Here is a baby quilt I made last year.  I started it about 2:00 a.m. one night when I had a bit of a panic attack when I realized that I didn't have a "girl" quilt for Tara's baby, just a "boy" quilt....what if my assumption the baby would be a boy was wrong!!!???  I had it completely finished by noon except for the binding when I received a call - she had a boy!  Well, in that case I got to keep it for myself.  It hangs on the wall in a cosy corner of my quilt studio behind a glider rocking chair and armoire that were my mother in law's.

Here are pictures of Carol's Vintage Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt.  Carol is my sister-in-law's sister who we stayed with when we were in Ludlow England in 2008.  At that time she brought out a partially done quilt that she had started when she was about 12 (if I remember correctly) and asked if I would like to take it home, which I did, and then it sat in my closet until 2013 when I brought it out to show my quilting buddies, in particular Bonnie who is one of those amazing people that enjoys finishing up other people's half done projects.  Well, with Bonnie's help we got it all put together and added the cream border.....and again it waited until last month (Feb 2014) when I took it to Kismet Quilts (a lovely quilt shop in Port Alberni, BC that does amazing machine quilting) and they quilted it for me.  I put the binding on the day I got it back and now it is just waiting for Bonnie to get back from holiday to see it before I return it to Carol.  Won't she be surprised to see the finished project after about 45 years in the making!

I just got an e-mail from Jo, the recipient of my first ever fabric postcard, that it had arrived in perfect shape today!  I just had to send it "naked" as it seemed such good fun to think about people getting a peek at it along it's journey from west coast to east coast.  I must say that I can see these becoming another addiction for me.  Fun and fast and oh so sweet! 

Well, after 2 months on stress leave I'm back to work at the Welfare office next Tuesday.....don't know if I'm looking forward to that or not.  Hopefully they'll take it easy on me.

Meanwhile I have been quilting up a storm.  I have signed up for Bertie's Year BOM (my Christmas present from my sweetie) and have January and February completed....pictures to follow.  I have also been hexie crazy lately.  I'm in the middle of doing a wall hanging on which pansies, lupine and wisteria are all made with hexies....phew - that's a lot of hand work!  And not quite ready to post.

I have also made my very first fabric postcard - such fun....it went off in the mail this morning - hope it makes it to the recipient without any problems.  I have to wait until she gets it  before posting on blog.  The theme is Spring and the saying I put on it is by Robin Williams "Spring is Nature's way of saying "Let's Party!".

Cheers, Lynda

In case you don't know - if you double click on the pictures you can see them enlarged (much nicer).

Here is Toby with my pots of coleus and begonias from last summer and fall. I was so impressed with how well they did that I'll be planting the same again this year.

A very rare juvenile Northern Goshawk eating rabbit in Toby's yard.  There are only 2 breeding pairs in mid Vancouver Island according to our local bird expert.  He took all day, but ate the whole rabbit except spine and some guts.

The following pictures are Cassidy's Dream Boats, I love the Sailboats on the rickrack sea, Madison's duvet cover, the bears and bunny appliques are so sweet and I thought the bowtie blocks set in a hugs and kisses setting made the most of the yellow and grey colour scheme (new colour scheme for me) and I was unsure if I would like the finished product, but yes I did.  Noah's Trip Around the Word was the result of a request for a "nautical" theme....with a name like Noah what else could it be?  Wade's Chevrons was the most challenging for me...burnt orange was a tough one and I'm not a big fan of chevrons, but his mom was delighted with the outcome and I definitely delivered what she requested. 

Well here I am again.  2013 is long gone and I have been very remiss in adding to my blog.  I have been sneaking the occasional peek at blogs done by others and am completely in awe of the amount of stitching so many of you do...and the projects have been so lovely.  I have promised myself to upload a pile of pictures of my finished projects from 2013 by the end of February - so saving power failure tomorrow is the day....(fingers crossed).

 

I have enrolled in Sheila's postcard exchange and am looking forward to making my first ever fabric postcard.....a new and quick, quick, quick finish.  Sounds like fun doesn't it!  I've been told they are very addictive....but then what fabric projects aren't?

 

Today was wonderful - sunny and warm and a trip to Nanaimo with my best buddy Janet to buy pellon for the postcard(s), check out the sale at The Stitchers Muse (a wonderful needlework store chock full of threads, beads, fabrics, and all the bits and bobs needed to be creative).  I bought a meter of beautiful green, blue, cream batik, some beading needles....about to start a new crazy quilt block, 2 balls of crochet cotton (a gorgeous deep purple and a classy Christmas red) and several skeins of assorted DMC and Anchor embroidery thread on sale for only 40 cents each!

  

Next stop across the road for lunch - chicken wraps with Caesar salad and chips (very yummy). 

 

After lunch we went up to Winston's Tea Shop to replenish our tea supplies.  I picked up Cream Caramel Rooibos, Morrocco Mint Green, Lady Grey Black and Jinglepot Dream Black, all loose leaf teas.  I haven't tried the Morrocco Mint Green before but since I've been using mint teas for "relaxing" I thought it was worth a try and it smells amazing.  I absolutely love this little tea shop as it has the "very best of teas", a fantastic variety (probably 80 or so teas to choose from) and many tea pots and cups to tempt me.

 

The final stop was to pick up a few groceries and a cup of Timmy's tea before heading home. 

 

Successful day in my book!