Self induced and unannounced blogging break...

I didn't mean to be away as long as I was, but I just didn't have anything to say...or rather, I had plenty to say and share, but just didn't have the umph to write. But lets get right to the sharing...

This is the quilt that I'm working on for my boss. She will be finishing her term in the next month (and her birthday is at the end of the month) and I wanted to give her something special, something that she would use and something that she would think of our office when she used it.

Its only a lap quilt (12 inch squares, log cabin, 3 across/4 down with white sashing and backing and I may combine the left over strips to create the binding).

These aren't the colors I necessarily think of when I think of her, but they jumped out of my stash closet and said "Use me and me and me and me!!" Of course, I was sick at the time, so that may have been a hallucination. Anyhoo, now when she is sitting at home on a cold, snowy night, reading a book with this quilt on her lap, she will think of all of us stuck here listening to the Senate until some ungodly hour and thank her lucky stars that she doesn't have to do that anymore (and then drive 30 minutes home with people still calling her!)

Well, the day is almost done, tomorrow is wood day (Mum, Dad, Derek and I load up trucks and trailers and bring 4 cord of wood to the Lake) and Saturday, my cousin is getting married ♥ in Massachusetts! Still so much to do before then!

Have a wonderful weekend, anyone and everyone. Until next week!

Jack's Quilt

A friend just adopted a baby from Ethiopia and Thursday is her baby shower This is my contribution to Baby Jack - entitled "Welcome Jack", done in super soft cottons in a rail fence pattern...just one more thing I did while lazin' the days away on my vacation. :^)

What to do when you're sick...

Quilt and paint! It doesn't require a whole lot of effort if you really take it easy, or if you have most of the quilt top finished and only need to do the center block. I started this one about 3 years ago, but never finished it. It's definitely different...well for me. And there's that one purple block that just doesn't belong; I just don't know what was up with that. If I'd been smart, I would have taken it out and replaced it before I started stitching rows together.
I also made a slip cover for one of my couch pillows - I love this fabric...I think it's a Kaufman. Mum bought it for me.
Finishing the coffee table was easy - I sat on the floor the whole time.
And when the coffee table was done, I moved onto canvas...'cause I was bored.
Now I'm just waiting for the Doctor's office phone to stop being busy, so I can see if I can get in and find out why I haven't been able to hear well out of either ear for the last three days, why the cough persists and why my nasal passages feel like they're going to explode! Then I have to take the dog to the vet...again...for shots.

**Update** I have a double ear infection to go with my throat....ugh!

New Toy!!

I have a new toy! Mum and I hit a REALLY good sale the other day and with our 50% off coupons, we each bought a SideWinder (for only $17.50)!! The SideWinder is a one button, portable bobbin winder that runs on batteries and fills bobbins without having to un-thread your sewing machine (which drives me nuts!). I haven't tried it out yet (which is killin' me!). I just haven't had time; I'm still working crazy hours - as a matter of fact, I'm still at work...14 hours straight and counting (:^P) and the concensus is that we'll be in late again tomorrow.

This weekend...this lovely 3 day weekend (Patriot's Day observed only in Maine and Massachusetts)...will be a rakin' the lawn, painting the coffee table funky, finishing the last 4 mini quilts (managed to get 5 done during my mad dash mini quilt catch up session) kind of weekend. I'm so looking forward to it!

And I've been inspired. I had a meeting in Brunswick on Tuesday and stopped into a furniture store called Seaside Mercantile (no website, unfortunately) because their window display featured an aqua colored couch with a purple sofa table behind it and an aqua and cobalt striped hutch off to the side. It was fabulous! It inspired my thoughts concerning my living room. I love painting rooms in great colors (remember my hall), but I've never been able to figure out just what to do with the living room (look here beyond the crazy cats to see the wallpaper and woodwork and here is the carpet and my hand me down couch). My idea is to rip off the wallpaper, paint the walls an eggshell color, slipcover the furniture in different colors, make new and funky fabric curtains, paint the coffee table, side tables and entertainment center in funkatude colors and patterns and paint my own canvases to go on the walls. I've never been a fan of white walls, but I think I can get behind this! Now it's just DOING it (there are still many projects that need finishing first).

Oh, we're done for the night and it's only 10:30 - Whoo hoo! I'm goin' to bed! Night!

(oh, if any of this is disjointed, blame 14 1/2 hours of work, sleepy eyes/brain and the fact that I'm going to post this without anal retentively rereading and editing it!)