lysa flower: : Page 24

Happy Anniversary…now was there something else I was forgetting?

Lysa June 28, 2013 1

Today is my in-laws anniversary. I’m extremely lucky because I have wonderful in-laws. They are very supportive, enthusiastic, smart and funny people. My mother in-law is like MacGyver. I’ll casually ask how to fix something and she’ll know how to do it. Or when I need some obscure tool, she’ll often reply, “I think I have one!” More often than not she does! My father in-law is a pretty fun guy who loves to visit and knows what’s going on with everyone’s lives, especially with the kids. He’s also invaluable because he loves to mow our lawn and it’s a pretty big one! Right now his mower is in the shop and I think he’s in withdrawal. He also loves his tractor more than anyone I know.

Although, now that I think of it he’s the only one I know who has a tractor! So a big happy anniversary to them! Oh, did I mention what they did on their third anniversary? They had this guy!

My husband, it’s his birthday today, too! He’s a lovely fellow who loves music, comic books, video games and LEGO. He also loves to run (especially running up hills, this I don’t understand!) and playing hockey! He melts when he sees babies and makes us laugh every day! He’s the most positive glass full kinda person I’ve ever met!

Happy Birthday Chris!

Organized Chaos!

Lysa June 25, 2013 1

This month has been insane! It’s like I blinked and June is almost gone! And through all the insanity my mind keeps cycling back to these drawings I did of Berene Campbell’s stash called “Organized Chaos”. Side note; Berene is the lady with a big heart who spearheaded the “To Boston with Love” flags!

STASH OF : Berene Campbell (Happy Sew Lucky)

Organized Chaos
Berene’s fabric is in a beautiful cabinet in her office. As we entered she made me promise to put blinders on and not look at the mess. Mess? What mess? Her office radiated with creativity, as it should! – March 2012

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Yup I can totally identify I feel like everything has been one big mess of a month all mashed together, mixed in with some creativity! So much has happened but here is an update in a nut shell.

Our guild put on a workshop by our very own Cynthia Frenette and I made this!

Sadly I discovered I’m still having problems with me free-motion on my Bernina. It’s never worked quite right since I got it and I tried to get it looked at last year but not much has changed. I thought it was just me and my inexperience but after using Cynthia’s machine I know something is still up. I’m not sure how to deal with it though. I just keep getting told it’s fine, it’s fine. Sigh!

A week later we were off the LA on business, like we do every year. We stayed at The Standard, which was awesome! They had little stickers and icons, clever sayings placed all over the hotel.

Have you seen “Get Him to the Greek” ? The pool he jumps into, that’s The Standard’s pool. Unfortunately this trip lined up in such a way that I missed both the FVMQG meeting and the LAMQG meeting. Which also meant I missed going to Sew Modern-Love that store!

And after we had rushed home from that trip we were full on getting ready for our eldest son’s Graduation. Sure it was only grade 7 but in their school it is a really, REALLY big deal! It turned out fabulous and he had a great time! Luckily Carol Browne came to take photos so all us parents could sit back and relax and watch the ceremony unfold. Thank you so much Carol!
Now we are looking forward to summer and all it has to offer us! Phew!

Done and Done … well almost!

Lysa May 31, 2013 0

Our Fab Bee is coming to a close. Chris is still working on his block for his month and I still have to make my quilt from all the blocks I received but other than that we are all finished up!

We finished up Barb’s blocks last weekend. I have two confessions. When I found out Barb’s theme was nature I knew exactly what I wanted to do (this isn’t the confession yet). When we (FVMQG) put on Paul Klampitz’ workshop back in February, Barb’s blocks were amazing. She made these trees… amazing trees! It was kinda like, “dang, wish I had thought of that!” This is the confession part. So when I realized her theme was nature I knew I wanted to try those trees, and so I did! Second confession, I got so into the trees, I used up most of our fabric.

Hey I did leave Chris some but yes I pretty much hogged it all. What can I say? I was in the moment! It wasn’t until I was done that I realized, oops! For Chris’s block he decided with the fabric left over that he wanted to use grass as his inspiration. We were hoping the fabric would stretch a bit farther but still we were pretty pleased with it.

It’s very grass like!

Then, since we were on a roll last weekend we jumped in and sewed up Amy’s blocks too! Amy sent loads and loads of fabric. All kinds of colour, textures, Melody Miller prints and yummy goodness. We just kept sewing,

and sewing,

and sewing… ah, gust of wind!

There that is better!

I’ve bought some the same Melody Miller fabric so it was really fun to see what colours she’s chosen to mix with these prints. I still don’t know what I’m going to do with my Melody Miller prints. For right now they just sit out as eye candy!

Same block, just turned on it’s side for fun!

Next I’m off to sew some quilts for some well deserving teachers. Our oldest son graduates from his school and we love the school! I’m not sure if I can get all of them done by the end of June but I’m going to try! Wish me luck… I think I’m going to need it!

To Boston with…

Lysa May 23, 2013 0

I woke up the morning of April 15th to my husband scrambling out of bed. “I have to get over to Keri’s. We’re going to watch the start of Boston Marathon with Donna and Soraiya.” It was no biggie really, they do this every year. Last year Donna and Soraiya ran the race and everyone met at Keri’s to watch the start. This year it was Colin who was running it. Conny, his wife was there with him. Little did we know what the day had in store for everyone. Then all the craziness happened. After a fury of texts and Facebook messages we got confirmation that Colin and Conny were fine. Colin had finished his race just minutes before the bombs went off! This was so scary for everyone. Scary for Conny and Colin, for my husband’s running group, not to mention our whole community in general… all communities really!

It’s funny because that morning my husband and I were chatting about how fast he’d have to be to qualify to enter the Boston Marathon. I know it’s a bit of every runner’s dream to run the Boston Marathon and he told me with a little bit of regret that he doesn’t think he’d ever be fast enough to qualify. Later I told him with relief I was glad he’s too slow to qualify. He thought it was a little less funny when I also announced this to my pilates group! We all got a much needed giggle out of it. However, I don’t think Boston will ever leave my mind as I stand and wait for him at any finish line. Which is why when I saw the “To Boston With Love” flag project that’s being put on by the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild, I knew I had to include his running group. Their team name is “Run like Hell” but in light of the circumstances and so we didn’t give the wrong sentiment we thought perhaps we’d put our love on the inside of the binding instead.

I also thought of our boy’s school (James Cameron) and how important it is to cultivate compassion. After a quick chat with our principal I got the go ahead to have each child sign the flag. Then I sewed it to look like this.

Berene Campbell, the visionary of this project, flew into Boston with all the flags made from the various Modern Quilt Guilds on Monday. Each flag is being tied together as we speak and is being displayed at the Boston Museum of Fine Art as part of their free Memorial Day Community Weekend.

See the world is made of lovely people!

Happy Birthday Teresa!

Lysa May 21, 2013 0

It’s my lovely friend Teresa’s Birthday today! Altogether now, “Happy Birthday Teresa!”

Teresa is one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. She’s comfortable anywhere she goes and with everyone she meets. She’s just as comfortable with strangers as she is with people she’s known all her life. I’ve seen her backstage with musicians that would leave most people starstruck and speechless but to her it’s just an interesting place meeting someone new.

One thing I also love about Teresa (other than her immaculate house and awesome way she dresses) is that she sets goals for herself. Then she does them! She doesn’t just say she’s going to do something, she really does it! Before she turned 30 she made a list of things she wanted to do. Things she never had done, had the exposure to do or had ever made the time to do. Things like, she went fishing and caught a fish, she pawned something and she sang karaoke. Fun stuff like that. Recently she decided she wanted to make a quilt for her sister who was expecting a baby. As I’m sure you can imagine I was really excited about this one. I love watching people learn to sew, or even better get addicted to it. I’m not sure if Teresa is at the addiction stage but she did just recently make her second quilt for her son.

She bravely used her own pattern, using his favorite t-shirts and her husband’s vintage Star Wars sheet. I’ve had my eye on that sheet for quite a while now. I definitely can’t sneak it home with me now that it’s in a quilt! She’s endured her local traditional quilt store comments of, “Hmm, that’s interesting” about her quilts, but, because she’s cool, it has rolled right off her back and she’s carried on. I know she’ll make another quilt for her older son and after that, I’m sure there will be another… and another…and another. She’s cool, she’s brave enough to go out there and just do it and she’s awesome and I’m so glad she’s in our lives!

Hugs to you T!