Thursday, November 23, 2017

I Like #10

Everyone keeps saying it but here I go: how can it be the end of November and only one month left in the year, one month and two days until Christmas? Egad.  Well, it is, honey, so suck it up and deal with it, right?! Here is my list of things for which I am grateful this month, but also for always.

1. Friends
My gratitude for my friends makes a regular appearance on my lists and on my blog. Friends IRL, friends in QBL, those in both, just truly make my world so complete. Thank you to those who reached out in my previous post, thank you to those who read my blog, thank you to those in Quilting BlogLand and in real life who support, love and care for me, as I hope you know I do you. We had a lovely visit with good friends over coffee at their house yesterday morning. The conversation, laughter, sharing and catching up, and also that view (ahh! they live right ON the beach of Lake Erie) was a good massage for my soul. As were the heartfelt comments on that previous post, well, and again, throughout this past month.

2. Quilting friends who make my pattern and send me photos!
This beauty was made by Carol, who also lives in Ontario. She entered it in their Fall Fair and it won a prize!
This one was made by Kathleen of Kathleen McMusing. She entered it in her quilt show, where it sold! You must check out that link where you will see some closeups of how she quilted it, just fabulous, and how she does her labels.

3. Finding quilting yogis!
I found another in my 6 am Yin class I teach, just this morning.🙏😍 A random conversation led to the discovery. So I sent her a couple of my patterns, as she's made just three quilts so far. Do you think it would be weird to have a quilting day in the gym where I teach yoga? Like on a Sunday afternoon when there are no classes? Ya, thought you wouldn't. Not so sure the athletic club would, ha! We could quilt to soft yoga music playing, eat hummus and naan and pita breads, I'd bring my homemade salsa (oh ya, gotta put the recipe on here right, note to self) and then we'd do a little yoga, and sew some more...bliss!

4. Learning new things.
Tied to friends, is this special person who I know from QBL, also my friend IRL, Tish. So talented a quilter, such a wizard with EQ. She is helping me with it this weekend some time. I have two patterns (see below) to release now that enough time has lapsed since the publication in the e-zine Modern By the Yard. I also will have a third one coming out in the next issue, super-excited about this one, so I'd like to have it in EQ ready to go. And I have to put Freefall, both sizes and the cushion cover, together and list it in my shop too!

5.  I like sales.
It's that time of year, Black Friday, which has now spread around the globe. I've never gone in person to any of the insanity that happens of which you see videos online...shiver. The last two years, I have partaken in the online part of this weekend, the fabric department! I am putting my one and only pattern for sale, (the others are free), on Craftsy (affiliate link), Blue Skies & Sunny Days, on sale for only $4US through midnight Monday, November 28. After that it will go back to $7. Both sizes are included.

Of course if I add either or both of my other two patterns to my shop, Coins of the Atocha, aka On the Plus Side,

 and Let Your Star Shine, those will be on sale too!

The Internet here suddenly quit for a couple of hours. Therefore...

6. I like the Internet and all the wealth of information, tools, knowledge, free stuff like patterns and tutorials, and inspiration that you can find with a couple of clicks in a couple of seconds.
I like Googlemaps.
What is the deal with the distance between Kingsville, my home, and Fayetteville? See #7.

7. I love surprises, both receiving and giving.
My dear friend Helen of Word Weaver Art (mentioned her before, I know, more than once!) sent me this booklet a couple of weeks ago.

The cover of the booklet is one of my favourite paintings; the words, the colours, (you used buh-LOO Helen!) just resonate so well, and it has such meaning for her. This is a booklet of her favourite sayings, quotations, along with her paintings, 52 of them, one for each week of the year. The possum card came with it, another of her incredible paintings (oh, how I love possums!). I haven't started this calendar yet, thinking I'd start January 1, but I am thinking nope, gonna start December 1. Cannot wait. Need an 'ahh!' each Sunday that I plan to turn the page. It's going to go on my to-be-built (by MacGyver of course) floating shelves in my kitchen. Today's the day! We are ordering the final stage of the kitchen reno from IKEA, and then I will give you a tour. Well, did I send her something, you're thinking? Tune in tomorrow and you will see.

8. Kitchens
I love bright kitchens, (yay! I have one now), a husband who is so handy at doing the renovations, and at doing his fair share of dishes. This greeted me the other morning:
Dishes all done. These are the ones we don't put in the dishwasher but he may have added a few extra by the looks of things. The floating shelves I referred to are going on this wall.
And I like cooking together, good food, this being a meatless meatloaf (baked beans, lentils, peppers, onions, garlic, spices, oats, ketchup because we are out of BBQ sauce). Yum. He did a meatloaf for himself, some of the same ingredients, and those are his to-die-for roasted potatoes.
And I like eating good food while watching Angela Walters' "The Midnight Quilt Show". She never fails to make me laugh. Aloud. Oh that puzzle quilt--so beautiful!! And GUESS WHAT?? Yes I yelled that. I have it! I bought it from Craftsy! A few months ago, and uh, cough, I haven't unwrapped the pretty bundle yet... I know! I know! I pet it, riffle it now and then. It's in a different colour way:
Trust me these batiks are beauties. This is the one I'm making:
It comes in three other colourways/fabrics. Click the photo or here to check it out (affiliate link)... just might be a screaming good sale on it, yep 50% off. Just so you know.  You know?!

9. I love that I get to work with new fabrics that haven't hit quilt shops yet!
Polka dots are not my go-to fabrics, but I am super-excited to work with these bright and happy colours using one of my very own designs again. 😁

10. I love starting the early morning with some quiet Yin yoga, though the mornings I drive into Windsor to do Ashtanga are also good, just harder to drive 45 minutes each way as opposed to tiptoeing up the stairs...
A couple days ago, some flame, some flameless candles, all beautiful.

May my American friends and neighbours have a most wonderful Thanksgiving Day and weekend. We are so very blessed on this continent.

Linking up with LeeAnna, where you will find links to several other quilters writing about gratitude.
Not Afraid of Color

12 comments:

  1. We are very blessed indeed. Happy Thursday and thanks for all the positivity and love you spread daily.

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  2. Lovely post, quilts, food, kitchen, everything. Certainly lots to be grateful for, agree absolutely.

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  3. I always enjoy your posts, Sandra! So many fun things to like. It must be just amazing to see others make your patterns - and to publish more, too! Congratulations! Love your new fabric bundles and plans for them. Have fun!

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  4. Loved reading your post, so full of things to be thankful for. Those batiks look lovely.

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  5. Hi Sandra!
    I'm a little late to yesterday's party, but can still enjoy and comment! You have lots of likes today, and I LIKE that!! Ooh, that leaf pattern - keep sharing those pictures and I will HAVE to finish my project. I can't even remember if it is a quilt, table runner, ??? That's sad. I think quilting in a gym to soft yoga music, with some yoga breaks thrown in does sound heavenly! Too bad Ontario is so far away from me . . . I love pattern sales . . . and STARS . . . hmmm, heading over to your shop. Oh my, those roasted potatoes look divine! I love ALL roasted veggies - even brussel sprouts. I LOVE Angela and that quilt - hmm, do I need that kit? Lucky duck with the new fabrics - polka dots ARE my favorite. Always! I will love to see that project as it progresses. I want to get EQ8 - and someone has an affiliate link for purchases. I want to buy it - so if you know someone who has a link send me an email or reply to this message! My Thanksgiving was simply FABULOUS. Best day ever - I am SO blessed. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  6. What a fun and meaningful list. Hope you get lots of fun stitching time this weekend.

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  7. I love being a whole number all by myself! Hooray for #7! Love you so!
    (And that quilt in #8! Love that! Can't wait to see your version make its appearance.)

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  8. I'm so happy to read your calm, peaceful post full of gratitude and joy! If you ever organize a quilting retreat with yoga, count me in :)

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  9. Hi Sandra in Canada,
    Strange how Black Friday has spread. It doesn't even mean anything here in England, but they are doing it now. It would be one thing if they didn't already have the Boxing Day sales starting...Boxing Day!
    We don't get wrapped up in it either.
    Sandy from the UK

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  10. You didn't add the salsa recipe, and I'd love your version of vegetarian meatloaf recipe. As you know I've been vegetarian almost my entire life but I'd like to see another version of the veg meatloaf👍

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  11. I love your quilts! Welcome to the group! Have a great week! Hugs, Mickie in USA

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  12. A great list. We are all so very blessed.

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