I haven't forgotten...

Don't worry folk, I haven't forgotten about the giveaway...I just need a few days as I am up to my elbows in paint and I can't stop until it's done! I am just itching to get the borders on the quilt but right now my house has top priority.

Thank you ALL for your kind words and comments!

Change of color and giveaway

Wow what a response to my little poll - thank you EVERYONE! It seems that the bright yellow is the preference with 68% of you favoring it. I am 99% sure that would be my choice...if circumstances hadn't changed over the weekend. I now have to choose a different color!

We have been wanting to paint the living room/hallway/kitchen all the same color. For about 6 years now I have wanted to use some kind of green paint in the houses we have lived in, but my hubby has always adamantly refused, saying that green reminds him of hospitals. I when I say adamantly, the dictionary definition fits... "utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals". Seriously, that is exactly how it was. But on his side, he did work in a mental health hospital many years ago, so I can see why he might have an aversion to it!

So I had pretty much decided on a light buttery shade of yellow, having given up on my green dream. Hence the choice of yellow for that little inner border. Then hubby tells me that he will buy the paint as long as I let him choose the color. Hmmmm tough decision. He never shows any interest in home decorating, so should I really trust this man?! I told him OK as long as I could hold veto power :) So off we go to Home Depot, and my jaw just about dropped when he chose a lovely light shade of green called Behr Celery Sprig. Really, I could have fainted on the spot. I said yes yes yes, got the paint and was out of there before he could change his mind!

The living room is currently chocolate brown, the kitchen orange, so this is going to be quite a departure, but one that I am excited about. With freshly painted white trim, new window coverings, new basebords, and new flooring in the kitchen/hallway, this is turning into quite the little renovation project for us!

SO having said all that, I now need your opinion again. It was quite fortuitous that some of you had mentioned trying a green, as that is exactly what I have done. Here are the *new* choices...

First, a polka dot that we will call 'A'

Next, a polka dot that we will call 'B'

And finally a monochromatic green that we will call 'C'


I know you all have already done your part in voting over the yellows, so I don't expect the same response over the greens. I just really wanted you to know that I appreciated your input and also the reason for changing my mind:)

Now, just to thank you all for your patience, I will do a giveaway! Woo Hoo! If you commented on the last post (the yellow one) or this one, you will be entered to win! I don't know what yet, probably some fabrics or quilt-related things. I'll have a rummage through my quilt room and pile up some goodies. Let's call it a surprise package!

Now I suppose I ought to start painting....

Poll time

Get ready to vote - look on the right, there is a poll!

I need your help choosing an inner border for my latest quilt. I was at Brenda's until midnight the other night, and we auditioned a whole bunch of fabrics. We settled on the dark brown for the outer border and narrowed it down to two for the narrower inner one. But do you think we could decide? Oh no, it just didn't happen. So now you get to give your 5 cents worth!

The lighter yellow has a calming effect on the quilt. It tones down all the brightness, and picks up a couple of the paler fabrics I used in the quilt. It doesn't have quite the 'zing' I usually go for, but it definitely works, and I like it. It gives the eyes a place to rest.

The bright yellow has the aforementioned 'zing', and the same fabric is used in the quilt. It is bright enough that it can shine all by itself and not be overtaken by the blocks. This was the first fabric I pulled to audition, and was my first instinct. I am in love with it. However, is it too bright? Do your eyes go to the bright yellow and nothing else?

So which do you prefer? Why? Help a girl out here! I think either will work, for different reasons, and I am very interested to see what you all have to say. And don't forget to vote over on the right!

Oh and by the way, did you notice the quilt top itself? Isn't it marvelous?!! I am SO in love with it - I can't tell you how excited I am to get it finished and up on the wall!

Don't faint - I'm quilting...and blogging!

I want to blog more, really I do! I just haven't done much quilting of late, so haven't had anything to show you, but that has changed. I have been working on a quilt top and happened to take photos as I went, so enjoy the show....




This is just 4 blocks on my design wall, but I now have made 32 more and they are all joined together just waiting for the perfect borders. Then you might get another sneak peek :)

And now, may I introduce you to our newly (3 months ago so not so new) adopted cat from the shelter, Mittens...and as you can see, he came pre-disposed to like quilt fabric...

Vermont Quilt Festival

I know I am way behind the game with this post, but I have to catch up somehow, right?! Way back last month was the Vermont Quilt Festival and my buddy Brenda invited me to go along with her. I had been sick as a dog the day leading up to it, and the day of, I convinced myself that I wasn't really that sick and I would be just fine. Oh boy was I wrong. You know that kind of sickness when you are hot and cold, and you skin is sensitive to the touch, and nice and clammy, and your head is just spinning and you everything is going in slow motion? Yes, that was me. And the next day I completely lost my voice to the point that when I called people I knew, they had no idea who I was or what I was saying!

However, the Quilt Festival was marvellous, with great vendors and quilts to see. I managed to spend a few dollars - much restraint was used. I could have easily spent hundreds, but I think my grand total was less than $40. Shocking I know.

Here are my goodies... I bought some fabric, wool, ric rac, a huge button, applique needles, and my ever-faithful Roxanne's Glue Baste-It which is as rare as hen's teeth around here, so when I see it I grab it!

A highlight of the day was a chance meeting with UpStateLisa. She walked by while I was sitting down resting my achy body and I had a feeling I recognized her, so what does one do but run up to a stranger and ask them if they are who you think they are?! Luckily I was spot on with my guess, and she was ever so lovely and excited! We had a great chat and I even managed not to faint with my head spinning in a sickness-induced haze:) We will meet again, Lisa, I'm sure, and I will be much more charming, I promise!

And a huge thank you to Brenda for dragging me along and driving there and back and buying me dinner. You are the best ;) BTW Brenda just got new flooring put in over at the Pumpkin Patch and it is awesome! I'm sure she'll blog about it soon...hint hint...

Of Quilts and Fans

I have had a nice break from the internet for the past few weeks. My hubby's family came to stay and we were busy galavanting around NH and MA and as a result, the internet took a back seat.

Now I am getting back to regular life so here I am:)

I am ashamed to say that my goal to sew every day for a year has failed miserably! I was doing so well - sometimes taking that stitch at 11.59 just to get it in for the day, but I don't think I've taken a single stitch for about 3 weeks now. But I will get back on the horse and start this experiment all over again.

I did get a quilt completed in the last month. It was my 'Project Improv' quilt, and it is now living happily on the kitchen wall. If you haven't heard me say it before, yes my kitchen is orange, and yes it is on purpose!


Do you see that ceiling fan in the above picture? That is brand spanking new, installed by my lovely sister in law, Rachel, with a little help holding it from me. It replaces our *gorgeous* circa 1972 wood and brass chandelier. Don't know why I wanted to get rid of it - I mean, look at it here in all it's glory... I also had a go at home improvement, installing a new light fixture to the right of the fan...There is also another ceiling fan with lights that we installed in the living room. We have one of those homes with no overhead lights in the living room or bedrooms, and our living room has been more than dark, which as a quilter is not a good thing! But thanks to my SIL we now have light! I won't bore you with yet another ceiling fan photo. OK I will ;)
I do have more quilty things to post about, so I WILL be back! And I promise, no more ceiling fans ;)

Birthday Girl

Yesterday was my friend Brenda's birthday...I won't tell how old she now is, but if you look at the cake further down you might get a clue ;)

I told her she HAD to come visit us after her son GP took her out for dinner, for what else, cake and ice-cream. There is a lot more to the story and how it all came about is rather quite funny, but perhaps Brenda will tell that tale on her blog...big hint there Brenda!

It was such a glorious day that we decided to eat outside. First came the cake - I just did a French Vanilla box cake, but made the buttercream frosting and put a good deal of lemon zest and juice in it. Can I say it was quite delicious?!! In the middle I put a layer of frosting and raspberry jam, but ran out of jam, so it was half jam and half grape jelly! Hey, sometimes you just make do with what you have, right?!! Then I put some coconut on top and there you have it - a french vanilla, lemon butter-cream, coconut, raspberry jam, grape jelly cake! But it was GOOD!! Really!
Now do you see how old she is?! My daughter looked at the candle arrangement and said, "Mum, is Brenda 77?" "No dear." "99?" "No dear - not quite that old."

Then it was onto the card and present. 2 of Brenda's favorite things happen to be pumpkins and the color orange. Luckily, these two things happen to work very well together! The kids made a card, each drawing their own version of a pumpkin....

And here is the birthday girl opening her present...
Woo Hoo!! Yet another monogram initial! And there is a very funny story about that...Brenda, you tell it! This time it got the special treatment with the addition of pumpkins and binding. But oh the torture of getting it done. I had started to quilt this thing, and had quilted the letter and one of the pumpkins, when I turned it over only to see that I had the backing on inside-out! It took me an hour to unpick what I had done, and I think I cursed continuously that entire hour! But it finally got finished, and I learnt a good lesson. Always check that your backing is the right way out before you start to quilt it!

It was a great night with family and good friends.