Gratitude #47 Wrap Up for 2020

As I'm reading in more than one place, in some ways it seems forever ago that we were ringing in 2020, the start of a new decade, and in others it seems a lot longer ago than just one year. This time last year there were hints of a terrible sickness in China, an unheard-of lockdown in a huge city so that no cars moved, no citizens left their homes, hospitals were overwhelmed, and even doctors died. Then Italy, more horror. And then, as we know, here, and the surreality of what we'd seen in China and in Europe was now and is now, our new normal. Here in Ontario we are back in a lockdown, though it's not quite the severe lockdown of Phase I, where the politicians actually did listen to and follow the advice of the medical and science professionals. This is very worrying to me, and I fear if they don't listen, we will be in this continual loop of pandemic. Would that we followed the Atlantic provinces' leadership (key word: leadership, making tough decisions, decisions that protect your people and are based in science) where they care more about people than profit.

Best of 2020

Welcome to my stop on the Best of 2020 Linky party hosted by Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs. Be sure to check out lots of other bloggers linking up their favourites from the past year.

It's so true what Cheryl wrote in her own Best Of post, that it's fun to look back and find posts and events you'd actually forgotten about. I also think it's good prep for writing the Planning for 2021 post. From 30 years of teaching where we had to submit our year plan and goals each year, it's a habit I've done in my professional and personal life for a long time. Looking back has always been the launchpad for the subsequent year's goals.

To Do Tuesday and The Current Quilt Process

Last list of the year, well last public one that is. I make lists mentally and physically in my day planner every day! 

Several items need to get done by the 31, never mind the 5th of January.

1. Finish my December challenge quilt for Island Batik.

2. Write my Best of 2020 post

3. Write a planning for 2021 post, maybe. I already have a mental list started but I do believe in writing goals and directions down, though I don't always state them publicly, but doing that helps keep one accountable, doesn't it?

4. Write my gratitude post for Thursday.

5. Finish at least one more item on my Q4FAL List. The completion rate has been dismal this quarter but that's because I spent a major amount of time, and still need to spend a wee bit more, on a quilt for an upcoming magazine.

DrEAMi! #47

Here we are for the last Drop Everything and Make it! of 2020. It's been quite the year, and I'm no therapist, but I think that chasing squirrels when there's a global pandemic raging can be nothing but good for one's mental health. This UK squirrel is not only exercising his mental health, but showing off his physical prowess as well!

Daily Mail

I actually did allow myself to chase a squirrel or four, once again in the form of tea cosies, but smaller than for a teapot. I made four mug cosies and even wrote up the pattern. All that when I should have been working on my medallion challenge quilt for Island Batik...

Holiday Memories and Traditions

I thought this would be a fun little sojourn down memory lane of Christmases past. Bernie of Needle and Foot is hosting this little hop to add some cheer to a rather tough season for most of us this year.

I love Christmas, though as my daughters have grown up, maybe not as much, since

a. I get to spend it with the man I love (how can that be a detriment you wonder?)...

b. who happens to be rather a grinch.

So Christmas spirit is pretty much all me, and has been that way since we started dating. For me, Christmas isn't religious; it's about the love and gift-giving and time spent with family and loved ones.

Mug Cosies Pattern

There was quite the love on my previous post showing the little mug cosies I made. In the time of the Yeti, they may not be as necessary, but at Christmastime when lots of us like to use our Christmas mugs, they certainly do come in handy. I've been really impressed with how well mine has worked, whether it be over a morning cup of coffee or afternoon tea.

I made a couple more on the weekend, and wrote out what I did.

These have been sent off as little gifts to a couple of special people.

Mug Cosies!

A few weeks ago I had the brilliant idea to make Brady a mini tea cosy to put over his cup of tea. He has loved tea since he was oh about 3, maybe younger, but that's no surprise since his mum, his nana and his nanny (my mum) all love tea. When the "I've got Major Tea" tea cosy arrived at Brianne's house this week, apparently he was quite devastated that Nana hadn't put anything in the padded envelope for him. So I knew I had to get his mug cosy done pronto and send it off to him with nothing else in the padded envelope!

There are two, because I had to make a prototype which will be for me!

Christmas Cheer at Needle & Foot

I'm popping in with another quick post (two in a row, that's unusual for me, the long-winded blogger I tend to be) to let you know of a really fun little event that Bernie of Needle & Foot dreamed up. She's invited several of us to share a childhood photo of ourselves which she has posted on her blog today. Then your job as a reader is to match up the kidlet to the quilter! You can find more details on her blog. Just click the blog button below.

Here's a hint for my readers: I'm almost four in the photo.😉

OMG and a Winner

It is so wonderful to have so many friends out there in QBL, many of whom I've had the pleasure of meeting in person. Roseanne and I have yet to meet, but one day... She it was who reminded me with her OMG post to write up my own post for December and link up by Dec. 7 at Elm Street Quilts. One day I may win a prize there, so far no such luck.

Speaking of prizes, Barb @mountainquiltworks is the winner of eight fat eighths of Color Theory. She and I nearly met up on a Go Ahead Tours trip. She'd told me about the one she was doing in 2018, but it wasn't on our radar then. In 2019, unbeknownst to each other, we'd signed up for the very same Europe trip, but her travel was the month before ours. So close!  It's so cool when a prize goes to someone I know, and, just so you know, Rafflecopter keeps it out of my hands. Thanks to all who left such kind comments on my Follow Your Own Path quilt. Be sure to let me know if you make my design.

Now on to the OMG.

Things are Coming Up Sandra

My previous post showed you my latest quilt publication, 'Follow Your Own Path'. It was the cover quilt for Modern by the Yard, issue #15, Benartex's ezine. That was quite the thrill! If you read the ezine all the way to the end, you may have noticed another design of mine, 'Let Your Star Shine'. It was featured in 'Flashback Favorites' as one of their most popular designs. Wow! 💖 

This week I received not one, but two emails from blog readers, sharing photos of my patterns that they'd made. One was Let Your Star Shine! Michelle in Scotland wrote to tell me she'd noticed the quilt at the end of the ezine, and that she'd actually made it! Would you like to see her version?

Cover Girl! and A Giveaway

I am so pleased to show you another design featured in Modern by the Yard, the ezine by Benartex. I am over the freaking moon that it's the cover quilt! This is a first for me, and feels pretty good.

You can download your copy for free either by clicking the photo above, or here. You'll find not just four fabulous projects within, but also fabric bundles inspiration and a modern twist on the spool block.

DrEAMi! #46

Welcome once again to the monthly DrEAMi! linkup where we celebrate all things squirrel. Grab a cuppa  tea or a cup of coffee and feast your eyes, calorie-free, on this month's projects that we just had to chase/make.

I chased tea cosies. Three to be exact.

You can read about the first one here, which was a true DrEAMi, in that I had no business giving it my full attention, as I had a looming deadline for Island Batik!

Biggest Sale Ever in my Etsy Shop

Yep! SandraJaneQuilts on Etsy is having the biggest sale ever. It started today, Black Friday, and runs through Cyber Monday. There are two terrific deals, one a 20% off and the other a 30%. Almost every item is one sale or the other.

I Like/Love - Thanks and Thoughts #46

Welcome to another post of gratitude with some thoughts thrown in. A group of us links up weekly, bi-weekly or monthly with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color. Please feel free to write your own post and join in with spreading positivity.

As is usual for me, a lot of my gratitude has to do with Mother Nature. The brilliance of these colours in the grass on my walk one day made me stop and appreciate these jewels of fall.

I've Got Major Tea

 After the intense sewing I did to get The Final Season done for the Island Batik blog hop, I needed something totally relaxing and satisfying. I had the front done for this second design of a tea cosy a few weeks ago. It got set aside for The Final Season. I had it finished in a couple of hours!

A typical afternoon tea break at my house!

My OMG for November was to finish two more tea cosies for my Etsy shop. I'm happy to report that I accomplished my goal.

The Final Season

Welcome to my stop on the Island Batik blog hop! I've been dropping hints and showing some peeks at my tree blocks, some partially done, and one, the winter one, complete. They were quite the hit, and I can honestly admit I loved making them, and love how they turned out. I wanted my audience to see them and love them too.

However, I did want to convey a pretty strong message about my beloved trees, both the fabric and the sentient ones.

Inspired by Nature Blog Hop Week 2

I hope you got to check out last week's quilts for this last Island Batik blog hop of the year, and were as wowed as I was. Read on to see the fabulous bundles of fabric being given away anywhere in the world (I love that about this company).

My turn is on is on Wednesday! Let's hope for less winds and some sunshine for tomorrow's photo shoot. The sun is out today and the gales of yesterday have abated somewhat... Did you notice all the gorgeous fabrics in the blog hop graphic above? You cannot beat batiks for depth. All right, without further ado, here is the lineup for this week...

Trees Work in Progress

I've been pretty quiet here on the blog lately. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I've switched from making tea cosies to making trees. If you hop around Quilting Blog Land at all, you're probably aware of the last blog hop of the year for Island Batik ambassadors that started this week.

This is a theme near and dear to my heart! I've been giving some hints on Instagram as to my quilt.

Spill the tea! and OMG

When I was teaching, I was right on top of pop culture thanks to my students. Nowadays, my daughters and grandson keep me informed, along with social media, music, and TV to some extent. It was on Molli Sparkles' blog where I first heard the expression 'truth tea' several years ago. Then my daughter Brianne was using the expression, 'I've got tea' to mean I've got some juicy news/gossip, and 'Spill the tea' which means, tell me all. She it was who asked me to make her a tea cosy. Remember this is my non-quilting-loving daughter. Over the past year or so, she has been requesting quilts-(but not quilty, mind you) related items, or giving me suggestions for Etsy shop items. With the Alberta frigid temperatures of a week ago (and today they're balmy out there; welcome to life on the prairies) she was drinking more tea. Instead of making it in a cup, she was using her teapot, and requested a cosy to keep the tea warm. She had the idea to put these tea sayings on it and sell some in my shop. So of course, instead of continuing, wait, going back to, working on my magazine quilt (remember Pumpkin Season interrupted it) I chased this very tempting squirrel over this past weekend. And caught it.

DrEAMi! #45

Welcome to another edition of DrEAMi! Drop Everything And Make it!

There is truly something freeing about following a whim, chasing that shiny bauble, following a squirrel! I don't know about your yard, but around ours, the squirrels are super-busy hiding black walnuts and acorns everywhere. It's really quite amazing to watch them.

Thank you to Roseanne of Home Sewn by Us for this description of my life. Some days are more squirrelly than others, and Friday was certainly one of them. I'm surprised I even remembered I had a squirrel photo, and remembered where I'd saved it!

Pumpkin Season

My pumpkin quilt is done, slept under last night, and OMG completed over and above the original plan! This is also on my Q4FAL list and it is my submission for October's Inspiration Collaboration, which I will discuss towards the end of the post.

Oh I do love this quilt! It is completely made from scraps, both old and vintage. That photo has not even been 'enhanced'; I felt the colours were exactly as they are in real life. I am so happy that the sun came out in the afternoon on Thursday when I took these photos. It was supposed to rain most of the day but it only did up until about 9:30 am but it was cloudy until around 2:30 when I was finishing sewing on the binding.

I Like/Love #45

Welcome to my monthly installment of gratitude. I link up with LeeAnna of Not Afraid of Color, where you will find several of us who do this weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or whenever the mood strikes! Fell free to join in. As I quoted from Anonymous last month,

The more you are in a state of gratitude, the more you will attract things to be grateful for.

1. Ten days after our visit to Point Pelee near the end of September, this article was on the CBC site,
about the Renaming of a Point Pelee area to Madbin Jina, which means 'come sit awhile' in Anishenaabemowin. Since this is Anishinabewaki territory, it is fitting they named it in the correct original language.

Avril Has a Jacket

Long overdue is a proper cover for Avril, my longarm, but she will wait no more.

This is my project for October's challenge, thread painting.

All of the fabrics except for the lining fabric were supplied by Island Batik. The gorgeous threads were supplied by Aurifil, except for the grey which is my own purchase, the batting by Hobbs Batting, and the machine needles by Schmetz Needles. Our challenge was to enhance our quilting or shade areas of quilt for effect, add shapes or dimension. Several months ago we had to pick six spools of thread to coordinate with the line we'd been given for this challenge. Mine was Nouveau Soul by Kathy Engle, some of which you saw last month in my Back at Ya backpack. We'd been given the same line to make our bag.

Q4FAL My List

 In many ways, it seems just a few months ago that we were on a plane, flying home from a trip to Florida to help our dear friend John celebrate his 80th birthday in the first quarter of the year, not eight months ago, and here we are in the final quarter of the year. A year of such upheaval, such anxiety, and such change, a lot that is positive.

So here is my list for the final quarter, which I will post on Instagram as per the new rules for this year.

1. The damn beanie - it's been on Q2 and Q3, but I actually did make some good progress on it in the past quarter, so it's an imminent finish finally.

2. Pumpkin quilt

3. Longarm cover

4. Medallion quilt

5. Nature-themed quilt

6. Christmas runner for Etsy

7. Another make-up mat

8. Arrows quilt

9. Ringle & Kerr RSC project 1

10. T-shirt quilt

11. Black scraps box

12. Secret sewing quilt for a magazine

13. Publish one more pattern

14. Quilt for Michele

Giving Thanks

This is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, a weekend where we gather with family and friends and have good food, give thanks for the harvest, and reflect on our blessings. It does not have anything to do with the Vikings' or Jacques Cartier's landings here, or Columbus's further south. Here is a great article I found from the Canadian Encyclopedia explaining the origins of our Canadian Thanksgiving and the differences from the American one. Indigenous peoples have celebrated the fall harvest and given thanks for the bounty of this land, Turtle Island, for centuries before the arrival of settlers. So settlers did not invent this holiday, though they did bring the idea of the cornucopia with them, which itself, interestingly, according to the article, "dates back to European peasant societies."

I started being more aware, or becoming 'woke' as the expression seems to be these days, of the importance of Indigenous peoples whenever I think of my country, thanks to doing the 150 Canadian Women QAL in 2017 with Kat of Next Step Quilting Designs. She included several Indigenous women in the quilt; one in particular who really grabbed me was Shanawdithit, the last living member of her tribe, the Beothuk in Newfoundland. White settlers killed them all, directly and indirectly. I made a quilt in her honour, Beothuk Star, (link to the pattern is here), and learned more about her and her people. I've continued to do small things to educate myself and to try to make a difference in helping others to get this same awareness.

So today, I am doing something that has come naturally to me for many years, expressing gratitude. However, this year, and now always a part of my gratitude is acknowledging that,

1. first and foremost I am grateful to be allowed to live here in this part of Turtle Island, a part of Treaty 2, signed in 1790, the land of the Anishinabewaki, Attiwonderonk, Myaamia and Mississauga First Nations. 

The large island is Pelee Island, and I live directly north of it, on the pinkish shore, to the west of the pointy piece of land, which is Point Pelee National Park.

You may recall that I am auditing Indigenous Canada, an online course through the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. It is free, and I strongly encourage all of my Canadian readers to take this course. Many Americans are taking it as well, and it is pertinent for you too, in many ways. Here is the link, through Coursera. It is, as any university course is, 12 weeks in length, though you can move along faster if you like. It averages about 1.5 hours per week. It should be required for every settler Canadian, and should be taught in school right from grade 1. This week, Module 8, was Sovereign Lands. There is always an online discussion of the Module amongst the two professors, Dr. Tracy Bear and Dr. Paul Gareau, Dan Levy (yes, of Schitt's Creek fame, who announced on Instagram that he was taking this course and encouraged us to follow suit), and one special guest, that is streamed on YouTube on Sunday at 3 pm EST. This was what I posted on Instagram on Sunday after last week's discussion:

There are multiple kernels of wisdom I gain from listening to the discussion, and they are up there on Dan's YouTube channel, so you can watch/listen to them whenever works for you. Something he said yesterday I managed to scribble down, and it makes me quite emotional. To be honest, lots has throughout the course's teachings.

"How lucky are we, to live upon this sacred land."

Embedded within that, is 'How important a task have we, to not only recognize this, but to take care of this sacred land.'

I've always felt connected to the land, whether it was on our acreages in Alberta or our homes here in southwestern Ontario. But now, I also come from a place of profound gratitude, yet also with a profound sense of trying to do my part to right wrongs. Indigenous peoples have lived on this continent of North America, aka Turtle Island, for  thousands of years. When the first Europeans arrived, a mere 400 years ago, they agreed to share the land in good faith, never suspecting the white settler would not keep up their end of the agreement, would not honour and respect the land and its inhabitants, flora, fauna and human, as do Indigenous peoples, and worst of all, would try to annihilate them. For this I am deeply sorry, and therefore I am really trying hard to respect the land and the Indigenous peoples to whom it rightly belongs. In actual fact, did you know that they do not presume to own the land, but have a partnership with it, viewing it as a sentient being: the land provides and they only take what they need in a respectful way.

I could just see Pelee Island through the trees on the horizon, but sadly, it doesn't show in this photo.

So this weekend one morning I woke up, and this is what went through my mind before my feet hit the floor.

2. I am grateful for the birds I hear this morning.

3. I am grateful for the open window that allowed me to hear.

4. I am grateful for my ears, my sense of hearing.

5. I am grateful for my home, that has windows.

6. I am grateful for this bed, for my pillow, and for my quilts that keep me warm.

Those five thoughts flew threw my brain in a few seconds. And now I will add,

7. I am grateful for my family, my husband, my daughters, my son-in-law and my grandson, and that they are all in good health.

8. I am grateful for my fur kids, who bring joy every day, and who love unconditionally.

9. I am grateful for my good health, and for my real-life friends, and the richness they add to my life.

10. I am grateful for this blog and all the good it has brought to my life, my online community of friends, several of whom I have met in person, and many many with whom I have an ongoing chatty relationship for which I am so grateful. It has enriched my life, and shrunk the globe with the connection, love and care between us. Oh, and not to forget the online community activities!

RSC Project #1 yellow blocks

Another online activity is the OMG I usually remember to link up with, and I am super-happy to say I've already completed my goal, to get the pumpkin quilt to the flimsy stage.

I just may now try to get this quilted and done-done by month's end...

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers. May you be safe, smart and diligent in your physical distancing if you gather or did gather already together. We are keeping it simple and staying home, just the two of us. A good place to be methinks.

Such a beautiful surprise gift from the land this year!

And speaking of gifts. (Gosh, I do not always plan these segues; that one was a beauty!) the winner of my Pattern Bundle in celebration of my blog's seventh birthday is Jean of All Points of the Compass! I've emailed her to let her know. Thank you to all those who told me about making (or not) a bear paw quilt! I am leaving the pattern on sale until tomorrow, so if you haven't had a chance to grab it, do it now! Head to Sandra Jane Quilts.

Waltzing With Bears Pattern Release

It's a pretty special day today. Not only do I have a new pattern for you, but I am celebrating the seventh birthday of my blog. The actual birthdate is September 18, 2013 with my Ta Da! post. I didn't celebrate on that day because the originally planned pattern to release on that date did not happen because a sweet reader contacted me asking if I had a pattern for this quilt, and well, why wouldn't I oblige? I actually had the pattern almost written anyhow. Of course it had to go through proper testing, and of course there will be gifts since it's a birthday of sorts.

Strangely enough that photo, taken by my grandson, Brady, was October 6 last year. Little did we know what was about to happen to the entire planet...

A Sweet Little Diversion

It's not really a squirrel, because I've been sewing the HSTs left over from making the first Grace quilt back together as leader/enders, and then in pairs once I decided what design I'd make with them. I always knew I'd make a dolly quilt for the daughter of the recipient of the first Grace quilt. I'm happy to say it is done, and I didn't even have it on any finish or to-do list!

Can you believe there are 200 triangles in this little ~13" square quilt?!

Champs et Lacs

In other words, Fields (or Meadows) and Lakes. This quilt needs a French name because it is going to a dear friend who is French. It is the Meadow Mystery designed by Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs. It was a QAL back in 2016/17 in which I participated, but I hadn't quilted it until now.

It was done on Friday, but I knew we were going into the city, Windsor, on Saturday, so I wanted to get a glamour shot of it on the Detroit River, downtown Detroit in the background. The day was beautiful for a photo shoot, but as per usual, there was a bit of a wind by the water. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and how well the Warm n Natural 100% cotton batting shows off the quilting. Can I say just how much I love these fabrics and these colours? No, they are not batiks but they sure have the hand-dyed painterly look to them don't they?

Fall Runner

One of the 17 items on my Q3FAL list is making a runner for my Etsy shop. I'm happy to say I've checked it off the list!

Rather in keeping with the theme of 2020 where we've all spent so much more time at home than usual.

I, like many others, like the buffalo plaid look to lots of fall décor I'm seeing and I thought hmm, what if I created my own buffalo plaid pumpkin using 2.5" squares? Fun!

DrEAMi! #44

Welcome to our monthly celebration of all things tantalizing, where we chase squirrels to mad abandon. 

Tish sent me this. Pretty funny. I actually don't have a squirrel this month but that's not to say they haven't been scrabbling at me, trying to get me to succumb to temptation.

Cat Mats Installment #3 of 3

Finally I am publishing a long overdue post. You may recall I participated in Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs, and Paige of Quilted Blooms, first book release, Modern Plus Sign Quilts back in 2018. I chose to make Kaleidoscope Plus (you know my love affair with kaleidoscopes runs deep).

Oh how I love that quilt! Fabrics, front (so many cat-themed ones) and back (a soft grey textured Minky), quilting, the design, just ahhh. I named it Cat-Eye-doscope and it went to my dear friend of many years, Linda.

Well I had leftover fabric and I knew I needed to make Linda's cat daughters their own quilts, seeing as how much cats love quilts... I showed the finished mats in this post, and I alluded to needing to tell more of the story behind giving Linda her quilt and her cats their mats.

I Like/Love #44

I know it's cliché, but the end of the month rolls around awfully quickly, and here we are with another post of gratitude and thoughtfulness. That means this Saturday is also the last one of the month, and time for DrEAMi! here on the blog where we show off the squirrels we've chased and nabbed this past month. I link up with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color where a group of us post, some weekly, some monthly. Feel free to join in because...

The more you are in a state of gratitude, the more you will attract things to be grateful for.

-Anonymous

1. I absolutely love Fall where I live. We really get into the fall spirit, decorating front porches and lawns and businesses. I walked over to the farm to market just down the road last weekend to take some glamour shots of my backpack (the post is here; be sure to hop over there as there are two pretty sweet giveaways). I peeked 'behind the scenes' a bit at the farm market and saw this.

What a riot of colour, eh? 😉 As you can see from this photo, and those on the backpack post, the majority of our trees haven't started changing yet. Some of our maples are just beginning to get fiery red-orange tips, and the chestnuts are going brown.

It's in the Bag Blog Hop: Back At Ya Backpack

Today is my day to present the bag I made for the Island Batik blog hop.

I chose to make the backpack 'Back At Ya 2.1'. It's a smaller sized backpack, and the perfect size for me. I was given four pieces from Island Batik's new line Nouveau Soul with which to make the bag. Read on to find out how you could win some of this gorgeous line of fabric for yourself!

Okay I just have to stop right here and say, Nouveau Soul was made for Sandra!! I have said several times how DO they do this, as in choosing the perfect fabrics, colours, but this one? A name with a French word in it, uh bonjour, c'est moi, Sandra, professeur de français, and Soul just makes me think yoga...

All the notions required to make the bag, along with the pattern itself, were supplied by By Annie, the threads by Aurifil, except for a couple that are my own purchases, and the machine needles by Schmetz Needles, except for the jeans needle which I purchased some time ago. 

Well I just had to take my backpack out into the neighbourhood for a test run!

Lee & Maria's On-Farm Market, just 0.5 km from home

I've carried many a bag of produce and other groceries home from here, (ouch my cramping fingers) so having a backpack in which to put my purchases is now a welcome addition to my homemade bags collection.

How about a little closer look?

Annie chose well! Do you see the Art Nouveau styled tulips? Love!

Island Batik Update

I hope you've been as wowed as I have with the bags on display last week! I have to say that the quality of the instructions, accompanying videos, techniques and bag parts is outstanding. I am steadily, albeit slowly, working away on mine.

This made me super-excited last night. Don't worry; the flap is not crooked, no clue why it appears that way. I was looking for the little dooma-hickey you use to pop out your SIM card, and came across the little wooden Handsewn tag that I believe I received from Sew Me A Song in with an order a while back. Or it could have been in with a Pile o' Fabric order... In any event, I knew immediately I'd put it on the flap!

I am working with a few pieces from the Nouveau Soul line, a line I just love. All the fabrics we are using are from the Spring 2020 collections, which are going to be available very soon in your LQS.

All right let's take a look at this week's lineup.

Thoughtful Tuesday: Musings on Rocks

Wait, you thought this was a blog about quilting? Well, mainly so, but from time to time I muse on other topics. However, this is the first musing I've done on rocks. Rocks is a noun and a verb. This feels like school!

Rocks as a verb indicates that something is fantastic. The Island Batik blog hop that started this week and runs through September 29 rocks! There are, as usual, lots of giveaways, so be sure to visit the bloggers as well as Island Batik. The schedule for this week is at the end of this post.

Something can rock one's world, like this pandemic. 

And then there are rocks, the noun.

I've shown you these, and many others on Instagram, before. They've given me joy over the past several months of walking in my neighbourhood. They given me pause as well.

Summer Stars

Last summer I participated in a QAL called Sweet Star QAL. It was a sort of DrEAMi, in that I started in almost at the halfway point, and I had no business taking on another project, but it sort of consumed me, as those squirrels do. The best part was that I finally had found a pattern for my Blueberry Park stack of fat quarters that I'd bought a few years ago at Craftsy (who are back, which I'm sure you know, and as Craftsy, and it's "watch whatever you want for the next 45 days" event to celebrate their return). We made four blocks a week, and I had such fun combining various fabrics to make the blocks. I love the blues and greens with a bit of yellow and gold thrown in. Once the top was done, I behaved and got myself back on track with deadlines and commitments.

Couldn't you just snuggle up with a good book in that oasis? Well maybe not; it was rather hot and humid! Still, it evokes the idea, and one could sit on top of the quilt there and read...  Our Sweet Autumn clematis is absolutely stunning and its heavenly scent pervades that entire area, reminds me of jasmine in Florida in looks and scent. It cascades down either side of the fence. There's another small one, but we think it hasn't gotten enough sun since the cannas, mandevilla vine, barberry and elephant ears have filled in all around and above it. Note for next year!

OMG Cream and White Scraps Box

 Remember the DrEAMi! I had, well two, that I wrote about on Saturday? Well, those scrap improv panels that consumed me grew up into another scraps sorting box. This was in reality my OMG, either a cream and white or a pink box this month. So it wasn't a true DrEAMi, because it was planned, whereas a true DrEAMi just sneaks up on you, unawares, and grabs you by your easily-distracted mind, and off you go, ignoring all other must-do's while time seems to stand still.

I quilted this one with floppy feathers, and I found a piece of scrap batting upon which I was able to place four of the five sides in a line. I've never quilted something on my longarm without a backing, but I gave this one a whirl and it worked out great. In no time I had them done, even writing white and some synomyms on the panels. The front there has 'opal' and 'pearl' on it.

DrEAMi! #43

 

Welcome to DrEAMi! #43 where we celebrate those Drop Everything And Make it! moments. This meme of perfection for those squirrel projects is off Carol's of Quilt Schmilt blog. It describes my yesterday and this morning to a T. I actually had a squirrel interrupt a squirrel and one was my OMG but it started acting like a DrEAMi yesterday...

I Like/Love #43 with some Thoughtful Thursday Added

Welcome to another I Like/Love post. Once again, I am adding in some of my thoughtful work.

1. I've finished a couple more very important books:  The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King and Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese. Both of these are excellent, thought-provoking, soul-shaking/searching, and should be required reading for all North Americans.  I'm currently reading White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo on audio, and Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. I think my next read needs to be a light one, maybe another Flavia one. I see, thanks to emails from Chapters/Indigo (love them) that Thomas King's newest book is out, Indians on Vacation. I enjoyed reading the transcript of his interview with Shelagh Rogers from CBC in the back of The Inconvenient Indian.

2. Laura (@lolly2430) sent me this article. I forgot to put it on last month's post. As she said, it is heartbreaking, and I think it's a tragedy.

For Black Scientists, the Sorrow is Also Personal. 

3. I like this article on CBC's site that tells of an anonymous person in Toronto who has been putting up plaques that give the whole history of well-known, 'respected' families. Read the article.

And earlier this evening, a story was on our local Windsor CBC news of our Museum Windsor curator now including the whole history of the Baby (I learned it is not pronounced as you'd assume, but bah-bee) family who were slave owners. Here is the article. (Okay what is going on...since Tuesday's post, they've change the insert URL popup and I can no longer test the link?) She's researching the life histories of the enslaved people, which makes me think of The Book of Lost Friends.

To Do Tuesday

Two in a row for To Do Tuesday, think that is a record. I wasn't going to write one since I published a post yesterday, which you should check out (see link in #1), because oh, I love the latest quilt, but I am pleased because every item on the list was completed! I even took A Positive Spin out for a road trip to a local winery, which some of you may have already seen on Instagram because I literally sat and posted it right then and there.

So let's get right to it, down to brass tacks as they say, (hmm, wonder what the origin of that saying is; must look it up as I have erased some from my usage because of their nasty origins).

1. Finish the quilt for Island Batik✅ A Positive Spin is done and blogged

2. Write up a TGIFF post✅ TGIFF - Makeup Bag

3. Make one or two makeup bags for my Etsy shop✅ See listing here

4. List my new beach glass bowls in my Etsy shop✅ See listing here

A Positive Spin

Finally, after a lost day due to a migraine, and a chopped up weekend due to adulting and gorgeous weather that I didn't want to totally miss out on, A Positive Spin is done!

Another name popped in my head when I set up this shot (yay for a timer on my phone camera, as I am behind the quilt and the camera!) 'Twisting by the Pool".

This is my August challenge quilt for  Island Batik. They supplied the fabric, Hobbs Batting supplied the batting, Aurifil the thread for the entire project, Studio 180 Designs supplied the ruler, and Schmetz Needles supplied the needle I used to piece the quilt!

This was a bit different of a challenge in that I didn't get to decide what fabric to use; I was given a 10" stack of William's Garden, yardage of a dark purple Basic, and a light purple, Bubbles, along with a Deb Tucker tool. I added in Island Batik's white solid.