Hallowe'en In January/To-Do List/Technology Whining

Because I'm someone who has three Christmas quilts, two sets of Christmas pillowcases, two sets of Christmas placemats, and a set of Christmas napkins, I TOTALLY understand someone's desire to celebrate the seasons with themed quilts.
So cute. 🎃

I used a medium grey thread and quilted a design of bats.

The back is the best place to see the design.

As far as my Winter Holiday To-Do List progress, it's kind of stalled.  The drapery panels and the linings are all cut.  The decorator fabric has been hemmed.  The lining hems are pinned but not stitched.  I dug around in the cobwebby recesses of storage where I keep drapery sundries to discover that I don't have any drapery weights.  That means I either have to go to the fabric shop, or I have to ask DH if he has any stainless steel washers about 1" in size.  I also have 2 custom quilts and 1 panto that I want to finish before the end of the week, along with a dentist appointment and two guild meetings.  So my time this coming week is all accounted for.  Maybe I'll get back to the drapes next weekend.

TECHNOLOGY WHINING
I left the Royal Bank in 1998 and started this little home business, which has been working really well for me.  My darling brother wanted me to be efficient, so he gave me (Christmas present, maybe?) a copy of Money 98 so I could do my bookkeeping.  This was back in 1998.  I've been using that program ever since - if it ain't broke, don't fix it - right? So...I needed to look for something yesterday and tried to open the software.  Fuddle Duddle!! 

I am assuming there is a 20 year something-kind-of-deadline which expired on December 31, 2018.  Even though I've backed up my files religiously, and I have 75% of my bookkeeping already input for 2018, I can't get at it.  Now, my project (because the Universe thinks I NEED a project) will be to see if there's some kind of upgrade available from Microsoft, or if I'm chewed, screwed, and tattooed.  It is also possible (but not likely) that the Windows Update that needs to be downloaded will fix this problem.  What do you think the chances are, hmm?

Zentangle Workshop and To-Do List Update

I joined the Ancaster Modern Quilt Guild, partly because I know some of the members, and partly because they seem to have a pretty vibrant program.  Last Saturday I attended a Zentangle Workshop hosted by them, presented by Kim Mastromartino.  You can find her on Facebook as The Inspired Quilter.

Here's some of the little cards we were working on...

Here's my same card after I (maybe?) finished it.  The class was lots of fun AND INSPIRING.  Which we all need, especially in January.  Right?

TO-DO LIST
Yep.  Knocked another item off my list.  The mending & hemming item - complete.

My plan for today was to start the drapes, however that was slightly interrupted by ... oh, let's call it TECHNOLOGY. This is how my day has progressed so far:

• 7 am, go for a pee then crawl back into bed.
• 8 am, try to shut off the alarm before it wakes DH up, but inadvertently turn the radio on.  Oops.  Sorry.  Get up.  Let Sadie out of her crate and give her a morning massage.  Lucky dog.
• 8:03, take my morning pills and head out with Sadie for a pyjama walk.  She's recovering from knee surgery back in November, so in the morning she gets a massage, Range Of Motion exercises, and then a short walk.  Usually it's DH who takes her, but sometimes it's me - jammies & housecoat, yoga pants, ear muffs & winter coat.  It's surprisingly refreshing.  And I really Do.Not.Care. if people call me the weird old woman out in her pyjamas.
• 8:30, coffee & internet - read the forums, check the news, decide to investigate the KETO diet, and message on/off/on/off/on/off...etc. with the Beach Girls.  Discuss diets with them and pretend I have no idea what they're talking about when they mention the number of calories in alcohol.
• 10:00, beg DH to go get us breakfast from McDonalds.  Continue internetting & messaging while waiting on food.  Decide that KETO is never going to happen in this house.  DH would not eat 90% of the required foods.  Salmon?  Avocado?  ZUCCHINI?!**?!
• 11:00, breakfast is finished, go down to the "real" computer.  Search out "low carb diet", print out recipes that have a slim chance of passing muster.  (ha ha - "slim" chance - get it?)  Let's face it - if we're going to continue having McDonalds for breakfast we need to cut down somewhere else.
• 1:45, finish and send the letter of concern to one of my sales reps - yeah, I'm not particularly happy about something.
• 2:30, update the Caledonia guild blog after having gone through the photos I took at the January meeting.
• 2:45, start working on my blog.

Did you notice anywhere in that timetable a place where I mentioned "brush teeth" or "get washed" or "put on real clothes"?  So, here it is, 3:30 in the afternoon, and I have yet to make myself presentable.  Do YOU think I'm going to get those drapes started today?  

Stay tuned for the next instalment of The Caledonia Quilter's "Never-Done-Because-She-Won't-Get-Off-The-Damned-Computer List".

Vintage Double Wedding Ring & Gettin' There...

Sigh.  The Universe was teasing me by putting this on my work calendar as soon as I came home from Tobermory, where I'd been working on my own D.W.R.

There was a fascinating story that came with this quilt.  The gal who brought it related that when she was a child the quilt was made by a woman who was invited to live with her family in the mid '40s because she had nowhere else to go.  She stayed with them until she passed away in 1955. When my customer got the quilt top out of the closet it needed to be washed.  Since it was all hand pieced, some of the seams frayed to the point where I needed to make a few repairs.

Love vintage fabrics.

Some of the fabrics were worn so badly I did a bit more repair work, using my stash of '30s reproduction prints.

You can see the quilting beautifully on the back.

FIREPLACE UPDATE
Almost finished.  The brick is painted a lighter shade of the wall colour.  The concrete hearth & mantle are painted the same as the wall colour.  All I need now is some 1/4 round trim down the sides where the brick meets the wall.

And why is it, whenever I put on my painting duds, someone unexpected comes to the door? That day (in the link) it was a customer, but this year - one day it was the internet guy, and another day it was the neighbour. I have been wearing that same oh-my-God-what-was-she-thinking outfit for painting for...20 years?  I have to do the pants up with a safety pin now because the elastic is no longer elastic.  If it's warm weather I might switch out the old shirt for an old t-shirt.  Still, not attractive. 😝

When it comes to jobs like this I don't always listen to "the experts".  Several people (and The Internet) told me I had to wash all this brick with a scrub brush & TSP, then I had to prime it, and THEN I could paint it.  Yeah, um, no.  I vacuumed it.  Then I painted it.  One watered-down coat on the brick, two watery coats on the cement.  In six months maybe I'll have to do it again - time will tell.

Valentines Hearts, Roman Blinds, the Current Book

Here are your February hearts. 💟

This was the bedroom in the process of being painted.  My left knee still hurts.  Ow.  My friend said "You turned 60 last year, didn't you?  That's when it starts." (as in breaking down)

This past week I finished the Roman Blinds.  Next up will be the side drapes, and then valances.

This is the current book at my bedside.  See the comment above about my knee. 😉

Bright Thread on Black Fabric & January Projects

I love the backs on both of these quilts...

Bright lime green on a black/deep purple backing fabric.

Bright harvest gold on a solid black backing.

JANUARY PROJECTS

• Master bedroom painted. Check.  Next up on the list will be the new window treatments, starting with Roman Blinds (hopefully will start tomorrow?)
• I'm attempting to put together a portfolio of quilts.  All quilts have been dragged out, lightly spritzed, and then rolled into tubes on the diagonal in an attempt to remove the fold lines so they can be photographed.  The photos need to be taken outside on an overcast day.  The Universe has gotten carried away with the 'overcast' thing.  If this stupid FOG doesn't go away soon ...  Well, in addition to me not being able to take photos, we are all going to start getting a bit moldy.
• As a member of the Program Committee for the Caledonia guild I've been trying to organize a sewing event for our March meeting when we can work on outreach quilts.  I bribed a friend with dinner, so she agreed to come help me sort out the guild collection of blocks (hokey smokey!!  There were TONS of them!).  Last night we kitted up six bags with a plan.  Two tops are already almost completely finished from last year, they just need a couple more rows and/or a border.  Four bags require assembly, but have plans enclosed.  There is another group of blocks that will make a nice sampler quilt that I hope to prep.  Additionally, we bagged two future projects that need a bit more planning, and there is still a bag with lonesome blocks that need sorting.

The Storyteller Quilt and "business casual" fashion advice

Here is a Block of the Month from Connecting Threads:  "The Storyteller".

The central medallion gave me some challenges as far as quilting designs, but I think it turned out well.

Six borders.  Yah.

Gorgeous back.

This is the only way you can see the Celtic Braid design in the outer border.

BUSINESS CASUAL ATTIRE
This does not qualify.  My advice, if you are expecting customers, is to NOT dress like this.  I was painting the bedroom.  That took me longer than I anticipated, and the customers arrived earlier than anticipated, so, you know... I look bad.

Speaking of painting; I really miss the days when I could go up and down the ladder a million times, then crawl around on the hard floor for hours, and STILL have energy to go out and party all night with friends.  These days when I'm finished I need help to crawl down the five stairs to the kitchen so I can open the aspirin bottle.  Afterwards, someone needs to tip me over into a hot bath with epsom salts.  sigh.

Geez Louise (which is NOT what I really said!)

So.  Where do you want to start, with the QUILTING story or with the HOUSE story? 

OK.  We'll start with the quilting story.

Cute growth chart, eh?  Yup.  Until you manifest your inner OCD and get a tape measure to double check the side bar with the marked inches.  It is actually 3" out of whack.  When you're a little kid, 3" is a lot.  From the 20" marking near the bottom to the 60" marking near the top there is only a distance of 37", not 40".

So I sent an email to the quilt shop where this was purchased.  She checked her stock, and by golly... YES, I was correct.  The measurement is too short.  First, she removed the rest of them from her shelves, then she contacted the manufacturer on my (and her) behalf.  They explained that the panels had been printed from 'inaccurate artwork'.  Okey dokey.  They sent me the cute little sheep replacement panel, along with 4 meters of apology fabric.  The sheep measured spot on!  Yay!  um...but only until I quilted them.  Sad, sad, sad, the quilting has shrunk the sheep like your wool sweater in a hot laundry.  Two inches in length was lost to quilting takeup.  So I guess this will get cut up into potholders.

Moving on now to the HOUSE story.  I have a boatload of houseguests over the next couple of weeks, between the Beach Girls and my just-retired brother and his wife.  I thought it was time to fix the holes in the walls of the two front bedrooms.

I sent DH down to the dungeon to find the paint can which was clearly (not) marked "upstairs bedrooms".

Apparently, (???) these rooms were painted so long ago that the walls have faded and the paint no longer matches.

Guess what MY decorating project will be this year?  (Should I offer a prize?  The winner gets a wonky growth chart, ha ha ha.)

UFO, Placemats, Stash Report

In October, if you recall, I went up north with the Beach Girls and I managed to finish this top in spite of the puppy taking off with my stuff.

I was all hepped up on an Angela Walters quilting book when I got this loaded on the frame.

No.  None of the quilting shows on the front.  It's black polka dot fabric.  What did I expect?

But the back looks pretty darned gorgeous!  We are in the midst of dark and dreary December weather so it may be a while before I can photograph the front with any measure of success.

On the Caledonia Guild front, I took a pile of outdoors-ey fabric to the guild, that had been donated to me by a customer.  I added a bunch of my own leftovers to the pile, too. We made placemats for Meals on Wheels.

One of the gals even went home and brought back some placemats she'd made from orphan blocks.  I quilted 24 of them on a huge piece of backing & batting. I've returned them and the girls are doing binding so we can gift them in January.

STASH REPORT

Honestly.  Some people are just NEVER happy.  My stash report looks not-as-impressive as it should because I WON a kit at guild.  That added 6 m. to my report.  Totally not my fault. Although, I DO love the fabrics - all orange based.  Yum.

Used this month   12.6 m
Used YTD          81.55 m
Added this month   6 m **not my fault!!
Added YTD      125.75 m
Net YTD           + 44.2 m

I have three more quilts to finish up before Christmas and then I'm taking two weeks to do stuff around here.
The bedroom is getting a bit of a makeover.  The windows will get new roman blinds, side panels and valances, then a matching bed skirt.  I may even clean the windows and vacuum under the bed.  Although, really, I don't want to set my sights too high.  :-)
On the quilting front, I have the half-hexagon top that needs quilting, and the bowtie quilt that is supposed to be the UFO challenge.  Oops, I also have the Blooming 9-patch top that needs a border... also from the UFO challenge. 
If I keep adding things to this list I may call myself overwhelmed and just curl up with a good book instead.

Pam Bono complete & Pumpkin Cornbread

The pattern name is Those Blooming Buds.  It seems that in all my awesome brilliance I forgot to snap a photo of the whole quilt after quilting. 

Here are a few shots of the blocks.

These Pam Bono quilts are so pretty, but they definitely have some weird shapes that need to be dealt with.

 Ooh, pretty back!

Today I have to pretend I'm on a diet.  I've been eating Chinese Food and cheesecake for two days, then because there is no milk, this morning I had to have my oatmeal with CREAM (which was decadently delicious, by the way).  Dear me.  Can you say 'lardass' ?

BROKEN STUFF THIS WEEK (aargh!!):

• two welding machines.  Only one fixed so far.
• burglar alarm.  Hmm.  Maybe I shouldn't be posting that on the blog, where criminally-minded quilters will see it, then come in and steal my stash when I go in to town for low-fat milk.
• the computer attached to the big-ass t.v.  Mysteriously healed itself after a drive to 1-800-LUKE.
• the dishwasher.  First it leaked last week, then the next load was fine.  Saturday night it left a large-ish quantity of water in the bottom, and all the lights are dead.
• my sleep cycle.  Two mornings in a row I've been up at 5 am.  You can probably guess that I'm going to bed pretty early too.

Pumpkins make such a nice display on the porch table, especially when accessorized by the quilting-witch-bear.  Yes, that is a whole new species of creature.

 If you decide the pumpkin has outlived it's usefulness on the porch you can chop it up and have it for breakfast.

Pumpkin Cornbread

Yield:    serves 8
Active time:  10 minutes
Total time:    40 minutes
Special equipment:    whisk, 9-inch cast iron skillet

    1 1/4 cups corn meal
    1 cup (about 5 ounces) all-purpose flour
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 eggs
    1/4 cup (about 1 3/4 ounces) sugar
    1 cup pumpkin puree
    1 cup milk
    1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Procedures

    1    Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400̊F.

    2    In a medium bowl, whisk together corn meal, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

    3    In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and milk until combined. Stir in dry ingredients.

    4    Place butter in skillet and place in the preheated oven for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Take skillet out of oven and pour in batter, smoothing top. Bake until top is golden and cracked and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Pam Bono WIP and RIP, and more random thoughts

The current WIP is a quilt designed by Pam Bono.  There is enough stitch-in-the-ditch on here to sink a battleship.  The RIP part, in case you haven't heard, is that this week Pam was the victim of a murder/suicide.  Her husband shot both her and the family dog, and then shot himself.  All dead.  What a horrible circumstance.

Decorating 101.  Apparently DH knows more about accessorizing the dining room than I do.  I must get out more.

Love of Wildlife 101.  Sometimes, like once or twice a year, I really hate the birds.

More random thoughts:

• On a nice cool, rainy, fall day, the dog you love so much will decide to find the flower bed with the nicest, blackest, soil.  Then she'll dig to China.  Which apparently requires all four paws.  And her nose.
• I really hate it when DH says:  "Sure I'll (insert some minor chore).... tomorrow".  Tomorrow never comes.
• I really love it when the flies are stupid enough to fly into the vacuum cleaner head.
• If my niece had told me she was flying to Calgary today I could have saved the $28 it cost me to ship my brother's birthday present.  That money would have been better spent on vodka.

House Quilt, Slipcovers, Cucumber Pot

I had to interrupt the slipcovers for a few days because this House Quilt had a deadline.

I find house blocks to be challenging but fun.  The background sky & stars were quilted with stars and wind, and the trees have a tree design stitched over them.

This little row of geese got feathers.

The skinny borders were stitched with 'L's and 'E's, the wide piano key border was diamond x-hatched.

Tractors in the bottom green blocks.

Here's the 6-cushion couch, all slipcovered.

This is the 3-cushion couch.

If you are looking for some beautiful hand crafted furniture/woodwork, this couple owns Shaker Roads.  Check out the web site.

The cucumber pot I planted up is doing really well.  There are also 2 cayenne pepper plants in here, and 2 oregano plants.  

When Sadie figures out those are CUCUMBERS I may never get any.  That's one of her favorite food groups.  Hopefully she doesn't eat one of the cayenne peppers by mistake.  :-)