Cool Urban Home for Strips on Stripes

Look at the cool home my Strips on Stripes quilt now lives in.

When my daughter was visiting, last summer, this quilt was hot off the press and Jessica  quickly claimed it as her own, and that's just how I love it.

It looks right at home.

A Little Late Night Sewing

Just playing around with a little reverse applique...when I should long be in bed. Anyone else ever guilty of that late night sewing?

Free Bee 2012.... February Block

I've been wanting to use this photo as as inspiration, for a quilt, ever since my husband took the picture in 2010, when we were visiting our daughter,in Montreal. It's obviously a favourite of mine. 

Here is a loose sketch..... for my February block.

I'm thrilled, to be in a group, with so many talented quilters.

 This is a very free and improvisational group. Each one of us will come up with a different block inspired by our own surroundings. The theme being urban, industrial, graphic, wonky....improvisational. Hmm, what else, did I cover everything?

As I was deciding, what to do for this month (February being my month), I came upon the work of
 Elizabeth Barton

With her permission, I will show you some of her amazing work.

As we draw inspiration, from our own surroundings,
 we will definitely be influenced by this amazing  body of work,

by Elizabeth Barton.
Be sure to check out her website here or her blog here.

Be prepared to be blown away!!

A Dark Grey Cloud

There was a dark grey cloud hanging, over the place, as my husband installed my lovely new light fixture.....and no, it had nothing to do with the weather. What the bleep bleep....who makes these bleep bleep fixtures any way???? Accompany that with heavy breathing and moaning...no not that kind, no time for that.

In all fairness, this is light fixture number two....number one was too small. So yes, this cloud was there with light number one as well.

There it is in all it's glory.....you can see him still working away. Yup, there's more.

 

Time to smell the flowers and a good stiff drink...to bad I don't drink, I could use one, right about now.  You'd think I was the one doing all this work.

Gotta love that do it yourself, assembly stuff, from Ikea....bless their hearts.

 It's ominously quiet at the moment, hmm.

We took a little break, and now the dresser is being assembled.....not so quiet anymore.

My First Bee Ever

To Bee or Not to Bee??? It's something I've been asking myself, as lot of bloggers write about over commitment in the Bee World. I take care, not to over commit, because I'm a tad selfish about my sewing time....only wanting to sew what I really want to sew, if that makes any sense.

I decided to dip my toes in the water....how could I resist when  Lynne  put together the Free Bee. I was already familiar and with most of the people in the bee and really admire their work.

In this particular bee we use our own stash and have a lot of freedom as it leans toward improvisational type quilting....that's just the thing for me.

Digging in my stash for January's block....no shortage there.

Putting the block together....

 

My finished block for January.....which will be mailed to Krista, early this week.

I'm up for February, so my brain is in creative whirl, trying to come up with what I want these talented quilters to make for me. Wish me luck with that.

She's All Fired Up and Ready to Sew......

The machine that is....not so sure about me.

This room went together really easily....the layout is so conducive, as a work space. The new cork floors are fabulous.

This is actually a sofa bed, so we are all ready for company.

The nice thing is, most of this  furniture, we had in our other place. We've had to buy very little.

I'm thinking of ordering one of those roll up type vanishing design walls, for this spot above the bench.....anyone out there had any luck with one of those?



And look at all the electrical thingies I managed to hide with this little book case.
 In case you're wondering, I hate all those switches and things...they mess with the aesthetic. I really am a fuss budget.

This closet is really doing double duty.

The rest of the place is coming together as well.

The kitchen all ready for my husband to cook in...I don't really do that any more.

All those years of cooking, for four kids, will do that to you.....the boys were over six feet in their early teens, that's a lot of spaghetti!!

Living room all ready for relaxing.

Here is my husband's little den...he works from home when we are here.

Not to shabby....he likes to call it his West Coast Office.



Of course, you know who is sitting at the computer, at the moment....gotta do the blog thing, right.



After all that, I'm just way to tired to quilt....maybe I should head out the door for a little retail therapy or dinner.

More Than One Addiction....

So shoot me.....I have more than one addiction!

Just look at all those lovely colours......Why do I always need at least one of every colour!!

Maybe I'm just addicted to colour.....

....and texture.

Just look at that lovely soft yarn against the beautiful stone we just had installed.

It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

I'm making some headway with my move and setting up the studio, but as always it gets much worse before it gets better.

I have the layout pretty much figured out.  There is even room for a design wall!

It was looking pretty good until I started unpacking boxes....where to go with it all?? Where did this stuff all come from? I certainly couldn't have bought it all.

 

Now that's a little better, but that's not even half my books.....and I haven't even gotten to the knitting books yet. Yikes!
 

If you notice, my fabric and clothing have to share a closet......who needs clothing right??

 So, if you see pictures of me stark naked  poorly dressed, you'll understand.

Alright, if you are hiding your eyes at this point, it's safe to open them. Even I'm not that far gone.

 

Time to get off the computer and back to my mess.....now where is that fabric for my Freebee block?

Back to Moving on the West Coast

I'm back on the west coast and in the thick of moving. The moving guys will be here first thing in the morning, to bring the rest of the furniture, from our old place (so why aren't I in bed already).

This means I can  finally finish setting up my studio!!!

We had some work done to our new place, while we were back home for Christmas, and am loving it.  I can't wait to show you before and after pictures.

The empty walls are just waiting....

Meanwhile, there is all the chaos that comes with moving...

  My brain is chaotic enough without having a chaotic living space.

As Long as They are Still Asking....

I finally finished a hat for my great nephew, by his request, that I started before Christmas. We are having a slow start for the new year at my house..... cold and flu will do that to you. 

This is  Nate, about five years ago, wearing the first hat and sweater that I ever  knit. Since he is still loving the hats....how could I resist. 


I'll never forget the way his eyes lit up the first time I pulled a bunch of colorful yarn out of my knitting bag. So what's an Auntie to do when a seven year old asks for another hat....knit one of course.

Here is Nate modeling his new hat....his mom took that picture fast(I just finished it this morning). Just in time it's supposed get really cold.