Label It!!!!

So, although I keep finding water in places I forgot to look, like under the sink in the pots and pans that are stored there (easily dealt with, just a pain), I have managed to tackle my "list" from yesterday.

The first thing on my list was to label a quilt that I am gifting.  My son Jonathan has a friend (girl) named Sydney whom he met when he went to Israel a few years ago (2006) and I had made a quilt for her back then.  You may all recognize this quilt ....

Mystery Quilt 5 - 2007

It hung in the store on and off for the last few years.  I taught it as a Mystery Quilt in the summer of 2007.  I actually made two of these quilts but I honestly can't remember where the second one is.  When I chose these fabrics it was for the "fun" value, all different kinds of candies, which I felt was something Sydney would like.  The back was fun too, I chose to do it in those  Faux Ultrasuede fabrics we had in the store and I chose really bright fabrics.  I sent it off to Linda Robertson to quilt and she did a fabulous job as always.  I also chose to do the binding by alternating the candy fabrics with the black background fabric.

Faux Untrasuede backing

It still needed a label - all these years and I had never labeled it!  There are so many ways to label quilts and I thought I would share this method with you.  It is the first time that I have done a label this way.  Here's the label -

I happen to have a stack of prepared squares left over from a previous project that I have found very useful.  They are Muslin squares backed with freezer paper and then the edges are taped with green painters' tape.  So - I designed the wording part of the label on the computer.  Using a light box and a Pigma Pen I wrote out the wording on to the Muslin.  I decided that I didn't want a plain label so using Mettler Variegated (4820-9981) which is very colourful I made a frame and then used one of the decorative stitches on my Janome made a second inner frame.  I pressed the label and then turned it under 1/2" and pressed it again.  Put it into place on the quilt back and sewed it on (left hand corner).  It's now ready to go for her Birthday today.

I believe in giving my quilts a "history" by labeling the ones that I give away.  The ones I keep, I am not so adamant about but may just start doing it just so Jonathan will have the history for the future.  I think that it is important that people know that these quilts are not store bought but are a gift of love and their labels should reflect that.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Jo-Ann

The obsession continues....

I am truly obsessed and have watched way too much TV this past week.  My strategy changed a little.  I have chosen fabrics for at least a dozen blocks so I just figured I would prep but once I had a block prepped I decided to piece and Voila - another 5 blocks done this week!!!!  I am up to 34 blocks!!!!  I think at this rate I could have this done in no time (maybe 4 years!).....

Tonight is sashing night - I am prepping the sashing pieces and may even put some sashings on blocks - we'll see how it goes......

Here are the blocks I've added this week.....

 Block 7 - Birds In the Air

Block 8 - Bouquet 

 Block 10 - Bowtie

 Block 13 - Buckwheat

Block 14 - Butterfly at the Crossroads

Notice a theme here?  I was cutting and completing the blocks in order this week but I think I have a new strategy so that I can actually start putting the blocks together with sashing and corner blocks.  I think I may start doing random blocks to complete rows!?!  At any rate, there is still lots to do so off I go to prep my sashings.

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Finally.....

Some days I just can't get it right!  Actually today was fabulous in terms of quilting.  I got three rows together in my Nine by Twelve pattern and 3 blocks for Amish With A Twist, along with more blocks for my Radical Rail quilt.  However, when it came to my hand-piecing I wasn't doing so well.

For some reason I thought I could put the block together while looking at the pattern upside down.....duh!  At any rate, I finally figured it out, so while watching the Season Finale of Republic of Doyle I managed to fix my mistakes and get it right.....

Block 56 - Maple Leaf

I am now up to 25 blocks of 111.  It's starting to look like I may shave a couple of years of that 11 I predicted just recently.  The next one is Block 57 - Morning - it has 37 pieces so it may take awhile but I think I'll start it tonight and depending on what's on TV tomorrow night, I might get it done.

Tomorrow I really have to get that new newsletter on its way to completion.  All the dates are set, it's just a matter of getting it into the format of a newsletter.  Wish me luck, it's always a big undertaking but it is my first priority for tomorrow....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Amish With A Twist and more.......

First I promised to post some pics from the "fairy tale" wedding......  Sara and Vince were married Saturday April 6, 2013 at Hazelton Manor.  It was an absolutely fabulous wedding.....

Sara Tamar Saitowitz and Vincenzo La Curto

(now Sara and Vincenzo La Curto)

 The first dance as man and wife

He sang to her - it was beautiful......

Now back to real life!  It took me two days to recuperate!!!!  I'm back on Amish With A Twist and also Radical Rail.  Since I am doing continuous piecing as I'm working on Amish, I am also making the blocks for Radical - I have completed a litte more than one third of the Radical just by using the blocks as my "leaders and enders".  It really gives you a great feeling of accomplishment - it's like a 2 for 1!

The kids are in the Bahamas for the next two weeks soaking up the sun (missing this lovely weather we're expecting) so until they return I have time to play by the sewing machine on all my projects.  There will be a wedding quilt expected in the somewhat near future!  I'm not really great with those projects, I get distracted, I already owe one wedding quilt which I need to complete....Gotta make time for all of this too!!!!

No - I will not add either of them to the list right now!  I will wait a little longer, right now I am seriously concentrating on Amish With A Twist and Radical Rail.....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann  

Getting things done.....

I spent the day at the store signing up for all kinds of social media - ugh!  Not really but it's a lot of work to keep up with all this internet stuff!  Who knew!?!?!

At home I'm stealing moments (between and during my TV shows) quilting or like this morning before I left for work I managed to get part of Block 4 done (Amish With A Twist), finished it when I got home.

I'm curious, "What kind of quilter are you?" I'd love it if you comment here, it's kind of a little survey.

I have been working on Amish With A Twist (as per www.cockadoodlequilts.blogspot.com)    but I like to do continuous piecing.  Since I'm working on one block at a time, continuous piecing doesn't quite work, unless you add another project and it's not like I don't have a few projects to work on (haven't touched the infamous 9 yet!).  I finished my serging of my Radical Rail Fence blocks (144) on Monday morning, so I figured why not.....

So far I have 8 blocks done - that's probably about 1/4 of the quilt top.  I'm thrilled, especially since I've been working on (not working on, meaning to be working on) this quilt for 6 years approximately.  Seriously, I started it in 2007, Barb will verify that since she cut all the homespun strips for me....

It feels good to be getting two things done at once, slows things down just a tad but it;s worth it.  Oh and do I make mistakes - yup!  Believe it or not I actually had to "unsew" three Rail Fence blocks because I sewed them together wrong - don't ask!  I couldn't have picked an easier project, a real no brainer, I mean I don't even have to match up blocks here but I still managed to get a few wrong.  It's all fixed now so I can continue, hopefully without making to many more mistakes....

Just have to focus!  Tomorrow, I am teaching hand piecing/quilting in the a.m. and Linda's coming in to work on her O Tennanbaum quilt which she was working on today, so it's going to be quite a busy day.....

Saturday is my god daughter's wedding - and Jonathan, as usual, has no clothes ready to wear so I'm not sure how we are going to rectify that new emergency, but we will!  Guess I have to find a Same Day cleaner near us, or near the store.  Gotta love the drama!

Sunday is the monthly Sit & Sew for the girls!   4 days off and right back into the fray!  Gotta get a newsletter done too!  That's the agenda.....never a dull moment!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann  

What???

What have I started????

This past Thursday evening was Scrapaholics/Stashbusters Club and I brought in my "scrap basket".  I'm not sure that that's all there is but it was certainly enough to get started with. 

Last weekend was my Birthday Retreat and I was inspired bu Chris O. who has all of her scraps organized so that she can actually work on many, many projects at a time.  Also, of late, I have been motivated by the Bonnie Hunter books available - String Fling and Adventures with Leaders and Enders.

I decided that Thursday nights class/club would focus on organizing scraps.  I had no idea that many of you already do this and was thrilled to get some more good tips.   

 The above picture shows the beginnings of my organization project.  From right to left, I have strips in similar sizes, above these piles are pre-cut blocks in the same sizes and the large pile to the far left are large pieces and strips of fabric that either need to go back into the stash if they are large enough or be cut up into strips or blocks for future use.  Now that I've got a start on this, I will press the strips and put them into "shoe boxes", the see-through kind and label them as to what they are so future projects can be made from them.

The above picture is what is left in my scrap basket that still has to be sorted.  I have decided, since time is a premium for me, that I will devote 1 hour a day to this until it is done.  Half the time to be spent pressing and putting away the strips - which will be "filed" by colour and value and the other half sorting through the rest of the scrap basket.  At this point it looks like I have salvaged all the strips and am now looking at mostly small pieces of fabric - i.e. blocks, triangles, etc.  Once all of this is sorted I will decide on my future projects.

I think one of the most fun portions of this excercise for me was remembering which quilts each of the scraps came from.  Some of them date back to the very beginning and if I'm not mistaken there are still a few piles of "scraps" at home that can be added to these to actually make complete projects....

As a quilt store owner, I have to say, it is hard to sell fabric this way.  But, I look at it another way.  I will still need borders, bindings and backings to complete these "scrap" quilts as will you so in fact - there is still a market out there for fabric......

If I have a little time tomorrow (the girls are coming from Barrie so I may have a few moments after lunch), I will show you one of the projects I have in mind.  I'm excited about it because it is my "own" idea and I think it will be really nice.  Possibly a quilt for Healing Heroes. 

For now - I have to get to the books!  Plus, I have some studying to do - I received the template for our new shopping cart/website so I have to hone up on my virtually non-existent computer skills.

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

I was on a roll....

Got another block done on my Farmer's Wife on Thursday night and I was so excited.  Block #26 - Cut Glass Dish - 30 pieces, done!

Block 26 - Cut Glass Dish

So I decided to continue to the next block I had cut which was block #35 - Flower Basket. Because the basket handle is appliqued on I decided to add it first (I've already unstitched it).  I then put the large half square triangle together and then the smaller ones.  To my surprise - nothing fit!  As you can see by the photo - the large HST is way too large.....

Block 35 - Flower Basket

Jo-Ann's Tip of the WEEK!, MONTH!, YEAR!

When you are working on a pattern from a book, any pattern, any book be sure to check if there are any corrections!  One of the pros of our "age" is the access to information.  Yesterday morning when I arrived at the store I immediately went onto the internet in search of The Farmer's Wife Quilt and found Laurie Aaron Hird's blog http://thefarmerswifequilt.blogspot.ca/.  On the right hand side of the blog is a box called Pages and the third caption down is Corrections - I can now go back to my Farmer's Wife and YES - Block 35 had a correction on the template size.  Now I can get back to it.

Last night at NO MACHINE - Sit & Sew, I managed to unstitch to get ready for the re-cut and restitching of the block.  Hopefully I will have a productive weekend (tonight and Sunday) getting some stitching done - both hand and machine.

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

First UFO ......

My goal this week was to finish the baby quilt I was working on - Little Lambs.  I also wanted to try the Borders Made Easy on this quilt.  Well I have to say that I am more than a little pleased with the results.  Let me know what you think?!

I remember trying this product many years ago when I first started quilting and I think it may have been relatively new on the market.  Seems to me I spent an awful lot of time taking the paper out and it required tweezers as well.  I was not impressed.

This time I very carefully read the instructions, applied the paper with the adhesive strips, quilted using the suggested stitch length and my walking foot, and it all worked out perfectly.  This is a relatively small quilt and it took about 1-1/2 hours in front of the television (could have been semi- distracted) to remove the paper without a tweezer in sight.  It came out very easily with very little resistance.

I am going to do a meander around the smaller white border and then the quilt will be completed.  I've already squared it off, labelled it and last night I sewed on the binding.
Once the pattern is written up it will be kitted and in the store ready for consumer consumption!  Can't wait to share it with everyone......

My next project(s) for this New Year of 2013 are to quilt my Amish Shadow - which has been layered, pinned and waiting very patiently.  My plan is to use Golden Threads Quilting Paper to do a half feather in the black triangles, straight quilt matching the colours in the striped triangles, feathers in the black border and two half feathers in the cornerstones.  It will take awhile but I hope to get started in the next few days.

Then I need to finish my Urban Pods quilt top - will be teaching the technique on the 22nd and 26th of January so it would be nice to have something to show.....

Mine looks absolutely nothing like the actual pattern.  First I used only two colours and two solids and I believe I had mentioned before that I cut it wrong.  However I do like the way it is turning out and in the scheme of things will like pretty awesome anyway.....

Last project for the time being is my Mystery Quilt for the end of March - I'm really excited about that one as it is my own design and I'm going to get to use up a fabric I had purchased years ago to make a quilt for my mom.  Unfortunately she's gone now but I will cherish this quilt for me as the colours are some of my favourites as well....

Will keep you posted on progress -except for the mystery quilt of course!  You'll have to wait for the end of March to see that one!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Enter 2013.......

First, I would like to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

I personally have cancelled 2012!  I'm sure you can all understand why - and I hope to make 2013 a year of accomplishment if nothing else.  I believe that is my only resolution - to accomplish my goals....it's a big resolution, nevertheless, one I intend to keep!

You set your goals, big and small, and you reach for the finish!

My first goal is a relatively small one - to complete the baby quilt I started the other day.  I began quilting it on Sunday and have almost completed half of it.  I designed my own quilting pattern, which I will include in the pattern I am writing and also did some free-hand quilting - I'm not sure which of the three pictures below shows it the best but it is a heart in a heart which I've marked with white chalk, it works out to be continuous line quilting which is nice because I truly hate patterns that are not continuous.  I like the quilting to be relatively easy and flow.....

The free motion quilting begins with a heart in the white cornerstones and then a version of a vine and leaf pattern with the leaves in the design of a heart as well.  Will have to take that into account when I give this pattern it's final name.

I have decided to do some meandering in the first border (white) and then use Borders Made Easy #102 to complete the larger border (pink).  Once I've done the quilting I will post a picture.

I have to say - it's been quite a while since I've sat down at "Bernie" (my Bernina) to do any serious quilting and I have missed her.  She does such a lovely job.  I am using the Mettler variegated thread and I am very, very happy with it.  So far it has not let me down.  This is the first time I've chosen this thread to quilt with.  I usually use the regular Mettler cotton but I wanted to try the variegated and also it was the look I chose for this quilt.

It's a baby quilt so I don't want to "over" quilt it - it would be too heavy and I have used a baby flannel as the backing.

I need to start 2013 as I start every year, making a list of things I have to do tomorrow!  Not sure how long that will last this year but as I just told my son - I need to take at least 3 of me to work tomorrow for everything that I want to accomplish.....

Have a great day everyone and I hope to see you all in the New Year!

Jo-Ann

It can't be.....

I can't believe it's been that long since I posted anything on "my blog"!!!  It's not like I haven't been working on anything or doing something?!!!  Hmmm - maybe I fell asleep for a month!

Anyway - I did want to share my latest project - soon to be a pattern and a kit at Cock-A-Doodle Quilts.

Sometimes it's a fabric that inspires the design and in this case that was exactly what happened.  These little sheep had been living in the store for awhile and could not find a place to go so I thought I would find them a home - so here they are frolicking in between pink sashings and white cornerstones -

 As you can see they are cute little things and I've marked the quilt squares with hearts to quilt.......

 I managed to layer and pin this afternoon, yes pin!  Okay - you want to know why I don't spray baste a small quilt like this - the quilt measures around 42" x 48".  I have used spray baste in the past for small quilts but honestly I don't feel I have control of all three layers when I spray baste.  With pinning I am able to manipulate all three layers or if necessary one layer at a time to make sure there is no bunching on the back of the quilt.  I find once it's sprayed it is hard to move the fabrics when they or if they start to bunch!  May be just me but I feel more in control this way....

 I have also picked out some really cool variagated Mettler thread - 4820-9912 which appears to be a pink - white - grey/green and should look awesome on the quilt......

Now if I can keep my eyes open when I get home I may get started on the quilting tonight.  That would be nice.

I had three days off this week and all I did was sleep and read and sleep and knit and sleep and read......you get the picture!  I know I needed it and finally I am no longer suffering from chronic sciatica but I really feel like I accomplished nothing so on Thursday night when I came home and whipped this little baby quilt up I had to wonder why I can't be more like that more often!  Not too sure what the answer is there except that my energy levels appear to be very sporadic!

Looking forward to tomorrow (day-off) and Tuesday (day-off) and I'm putting no pressure on myself to get anything done!  Work at my own pace and take it slow - slow and steady win the race!  Oh forget it!  Seriously - would like a hit of adrenaline about twice a day to get everything done that is on my mind (or list) each day!

Okay - off to get another coffee (doesn't help) and then home!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Back at it again!

I actually got back in the groove on Sunday and got back to doing some quilting!  I was up rather early having fallen into bed at 7:30 P.M. Saturday night, so at 5:30 A.M. there I was with a cup of coffee in hand and my Urban Pods calling me......

Last night after giving the machine a good cleaning (you can see the tutorial on the Cock-A-Doodle blog www.cockadoodlequilts.blogspot.com) I continued with section 3 of 6 which you can see sittion on Sonia's table.

 On the other side of the table is the cutting station, right next to Bernie and across from Sergio.....and there's my trusty Quick Curve Ruler.

 Below is one of two segments completed for the Urban Pods pattern.  Tonight I hope to get it put together into one piece and ready to be layered - I even have the back all planned out and it uses up any extra fabric I may have left over along with a lovely light gray Kona I just got into the store.  I'm excited about this quilt and I even know I want to quilt it....very much like the original done by the designer Jenny Pedigo.  Will it be ready by Saturday - well maybe if I stay up all night tonight and don't go in tomorrow so NO! but you may get to see the top done at any rate....I certainly hope so, I've been looking forward to finishing it.

Of course, I could have had alot more completed last night but I got side tracked - ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).  It's just that with everything else going on - the move, etc. - my house looks like a bomb hit it and let's face it, Jonathan has never been much for keeping things clean, so while he was out in the early evening I tackled the 4 x 4 foot coffee table which was "drop junk central"  which took about 1-1/2 hours to clear up.

My kitchen, well I won't go into detail, but we had pretty much run out of dishes and cutlery!  I decided on War Tactics for that problem - this morning I loaded everything into Metro bags - put them into the car - took them to the store - and ran the dishwasher!!!!

I was desperate and really didn't want to be soaking and washing dishes, etc. for days so this was truly the easiest solution!  Needless to say it turned out to be more than one load of dishes!  But it gives me a leg up and if I can now keep on top of things in the kitchen at home I will have a shot at a clean house!

So tonight, I will haul it all back home and before I put it away, clean the countertops, stovetop, refrigerator and floors and then put everything where it belongs and start fresh!  Of course, as I said earlier, I also want to work on Urban Pods - so I guess I will be up all night!!!! 

At any rate - I really need to get those patterns sorted and hung today so I am off to organize!

Have a great day everyone!!!

Jo-Ann

One down, one to go!

I'm sure you are all wondering where I disappeared to and what I have been up to.  If you also read the Cock A Doodle Blog then you know I've been surfacing from time to time but what have I been doing.....

First - my 9 patch blocks for the 9 patch exchange which I could not resist being apart of.  I've been a quilter for 12 years and have NEVER taken part in a "block exchange" so, since we are hosting it at the store I took advantage fo the opportunity.  I'm just finishing up my blocks for July and August - I figure if I stay ahead of the game I won't have to scramble to catch up.

Another project I have been working on is one that I looked forward to doing yet also dreaded and so has been preoccupying my time.  A couple of months ago this very lovely woman came in with two "quilt tops".  Someone had made them from her trousseau linens.  Although she had done an admirable job it seemed she wasn't familiar with the wrong side and the right side of embroidery.  A number of blocks had to be turned in order that the right side of the embroidery was on the right side of the quilt.  This job was turned over to me along with putting borders on the quilt tops.  After alot of procrastinating, for fear I would ruin the quilt top, I completed one this afternoon. 

It isn't often I have time to do this at the store but in the "dog days" of summer (pretty close with this humidity...) I can usually steal a few hours to work.  With a few customer interruptions and a load of determination I was planning on completing at least one of these gorgeous tops today.....and being a part of this heirloom experience.  Once the second one is done I will help the owner choose a long arm quilter and a quilt pattern for these remarkable quilts.

All of the embroidery was hand embroidered on pillowcases by her family members and given to her and her husband as wedding gifts.  What a keepsake to have and for generations to come - a fabulous idea!  Now that I've finished the one - the second one should be a lot easier.

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Sew she grows!

The newsletter is out, classes are filling up and I still find myself short about 10 hours a day.  I had two days off this past weekend and did NOTHING!  I mean nothing!  I've been told that it was probably what I needed but still I felt guilty...with so much to do and so many projects on the go,  I really felt like I should have done something, anything, to keep up with myself.

I guess I gauge my output by my quilting which is probably not fair.  However, truth be told Rich and I managed to get quite a load of stuff out of the storage unit over the past week.  We want to give up the space and so now the boxes from the basement (from the townhouse and the last move) are finally being dealt with.  It's amazing what I've found, and to think all the stuff that was left behind.

Tuesday I worked at the store and came home to work on more boxes but I also managed to work on Lithia Park - there are 12 blocks sewn together with sashings!  It's slowly growing and since tomorrow night is "Don't bring your machine a.k.a. Applique Club" at the store I will be able to work on the last 2-1/2 blocks for the centre.  Here's what it looks like so far.....

 Lithia Park - 12 blocks and growing.....

It's  funny how when I work all day I can come home and just keep going but when I'm home for the day - I get nothing done!  At any rate I had to progress on this project in order to make room for my next project which is my 9 Patch Exchange blocks.

When I had my sewing room in the house this would not have been an issue as I just would have relocated the Lithia Park project but in the apartment I have limited space available so I really have to be more organized.  Don't get me wrong, my quilting is spread out throughout the apartment but because I share the living/dining room with Jonathan, I have to make sure I don't leave things lying around where they can be misplaced or moved.  A little frustrating but it works because I seem to move forward on projects faster.

So, I chose some fabrics for my first 4 blocks for the exchange.

 Fabrics for April (yes I'm behind) and May blocks.....

This gave me the opportunity to try out a few new products we have in the store.  When it was suggested that we host the 9 Patch Exchange, I was alerted to some great products that would insure accuracy in piecing these blocks.  So - I will try to take you through the process step by step here.

 First, a product called Cutting Edge....plastic strips that mark the underside of the ruler.

 The blocks are 3-1/2" blocks so I needed to mark the 1-1/2" on the rulers underside.

First I straighten the fabric....

 Then I butt the straightened edge along the plastic strips marked at 1-1/2" - and cut my strips.

 Fabric one, then fabric two.....

 Check out the markings, perfect 1-1/2" strips.....now we move to the sewing machine.

 The next product is called sewing edge!  (You can use a few layers of painters tape here instead)

 I take my 3-1/2" ruler and with my needle measure the 1/4" on my machine - then adhere a strip of the sewing edge tape which is about a 1/16" of an inch thick.

 You can cut these tapes but I chose to mark the machine and the table giving me a longer edge.  Then I stitched my first strip.

 Check the perfect 1/4" seam - I was thrilled!  So far, so good!

 The blocks worked out to exactly 3-1/2" - Voila - precision piecing!  To see my pinning method - look up Molly's Meadow on this blog - I give a demo there.

...and my second set of perfect 3-1/2" blocks!

I'm going to try posting this to the Cock A Doodle Quilt blog as a Tutorial Page shortly so you can refer back to it.  Hopefully I will be able to do it - I'm so not a techie!  FYI - you can use painters tape to do either of these things but I have to say I love the ease of these two products and they are both reusable and very accurate.....  

I've also been pretty busy designing quilts - a new mystery quilt for August and a Charm Square quilt as well as a quilt to use up my 9 Patch Exchange blocks.

Okay time for bed - a little reading, then some much needed sleep!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann  

...

I'll just bet!

I'll just bet that because I am a quilter and I own a quilt store that you all think I know how to do just about everything to do with quilting and quiltmaking.  Well I am going to confess something - I too, have trouble with certain basic quilting skills.

Like binding, not actually putting on binding but that last little bit of finishing - you know where you put the two ends together - well, for those of you who share my "disability" I have found a great little tutorial......

www.online-quilting.com

This website has the best tutorials with Marci Baker and I think I watch the binding one almost everytime I have to finish one off - comes out perfect every time.  Eventually it will sink in and I will be able to do it without the tutorial but in the meantime it's there and I thought I'd share it.  I teach Beginner Quiltmaking and just before I teach this part of the class I go online and watch the video....seriously, it's that good!

Okay - just thought I'd share that now I need to get back to finishing up my binding.

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Oops!

It appears that I have dropped off the face of the earth for the past month!  I just updated the blog on Cock A Doodle and realized I hadn't been here for a while either.....didn't realize how long a while!

Today was my one day off - I get one per week and I relish it, usually, however, today I spent most of the day cleaning the house which has not been done properly in a long while.  Now, I wouldn't invite you all over to eat off the floors but for sure it's a huge improvement to what it was.  Now to do Jonathan's MOUND of laundry......because I couldn't stand living in a pig sty anymore or passing the room that looked like a pig sty every day I did the unthinkable and cleaned his room.

Guess I got lucky because his only complaint was that I put a dusty picture on top of his towel.....phew!!!!  Put it this way - it was more about organizing the room and moving the furniture into place rather than the middle of the room and getting everything (all the clothes) off the floor.

It feel great to accomplish even that little, when I think about the past year and how little energy I had to even sweep a floor!  I've come a long way baby!!!!

Speaking of "things to do" - I better get working on the newsletter for the store a.s.a.p. so I can  get it out to everyone.  We've got some great stuff coming up and I don't want to slow down those creative juices.....besides which I have another Mystery Quilt pattern to write and I'm finishing up a kit which needs to be cut, and, and, and.......it never ends!

I tell everyone that I quilt while I sleep - the only problem with that is that when I wake up there's nothing DONE!!!!!

So - I'm off to get SOMETHING DONE!!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

It's the little things!

Tuesday's are my usual day off and luckily today was not exception.  Last week I only took 1/2 a day because I had a March Break student for Beginner Quilting so although I had a good day it was still not a "real" day off.

I was very excited about today because I was having company around lunch time.   Needless to say, even though I did not put the alarm on, I was awake at my usual 7:30 a.m..  That was good because I got up and made coffee and then began cleaning!  It was great, I got 90% of it done before I heard the knock at the door and knew Trudy had arrived.

Our original plan was to go out for lunch but I suggested we go over to Metro and pick something up.  After choosing two Cobb Salads (very good I might add), a small loaf of Belgian Bread (also very tasty) and a fruit salad which we shared - Trudy stopped at the Wine Rack (also in the plaza) and picked up a lovely Jackson-Triggs Pinot Grigio and we came back and enjoyed a beautiful lunch.....We had a great afternoon.  I made a small pot of coffee after lunch and Trudy left about 2:30 p.m.

Originally the plan was to meet up later and go to the YHQG meeting but I was just too comfortable at home and I had laundry to do....by 5:30 p.m. I had finished cleaning and laundry and done groceries.  I felt like I had accomplished conquering the world!!!!

It's easier to get everything done these days with Jonathan at work (yes, he is still gainfully employed).....I start with the kitchen -

 Then on to the living/dining room.....

 The office area - all sorted.....

 Finally - my bedroom and the bathroom of course......

 ....and my stash of projects, as messy as this may look, it is really very organized.

Once the laundry and cleaning were done I sat down and relaxed in front of the TV with the two bindings I have been trying to finish....I loaded up my Needle Dome with threads for both projects and alternated.....

I'll call this my "tool" of the week.  I love it, I have two now because one arrived damaged from the supplier so now I can keep one for my bindings and one for my hand project of choice.....(need to order more in for the store, we seem to be out of them)!

Tomorrow it's back to the store and loads of things to do including an e-mail to go out to everyone with lots of news!

Hope you all had a great day today and had the opportunity to enjoy this fabulous weather!

Jo-Ann