want going forward, because now I can look forward.....just a little space to come home to, a place where I can quilt, a cozy little spot to call my own!!!  Well - rent as my own!!!  I'm going to see a two bedroom apartment the end of the week and hopefully it will be our next home.....aside from the moving part, I'm actually looking forward to it!  This way, if Jonathan ever moves out I'll have a designated sewing room, but up until then the dining room and possibly my bedroom will have to do!!!!  

Okay - gotta get back to work, I want to get the borders done on my Trip Back In Time and maybe even get some quilting done tonight on another project that is long overdue.....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann 

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

I do make mistakes......

We won't go back to the beginning and comment on all of my mistakes!  We will concentrate only on the un-sewing of the past two days.....

It's actually a miracle that I only made one mistake on my "trip Back In Time " pattern since I don't have that great design wall at home that I have at the store, but in fact I did have to do some un-sewing last night.  I came home from a day at the store and then a Merchant's Association meeting and completed the quilt centre - tomorrow I'll get Nancy to help me "audition" the borders and then to the quilting.....

Notwithstanding the mess in the house and the great shot of the downstairs toilet,  Jonathan is a great quilt model!!!!
So this morning I'm showing off my Lithia Park flowers to a customer and what do I see!!!  Three of the flowers are out of order....I mean, I did them all consecutively.  My customer said, just leave them, but after all that work I just couldn't - so some more un-sewing!  Now I just have to re-sew them which I will do while watching CSI.....my TV time should always be productive!

More news, we are moving yet again!  I'm not sure exactly when but I'm going to see an apartment next week and will know more then!  As much as I do love the space, etc. of the townhouse, the stairs are not doing me any favours and the $$$$ are doing me in as well.  The townhouse does not include heat or hydro, more bills to pay......The apartment includes everything including one parking, albeit outdoor, but still - one price, everything included!  This means we have to "downsize" again!  I may have to open a second hand furniture store - maybe in the store to devoid me of all the extra stuff!!!!!  There's so much to sort through and not alot of time - not to mention I am full time in the store now so there is literally NO TIME!  I hate that word - it's a 4 letter word!!!!!

It will be another NEW beginning - hopefully better than the last one!  Last year was not one I want to repeat - EVER!!!!  On that note, I am off to watch TV a little before bed....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Sunday, December 4, 2011

As usual....

best laid plans!  Being busy in the classroom I needed to take my quilt off the design wall - so using painter's tape, I marked my rows and I am hoping, have everything in order to sew the quilt together.....

I have decided to take Sonia home tonight in order to possibly get some more done on the quilt top, otherwise it will head for the UFO pile and who knows when I'll get that pattern published properly.....ugh!

Last night I got home, turned on the hockey game, watched until Boston scored the 4th goal, then gave up and went upstairs to bed!  I now understand my mom!  She and my dad were in retail for many years and it always used to baffle me why they went to bed so early, I mean, my mom was in bed right after dinner....I always thought it was because she was a morning person!  Now I think it's because she was just plain exhausted like I was last night....

Feeling a bit tired tonight too so I'm going to finish up here and get myself home so I can hopefully get a second wind and get some piecing done!

Nite all - and have a great day!

Jo-Ann

Saturday, December 3, 2011

...and what did I do with "them"????

So all those half square triangles are going to become "Trip Back In Time" - do you love it!
It's not actually done yet - it's up on the design wall in pieces!  I was hoping to get the center of the top done (sans borders) but things got a little hectic at the store with Healing Heroes and the Pot Luck (check the Cock A Doodle Blog)!

I need to take it off the design wall because my Sunday group is coming in tomorrow but I will do it in the morning....right now I just get to sit back and admire it!  I know I shouldn't be showing off "patterns" I'm actually planning on publishing but we're also planning on kitting this at the store and this is my personal blog so I feel I can trust you guys to keep this under wraps - it should be done shortly!

I am seriously trying to blog more often but it's hard getting computer time when I'm home except in the morning and as most of you know - I am not a morning person!  By the time I get home at night and I get the computer I usually just feel like collapsing into bed!  I'm "good" tired these days, and getting my energy back more and more with each day.....

My brain is working a mile a minute too and if I could sew as fast as my brain works I would have published at least 4 patterns this week alone!  Oh - how I wish!!!! 

Okay - I have to drive Barb somewhere this evening and then I'm going home to watch the Leafs (hockey)!!!  I'm not sure what my hands will be doing as I'm leaving Sonia (my Janome) at the store until tomorrow but who know, maybe I'll surprise myself and set Bernie (my Bernina - not a very creative name but it's always worked for her!) up and get some long overdue quilting done!  I'll see how I feel when I get home, Lithia Park is also screaming for some attention.......

Have a great day everyone!!!

Jo-Ann

Thursday, December 1, 2011

What am I up to????




I'm creating!  I am actually designing a quilt pattern - always a treat!  I find writing patterns extremely hard because I have to write as if I've never done any quilting.....it's actually good practice because it helps me to go through all of the steps, but it's sometimes very tedious!  You want to be able to write so that someone who has never quilted before will be able to pick up the pattern and make the quilt!

Here's the stack of blocks which will become Half Square Triangles....... 

Then I cut them all up......
...and there they are.......

Now all placed in colours.......
Finally starting to lay out the quilt.....
I worked on it today at the store and let Nancy throw it up on the design wall - WOW!!!!  I'm totally impressed so I'm going to have to transport "Sonia" (my loving Janome) to the store tomorrow morning to work on the piecing because once it's laid out - that's it!!!!  I'm not moving it from the board except to sew, sew, sew!

Can't wait to see it come together in fabric!

Have a great day everyone -

Jo-Ann