I've been tagged.

I've been tagged by Claire from Needlebook! I feel like a real, live blogger now!

Okay, you know the drill- here's 7 interesting (or not) facts about me. Ready?

1. I "collect" U.S. presidential sightings. I've seen Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush #1 and Clinton. I still need to get an in-person visual on Bush #2.
2. Webbed toes run in my family. That's the second and third toes stuck together like little Siamese Twins. My dad and sister have them. Cool!
3. I'm a dual citizen (U.S. and Canadian).
4. Tragically, I'm unable to wear bangs (and believe me, I've tried!).
5. When I have a lot of fabric cut at the fabric store, I insist on folding the pieces myself. Because I am particular. Staff are usually slightly puzzled at first, then glad for having less work. See? Win-win!
6. Moving-to-Canada culture shock moment: Milk in a bag. Whaaa...?
7. Michigan relatives think I sound Canadian. Canadian friends will sometimes point out an occasional Michigan twang. Maybe I should adopt an obviously fake British accent and be done with it. Like Britney Spears.

And there you have it.

And since those I would have tagged have pretty much all been tagged themselves lately, the Tagging Buck will stop here...

...except for Ally! Superb figurative sculptural artist, vintage-inspired craftster and my "talk me down from the creative ledge" friend since college. Check 'er out!

New Acquisitions

I went to IKEA today and ever-so-casually swung past the fabric section. New prints, kids! This one is crying out to be split up the centre and used as a quilt border. It is 18" wide with the long selvage edges prefinished, apparently intended for use as decorative hanging panels. I have used another print as teatowels for my kitchen.



This other chunk is a print they've had for a while, and I've been eyeballing it for ages. I finally broke down and bought some. I'm going to make a tote out of it. This week. I will sew it into something right away. Really. I mean it.

Extreme English Piecing...

Back to "Honeycomb" for a sec, here's a detail shot of one of the wings. For you, Marnie.

Liberty at last!

I bought this delightful little bag from the equally delightful Claire of Needlebook blog fame. I spotted this bag in her suitcase of goodies at the workroom and City of Craft Valentine Trunk Show event this past Sunday.

Way back in May 2006 I bought this issue of Everyday Food just for the pictures of the background fabrics. Of course, I searched everywhere for this print and couldn't find it anywhere to buy for myself. Then Sunday! Yay!! The bag was a must-have.

Now if I could just find this one, too...

Honeycomb

Here is another example of the possibilities of English Paper Piecing. I was honoured to have "Honeycomb" included in the Canadian Quilters' Association National Juried Show last year in Kamloops, BC. The background is pieced with a "coffin" shape, and the bees are appliqued in cotton and silk. The pieced wings were a challenge to make and are my favourite part of this wall quilt.

Hexagons!

English Paper Piecing is my long-car-trip, sports practice, waiting-for-water-to-boil best friend. You may recognize the hexagon patchwork as the basis for the old classic Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt design. I think it looks fantastic as a random monochromatic patchwork and also in little rosette formations like on these little turtles' backs.

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Here is the third pillow in my Patchwork Pillow series!

Stuff With Scraps #2

After recently finishing a massive quilt project, I decided that a small and fun quickie project was the order of the day. (And I was tired of my old needlebook.)

I'm still digging J. R. Laury's running stitch method for applique. The green stem is made with a teensy strip of bias-cut cotton that has been put through my favourite sewing toy ever... the Clover Bias Tape Maker. I have it in 1/4" (used here) and 1/2" widths. Makes me want to stitch a quilt with loads of vines and stems... Hmmm...