SATURDAY DILEMMAS...

I have lots of orange...I don't know why, but I do...like the song says. I made this block on the right one day while trying to figure how to use up dots that were left over. But as usual, the cuttings took on a life of their own and I ended up with this one. I like the block, can't remember how I got it, but it's just too orange.

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When I first started quilting, I made the quilt on the right

(with a 9 X 12 cutting board) and I still have so many of

the little orange squares left over, so I thought

that today I would use them up. I have lots of squares

left so I put together some of the fabrics I thought I would use up and see if I could do something.

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Actually, it proved harder than I thought and I had to consult the mathematician in the family to figure out the green squared triangles that I thought I wanted to use.

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Since I had orange blocks, I also had orange flowered print that I've had for ages, and thought I would put the orange from my first quilt in the centre, use up the green fabric.

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Well as you can see the creative juices weren't in sinc with the practical uses of fabric.

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The orange in the centre is awful in real life. So I called the person in this family who really can see colour as it is and asked....Nope, it doesn't go he said.

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So then I laid it out this way and he was happy with it and also putting the white triangles to the centre block was more to his liking.

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So, no orange stash used up. I'm not doing what I set out to do, which was to copy my grandmother's block that I restored last year remember?

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I have no idea what the one my

grandmother made is called. But the idea was to make a quilt similar.

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The orange stash will be used somewhere else. I just don't know if I like this enough to make a quilt out of it.

You know, the colours are nice, but it doesn't "sing" .

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It's a crappy day anyway, so I may go back and create something else to bore you with.

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Something good did happen today though, one of the blogs I follow turns out to be practically a neighbour, about 5 minutes from me...Quilting in Cyberspace...now isn't that something?

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How many of us ever meet? It all started when she mentioned a favorite area restaurant and I thought "what the h?" So I emailed and we now know where we live....and we will meet soon to have coffee. How good is that? Other than Helen my cottage buddy, I don't know anyone from around here that quilts.

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The Para Olympics are on and we are watching. Amazing what these athletes do! Truly inspiring.

FRIDAY FLUFF AND STUFF!

It's almost cottage time. Yes, that time of year is dawning and I have started thinking of what I shall do this coming season at the lake.

I think the mild weather we've been having has made me jump the gun a bit though because when we did go a bit north this past week there was still snow on the ground in a lot of areas.

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When I took this photo last year I had no idea that it would turn out so well and that when I look at it, it makes me yearn for the peaceful life there.

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So, I've opened the first binn to start packing up "stuff", napkins, placemats, new sheets, pillowcases to start.

I always take quilts back and forth and this year will not be an exception. I need my quilts close to me.

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Yesterday while doing not much I went to a site that my friend Helen recommended. It's called Pink Paper Peppermints and has great crafting ideas. The blog is very cute in design too.

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Then I dropped in to Sew Many Ways which is always always fun to see what Karen comes up with for her Tool Time Tuesday ideas. Never has she failed to make me wonder where she gets these ideas and sometimes I even laugh outloud as she can be so funny.

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I don't know why but I seem to find Australian blogs when surfing around. What's with that? They are a small country, similar to Canada in population, but I find them more than Canadian blogs...Stitcherydo is one that is quite fun.

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I think that it is hard to have so many followers and have a blog that takes on a life of its own. Crazy Mom quilts comes to mind as one that did and then she just couldn't keep up the pace that maybe we put on her. I do miss her blog sometimes.

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All the blogs on my blogroll I visit regularly which inspires me so often, even those that hand quilt...gee they make it look so easy too! So to all of you and all the others that I don't know, thanks...it's always nice to have coffee with you before I start my day.

BACK IN THE GROOVE AGAIN!

I found these red squares left over from a project
of about 2 years ago. I actually used them in two
quilts but still had some left over.


Since I'm using up stash, I put them together to make a simple quilt for a gift.


Making quilts is so gratifying for me as I get lost in my thoughts, go with the flow, and start to put colours together to create a one of a kind quilt.


All quilts are one of a kind because each person puts their own touches to the project. It's what makes quilting so unique.



Trying to decide on pin wheels or just the simple points of the reds which was what worked best for this lap quilt.



I did use some new fabric though, darn, it's the stripes that just worked with these colours.



Of course you can see that it went together quite quickly. In a day as a matter of fact and without too much mess in the sewing room so it wasn't hard to leave it and come back another day to finish.






Life took over for a couple of days as Ikea called and we went shopping for a new side table for Mary's bed (neighbour) ended up buy a lovely tv stand which will serve perfectly, and of course some of their napkins for the cottage season coming up.


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With the weather being almost 60 degrees, actually in the back yard it was 70 because of the south facing patio, we were able to have coffee out there yesterday at 9 am. Now how good is that for March?

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We did drive north to cottage country to view new lakes, and road access cottages for sale in a few areas.


Eventually we will move to one domain. We know that as we get older that the island cottage just will be too difficult for both of us to manage. It's a dilemna that faces us all, that getting older thing and stairs of course being always in the forfront. Not yet though, but we are thinking ahead.

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There will definitely be a room for me to quilt in with a bright window area as I love the sun shining in. When I think of how so many of us do our quilts and or crafts, we are often assigned to the dingiest places. I'm not complaining as I could be in the guest room which is never used, and I did choose the basement area because it's large. I just know that so many of us use as little space as possible so as not to disrupt the rest of the family.


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We are still doing very very well in our endeavours to loose some weight. Low carbing is so much easier to cook, goodness my time in the kitchen is so much less and I have found some yummy recipes too. So we are both down sizes in clothes which now fit so much better. We cut out bread as the biggest sinner in our diet and of course pasta. I'm feeling much more energized because of this I'm sure.


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Today is bridge day, lunch with the girls!