THIS AND THAT

I'm not considered a novice knitter you know, I can knit sweaters, socks, do cables and I do have a few doggie coats that I designed my self. So I went to Chapters in Ajax looking for Kristin's book (see the photo) and had to order it as it's not there yet.

I just love reading her blog about living there with the farmer and creating knitting patterns, doing her photography and raising her child! Her blog "getting stitched on the farm" is just a great journey of her life and it's always an interesting read particularly at this time of year when the little lambs are gamboling all over the place.

I am going to try to knit something from this book and if I can't, I shall have it as a coffee table book for my friends to think I have talent!

There are a number of my blogging "friends" that I follow,with coffee in one hand and mouse in the other to visit regularly to see what they are up to.

Karen is doing and insanity dear jane quilt.....all by hand and I am totally committed to see how she comes along in my daily visits with her. Of course Mary Quilts has also been one of my regular places to stop and chat as she is one of the first blogs I visited when I started quilting. Her along with Crazymom who gets so many hits that I just don't post all the time there. So many people and so little time to read all those blogs. My goodness it's a wonder Amandajean has time to visit me, but she does and I thank her and all those that, like me take time to visit.

I also visit a couple of gals from Ontario to see what they are up to and always leave a comment for Trish, who is funny and self depracating in her writings. I am awaiting her final stitches on her "male" quilt and am anxious to see some fusia instead of fish in her next quilts. Deb has the amazing quilt that she did years ago as a header on her blog and I visit her all the time too although she doesn't post often.

So, now to the that. Our dog, the Mighty Wilson, is like us obsessed about the cottage life and yesterday we took his "boat coat" out to see if it would fit on Quincy the puppy from you know where. It did, but Wilson went nuts as he say his coat and thought it was "cottage time". I had to hide it from him so that he didn't go any more crazy than he is.

Here he is with his boat coat when we were leaving the cottage last fall.

We are awaiting the ice out on the lake and have already sent the notice to put our boat in the water as soon as the ice is out. There is still 3 ft of ice there now and so it gives you an idea of how cold it can be just two hours north of Whitby.

But, when the weather warms to the mid 60s, the sun shines, that ice I tell you just disappears and I have no idea how all of that happens. One day there is a frozen lake, and the next....spring has arrived. That is what we live for, spring on our lake.

Just a ps, I am working on the victorian blocks, they are done I have the print to do sashing and have no idea as yet how I will quilt this. I do stippling and in the ditch. Can I do both in one quilt?

This is my little gift from Caron Mosey. Included with this lovely piece of fabric is a card with her quilt,"Ocean Waves" This quilt measure 80 X 97 and contains over 2348 pieced triangles alone. Ok. This is amazing in itself, but having the photo of the quilt done in a card is so cool. Thank you Caron, this is my first gift.

I am going to finish that "victorian blocks" that I started. I, today purchased coordinating fabric to sash the blocks. We shall see.

Since today was bridge day, I didn't do any sewing but over the next few days the weather known as spring is leaving us and rain is forcast for the next few days.

I feel so sad about Natashia Richardson. My goodness, such a young woman and such a freaky accident and I just heard that she has been taken off life support. Her husband Liam Neeson at her side made this decision...so very very sad and my heart goes out to her family. 45 years old is too young to die.

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

I bought this fabric because it looked so appealing! What was I thinking? It's nothing like I would normally do, it's got sort of Victorian panels that I now have 12 of and I bought fabric to make the frames for them too and, paid what I consider a big buck for!

Have you ever done that? They are really pretty you know, but just not the kind of thing I would normally do. I have even put them aside till I decide if I truly want to make something out of it all. The finished square is 12" so it's a fair size and with sashings would make a large enough throw kind of quilt. The only good thing about it is the sashing fabric which is black, that makes the whole thing look good. But it's not somthing that I normally do. I usually put fabric together, look at a few patterns and then start cutting out.

You can see from the photo on the left the block as it would be with the finished look of it. What do you think?

So, have you ever gone totally different in colours, in styles and finishes that make you happy you did it?

Do we follow, say safe and true colours and styles that we are comfortable with that we don't look at anything else, like what I've done? And then, what do I do with this very Victorian looking quilt? Who does Victorian these days?


Maybe I had thought of the sheep at one of the blogs I follow where she lives on a sheep farm and knits...Who knows?

This past weekend in my part of the world, we had a taste of spring! Ah, you know, the freshness in the air, sunshine, children out without heavy coats, boots and hats, and everyone just so happy for some warm sunshine that we were all so very friendly to even strangers. Yeah, it was great.

Our neighbours invited us for a turkey dinner! Yeah, and no holiday or "nothin" as the kids would say. We had all the fixins and even sat in the dining room too. Mary found the turkey in her freezer and just went with it. It was, needless to say delicious and I didn't have to think of what to make for dinner.

I sometimes just can't think of what to make for dinner. I usually when in doubt, make homemade pizza. I have a yummy dough recipe that I got from BH&G and it actually makes two large pizzas which I make up and put one in the fridge for the next day. Two meals done and I could feed my sweetie pizza every day of the week, he just loves it! Well not everyday, but pretty close. Planning meals is just getting to me I think. It's not that I don't like to cook, but sometimes I just don't feel like it. I am sure everyone does, even Martha and I'm no Martha, close but don't pass out the cigars!