You paid what for your new lamp!

I can't decide what my favourite score was on our recent thrifting trip. But this white lamp is a definite contender. I'm auditioning it in various spots. I think it might live on my bedside table.
The shade was borrowed from another lamp. The diameter is fine I think but it should be a bit longer.
Anyone else find shopping for lamp shades really trying?

 I have had the poster for a few years. Try decades. It is from an exhibit at the ROM called Silk Roads -China Ships.

Oh ya, the price. SIX bucks. Cha-Ching!

Thanksgiving thrifting road trip....wait til you see what we got

Have you ever enjoyed something so much that you immediately want to turn it into a tradition?
Many of you were enjoying Thanksgiving traditions last weekend- spending time with family, reflecting on life and the many things to be thankful for, and food of course.

We had our turkey a few weeks ago, family was busy elsewhere so we booked an Inn in Connecticut and hit the road. Three pieces of small furniture, two lamps and one large wooden box later we are home.

My weakness is for picture frames, well really chairs, but they take up too much room. I bought these for the frames but one I might keep as is. Guess which one!

This guy is called Pope Innocent by Velazquez.

This is some pressed flowers by Kathy to her grandparents done in 1971.

BlogPodium recaps

Like many Blog Podium attendees my mind is still buzzing from everything I heard. everyone has shared their experiences on these brilliant blog posts.

For starters it was just great fun. So much different than all the professional conferences I have attended over the years.
I've come to think of  that part of my life as being black and white and the rest is beautiful living colour.

Sarah Richardson's speech was fabulous. She shared some of her secrets to success which aren't secrets at all.  Work hard, stay focused, be true to yourself, build relationships, take risks, keep moving forward.
Ideas more specific to design include have  a point of view, have checks and balances, have a signature style, make a space memorable with history and soul and don't forget to add some whimsy.
No wonder we all love her work. She mentioned this Makeover is being published for the fourth time.


The bathroom vanity was $200 from Pier 1.
I have the same mirror in our bathroom painted a different green. I had the builders leave their standard icky mirror off and we put this one up instead.

It was nice to hear from Sarah herself there is nothing wrong with cheap if it is good. That is my mantra for the cottage.

Boxes in the mail are so much better than bills

Sorting through a weeks worth of mail doesn't take long when there is an Amazon box to rip open.

 No I didn't order two of the same book. I ordered one from Amazon and got one in the swag bag at BlogPodium. Will have to decide what to do with the second.

Many books are quite small now including do more great work by Michael Bunger Stanier and Manage your Day to Day edited by Jocelyn K. Glei.

Ont the other hand Decorate by Holly Becker of Decor8 is a tome.

Books one and two probably say read less books like number three but I will consider it research and inspiration! Much like Pinterest.

I look at very few quilting books these days but Art Quilt Maps by Valerie S. Goodwin did get my attention.

Blog Podium is

TOMORROW!

I have lots of none quilting related Moo cards and my gorgeous Orla bag but what to wear!
Apparently this is the main quandary of people going to the conference tomorrow.

Oh dear I haven't put too much thought into it. Do I leave the cottage early on this beautiful end-of-summer day? Nope I'm too old for such silliness! But I will be dressed for comfort and style.
See ya there!!

How I got my bag

I don't have a thing for designer handbags, I'd rather spend the money on books or travel. But I do like Orla Kiely.  My sweet SIL bought me her book.
David and I saw this bag in the window of an upscale second hand store. The store was closed so I couldn't get it. My darling husband works hard at getting me what I want and I love him for it.
I love my Orla bag. The gorgeous colours and her trademark motif. The bag also reminds me to be grateful for my wonderful life.

PS  ipad is correct, it is a lousy camera.

Sarah Richardson contest

Everyone knows Sarah Richardson. Well you do if you care about how your home looks and functions. She has had a long and successful career in design and shares it on TV.

Sarah is the keynote speaker at BlogPodium. blogging has become big business. There are conferences to attend and friends to be met IRL.

People going to the conference had a chance to have tea with Sarah at her office. She is a smart cookie and has bloggers spread the word about her new shows.

The contest was creating a pinterest Board for your ultimate room.
I used this definition of ultimate-

Adjective Being or happening at the end of a process; final: "their ultimate aim was to force his resignation".

As in the cottage will be ours ultimately.

Ah summer...........
We plan for it, reminisce about it, daydream about it, wish for it.
A summer home is a place to relax, read, swim, nap, cook, catch up with family and friends, drink a little wine.
So one of the first things I made for our place is this welcome sign.

A few versions on pinterest were the inspiration.
http://pinterest.com/pin/35958496997852092/



I wasn't in blogging mode so there is no before photo. Oops.

It has been a while...

What do you say when there is a year between blog posts?
Working, playing, travelling, living life. Life is good.
I now feel I have something interest to blog about as we ....

Bought a cottage a summer home.
I innocently said to David one day " We should by a cottage.  are you out of your freaking mind?" was the response.
Well....

We did indeed buy a cottage but the kids said it should be called a summer home. That in a nutshell is the background. Oh one more thing.
It is ours, in that we are paying for it, but it is currently being used as a model by the builder.

So over the next year or two we  I get to scour the thrift stores, pursue the ads, order the catalogs, shop til I drop all in the name of preparing for the day it really becomes ours.
So let the decorating begin!

Creating fabric

There is nothing quite like creating your own fabric. From plain white to bursts of colour and line you are guaranteed there isn't another piece like it anywhere. I've been having fun for two three day weekends playing with like minded artists at St Lawrence College in Kingston.

We've wrapped poles for shibori dying



  To make these fabrics



 Gorgeous eh?

I bought this for the cover...

I am a sucker for colour schemes especially complementary colour schemes. I have a binder where I collect them.

A new look

Everything needs a makeover once in a while. Including neglected blogs. Mine is courtesy of my uber talented niece Ms MMMM of melzstamp.

a parcel delivered....

and inside a stack of brochures for CreativFestival Oct 21-23,2011. Quickly flipping through it to page 43, there I am!!!! I'll be teaching along with other members of York Heritage Quilt Guild.Found in the Garden

preparing for Nancy Crow

I decided at the last minute to take the last spot in Nancy Crow's strips & stripes class at QBL this July. I am still using the information I learned at my last visit to her farm.

There is much preparation for one of Nancy's class. I reassessed my solid collection from previous and was happy to add to it by supporting my local quilt shop -The Ultimate Sewing Centre in Oshawa. I love this collection of bright warm fabrics. The orange and purple together are wonderful.

The Greenbelt quilt is wonderful. It is currently on display at Queen's Park. It will also be show at the upcoming G20 & G8 meetings.

The video of the quilt construction can be seen here.

More photos here.

This is the entry in the book for my block. I hope you can read it

if not the entire book with all the blocks and their stories is available for download here (3.65KB)

It is wonderful to read the stories behind the quilt blocks.

It has been wonderful to play a small part in the great project.

bad bad blogger

for having neglected my blog. taking without obligation too far. but I'm back.
still creating- actually had a few large projects last year so I will try to keep up & catch up at the same time.
During that time I have realized the value of story. like the song says 'everyone's got a story'. and that is becoming more important to my work.
this is a 12" square I made for the Greenbelt Quilt of Possibilites to be unveiled at the Greenbelt 5th anniversary Celebration at the Royal Ontario Museum Wed Mar 3.

It was from a small family B&W photo of my Dad with his truck on the Holland Marsh. The cab of the trunk is from the photo enlarged & printed on fabric. I coloured it with inks. This truck was red but I remember our next truck which was larger and was green. the green monster is what my Dad called it.

I'm really please how it turned out and am looking forward to seeing it in the finished quilt.

good to be back

Trendtex challenge for CQA

Have you ever finished a piece so fast you don't get a chance to live with it. This was the case with this Trendtex challenge piece for CQA
The challenge is to use the 5 FQ of fabric and the theme 'Roots'. Mine is number 80 in this list of over 100 pieces. It is amazing to see what people will do with the same ingredients. Common themes included root vegetables, family heritage and those nasty roots on our heads. I'm off to do some dying - hair not fabric!

spring has finally

arrived here. The birds are tweeting are u?
flashes of red as the cardinals fly by, that blur was a hummingbird at the apple blossoms and the robins are busy listening to the earth.
But when is a robin not a robin?
It could be this robin, a wonderful blog. There is such a sense of peace & joy of life in Robin's words.
or it could be these robins spotted in a park in Edinburgh, Scotland -

a much tinier bird than the North American robin with a lovely roundness that makes them a favourite motif at Christmas in the UK.

finally

finished a quilt I started for Spot AKA Sputnik, babydoll & my yungin'- who turned 22 recently.
started oh about 10 years ago.
had some help - I sent it out to be quilted - I love it. Tracey from the Ultimate has a Gammill Long arm. I even got to drive it - that is quite the quilting machine!!
I love the quilting she did. It looks like doodling on the back. It is also lovely to sleep under (Shhh, don't tell Spot - but it is on our bed for now!)

Project Improv

I've made 6 blocks each 12.5" square for Project Improv. They are on the way to Kansas to be included with other blocks. check 'em out here.