Well the weather outstide is frightful

The fog rolled  in this morning, layering the trees with even more ice.   We can hear the trees crackle as the breeze hits their limbs.  Being surrounded by trees is great in the summer, but causes concern on winter days. 2600 homes in our area are without power, luckily we are not one of them.   My DH is clearing off  the deck and getting the generator ready just in case. Over the next two day the weather forecast is calling for snow, freezing rain, gusting winds, followed by more snow and high winds.  Sounds like quilting weather to me.

Yesterday I worked on a string quilt which I started a long time ago.  String quilts are a great way to use up those small bits of fabrics (strings).  This is  an excellent project for a beginner quilter, or when you want to do mindless not fussy sewing.  If you are interested in knowing more about this method check out Bonnie`s  at Quiltville  String Quilting Primer.   Check out the many different patterns and ideas for the string quilt at the end of the primer.   The only limitation on this fun to make  quilt is your fabric stash.

By mid afternoon I had most of the blocks and the borders  sewn together.   My DH is my quilt layout foreman.    I place the blocks on the bed in a pattern I think looks good.  Then he comes in and gives it the thumbs up or thumbs down.  When he makes a suggestion it oftens works better than my original idea.

The foundation of my string blocks is  9 inch squares of cotton. To match the thickness of the blocks  I decided to use denim for the borders  and crumb blocks on the corners.  This will be a  very heavy cover as the flannel back will add to the weight.  The perfect winter weather quilt.

Snow Day

According to my DH,  shoveling out from this storm is as bad as  shoveling sh*t.   He was  raised on a farm, so he knows his sh*t.  The snow is wet, heavy and difficult to move.  For the past hour he has been out in the yard shoveling as the snow is too heavy for the snow blower.  He punctuates his labour  with short breaks to bring me the status of the storm.   Everything is covered with a thin layer of ice, topped with a thick layer of snow, and we are not out of the woods yet.   Parts of the province are without power, and might be so until 6:00 o`clock tonight.  The storm will combine with a another storm front tomorrow, so we will have nasty weather until Tuesday.

While my DH is out in the cold, wet, snow I am indoor fondling fabric.  I intend to spend the rest of the day sewing, with brief intervals of cooking.  Sounds fair to me.

Today`s menu will be made from recipes I found on the web. Chili and southwestern drop biscuits from Yes, we cook!  for lunch.    Saturday nights` dinner and a movie will be baked egg rolls from Under a Blue and Moon and our all time favourite carrot and pork dumplings from Retorte, and chicken and pork lettuce wraps, thanks again to Yes, we cook!

So if you`re hungry come on over, my DH should have the driveway shoveled by then.

Hunkered down

The Maritime provinces are being hit by the latest storm.    The forecast is for nasty weather from today until Tuesday.  Looks like we are making up for a mild winter.   We left work shortly after lunch day before the driving became too treacherous.

My DH, kitty and I have settled down for a weekend at home.  Luckily before the storm hit, the mail man delivered a parcel.    When my DH saw the return address was Sew Sisters Quilt Shop, he told the mail man, it must be a mistake, no one here needs fabric……………..what a comedian!

Now we are in the middle of an ice storm, but we are expected to receive 15-25 cm of snow tonight through until tomorrow night.

Luckily  I won`t run out of fabric.

The bird whisperer

Our home is protected on three sides by a maple hedge.  Besides the gray squirrels, pigeons and chickadees, the trees are now alive with blue jays.  Much to Porsche`s delight.

She sits on the bench chirping, clicking and meowing.   She is the resident bird whisperer.

This is tiring work to a kitty.   She needs to take a nap after each session.   During the morning she sleeps on her right side.  With her paws covering her eyes.  The hazards of living in a house with many windows.

Her favourite chair just happens to be the one my DH likes as well.

After lunch and another nap, this time on her left side, it is time to play `where`s Porsche?`.

She loves to hide in my DH`s tote bag.   This too is very hard work so she needs to nap half way through the game.   Once we find her, it is time to play `claw the tote bag`.

On the street where you live

After  registering at the doctor`s office last week, the receptionist asked me to take a number from a basket, which she then wrote on my file.  When I asked if this meant I had to wait in line until my number was called, she stated, `No.  We are no longer allowed to call out your name.  We can only call your number.`

Lately the local United Church ceased publishing the names of sick and shut ins, in the church bulletin.

Apparently both of the above changes are as a result of the Privacy Act.

So I was very surprised when I came across this site.    Type in your address at the site and enjoy a virtual tour of the street where you live.

Talk about privacy?

Oh Canada

One of the reason I love  my husband is his complete disinterest in sports.  It matches mine.  We don`t see the purpose of golf, football is completing baffling and curling leaves us cold.

This week, we have watched more moments in sports then we have during our 14 years together.  It started with  Alexandre Bilodeau.   While recuperating from my cold, laying on the chesterfield, mindlessly watching television, I was moved to tears when Alex tour down the hill and right into the everyone `s heart.   To me he is everything I love about being a Canadian.   He is the best in the world, but still he is humble, loving, kind, and has an accent second to none.   He holds family above all things.    Can`t get much better than that.

Thursday morning at the gym I was beaming when I heard Canada had won the game against Switzerland.   I did not watch the full game,  just the highlights.    But I was as happy as someone who had first row seats!

Patrick Chan, said it best “The best part was not the marks, it was just the crowd, the Canadian crowd and the passion that they show for their athletes,” Chan said. “Makes me realize how proud I am to be Canadian. Before the marks came up, I felt like I let the audience down because I didn’t give a great performance that they would have enjoyed. But in the end, they still loved me as much as they would if I had done a great program…..”

Even though I am completely gaga over Canadian athletes this week, I am still loving the sewing.   Sew Sister Quilt shop has combined my two loves into the incredible Olympic Celebration Surprise Bundle give away.   Each time a Canadian athlete wins a medal another item goes into the basket!

They are also the creator of the Canadian Flag table runner shown at the top of this post.  For the pattern, click here.   Pretty cool, eh!

How could I refuse?

In addition to going to the gym each morning, I have been exercising during my lunch hour.   Each day along with a few co-workers I hit the gym at work for a high impact  aerobic workout.    We began our routine just after the new year, encouraging each other along.   Rarely do we miss a day, except for illness or meetings.   Not only am I gaining stronger muscles, I am saving money by not shopping on my lunch hour.

Today was an exception.   An outside group organized a basketball game with the inmates in our gym.  So I went shopping for the first time in awhile.   And boy did I hit the mother lode!   My favourite thrift shop had a stock of fabric, how could I refuse?

I bought plaids.

I bought gingham.

I bought florals.

And I bought fabric just because it was pretty.

But best of all………..for 25 cents a piece.   That`s right.  I spent a total of $5.54 for this pile of fabric.  How could I refuse?

February block

Isn`t this a sweet block, such a perfect Valentine! The February block was created by the very talented Pat of A Little of  This and A Little of Pat

I am  happy to say that I mailed the March blocks away today.   There is only one more block to receive, the one for April.  Boy did this past year fly by.

The members of the Cottage Block Swap live from the east coast (New Brunswick) to the west (California).  Knowing Canada Post, it will probably take a week or two before the blocks arrive at their destinations.

Due to being stricken with a cold, there wasn`t much sewing done this past weekend.   The weatherman is predicting a mighty nasty snow storm starting late tonight.   Maybe I will get a storm day tomorrow.  And there is no better way to spend a day then sewing!  Wish me luck!

Happy Valentine`s Day

I have spent the entire weekend in bed………..hot, sweaty, runny nose…………..suffering with a cold.   Hope your V day is a lot happier and healthier!

Date night can`t get any better

My DH out did himself this evening for date night! He accompanied me to the opening day of Guy`s Frenchy.

$52.00 later, we left the store with (for him) 2 pairs of Eddy Bauer jeans, 3 pairs of khakis, and 2 shirts (one a Land`s End). For moi, we found a pair of pants with embroidery on the legs, and a pair of Old Navy yoga pants with price tags and labels still intact. Last week I paid $20.00 for a similar pair of yoga pants at Mark`s Work Wear house.

Being an avid reader, I also picked 4 novels.  At $1.35 a novel, I will have plenty to read.

For the sewing room I found  J C Penney stagecoach  style cotton blinds in this  butterfly print .

The fun did not end with the shopping.  We then went to Subway! No small wonder I love that man.

Guy`s is about 1 km from my home.  My new exercise regime will include a nightly walk with my exercise buddy Win to and from the store.  We have made a pact that we  can only buy what  we can carry home.   If you see either one of us  pushing a shopping cart along the main drag some evening, then we are  either considering being  bag ladies or buying too much.