Merry Christmahanzaquanzicka!!
As I race around this morning prepping to host my family’s Christmas eve dinner at my Dads house, I want to wish each and every one of you wonderful people a weekend full of laughter, great food, coziness, warm hearts and beautiful memories. 
I have so much to share from the happenings in my studio this past week, and year end wrap up posts have been percolating in my noggin. 
But as family is flying in on the 26th to hang out for a week, I’ll likely get share my own version of the Twelve days of Craftmass after new years.
Until then, may all your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmahanzaquanzickas be white!
The Fox and Gnome Tote Bag Pattern
Is now up for sale in my Instant Download Pattern Shop, and in my Etsy Store!
This is the project pattern I developed for the paper piecing workshop I taught for the FVMQG back in August, and it was a hit! There were wee little gnomes and precocious darling foxes all over the place.
This is a 10 page PDF E-Pattern, rated moderate for novice sewists and quilters. I know just how time consuming paper piecing can be when you’re just starting out, so I purposely kept the bag construction really simple and straightforward so it’s more of an instant gratification once the paper piecing is all done. It’s also reversible! I personally like my totes to be a balance between sturdy yet foldable so I can keep them handy while I’m out shopping and need another bag.
The first 6 pages of the pattern print out as a handy instruction booklet. You can either cut the pages apart, arrange and corner staple together, or print double sided and sew together.
The Fox and Gnome tote bag is both charming and practical, and would make your holiday shopping so much more fun don’t you think?
Winner winner chicken dinner!
But before I get to the lucky magazine winner, I want to thank you all for leaving some pretty awesome jokes and funny stories in your comments! I’ve been giggling, and laying your doozies and groaners on my kids and hubby for the past two days. Ha! I seriously don’t think his eyes could roll any further to the back of his head, and for this alone, You all rock!
Ok drumroll please…….
And the winner is Prima Donna who said:
Congrats Miss Prima Donna!! Check your email(s) for one from me!
Since there were so many great jokes in Mondays comment stream, I decided to turn some of my favourites into those Someecards we’ve all come to love. Enjoy!
There’s even one for the Germans!
Happy Sewing everyone!
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Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Volume 6!
Hey hey hey!
It’s a fine day to help announce the release of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Volume 6 magazine, don’t ‘cha think?
Oh I love these special issues, they’re just chock full of fantastic blocks! And this one doesn’t disappoint!
I was so excited about having a block in this issue, I coerced my monkeys with halloween candy appealed to my children’s loving nature and asked them to pose out in the front yard for me.
So mommy, what page is your pattern on?
Try page 27 kiddo!
Yep, right beside one really cool swirly geese block, you’ll find my Arctic Seal on the first 2 page spread of the foundation pieced patterns section.
He’s a quick and easy pattern to whip up and enjoy all winter long! I used Robert Kaufman’s quilter’s linen in aqua for the ice, and Alexander Henry’s heath in black/white for the night sky. I have no idea who makes that cherry fabric I used for the nose, I’ve been hoarding my few remaining scraps literally for 7 years now lol!
If you’d like to win a free copy of the magazine, please leave me a comment below with your favourite joke or a funny story, and I’ll draw a winner on November 8th, 2012! Make sure to leave an email address or some way to contact you! The winner’s been announced! Thanks so much for playing!
Make sure you pop over to Quiltmaker’s blog to find the rest of the blog tour sites, and snag yourself more chances to win a magazine!
Good luck and Happy Sewing everyone!
and reading…
..or drooling…
I promise, that won’t be the winner’s copy!
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Happy Halloween Mommy, and by the way Liam threw up everywhere.
Happy Halloween indeed!
So while I do laundry and nurse Mr. Sicky back to non-puking status with some Shawn the Sheep episodes, lets see how my Halloween Checklist is doing…
1) Two weeks before Halloween, make a scarecrow at the Monkey’s insistence, but leave it in your kitchen for your daily cardiac arrest since it’s too wet to leave it outside.
2) Forget to take photos of the rather awesome sash and hat you made last Friday for the monkey’s Wilderness Adventurer costume, 20 minutes before the Halloween dance.
A wilderness explorer for reference:
3) Whip together a gnome hat for your costume 5 minutes before leaving for the school Halloween dance, and win 3rd prize for best costume. Make hubby take photo.
4) Spend entire pre-halloween weekend working on the Monkey’s project and realize after the fact we didn’t quite spell ocean right in French. *facepalm*
4) Frantically arrange for the annual pumpkin carving festivities for Monday cause you suddenly realize Halloween is on Wednesday.
Note the really excited faces in this shot! LOL!
6) Remember to put jack’o'lanterns outside so they don’t dry out or god forbid start molding before Halloween *ask me how I know*
7) Hit the marine hardware store on Tuesday and pull together a rather clever invisible man costume. Remember to grab wire to hold the glasses, and even double sided tape to keep the clothes in place, and hit the thrift shop for a see through shirt and super huge flannel shirt for the lucky kid inside. Make hubby pose for a photo since Mr. Sicky decided he didn’t want to be invisible man after all. *eyeroll*
8) Take a mental health break Tuesday afternoon and sew up another block for the swoon quilt you’ve decided to make yourself.
9) Realize that you haven’t mentioned the first block you made on that day last week you can’t remember.
10) Shake your head over how you never blogged about the Halloween Quilt of Awesomeness this October, or even plugged the Halloween patterns in your shop*sigh*
11) Again, forget to take photos of the 3 minute cloak and pick axe you whipped together for the monkeys haunted classroom thing this morning.
12) Make a vanilla chai latte with almond milk for yourself and take photo of the 4th only cookie you’re going to have today. Seriously, these cookies are all kinds of awesome. *diabeticoma*
13 Suggest to Mr. Sicky that his apple slices might be a better breakfast choice than the bacon, pepperoni and sausage pizza he’s craving.
Ok! My dryers beeping at me and Mr. Sicky’s requesting food. So before I go, I wish you all a safe, happy and vomit-free Halloween, and I leave you with this awesome group shot of us Pirates of the Carribbean a couple of years ago, 2 seconds before the ghastly pale Mr. Sicky threw up all over me and my rather labour intensive Tia Dalma costume..
aaand the after shot…
Happy Halloween!
Greetings from Antarctica Pillows Errata
Hey everyone, just popping in to let you know about a couple of minor mistakes in one of the templates in the book: Pretty in Patchwork Holidays
Penguin in Santa hat template
Section Ba – the line between 3 and 4 should be solid not dashed.
Section Ac – the line between Ac and #3 of Aa should be dashed not solid.
That should be it. If you find anything else that doesnt make sense, please let me know!
Happy Sewing!
Workshops and Trunk Shows
I just have so much to tell you that I need a whole other post to let you know that I’m speaking at the Lion’s Gate Quilter’s Guild meeting this Tuesday, October 23, 2012. A little slide show, followed by a show and tell is on the agenda and I would love to see you if you’re in the area!
The Lion’s Gate Quilter’s Guild meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month from 7-9pm at:
St. Andrew’s & St. Stephen’s Church (2641 Chesterfield Ave, North Vancouver)
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Next up is the Paper Piecing Workshop I’m teaching for the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild on November 24, 2012.
The story behind this trio is this: Polar bear went on holiday to Antarctica and this is his postcard home. Yes, I realize there are no polar bears in Antarctica lol!
Greetings From Antarctica Pillows are on the menu for that day, but if even if you have another paper piecing project you’d like some help with,
please feel free to email the VMQG here: executive@vancouvermodernquiltguild.ca
to sign up and snag one of the few spots still open for the taking!
The Details:
The Greetings from Antarctica Paper Pieced Pillows Workshop. For sewists and quilters who have never really gotten the hang of paper piecing (aka foundation piecing) and would love to learn. I will also be showing all of my advanced piecing tips and tricks for those who could use a technique refresher. Basic sewing skills are required. You should be comfortable with a sewing machine, rotary mat and cutter, and be ready to play!
When: November 24, 2012 from 10:30 – 3:30pm
Where: the Seniors’ Lounge, Kensington Community Centre, 5175 Dumfries Street, Vancouver (near Knight & 37th).
Cost: $60 - Includes a copy of the book Pretty in Patchwork Holidays, by John Q. Adams
Wow, two posts in one day. I wonder if I have time for a third…
