Hubby and I going to the Christmas Party

Christmas Party

Hubby and I were invited to his company Christmas Party.  As he changed jobs this year, it was the first one we had been to in 20 years.  I had to go shopping for an outfit which was so stressful because I have lost 60 pounds in the last 4 years and had no idea what size I was.  Pleasantly surprised to find out that I am a 13 when I used to be a 2X .  I am so used to shopping in the plus size area, so I was completely out of my comfort zone.  I kept trying on clothes that were too big.  I was ready to call it quits and just stay home from the party.  Can you believe that shopping would be so much work!.  What should have been fun, wound up being hell.  I finally found this jacket and top, with black pants, and I must say I looked very nice. 

What I've been doing lately

Place mat made for a charity

 Still not 100% back to normal, but plugging along trying to do some sewing. The placemat was made from leftovers from my son's birthday quilt.

Parrot made from a mystery on Paper Panache web site

Witch also made by paper piecing

Busy summer

Arnie and I at Milestones Restaurant

Stephen and Briar

Briar and Me

Arnie with Briar and Stephen

It has been a busy summer.  We had our dear friends Briar and Stephen from Ontario staying with us, I had lots of Doctors appointments and tests, we had four family birthdays, a wedding and I did lots of quilting.

Yellow baby quilt

I made this quilt for my friend Sandra's next grandchild who hasn't been born yet, but yellow will do for a girl or boy.

Her daughter in law is crazy about yellow and wore yellow shoes with her wedding dress, so I know she will love it.  It was a very easy pattern but turned out quite striking.  At least I think so!

Sewing projects

I have done a few little projects lately.  Waiting for heart tests to be done and just feeling tired most of the time I haven't felt like posting but here are some potholders and a rug mug made for my friend Sandra's Birthday.

Michael's Birthday

Snow ball and nine patch quilt I made Michael for his Birthday

Still a kid at heart

Michael and Troy

We had a very small family gathering for Michael on his Birthday this year.  Because I have been ill and he didn't want me to go to much fuss we just made dinner for Michael and Troy and Jimmy.  It was a nice little party and he loved the quilt I made him.  I can't believe that he is 23!

Cherry Blossom Festival

Around this time of the year Vancouver, the place I grew up celebrates the Cherry Blossom Festival.  Vancouver has many Japanese Cherry trees and this time of the year many neighbourhoods in Vancouver look like fairy land.  I lived on a street where, when the trees were in bloom all you could see for blocks was pink clouds.  This picture is not my street, but that is what it looked like, even prettier. So as a homage to all that is Cherry Blossom, I did this little postcard for my daughter.  She is always making me postcards and as it was Easter and she has been really helping me out while I have been sick, I thought this would be cute for her.  She is truly an angel.

Nicole's Valentine

Love is in the Air

I made a cute wall hanging for my dear daughter Nicole for Valentines Day.  I thought it would be adorable in her apartment.  Her apartment is so girly and it fits right in.  The pink background fabric on which the heart sits is fabric from a flower girl dress that Nicole wore to my cousin's daughters wedding.  The pattern is from the Pat Sloan web site.

Baby quilt

This quilt is for a special friend of the family.  She is an RCMP officer and her husband is a Fireman. They are both special people for protecting our community.  And their baby Matthew is darn cute!  I originally put the quilt together and thought it was a little bland.  So I added a teddy bear in blue and yellow and did the binding with the same blue and I think it really jazzes it up.  The teddy bear came from the site Fat Cat Patterns.  She has the cutest applique patterns. And they are free!

Happy Valentines

My guild was having a guest speaker for Valentines Day, a fellow named Paul who makes modern quilts.  I have been looking forward to his presentation since September, but unfortunately I have had a virus and didn't want to spread to to my quilting friends.  So I had to give it a miss.  My hubby took me out for a fast Vietnamese dinner and it was very good. I had salad rolls, which I always enjoy and a soup which was a little bland and deep fried wontons and they were yummy.  He also gave me a dozen beautiful white roses.

Sometimes called "the flower of light", one of the meanings of white roses is everlasting love - love stronger than death, an eternal love, undying and all sustaining. White rose speaks of a love that is sustained more by loyalty, reverence and humility than by red-blooded passion. So, in its capacity to worship someone till death, the meaning of a white rose is unchanging loyalty that endures beyond all else.
 

quilting

finished block

fabric selection

I have been doing some quilting.  I started a  new year's eve mystery on of course nye. The block construction is really neat, but calls for precise piecing which I did not take care with.  I chose the baby quilt size. The finished block has some challenging points that need to be matched. I will probably wind up putting sashing in between the blocks.

Around the fire

I had an awesome New Years Eve.  Arnie and I went to an early movie to see the new Sherlock Holmes.  We came home and had pasta with lobster and then made a fire in our fire pit outside and drank Spanish coffee's and welcomed in the new year.  It was a lot of fun.

Christmas 2011

Christmas has come and gone.  The decorations are all put away, but the last of the pesky cookies are still hanging around.  My resolution to lose 10 pounds by July will never get off the ground with those cookies calling me from the down stairs fridge.

Nicole, Terry and Brittany

Brittany's gorgeous ring

I think she likes it

Nikki and Cameron

Arnie with the Grandpuppy

Nicole with the Grandpuppy

Ron with Michael and Troy

Jimmy and I

My Mom and I

Aunt Louise with Cameron

We had a very ringing Christmas.  Jim bought Brittany a promise ring,  Michael got an engagement ring from Troy and I got a lovely diamond cluster ring from Arnie.