back to normal?

I don't know about you, but I've found that it's taken the last few weeks for the postal system to get everything sorted out, following the labour dispute. Much of my mail has taken longer than usual (like 10 days for an envelope to go from Parry Sound to Huntsville - normally a 1 hour drive by car). Maybe it's just the summer....and little bit my imagination, but everything seems a little sluggish lately, including me.

In need of a little pick-me-up, I placed my first order with Alewives a few weeks ago. I've visited their site many times to gorge on the lovely eye candy, but I always seemed to feel a bit overwhelmed by all of the choices and had a hard time deciding what I really wanted. It's difficult to complain about having too many beautiful fabrics to choose from......but I do find I get easily overwhelmed by attractive selections -- finding the rose among the thorns is so much easier!

In any case, I finally took the plunge, chose 10 different batiks and placed an order, and the slow-poke mail service finally delivered the last of my fabric at the end of last week. It's been spread out on either the counter or the coffee table ever since, and cheers me up each time I look over at it. There is so much promise in a pile of fabric...

Meanwhile I'm busy planning my trip to England, hence the book that's usually by my side. It's hard to believe I'll be leaving in less than 7 weeks -- there is much to do between now and then. Including finalizing where I am going, staying, seeing, etc. Any and all recommendations welcome for Amsterdam (I a 12 hour stopover en route), London, Yorkshire, _______ (anywhere else I should go for a good 3-day adventure in September? Scotland? Wales? _____?)

Once I finish knitting my new sweater (hopefully this weekend), next up on the project list is sewing a pocket-protector for my iPad. I love the thick felt Christine used for hers, but I think I will try to make something from my stash - either wool fabric with batting and then contrasting free-motion quilting or maybe a little pieced top using some different batiks.... Luckily there is still time for me to decide and/or come up with a new plan :-D

Dear Blog

Dear Blog,

I'm sorry I've been neglecting you of late. Did you know that it's summer around here? Not only is it Canada's shortest season, we've had some of the nicest weather in years (don't worry, I've crossed my fingers crossed to avoid a Jinx).....so I really want to take full advantage.

Instead of hanging out at home, making and creating, I've been spending more and more time away from home. I've been laying in the sun, swimming in the lake, floating on the water trampoline, eating lots of summer = barbecued foods (bacon cheese dogs are the best!), reading magazines, sleeping lots in my new tent, discovering funny pictures on my iPad (like the one above) when I get home, shopping at the farmers market, gorging on cherries, trying to roast a perfect marshmallow, reading, knitting a bit, and living a new adventure at work, every day (it's our busiest time of year, after all).

Not to worry, it will be Fall and then Winter soon enough and I will retreat inside and have lots to blather about then. In the meantime, I will continue to pop in when I can, if I have anything of import to say.....and I'll try not to feel too guilty about the lack of posting on all of the other days.

Back soon,

love, me xxoo

P.S. Mum and I had a quiet day at the beach and went for a nice paddle boat ride around the lake on Saturday. Hopefully these snaps will help to explain my absences....

making a sandwich....

I did manage to work a little more on my table mats on Thursday night. I still have one top to piece, but I was so eager to see it come together that I started assembling the first one. I am by no means a expert when it comes to quilting -- I've just learned from observation and experimentation. This makes for a fairly relaxed way of working, but there are always a few bumps along the way (sometimes literally!)

I sewed a few pieces of blackish denim together for the back...and then taped it down on the floor. Laid the batting on top, and then taped the pieced "top" on top of that to make my sandwich. Thursday's quick visit to my local quilt shop yielded some great curved safety pins for basting it all together -- as well as a really cool tool to help push the point through the fabric and then lift it up to close the pin (without hurting your fingers!). Both a time and a sanity saving tool wrapped up in one! :-D

I did start quilting a bit, but have loads more still to do. I will work on that tonight....