Gift for Gabe :)

I don't think they read my blog, so this should still be a surprise. If they DO, oh well - hi, Aimee, hi, Mona!

In 1997 I "met" Mona in a chatroom on the computer. We became online friends, then met in real life, as she also lives in Toronto, and was only 30 minutes away. In 1999 we started chatting with Aimee from the Philippines. We all became fast friends, and Aimee came to visit us in Canada several times. She ended up meeting Mona's brother Steve ... they got married and had Gabriel, and she moved here with her two daughters and G-man. We get together regularly :) Meeting people from the internet isn't always a bad thing!

This weekend we're celebrating Gabe's 4th birthday, so this is what I made him. Back row - travel pillow (12 X 16") ... pillowcase (standard size) ...
Front row - throw rug (18" X 24") ... playdough (cherry!) ... drawstring gift bag to hold everything (nothing to go into the trash, unless Gabe hates his gift, LOL) :)

Apronista :D

Suzy Homemaker - aka apronista moi - decided to make an apron, and this is the result :D It's reversible - brown crackle print on one side, pink coffee print on t'other (and I don't even drink coffee!) :) It's being modelled by my almost 18 year old, only because I promised not to get his face in the picture - it was quite apparent as I was snapping photos, that his poses manned up quite a bit when the brown side of the apron was front and centre, LOLOL. He was a very good sport about helping me out - thanks kiddo!!

Pattern is Simplicity 9565, view B - very quick and simple - I decorated it with pink rick rack and brown/black trim (which aren't all that visible in the picture) :)

The rest of the butterfly goodies :)

I am *so* happy with how these items turned out ... I finished up the last pieces today - the tea towels - using a couple of strips left over from the rest of the items. The tea towels are from the $ store and washed up even nicer than a lot of the department store towels I have. I tested them before working on them, in case they shredded or fell apart. They're actually very nice quality tea towels! I've never decorated them before, and I'm so pleased with how they turned out :)

At the $ store I also bought a ball of fun yarn and a fleece blanket in the right colors, to use for wrapping. I'm trying to get the parcel sent out with as little as possible that will need to go in the trash. The yarn can be reused to tie plants (or saved for Aunt Sandra to craft with, hehe), and the fleece blanket (which is only 30" X 40") can be used for the recipients kitties (or saved for Aunt Sandra to craft with) ;). I'll have to use brown paper to wrap the package for mailing - thats unavoidable. But it's recycleable :)

The entire set consists of 4 coasters, 2 hot pads, 4 placemats, 2 tea towels and a table topper. I hope the recipient likes them and can use them in her new house :)

Orchids and Butterflies :)

Butterfly coasters by moi, orchid picture taken by my sister, Sherry *waves at Sherry and tells her to take the damn fairy costume off of the poor dog!* :)

Butterflies Hexagon - completed :)

It's 17" X 19", it's done, and it's SWEET!! I'm definitely loving this pattern, and have been thinking up some modifications to try ... perhaps think rick rack! ;)

Kitty picture = EYE CANDY!!! That's my Quilt Inspector - Zoomer - helping me pick a pattern :)

Hexagon Star Tablerunner :)

Here's what I worked on today - a hexagonal tabletopper to go with the placemats/hotpads/coasters I made a few days ago. It measures about 17" X 19" - I'll sandwich/bind it tomorrow :) This pattern is from the Jan./Feb. 2006 issue of Fons & Porter's "Love of Quilting" - see here or here (no affiliation, of course).

Internet is back -- at least temporarily ... YAY!

I have some pictures to post but I have to get organized - we were without proper internet coverage for so long that everything is somewhat turned upside down right now, lol. I still can't believe I can now get online without having to go through molasses or hell first!! Everything is being changed over to Sympatico's wireless service on Tuesday so I hope that goes smoothly, but at least I can play computer in the interim!

Until I get myself straightened out, enjoy this picture of bread. Yes, bread. I baked it today. Is YUMMY - see more pics here :)

Tote THIS!

Working on some stash busting totes, I made the little (top) one (13 X 7, + box bottom) to trial run the pattern and check the finished size - I was looking for a tote that's the right size to tote a lunch to work. It's perfect! It worked out so well, that I then made the larger size (18 x 13, + box bottom) - perfect for shop hopping and visiting quilty friends with quilty goodies packed away in the bag! I'm very pleased with how these totes turned out!

P.S. I should have posted where the pattern came from - it's called Charm Party, and is from the August 2007 issue of McCalls Quilting - back issues available here ... more info here :)

Potholders and placemats and coasters, oh MY!

It seems that I've been getting a lot of sewing done (on the Kenmore, not on the poopy Babylock!) since our router died - 2 baby quilts, 15 bibs, 2 bath mats, 4 placemats, 8 coasters, 2 pot holders --- gee, could there possibly be a connection between computer problems and getting lots of sewing done? Ya think??!! ROTFL!!

Yes, it appears that my productivity in the last couple of weeks, may be directly related to the computer problems we're experiencing here due to a dead router. I'm surely spending a lot of time in the studio in the basement, but thats a good thing ;) I finished these kitchen goodies today, but still want to make a few more pieces to go with them. I'm on the lookout for a pretty/cute/artsy fartsy way to gift wrap these items --- I'll have to peek on flickr and etsy, to see if anything catches my eye.

In the interim, Happy Mothers Day tomorrow to all moms and moms-to-be --- I hope your people spoil you and treat you like a queen, even if it's just for one day. My husband usually tries to pull the "I treat you well all year round, so why do I have to go out of my way on one day?" shit, but I think I've almost got him trained OUT of that - it only took 22+ years for it to sink in!! The Kitchenaid mixer is from him, and tonight he offered to take me anywhere I want to go tomorrow - I'm leaning towards the flea market, and then a trip to the book store, and there are a couple of thrift stores near the book store, and maybe the drug store for some nice bubble bath --- what a nice day it will be!

A special Happy Mothers Day to Cassendra, our nephew David's wife, on her first mothers day as a momma ... awwwwwwwwwwwwww!!! David you better have something special planned for her, from you and from Matteo!!

Wipe your feet on the mat - were you born in a barn?

I finished up these two bath mats for my kids' bathroom. I would have taken their picture in their new home but it's dark, and frankly, you're better off not seeing the bathroom that two teenage boys use and "clean". Trust me, you REALLY don't want to see it. I don't wanna see it either, but sometimes I have to! Anyways - the mats turned out fabulously, and I can't wait to make more.

Yay for new mats, and yay for stash busting!

Making Ends Meet ...

in more ways than one!! I saw this post a few weeks ago ... New Bath Mat ... it inspired me to make some bath mats for my kids' bathroom :)

This first try came out more matchy poo than I like - I should have used an odd number of fabrics to get them out of perfect alignment, lol. I've already got the blocks cut out for a second mat, and it'll be less synchronized ;) These will be backed with a chenille bedspread I bought on ebay several years ago to use for crafting, and then they'll go into the kids' blue/white bathroom. The blocks are 6" finished, so the mats will be 24 X 36 - a nice size for teenage manfeet (don't tell them I said that, LOL).

Thank you to April from Making Ends Meet - for the inspiration, and thanks Louise (in Markham, Ontario!) for the denim scraps/fabrics!

Dead router = getting some sewing done ...

For a couple of weeks now we've had intermittent internet service because the wireless router died. Linksys says they're replacing it as it's under warranty, but it's sure taking a long time. 2 weeks later we're still waiting, and in the interim, it's been awful.

I've managed to get some sewing done, but even THAT had it's problems, as my Babylock went into overdrive again and killed the cat quilt I was working on. The thread nests, the bad stitches, the broken needles (5 in one day was the record), the chewed up seams, the seams that had to be ripped - I put it quilt aside - I can't even bear to look at it right now - it's awful. I pulled out the borrowed Kenmore and did some utility projects to keep myself occupied, and to bust some stash. Fortunately I had some success in that department! Lots of bibs and a blue boy quilt for C4C (donation group), and a Sponge Bob quilt for our crossing guard, who has been granted custody of her 2 1/2 year old grandson. There are 4 more bibs somewhere, but I can't find the picture :D

I'm not sure this post will even upload - the connection seems to fade in and out, lol. I can't wait for this problem to get fixed!