What's new in my world.....!

Really not much!  I do need a hand project badly, so yesterday I proceeded to work on getting some blocks ready for hand embroidery. Off I went to work on this pattern:

Santa's Comin' to Town by Olde Green Cupboard Designs.  I just love their logo, don't you?  Sweet!

I picked this pattern because it reminded me of the old colouring books I had as a child.  Besides, I love Santa and this project certainly has a lot of Santas! lol

So off I went to cut out my blocks and get them all ready to be marked.

I choose a pattern sheet, place it on my light box and proceed to trace.

Hum..... this isn't working very well ..... oh turn on the light......

Well.......!

That made it worse because the designs are printed on both sides of a thin sheet of paper.

Okay, so I guess I need to photocopy these pattern sheets if I want to be able to trace it. Somehow that bothers me! I paid $20.00 for this pattern, you would think I wouldn't have to go to a photocopy shop to get 9 sheets printed. Sigh!

It's those little things that really makes a difference between pattern designers.

You know, I have a whole new appreciation for those little things that makes working with a pattern simple!

Thanks for stopping by!  Keep well!  Cheers!

Talk about a good laugh....!

Donna from Chookyblue made a wonderful suggestion about placing a page translator on our blog. What a great idea! .

Of course, I have to try this gadget out!

So, I asked that my blog be translated into French and started reading.

Coming onto the post "Driving me to the Brinks," it could not translate the word "brinks"  (for the translator: Edge - like the guitar player in the band U2 ;o)

I continued to read and came upon the line, "there are quilters and than there are sewers."

So here is what the translator wrote in French, "there are quilters and than there are sewage systems"

I couldn't stop laughing!

The word "sewer" is "egout", which is correct except that I did not mean sewer in the sense of waste system but in the sense of a person who sews!

Hum... Although it is funnier as "sewer", I did reword that! lol

On a quilting note, guess what I'm working on?

I have just started a new BOM that Fibre Junction is offering.

I have completed 12 blocks so far! For a close up look, click on the block.

Let's have a little fun!

Since I haven't done a give away in a long time, if you can guess what the name of this new BOM that Fibre Junction is offering, your name will go in a draw for a notion holder.

 If you are not familiar with a notion holder, they are beautifully made by my DH, Stephen.  You may check one out here.

And ...... if you can guess which block I have not completed and your name is picked, I'll include an extra surprise!

The "give away" will close on October 1, 2011!

Thanks for stopping by and having a little fun/laugh with me!  Cheers!

A done deal.....!

I like to think of myself as proactive!

What a fancy word for what used to known as "planning ahead". When I worked for a corporation, our vocabulary was full of buzz words! I've forgotten many of them. I just don't get to use them in a quilt Shoppe! ;o)

Knowing that I had hocuspocusville to machine quilt, I went ahead and ordered a larger spool of YLI monofilament thread. I figured that normal little tiny spool just wasn't going to get the job done.

Imagine my surprise when I received this in the mail!

Yea! Okay, what the heck is this?

That ... is what they call a pound of monofilament thread!

It does not look at all like the picture on the website! As a matter of fact, far from it!

Does this actually fit on Penelope?

Surprise, surprise it does!

Needless to say, I have monofilament thread to last me a couple of life times! I just hope I not only remember where I placed it, but that it's actually still a good thing to use when I come back for another round! lol

After finally finishing to croak Hocuspocusville, I went to work with Penelope and now have a finish!

Tah dah!

Use lots of monofilament thread on the houses. ;o)

No.... I did not put a dent on that huge spool, if you want to call it that. lol

I do like the way it turned out!

I chose not to hand embroider between the blocks. I wanted the quilt to look like a neighbourhood!

Of course you all know what is on the back! The Ghaslies!

You know, it's a great feeling to be able to cross out a project from my 2009 UFO list! Hurray for me!

Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!

Driving me to the brinks.....!

You know, there are quilters and there are sewers  people who sew. I'm a quilter! However, some people seem to think that just because you can quilt, you can sew. Well, I've got news for you!

I cannot say that I know how to sew. Sewing is a specialty just as much as quilting is a specialty. However, just because I do not know how to sew, it doesn't mean that I will not, on a rare occasion, try to sew something.

This weekend was the Battle of Plattsburgh. I had been asked to participate by offering to teach children to sew. Of course, I felt that I had to dress the part.

So off I went to make myself a skirt and petticoat/undergarment, easy enough ... so I thought! Jennifer was kind enough to make the apron!

Well.....it took many nights of going to bed at 2:00 a.m. to get this, what seemed simple enough, project finished ... It doesn't even have a zipper!!!!!! .... You know it wasn't invented in 1812! ;o)

So I did wear the skit and no it did not fall apart! However, it's too big! Will I take it in? No way nor am I gaining more weight so it fits! lol It will just have to hang loose on the hips! lol

Thanks for stopping by. Now that this project and event has passed, I have more time to concentrate on quilting.... something I know a bit about! ;o)

Cheers!

Rip it....rip it....!

I've been croaking!

All because of this race to get some machine quilting done!  Not sure who I'm racing against, but I think it's winning.....

Way too many mistakes for my liking.  And... you know what happens when you make mistakes?  Out comes the seam ripper..... Yep, spent 4 hours ripping out a design all because I was in a hurry!  Sigh!

A while back, my friend Cheryl, from Oz, sent me this little gadget:

It's called a Cotton Picker!

And you know what? It works...

That little gadget was quite useful to help rid of the threads left behind from croaking!

It certainly made thread clean up more tolerable!

Now that I'm done croaking, perhaps I can get Hocuspocusville machine quilted!

Thanks for stopping by!  Cheers!