A Loss

So I haven't blogged in a while. It's been a hard time.

Last Thursday night we brought our three year old dog in to be euthanized. It was the hardest thing I've done in my life and I don't think I can even express the horror I feel remembering what happened. I can never undo it and I wish I could, though it had to be done. My partner couldn't stay in the room so it was just the vet and I, and my beautiful, spunky, sick dog. I don't really feeling like sewing and I'm not sure when I will be, because the loss is overwhelming to me.

RIP little girl. I'll miss you forever.

April Showers...

Well it's been an exciting day!

But first, here's a few things I'm working on! The cowboy found this old ponds jar out in the field and I decided that it will make a perfect pin cushion. I need to finish it up, and glue it in place. Maybe add a trim.

A mug rug for a work mate who's moving back east. She makes wonderful mugs and this quote goes with her mugs perfectly! Her last day is Thursday so I need to finish it up quickly!

The new toy is working awesome! I love the ease of cutting strips. Next to try will be the template for the rag quilt!

And now for the surprise! My sister who has been in Japan for many years is very close to leaving sent me a little present! Imagine my surprise to find this in the mail today!

Sewing and Craft Show at the Tradex

This weekend my friend Leslie and I attended the Sewing and Craft Show. I had gone a few years ago with my mother so I knew what to expect but it was a lot of fun going with someone who quilts too!
So I braved driving to their house and from there we proceeded to the show!
We immediately ignored the craft side and headed to the fabric.. and so much fabric there was!

We stuck with out plan though and looked at everything first until we hit a display of accuquilt's GO! fabric cutter. And boy were we impressed. I stood there with my scarred wrists taking in the ease that the machine cut through the fabric.. multiple layers of fabric even!

So we of course decided to 'think about it' (yah right!)
Then we hit up one of the local quilt shop's sale table, sold by the pound. Yah, I went a bit crazy. Let's not talk about it ok?
Then we went back and each bought the baby go hahahahaaha

LOVE IT! Of course when I got home I had to do a test run.. I understand why it's so heavy now, it's to help keep the unit stable. Perfect shapes cut in a quick manner.. for someone with wrist problems this machine is awesome!

Here are a few pictures of quilts that were on display. Wish I felt brave enough to take some photos of quilts that were on display in the booths but oh well!

Thanks to Leslie for joining me!

Mom Gift!

My mom has been bugging me to come over to her place to look through some craft stuff she's getting rid of.. you'd think it would be easy. She lives five minutes away! But I kept procrastinating. 

Bad me.

So tonight I ran over to pick up some frozen bones for Levy and decided to take a moment to look at what she had (and I ignored Levy's "WOOF" from the tracker because she wanted to play with an old saint bernard!)

Some of the fabric is not great, but some of it is FABULOUS.. like the Christmas fabric!

And some florals and solids. Some shiny scary stuff too as well as a piece of my prom dress YIKES!

 I really liked these two, I think they will go well with some fabrics I just bought!

And here are my Japanese squares. I decided to do something a little off kilter so I've angled all the squares when squaring them off! I hope it looks good when I start putting them together!

And here's Mr. Black!

Learning to drive to get fabric!

So, it's odd to admit but I never really took to driving. I had my license for many years but let it expire when I was living in another province (ontario) and I was NEVER going to drive in Toronto. But then I moved back here and met the cowboy, who is a professional driver. He inspired me to take the driver test again and this time I'm actually driving, something I never did when I had my license before.
So of course where do I drive? For FABRIC of course!

Oddball Projects

So a couple of years ago we purchased a tent trailer to go behind a 4x4 vehicle. Some people think this is odd because we also have a full size camper and truck (and we kind of have a third camper too)
So we got the tent trailer and I instantly wanted to redo the interior, making the cowboy crazy. Because of course he thought it was A-Ok, all we have to do is sleep in it, he says.
Here's a before shot

Gross right? Like the 70's puked inside the tent trailer! The floor had a bit of shimmery gold going through it as well!

Here is the new and improved (though not finished) The fabric was in the discount section in Fabricland. I had some help stapling it in as my wrists couldn't deal with it, but I did most of the floor myself and the painting. I still have the other side to finish and the bench seats for the table need to be re-built which hopefully will happen this year. Who knows, one day I may attempt redoing the canvas!

It's ok to have more then one project - REALLY

So I was a bit worried about having more then one project on the go until I read how many other people have going.. now I feel free to have multiple projects!
I have my japanese quilt. I have to finish sewing some blocks together and then trim the blocks down to be square, then comes the big sew - when I sew the blocks all together. Then I don't know what I'm doing hahahah. I'll have to figure out how to do backing and quilting for something that large. I suspect I will pay someone to do the quilting on a machine as the old wrists can't take that kind of work.
I want to do a rag quilt from denim and some mixed fabrics (this involves me ripping apart something I started after having wrist surgery on both wrists for carpal tunnel syndrome - not my brightest move)
I also have my dog toy projects. I think I figured out how to make the bottles replacable and I've cut out two that I need to try sewing together.
I also have two "dear jane" block patterns I've done up using CAD (the program I use to design at work) and I've actually cut one of them out in fabric. I just need to sew it now. That project is a long term one though.

I'm also just cutting scraps into two size blocks for a random project, you know, for when I'm not busy (rolls eyes)
This weekend I will get some work  done on SOMETHING