Some Block of the Month Stitching and the Sin Bin

Well, I've been doing a bit of stitching.  Here are my Kim Diehl Journey's End Block of the Month blocks for the first month that I am getting from the Fat Quarter Shop.  They were fun to make and I had cut them out when I received them so they were ready to sew together when I had time.  I LOVE anything Kim Diehl, I LOVE houses and this quilt will be all houses!  I LOVE this fabric line by Kim Diehl as well.  The next set should arrive within the next week or so.

Here are the first set of blocks for month one of the Message in a Bottle Block of the Month that I am doing from Out of Hand in Calgary.  I LOVE needle turn appliqué and have watched a few You Tube videos on how to do points so my next blocks should be better!  That's what it's all about isn't it...improving our skills.  I will pick up the next set of fabrics tomorrow after my ct scan.

Hockey last Saturday night in Lethbridge.....yep this is Daughter2.  :oP  She's spending a couple of minutes in the penalty box (sin bin)!

My job interview update:  I didn't get the job.  Someone who used to work at the school got it....it's a tough school to get into!  But I have signed up to be a casual EA and have already been asked to cover a medical leave at that school so on Monday I will be heading to kindergarten for at least two weeks!!!!!  I hope I will survive and I'm hoping to impress them and maybe get in next year.  hahaha!!  Everything happens for a reason..........

Spring Teaser!

After my interview yesterday (I think it went well) I came home to do my Monday housecleaning.  It was so nice outside I opened a few windows......lots of that snow melted throughout the day although we do still have some.  Today is to get to double digits above zero (+12) so it won't take long to melt it all and the great temps are to last all week!!

While cleaning I took down any last signs of winter.....winter quilts and wallhangings were tucked away and I replaced them with lighter ones.  Snowmen table runners were put away as well.  I also brought out this candle I hadn't burned yet.....lilacs are a big reminder of spring!!!!!!  The house smelled wonderful!  I will burn it again today!!!!!

As I sit here relaxing on Valentine's Day morn I am reminded of when my Mom and I owned a flowershop and how CRAZY this day was!!!  Just think of spur of the moment, last minute, 'oops I forgot' men coming in wanting arrangements NOW!  Well, there were men who planned ahead, called earlier in the week and ordered flowers for their sweethearts and so we would be frantically filling those orders and dealing with the last minute guys walking in the door.  Oh it was not a fun time!  hahahaha!  Since then I have told my Hubby he does NOT have to get me a thing on Valentines Day! Just to be able to relax today (and Mothers Day and Easter and Thanksgiving and Christmas) is all I need!  :o) 

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my readers and I hope you are doing what you want and if you get flowers from your sweetheart remember to think about the frantic florists working their butts off today!  LOL!!!!  I know I will!

Stitching

Well, I was on a bit of a roll last week and got my Garden Path Buggy Barn blocks from the book Perennially Crazy done.  Love the fabrics in a kit from Village Quilts in Lethbridge that I bought years ago.  I'm just a tiny bit stumped because of the extra fabric I know must be for borders.....I need to figure out how big the borders are supposed to be!  The top from the book is as you see here so the borders are something Village Quilts did to make it bigger......I could call and see if Natasha remembers or still has the quilt around....or I could just figure it out myself! :o)

My daughter's good friend from our hometown is having a baby and had her baby shower on Sunday in Calgary where she is currently living.  I had this top done for awhile and got it quilted with a minky backing and satin binding.  I guess it was a hit!!!!  

My friend Sue came with me to my ct scan and Dr meeting on Thursday......then we made the "mistake" of stopping in at a couple of quilt shops on the way home!!!  Both of us purchased the first kit for a BOM called Message in a Bottle from Out of Hand.  Of course that meant we signed up for the rest of them too!!!!  We fell in love with the fabrics!!!!  The quilt has hand appliqué which I love to do.......now to get doing it!  I am also doing the Kim Diehl BOM from Fat Quarter Shop and have five house blocks to get sewn together for Month one!  I have them all cut out and ready to go..........this week for sure!  (of course we won't mention all the other BOMs started but not finished that I have stacked nicely in project boxes!)

I sent my kids their Valentine's Day goodie bags.....and left a bit for us to enjoy.....okay does anyone page anyone any more?????  LOLOLOL!!  (PS  Thumbs up to Canada Post....I mailed the parcel just regular parcel post to St Albert Thursday morning before I left for Calgary and the kids received it the next day!!!!!!!)

Daughter2 had a hockey game in Cochrane Friday night so Hubby left work early, we picked her up and took her there.......Hometown Hockey was set up and we could see stages, ice rink and other temporary buildings when we drove in.  During the first intermission an entertainer from Hometown Hockey came on the ice and juggled flaming mini goalie sticks.  He was pretty good and funny.

My post would not be complete without pictures of the grand babies........

Master Jude turned seven months old last week and his mother informed me this morning that he is officially crawling now!!!!!  Miss Lyla is giggling for Grandpa as he pretends to eat her banana!  She is still not feeling 100% so will go with her mommy to the doctor this afternoon.  

I am off to a job interview this morning at a school here in High River....fingers crossed I get it....I miss working with the kiddos and need to get doing something!  It is only 2-3 full days a week so I think that would be perfect for me to get back to the grind..........now to go and sell myself!  ;o)

A GREAT Visit....Just What I Needed!

Kim is such a super wonderful friend!  I was so excited when she said she was coming to Calgary with her Hubby and was able to come to visit with me!  We always have such a great time, have some laughs and solve all of the worlds problems (even in our own worlds)!  I miss her like crazy when she has to leave.

Here we are at the local quilt shop....how could we miss stopping into a quilt shop?!  Not sure why I have my glasses on....must have had to look at price tags!  

That was Thursday.  After Kim left to head back to Calgary, I checked the mail and I was touched when I opened this card.....4 special ladies from my hometown, who are members of the quilt guild there, sent it.  I have been so moved by the people who have reached out by sending cards to let me know I am being thought of while I go through my journey.  When you hear the "c" word, regardless of how serious the diagnosis is (or not), just knowing there are people who care and let you know they are rooting for you, is overwhelming.  And it shows me that even though you move away, you aren't forgotten.  :o)

And speaking of thoughtfulness......Kim gave this quilt to me when she arrived on Thursday....I wanted to cry but then I knew it would make her cry!  Cancer has touched her family in many ways, many times.  As a quilter, she knows what it means to gift a quilt to a person needing that special "hug" and I felt the love!  I will cherish this quilt forever!   

Friday was a whirlwind day for a visit!  Kim wanted to help me with a Buggy Barn kit I had bought years ago as she is the queen of Buggy Barn! Since a realtor was showing our house at noon (CRAZY eh??) we got the fabric organized to be cut.  We grabbed the dogs and went for a drive while the showing was happening (nothing came of it of course!).  Afterwards, we dropped the dogs off, went for lunch, came back and Kim continued teaching me what I needed to know as she had to leave soon.....then we remembered a ruler she wanted at the quilt shop so up we went to grab that!  She had to leave when we got back to the house just as it started snowing.  She arrived safely back in Calgary!!  

Here they are cut and switched and ready for sewing!

Here they are done!  They were so much fun to do!  Glad I had a great teacher!!!!!!!!!  I LOVE them!!  This is the quilt according to the pattern but my kit came with extra fabric for borders and binding.  

I had to stop working on this as my daughters friend is having a baby shower on Sunday so I have quilted a top I had had done.  Didn't want to leave it to the last minute!

The snow I had mentioned earlier......I think has finally stopped!!!  Hubby stayed home today and spent the morning clearing snow. I sure hope the roads are okay for his drive to work tomorrow morning!!!!!

SaveSave

Just Keep Stitchin'......

 I often check my weather app to see what the day will bring.......it is not always accurate!  There was NO snow in the forecast until Saturday.  I went to Costco today to stock up on veggies (and chicken pot pie!!)........went in while the weather was overcast and windy.....came out to blowing snow!  My friend Sue was at Costco too so we stopped for lunch there (who can beat a hot dog and pop for $1.50!!??) and were surprised when we came outside!  Yuck!

When I got home and got the groceries put away I thought it was the perfect day to stitch......this is the January block for the Bareroots pattern called Little Stitchies.  I am obviously not going to get it done in January since today is the 31st!  If I would work on it consistently I could have it done!  Just keep stitchin'!

I was excited to get home yesterday after picking up these wire basket drawer organizers!  All of my wool is stored here now and is much better than the stack of plastic bins.  Easy to get to all the colours now so no excuses!!!!!  

The set of plastic drawers that I said were jewellery making supplies, in my last post, were my scrapbook papers!  The drawer unit with my jewellery supplies is shorter and was beside it closest to the table....as you can see, both have been moved.....still in the room though!  LOL (just wanted to keep the facts accurate!  LOLOL)

My friend Kim is coming down for a visit Thursday and then again Friday.....her and her Hubby will be in Calgary and while he is doing work stuff she is coming here!!!!!!!  We might even sew!  She is the queen of Buggy Barn and I have an old kit in my cupboard....she might bring her own fabric and make it along with me..........I need some refreshing on the technique as we are going to be doing a block exchange. I do not want to disappoint the participants if my blocks turn out less than perfect!  I cannot wait for her visit!!!!!!!!!!!  We always have a million things to talk about, have a few good belly laughs and well, I miss her.  :o)  

Organization

 I LOVE to be organized.....sometimes it happens and it sticks around for a bit and other times poof here then gone!  LOL  My binders of patterns are nicely organized on my new-to-me bookshelf and I have moved magazines, that I save, onto the bookcase too.  Before they were tucked away and I never ever looked at them again.  IF I don't look at them while they are out in the open (I'll give myself a few months) then they will be gone too.....not all but certain ones taking up valuable real estate!

The stack of plastic containers beside one of the cupboards (with wool projects and embroidery stuff) I have in my "craft room" are full of my wool.  It's not very handy to grab the container on the bottom, and we all know that is usually the one we need, so today I am picking up two wire drawer units I 'won' on a Buy and Sell FB Auction page. They are exactly what I was looking for and I hope they work as well as I have envisioned!

Currently the table in my craft room is cleared off......one of those plop and forget about areas....but I will try hard to keep it tidy!  See the plastic drawer unit beside the table.....jewelry making supplies!!!!  Really????  It may have to go one day......The small cupboard is buttons, trims, elastic, velcro, bag handles, vintage hankies, etc, etc.

Cupboards full of scrapbooking stuff (2) and craft supplies (1)....one of these days I will have to decide what I am going to do with all of that stuff!

Last week I got my January Sew Sampler Box....that pink charm pack is so yummy!  Kona Solids 2017 Color of the year.  I can't wait to try the thread cutter....I do love the one I already have though!  

Now for the war wound photo....these are the needle holes used to put in my radiation seeds.....I counted about 17-18.  I still don't know how many seeds they put in.  I was great for the first two days and then started feeling funky....a bit nauseous, headachy, tired....just not well.  Everyone around me has a cold but I don't think I've caught anything yet.  I did muster up the energy to clean today.........I just want to be back to normal!

My friend/neighbour has conditionally sold her house (the buyers have to sell their house in a town north of Calgary).....I'm excited for her but feel sadness too.  She is looking at buying something in south Calgary....so she won't be far away.  That has got us talking about listing again.....I know the market will pick up so I am thinking we should maybe wait.......right now I don't feel like I have the energy for that.............

Grand baby Cuddles and I'm Done!

This little girl turned one year old on Sunday!  I can remember vividly the day she was born....being in the room was an experience I will never, ever forget!

Isn't her birthday outfit adorable!!!!!

Son1, Jenna and Jude came down for the occasion and it was the best weekend of baby cuddles!  I LOVE those two with all my heart!!!!!!

Yesterday was my brachytherapy so I'm done with operations and anaesthetic and being poked (as far as this left boob is concerned!).  I hope!  I now have a radioactive boob!  HAHAHA!  I was disappointed it didn't glow last night!  LOL!  I was tired, dizzy and had a headache yesterday.  Headache is still lingering, dizziness is much better and besides the fact I was awake since 4 am when Hubby left for work, I don't feel too bad.....nothing a little nap won't cure.  I'm not to do much except light activities...no heavy lifting, no long drives, etc for a bit.  I go back in two weeks for a ct scan and I am so looking forward to a nice shower this afternoon!!

My friend Deb always takes care of supper on these hospital days and brought over homemade mulligatawny soup and fresh homemade biscuits.  Hit the spot and was delicious!!!!!!!  Guess what I am having for lunch????? Yummmmmmmmy!  

Hubby usually takes very good care of me but he has a (man) cold and so was under the weather too.  What a pair we were!!!  I hope he gets better the rest of this week at work.

So here is the graphic photo.....my road map!  I wanted to document it before I (hopefully) wash it off this afternoon.  The red line is the scar from my lumpectomy...they drew the line with a red marker so it's not that bright!  The little dots under the bandage (not marked on) are the entry points for the needles used to place the radiation seeds.  The line above them under my arm is the scar from my lymph node biopsy.  I won't be modelling for Playboy!!!!!  hahahahahahah!!!!!  War wounds....memories.......the past.  

I'M DONE!