coming soon.....

Now don't fall off your chairs, but I'm going to be posting pictures of some blocks I've made. I think this is the longest I have gone without quilting since I started in 2001. Wow. I'm feeling better every day and my arm is less sore all the time. Funny, I never gave any thought to asking about the recovery prior to surgery. Everything happened so fast, I just went with the flow and trusted things would be ok.
Right now my arm lets me know if I am reaching too far or doing too much. I saw a very cute pattern for a July 4th tablerunner or banner. I just couldn't resist digging in my drawers of fabric and finding just the right pieces to put together. I stayed up way past my bedtime last night, I had to drag myself away from the sewing machine. I hope to have the top pieced before I go out for dinner tonight. At least the 3 blocks will be done.
Stay tuned for some red, white and blue.
Hope you have been finding time to quilt,
Sharon

The Ultimate Recycle...with quilt pics below

Right next door to me lives a vacant lot, I like it, it's green, clean and provides a wonderful open space in my neighbourhood. But like all good things, it must come to an end, and this is what happened in the last 3 days. First big trucks and equipment arrived and took all the nice green grass and left a brown patch of dirt

.......and then this happened this morning around 6:30 am. Talk about recycling, apparently this is the second time this tri-plex has been moved.

Hmm, wonder if they will leave the wheels under it this time! :-)
And now I will leave you with a few more pictures from the Fraser Valley Quilt Guild

I LOVE these cows, click on the photo for more details.







Did you notice that the hexigons are layered? Click on the photo for a close up, Val Smith is doing some amazing work with these.
I did some piecing today, repotted my house plants and washed all Annie's blankets and bedding!
Sharon

15 books in 15 minutes

I read Sister's Choice Quilts blog and always enjoy my little peek into her life. She has picked up a tag going around where people are challenging others to list their 15 fav books. Since my surgery, I have not been able to quilt and my blog is just sort of hanging here, so since I've been reading a bit more these days, and summer is here, I am posting my 15 favs.

1 - Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
2 - Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
3 - I Know This Much is True - Wally Lamb
4 - Shibumi - Trevanian
5 - Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
6 - Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
7 - Valley of the Dolls Jacqueline Susann
8 - The Poppy Chronicles - Claire Rayner
9 - The Winner - David Baldacci
10 - East of Eden - John Steinbeck
11 - All Together in One Place #1 - Jane Kirkpatrick
12 - No Eye Can See #2 - Jane Kirkpatrick
13 - What Once we Loved #3 - Jane Kirkpatrick
and when I was a kid
14 - Charlotte's Web - EB White
15 - Trixie Beldon Series - Kathryn KennyAn interesting story about this "author" and the series that was.

So there you have it, some of my fav reads, in no particular order with the exception of #1 GWTW. I must have read these 1000+ pages 7 or 8 times so far, and I'm sure they will be read a few more times.

Hope your day has some time for reading
Sharon

Quilting getting more exposure

Wow, the Wall Street Journal, this is fantastic!
Sharon

Fraser Valley Quilt Guild Show

I promised some eye candy and here it is. I enjoyed seeing all the lovely work that came from this guild. My favorite has to be the Hexigon quilts done by Val Smith. I hope this link worked, if not, go to the Show and Tell link and you should see her listed there. Her work with Hexigons and machine quilting is amazing. I was mesmerized with her Fractured Hexigon quilt, the color theory, piecing techniques, and her quilting. While admiring this quilt, someone told me Val was at the show. I had to opportunity to chat with her, and she showed me some of her very tiny hexi's she is working on. This is one talented lady. Now here is some of the show. Enjoy the pics.




Some others to enjoy

Take time today.....

Time to reflect on what is important. And take time to remember those who have given us our opportunities and our freedoms. They have made the biggest sacrifice.
I love this quilt, I pieced the top while living in Vancouver BC, it was supposed to be a rail fence, but with my lack of knowledge about value at the time, it just would not work. After several hours in front of the design wall at my local quilt shop, I dumped my blocks into a bag and went home. I thought I would have better luck a second time, but after 2 hours the next weekend, I left with my bag full of blocks, just the same as how I had arrived. Then I made 13 star blocks, added them into the mix, and started sewing blocks together as they came out of the bag. Was I surprised, I loved how it turned out. Fast forward to living in the U.S. I took this quilt to the local Longarmer, I had my red/white/blue variegated thread and asked for stars all over. Once this was all finished I took it to Show and Tell and everyone loved it and told me how the 13 stars represented the first 13 colonies etc. Being Canadian, and not up on my U.S. history, I had no idea what they were talking about, yet they thought I had planned this great idea. So that quilt taught me that some times if you let things happen, instead of trying to force them, the results will amaze you!This one is from the cover of American Patchwork and Quilting, it is an Alex Anderson design. It usually lives on my kitchen table.

Finally doing something quilty!

This "no repetition" with my arm is for the birds, or the non quilters! But I've been taking dr.s orders and have only stitched on my hexigons in short time intervals. Today my friend Dani F. is picking me up and we are going to the Fraser Valley Quilters Guild annual show in Cloverdale, BC. With camera in hand, I will return with some fantastic eye candy for everyone! and maybe a few goodies for me. I did indulge in Kim Diehl's new book this week, Simple Comforts How I love her work! I also came home with a piece of turquoise Sateen from Two Thimbles in Bellingham, WA. Yes Muriel, I had to have some too!
Sew some stitches today!
Sharon