I'm Free! I'm Free!

You see, I've deactivated my Facebook account.  I can't tell you how much I hate Facebook.  I hate the lists of total strangers I could add to my "friends".  I detest the teeny tiny little warnings about what they can do with all of your personal information - you know, the ones people just click by without actually reading that if they click there, their personal info is being freely distributed to every con artist and predator in the world (literally).  And I especially detest the endless emails that come to let me know when someone sneezes!  So it's gone . . . . . history . . . . . over . . . . . . defunct . . . . . deactivated!  I'm free! 

I've been locked in the Forever-uary blahs lately.  I'd rather sit and knit or read than sew, these days.  But, look at the inspiration that arrived at my door the other morning . . . .

A friend (a real friend, not a FB quazi virtual friend) was cleaning out her stash and brought me these! 
Here's an early Alex Anderson treasure. 

My favorite is this one by Judy Martin:

It has so many of the traditional patterns that got me started quilting!

Today I'm doing borders and bindings and then I think I'll play with my mid-arm machine for a bit!  I was invited out to a traditional Newfie breakfast this morning . . . . . thanks, Dianne! . . . . . and I probably don't need to eat again until tomorrow!

Happy Quilting!
Maggie

PS:  Newfie (for anyone who doesn't know) is Newfoundland, and a Newfie breakfast consists of sausage, eggs, fruit, yogurt, bacon, fishcakes, Partridgeberry Relish, biscuits, muffins, toast, jam, dandelion honey, Purity biscuits, all the tea and coffee you can drink, and really good company!

Monday Morning Inspiration

This is a batik fabric called Pink/Blue Leaves Sunprint Batik:

And this is Deep Blue Leaves Sunprint Batik:

I got them from www.flarefabrics.ca  Aren't they just delicious??
They're my inspiration for this week, and maybe most of February!

Happy Quilting!

Maggie

Love Letters in the Ice

Remember the song Love Letters in the Sand?  It was Pat Boone's hit of the 1950's.  (Yes, I know I'm dating myself, but my mother used to sing it to me when I was just a little sprout, and it stuck in my memory!)  Well, given that we have a half inch of ice on absolutely everything here today, we have a slightly different version here in the frozen north east . . . . .

The Critter's name is actually Cooper, and he has a little girlfriend named Lily (who apparently sat down on her work before she finished the "y").

Happy Quilting!
Maggie

Where a Dog Can Be a Dog

It was a beautiful afternoon, so The Critter and I took a break and went down by the river for a walk.

The Agricultural College farms these fields which are along the banks of the Salmon River, and it's a great spot to go walking.

There was no snow on the ground today, but that's supposed to change tomorrow!

There's also a hiking trail that's on the other side of the river . . . .

Meanwhile the cats preferred to stay home and watch a little TV.  Love those animal shows!

Happy Quilting!

Maggie

Making Something From Nothing

I'm working on an order that produced some scraps . . . . . they're bright, pretty, and I just couldn't throw them out!  So - - -

This:

Became this:

Became this:

Became this:

Became this:

Became this:

A new pouch for my e-reader.  If you know me and my "survival rate" with electronic gadgets, you know it needs all the help it can get!

Happy Quilting!
Maggie

Trial Run

There's always a trial run for a new design.  For me it involves a bit of breath holding and finger crossing, and if the new designs doesn't work, then it's back to the drawing board to figure out where it went wrong.  I designed this top in EQ7 over the holidays, and put the borders on last night.  Something seemed wrong, I was tired, it was late, so I left it.  True to form, in the middle of the night, I realized I had to take the whole thing apart and find out what was wrong.  So, this morning, it came apart, I sort of fixed it, and know that I like the pattern well enough to do it again, and how to avoid the pitfalls.  Anyways, it's back together, but it has "issues".  Lots of "issues".  So I won't sell it, but the up side of this whole disaster, is . . . . . . I get to keep it! Yippee!  So the plan is to quilt it, use it, enjoy it, and hopefully no one will ever notice the "issues".  Except me.  And they won't bother me one bit!

Happy Quilting
Maggie

Happy New Year . . . and What Do YOU Want on YOUR Tombstone?

Happy New Year everyone.   As Halifax Broad said in her blog (see my blog list to check her out), 2011 didn't totally suck.  It was a good-with-a-small-g type year, with good moments and bad.  And it was way better than 2010, hands down.  So here's to 2012 . . . may it be simply stellar!

My grandmother is buried under a lilac tree in a little country churchyard near Woodlands, Manitoba.  Close to her grave is another, with a grave stone obviously put there by a disillusioned partner, as it lists off a litany of complaints about the person buried there.  I'm not one for New Years Resolutions, but I was thinking today about what I'd like to accomplish in 2012, and my thoughts ran to what I'd want to be remembered for (not that I'm planning on going anywhere anytime soon). What would someone put on my tombstone?

I think I've settled on "She was a darn fine quilter!" so that's going to be my goal for 2012.  Not a clean house, not losing weight, not quitting smoking (mostly because I don't).  Just being a darn fine quilter.

What do you want on your tombstone?

I had a good long walk today with a friend, and a good long chat with another, and, since it's pouring rain with a chance of the temperature dropping and making it ice, I'm in for the evening.  I have a nice bottle of Gilgamesh Port from Muir Murray Estate Winery in the Annapolis Valley hidden away in a cupboard waiting for a special occasion, and I think this might be it.  Plus, there's a Dog the Bounty Hunter Marathon on TV!  Port and Dog in the same evening - does it get any better?  So . . .  To 2012 . . . and quilting!

Happy Quilting! Happy New Year!
Maggie