Announcing My Craftsy Class - Inset and Applique Circles by Machine

Do you remember my necklace inspired quilt? It is now finished and I can share it with you. I can also share with you the rather exciting reason I was making the quilt. 

I am thrilled to announce that I am now a Craftsy instructor! Have you heard about Craftsy? The fastest growing craft community on-line is full of courses from top instructors on everything from cake decorating to knitting, from costumes to quilting. My class - Inset and Applique Circles by Machine - is now available. Sign up now with a 25% discount!

The Craftsy platform is quite cool. Once you purchase the class it is available to you at any time forever. The HD video quality is great. They've filmed so many close-ups so you don't miss a thing. And you can take the classes from the comfort of your home - no lugging a machine across town or missing out because you can't find a local store or babysitter.

One of the best parts about a Craftsy class is the interactive forum. You can ask instructors questions, participate in class discussions with other students, and share your projects. I will be there the whole time, encouraging and helping you along the way. Stuck on a particular technique? You can ask for help and share the problem and we'll make sure you get it sorted.

And that necklace inspired quilt? It is a free pattern that comes with the class! Incorporating all the techniques learned in the class you can make this bold sampler. I've made it here with prints in colours pulled from the necklace itself and a mix of text prints for the background.

I do hope you'll join me over at Craftsy!

Austin Circle Sampler

76' by 96''

Quilted by Andrea Harris from Urban Quiltworks

I've got more that I want to share about my Craftsy experience. Look for that in the coming weeks. It has been an incredible experience so far. Now that the class  - Inset and Applique Circles by Machine - is available I'm looking forward to seeing circles pop up everywhere!

How Do You Finish Your Quilt Bindings?

Okay, I've got a question about binding. In between finishing up my daughter's quilt and some surfing I've been thinking about binding a lot the past few days. Plus, it was a nice distraction from the real world.

Machine Binding
- Can finish on the front or the back.
- Very fast.
- Clean look, but with a very visible seam.
- Great for quilts that live primarily for trunk shows.

Hand binding
- I actually enjoy hand finishing.
- It feels like a very personal touch on a quilt.
- More or less no seam line on a finished edge.
- It does take some time.


Personally, I've tried a few methods for finishing binding. My preference is for hand-finishing, but I've got nothing against a completely machine bound quilt. I do machine binding on quilts that are not gifts - class samples, trunk show quilts, even some book quilts. Hey, when faced with a looming deadline a girl does what a girl has to do!

Let me be clear. I do not feel guilty about machine binding, nor do I judge anyone's method for binding.

One thing I have noticed, however, is that for those who hand finish, stitches seem really far apart. I see these perfectly flat binding edges that are stitched down. It's one thing to not see any stitches because the quilter is just that good. And there are many, many techniques for hand stitching a binding. But people, you need to put a stitch closer than every half inch! When we quilt we call those big stitches in the quilting itself "toe catchers". On a binding I would call that a disaster. That is the place a quilt wears the most and having large, maybe loose stitches is asking for a finger to pull it out at the first chance it gets caught.

I'm perfectly willing to admit that I'm rather anal about my own hand finishing  - having my stitches come in between 1/4'' and 1/8'' apart. So yes, this takes me some time. But I've also never had a binding come loose. This is my most common method for finishing, but I've used the ladder stitch and been pleased with the results. And I recently tried switching up my needle in placement - through the binding instead of the quilt back and liked the look and stability of that.

What about you? How do you finish your bindings?

Friday Favourite: Dido's Salsa

My Dad was world famous for his salsa. Well, locally famous. As in, all of our family and friends would beg for jars of his usually just the right amount of spicy and a bit smoky salsa. In a family such as ours it is no surprise that the recipe for pyrohy dough is a treasured possession. We'd be bad Ukrainians without it. But the salsa is what we all were afraid would get lost when he died.

As the end was becoming abundantly clear in my father's lung cancer we all gathered at my parent's house. I sat and spoke to my Dad about his salsa. We started with the first recipe, the first batch he ever made. He told me where he got his tomatoes and peppers. I photographed each ingredient as it was chopped so we would always know just how fine or chunky it should be. I photographed my Dad as he  stirred, sipped, and stammered through making salsa.

A week later he was admitted to the hospital and 6 weeks later he died.

Two weeks ago my Mom and I gathered to make a batch of salsa, only the second time we've done it since his death. Somehow it's fallen to me to be the guardian of the recipe. I don't mind at all. We do a good job with it, but of course it isn't the same. It lacks the smokiness - maybe that infiltrated from him and his nasty smoking habit. And I chopped things a bit finer this time because I wasn't paying as much attention. I could hear his criticism in my head as I stirred the peppers into the tomatoes. But we came out with jars and jars of salsa that we still call Dido's Salsa. I still top my scrambled eggs with it, my daughter fills her tortilla with it, it sits beside a plate of nachos when friends come over and they ask where we got it. It will always be Dido's Salsa, even when I chop the onions too fine.

Today is the 2nd anniversary of his death. The 4 am phone call from my brother. The sobs of my Mom as I woke her, the stupid red car stuck in a giant puddle on the way to the hospital, making tea while I called the funeral home, telling the girls in the midst of a date, the washing machine repairman who came and had no clue what had happened. It's all so vivid. Perhaps even more so this year as last year I was focused on the new baby.

My Dad was a man with many faults and our relationship was far, far, from perfect or even good. But he had a story and a heart in there somewhere. And damn, he made fine salsa.

Girlie Quilt

Girlie

38'' by 38''

Just a simple, pretty, girlie quilt.

It started as an improv block, waiting for a home and some inspiration. I sent it off to a guild member for the next go at a round robin. She asked if I wanted to keep it all black and white or if I wanted any specific colour. I gave her free reign, waiting for the surprise at the end. Once everyone else did their thing. Can't say I imagined baby pink!

When it came back to me I decided I couldn't let it linger  - I'm all about finishing these days! I went back and forth on some options and this is where I landed. I basted it and then it sat... One quiet Saturday with no kids in the house it got quilted. A basic stipple in Aurifil 50wt in white took me an hour. So, why did I wait so long?

But now it is done, bound in a sunny yellow for contrast and to coordinate with the backing. It sits packed by the door, ready to send off to a cousin and his adorable baby girl.

Not before my baby girl snuck in for a snuggle and photo op!

It Got Bigger?!

Last week my Mom asked me how I was doing with respect to my giant WIP/UFO list. I had to stop and think before I answered her. Rather, not answer her. I couldn't really recall if I'd finished much or at least moved on. Needless to say, I thought I better investigate and give an update. If not for you, Mom, then to keep me on track!

Before I delve into it, I want to go on record to say that I've been teaching and travelling A LOT lately. And my baby boy stopped napping in that special time while the girls are both in school. Honest, those aren't excuses. Just sayin'...

Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting

1. Cosmos Blocks - once I make a back for it I'm giving it to Andrea for quilting.
2. Improv Sampler - uh, nothing new to see here...
3. My version of Checkerboard from Sunday Morning Quilts - again, nothing to see here...
4. Slaveship Quilt - nope, nothing here either...
5. Old Amy Butler quilt top - still sitting there...

6. There is Peace in Pattern - top made, backing fabric purchased, waiting for basting.

Quilts, Basted and Ready for Quilting

7. Gum on Concrete - the quilting is almost done. Definitely my next finish, hopefully this week
8. Anniversary Quilt - It is the next one on the list for quilting.
9. Low Volume Circles - I'm plugging away on the hand quilting, slowly.

Works in Progress


10. Mid Mod Bee - Blocks to be assembled into a top
11. Giant Hexies from the Unscripted Bee - All blocks in, but I think I want to make more to size it up
12. Hand Pieced Diamonds - always ongoing
13. More Cosmic Burst blocks - I have a whole other set of blocks for a baby quilt
14. Voiles - Still cutting and piecing every now and then. And buying more voile...
15. Name quilt for my daughter - still haven't done anything since this post
16. Chandelier quilt - was so close, then discovered a big mistake and have never fixed it
17. Mountain Meadows - still have made no more blocks since
18. Liberty Circles - Almost done making the circles
19. Blue and green Christmas Tree quilt - I cut the pieces,then promptly put them away
20. The alternate pink/black/white blocks I started when working on the girlie quilt are finding a new home in an upcoming project...
21. Respite - a project started in a Bill Kerr design workshop
22. Pieced Stars - a BOM I started years ago when I wanted to do some precision piecing breaks when doing a lot of improv
23. Japanese Curves - Fell in love with a Japanese fabric and a curvy pattern, took a class, never finished it. I think this one has to be passed on to a more willing quilter...
24. The Water Quilt
25. My Denyse Schmidt Improv Workshop blocks - both mine and the extra class blocks
26. A travelling quilts project that just started. I've got the first round waiting for my input.


Class Samples (Pieces I work on while teaching, as examples)


27. A Shoeman's Puzzle/Slab quilt I started with some class samples

28. A values quilt in neutrals
29. Green/Yellow/Orange Improv blocks
30. Loads of circle blocks now that might turn into something...

Intentional Quilts

31. Sympatico and Organic solid stack
32. Lucky Penny Bike Path - I have a plan now and hope to start it next month
33. Some vintage feedsacks intended for Amanda's quilt from Fresh Fabric Treats
34. Turkey reds, blues, and whites for a striped project
35. A collection of screen printed and low-volume favourites that continues to grow
36. My other daughter's special Tiger Quilt has to be started now

And...

37. I know there is a box of 2000 2 1/2'' squares sitting in my garage somewhere. If the mice haven't got to it I'll have to tackle those when they are found.
38. and 39. I have two ongoing scrap/leader and ender projects. They aren't coming together as much yet, but I must admit to them.

Finished!!!!!

Wine Gums
Oh Canada
Girlie Quilt

Plus 1 more I can't share for another week or two and my daughter's quilt we made together (That's it waiting for binding up there.) Boy, and I was excited that I got two quilts finished this past week. Oy.

I think that's it. I think...

Charley Harper Board Books (Weekend Reads)

When I picked up the first of these books with a fabric order from Purl Soho I held on to them, keeping them away from the kids. Too precious, I thought. Then I picked up the third in an airport bookstore last month and brought them out. And now - no word of a lie - they are my little man's favourite books. He crawls around with them, eats them, hands them to me or his sisters to read... What can I say? The boy has great taste.

Constant

Staying on top of scraps is a constant battle. These are about half of the scraps that accumulated in the 3 months I've been sewing in my new studio space. They were sitting all together in my favourite scrap basket, waiting for sorting. So finally I did just that. I love having a system in place, it means this kind of sorting only takes a short time, but it still must be done on a continuous basis.

Did I mention this is only half of them?

Not to mention my existing bins of scraps. I see a massive sort and cull coming soon. Spring cleaning. Starting fresh. Whatever you want to call it, I'll be sharing soon. Unless you want to see another scrap quilting book.

Improv and Intentions

One of the workshops at QuiltCon I was lucky to get into was Denyse Schmidt's Improv workshop. It was a hot commodity and I had just the right timing when doing my registration. To be honest, I took it out of curiosity more than anything. I'm quite comfortable with improv work, even teaching it myself! But I wanted to see how Denyse taught it and see how people responded.

Frankly, I really enjoyed the class. It may have been the opportunity of just free sewing/playtime after weeks of prep for my own classes at QuiltCon. But it was also a great environment. The other students ranged from improv virgins to the old hats at the technique like me. Denyse is a good teacher, clear on the approach, and extremely encouraging. For the students who'd never done improv it was a challenge at the beginning but they all seemed to really embrace things at the end.

Denyse's technique involves true randomness. Three bags of fabric bits in different sizes. Close your eyes and reach in! At home I do almost the same thing, but I keep my eyes open. Denyse's goal is to get the students to see the beauty in the randomness; beauty in seemingly clashing bits of fabric and blocks that don't lay flat. And it is most definitely there.

After each exercise we reviewed all the blocks and discussed our responses. I loved this part as too often in classes we don't get see what other people make or hear about what people experienced as they worked. The last part was a big eyeopener as a teacher. Well worth the class for me.

In the morning we worked solely with Denyse's scraps. In the afternoon we got to add our own fabric and a randomly chosen solid (Confession: my solid may have been placed in my hand by my very awesome Aussie volunteer and friend). Having seen reports of this class before I chose my fabric to bring with great intention. The blocks from one of these classes can start to all look the same so I chose my fabric to stand out a bit. Plus, it is one of my all-time favourite fabrics.

I didn't expect to care much for my blocks, I prefer a bit more control in my colour schemes. But I LOVE my blocks. So much so that I've got plans for a lot more and a finished quilt. I think I lucked out  with the fabric I picked out of the bags and the colours that came up.  Or it was just all serendipity... In the end I took a handful of orphan blocks from the morning exercises and I have another plan for them too.

Again, I was totally reminded that we need to remain open to experiences. I went into the class all cocky about my improv ability and thinking I wouldn't learn anything. And I came out with a bit of a gut check, new ideas, and an appreciation for the approach of others. Plus some rather cool quilt blocks.

Friday Favourite: fast2clean Mini Microfiber Cleaners

*Giveaway is now closed*

The Missing U is one of my favourite quilts from Sunday Morning Quilts. It came together with Amanda Jean's contribution and really was the start of our collaboration on the book. Right now it is living on our bed, keeping me warm when I fall asleep and soaking up the almost spring sun's warmth during the day.

Because it is a favourite I was thrilled when C&T contacted me about using images of the quilt in a new product. The fast2clean Microfiber Cleaners are pretty cool. At first I thought it was kind of cheesy and pointless. But they arrived right around the time I started using a certain fruit based music device. Between my fingertips and the greasy fingers of my kidlets on the face of it, the thing was a mess. 

Then I pulled out my handy little microfiber cleaner. Through the wonders of static it sticks to the back of the device. Then I can pull it off and clean the face every time the grubby fingerprints get to be too much. It really works well for that. I've even used it for my computer monitor in a pinch!

And once I discovered that I can access Instagram through this device the whole thing gets used a lot more than for hard-core dance fests with the girls. The camera on this thing is only marginally better than my cell phone and I'm still trying to figure out even some of the potential, but feel free to follow me there for some snippets of daily life, and sneak peeks at projects that end up here.

The other quilt featured is by Kim Shaefer.

C&T very generously sent me extras of this product. So, if you can't find them in your LQS or don't want to order them on Amazon, try your hand at this little give-away!

Leave a comment on this post between now and Sunday 11:59 pm MST for your chance to win. Make sure I have a way to reach you by email through your profile or comment, I'm not going to chase down no-reply comments. Tell me your favourite colour to work with or live with. Or point me in the direction of some favourite photographs. Or just say hi.

I will pick 4 winners and and send out a pack of these little treats next week.

Big's Quilt - Part 1

A couple of months ago my little girl asked if we could make a quilt together. We usually have quiet mornings together a few times a week when her brother is napping and her sister is in school. Personally, I think it was more about playing on the design wall than the finished project. And that's just fine.

She spent a happy morning pulling every single bin of mine out of the closet to pick fabrics. The only thing I encouraged her to do was perhaps select a favourite fabric to start or a colour combination. Being the little girl that she is, the pinks and purples came out first. At the beginning it was going to be all pink, then purple was allowed in. Then yellow, then some green, and finally red. I'm pretty sure this fabric play took her a few mornings.

Once she'd settled on her fabrics I set to cutting them for her. She specifically requested squares all mixed up. I went with 6 1/2'' squares simply because it was an easy size to cut. As I cut she placed them on the design wall. And then she'd go harass her brother, come back, and change a square. This went on for a few weeks.

Her first layout was all the same fabrics grouped together, with a random interloper breaking things up. I let her sit on this, then encouraged her to play. She was hesitant at first, but I took a picture of what she had and promised to return to that layout if she hated it after we played. But we never went back.

She would come in every morning and rearrange a few blocks. I snapped this photo when I realized her  PJs matched her quilt. So maybe she did have an inspiration after all?!

Then the blocks sat. I got busy with other projects and she had more playdates than quiet with Mama. I kept asking her to sew with me but she wanted to play catch instead. No amount of urging from me and pleas from her sister (who wants the design wall for her own quilt) could get her motivated.

With it being spring break this week and my need for the design wall I simply told her we were going to start. She didn't have to help, but I did sew a good portion of the quilt with her on my lap.

One last rearrangement before I took all the columns down and set to sewing. I changed nothing in her layout. Of course, as we were sewing she changed her mind on some blocks. So it ended up with a little more improv. The only thing I did was make sure we had no two blocks the same next to each other.

This has been a glorious experience for me. I've watched her excitement over the fabric and layout. She got such a kick out of making HER quilt layout just the right way. It took a lot of my energy to stand back and let it all happen. A lot. Sure, I did the heavy lifting, but this will most certainly be her quilt.

(The top is together and she's picked the backing fabric, but she asks that we wait for a big reveal!)

Cut First

 Look at me! Cutting all in advance of sewing. That is a seriously big deal, folks. The vast majority of work that I do starts with me sewing, not planning. Even my book quilts generally start with a little bit of sewing before I stop and figure out what I'm actually doing. But this time I drew the pattern and cut everything before I sewed a stitch.

This is what is becoming of the necklace inspired fabric pull. It has a destination and pattern that will be available in not too long.  Pretty excited to share it with you. It's a rather cool quilt with a really awesome final destination. Soon.

What about you? Are you a cut everything first quilter? Or would you rather start then sew a little?

Side by Side (Weekend Reads)

With March Break in full swing here I've been looking for creative ways to spend time with the girls. I've also been looking for a way to prioritize my time with them, while still fulfilling my creative needs. I was hoping that this book would provide a bit of inspiration.

Side by Side from Tsia Carson is not your typical craft book. She pitches it as projects that you can do with your resident crafter. Not so much about setting them up or doing all the dirty work for them. That's the goal.

To be honest, I'm not sure she really succeeded in that. There are definitely projects that work very well when parent and kid work as a team. And some that show great parallel activities so that both get something interesting and appropriate for the skill level. But it didn't really read any different than most craft books to me, other than some language about working with your kidlets.

And the projects? Well, many are things I've seen before - with some notable exceptions. I'm trying to convince my husband to do some guerilla gardening in the park across the street for the Living Willow Tree Teepee. And my kids loved the Giant Newspaper Snowflake. But pom poms, making stuffies from your kids drawings, and hand sewn pillows I've seen many times over.

My other issue with the book is the inconsistency in project instructions. In some cases they are so basic. And that's fine, if you know what you are doing. In others they are nicely detailed. It reads like a reflection of the author's own skills. If she knew how to do it, she assumed others did. If she had to research and figure it out, she spelled it out for readers. There is, however, a detailed technical section at the back of the book for the skills needed for the projects, like crochet stitches. It's pretty handy.

Carson's website is Supernaturale. I love the site for tidbits of inspiration and ideas. The book,  I suppose, is the same. Tidbits that are good for picking.

I do think this is a good addition to my library, despite my criticisms. It serves as a good reminder to be with and work with my kids a bit more. And I'm positive that once the kids devour it I will be pulling out pom pom makers and fabric paint and staplers to craft with them, at their insistence, not mine.

One

This wild and crazy guy is 1 today. ONE! I can still remember the sunrise on the morning he was born, the feeling as he was placed on my chest seconds after being born, the moment my husband told me it was a boy, the fuzz on his beefy arms, the look on the girls' faces when they met him the first time.

Not to mention the days and months since where he surprised us with his ability to tolerate the girls' shenanigans, his pleasure at being in the company of anyone new, his quiet curiosity at the world, his insatiable appetite for anything but a raspberry. Then there is his insufferable cuteness. Okay, I'm pretty biased on that last one.

We aren't ones for over-the-top first birthday celebrations. We will make a cake and let him smash it wherever he wants (although, this boy does not like to waste food). I will rewrap the toy we've given all our children for their first birthday. We will shower him with affection and love. And he'll be wearing some cool/funny looking pants while we do it.

I adore the Quick Change Trousers from Anna Maria Horner. I'd made him some when he was a newborn, then slacked off. A few new pairs were in order for my growing boy. I'll admit, I doubted my fabric selection, thinking it was all a bit much. The combos worked great flat, but as pants I'm not so sure. Ah, whatever, right? You're only 1 once.

Just Sit Down

There are times in life when we need to push ourselves, when the teacher becomes a student, when the one who can't top talking needs to shut up and sew. This pillow serves a reminder to me to do all of that.

After my two days of teaching at QuiltCon I had the pleasure to take some classes. The pillow is the end result of my class with Yoshiko Jinjenzi. I jumped at the chance to take a class with her, even though I wasn't thrilled about making a pillow with sheer fabric. Whatever, it was Yoshiko Jinjenzi.

Turns out we were making a project from her book, Quilting Line and Color. I have the book, I constantly pull it out and drool, but I've never been inclined to make anything. The instructions seem fussy and overly complex. Well, this pillow was actually dead easy to make. We had a total of 5 minutes of instruction from Yoshiko and then we set to making.

As our first step we got to go and dig through scraps to create our own bits and bobs to highlight on the pillow. Every single person in the class had to resist the urge to squirrel away extra fabric. We were cutting little bits so it was quite fun to think about this fabrics on a very small scale.

After we picked our fabric, cut them to whatever size and shape we wanted, and laid them out on this gold fabric she provided we layered it with a sheer gauze. Some basting stitches to hold everything in place then we set to quilting the heck out of that sandwich.

That is, when we weren't crowded around her fondling the quilts she shared. It was half pillow class, half trunk show. But it was when she was showing her quilts that you saw the potential of this layering technique. Something I was quite easily dismissing at the beginning of the class suddenly provided inspiration. Of course, the intricacy of her work and the extreme attention to finishing details might have also had something to do with it.

In the end, I did get my pillow almost done. Despite the distractions of the quilts and my neighbours Marianne and Leanne and my SIL (way to represent Alberta in Austin!) All but the actually turning it into a pillow. Just as soon as I could I turned it into a finished project, minus the tassels. I knew that if I let it sit it would never get done.

This pillow is so far removed from anything I would normally make, from something I would likely every make again. Gold? Sheer? A Pillow? But it serves as a good reminder for me to just shut and sew sometimes. And for that reason it will keep a place of honour in my heart, if not my room.

Airplane Reading (Weekend Reads)

With two trips involving planes and airports and no kids lately I've managed to get quite a bit of reading done. Even when I travelled for my corporate life I spent my flight reading, including the trips where my boss was sitting next to me. I eschew carry-on luggage for the sake of a good book and a cup of tea.

The first book I finished was The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman. I really wanted to like this book. A midwife with a history, birthing in the mining communities of West Virginia with the backdrop of the Depression and the KKK looming. Sounded captivating, or at least promising. I love good storytelling in my novels. In the end, though, I only found it kind of meh. 

In all honesty, I thought the book needed a better editor. There were great elements of story here, but they got lost in irrelevant details. Some tightening up and a few clarifications and the book would have been great. Focus. Just like Patience, the main character, would tell her moms in labour, focus please.

Just this morning I finished Mister Roger and Me by Marie Renee Lavoie. I lingered in bed, leaving my husband to the kids and drank in the last few pages of this novel. A girl on the cusp of growing up, a seedy city neighbourhood, and a gaggle of sad characters so funny it was sad. This is the novel I dream of writing if I was to capture my own anxieties of being a kid. Maybe that's why I loved it so much?


I truly wonder what it would have been like to read it in the original French because the English translation was funny, eloquent, and full of little twists of language that made this about the writing as much as the story. And the story, while sad and depressing for the most part, was honest. A girl with a desire to do nothing more than live, and live with interest and independence, is matched with a neighbour, Mister Roger, who is running towards his death. They are match in sarcasm and in attitude. Maybe that's why I loved it so much?

Regardless, it was a fantastic read. Well worth the loss of leg room on a plane.

Friday Favourites: Kate Inglis

There was a day, a few years ago that I came across this beautiful blog. Full of honesty and light and pain and creativity. Captivation at first blush. Fast forward a few years later and that loverly lady is in my house, threatening to steal my baby and chasing my girls with screams of zombie underpants. And I was totally okay with that because she was also taking pictures for my book. Ethereal and beautiful pictures of the projects, of kids, of my family. I can forgive almost anything for her beauty.

Kate Inglis is a writer, photographer, Mama, teacher, and more. She is a quiet, reflective soul who has a different set of eyes in her head for seeing the world. We love her first novel, The Dread Crew, in this house. I love her boys and all their energy. When we get together we can get lost in tangents about whiners who claim they have no inspiration to creative expression to Lego to old windows. Then there is the work.

I was, and still am, blown away by the work done for A Month of Sundays. Seriously folks, the photos are incredible. For a sneak peek head over to her blog.

The 5 days Kate and I spent together photographing the book were INTENSE. In between downloads and nursing sessions and breaks for cookies and lunch that my Mom made us we lived those projects. We drank wine at the the end of the day to just take a moment to breathe. Kate made friends with all my friends. I don't think I could convince her to leave her lovely home on the East Coast, but I'm thankful that she has family here and a potential excuse to visit beyond me kidnapping her.

Necklace Inspired Fabric Pull

One of the most exciting parts of quilting for me is the fabric play. It is one of the excuses I maintain for having a ridiculously large stash - shopping at home. It really is lovely to be able to just open the closet, rummage through my bins and bins of fabric, and come up with something pretty to play with.

Here I am playing with fabric from the latest inspiration. This quilt is for a deadline, so once I found my inspiration I dove right in! Above is the initial fabric pull.

Below is the final fabric pull. I decided to edit out the fabrics to reflect the inspiration necklace in direct proportion. It remains to be seen which fabrics actually end up in the final quilt, I'm not sure I have enough of each of these for the planned pattern. We'll just have to see!

New Inspiration

With a million projects on the go I felt the need to start a new one. I bought this necklace in Austin, at this awesome store selling only products from Texas artisans called Parts and Labor. Oddly, this necklace came with no info. It didn't stop me from buying it. And it's become the jumping off point for a new quilt. Also oddly, I had the sketch and pattern written before I'd picked fabric.

Seriously, what's happening to me?

Friday Favourites: Dyson Vacuum

This is a story about a dog, a vacuum, and a toe.

The Damn Brown Dog, Maple, was the first thing Hubby and I ever got together. Before joint bank accounts, before fights over counter space in the bathroom, before major purchases, before kids. Before all that we got a dog. She was my first dog ever, and Hubby's fourth or fifth. We'd been talking about it, but always assumed we'd wait until we lived together.

Her presence in our lives was, in part, motivated by the brazen bottle pickers who would come in our yard, and practically in the house, to score. Living by the University meant a lot of bottles and a lot of bottle pickers. From day one she was a total spaz and a wannabe lap dog. Her ears were the softest things ever and flopped down in defiance to her German Shepherd heritage. She was whipsmart - the smartest dog Hubby ever owned.

For over 13 years she was constantly underfoot, devoted to us. A once proud swimmer, her hips were going. And with that went incontinence, senility, and her sight. After a rough Christmas season we made the tough decision to put her down on New Year's Eve. Between then and now we had vacation and the normal chaos of life. That means we are now starting to feel the effects of her absence.

As any dog (or cat owner) knows, the worst part about them is the blessed hair everywhere. Everywhere. Maple was blessed with a double coat. Which meant I was blessed with the task of vacuuming at least every second day. And if I didn't vacuum we were all blessed with a skim coat of hair on every inch of our existence.

After the dog, our vacuum was one of our first new purchases as a couple. We'd bought a used car, the house we bought was 50 years old, and our furniture was a mishmash of hand-me-downs. I had to go to California for work so Hubby tagged along. We had two free days at the end of the trip. One day we spent surfing. One day we spent driving around the San Diego area looking for a vacuum. We sure know how to rock an vacation.

Dysons weren't available in Canada then. Hubby was sucked in by the design and the story, and the promise of suction. That's why we devoted the expense and the time to seek one out. We eventually found one (everyone was out of stock) at a dingy store in the almost wrong side of town. We were trying to fit it in our rental car and not watch the drug deal going on a few spots over in the parking lot at the same time. But we got it home and it felt like the angels were singing when I swooped it over our hardwood and the hair disappeared. That vacuum has been an almost as faithful companion as Maple.

I'll be totally honest here, since Maple died I've been quite relieved to not have to vacuum three times a week. So relieved that I barely vacuum at all! Just the kitchen and around the table to clean up the crumbs. Good enough, I thought.

Not so much.

The Garbage Truck, A.K.A Baby Boy, is crawling commando style all over the place. With hardwood upstairs we've been keeping him sockless at home so he has better traction. Well, the other night we had a ridiculously rough night with him. Since he's been sleeping through the night for a few months now it was brutal and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. Not teething, no tummy issues, no fever,  nothing. It wasn't until I was getting him dressed in the morning that I noticed it.

It being a toe twice the size it should be and seemingly attached to the one next to it. Close inspection revealed a mass of lint and hair wound tightly around his toes. So tightly that it was like a tourniquet, cutting off circulation and slicing a ring around his toe. I had to soak it and use my small applique scissors to free his toe. And we continue to soak it, keep it wrapped, and clean it constantly as it slowly heals to avoid an infection.

So vacuum, you are becoming my new best friend again. Even without your inspiration, Maple, you are still needed and loved. For the sake of our toes.

Comfort Food at Breakfast (Recipe: Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce)

The past few weeks have been a blur of mediocre motherhood wrapped around work. I've been completely slammed with work - the work that is only supposed to be part-time and done around the kids' schedule. Um, yeah, no. Thank goodness for my husband's flexibility and support.

And frankly, thank goodness for good food. Even at my busiest I manage to get dinner on the table myself 95% of the time. That is what my freezer is for. Instead of saving food for when times are lean, I save food for when time is hard to find. And no matter what, I always start with a good breakfast. It seems cliche, but it really does help me get through. And the one day this week when I tried to edit patterns with nothing but tea in my belly I had a massive brain fart. Math plus an empty tummy equals mistakes.

Times like this also require comfort food. As much as I would love to live on chocolate and cookies washed down with a scotch, that isn't very nourishing. Nor is it good for my attempts to regain some health. Thankfully one of the most comforting things for me is this dish you see above: Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce.

(Really, anything in tomato sauce for me is comforting. My husband may indeed be correct that I am the descendent of Italian gypsies because tomato sauce is something I could eat every single day. Every day.)

A small pot on the stove with sauce simmering greets both my son and I as the girls do their morning run around. He knows it, I know it; breakfast is coming.

To that sauce - about 1/3 cup per egg - I crack in some eggs. Usually two for me and one for him. A smack of the lid to close the pot, allowing some steam to cook the white around the yolk of the egg. It only takes a few minutes. Enough time to toast some bread or maybe cook some greens to eat on the side. I'll use whatever tomato sauce we have - something full of chopped veggies or the simplest tomato butter sauce. Farm eggs, whole grain bread. Good food.

After the girls leave he and I settle in for a warm breakfast. I like my eggs just a bit runny while he takes his firmly poached. We get tomato sauce on our lips and smile. And then, only then, can we tackle the challenges of the day.