Two more sleeps

My husband and I are going on a holiday soon! This weekend, we'll make our way to the city we'll be flying out of and then catch flights which will take us south so that we can get on a cruise ship which will take us even further south! We've never been on a cruise before but everybody we know who has been on one has given us enthusiastic and positive reviews.

I haven't started packing yet, but I did make a new zipper bag in honour of us actually checking luggage for a change. Our holiday involves a few days on land after we get off the ship  - need some room for a few extra clothes and maybe some shopping. Since I didn't have to pack my >100 ml products in a Ziploc bag for a change I thought it might be a nice to treat myself 

to a new toiletry bag.

The pattern is the Zippy Strippy bag by Terry Atkinson. Just like her well-known Yellow Brick Road quilt pattern, this bag is also simple and quick to make. I used scraps of fabric and batting and it probably took less than one hour to make; I didn't track my time spent but I know I puttered at it in my spare moments over a couple of nights this week. Since there weren't that many spare moments, logic says the bag didn't take that long. The directions for putting in the zipper make it a simple task and it looks really good.

Need to get to bed; the sooner I do, the sooner it will be only 1 more sleep!

e.

Swoon #9!

I slowed down a bit, but I finally finished my last Swoon block! I have tossed around a few ideas about how I'd like to sash and bind this quilt, but reality checked in and I decided I should really work from what I have on hand, at least for the sashing part, so I'll be using Kona Snow as I did for the background. And, I think it will look really nice. I'm excited.

The fabrics are an Amy Butler print and a Quilt Soup print (I think the line was Summertime). I had really wanted to make this quilt and had purchased the pattern before the quilt-along got started. I joined in thinking I'd go at a much slower pace than I ended up following. There are lots of pieces but overall, the blocks weren't difficult at all. I will get the top together and then set it aside as I have some different priorities coming up over the next few weeks. 

My husband bought me flowers for Valentine's Day. Roses are nice, but my favourites are tulips. He picked me up a couple bunches and today, they opened up and look so pretty on the middle of our dining room table.

I don't have an iPhone (I'm a Blackberry girl) so I don't have the Instagram app that people use to make their pictures look all cool and vintage. I did find an online app called Pixlr which I was able to download to my computer. I used it to put the "special effects" on my tulip photo above (actually, it helps disguise how dirty my window is!).

Happy Wednesday.

e.

Swoon update

Oh dear, I haven't been doing very well keeping up here the last week, it would seem. The trouble is I haven't finished anything therefore, I have not had any pictures and I don't want to put up a blog post that doesn't have a picture. 

Swoon block 8 is complete. The blue multicolour print is Central Park by Kate Spain and the orange dotted line/stripe fabric is....I don't know. The selvage said Hokkoh and the piece I have was part of a half-yard bundle purchased from Sew, Mama, Sew a couple summers ago. It reminds me of a lawn chair. I really like it and I promise, the colours are better in person. It was very grey (not to mention cold) here today. I should have gone outside to take the photo but...did I mention it was cold? So, I didn't.

I have the last block cut out and have started sewing it together. I might finish tonight but we'll see. A week tomorrow, my husband and I are leaving for warmer climes and I have some work projects which need to be finished up before I leave so I am prioritizing my time, accordingly. If I am able to make some time I hope to make a couple of zipper pouches (for makeup, sunscreen, etc.) and maybe even an iPad sleeve because the one I bought when I first got it is a little bit boring. Having said that, if I don't get any of those things accomplished I am still going to have a wonderful trip!

I like Friday nights, even if I do spend them on "work" stuff. They are relaxing and it's exciting thinking the weekend lies in front of me!

Happy Friday.

e.

Block 7

I am nearly done with my Swoon blocks. #7 is complete, and the big stack of fabric I began with is much smaller now. The fabric in this block is from Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow line and the orange is (yet) another Central Park. Some of the blocks (like this one) don't come out as vibrant as the others, but I think when I get all the blocks together in a single quilt top, each will 

make the other pop.

Still enjoying a gorgeous, unseasonably warm February. Mr. Groundhog says we have six more weeks of winter, still, but you know in Canada, we more 

or less expect it.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

e.

Swoon block #6

Block #6 is finished which means I am two thirds of the way complete with this quilt top - I'm quite pleased about that! I could probably be finished, but  have been puttering at other things. There were some busy months leading up to the end of 2011 and there were things that didn't get done which needed to be taken care of. This semester (I work in post-secondary, so I tend to block out life by the semester) I do not need to be in my office very much and am able to set my own schedule, provided I meet all my obligations. I've been taking a day here and there to catch up on errands and other important duties, like long lunches with friends. My husband and I are going on a trip later this month; it is a cruise, and we have never been on one before so we have been trying to make sure we have all our ducks in a row and make arrangements for shore excursions and the like. Of course, I just can't click a button and add it to my cruise. Nooo. Rather, I'm compelled to find as many reviews as I can and make sure it's a "really cool trip".

Anyway, all this busy-ness impedes my Swoon progress, but it is self-inflicted. I'd like to send Swoon off to the quilter before I leave on my trip and I'll be quite satisfied doing so. Pretty sure I'll be on target to do so.

The fabrics in this one are Hope Valley (such a pretty line!) and Dehli, by Valori Wells. The Valori Wells piece came as part of a bundle I ordered two summers ago. I'm not familiar with the line and imagine it is long gone by now, but I really like this butterfly print and wonder what the other fabrics might have been like.

We are having spring-like temperatures here on the first day of February. This is definitely not seasonal for the Canadian prairie, but I deifnitely don't mind not having to contend with ice and snow on the roads and pathways. I do wonder if the lack of moisture will translate into problems for the farmers come summer, but I will just enjoy what we are getting here and now.

Have a good Wednesday.

e.