TUSAL and Tag

It’s TUSAL (Totally Useless Stitch-a-Long) day for March.  I forgot to post my TUSAL collection in February, so my vase is very full - but also very pretty.

I’m mixing TUSAL up with TAG this month.  Earlier today I was “tagged” by Sheila and I cannot remain “it” but must pass it on.  The way this game works is that you answer eleven questions, then you get to tag someone else.  Here are my answers to the questions from Sheila….

1. Why did you start blogging?

Why did I start blogging…. My friend whose quilting I admire, was a blogger and she was involved in interesting on-line swaps.  I wanted to participate.  I found a swap I wanted to enter that required you to have a blog.  Since I have always enjoyed keeping a journal, this seemed like a natural way to continue doing that, and with pictures too.

2.How long have you been quilting?

I have been interested in quilting since I was young.  When I was in my mid-twenties I started a quilt.  Hand sewn, solid fabrics, green, appliqued blocks.  I had made quite a few of them, when just after we were married DH and I lost everything in a fire.  I didn’t quilt again until about eight years ago, when I started to make baby quilts for my DD’s friends who were having babies.

3. What project have you made that you are most proud of ?

Every one of them… I’m not fast, so my production isn’t huge and my quilts take a while to complete.  All that labour, I can’t help but love them.  But the quilt I made for DD # 2 is in my home and I get to look at it when I want and enjoy the beauty of it.  So I’ll pick that one. 

4. What country other have you visited and when ?

When I was 23 I spent almost a year travelling with my then boyfriend.  We drove from Toronto down through the US to Arizona.  Then we travelled south, by bus, train and sometimes plane, through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.  At that point we’d had enough and we turned around and headed north again.  Besides that I’ve been to Cuba when I was 24 and Europe once about fourteen years ago.  Principally we went to Germany but DD # 2 and I did take a bus excursion one day that took us into Switzerland and France.  I have visited the USA many times over the years as well.

5. What is your favorite color and why?

Gosh.  I love yellow and usually say it is my favourite, because it is so bright and cheery.  However I love to wear red and love to use it in quilts.  I probably have more blue fabric than any other colour, so I must have some attraction to that as well.  I just realized these are the three primary colours.  I wonder what that says about me….

6. Are you an animal lover and if so what is your favorite animal ?

Absolutely an animal lover!  I love to see wild animals; it touches my soul when I do.  I saw two wolves yesterday when coming home from work – they are not animals who usually hang around the road. 

I love cats and dogs the most as pets.  I have always had a cat, until I started wheezing around them about ten years ago.  I grew up terrified of dogs after being bitten as a child, but I’ve gotten over that and I have a little dog curled up beside me right now.  Once we babysat a rabbit for a year, and he was lots of fun, but he hadn’t been house trained very well, which didn’t endear rabbit keeping to me.

7. Other than sewing / quilting what other craft do you love ?

I’ve tried so many things over the year and love them all:  spinning and weaving, pottery, beading, knitting, paper tole, stained glass, cross stitch, embroidery.  Quilting and other sewing are my favourites for sure though. 

8. What is your favorite all time book ?

9. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you most like to visit?

Ireland – the land of faeries and pixies draws me.  I would also like to visit North Carolina and wander among the coastal islands.  And Australia….

10. What is your favorite comfort food ?

Bread.  I love bread, but it doesn’t love me quite so much.  It gives me heartburn and I always fell much happier and healthier when I eschew bread.

11. Who influenced you most in your life?

Ahem… When I was a teenager I struggled with life and got into lots of things that could have ended disastrously.  I had a probation officer when I was sixteen and seventeen and she was a huge influence on me.  She was the first adult I knew who treated me like I was capable of being a success.  So thanks Susan.  The time you spent with me paid off. 

I’m not going to TAG anyone specifically, but offer the tag to anyone of you who would like to answer these questions… Please let me know if you do so I make sure I stop by and get to know you better.

Janet