33rd wedding anniversary

Don't you love the bouquet my sweet hubby brought me for our 33rd wedding anniversary?

I'm back

I know I've been away for a while - partly due to being busy, and partly due to being lazy.....what can I say.  I've been working on a new BOM for our local guild with my Sassies quilting group - and we've got the concept figured out, now to actually create the patterns and technique instructions.  Should be fun when we get together tomorrow for another planning session.

Meanwhile I finished another baby quilt for the population explosion we're experiencing right now.  And we have a beautiful little boy to adore thanks to Tara, one of my quilting friends who has done a couple of challenges and round robins with my little international group.  He is the cutest little guy and already growing like a weed.

We've also been off camping at Salmon Point which has a stunning view from the little local pub across the Strait to the snow capped mountains on the mainland.  Wow......picture from hubby's camera to follow (hopefully).

Crazy quilting on-line classes

I found this crazy quilting link and thought it was quite informative http://www.caron-net.com/classes/classmayfiles/clasmay1.html

Spring is just arriving

Here's a view of my yard from my quilt room and a close up of the daffodils and pansies around the still-dead-looking tree at the end of the yard.  My Christmas Roses (Helebores) are putting on a bit of a show, and I have a lot of sprouts showing their heads, but they'll be a bit longer yet.  The red trilliums will be the next ones to bloom - then the Leopard's Bane (which is still only about 2 inches tall).  I feel happy to see the lawn not under 3 inches of water.  I was starting to wonder if we were all going to float away for a while there.

Here are 2 photos of the baby quilt my friend Tara chose from my stash of baby quilts.  As Tara is a quilter too I'm happy to supply her with a more intricate baby quilt knowing she can appreciate the extra effort that went into this particular quilt.  Now if the baby would only make an appearance, hmmmmm, maybe today.  Tomorrow is Tara's birthday, so maybe tomorrow - now wouldn't that be fun!

Here are photos of my 1930's mini dresden plate quilt that I've been working on for a while - still needs quilting but I'm very happy with the top.

Free Patterns!!!!

While unable to sleep last night I found this awesome blog http://freebiesforcrafters.blogspot.com/ for free patterns of all types.  I scored with an entire year's worth of monthly flower embroidery patterns, then I couldn't sleep because I was so busy designing a quilt around it.  Did you know that the only letterns not in at least one month's name are K, Q, W, X and Z.....I think I got that right.....I'm a bit sleep deprived at the moment.  ;>D

Tara's 2010 Challenge

Here's a picture of Tara's 2010 Challenge quilt.  It's been finished since last July, but I finally got to see it....apparently bribing her with a baby quilt was the way to do it!  The challenge was to use the various purple, green and yellow fabrics, add at least one "critter" (the spider) and incorporate a hexagon somewhere.  I think she did a pretty good job considering those were NOT her colours!  (Nor mine, but sometimes it's good to "stretch".)

Oh Toby!

Here are 2 pictures of Toby....one holding down a pile of baby quilts....and one showing how exhausting it is fighting gravity.  ;>D

My machine there and back and there and back again

I tell you, not having my sewing machine waiting at my beck and call can make me CRANKY!!!!!  I picked it up last week from the "hospital"....worked okay for 2 days, then right back at it looping and barfing thread all over, gggggrrrrrrrr!  So today back we went down to the shop and instead of sending it off to the mechanic I got Carol, a dedicated quilter and fabricholic to have a look, a little adjust here, and change there, an explanation (gasp) and Bob's my uncle (well, actually my husband's uncle) it's back home and working fine again.  Keep your fingers crossed for me that "third time is the charm"!  Toby's happy about it too!!!!