My version of the bag

My week of orientation was over. Five days!! My first week of work is my schedule vacation - so I am actually now off until June 28th, since I am only working part-time. With the province wide "one certification" the hospitals honor all seniority, vacations, etc province wide. Since we have to book or vacation way back in November - I am now on vacation. I will have to pick up a few extra shifts - they are probably wondering who the heck I am - my name has been on the schedule from sometime in April - yet I have never really been there.

I became a bit obsessed this weekend with this bag that I saw on Darlene's blog. And then I saw it somewhere else, and then someone at my stitching group was talking about it. So I decided this weekend I was going to make it. It took me most of one day to figure out what I was going to do for measurements and the size and fabric. I should have just ordered that pattern from the website. But I was obsessed!



This is my version of the bag. I made two big pockets and just one pocket that had the stitching to devide it into more sections. It was fairly easy to figure out because it is similar in design to the other bags I make.



I made it to use with my DJ stuff. It has enough room that I can take just what I need for hand stitching one or two blocks together. I have been busy this week getting more DJ blocks prepared to take on our vacation.

We will be going to Tofino next Saturday for one week. The Pacific Rim National Park on the West Coast of Vancouver Island is such a beautiful park. We have been going there every year since 1992 or so. Andrew had his 6th birthday there, and he is now 21. I will do a post later this week about Tofino and area.

I went to the LQS - The Thread Bear, this afternoon and bought the most wonderful bunch of fabric from Africa. It seems there is someone that lives in Africa and occasionally comes to Vancouver with a bunch of bolts of "Straight from the African women" fair trade fabric. Such wonderful and beautiful, colourful fabric. I also bought a beautiful basket. Jim has gone for the week and taken the camera -- so as soon as the camera (and Jim) get back I will post pictures. The fabric is amazing - now I just need to wash it up and figure out what to do with it. We just had Reynola Pakusich at our quilt guild talking about African and Japanese fabrics. She has done some wonderful quilts with African fabric and I bought her book -- "Circle Play" .

I think I will just fondle the fabric for awhile first, before I decide what I will do with it.

I had better go see what the dog is up to -- she has been awfully quiet for a while now.

Good Morning at 6:30 AM

Every blog needs a picture and since I haven't been quilting at all this week, except for finishing the last bit of the Dear Jane block.

Here is what is left of my favourite spatula after the dog pulled it off the counter. As you can see - she is still a work in progress!



It has been a beautiful and sunny week here on the West Coast and I have spent the entire week inside the basement of a hospital doing the hospital orientation that is required. Why do they always have the education rooms and computer rooms in the basement by the kitchen?? Still two days to go. They told me it was a four day orientation, but my orientation package has a schedule for 5 full days.

It was my birthday yesterday, so we did have a nice dinner of BBQ prawns and some nice wine after work. So -- off to work I go again........

Finished the Baby quilt

One last picture of the baby quilt - completely finished and ready to wrap. I didn't put a label on it - I should have machine stitched one on the backing but I didn't and then I was a little worried the baby might pull it off and put it in his mouth - so I just didn't bother putting on a label.



This is the last bit of fabric I bought at the FVQG show in May. I have no idea what I am going to do with any of it -- in true "Pam" style. I just love the polka dot fabric. It has these shiny polka dots - just wonderful fabric. The fat quarter bundle was for sale - 1/2 price, so although I really don't need it at all - who can resist fabric 1/2 off.

I need to get ordering some fabric off the internet now - with the Canadian dollar at 0.92 or so U.S. It hasn't been this high for 30 years ---- time to shop!! There are a couple of online shops that I need to spend some time browsing -- I just don't seem to have much computer time lately.

I have been back preparing Dear Jane blocks this week. So a little quilting has been done, but not much. The sun has finally broken through again, and there is a lot of gardening that needs to be done. I should be outside weeding!

Fabric purchase at Fraser Valley Quilt show

I bought this fabric at the last quilt show I went to. I seem to be entering a "Japanese theme" in my quilting and purchases right now. I have no idea what my plan is for the big Koi. There was a great book that was pointed out to me that had patterns that would work with the Koe fabric. It was a 9-patch pattern book. I seem to be shopping more than quilting right now. I have just a one side and 1/2 to finish the binding on the baby quilt and then I can start back on my DJ blocks.

I am just heading out the door to go to a wedding this weekend in the interior of B.C. My daughters best friend and Maid of Honor at her wedding is getting married. My daughter will be down from Calgary for the wedding and my sister will also be in Kelowna for the weekend. And my best friend from Vancouver will also be there for the weekend. So it should be a fun and relaxing weekend. I was thinking this morning that the past year has been full of life events. Deaths, births, weddings, empty nest as my last child moved out, and major job changes.

The first two days at the new job went fairly well. It really is very similar to what I was doing before but it was so nice to leave for work at 7 AM instead of 6 AM - that was almost like a holiday itself. I don't have to work at all next week so maybe I can catch up on my blogging and my quilting when I get back from Kelowna. Happy Victoria Day everyone :))

A couple of dog pictures

I am starting my new job tomorrow -- so wish me luck. I am just going to be working two "buddy" shifts this week. I am a little nervous, but I'm sure it will be fine.

I have been busy sewing the binding on the baby quilt. The baby shower is next Tuesday and I will be away all weekend - so I haven't been doing much sewing other than that - and helping Anri with her bag. So I thought I would show off a few "Jenny" pictures. Andrew calls her a Hooligan -- which she really is.


She seems to like to be halfway down the stairs. She likes to bring things there - that she should, or should not have. Here she is with her ball -- that's okay.


Here she is with the dustpan -- why? It was a bit of a good chew apparently.



Here she is with the "empty" yogurt container, I left on the counter. Apparently it should not have been left on the counter -- and there was just enough left for a dog to finish.

We have caught her stealing a few things off the counter -- like an entire mini baguette - that I got for free at Bosa's. By the time I discovered that error all that remained of that baguette was the plastic bag. Darn good thing she's cute :)) So - she is a work in progress!

I hope all the Mum's had a very Happy Mothers Day

This is the card I received from Andrew and Anri -- along with a lovely Hydrangea, ready to go in the garden.




Now -- Isn't that the truth!


Anri finished the bag on Sunday and gave it to her Mother for Mothers Day. Sweet girl she is!

It turned out really well - it is just the two fabrics - the lining is the pink fabric as well. There were some technical issues that we discovered with the pattern. The binding really should have been bias binding, it would have been much easier to sew on. Also - it seems that some of the pattern pieces had seam allowances and some did not! I guess if we could have read the Japanese instructions we would have known that. Anri changed the actual design on the bag a bit. Cute bag -- I might have to make one myself (now that I know how)!

Anri making the bag

Anri started on the bag yesterday. Looking at the various applique techniques we decided that using the fusible web was the best was to go. I got her do a practice piece first - cutting out the pieces, fusing the fabric and then machine stitching around the pattern. She tried a few different stitches and decided that the blanket stitch was the one she liked the best.

She got much more completed that either of us thought she would. She finished the outside of the bag - machine quilting and all. I think she did a really great job. It just needs a little trimming up and it is ready to be stitched together. The handle, the binding around the top and lining will also be the pink fabric.

When she has looked through my fabric and looked at the fabric in the quilt shop - she is right away drawn to the Amy Butler fabric. A quilter in the making to be sure. She said yesterday that she would like to get a pattern for a summer dress and make it up with some Amy Butler fabric from the quilt store. I think that might be a bit expensive - maybe a bit of online shopping for fabric would be a good idea. As we were making the bag yesterday - we realize the pink fabric she had chosen -- was Amy Butler fabric.

Morah from Fat Quarters had asked a question about putting pictures on the blog banner -- and there were a few good answers. So, I was finally able to figure out how to put a picture in my banner. It will probably not stay that picture. I would like to put something "quilty" in my banner, but I couldn't find anything that would do at this time. So - Thank you Morah and all those who replied. It was very easy actually - just a little fiddling around with the size of the picture. I think Blogger has made some recent changes to their format to make it easier to add a picture to the banner. I don't recall there being an "add picture" button in the "edit" section of the banner before. So any one who wants to add a picture -- just click on the edit section of the banner and add a picture. You just need to make sure the pixal size is right for your banner. Aproximate size 600 x 150 or so. Different blog templates have different banner sizes.

Japanese magazines and a new quilter

Andrew ( child #3 ) phoned me one day a couple of months ago and said his girlfriend, Anri, was wanting to learn about sewing and quilting. She was thinking about asking me to teach her how to quilt. I was a bit surprised, I don't think she has had much sewing experience at all. She has decided she wants to do a bit of sewing - making some clothes and bags, and even a bit of quilting. I told her any time she wants to come over and spend some time sewing - I would be happy to show her what I know -- which isn't really all that much!

Her mother had gone to Japan and brought her back a couple of magazines for her. She brought them over for me a few days ago. She really is quite interested in quilting and sewing.



The small magazine is mostly bags, cell phone bags and small purses. The larger magazine is full of wonderful patterns. A number of bags as well, plus quilts and a tea cosy, place mats, and it also has an article featuring American quilters and the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. All of it - of course - is in Japanese. Anri's mother can read it - but neither Anri or I can! But the instructions have really good diagrams.


So -- this is the bag that Anri wants to make. This will be her first go at quilting!! Applique! We went on Sunday to the LQS and she picked out the fabric. I just finished working the past three days - so some time this weekend we are going to start the bag. I was going to show her needle turn applique. That is what I do - and I find it the easiest. I think I will start her off with a small practice piece and see how she finds it. I have a small heart cut over for her to try first.

I took an Applique with Folded Cutwork course from Anita Shackelford a couple of years ago. I really enjoyed the course - so that is the way we will be working with this project I think. With the freezer paper on top of the fabric and needle turn. If it is too difficult to start out with - I think she could do the iron on fusable web and then blanket stitch or machine satin stitch.

Here is another couple of pages from the magazine.



There are full sized patterns also included. I love the way the Japanese quilters take traditional patterns and make them non-traditional with their fabric choices.



It is a great magazine. Now I just need to learn Japanese!!

I am back from Alberta

I returned home late last night. It was nice to go and see family that I haven't seen for quite some time. Fortunately I had seen my Grandfather not that long ago. But I saw my Aunt Donna ( who is only 3 years older than me - and I never call her Aunt ) her two kids and also (Uncle) John and his two children. I hadn't seen them in 10 years. It was a nice funeral. Thank you so much to everyone who left such kind messages of condolences. I was away so I was not able to reply individually. All of your messages were greatly appreciated.


I think I need a bit of quilty content now. It has been awhile since I was able to get to any quilting.

I was recently at the Fraser Valley quilt show - as was Wendy and Norma. One day maybe the three of us will meet up in "real life" at some quilt show.

I had taken only a few pictures at the show because it was difficult to get good pictures. There were a number of Japanese inspired quilts that I really liked.


The quilts were hung on black curtain - so with this quilt it is difficult to see where the quilt ends and the curtain begins. I really liked this quilt for the use of the Japanese fabric. It is all appliqued on the black background fabric. Great idea.



Another quilt with the Japanese fabric on black. I took these pictures as inspiration for my collection of Japanese fabric. I hope to one day make a Japanese fabric quilt. For now -- I am just collecting fabric. I always need a reason to buy fabric!

Another quilt from the show that I liked. Also a Japanese inspired quilt. See the theme here?

My Grandfather

Here is a picture of Jim, my Grandfather, Paul, and my Uncle David.


I am flying off tomorrow to go to my Grandfather's funeral. He was 97 years old. This picture was taken July 1st 2005.

My Grandparents divorced when my mother was about 14 years old. They both remarried, but remained very close over the years. The last time I saw him was when he flew down to Vancouver in 2005 for my Grandmother's funeral. He was 95 at the time. He stayed for about a week, at my Uncle David's house (his youngest on by my Grandmother).

Both him and my grandmother had more children from their second marriages and when all the kids were younger we would have big family get togethers that included all sisters, brothers, half sisters, half brothers, and step brothers and sisters -- and the grandchildren. My grandfather has a son that is about 3 years younger than me.

He was still living at home with his wife. He had done some work in the garden last spring, he had built a little pond and a bench for the back yard.

Both of my grandparents led very interesting, free spirited, full, long lives. We should all be so lucky. It is not a time for sadness, but a time to celebrate the goodness of a life well lived.

I got my Siggy's

I got my siggy's on Friday. I wonder if everybody has them now? The postal system in Canada is so slow - I am betting that I am the last to get them. They are so wonderful to see. There are quite a few names that I don't recognize -- new blogs I will have to go visit. I know there is someone who posted a list of all the people and links to blogs that were involved in the siggy exchange. I will have to find the list and check it out, now that I have my siggy's. There is one here from Korea! So nice to see the siggys from some of the bloggers I "chat" with regularly as well. I really enjoyed my first siggy exchange.




I can't believe it has been almost a week since I last posted. I have been working this past week and I never can get much computer time when I work. The weather this week has been terrible -- rain, rain, and more rain -- until today. A beautiful blue sky out there today, so here is a picture of this morning. So nice to see the sun finally.



Of course -- that means - it's Martini time!!

That was not from this morning though -- LOL. We jumped the gun a bit last weekend and I had one martini while I was quilting the baby quilt. The sun was sort of peeking out a bit last weekend -- enough for one :)) And one is usually enough!

This is NOT the Beetle I was driving

The VW dealer phoned at 9:30 Saturday morning to say the Mechanic stayed late on Friday night and fixed my window (both of them were done) and the car was ready to be picked up. How wonderful -- I was a little nervous driving their car. So I never really had much of a chance to drive the new Beetle - just home and back. But I am so pleased to have my car back. I had my quilt show purchases and my camera in the trunk.

After I picked up my car I stopped at the mall and this is what was in the mall parking lot.


What a hoot. The inside of the car is jammed with stuff just like the outside. Since I had my camera I took a bunch of pictures. Notice the license plate.



Notice the little water fountain on the front.


The tiger sticking out the passenger window. There was a bunny sticking out of the back window on the drivers side.



This is the back of the car -- at least they are Canuck fans. After an hour in the mall I came back and the car was gone - so obviously it is drivable. I can't imagine it would be a comfortable drive!! Too funny.

Quilt show today

I went off to a quilt show this morning in my 2002 Jetta TDI.

And I came home in a Volkswagon Beetle 2007.

Now -- there has got to be a story here!

We were a group of 5. We left very early and drove an hour to the Fraser Valley Quilt show and spent the morning at a very nice show. I shopped at the Merchants mall -- the S.E.X. was pretty good. I bought some wonderful fabric ( I don't have the pictures because they are in the trunk of my car). We went off to lunch and another fabric store. On stopping the window on the passenger side needed to be rolled up. We all here this terrible crack, and the window didn't move. So I play with the button a bit and the window rolled down and stayed down! So we shopped a bit more!


It was a very breezy ride home. I got back to town and took the car to my Volkswagon dealer. He said it could not be fixed today, it would be 1 1/2 hours and then the driver side window would need to be done as well, because if the one had gone the other would not be far behind. Apparently the "plastic" clips in the 2002 Jetta will do this and they have since been replaced with metal clips. He suggested they could put plastic on the window and I could come back next week and it could be fixed. I said - I could put plastic on the window, but I can't come back until Friday because I am working 7 AM until 7 PM and then a night shift and I can't drop the car off and pick it up and get to work across town.

So I made an appointment for Friday morning and told them to put the plastic on the window. I then sat outside in the sun for a few minutes while the work was being done. The poor boy must have felt sorry for me -- I saw the car in the shop with the window taped up with plastic. It looked terrible. When I came back in to get my car he told me to leave the car over the weekend, he would do both windows Monday and I could pick the car up after 7:30 Monday night. And he would give me a loaner car for the weekend!! What a nice, sweet boy. So I have a 2007 Beetle, with a sun roof for the weekend!!



I left my bag in the trunk, with my camera, so I can't show any quilt show photo's. But it was a good show and I bought some great fabric.

More Spring Retreat -- a post for Darlene

The first thing I wanted to complete is the baby quilt for the couple down the street. The baby is due May 3rd. I got it layered and machine quilted and the binding machine stitched on. It just needs a bit of hand quilting in the solid blocks and the binding hand stitched down.




The Chocolat table centre was quite a bit of work as it turned out with all the sashing and corner blocks. I should have strip pieced the sashing and corner blocks - it would have gone a little quicker. I put the first border around (light green fabric) and then decided I really needed the sashing to go around the outside before the first border. So I had to take off the light green (only two sides though) make more sashing (these are 1 inch strips and squares) and sew them around the outside of the blocks. Does that all make sense? Anyway that put me behind for time - I was hoping to get this top layered this weekend as well. But it is small enough I can layer it at home.



As I was working on my charm pack quilt another quilter showed me what she was doing with her charm pack. I thought Darlene would like to see this. I thought it was pretty nifty - looked great and was really easy.


She took the full five inch blocks and sewed them together as a nine patch. Then they are cut right down the middle in both directions. Then you just mix them up and sew them together any way you want. It is hard to see the nine patch from the picture - she didn't have any nine patch blocks before they are cut. You can see how the nine patches are cut in quarters and then can be mixed back together.

But you can see what happens with the block. You get a block that has one 5 inch square and the 2 1/2 inch pieces on the sides.



I thought it was a great idea. I don't know if I am behind the times completely and this has been out in the quilt world for years - which is entirely possible :)) but I had not seen this idea before. You could even do this and sew blocks together to make fabric for a really cool bag. I bought a new pack of charm squares -- Chez Moi -- which I thought would be great fabric to try this with.

A few people have honored me with a Thinking Blogger award last week. It was so wonderful to find my blog among the names of some wonderful bloggers that I also love to read each day. I thank you all so much including me among your favourite reads. There are so many inspiring bloggers out there. I am so happy to have stumbled upon blogging, ( by accident - and it is a long story which I shall tell one day). I have such a list of bloggers that it is hard to pick out just a few. Most of the blogs I read are on the Quilting 4 Pleasure blog ring. I am so glad I was able to join the ring - and how it has grown, from me coming in at #13 to now 73 members and more waiting to join. Not all of the blogs I read are from the blog ring. It is so strange how we accidently happen across a certain blog that pulls us in and then brings us back again - and then an email or two and before you know it you know a fellow quilter in Italy, Portugal, Australia or Ontario. And of course so many American quilters, one or two for almost every state - no Hawaii yet. We will have to wait for Kim I guess. I can not really single out just five blogs, I love to read you all!!! Thank you.

A tour around Spring retreat

Every spring my quilt guild has a small retreat up at a local camp. There is a nice little facility there that is often used by adult groups for workshops and seminars and such. It is set up along a river just north of the town of Squamish -- just south of Whistler B.C. It is just a lovely little river valley. I didn't take any pictures of the outside. I should have brought my camera along on our walk Sunday afternoon. The camp also has a small farm attached and there are chickens, ducks, two turkeys, a bunch of goats and a very large pig. We go up for two nights and three days of sewing. All food is cooked and provided - we just go to the dining room when they ring the bell. The food is great. Lots of snacks. Everyone brings their own bottle of wine or such. There are gifts and door prizes - this is about the only place I ever win anything. We are given a big stack of quilting magazines each year.



This is the sewing room. It is a bit tight, but there is never everyone in the room at once. Usually there are quilts all over the walls but this year they didn't start putting up quilts until late Saturday night. I did take a few pictures of quilts on Sunday.


This is a room set aside for layering and basting quilts. The tables have the risers on them. I am going to get me some of those! You can see some of the bedrooms off this common room.


This is the little cutting room.



This is my bedroom. Very comfortable little room. The rooms can sleep two people but because we do not fill up the place we usually have our own rooms. The facility sleeps about 45. There is usually 25-26 people at retreat.


Here is the ironing room. There is a little gaggle of quilters taking a break all lined up on the couch! One quilter always brings a little portable massage device for our pleasure. Usually there is a line up to use it.


Here is the dining room. It is so nice to not have to worry about taking time out of quilting to plan and prepare food.

A very nice weekend. The sun came out on Saturday and lots was acomplished by me.

Thank you all my blogger friends

Thank you all so much for your kindness and hugs. I really needed them.

I am heading off now to long planned weekend quilting retreat. I have a few UFO's that I really want to finish. The baby quilt - for the baby that is due May 3rd. The Chocolat Charm pack table centre (which I am really loving). Mostly I am going to relax and have a nice visit with my quilting friends, and enjoy the food and wine.

I will have a progress report and pictures Monday.