Tuesday 29 April 2014

Step 4 of Quilt # 2

Good Evening Internet Friends!
I have the time to blog post again this evening as unlike yesterday I am not working a double shift!!
I managed to finish almost in time,  Step 4 of the Mi Vida Loca quilt I am working on right now:
These little 2 1/2 squares are just adorable are they not???
Off to sleep now.
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Sunday 27 April 2014

February Block of the Month Done!!

Good Evening Internet Friends!!
I wonder how many of my quilting/crafting buddies are up at this time?
I am up simply because I am just getting home after working another evening in the friendly neighborhood Emergency Department!  It was overtime, so I had to go in...
Was up until late yesterday evening finishing off my February Block of the Month; Prairie Rose:
Didn't have time to post it until now though as had to have my son to art class by 10, went for coffee with a friend, got groceries, took a twenty minute power nap and then headed off to work!
Nighty night....
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Saturday 26 April 2014

February Block of the Month

Last evening I was supposed to be completing the most current step of the mystery quilt I am participating in, but got distracted by my February Block of the Month block.
So, here is the center of the block completed:
 This is from the Prairie Rose Block of the Month being offered by Prairie Points Quilt Shop.
Now, my son and I are off for the day on BIG adventures and will also pick up some of my finished quilts from the long arm quilter!
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Step 4 of Brandy's Quilt

Good Evening Internet Friends.
I am well aware it is late (red eye crafting), but I am very pleased with myself as I was able to finish Step 4 of my Mi Vida Loca quilt I am making for my friend Brandy's wedding:
Here we have 50, 2 1/2", 4 patch blocks!
Since this is really a Work In Progress I am going to link up this week again with The Needle and Thread Network.
Now, off to check the site for some cool creations and get to bed!
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Best Day Ever Yesterday!

Every morning when I wake my son up I ask him the same question:
"Who's ready for the best day ever?!"
He always replies "ME"!
Yesterday was definitely one of the best days ever.
First it started out with sleeping in since there was no school yesterday, followed by a pillow fort on the family room couch, a road trip 40 minutes outside of the city to my friends farm to visit her and her baby and play on the farm (and even ride the horses), a stop for lunch at the new burger joint (which I ate at several years ago in the US, and remember clearly now again that the food is really not tasty), and on the way home a stop for Slurpee's because only recently did I become aware that there are sugar free options for these things!  Okay, the one I had yesterday was Lite, so it had 14 grams Carbohydrate in it, so bolus worthy for my insulin pump instead of what a regular one would be!
Here are my son and horse taking a look at something interesting...

Late last night I did finish the last of my 152, 3" square half triangles for my second Mi Vida Loca Facebook Mystery Quilt but was way too tired to post them at that time as had to go to bed as worked today:
 Now, off to reflect on Best Day Ever Today!
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Sunday 20 April 2014

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!
Ever since my son was born we have chosen to celebrate both the mainstream holidays as well as those of my grandmother as my son loves his Big Grandma (when he was a toddler he started calling her Big Grandma instead of Great Grandmother and the name has stuck).  This has worked out great until today because we have two Christmas' and two Easter's.  On the first Christmas there is regular church, the tree, gifts and Santa, and for Ukrainian Christmas it is about Church and the Dinner.  Same with Easter.  Except for this year when both Easter's fell on the same day!!!  We had to have a chat about the Easter Bunny and Paska ; )
All in all it was a great day, and dinner was lovely, somehow I forgot to take a picture before the table started to be cleared!
Earlier in the week I started (with the intent of being done) a little quilt kit that I got as part of my order from  A Needle Pulling Thread Quilt Shop (it came in a teeny little green pail - it is so cute).  Here is what I have so far:
There is even a little bit of hand stitching on it with the cotton floss that was part of my order!  What a feat for me who really does not do embroidery!!  The rest is machine applique, much more my style!
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy


Saturday 19 April 2014

Doggie Quilt Done!

Good Late Evening Internet Friends!
As you likely know I am addicted to fabric, and any time that I am out and about and stumble across dog or dog related fabric I MUST purchase it.  
My son and I both love dogs, so a while back I started to make for him a Dog Quilt out of the dog fabric fat quarters I have bought over the past few years.
I did finish the quilt top and even got it to and back from the long armers (it has been quilted with bones), put on about half of the binding, and then it went into the "TO DO PILE" and has been sitting there for quite some time.
This evening I decided to finish putting on the binding as a surprise gift for my son for Easter tomorrow morning:
 Hello Kitty is already looking to sleep on it!
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Friday 18 April 2014

Good Friday

Today has been a Good Friday (really).
Got to stay home and "play".  Did some quilting and of course my son and I made Babka.  
There are several ways to make this dependent on how you grew up with it, and this is the way I know and love it (yes, it should be in a round pan, but I did not have enough round pans for the amount of dough I made).  
I had to cut into it just to make sure it was delicious, and with a bit of butter it certainly was:
Easter  Babka:
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 cup butter 
- heat in microwave until butter has melted into water and milk
- add to mixing bowl with 1 cup of flour and beat until side of bowl is warm to touch (no longer hot)
- add:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp yeast
1 cup flour
- continue to mix and add in:
3 eggs
2 cups raisins
1 tsp tumeric
- continue to mix adding in another 6 + cups flour until dough is not sticking to side of bowl
-turn out on counter and knead until dough "squeaks"
- put to rest for about 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

My son always takes these special holiday doughs to his bed and covers the bowl with quilts and reads to the bread while it rises ; )

Shape into loaves, let rise again, and bake at 350 F for about 35 minutes.

Enjoy...
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Out of respect for today I am attaching a link to one of my favorite singer's tributes to today:


Thursday 17 April 2014

Knit Along DONE!!

Good Evening Internet Friends!!
It has been another super busy week in my world again, and only today did I realize today is Holy Thursday no matter which calendar I use!!!  
I have not started my Paska yet (and it's not like I get a "practice" Easter this year)!!  Tomorrow, I guess...
I did however, manage to finish my November Knit Along cowl late yesterday evening, and get it blocked:
There are no buttons attached yet, as I have decided to get the buttons from a local pottery artist who makes buttons!  I will hopefully get these early next week.  
Seeing as how it snowed again today, I will probably get some use out of this yet before spring ; )
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Brandy's Quilt Part Three!

Good Evening Internet Friends.
As you know I am in the process of making a mystery quilt for my friend's wedding.  Yes, I suppose I should have chosen a pattern, but this is part of the surprise for everyone, me included.  So far all I have purposefully chosen is the fabric.
Here is Step Three of the Mi Vida Loca Mystery Quilt I am making:
This is 152, 3" finished half square triangles!  Now, before you decide I am off my rocker for doing this, please remember I am making two of these quilts!!!
Went for a quick walk down by the river this evening, here is what was happening:
That is SNOW!!!  My son and I decided that the Easter Bunny must be on strike or some work to rule campaign and as such Santa has to fill in for him, therefore snow was necessary!
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Saturday 12 April 2014

A Virtual Road Trip!

Good Afternoon Internet Friends!
 
Woke up to snow here in Edmonton this morning.  YAY (not).
After breakfast though I went to the post office to pick up a package that I got the delivery notice for yesterday.  I was pretty sure I knew what it was so was super eager to get it!
 
This summer when we were in the Maritimes I had hoped to find, and get to some awesome quilt shops.  I had this idea that since we have so many quilt shops in Alberta that surely there must be a bzillion awesome quilt shops out east.  
 
Sadly, I did not find very many, and the one I really wanted to go to we didn't have time to get to.  My husband always tells stories about going to visit his grandmother "in the valley" (which I think is a local perception for something, as can't say I have visualized it) and playing under the quilt frames at her house.  After this trip I think I was "set up" to believe in the quilting down east ; )
 
Anyways,.... I "liked" the Facebook page of the quilt shop I wanted to go when we got home and have been watching all of the wonderful things that are in stock.
 
Last week, I decided that since I could not actually take a road trip to the small independent merchant of A Needle Pulling Thread (such a cute name), in the metropolis of Digby (another fun word), I would place an online order!  Darlene there was most helpful, and as such here are my purchases:
I just realized that the Nova Scotia Tartan Fabric is not included in the picture because I have already taken it to nether regions of the house to audition for quilts it could be backing!
 
I love supporting small shops because it makes me feel good about my purchases, and on top of that I got a hand written note (which I love), candy (another thing I love), and an extra little kit (that I love).  I think I just might try to get it done for next weekend.
Thanks Darlene!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Friday 11 April 2014

It's Finally Friday!

Yay!!!  It's FINALLY FRIDAY!  It has been another long week; worked a double shift day again on Monday, had an advisory group meeting Tuesday, and now fighting some kind of cold, fever, chest congestion thing!  
The cold and flu medication kicked in after a nap which allowed me a window of opportunity to venture to my craft room.
I decided I could make a pillowcase since the fabric was staring right at me and it would be something I could accomplish quickly:
Nighty Night!
Hope this inspires your own creativity...
 
Kathy 

Wednesday 9 April 2014

Work In Progress Wednesday

Good Evening Internet Friends!  
Hard to believe it is already Wednesday.  Not sure where the week has gone, but worked more overtime, and yesterday evening had a semi-annual meeting with an advisory group committee that I volunteer on that I have never missed attending, yet last night almost did not go.  I did in the end and of course was glad I did but today seemed long as well.
I did manage to get the last 4 of these 124 small blocks done though this evening:
Since I don't already have enough projects on the go right now, I decided that I would make myself my own version of the Mi Vida Loca mystery quilt.  I am actually making two of these quilts; one for a friend's wedding, and one for myself!
Since it is Wednesday, I also figured I should participate in Work In Progress Wednesday over at The Needle and Thread Network!
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Sunday 6 April 2014

Horse Quilt

Good Evening Internet Friends!
I have been delinquent in my blogging as I have worked twenty four hours of over time this week!!!  So tired, but not tired enough to miss the Red Deer Quilt Show yesterday.
My son and I road tripped to see it, and I got the remainder of the horse fabric that I need to make this horse quilt for my son:
A couple of weeks back we had gone to Prairie Points Quilt Shop to pick up my block of the month. While there we found this horse quilt panel and all these fun horse/western fabrics.  They were so fun, I had to get them.
This is what I chose to do with this panel and the fabrics, but to make the outer horse fabric border 9 1/2"
like I wanted, I had to get more fabric.
So, a quick email to Lynn, and at the show I was able to get the remainder and late last night I finished the quilt!
Pretty proud of my accomplishment; making a quilt all on my own!
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy