Soup kitchen duty!

I had the opportunity to volunteer at a soup kitchen in Plattsburgh. I will admit, I had always wanted to volunteer but just didn't know how to go about doing it.

The opportunity finally came ... it actually fell on my lap! lol  Here is the picture of our crew.

I'm the one with the fuchsia shirt! The lady on my left, Simone, is the organizer of the group. It was also her first time coordinating and would you believe that the County food inspector stopped by? We passed with flying colours! We cook/serve the third Wednesday of the month.

Here is another group shot! Still working on that fruit salad!

All of these folks had soup kitchen experience! I was trained by the best! Justin, (the red strip apron) actually worked in a soup kitchen in Philadelphia. Quite the different clientele from our small Plattsburgh community.

Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!

My adventures with baby Coons!

It was quite the weekend. I do hope those of you in the US enjoyed a fun day with family and friends. Myself, I became the care taker of cute little baby raccoons.

Early Sunday morning, I noticed one baby coon on the side walk in front of my house. It kept calling for its mother. I left it there for a while hoping the mother would show up ....

By 10:00 a.m. there was still no sign of the mother .... I looked across the street and there's another little coon.

They both looked so tired  .... So I placed them in a bin with some cotton batting. I  mean what else is there to do with batting scraps?

Aren't they cute?

I left them outside for the night in the hopes that their mother would show up. Sadly, by Monday morning, they were still in the bin. Their mother hadn't shown up to claim them.

I found this great website that helped me take proper care of these critter. Please, before you do anything, always do some research. There are lots of valuable information on the web.

I ended up taking them to the Adirondack Wildlife Refugee where Ethan, the coon expert, greeted me.  He will be working to rehabilitate them and they will be released in their natural habitat when old enough.

If you have never visited the Adirondack Wildlife Refugee, I would highly recommend it.  AND if you can, please add them to your annual charity budget list. Their work on rehabilitating wild animals is strictly funded by private donations.

Bye, Bye little raccoons!

Thanks for stopping by my little corner in cyberspace! Cheers!

Memorial Day!

Honouring those who sacrificed for our freedom.  Thank you!

Have a safe Memorial Day!

Virtue of a fabric stash...!

To stash or not to stash, that is the question?!

Being a quilt shop owner, you learn a lot about quilters. For instance, some have a stash and other's do not. For those that do not stash, I've come to learn that their left over fabrics are considered scraps.  Hum ... I wonder if it's not just a question of semantics! lol

And others, would you believe, do not keep any left over fabrics!! I have to admit, sometimes I fall into that category. If it's a novelty or the latest fabric trend, I also do away with it. I only tend to keep fabrics that are "timeless," you know those that can be used in another project without blatantly screaming "I don't belong with this group of fabrics!" I do keep a bag in my sewing studio for fabrics I discard. They are later donated to an organization that make quilts for the less privileged.

I stash anything that looks whole.  For me, a scrap is a piece of fabric that is cut into and is less than a 1/4 yard.

I'm a stasher. I like being able to look in my fabric cabinet and find the perfect colour I need for a quilt. For instance, I needed a binding for this quilt! The perfect green .... and a funky backing .... stash baby!

That green must be at least 15 years old! It's just what I needed! A stash keeps me productive by helping me get things done.

I also look at my stash as a tool for inspiration. Many of the fabrics speak to me, they wait patiently for the perfect project to come along! Sometimes, the perfect project comes along and I just don't want to cut into that fabric ... but that's another story! lol

I've come up with my own formula for stashing. The quantity I purchase is dependent on what I intend to do with it.

Borders - I'll get at least 1.5 to 2 yards (which will include binding also)

When I work with reproductions, the quilts tend to be scrappy, so I usually work with 1/3 of a yard. When I need a piece I cut parallel to the selvage and keep the width of the intact!

Blenders, depending on the colour, I'll usually get a yard. I'm not much of a blender gal, most of the blenders I have in my stash are bright and cheerful.

As for batiks, I always buy minimum 1/2 yard. Most batik quilts work with fat quarters. I can just cut the yardage in half!

Are you a stasher? What's your formula?

Thanks for stopping by! Catch you later! Cheers!

Perfectly imperfect ...!

Last summer, I bought a cute train/road panel just because. You really never know when you'll need to quilt one for myself a child. Who wouldn't want to play with theses road and train tracks?!

Well, last Sunday that kid came to mind. I took the panel out and began pinning it so that I could use my DSM to machine quilt it. I reasoned, "I'm much better at controlling the quilting with my DSM, as opposed to my longarm."

What that really meant was "I'm such a perfectionist chicken, so I better use my DSM". Now don't get me wrong, I do not produce perfect quilts, I try, but I don't succeed. It's really a matter of what I am willing to live with and, as I get older, I seem to be more and more tolerant of my imperfections work.

As I started to safety pin the top, this voice in the back of my head said "Come on Carole, when are you going to be daring and just do it using Penelope?".  Hum ..... so I took the safety pins out and began loading it on my longarm.

First attempt:

I nearly had a cardiac arrest! "Oh no, this isn't good". But, I decided to take this as a learning experience and did not take it out. I continued machine quilting the quilt.

Yes, there are some spots where I'm not following the line but, in the grand scheme of things, it's really not noticeable unless I point it out. Sometimes you just gotta do it, let it go and get it over with!

No roads are perfect, and I'm sure once my the child has the trains, cars and whatever on the panel, it really will not be noticeable!

There you have it, the quilted panel! Notice any mistakes? lol

I learned a lot from this simple panel. Let it go Carole .... and just do it!

"Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor" Anne Lammott, from Bird by Bird (p.93)

Thanks for stopping by!  Cheers!

Helping others .... !

So much devastation on this good earth.

Picture by Nasa

If you are moved to assist the Southern areas of the United States, those that have been battered by tornadoes, Checker's Newsletter blog has posted information on how you can help by donating quilts.

Please send them to:

Skip and Peggy Ackfeld
Ackfeld Manufacturing
360 Emerson Road,
Reeds Spring, MO 65737

They will deliver the quilts to the Red Cross for distribution.

You may read the post here.

Namaste!

Call for quilts for Japan

Hello everyone. I'm here! Just very busy with dd's figure skating show. Lots and lots of work, but so worth it when I see her on the ice.

I do want to tell you about a cause that I feel compelled to participate in - Quilts for Japan.

Quilter's Newsletter magazine is doing a collection of quilts to send to Japan earthquake and Tsunami victims. You may read more information about it here:

There is also Quiltsalott blog that has information on the subject.

Thank you for your visit!

Enjoy the day! Hugs!

Quilting Recap 2010......!

Allow me to share with you a quilt I made in December 2010.

I've never been a fan of the use of fusible web for a quilt. I decided it was time I took the opportunity to justify my opinion by making a raw edge applique lap quilt using Stream a Seam lite 2.

Using one of the contemporary line from the Shoppe, I made this pattern:

Make Life go Round by Sweetwater.

However, I call this quilt Ruffled Feathers!

Why you asked? Because I used this quilt to practice my freehand feathers and some are, let's say, ruffled! lol

Although I feel that fusible web has its place in the quilting world, it's not for me. For one thing, it increases the cost of making a quilt. Would you believe I used over 4.5 yards of fusible; that's the cost of a couple of yards of cotton fabric!

To my surprise, the circles are soft and pliable. I somehow expected the quilt to be stiff!

Not sure it cuts back on the time it take to make the quilt. I still had to stitch around the outer and inner edge of the circles.

Another down fall, I had lots of odd size pieces of the fusible web. Sigh!

Given that I am not a scrap collector, less so of fusible, I had to do something with all those odd pieces....

So I made this cute little table topper!

The pattern is from Sweetwater and is called, Heart Table Mat.

Perfect for Valentine's day!

I now have my fill of fusible projects! lol Onward to something else. lol

I did mention in a prior blog entry that I would publish the winner of the quilt kit, so..... First, I want to take the opportunity to again thank all those who partook in the auction to benefit Queensland Flood Relief. You gals are great!

Drum roll please ........ The winner of the Civil War Chronicle kit is Donna from Chookyblue blog. Thank you Donna for your generous contribution.

Off to work on a quilting project! Thanks for stopping by!

Gratitude, thank yous..........!

I want to thank all of my friends who helped me get the word out regarding the auction to benefit Queensland Flood Relief. I know that I have been neglectful of my blog and I am truly grateful that you helped me get the word out. Thank you so much! You cannot imagine what this means to me. I could not have done it without you.

The winner of the Civil War Chronicle kit has been contacted. Once everything is in order, I will publish the winner. Thank you to all those who participated in this auction.

For those who were unable to bid and would still like to help, you can make a donation to the disaster relief appeal here. Every little bit counts!

Thank you again!

Queenlands Flood Appeal Auction..... please!

Hello everyone!

Quilters are amazing people, always there to help when in need. I have made some wonderful friend across the globe, many of whom are in Australia.

I am sure you have read about the devastation in Australia. It is now my turn to give back. Please help me raise money for this cause.

I am auctioning a Civil War Chronicle kit. The newest block of the month designed by Dolores Smith and Sarah Maxwell.

The kit will include the patterns (which have been written by professional pattern writers) and all of the fabrics to make this top including the binding. It will come in a beautiful canvas bag designed specifically for this quilt. Retail Value apprx $320 US.

Funds will be in Australian dollars and is open to everyone across this beautiful planet earth. If anyone in outer galaxies are following my blog, you may also bid and we'll figure out the delivery logistics! ;o)

Auction ends on January 24th, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time.

How this auction works:

1. Bidding is in Australian dollars.
2. You can place a bid by leaving a comment on this blog post with your bid amount and email address. Please make sure that your bid is higher than the previous bidder.
3. Your bid must be in whole dollar increments.
4. This auction is open to everyone.
5. The auction begins NOW and will END at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time on Monday 24th January 2011.
6. At the close of the auction, I will contact the winner via e-mail. The winner will pay the winning amount directly into the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and send me proof of payment via email. Once proof of payment has been received, I will post your Civil War Chronicle kit.

Thank you so much for helping to raise funds!

Happy bidding!

Life, the universe and Diet Monday...!

Well it's that time of the week again and as you know, I do not own a scale. Therefore, there's really no way for me to report the weight I have lost, if any that is!

If it's any consolation, my jeans are loose on me. Of course that could be because I haven't washed them in weeks for fear of not fitting back into them....! Just kidding! lol

Over the weekend Penelope and I had a major play date. I've been busy machine quilting for a couple of good causes.

I barely finished machine quilting Butterfly Kisses a BOM designed by Nancy Murty of Bee Creative Design . The colours are delicious!

This quilt was made by a group of wonderful ladies and is being donated to help raise funds for the Glenwood Cemetery, a local non denominational cemetery in our village.

Such a kind and thoughtful gesture on their part, I just had to be a part of it myself! ;o)

This one was made by my friend Holly.

The quilt will be raffled to raise money for an Irish Dancing Association. I bet you couldn't tell that it was remotely Irish! lol

Well, that's it for me! Not much to report on my own quilting process. I haven't worked on any of my own personal projects for over a week. I think I'm going through withdrawal! lol

Keep well everyone and thanks for stopping by!

Diet Monday ...!

Well, it's that time of the week again. Not that I find those post amusing but, I guess it's part of the deal. And since I like to follow rules, well let's pretend that I do, I'm posting.

I don't have anything to report on that topic except that I had a wonderful weekend of beer and home made pizza. Yep, the beauty in all this is the fact that I'm oblivious to any weight I may have gained! Ignorance is bliss! ;o)

On the quilting front, I did have a date with Penelope today. I MADE myself do it. It had been way too long! Nothing special, a pantho for a charity quilt.

It's a gorgeous quilt! I love the pattern!

It was made by Sheila in Ohio. If you recall she sent me 3 (three) quilts to practice. This is the last one.

Thanks again Sheila for your kindness!

I want to show you a fabric that made quite an impression on me.

Jennifer found 3 (three) yards of this older fabric at a thrift shop. It's not the prettiest, but I tell you, the quality was amazing.

I have never seen a plaid fabric printed on such a straight grain as this one.

We all know how difficult it can be to work with plaids, I mean we all gave up on matching lines! Well, this one was printed so well that it lined up beautifully. I was in awe! They sure don't make/print fabric like they used too!

That's it for me except that I do want to say to my friends in Australia, I am in shock from the devastation. You are in my thoughts!

What's up doc.....?!

Well, I haven't been much of a socializer as of late. I've pretty much been keeping to myself, allowing my hermit persona to take over! lol

What have I been up too as of late, you might ask?

Last week, Jennifer forced me to book a play date with Penelope. lol We hadn't played in a long time!

She needed the quilt pronto so that she could have enough time to sew on the binding.

It was nice to play with Penelope. As for Jennifer's company, it was alright, I guess! LOL Just kidding!

After this quilt, I did load one of my quilts, Alex's pond, which I really should finish sewing the binding soon..... but I digress.....

On the surprise front, I did get lots of fun mail !

My friend Cheryl from Oz sent me this gorgeous pair of black ugg boots! Yippeers, the real McCoys! lol Gosh, are they nice and comfy! Never mind that they keep my feet super warm! lol

Cheryl has become such a dear friend. We met on the newsgroup, many moons ago. I think we're close to 5 (five) years if not more! She is a wealth of information. I'm always picking her brain! And not just on the subject of quilting. lol

I've never met her in person but hope to one day. She is a blessing and such a generous heart! She also sent a pair of ugg boots to dd. Now we're both styling! lol

As for Stephen, she didn't want for him to feel left out, so she sent him packages of Tim Tams! Now, if you haven't had a Tim Tam, you don't know what you're missing. Come on over and we'll do some Tim Tam slams! ;o)

Today, I received these goodies from Sharon.

Check out that bag! It's absolutely gorgeous. And you know what, she actually expects me to use it! lol I love the fabric.

She must have known I had a cold because she sent not 1 (one) but 2 (two) packs of tissues! lol I'm telling you, I'm blowing my nose in style! lol Thank you again Sharon, you made my day!

This week, I played with my embroidery machine. With all that interior decorating going around Blog Land, I thought I would see if I could find a decorating gene in my pool! lol I'm looking to embellish my bathroom with some fancy dandy hand towels!

So, I've been experimenting with different towels. You'd be amazed at what's out there! I did learn to stay away from flour sack towels. What a mistake! They are thinner than a pillow case and never mind that they need ironing after washing! I suppose that I could hand embroider on them, but I do NOT need another hand project! lol

I like the way this one turned out! I used the same blue that's on my wallpaper. I sort of have that French Provincial look going on!

These towels come from William Sonoma - I love that store!

They feel really nice to the touch. I do wish I could find towels of similar quality elsewhere. When you add shipping and all it gets a tad pricey! Oh well... c'est la vie!

As you can read, not much excitement going on in my neck of the wood!

Thank you for stopping by! Keep well!

Gosh, I'm exhausted!

Aside from being generally pooped due to health issues, which I am happy to say that I am slowly but surely recovering, I have been busy organizing a quilting workshop for my daughter's Girl Scout troop. I needed to tailor the workshop so that the girls would would earn the "Sew Much Fun" badge. I've been thinking about a project for quite some time and decided to keep my original plan to do a nine patch block that could be turned into either a small pillow or a pot holder.

Thursday I spend some time in my stash closet, trying to decided what fabrics I wanted to part with. Gosh that was hard! That's like asking someone to donate so many of their favorite clothing outfits. It took me forever to come up with enough fabric combinations for the class. I said my farewell and proceeded to cut up strips, backing and batting.

I thought this workshop would provide a wonderful opportunity for me to learn how to write a quilting pattern/instruction using EQ6 software. Friday morning was spent attempting to figure how to do this. After an hour, I gave up in total frustration and used QuiltPro 5, which was much more user friendly and I didn't have to read the manual. Bonus!

Saturday morning I packed everything that would be needed and lugged it all as well as three (3) sewing machines to the meeting place. If that wasn't enough, I had to bring my embroidery module and my laptop for one of the requirements.

From 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. I was busy running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Thank goodness one (1) parent and the other two (2) leaders were there to help with this. It was really wonderful to see their choices for color combinations. The girls all felt that it was a great workshop and they had a wonderful time.

Afterwards it was pack the car and head back home to put everything away. I didn't have one drop of energy left. To re-energize myself I worked a bit in my sewing room, just sort of puttering around. The room actually ended up slowly getting picked up and I will say looks much cleaner than the last time.

I haven't been able to work on the Wildberry BOM. I would like to have part two (2) of the pattern put together for my "Girls Night In" at the LQS this coming Friday. I decided that I wasn't going to lug any more machines for a while. I'll let you know how the evening turns out!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.