Before and after!

Reading Boud's latest post about giving her living room a summer look, I felt inspired to take a page out of her book and 'flip the quilt' that covers the pull-out couch in my sewing room.  It went from this...

...to this....

I know, SUCH exciting happenings here at Chez Magpie!  We're having an extreme heat wave right now and it's just too hot to bother doing much else.  

- I really enjoyed scrolling through THESE.  I happen to have an old Singer machine in one of these and would love to transform it, however the machine still works (or would, if I could muster the courage to give it a new belt).  

- THESE are pretty to look through even if you don't want to use them.

- THIS would be a fun project and would make lovely gifts too.

- You might find THIS article (and the accompanying links) of interest.

Today's quote is from CS Lewis..."The greatest evils in the world will not be carried out by men with guns, but by men in suits sitting behind desks"

For lack of something better

 I don't have anything new to show you today, but will share another picture of the latest landscape.  There has been a lot of work done, but it's hard to tell.  I've quilted the grass areas as well as the rocks.  Can you see the squirrel, the bunny and the cardinal I've added?  Working on quilting the water and the sky areas....

- THESE made me smile.

- I really like THIS.

- Perhaps you might like to give THIS a try!

- If you're like me you've accumulated an over-abundance of shopping bags so maybe it would be fun to turn some of them into THESE.

Today's quote is from George Orwell...'The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it"

3 of 4

 The landscape, although having been worked on, doesn't look much different than it did on Monday...so...how about I show you a boring pair of socks that just exited off my needles instead?  My usual generic pattern and Paton's Kroy sock yarn.  

- THIS is a cute little bag that would be useful.

- If you have some fat quarters in your stash perhaps one of THESE ideas would come in handy. And there are lots more ideas HERE.

- THESE are really fun!

Today's quote...

Another start

 Some of you might remember my having had a pre-cancerous growth removed from my tongue (would you believe it's been five years?!).  I have been in a study group since then and have twice-yearly check-ins with the oral surgeon.  I learned he will be retiring in December and I really wanted to do something nice for him.  I know he and his wife have a cottage so I thought a landscape that looks like the Canadian north might be something they would like.  So....here is the beginning of it...

- THIS is interesting!!

- and THIS looks like a fun project.

- THIS takes you to a short video showing a fun technique which would be a wonderful gift.

- THIS caught my eye and I thought it would make a lovely curtain.

- Have a peek through the gallery of THIS amazing artist.

Today's quote is from Martin Luther King, Jr...."We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice.  Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity"

Another addition

 For a change of pace while I contemplate the next landscape, I made this...

She will be heading for the Christmas box for our little granddaughter.  She'll be just about four then and the perfect age for a dolly that comes with a couple changes of clothes...a nightie, and a pair of jeans with a top.  The doll pattern is one I have cobbled together from several different ones.

- THIS looks like it would be a fun thing to try.

- Have  a peek at the gallery of THIS artist!  And THIS one as well.

- The raw materials for THIS are certainly readily available.

- HERE is another technique to try.

Today's quote is from Adam Smith..."Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent"

The reveal

 Some of you might remember my having shown you a pile of fabrics a week or so ago (you are forgiven if you don't).  The pile of two different fabrics has now been turned into six sets of aprons and hot pads - all destined for the Christmas box.

- I've noticed a definite resurgence of granny squares and thought I'd share THIS great pillow design.  If the pictures don't show when you go there, just click on the small thumbnails and they will embiggen for you.  And, while you're there, click on her 'Free Patterns' and explore the other wonderful designs she has on offer.

- HERE is a fun little project.

- And so is THIS.

- Of course THIS caught my eye.

- THIS looks like a pretty easy thing to create and I think it would look good with brown bags too.

Today's quote is from Confucius..."An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes"

Final pics from the quilt show

 Here are the remaining pictures from the quilt show.  Hope you've enjoyed the 'show'!

This one caught my eye because it's a bag made of 

selvages! 

And finally - this is the quilt that won 'Best of Show'....

And this picture shows the lucky winner...

- Some of you might want to play along with THIS.

- If you're a cross stitcher, perhaps you will find THIS article of interest.

- THIS is something that you might like to make.

- THIS might be a fun project to play around with.  And of course you know that THIS caught my eye!

- I found THIS article to be quite fascinating!  It would be great fun to see some of her work in person.

Today's quote..."Knowledge is knowing what to say.  Wisdom is knowing whether or not to say it"