DREAM QUILT

This quilt is also in the new Better Homes magazine and I just love the photo, the quilt is one that would look great at the cottage.

I use duvets there for most of the beds, but if it was adults weekend and I had this for the bunkie then this would look fabulous on the bed.

It doesn't look hard to do, but it is large and quilting it would certainly be a challenge on the sewing machine. This is the photo of the bed now so I hope to do one for this place. the "new bunkie" as it is called doesn't have the character of the old one...later posting....and I have put the quilts that I have made so far in there which is adding some decorating elements.

Yesterday I did 5 nine patch squares. It was hard to do to make them the same for the quilt in progress.

It was raining and when the rain let up, I surfaced and took the dog for a long walk. Even though I do suffer from arthritis a bit and the weather being so damp, once on the road we walked for 40 minutes. No mean feat for this body.

Today was supposed to be raining again but right now the sun is shining and it looks like an early spring day not the fall. There is a 50% off sale at Goodwill, and thinking of the sale I wanted to rise and shine and go see the fabrics and sheets they have at the sale price, but am holding back . There will be another sale.

I know that most quilters use 100% cotton for quilting but for the backing I have used sheets and therefore save money on the quilts because the batting is so expensive.

Jerry has 3 shelves made and has requested pizza, homemade for tonight, so if he gets the other 2 done, he will have his pizza. I am so tough.

FIRST NINE PATCH

I couldn't believe that these were at Walmart just down the street. Under $10.00 for the pkg. I love dotted fabric anyway. So I am doing a quilt with some of the bundles .

I have a hard time doing anything more "boyish" but this one won't have pink in it. I'm going to get it tested by Kelly to see if it is suitable for a young boy nephew.

I also made my first 9 patch which is part of the quilt. It is again an easy pattern and since I had my sewing lesson at the Oshawa Sewing Centre I am hoping that I can stipple this properly. I am cutting out 12" squares to practice daily no matter what.

I bought a Better Homes and Garden quilt magazine yesterday and lucked out on some of the fat quarters at Walmart. They aren't carrying any more yard goods, but if the fat quarters above are any indication, I'm going back.

Yesterday was bridge day, so I didn't post. I went to the dermatologist in the am who said that I had a small cancerous spot on my shoulder, but not to worry too much about it as it is the kind that doesn't spread, move or otherwise, however it must be removed. I am making appt with plastic surgeon and if it takes as long as an ortopedic appt. well I won't hold my breath. The Orthopedic doctor for a bunion that I want removed will take a year before I get it done. Well I've waited this long and since I don't want to wear heels anyway, it won't be so bad. Thank god for Crocs.

I have about 5 pairs of different styles and the sandals are soooo comfy.

Wow, I managed to get a second photo in this blog. I am so pleased. Blogging is hard work. I try something different all the time and mostly have to go back and correct everything cause I can't read directions.

Anyway, this is my first 9 patch that I have ever made it is to go with the Fabric from Walmart, of which 5 of the patches come from the 5 quarter bundles that I bought. I had to take it apart already, to put the stripes in the middle.

I have 18 of these to do and am very pleased that the first one actually was square. Yeah, I have a hard time keeping things square. My friend Helen who is a hand quilter will be pleased with me as she has been trying to get me to do 9 patch for ages. I am liking this a lot.

These are the photos from the mag. We shall see if the quilt comes close to this when I finish it.

Lots of photos here and not all of them where I want them, but close enough. Whew!

REMEMBRANCE DAY

Today is Remembrance Day. this is the only wartime photo that I have on my computer.

the photo is of my mother in the white dress, my aunt Ernie on the right of both photos, and my Uncle Roland and his then wife Alice who was from England.

They took this photo in Montreal. My father was overseas at the time. My mother has many good memories of the war as a young woman growing up in this time. She lived in Montreal, had a good job and said it was a time when people were quite fatalistic because of what was happening in Europe.

My father, had not met anyone in the family before he was shipped overseas as they had eloped, so one night during an air raid in London, my dad having had too much to drink called the MPs to come and get him and his buddy out of a shelter. Low and behold, who appeared but my Uncle Roland and with the look of him being 6ft 3", and a french canadian accent, my dad asked him if he was a "Martin" and he said yes, and my dad said "Well I am your new brother in law." True story of how they met.

My Aunt Ernie went to work in Montreal for Bell and was an overseas operator as she was fully bilingual and one of the first of her kind. She never forgot how you had to behave being a bell operator and an overseas one at that. She was always very proud of her duty in those times.

My uncle, and my mother are both elderly in their late 80s and still can talk of those years of the war as being so exciting, because they were young and carefree.

My mother who learned so much about fashion living in Montreal, so for the rest of her life she has always dressed so well, and loved shopping for clothes. She said that she bought a mink coat during the war for $400.00 and when she and my Aunt Pat went home to visit my Grandmother, she would wear the coat to church. My mother said she literally wore that coat out.

So today, at the ceremony at 11 am, we remember them all.

QUINCY

This is quincy. He is 9 weeks old, part poodle part spaniel. He is our neighbours new puppy. Isn't he just the cutest thing?

Bob and Mary brought him home on Saturday night and he is so calm and has the same colour hair as Mary...well for now anyway.

I don't know if he walks yet as the only time I see him, he is in Mary's arm.

Our Wilson was pretty happy to see him although we aren't letting them bond as yet as the puppy should aclimatize to new surroundings before Wilson gets him.

I finished the Orange Sherbert quilt and washed it. Yep it did shrink a bit but still looks really good. I am going to wash the bamboo batting before I use it again. Yuck, now I gotta hang it out etc. A lesson learned for sure. My step granddaughter Kelly is learning to sew and has come over with an evening sort of dress and we are doing that this week, although I am going to buy new fabric for a new quilt today.

As the days are shorter I see people cleaning up their gardens, putting leaves in the large bags for recycling and the street seemed to be a hive of activity this past weekend. We brought home the leaf blower from the cottage and Jerry says he will blow them to a corner and pick them up for next week...

Last night I made chops in the new stove top grill that I got from President's Choice...thanks Kelly...they turned out really well. I can't get over how great this unit is and have used it a few times already for doing steaks for which I am thankful as I hate going out in the cold and dark to bbq them. For $80.00 it is an absolute gem!