The Holiday Fun Continues!

The holiday season has arrived!  Our local yarn and gift shop, The Net Loft, hosted a holiday open house Friday evening!  I know!  What a terrific way to begin the weekend!

Their gift displays are always inspiring!

Treasures abound ... in every nook and corner!

Shop owner Dotty welcomed the season and reminded us that it is impossible to do it all!  Good advice ... in the past I have been guilty of losing the joy of the season because I was busy trying to do it all!  Of course that was before I had developed the dillydally lifestyle.

Anna, of "Skeins in the Stacks" fame, introduced her new line of literature inspired hand dyed yarn!

This collection in based on the timeless tale, The Mitten.

This line of yarn equals the wonder of her debut yarn in September, you can read about that here.

Taken in the snow, 11.18.12

Anna's yarn is as beautiful as she is!  Am dreaming about what I'll do with this lovely skein of snow inspired goodness. It is titled, "coldest day of winter" and was inspired directly from the text in the book.  I love it when our local shop promotes the talent in our community!  It is win/win for everyone!

QBee Diane, aka professional cake decorator, made these snow inspired cupcakes!  Now you truly understand why making her a birthday cake is intimidating! ;-)

Each snowflake was handmade ... absolutely wonderful!  And these cupcakes taste as good as they look!

Sunset, 4:00 pm, 11.16.12

As Thanksgiving approaches we reflect on all that we have to be grateful for.  I am grateful for the talent and generosity that surrounds me as I live my simple dillydally life ... here in my remote corner of the planet.

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

The Holiday Season Begins!

Here in my remote corner of the planet, the holiday season begins (for me anyway) with our quilt guild's Annual Tea & Auction!  It is an event filled with everything I love ... friends ... handmade quilts ... all wrapped together into one community wide tea party!  You can read more about the actual event at our guild's blog here and here.

My first auction item began as a kit I bought at Front Porch Quilts in Walker, Minnesota.  I always stop by this shop on my drive between the Twin Cities and Bemidji.

The kit included fabric from Holly & Taylor and was meant to be four placemats using panel squares.  I decided to piece the placemats together into a tablerunner.  My thinking was that four placemats were not enough for most holiday gatherings ... sew .... three placemats became a tablerunner.  See the seam running down the center of the small green squares? That is where I seamed the placemats together.

With this kind of help ... it is a wonder I get anything done! ;-)  Too much fun!

I am not a very accomplished machine quilter ... sew ... I love when I can just "stitch in the ditch"!

Here it is hanging at the auction!  We never dare complain about the sun ... it rarely reveals itself ... but the back light it caused made photos difficult that day.  Still ... you get an idea of how it looked finished.

My second auction item came from a kit I purchased this summer from The Thimbleberries Studio Store. I love the panels that were a part of their holiday fabric line this year!  Yep, I came home with the kit for the quilt hanging in the center of this photo too!

I was so busy trying to get this project done in time, I forgot to take photos!  Nothing like waiting until the last minute ... it adds to the fun! ;-)

Here it is ... finished ... just in time! ;-)

Members volunteer to decorate the tables.  I decided to go with a Thanksgiving theme this year.

The quilt that serves as part of the centerpiece was a "Six Pack" from Fourth & Main Quilt Shop in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.

If you find these Pumpkin Spice truffles by Godiva  while you're out and about ... snag yourself some!  Do. Not. Hesitate!  They are delicious!

As the holiday season approaches, the days get much shorter here in my remote corner of the planet.  The work of our hands ... the warmth of friendship ... the traditions of community ... all work together to sustain us through the holidays and remaining winter months.  I love my dillydally life ... I am grateful.

Do what you love.  Embrace the holidays.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Celebrating a QBee Birthday!

Even in this remote corner of the planet "life" gets crazy busy!  QBee Diane has an October birthday...

...we finally had a chance to get together and celebrate last Saturday!  It was so fun to have lunch and catch up on one another's lives!

Diane makes and decorates cakes professionally.  They are beautiful and delicious...making a birthday cake for her is a bit intimidating, to say the least!   Of course my trepidation is completely self-imposed...she graciously claims that everything I bake is wonderful!  Gosh...I love that feature in a friend!  ;-)

Long time visitors to this blog, know that each year I choose a project that I make for each of the QBees.  The gift cycle always begins with Diane's birthday!  Last year every QBee received a "Sewing Cup Cozy"... this was made for Diane a year ago ... the first of many! ;-)

This birthday cycle, I've chosen to make this apple shaped sewing kit!  The pattern can be made into apples or oranges.

The left side of the apple is stuffed and designed to be used as a pin cushion.  The right side is lined and has a zipper closure with a leaf shaped pull.  It is designed for storage of sewing supplies.

The slice shown above is meant to serve as a needle case.  I actually ended up removing it ... I decided it was unnecessary and just made it more bulky.  The pattern is called, Apples to Oranges and comes from Straight Stitch Society.  The instructions are well written and thorough, which I really appreciate.

 Happy Birthday QBee Diane!  I look forward to another year of our dillydally adventures!  Hugs!

Do what you love.  Celebrate friendship. Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Sassy QBee Inspiration!

These lovely women have been on my mind a lot lately.

Wonderful memories of a terrific day dillydallying through southeast Minnesota!

They even showered me with gifts!  I know!  Can you believe that?  They were sew kind ... thoughtful ... and generous!

Everyone who sees this casserole carrier has fallen in love with it!  It fits every size pan!  I have been using it for both hot and cold items because it makes carrying food so easy.  Which is very important to me ... remember I climb 33 stairs to get to and from my car!

QBee Lila - 5/2012

Every month QBee Lila holds a "Ladies Night Out" at her quilt shop, Cordova Quilters' Hideout.  Last Friday night ...

... we made our own versions of the casserole carrier!  I chose a couple of coordinating prints.

It was so fun to make!

I am very pleased with the way it came out...and am confident the person it is intended for will like it too! What a terrific way to spend a Friday night!

And the entire evening, I thought about those Sassy Sisters and how their gesture of friendship continues to inspire me!  I am so fortunate to count them among my QBees!

Do what you love.  Be a QBee.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

A Quick Note

Just a quick note ... yep, it has been crazy busy!  I am responsible for our Quilt Guild's blog, so needed to spend my blogging time there!  You can see what we've been up to here and here!

It was a wonderful dillydally weekend!  I can't wait to share it with you!

11.11.12

And the fantastic weekend ended with this beautiful sunset!  Loving life in my remote corner of the planet!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Standard Time = Time to Dillydally!

I am an early riser.  I do not want to be.  I wish I could sleep in.

I like to blame it on these "girls"!  It is like my body is still wired to get up early to milk the cows!  Ugh!  I left the farm 37 years ago! ;-)  The good news is ... I rarely have to worry about setting an alarm!

The whole concept that returning to standard time at 2:00 am allows us an extra hour of sleep isn't a reality for me!  But it does result in an extra hour to dillydally!  That makes it win/win for me!

Here in my remote corner of the planet, our local quilt guild is busy getting ready for their Annual Tea and Auction!  We held a "Time to Sew" Day on Saturday.  You can read about it here.

I finished piecing this table runner and cut out a second one on Saturday!

I used my extra hour today to machine quilt it!

Flicka used her extra hour to snooze!  How I envied her!  However you spent your extra hour ... I hope it brought you happiness!  Have a terrific dillydally week!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Looking Out for One Another!

This silly blog of mine has brought some of the most amazing people into my life ... it has been wonderful!  Some immediately understand the "dillydally lifestyle" that this blog is meant to promote!

Metro QBee Mary Ellen totally "gets" it!  My quirkiness ... the silliness ... the lifestyle ... all of it!  She is a kindred spirit!  And on top of all that ... she looks out for me!  A few days ago she sent me an email ... with a link ... to this!

Be. Still. My. Heart.  This fabric just "oozes" Mrs. DillyDally!  Yep ... I am in love!  Everything about it!  I must have it!

It comes from Newcastle Fabrics and you can see the entire line here.  Sew ... I am on the hunt!  If you discover any or all of these prints while out fabric shopping ... please email me the contact information for the shop that has it!

  I love how this technology has allowed someone like me ... who lives in a very remote corner of the planet ... to connect with kindred spirits who are located thousands of miles away.  I am so grateful for QBee Mary Ellen and those like her.  Looking out for those who share our interests ... it is the dillydally way!

Do what you love.  Look out for one another.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally