Packing for Cooler Weather

You must think I've fallen off my rocker.   But it's true.    Today, we are packing to go to Iceland.   We leave in a couple of days.   We have been talking about visiting Iceland for a couple of years.   To celebrate our milestone birthdays this this month, we're taking a summer trip.    We are quite excited to go.     Our tour tells us to be sure to dress in layers.  Long sleeve shirts, sweaters, wind jackets, rain gear, and of course your bathing suit to swim in the Blue Lagoon.    I've been looking at pictures and reading about Iceland for a few weeks.   I think we're ready.    These are just a couple of the spectacular sights we will see on our tour.

This site is in Iceland, where the spreading
plates of the mid-Atlantic ridge come ashore.

We will be seeing many spectacular waterfalls
including Gullfoss.

We'll be visiting the Geyser.  Iceland's most
active hot springs. 

A to Zzz Progress

I needed my spare bed cleared off last week.   This meant either I had to sew the components and sashing together or carefully stack and move the blocks in order.   Well, the easier thing to do was to take the 15 or 20 minutes and sew it together.    Now, having it sewn together is giving me the oomph I need to move forward... I just love this whimsical quilt.    

I have the fabric for the blue borders.  A little focused work at the cottage this weekend will get the borders cut and the fused applique pieces prepared.  

I'm going to set myself a goal to have this done by the end of July.
 

Christmas is Coming

Love the fun summery but Christmasy colors.

I was killing time this morning while waiting for hubby to get routine hospital tests done.   So I walked over to Fabricville.  i walked in the rear entrance, and it looks like Christmas is coming.    They had half a dozen tables set up with Christmas fabrics.    I expect they'll be having a huge Christmas in July sale soon.    

Love these white fabrics with
silver gold and grey motifs.

That's got me thinking about what I might make as my Christmas in July Project!      

Now, that's a good reason to sit down with a cup of tea and do a bit of research.      If you see a "Christmas in July Sew along", would you let me know.   I'm itching to buy some Christmas Fabric!!!

A New Sewing Venue and making another Bionic Bag

The Friday Girls and I checked out a new sewing room venue this week.    It's a bright classroom at the old Marysville Elementary School.  The school is de-commissioned and is now being turned into a non-profit community center, called the Marysville Center.  

The room has lots of plugs, which is always a concern for sewing workshops.     We sewed and talked about what would be needed to make this room attractive for sewers to work in.  There are big cork boards on one wall.  Great for design wall purposes.   There are chalkboards at the front of the class.   Bright windows to give beautiful light.   Windows that open to give fresh air.    A nice place to sew.

We are the first class in "The Sewing Room" at the Marysville Center
Photo taken by Building Manager, Jeff.
Jeff and the other staff were so helpful.

We sewed the Bionic Bag.  This is my second and I love the fabric combination that I chose.  Darker on the outside, lighter on the inside.  Seems to be my style, because that is how I do wallets too.    I bought the fabric in Florida this past winter, just to make this bag.  

Today, I'll be transferring all my thread and notions from the old bag into the new bag.      I will use it lots this summer.

I'll have it packed with the items I use daily, so I can easily take it to the cottage on the weekends.   I have a sewing machine there, and on cool, or damp, or buggy mornings, I like to sew a bit.

Soon I will make the little zippered dumpling bag and the needle case to go with it.

I'll give the first bag that I made to my sister.  She doesn't go to sewing workshops, but I know she'll find a use for it.

I have a designer button!!

I'm a designer!!    Well I've never considered myself a designer.   But today I'm proud to put a designer button on my blog.

See, Diane at Country Crafts and Curtains told me about this summertime Row by Row Quilt Shop Hop.   I had never heard of it, but it sounds like a nice summer shopping activity.   She asked me if I'd like to design the "Row" that her shop will give out to visiting customers this summer.       The theme was H20.    I thought, I'm no designer, but I'd give it a go.

It was fun.     When I think of life here in Fredericton in the Summer, I think of kids swimming, and how fun it is to see little ones having fun around the pools with their colorful floaties.   So with kids in mind, here is the simple water themed row I designed!!   It's called "Floaties".

 

There are 8 quilt shops participating in Atlantic Canada, as well as many shops across Canada and the US.  Where ever you shop this summer (after June 21), be sure to stop into the participating Quilt Shops to get their free Row pattern and join in the fun.

Thanks Diane for letting me be part of the Row by Row fun.

Tiny brushes from Lee Valley

Lee Valley brushes.  Just slightly longer than a spool of thread

My friend Lee went to Lee Valley a few weeks ago.   She bought  these tiny brushes. They came in 10 packs.   I had never seen them before.    She uses them to clean her sewing machine.  She gifted each of the Friday girls with a set at coffee last week.     

Perfect timing, since I'm lending my sewing machine to a friend today to sew a wallet, I thought I'd give the brushes a try.    I cleaned all around the feed dogs, in around the bobbin area and up around the top of the shank area.   I didn't realize how much lint can collect in such a small area.    These micro brushes worked fantastic.   Much better than the Q-tip solution I had been using before.     So that's one machine cleaned and now I'll give the other three a cleaning.  

Many thanks Lee!   It's a great gift and I'll get lots of use out of these.  

Look for the yellow brush.   The tiny brush attracts
the dust/lint like a magnet.

  Love these brushes.
Completely re-usable.

What's Cooking!

I've been getting this free Kraft What's Cooking magazine quarterly for a long time.  They stopped taking subscriptions a few years ago, and I was so thankful to be one of their subscribers.    When the magazine came in the mail, I just loved looking at the common sense recipes and had big plans on what to cook out of it.  it would sit on my cupboard for days, maybe even weeks... and serve as inspiration for some meals when I was too tired to think...  I have magazines from back in 2002.  That's 13 years.   It's time to pare down.   

I use the Kraft What's Cooking website often and I know I can find any of the recipes online.  I really find that I'm heading to my computer more and more for recipes.   So these  magazines will be bundled up by year, and put into our quilt guild's yard-sale style silent auction in a couple of weeks.     I know who ever buys them, will be inspired for days and lucky will be the ones who are around for her cooking!!   

A - Z blocks done

Another milestone.   All 26 blocks to my A - Z quilt are done.   I'm really happy.   The final three blocks weren't that bad to do.  I don't know why I was putting it off so long.    

  I will add the sashing and sew the entire row of blocks together.  It comprises the bottom third of the main body of the quilt.    My next challenge is to work on the very detailed borders.   I know that I'm going to have to carefully plan a strategy to get them done.  They'res only 4 side borders.    Maybe that will be my June weekly challenge to myself.          

Modern Take Along Bag

It's been a while since I made a take-along bag.    

This one is made from modern fabric and was sitting half made for months now.. possibly even since last summer.    I can't tell you how many times I've moved it from one side of my worktable to the other.  I don't even know who or why I started to make it.   Well, after all this time, I now know that it would have been easier to just to finish it than manage moving it out of my way.   It took just 20 minutes of work.  It's done.  

It just so happens that a young friend and his wife are expecting a baby.    This will make a nice little bag for mama-to-be to take to the hospital.   I bought a few small baby things to put inside.

Now I'm pumped up to see what else I can clear from my worktable.  

 

A Quilted Badge/Phone Holder - a prototype

I enjoyed making this cute project.  

I'm using it for a phone holder when I go for my morning walk.    The instructions have this badge holder hanging around your neck but I made a 50" cross body strap instead.  I'll wear this prototype today to carry my phone in it while I walk.   I think the size is right on.  My phone fits perfectly inside the zip section or in the back slot.  

This project didn't take long at all.   Maybe an hour or less.   The key is to pre-quilt a 12 x 12" piece of fabric.  Then cut it into the required size pieces.  Next time I make this, besides using a coordinating zipper color :), I would not bother with the badge holder plastic in the front.  It made it hard to turn inside out and I'm not using it for a conference so it's really not needed.  

Want to make one for your self, check out this tutorial.

     

Back at my A - Z Blocks

While in Florida, I'd been reporting on Mondays, the progress on my A - Z blocks.   I ran out of some fabrics to complete the blocks.  Since I had more fabric at home, I decided to pack it up and knowing it would only take an hour or so to finish, I was ok with not searching for similar fabrics etc.

Well, I've been home from Florida for six weeks now.  It was my intent to have the A-Z blocks done long before this.  But It seems this just keep being put on the back burner. I'd like to get it done.  

So it's Monday. A good day to get back at it.  After a good hour of sorting  through my fabrics and pattern pieces this morning, I think the mojo is coming back.  I thought there was only one block left to do.  Turns out, there's three. U, W, X.     The U block pieces are now cut out.    All 28 of them!   Next, I'll be cutting out the W and the X.   

And tomorrow I will sew.      

  

In search of a Great Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

I came across this recipe on Pinterest this week.  

It's a Quaker Oats recipe that was on the top of a canister of oatmeal.  I've tried many oatmeal cookie recipes and I can't seem to find one that cooks up right for me.  Even my sisters fabulous oatmeal cookie recipe which comes out great for her, is bla and flat when I make them.
 
I gave this recipe a try the other day.  And the cookies came out better than most recipes that I've tried.  I like that they don't flatten out to much.   My husband says the are just fine.    Actually I make them for him and not me.

This recipe makes a nice big batch, and next time I'll double the cinnamon.  So I think I'll stick with this recipe for now.  

(Unless you have a recommended recipe. :)  )