My Collection

I thought I would do what Nancy suggests and show what I collect. I am always a little behind on these things and blogger was being especially difficult this morning!!

I collect Port Meirion -- alot of it. I started collecting about 15 years ago. Most of it I have purchased here in Canada but whenever we go to England I pick up a few pieces. I am getting to the point where I don't really need anymore. I just love the beautiful, bright flowers on the white background, and so many different beautiful flowers. It reminds me of beautiful fabric.


I have an assortment of serving dishes and bowls, a teapot, a coffee pot and various smaller items.

I have canisters in my kitchen, I have plates, cups, bowls, pasta dishes. I have placemats and oven mitts.

In our other house when we remodeled the kitchen we put a backsplash of plain white tiles with Port Meirion tiles that I had shipped from England. When we sold that house - the kitchen tiles were one of the features that got the new owners to buy the house - she collected Port Meirion as well.

I even have it in my bathroom! Toothbush holder, soap dispensers, flower vases.

I even found a Port Meirion shower curtain -- I was so amazed that I of course bought it! Talk about obsessive.

My English Garden Wallhanging

I even made a wall hanging to go with my Port Meirion collection. I found this fabric about 8 years ago or longer (time goes by and I can't remember when was when anymore!!) I bought a lot of it and I was going to also make some valances for the new kitchen but I never got around to it - which is a good thing as we wouldn't have had anywhere to put up valances in our new house. So the wall hanging is in the bathroom -- with the shower curtain!

Dutch Chintz

I have been coveting this Den Haan & Wagenmakers Dutch Chintz since I saw it at the APNQ show in Seattle. If I was smart I would have purchased it there - but I had already spent a bunch and I was worried about my limit at the border. So today I ordered it online - from the merchant that had the booth at the quilt show, Reproduction Fabrics .

The store is located in Montana - which is certainly closer for shipping than Holland. I ordered a sampler pack of the Dutch Chintz, it is quite expensive to order yardage - $30.00 a yard or so. I also ordered some Civil War fat quarters and a sample of some other chintz fabric. I don't often order fabric online, but I really, really wanted this fabric. I have no idea at this point what I am going to do with it -- the sign of a true quilter!!!

Andrew has survived his wisdom tooth ordeal -- but just barely. All four teeth were impacted and part of his jaw bone came out with one tooth. So he is still quite swollen on his left side and hasn't eaten any firm food yet. He is getting tired of smoothies and soup - which has been quite hard on him because he has a milk allergy. As he has grown older he can tolerate the milk products fairly well but he has found this past 5 days that most soft food has some sort of milk product - ice cream, yougurt, cream soup etc. and he is getting quite congested. I think he would just love a great big juicey steak, but he just can't open his mouth wide enough. Hopefully he can eat something more substantial soon -- he's getting a bit cranky!

My Quilting Corner

This is my corner where I sit surrounded by my little piles of Dear Jane and bits of other projects. My husband will watch me flit from one project to another sometimes - he says I'm a bit schizophrenic in my quilting. Keeps me from getting bored with one thing. Soon this sofa will be replaced by a nice new leather one!! Looking forward to it.

Andrew and Jim are just on their way home from the Oral Surgeon - Andrew just had his four impacted wisdom teeth removed and sounds like he is pretty groggy. So Andrew will be spending a few day here on the sofa with cotton in his mouth and ice packs on his face. He can be a bit "needy" when he's not well. Jim has taken the day of work "Care and nurturing of a family member" I have to work a night tonight - so I am hoping all will go will with them. Poor Andrew. Poor Jim. 

Oh no - Look what we bought!

Well you know when you go out to the store for one thing and then come back with something completely different. I talked my husband into going with me to Fabricana today - I told him there were a few furniture stores in the area he could browse through. He was going to go off to a tool store and come back in an hour. I guess he went off to a furniture store as well and guess what -- I didn't get much at Fabricana but we bought a new leather sofa.



And a matching chair and ottoman!!!



I took these pictures of the chair and sofa with my camera phone. We won't get delivery until the end of November. Hmmm - I guess this is Merry Christmas.

We have been looking for a leather set for a number of years now - so this wasn't completely impulsive, but not expected that's for sure. It certainly was an interesting day out shopping.

And the weather - goodness here it is the end of October almost and both of us had just T-shirts - no coats or even sweaters were needed. I'm kind of liking this global warming right now. 

Ohhh - More Fabric

A quick trip to the LQS - just for a look around and I bought a bit of Japanese themed fabric. Some of it is part of a kit to make a table runner. I have something for table runners right now. I just love the dragonflies on this fabric.

I had a little glitch in the Christmas stocking making project. I discovered that the piping I bought is not going to work on the stockings --- so back to the fabric store for more piping. I am going to head out tomorrow to Fabricana - it is a great big store and should have a nice assortment of Christmas trims and decoration. I have never been to the Fabricana before - so it will be a bit of an adventure. If I can't find what I am looking for there I will go to the DressSew in downtown Vancouver. It is a great store for trims and ribbons and whatnots.

A bit of news about my poor husband. He has been complaining about a painful right shoulder for a few years now -- comes and goes, mostly bad at night. Of course in true good wife fashion I have had sympathy - but mostly ignored his complaints. He complains and then goes out on a big ladder with big piece of machinery and cuts the hedge, I figure - no wonder he hurts. Anyway he has been seeing a doctor and has been getting physio for his shoulder. He finally had an MRI this month ( I even forgot that he was going to go for an MRI as it was back in February that it was ordered) Poor guy - went to see the doctor about the results of the MRI on Thursday and it seems that the only fix for him is surgery! I was quite surprised. Seems he has a badly torn rotater cuff - and he's not even a baseball player! So I guess we will see what happens from here. I think there is a fairly long waiting list for most orthopedic surgery. Hopefully he doesn't have to wait too very long.

My list of things I've done

I guess I should post my list.

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

Four More Dear Jane blocks

I know I should be working on those darn Christmas stockings!

I finished four more Dear Jane blocks this weekend while we started Season 3 of "24". This season is not quite as good as Season 1 and 2. I was at the video store yesterday for the first time in a very long time and there is an entire wall of TV show just waiting to be watched. I see a few TV series that I would like to watch. Season One of Boston Legal, Arrested Development, Six Feet Under (I would like to buy that one) -- so I have lots of shows I can watch as I stitch the Dear Jane blocks. I think I need to start thinking about a name for this quilt. At the rate I am going it may actually be completed in this decade!!


The particular block was a real pain in the neck to sew together. Sure it looks all innocent - like it would be easy --- but it was really difficult. I bet this block took me 4 episodes alone to sew together. The curved seams and the little funny shaped centre piece. Boy am I glad this one is finished. And in true "Pam" style - about half way through sewing it together I thought I should check the "hints and tips" on my Dear Jane program. I of course discovered a number of hints and tips that would make it go together easier. The tip -- clip the inside seam, helped alot, but by then I only had a couple of inside seams left to sew. And they suggested to add a larger outside seam allowance and then trim down to size. Which I had not done - but fortunately the block finished off 5 inches.

As you can see we have a bit of a mis-match up in the right corner. But --- finished is better than perfect. I think every block I have done has a bit of a mis-match somewhere. So once it is all together it will be hardly noticeable. I hope.


I thought I would post a fall picture - from the west coast of Canada, since I have been seen alot of beautiful East Coast fall pictures. There are only a few deciduous trees on the west coast. We have some Broad Leaf Maple and Cherry and Arbutus trees around where we live. These trees are mainly the Broad Leaf Maple. Vancouver Island has alot of old Garry Oak trees. We don't have any around where we live.

So this is my fall picture from my bedroom.

 

A bit of a Dilemma

I have been busy making Christmas stockings and working on my Dear Jane this past week. But I have been seeing quilts and bags and this and that on all the different blogs and I now have a big list of things I want to make. I see a quilt -- then I save a photo for later - then I can't remember where I saw it.

I just really want to make the Japanese quilt that is on Fairybread's blog. That is first on my list. And Passionate Quilter had the slouchy bag on her blog. So that is now on my list. And then last night I saw some patterns for a row quilts that is really scrappy, Lori Smith design, that was on Spiral's blog. I just love the row quilt, I have so many bits of fabric I think it would be a great quilt to do. So I have a few patterns to order!! There are a few other quilts that I have seen lately that are on my list as well. I love the quilt and class that Patti is working on in a class.

This blogging is creating more work for me. My sewing room is a mess of fabric and a stack of unfinished quilts. I should finish what I have started. I started a quilt for Eric two years ago - it is still at the "flimsy" stage. Poor Eric - probably has forgotten about it by now. Jim is still talking about getting his "Long Beach" quilt. The Mariner's Compass is about 3/4 finished. I am not paying an attention to the list on my sidebar that took me hours to figure out how to put up there.

What is a girl to do???

P.S. I just posted this blog and the strangest thing happened . The link to Passionate Quilter got a TV guide "Days of Our Lives" advertisement. And Fairybread was completely gone. I hope the gremlins let this post work - I have to go quilt!!

The Laundry room

I am always slow to jump on any bandwagon, but I thought I would post some laundry room pictures. My laundry room is a very interesting room. It is used for many different things besides laundry. It is quite a large room (bigger than my sewing room - but we won't go there again). I use the top of the deep freezer for basting small quilts - nice height for that. My husband brews beer for a hobby so he uses the laundry room as his brewery. As you can see the various buckets and the pop keg beside the freezer.

My laundry room also has this strange window, that opens with little slats of glass that open between the laundry room and my quilting room. So I can see into the laundry room, from my quilting room.

And I can see into my quilting room from the laundry room.

It is the strangest place to have a window, but this is how it was when we bought the house. Both of these rooms are in the basement of the house and down at the north side of the house where the garden outside is mostly big cedar trees.

My sewing room is quite small with no outside light coming in so having the window is actually quite nice. If I didn't have the window I would probably feel quite closed in when I was sewing. I usually turn the light on in the laundry room when I am sewing.

A site to behold

It seems sometimes as soon as boys are old enough to shave -- they don't. Andrew had become more and more wooly and hairy everytime we saw him lately. I don't think he has shaved since Jessica's wedding in June. The guys at work were starting to call him "Scarey Moses" he told me. I bet he was also starting to frighten young children. So for Thanksgiving I bought him a new razor and a extra package of blades.

Here is Andrew before dinner on Saturday night. Before the close encounter with the razor.

First the sissors are electric clippers were required before he could even start with the razor.


Look at that smile! Nice clean shaven and he even pulled back the hair -- that will be the next for a bit of a trim!

I know it is not a very quilty post but I just had to document the shaving of the "mountain man". Jim and Andrew are now on their way to " The Who" concert. Apparently this is their first world tour in 20 years. So last night after dinner we played some old "The Who" music - just to get everybody in the mood. Now I wish I was going. Jim bought the tickets in July when I was in Calgary - I think on a bit of a whim. I think they were about $120.00 each, so only two were purchased and Andrew is a big fan.

I did finish one more Dear Jane block today and I basically did very little else for some reason today. There is a hockey game on tonight so I can maybe get another block started at least. 

Dear Jane block completed

This is the Dear Jane block I half way finished at my TGIF Group. I finished it last night while watching the last 4 episodes of Season 2 of "24". It is amazing really to think that I worked on this block for about 5 hours or more from start to finish - goodness - I can't imagine that I will ever complete this quilt, but I really hope I do because I really want it!!


These are all the blocks I have to date -- 13 blocks. I am not doing them in any particular order, just printing out a bunch of block on the printer from the Dear Jane CD and then doing them in no particular order. I see the potential of doing a block twice if I'm not careful. Someone from the Dear Jane digest sent me a Dear Jane spread sheet so I am keeping track of the blocks that I have done.

These are the next four blocks that are waiting to be done.

I have my sewing machine back --- yay, big happy dance!! And it is working really nicely, much better than before I sent it in -- well worth the $90.43. I finished Jessica's Christmas stocking and now I am planning to make a few more before December 1st. We are going off to Calgary on December 1st for 3 nights. It is my parents 50th wedding anniversary and Jim's 50th birthday - so a bit of a celebration will be happening in Calgary at the Sheraton Au Claire. We are also going to take the Christmas gifts down at this time - so I need that is why I need them ready before then.

We are having a ham for Thanksgiving Dinner tonight and the only kid who is coming tonight is Andrew. His girlfriend Anri is working tonight and Eric is off somewhere. I bought Andrew a razor for Thanksgiving - so I am hoping he will shave!! If he does I will post a before and after picture. He is starting to look like a mountain man. He says the guys at work call him Moses. Well off to mash the potatoes. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 

Spring flowers

Here is a picture of some lovely spring Daffodils - for all the quilters in Australia that are just starting the spring season as we in North America start Autumn (or Rainy Season if you live in Vancouver). I always like to include a picture with my posts. These are Daffodils from my garden last spring.

I went off to my Thank Goodness it's Friday Group this morning. I got very little quilting accomplished. About 3/4 of one Dear Jane block. So I won't take a picture of the block until it is finished. I had a nice day visiting though - so that's the most important. I never work on a friday so it will be a regular group for me and maybe I can get more done next time.

And the sewing machine store phoned and my machine is ready for pick up -- that didn't take a week at all ---- and it's only $93.00. I thought it would be much more than that. So I can finish my September Hour a day quilt -- I like the leaf pattern for the October quilt but I don't think I will make it right now - maybe save it for another month.

It is Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend and we haven't really planned any sort of Turkey dinner. Andrew and Jim are going off to "The Who" concert on Sunday night and I am working on Monday. They have both been pretty excited to see "The Who" since they got their tickets in July. Boy - I wonder what Roger Daltrey looks like now -- besides old. So I will be alone on Sunday - no turkey for me! But I will have my sewing machine back by then! 

Sewing machine in for service

I took my sewing machine in to be serviced today because the thing that you turn to stop the needle from going up and down when you wind the bobbin is not working. It started to have some really interesting bobbin winding issues at the retreat last weekend. The sewing machine shop said it would take a week, ONE WEEK - can you imagine - what will I do for a week. I didn't even ask how much it was going to cost -- after I left I thought I should have at least got some sort of an estimate. I have a feeling this could be very expensive.

I guess I have Jim's mum's old Spartan I can putter away on the blue and yellow half square triangles - I made a whole bunch more at my weekend retreat.

Tonight I am working on my Dresdan Plate squares. I have 16 plates sewn on the background fabric now.

Won't be watching "24" tonight. Jim has gone away for three days to meetings and workshops so I am home alone. I stopped off at the Lonsdale Quay this afternoon after I dropped off my sewing machine. There is a little shop there that is called "The Pepper Pot" it sells all kinds of hot spicy sauces and condiment etc. Andrew used to say when he looked in the fridge -- "we are a house with a fridge full of condiments - no food, just condiments". So I bought a few condiments at the Pepper Pot. I bought some Solomon Gundy . It is a herring fish paste that Hans the chef had blogged about and I saw it and I thought I would buy some. When I put it on the counter to pay for it the guy serving me said Solomon Gundy was the best thing he had ever had in his life and I would love it. He was really enthusiastic about it. Amazing. So I had some on crackers for supper (no one home but me, remember) It was very good. I also bought myself a small pecan tart for later!!

Then a whole ship full of Asian sailors came into the Quay - hundreds of these young boys dressed up in blue and white sailor suits - a real site to see. I wish I had my camera.

I have signed up for a blog ring today. I have never done that but I thought I would like to try it out and meet some new bloggers. There is a small link in my sidebar.

So with the evening all to myself I am actually going to work on cutting out a bunch of Dear Jane blocks, sewing my dresdan plates and watching "Boston Legal" tonight. I am working the next two days - so that kind of puts a crimp in any wild - mouse will play plans!!! Ahhh - too old and tired anyway.

Work at weekend retreat

For some reason this retreat day I did not take any pictures. This is a picture of what I accomplished at the retreat - but I took the pictures at home this morning.

Christmas stocking for Jessica, I made one for Jim and Eric last Christmas - styled after a Christmas stocking I had made for Andrew about 5 years ago or so. I am going to make a few more this year I think. Easy to make and they look so nice and "Christmasy".


Almost finished the September "Quilt for an Hour" two more borders to put on only. I really like this quilt, which is interesting because when I first saw it I wasn't interested in doing it - and then I thought I would just to use up some scraps and now I just love the colours in it. I think I will back it in Flannel.

These are the stockings that I made last year. The first stocking I made was the one with just the fabric cut in strips on the diagonal. Then I decided to cut the strips into squares and make the two inch squares on the diagonal. The top and the toe and heel are velvet.

So I have decided to make a few more and now I need to go off to buy a bit more fabric and piping -- I bought a bunch of piping last year after Christmas but I discovered it is all a bit too big. So in true quilter fashion I now have about 72 yards of gold, red, green, etc piping that I really only needed a few yards of to begin with and now I don't need at all. But I will probably keep it forever!!