Thursday, July 30, 2009
You’ve got a friend
It’s a funny thing about blogland….you meet the nicest people you’ll probably never meet. I have been blogging just about a year now, starting at another blogsite before I came to blogger. During that year, I have come to know lots of fellow quilt bloggers whom I would love to call my friends, even though we have never met. They have opened their cyber doors and welcomed me in, and I feel like we have shared a lot more than quilting.
One such blogger friend is Molly, at Caplady . She is happy to share loudly in your delight when you have good news, but also quick to quietly provide encouragement when you have a problem. She is a gem among the quilt bloggers I know, and I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Molly recently included me among the people she awarded with a cyber friendship award. I am happy to be mentioned, and I would surely include her name in a list of friendship awards of my own.
It would be hard to name only 8 people to pass this award on to, especially since many of them are also on Molly’s list too. Let me just end by saying that I am happy to be a part of this quilt-blogging circle, and I hope to be back to posting more often.
In the meantime, here’s a glimpse of the little guy who needs constant monitoring or he gets into trouble.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Quilting vs. the dog
Quiltmaker | Dog Lover | |
Social outlet | Quilters socialize with other quilters at guilds, classes and each other’s homes. | A dog is a great opening for a conversation with someone new. |
Room for growth | Each quilt provides new challenges and adds to your body of experience | Every day my dog teaches me something new, and I marvel at how much he has learned. |
Therapy | The act of quiltmaking soothes the mind. Wrapping up in a finished quilt warms the soul. | Petting a dog gives me a sense of calm, in fact, studies show that it lowers your blood pressure. |
Repetitive motion | Needle in, Needle out. | Let the dog in, Let the dog out. ;-) |
Retail therapy | shopping at quilt stores | shopping at PetCo |
Classes | quilt classes to learn new techniques | Dog classes to learn manners, obedience or service |
Mental stimulation | Looking at quilts and trying to figure out block patterns and techniques | Looking at my dog and trying to figure out what he’s trying to tell me |
Tactile satisfaction | smooth, soft cotton | soft, velvety fur |
$$$ | fabric, tools, gadgets, batting all add up quickly | crate, bedding, food, toys and vet bills all add up quickly |
Special interest items | quilt magazines, quilt shows, quilt TV programs | Dog magazines, dog shows, dog TV shows |
Return on your investment | Priceless! | Priceless! |
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Actual quilt related content:
A certain puppy who has recently joined our family has required most of my attention, and I’m betting that if I did bring out a quilting project, he would feel compelled to grab the nearest fabric piece and run off with it like treasure. I’ve seen the kind of mass destruction Toby can do to a piece of fabric, and if you have any doubts, I can show you the remains of an old T-shirt that he has “played” with.
However, what I’d like to show you instead, is a selection of black, white and red fabrics that I am planning on making into a tote bag.
As you can see, it will be mostly black and white with just a little red thrown in for fun. For some reason, I recently added one more red fabric to this collection:
I’m not sure when I will actually get around to cutting and sewing fabric. For now, I’ve been getting my quilting fix by reading quilt magazines borrowed from the library, although I have been known to borrow a few issues of “Dog Fancy” as well.
Toby and I spend a lot of “quality time” penned up in my kitchen. He sometimes allows me to read a few magazine pages between playing Fetch, giving belly rubs and taking trips to “Go outside”.
I’m not sure who is training whom?