A Diet of Fruit & Vegetables

Sew ... here I am ... plugging along ... living my remote lifestyle ... not necessarily paying attention ... when suddenly it hits me that there has been a "theme"?  A "direction"?  A "path" in my dillydally life!  Have I been traveling on an unknown journey?  Help!

Lund's Grocery Store, Uptown Minneapolis, Summer 2012

When I visit Sister DillyDally every summer, our first stop is the produce section of the nearest grocery store!   When you live in my remote corner of the planet ... fresh produce trumps Disneyland!  Last summer I would walk to her local store, buy a latte and use their free wifi ... the photo above was the view I enjoyed.  I remember taking a picture of it, and later thinking..."how silly".  Yep, I was on a journey, but didn't know it yet! ;-)

While spending a wonderful dillydally day with Metro QBee Mary Ellen ...

 ... she gave me this beautiful calendar to use in my classroom!  The students and I both enjoy it!  I think of her everyday as my students clamor for the chance to update it!  Too fun!  It cracks me up how they marvel over the opportunity to manually up date it!  Crazy fun!  And here I am ... never realizing that this thoughtful gift was part of the journey.

Long time readers are very familiar with the view from my front deck.  This was what the view looked like the entire month of September.  We received one extreme coastal storm after another ... a total of 80 inches of rain ... yep, quite frankly, it was awful!

One morning while checking my favorite blogs, the Green Fairy advertised the arrival of Pat Sloan's new fabric line, Eat Your Fruits n' Vegetables.

Convinced that a bit of retail therapy would make me feel better, I ordered the fat quarter pack!  Yep ... both the printed and batik pack!  Did it improve my disposition?  Absolutely!  It was sunshine in a box!  This is a line of fabric that just oozes with happiness ... it makes me smile!  Do you see the theme emerging?  I didn't ... not then anyway.

Meanwhile ... here in dillydallydom ... I was working on a new project.  Yep, it is an apple shaped sewing kit.  A lovely way to combine sewing and fruit!

The pattern is called, Apples to Oranges by Straight Stitch Society.  It was well written and fun to make!

I finished it last night ... am very pleased with how it came out.  Mr. DillyDally's comment was, "You're sure into fruits and vegetables lately."  He was referencing the fabric I had gotten last week and this project.   I agreed.  And I still didn't notice how the stars fruits and veggies were aligning themselves!

This morning ... the routine was completely normal ... I made coffee, poured myself a cup ...

... Flicka was napping on my lap while I checked on the blogs I follow...

And then ... it hit me!  Quilt Rock Star Pat Sloan is hosting a Sew-A-Long that begins in November!  She announced it on her blog this morning!  OMGosh Good Golly!  What do you think?  Is this project meant to be a part of my dillydally journey?

Do what you love.  Enjoy the journey.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

A Bit of Christmas!

The shop was decorated with the assistance of Mr. Hideout!

Yesterday was a terrific day at Cordova Quilters' Hideout!  Owner and QBee Lila hosted a Christmas Party!  The shop was filled with new fabric, Christmas treats and ... lots of samples!  Yep, it felt like the Holidays!

She showcased two different holiday fabric lines.  The pillow on the left is made with Merry Medley by Sandy Gervais.  The star quilt is Blitzen by Basic Grey.  Both are from Moda Fabrics.  Both fabric lines are beautiful and very different from one another.  I love that!

Lila made the star quilt using a jelly roll and Valerie made this paper pieced wall hanging from yardage.  Both patterns come from McCall's Quilting Magazine, the Nov/Dec 2011 issue.  I love how they came together ... just beautiful!

The quilt on the right is called Sunday Picnic and comes from the book, Living Large by Heather Mulder Peterson of Anka's Treasures.  It uses a layercake ... gosh, I love patterns that use precuts.

Two table toppers in Blitzen ... both made by QBee Terry!  The top pattern is Afternoon Delight, by Nicole Chambers Kaya of Tiger Lily Press.  The lower one is Sprinkles by Sherri Falls of This and That fame!

Remember this tease concerning a 007 project I was working on?

Here it is finished!  It is a pattern called "How Many Days?" by Sam Sarah Design Studio.  It works as an Advent Calendar.  A different applique' square is added each day as Christmas approaches!  I found the pattern last year and couldn't wait to make it!  I'm thrilled with the results and can imagine the fun a child would have rearranging and adding the blocks!

 The Merry Medley line features a printed panel.  QBee Valerie made up this sample.  The pattern is designed by Sandy Gervais to go with the fabric line.  Valerie was impressed with how quickly it went together, yet has a powerful impact!  Gotta love those kinds of projects! ;-)

The motif in the center of the stars on each placemat are also from the same panel!  I know!  How great is that!  One large wall quilt and eight placemats all from one panel!  Another pattern by Sandy Gervais made by QBee Val!

Love this sweet pillow ... yep, the season is upon us!  Made by Lila with another Sandy Gervais pattern.

Here is the Advent Calendar in Merry Medley ... deliberately unfinished!  I will be teaching a class using this pattern, and needed a sample to demonstrate with.  I loved making two of these for a total of 50 ornaments ... but a third one would have been too much Christmas ... even for me!

Mr. Hideout has been busy too!  He has been the Christmas Elf responsible for ...

... making all these beautiful quilt racks.  You can bet we will be sending our husbands in to check them out before the holidays arrive!  One of the racks were given away in a drawing yesterday!  And ... a very lucky QBee won it!  It went to a home with many quilts!  Just makes me sew happy!

Hot cider ... Christmas cookies ... fudge ... holiday music ... it all added to the Christmas spirit that was alive and well at the Hideout yesterday!  So inspiring to see others enjoy the samples and pull together their own holiday projects.

Here Lila is assisting my youngest QBee, Amelia (age 2) as she picked out fabric for a snuggle blanket.  She could name all the animals in the wildlife print and chose it because it has a large Horned Owl on it.  She is an Alaskan girl in every way!  Too stinkin' cute!

QBee Terry and the tree with door prizes!

What a wonderful and inspiring way to spend a dillydally day!

Do what you love. Happy Holidays!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

  

Working on a New PhD...in Beading!

In August, I spent the most wonderful day...

... with these lovely women, The Sassy Stitchers.  They abducted me and we shared the most marvelous time together!  You can read more about it here.  Today, my mind lingered on that day and the new friends I made. In this photo they are standing in front of Fourth & Main Fabrics in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.

This shop is amazing in every way!  I love their "Six Pack" concept.  You choose a pack of six coordinating fabrics and then a pattern to use with them!

I visited this shop for the first time last year with the AK QBees and this quilt top is the result of the "Six Pack" I bought in 2011.  I picked up another pack on this visit ... stay tuned! ;-)

I love the way they have their fabrics displayed!  Yep ... I wish I could just move in and have access to it all!

You guessed it ... I came home with this pattern!  Samples are sew inspiring!

Yep ... I just want it all!  Everything in this shop is inspiring!

 This is the sample that completely stole my heart!  It is called Urban Beads!  The company is Sew Kind of Wonderful designed by Jenny Pedigo.   There were only two speciality rulers and patterns remaining ... one of the Sassy Stitchers and I left with them! ;-)

Today our guild had an Open Sew Event and I pulled out the pattern and ruler.  Of course, I have other things in progress ... but the large counter in the Home Ec room is perfect for cutting out a large quilt!  I couldn't help myself!

I collected neutral batiks during my travels this summer ... yep, fifty fat quarters for the bead units ... and a black print for the background.

I got half of the units cut today ... I couldn't stand it any longer and had to piece a couple of beads!  I'm sew happy with the results!  Love this form of beading!

This quilt has no deadlines ... I just want it cut out and ready to go ... that way I can piece a bead now and then!  I love having a project that I am making only because I want to!  And beginning a new PhD always feels great!  This PhD comes with a bonus feature ... every time I work on it, the kindness and generosity of these terrific women will be in my thoughts!  How wonderful is that?  Have I mentioned lately ... I sure love my dillydally life!   ;-)

Do what you love! Celebrate your PhDs! Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Making a List!

September 1, 2012

Realizing that September had come and gone was a shock for me ... I felt that the month had passed me by and I had missed it ... and not accomplished anything!  Heaven forbid!  It felt like I spent the entire month spinning my wheels and didn't get anywhere!

September 29, 2012

Sew ... I immediately made a list!  I like lists ... it is a form of record keeping for me.  Here it is!

1.  Rediscovered the crochet hook.

Gotta love a project that can be finished in one evening ... long live the dish cloth!

Can you tell which design was my favorite?  Resembles Alaska's Forget-Me-Nots!

2.  Gifts for Sister DillyDally's September Birthday!

I turned the folded star we did at my Bday Party into a pillow for Sister DillyDally!

A cup cozy ... of course!  To keep her desk organized!

She travels a lot for her work ... and uses her kindle.  She needed a professional looking cover!

Because the outside cover was so serious...

... I decided to have some fun with the lining!  Sew silly!

3.  The Valdez Quilt Festival that wasn't for the local QBees and I.  Weather prevented travel ... super bummer.  We missed our classes with the Quilt Rock Stars, but they sent us the Mystery Quilt instructions, so we had our own party ... we know how to make the best of an unfortunate situation!

Busy QBees!

This is how far I got ... half way!  Another PhD for me! ;-)

4.  Knitting

Another dish cloth!  Too fun!

Time to get serious about mitten making here in my remote corner of the planet!

One done!  I need to get the other done soon...we have snow half way down the mountains!

5.  Girls Night Out at the Cordova Quilters' Hideout!

Terry Atkinson's Stand & Stow Bag ... medium size!

Here it is ... in use on the ferry!  Gosh, I love these bags!

6. Super Secret 007 Project!  Here are a couple sneak peaks!

To get in the mood, Flicka and I listened to Christmas music!

That is all for now!  ;-)  Stay tuned!

Sew ... there you have it ... September's dillydally dabbles.  After I made this list...I realized that I had gotten more done than I had imagined!  We spend so much time meeting obligations and taking care of others, that it is easy to feel like we never accomplish anything.  Making a list helps us feel good about the things that we do ... we feel successful!

October 1, 2012

A new month ... a new list ... filled with new possibilities!

Do what you love.  Make a list.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally