On the quilting front!

Yesterday was my first day with the quilting bee. They are the ladies I had mentioned that belong to my guild and, well, they do like a good time! They meet every Friday. The last Friday of the month is dedicated to charity quilts. Sounds good to me! One of the gals, Laura, is part owner of our LQS, Loose Threads, and I'm guessing that they provide the fabric as she said to bring nothing! I think it's wonderful that I'll have an opportunity to help my community while having fun!

On the quilting front, I thought I would share with you my chicken quilt, Against the Grain. I just couldn't hold it in any longer. I did want to surprise you with the finished project, but it's just taking too long with school guilt and all! This quilt is the result of seeing Darlene and Wendy working on those beautiful embroidery blocks Miss Louise, a lady with chickens. And if that wasn't enough of a tease, there's Connie who posted a chicken quilt from one of her quilt shop adventures, which by the way I have the pattern compliment of my wonderful friend Cheryl in Oz. I had e-mailed her the link to seek her wisdom and knowledgeable she is. She's my quilting hero! Cheryl knew exactly what the name of the pattern was, The Early Bird. She had the pattern and graciously sent it to me. So, guess what my next quilt is going to be? I just love chickens! I don't know what it is about them, but I do. I have even thought of having a chicken coop in my back yard. Yes, this city girl is going somewhat country! lol However, zoning will not allow it! I really don't know where they get their idea for zoning, as far as I'm concerned I live in the country! lol

On the famous or infamous quilting teacher front, guess whose coming to Glens Fall in May 2008? Ricky Tims and company! WOW!!!! I'm going for three days. I already gave a heads up to hubby, way up! Glens Fall is about 2.5 hours south from Champlain. I will be boarding with two (2) other ladies from my guild, the one's who like a good time! It should be a blast.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I wish you all a wonderful weekend! Happy Mother's day!

After the guild!

I had my guild meeting on Wednesday and what a blast it was! After the meeting I was invited to go out for a drink. So we went to this bar close to CVPH (Plattsburgh hospital). What a hoot these girls are! Our night consisted of playing music from the jukebox, dancing and playing darts.

When I was going to college, I used to party with my sorority friends. We'd go to this bar in downtown Montreal, drink and play pinball all night. Well, until the last bus anyway. I had to go home and I didn't want to walk! Tonight it was darts! I've never played darts! After an all nighter I can honestly say that my dart game has improved! We were pretty much our own party in the dart area. The bar tender, a young college lad, asked where we were coming from. You know, four (4) older women (and we do not look our age) acting like teenagers. Holly didn't tell him that Wednesday is our quilting guild meeting. She didn't want to tarnish her/our reputation! lol It really was so pleasant to just hang loose and have a great time.

I didn't come home until 1:15 a.m. Stephen says "where were you? I was worried!". Oups! Forgot to call. I just told him that I went drinking in a bar full of young college lads and doctors. He just laughed! Men!

On the paper front, I did see my professor. It's coming along nicely! I also registered for some courses. Tomorrow I was invited to attend a quilting group. The girls I went out with also get together every Friday to quilt. It should be fun!

Blogging withdrawal!

School has taken over my life. I'm presently writing a loooooonnnnnnnggggggg paper that I want done by next week. This is work left over from my first surgery back in April 2006. This health saga left me with seven (7) papers to write in order to complete my courses. Needless to say, with the ongoing health issues it hasn't been easy to get them out of the way. But this is it folks, my last paper for Feminist Hermeneutics and what a whopper it is. I want it out of the way so that IF, I'm expecting a miracle folks, I need surgery again in June, I will not be stressing out about school. I know it sounds stupid to stress about school when you're on the operating table, but I guess that's just me! I did want my paper done by tomorrow as I have an appointment to see my advisor, but alas that will not be the case. So I thought I'd take a little sanity break and blog.

As I've mentioned, not much is going on quilt wise. Every project is pretty much at a stand still. We did put our pool up the first weekend of May, the water being a hot 50F (10C). It took all my patience to keep my daughter from going in the pool for a dip! Yesterday I gave in and allowed my cold blooded daughter to go for a swim. The water temp was a hot 68F (20C). She must have stayed in there for about an hour. She actually convinced her friend to swim with her. This is the earliest she's been in the pool. Today we are expecting temperatures around 81F, so I'm guessing she'll want to go for a dip. It wont be a long one as she has horseback riding today.

Tonight I have my guild meeting. It's our dinner meet, where we each bring a dish and dine together. I'm looking forward to a relaxing evening with my guild. There should be lots of food. I'm making a Salade d'amour. I haven't made that in years. I wanted to stay within the healthy food range ;o).

Well I should get going. I need to bring an asparagus dish, made by Stephen, to my daughter's school. It's teacher's appreciate week and they are having a luncheon. I do want to mention that I do read blogs as a break. My mind has just not been much in the comment mood!

Thanks for allowing me to keep in touch with my sanity!

Shar's Double Wedding Ring course

I did have my Double Wedding Ring course with Sharlene Jorgenson on Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. What a long day! I was exhausted by 4:00 p.m. and ended up leaving. I'm sure Shar must have been even more exhausted than I was.

For one thing, her flight had been cancelled due to bad weather. She ended up catching a late flight to Albany, New York as opposed to Burlington, Vermont. She arrived early Tuesday morning, before the sunrise! Unfortunately, her luggage did not follow her and neither did her trunk show. She was hoping it would arrive before the class ended, but it did not make it. It's really too bad as I would have loved to have seen her quilts. I can just imagine how she must have felt. She kept apologizing throughout the class. I felt bad for her as I know that it can be quite an uncomfortable situation regardless of how understanding people are.

I enjoyed the class. I actually learned how to sew with a stiletto. I had never used one before and frankly never understood the need until this course. It truly is an amazing tool!

In wanting to keep with my promise not to start such an intricate quilt, I brought scraps to use. I was supposed to have a white on white background but forgot it at home. No matter, I was there to learn the technique so the burgundy fabric worked well. Shar loved the way the colours played together, "quilting outside of the box" is what she called it! She had an example in the book of a DWR done in plaids. She said someone challenged her by saying that it couldn't be done. I'm guessing she likes a good challenge.

This is not an easy quilt to make and I'm glad I didn't commit to making one. It requires lots of concentration and accurate cutting and piecing. Perhaps one day I'll challenge myself!

Happy quilting!

Ditch Witch Proclamation!

Fellow loyal subjects of the Land of Stashbusters, it is moi again, Ditch Witch and am here to fulfil my duties. However, due to events within my control that I have now become out of control, there will be a short proclamation.

Trumpets please:

By Proclamation of your Royal Hinny Listmom, as Ditch Witch of the land of the Stashbusters, my duty is to assist you in unshackling … blah, blah ... so on and so forth………..

This weeks Ditch Item – continuing to work on the past two proclamations!

For a reminder please see the following link:

Ditch the by-product of your creativity that do notgive you pleasures!

Out with the old and in with the new!

I declare Wednesday May 02, 2007 to be the day of revisiting the past two Ditching items! Please ensure that you have properly carried out the previous declarations.

Our motto: Ditch it before it Ditches you!

Our symbol: The broom

End of proclamation

*Disclaimer: Ditch Witch and/or the Governing bodies of the Land of Stashbusters are not responsible for those items that you have chosen to dispose that my come back and haunt you!

Thank you - back to my regular schedule programming - papers. Where's my chocolate?

Ditch Witch
Land of Stashbusters

Ps: I will blog about my quilting course with Shar soon!