This week, February 13th to 19th, I….

Didn’t have a great week… I have a health issue going on that is zapping my energy…

Managed to keep up with my photo of the day project but the mail project has gone by the wayside.  Too bad as I love sending mail.

Participated in FNSI and got a little bit done on a couple of projects…

And had fun at a soy batik and landscape painting workshop this weekend – here in my hometown, taught by my friend Dahn, and attended by six of my creative friends and I.  Here is some scenery…

Soy batiks

Backdrops for art quilting projects

Lots of soft colours for landscapes.

Received this fun giveaway prize from Emma… the Dictionary of Tea tea towel…please click on it to enlarge so you can read all the fun definitions….

And this fun prize from Sarah….a fabric rotary cutter …. I can see making some scissors and other tools to go with it, perhaps in a mobile…

And this wonderful quilt kit from Elizabeth…in case you were wondering what inspired me to start a new quilt… check out hers….

I have a few swap items that I need to get finished this week… I hope I can get my energy back…

Janet

Photo of the day February 18th

The word for today is drink.  There is nothing like a cold India Pale Ale and some chips on Saturday afternoon….

Janet

Friday Night Sew In report

It was a fun FNSI, with DGD here to share in the sewing fun.  I put together these twelve blocks from a new quilt that I am working on…. one wouldn’t want to finish a UFO, would one  

And I put a couple more burners on my wall hanging…

DGD worked on her cross stitch that she got for Christmas.  Her first stitchery…

Janet

Photo of the day February 17th

The word for today is ‘time’.  Since I don’t have any extra time to photograph, here is a homophone….

 

Janet

Photo of the Day February 16th

The word for today is “something new”.  I received this lovely birthday scarf from DD # 2 in the mail.  Mr. Lion is modelling it for you all as I couldn’t get a good photo of myself wearing it. 

This is a scarf that I started several years ago.  DD, in her mission to help me finish old projects, took it out east with her last fall.  I had misplaced the original pattern I was following.  As it was fairly complex DD took it out and knitted up a new pattern.  I LOVE the colours.

Janet

Photo of the Day February 15th

I’m a little behind again with posting my photos.  Work life during the week does get in the way!

The word for today is ‘phone’.  It is interesting how taking a picture of one’s phone leads one to realize how completely archaic and trashy looking one’s phone is…..

I read on this blog post that lots of people don’t like the photos to be enlarged because it slows down uploading.  So I’m going to post my photos in small size this week.  Let me know if you like the bigger size better.

Janet

Photo of the Day February 14th

The word for February 14th is ….heart, of course. 

DH and I laughed over the electronic Valentines cards received from DDs # 2 and 3.  We shared a fat and juicy t-bone steak, accompanied by parsnip fries and green salad – all homemade of course.  A walk with the dog in the crisp evening air with beautiful green northern lights dancing in the sky.  And then just a little bit of chocolate….

Janet

Photo of the day February 13th

 

BLUE

 

 

Janet

This week (February 6 to 12) I….

Had a really busy week and tonight I am tired….

Stayed in Whitehorse two nights as I had classes at the LQS in the evening… Stayed with my friend and we stayed up too late talking… Here’s what my piece looked like after the second class…



And here’s what it looked like after the third class…. I spent lots of time the third night unpicking after I sewed my first circle with too much tension on the wool and it caused puckers in the piece .   I did get the circle redone and it looks great, but I need to do about 5 – 6 more circles.  I didn’t get a chance to make any progress on it this weekend either….



Kept up with my exercise program, walking Monday through Thursday, snowshoeing on Friday and Saturday and skiing today….

Celebrated my birthday … it was on Wednesday but we had a family dinner this weekend.   Also many birthday wishes on Facebook and a fruit platter party at work…

Made my 6 inch blocks for the January/February swap… they will go in the mail tomorrow….



And made one of my hexie flowers for the February swap….



Sewed in all the thread ends on the Fairy quilt but no other progress there. 

Started cutting a new mystery Christmas quilt during the Christmas Quilt Along yesterday. 

Whew!  No wonder I’m tired….  I’m heading to bed…

Edited to add.... Not so fast... I almost forgot to show the lovelies I received in the mail this week!

From Jolanda my six inch blocks for December/January and three packages of green tea from "the only plantation in Europe"!  I can't wait to try it.

From Alberta, my January hexies, 100 two inch squares for a private swap we did and a great little sewing kit...

From Rebekah and Samantha 100 two inch blocks each from Mary's scrappy swap.

Thank you all!

Janet

Photo of the day February 12th

The word for today is “in my closet”.  Hmmm…. this is getting personal  

Last week I showed you a photo of my back/front door.  This is what you see when you come in that door.

Winter coats, wind/snow pants, boots, overslippers, snowshoes, hubby’s tools…

Janet

Christmas Quilt Along 2012

It was a short quilt along day for me yesterday as DD # 1, DSIL, DGD and DGS came out in the early afternoon to have a birthday celebration with me.  DD and I went out for a nice snowshoe; even though it was a grey day, it was warm.  We had “make your own pizzas” and butterscotch brownies with ice cream for desert.  A fun time was had by all!

I did spend a couple of hours focussing on Christmas quilting.  I purchased a mystery quilt kit from Anna Lena's before last Christmas, hoping to make it in time for next Christmas.  I am going to work on it during Christmas Quilt Along days, but I also want to make Quilt Sue's mystery quilt.  Oh so much to do… 

The mystery quilt kit only has three steps to making the top, so I worked on step one yesterday, cutting the pieces.  And here they are, all ready for sewing together next month.  Hmmm… what will they look like?

This year Christmas Quilt Along will be hosted by a different person each month, and I agreed to host November.  Eek!

Thank-you Hazel for hosting the Quilt Along day for February!

Janet

Photo of the day February 11th

The word for today is “something that I love”…

The photo says it all…

                  DGS                                                    DGD               and     friend

Janet

Photo of the day February 10th

The word for today is “self portrait”.  It’s a beautiful sunny day today.  I had to get out and enjoy the weather… from head…

to toe!

Janet

Photo of the day February 9th

The word for today is “front door”.  I didn’t see mine until after dark….  I call this the front door; DH says the one on the other side of the house is the front door.  I’m going with my version




Janet

Photo of the day February 8th

Today is my birthday, so I’m happy that the word for today is “Sun”.  And it promises to be a beautiful sunny day, once the ice fog burns off.




Janet

Photo of the Day February 7th

The photo word for today is “button”.  Button, button, so very many buttons.




Janet

Photo of the day February 6th

I am behind with posting my photos this week.  I was too busy all week to get around to it so I’m posting them all today.  But I’ll post them separately so that I can link up with Julianne.
February 6th word was “dinner”.  Dinner on Monday was a rush between work and my course at the LQS.  Leftover stew – YUM!




Janet

This week–January 30th to February 5th– I…

Stayed in Whitehorse Monday to Thursday again.  It was fun having a little pseudo holiday with my friend at the girl cave, but I am happy I’m not going back there again this week.  Although I will be staying in Whitehorse two nights because…

I started a class at my LQS.  I was on a waiting list for this class and got a call two days before saying that they had a space.  There was a ton of prep for the class but my friend Dahn gave me her box of prepared fabrics to work out of.  She is such a dear!  The class is on Carol Taylor's method of couching.  Carol was in Whitehorse last fall giving a class but I didn’t get to go because I was working on the election.  The owner of our LQS received permission from Carol to put on a class to teach her technique.  So lucky for me.  This is Carol`s technique.

In the first class I got my background fabric completed….



There are two more classes, on Monday and Wednesday evenings this week….

I stayed on track with exercising.  Walked on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, snow shoed on Saturday and Sunday, and on Wednesday…. I went swimming!  First time I`ve been to the big pool in Whitehorse in about four years.  Swam 30 lengths at 45 seconds a length equals 22 minutes of swimming…

Received my last two dragon postcards….




And completed and mailed the two that I had to send….




And I did some quilting on the fairy quilt….  Finished the stars in the inner sashing and started outlining the zigzag.  I just need to finish the zigzag lines and the stars in the outer border and I can put on the binding!



Oh yeah… I have to bury all those threads too…

Have a great week everyone!


Janet

Photo of the day February 5th

The word for today is 10 a.m.  Well here is 10 a.m. and 17 seconds…



It looks like I need to spend less time doing photo challenges and more time cleaning my walls
Janet

February 4th Photo of the Day

The word for today is “a stranger”.  This word is very difficult for me.  I live in a small town.  In winter we don’t have tons of visitors to our town.  When I go out for a walk here, I am not that likely to run into anyone, and if I do it isn’t likely to be a stranger.  I considered switching the words around so I could get “a stranger” photo on a day I was in Whitehorse.  But I didn’t, I’m playing by the rules  
I have waffled on what picture to post.  I considered taking a picture of the book I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson.  But then I realized I don’t own the book. 
I have two offerings – they are both somewhat lame and I can’t decide which is the lamest.  The first: Mr. Sun who hasn’t been around much this winter.  He was here today.  Welcome Stranger!

The second:  I did meet someone while out snowshoeing today.  I was watching my feet then looked up to see someone in the distance.  Could it be “a stranger”???

Well it wasn’t – but I had a few moments of wondering if I might be able to fulfill the word for today.
No mail today, so I didn’t post anything. 
Janet

Photo a day and Snail Mail February 3rd

The word for today is Hands.  I was alone all day until I went to a class at the quilt store this evening.  Have you ever tried to take a photo of your own hands?  A few of the ladies in the class were discussing which threads we should be using for the piece we’re making, so I was able to get a shot of hands with thread.
                                                                                                                                                                                    
As for snail mail, I sent two pieces off today.  A parcel for DD # 3 in Victoria.  Nothing too exciting, just a Christmas present from her cousin that arrived after she had already left to go back to school, and some mail.  The second piece is a parcel of 2 inch squares for Alberta.  She and I agreed to do a private swap of these little charms.
Janet

Photo a Day February 2nd

The word for today is…. Words.  Here are many words that I have floating around in my life….



Edited to add my snail mail for today - a letter for an old friend who lives in Toronto.  I love her dearly, but I haven't communicated with her for about two and a half years.  About time!  This excuse for reconnecting is exactly the reason I decided to participate in snail mail a day for February.


Janet

February Photo a Day - Edited to add - and Snail Mail a Day

Not that I need something else to do, but….I decided to follow along with Julianne's photo a day for February.  It isn’t actually her challenge – she found it somewhere on Pinterest, but I’m going to link up with her blog.


So without further ado here is my February 1st photo, My View Today (which was actually my view yesterday).

This picture was taken at about 9:50 a.m., giving you an idea of how dark it still is here.  This is the view out of my office at work in Whitehorse.

Edited to add:  I am also participating in a snail mail a day for February.  I don't remember where I picked up this idea from and I am not linking up to anywhere for it so I've decided to record it along with my photos.  So... Snail mail for February 1st was my three fabric Year of the Dragon postcards.  Now this feels a bit like cheating to me since they were part of a totally separate swap, but since there were three of them, I think they can qualify. :)
Janet