Groovy Quilt Along - much text, few pics

I read quilting blogs way too much - and way more than I actually quilt. To get myself in gear, I've joined the Totally Groovy Quilt Along at pileofabric.com. Can I get my supplies on time through the mail from Canada? Can I get anything done with a 1-year-old running around? Can I piece curves on the first try? Stay tuned - possibly for a long long time since I'm not too good at keeping up with the blog these days. :)

 

While I wait for those festivities to commence, I've been working on a Denyse Schmidt quilt from her first book, Quilts. Got it and her newer book from the library. Pictures later if I'm feeling feisty.

I've been forming a close relationship with the public library lately. I was lent a few Lisa See books and they were good reads so now I'm into Shanghai Girls. I think I'll have to move on after this since I've already read Snowflower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, and Dreams of Joy.  Also read Room based on Scott's mom's recommendation, and it was pretty good. I love free stuff. I read about 1 page per month in Nelson Mandela's autobiography on the side :D

We don't go to the movies anymore, but we rent on occasion from Video Difference (STAFF IS AMAZING and makes good recommendations EVERY TIME!!!). Too bad they don't have a Dartmouth location. Netflix - you are dead to me! I don't love every movie they recommend, but they definitely can latch on to what I'm saying I like in my own special vague way - "dark documentary" or "something like Cohen brothers drama." So the last movie we saw was Marwencol. Definitely not up everyone's alley, but certainly interesting.

Finally, for those interested in home reno. (that's you Kimbo Bimbo)... sorry I don't have any good pics, but here's some of what Scott and our parents have checked off the list so far (I'm pretty much not helpful in any way at this stuff):

*install new downspouts and drainage pipes *repair garden hose tap *install deadbolt on back door *remove squirrel nest from back deck roof *replace light fixtures in kitchen and master bedroom *massive weed removal and cutting down of trees and dead limbs on all sides of the house *repair shed doors, replace hinges, and repaint shed trim *pull out, clean, and properly install dishwasher *lift oven to fit properly in cabinet cutout *re-caulk around bathtub *remove massive dog hairball from forced hot air fan.

Our street is on a steep hill.

Each of these things sounds small, but anyone who owns a home knows that any little project you take on always turns out to be more annoying than you think it will be. Ongoing headaches include the weeds, the squirrel nest in the roof, the green mildew that builds up everywhere, the ceiling fan light of doom, a severe lack of furniture, and the dog hair that seems to keep oozing out of every nook and cranny in this place. Worst of all is the leaky wet basement. That's #1 on our list now. Stinky demo and bugs, ew! I still really like this place. Ahhhh.... so nice to have a home with space. ahhhh....

Watching Olympics. Gotta go...

Summer Fun

Mostly we've been doing a lot of new house stuff since we moved in at the beginning of June, but we also took a trip to Wisconsin to visit my grandmas and had a nice visit with Scott's parents over Canada Day. They were super wonderful awesome taking care of lots of projects at the house, looking after Bea.... AND they brought some much needed furniture. Yay! Thanks!

A fire boat in Halifax Harbor

 

Shooting at something from the Citadel to celebrate Canada day. These things are not usually up there. There is normally a daily firing of the noon gun (a big cannon with no cannonball, of course) from the top of the Citadel. I can hear it a lot more distinctly over here in Dartmouth as it's aimed in this general direction. Our old apartment in Halifax was behind the Citadel so I never heard it from there. Scott is in its direct path when he's at work and very close, so he gets a shock every day around lunch time. WAKE UP! Time for lunch!!!

I can't take any credit for helping to assemble the new bbq (as seen on the deck at our new house, yay!). Good job dada and gramps!

 Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo Parade - coincidentally happening on Canada Day weekend. Yeah, I wasn't aware of this kind of tattoo until a month ago. NOT related to embedding ink in the flesh.

At the beach at Taylor's Head. We LOVE the beach these days. We got to stop at Chickenburger in Bedford on the way home and had some good eats, even though their power was out after a big thunderstorm.

 

We also returned to Ross Farm Museum one weekend. There is more stuff going on now that it's tourist season. This is them turning the hay the old fashioned way.

 

A baby cow. er.... calf.

More babies at the farm. HONK!

 

Bea is STILL talking about the neigh-neigh ride at the farm. We also saw the apple barrel cooper at work and a blacksmith making shooes for a team of oxen .

Space Cadet

Yeah, she must be my daughter. 

Gorey Guy

I love Edward Gorey. Some day I'll make an Edward Gorey quilt I hope. Just for fun, I started a little embroidery of a page from "The Gashlycrumb Tinies." D is for DESMOND thrown out of a sleigh...

And here's the reverse side of those cute pants. Can you see the little turtles and snails on the gray part? I had to re-sew the crotch seams since they came open after a long fun day in Lunenburg last weekend. I hadn't done a great job the first time through. They are fitting great now with the elastic tightened a little. Two super-cute pairs of pants in one! Yay! I want to make more but there are lots of other things I want to make too.

Plus, we move to Dartmouth - "the dark side" - next weekend so... kinda busy. 

Pants!

Tried on the pants over jammies tonight. The elastic in the waist is not quite tight enough (not terribly tough to fix), but overall I think they turned out SOOOOO cute! I'll see if I can get a shot of the reverse side some time. I made the biggest size, so we'll see how they fit as spring/summer progresses.

Hmmm, what should my next project be? I should probably take care of some non-exciting business/paperwork I've been putting off that is completely non-blogworthy. Groan...

revenge of the chubby chicks

All done, woo!! I need help with my photo skills.  And I'm too lazy to even rotate them - what's become of me?

This little flock is bound for my friend (I don't think "stephanie" reads my blog so I'll show you how I made it hers) back in California - hooray!!!

My favorite part is the applique chicks. I like handwork because I have more control. I have less experience working with my machine so those parts could use some polishing.

This is only the second quilt I've ever completed from start to finish if you don't count 2 baby mats I've made. I need a lot more practice!

 

And then this afternoon, the toddler gods were smiling on me, and they got the girl to sleep for almost 2 hours, during which time I almost finished making her this pair of pants. They're reversible - "quick change trousers" from Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings. I got the book from the library and had some extra muslin I could use to trace the pattern - yay! I LOVE the library. I didn't get the elastic for the waistband yet so I can't quite finish them. Pretty easy and cute so far!!! If they turn out ok, I'll get small fry to  model them for you. They might turn out to be disposable-diaper-friendly-only pants.

Special Delivery!

Canada has some cool stamps out to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. It's big in Halifax because they brought a lot of the victims' bodies here. Halifax is featured on some of the stamps specifically. Here's a mail truck that was parked on our street the other day!

 And in the Public Gardens (a really cool place in Halifax - you need to check it out next time you're in town) they have a model of the Titanic in the pond (shouldn't it be at the bottom of the pond?).

 Happy Birthday to our best California buddy! I can't believe you're 5 already!!!!!