lysa flower: : Page 23

Party on Wayne!

Lysa September 16, 2013 0

Beep…beep…beep……………………..”Oh no! She’s flat-lined! GET THE PADDLES!…..CLEAR!”………. Beep…beep…beep…Big sigh of relief.

I know, I thought I was a goner too! Last thing I remember is looking forward to summer then…POOF! Summer was over. Where did the time go? Now that school is back, oddly enough it seems like all we’ve been doing is… partying!

My Birthday was on the 6th and I had a wonderful day at the Little White House in Fort Langley, again. I know, I know I did that last year but in all fairness I almost forgot about doing anything for my birthday in the midst of the back to school hoopla, so I figured celebrating at the Little White House again would still be fun. And it was! I was joined my my good friends, Cynthia and Trudy…

And my good friend Hana!

They spoiled me rotten!

Vintage buttons, button fabric! Oh they know me so well!

Then of course, this was the present my husband gave to me! I know for a fact he snuck into Favourite Gifts and bought it! Made by The Loving Spoon.

The following week our guild had our third anniversary party! Third! It’s so hard to believe it’s been three years already! I did plan on taking some pictures but I was to busy partying! BUT Carol Browne, photographer, blogger and all around crafty type did! Phew, thank goodness! Although, you gotta keep your eye on her, you never know when she’s taking your picture!

And then! To top off the week it was my youngest son’s birthday. Why is he wearing a Jason mask you ask? He was born on the 13th and his birthday this year was on a Friday. He wasn’t born a Friday though, so we didn’t name him Jason.

Party on Garth!

Five things I learned from Cheryl Arkison!

Lysa August 8, 2013 0

In my last blog post I told you about our Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild in conjunction with Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild bringing out quilter and author Cheryl Arkison from Calgary. Well, she came, she talked and she taught! It’s hard to believe it already came and went! When she was here she did a wonderful trunk show (a talk where she showed off her quilts). Cheryl also provided us with two incredible workshops, one called “The Missing U” (an improve quilt) and another workshop called “Perfect Circles”! Guessed what we made in that workshop?

You guessed it! Circles! THE most perfect-y circle-y circles ever!

Not only did I learn a lot and get a chance to make some blocks for Cheryl’s ‘“Just One Slab” project in the “Missing U” workshop and how to make perfect circles, I also learned five things I will always think… okay maybe not think but remind myself as I sew:

#1. Stop thinking! Yup, I’m an over thinker, it’s true! My first “Missing U” block was absolutely painful. I’ve done improve blocks before but always found them a bit tedious and looking a little log cabin-y. Luckily Cheryl came to my rescue and jumped in to help me sew my block after she gave me the advice to stop thinking so much. This was enough for me to let go, dive in and… stop thinking!

#2 .“Just match up chunks!“ Not thinking helped but I did have another light-bulb moment when Cheryl said ,”just match up chunks!” Yup, just match up chunks! That was my aha moment, so I sewed chunks of fabric together while not thinking! Which was probably why I had no problem introducing Mr. Kaffe Fassett to Mr John Deere!

#3. Press don’t iron! This is one I always forget and I need to remind myself not to do. I’m always ironing back-and-forth, back-and-forth. I need to remember not to do that. I’m thinking it might be because my iron is really light I feel like I really have to make that seam stay! I did fall in love with an iron at the workshop that was really heavy and found I was pressing with it more than ironing with it. Regardless, no excuses, I must remember to press not iron!

#4. Work on a second quilt using leaders and enders. It’s such a simple idea! What this means is when you’re working on the quilt with bigger blocks, before you start to sew on your big block you sew two small pieces of scraps before your block. Likewise, then you sew two small pieces at the end of your block . That way you don’t get the little threads bunching up (a nest of threads) at the beginning of your large blocks or at the end. Plus you don’t have to lose your mind sewing little tiny pieces together all at once, if you’re making a small pieced scrappy quilt. Brilliant!

Cheryl’s Missing U Quilt

#5. How to sew a block quilt together efficiently. Cheryl also passed along a method to sew a block quilt like her “The missing U” quilt. It becomes pretty clear, pretty quickly Cheryl is a smart cookie that works smarter not harder. As you might have guessed with the over thinking, harder is usually the avenue I go down. However, now that I know this I can do a u-turn and join in the smarter parade!

By the end of the three days my mind had been blown. I felt as though was able to take my quilting to a whole new place. So to you, Cheryl thanks so much! It was lovely to meet you and thanks for your time, knowledge and inspiration!

I’m all (over) packed and ready to go!

Lysa July 17, 2013 0

This next couple of days are going to be packed full for those of us at the FVMQG and VMQG. Jointly we’re bringing out quilter and author Cheryl Arkison. Tomorrow she’s giving a trunk show at the Langara campus (tickets are still available for $10 each at the door). Friday she’s teaching a workshop called “the Missing U” (3 spots are still available, email me if you’re interested). Then on Saturday Cheryl is teaching a “Perfect Circles” class at the University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford campus. I can’t wait, it’s going to be awesome!

I’ve double checked all my supplies but as you can’t tell I tend to over pack. I don’t want to miss anything, so I think I’m good to go! I’ll be whipped Sunday but it will all worth it!

Ear buds, speaking of chaos…

Lysa July 7, 2013 1

Tangled ear buds drive me crazy! And we use them a lot when we travel. One day at my husbands work I noticed Pete, a programmer and practical kinda guy, pull some ear buds out of his pocket and he unzipped them. The noise caught my attention . He looked at me and said, “they stop from getting tangled this way.” What a brilliant idea! Pete had sewn a zipper around his ear buds cords.

Inspired I made these! They’ve saved me a great deal of wasted time untangling cords in confined awkward spaces that one tends to find themselves in while travelling! I actually made them while I was travelling! The are a super easy and fast project for when you’re on the go! Thanks Pete! Leave it to a programmer to come up with something brilliant!

Another little craft I picked up when I was travelling was this little thing.

I had seen these cross-stitched phone cases on Instagram and on Etsy. However, I picked up this case when we were in New York at Purl Soho. It was a little fussy but well worth the effort. After I bought it though, I thought, “Oh, white? Perhaps not a great colour choice?” Now if I could only get Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call me, Maybe out of my head”

What are you doing this summer?

Lysa July 3, 2013 0

Finally those words made so famous by Alice Cooper-sing it with me! “SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER!!!!!”

While I’ve been looking forward to not packing lunches and rushing out the door every morning, I’m shocked at how fast our summer is filling up. Despite my ever growing garden, summer camp and holiday plans I thought I’d take a moment and proclaim my intentions for this summer. That way, I hope, the summer won’t sneak away from me and I’ll be held responsible to git r done!

#1. I’ve got some updating on my website I’d like to do. Maintenance things, add some photos, put up a few post I’ve been savouring but it’s gotten to the point I just need to just DO IT! That way I can get on with #2 on my list.

#2. Draw, draw, draw! Apparently my calenders are quite hot. I had assumed it was more of an end of the year thing but Carol from Favourite has asked for more, more, more!

#3. I need to finish some lap quilts for some really amazing teachers. Our eldest graduated from grade 7 this year and it was kind of a big deal. It’s a small school which was founded by two moms that had kids that were dyslexic. They couldn’t find the help they needed so they started their own school! Hard core right! And those ladies still work at the school thirty some odd years later and have created an amazing community. My plan was to have five lap quilts done by the end of the school year… yeah, that didn’t happen. Originally these quilt tops were going to be one big quilt (a king-sized quilt! What was I thinking?). I’ve been making good progress on them but I think having them ready for the new school year might have been a more realistic goal!

#4. I started a quilt for my youngest son last year in September, for his birthday. I NEED to finish it! Poor guy… every once in a while he’d ask, “When is my quilt going to be done?” What can I say? It’s been a project I’ve struggled with. My son and I designed it together. I had bought the fabric, then just like Halloween costumes, the design changed. I hadn’t given myself enough time and started it only a few day before his last birthday. I almost got it done but the next day his Dad (unknowingly) showed him a quilt the day after his birthday based on a video game that he really liked . He proclaimed,”That’s what I want!” I lost luster for the project. I recently dragged it out again and all has been forgotten. He can’t wait for me to finish it! Although he’s come up with another quilt design…

NEWS FLASH! I finished it! Before I got this post put up – woohoo! I’m still keepin’ it on the list though because it makes me feel good to check it off!

#5. I want to finish my Fab Bee quilt. I’ve received all my trees now it’s time to make the forest! Then there is my Unscripted Bee quilt. I was holding out on finishing it until two final blocks came in but I think it’s time to git r done as well. Well… at least git r pieced by the end of the summer! Plus I did a drawing for each month for the Unscripted Bee and I think I’m safe to go ahead and send those out too! That, I want to get done for sure by the end of the summer.

#6. Oh and I need to sneak in a #6. Jennifer from Second Hand Dinosaur and I did a little swap earlier this year via Sew, Mama, sew’s Give Away Day . We’ve made a little challenge for our selves to make something out of some trims I picked up when I was in San Francisco this past March.

Phew, I know, I know, I’m an over planner. Shoot for the moon and at the very least you’ll land among the stars right? I wish you a wonderful summer filled with lots of cool drinks and tan lines. Did I mention I already have my first sunburn of the summer? I guess I can check that off my list!