Argh!!!!!

 

I made the mistake of going to the local post office yesterday with the plan of mailing my usual things to a number of people overseas and in the US and was promptly told that each envelope would cost me at least $20 EACH (!!!!).  I normally tuck a handmade postcard in and apparently the 'new rules' state that anything besides a card has to go 'small packet air', hence the humungous price.  I was in such shock that I neglected to ask if a letter that was more than one page would cost that price too.  Canada Post is whining in their soup about how they are losing money hand over fist and yet they are pricing themselves totally out of contention.  Not only that but the cost of regular postage is going up to $2 (within Canada) from the $1.44 where it is now.  So if you're expecting to get a wee thing in the mail from me this year, it's not gonna happen and I'm sorry.  My budget simply doesn't stretch that far.

- A handmade basket filled with goodies would make a really special gift and you can get the how-to HERE.

- THIS would be a cute wee gift or ornament for your own tree.

- THIS would make a really nice gift!

I REALLY got nada!!

 There's been too many errands to do this past few days so alas there's not much in the way of 'stuff' to share with you.  I did get a shipment of 'lounge pant makings' though, so here's three of the four I need...

Now to get them cut out and sewn up, ready to ship.

- THIS intrigued me, but can't use it in our bathroom.  Perhaps you can!

- THESE are a really cute idea and don't use much in the way of supplies.

- THIS is a sweet little project!

Today's quote is from C.S. Lewis..."Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less"

Well then, how about a recipe

 Last week we had a potluck lunch with family and my cousin brought this wonderful salad and kindly shared the recipe.  The RC has already made it for us....yum!  If you want to try it, here's the recipe...

MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA SALAD

1 c. quinoa
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. olive oil
4 green onions
2 peppers (red, yellow or orange, or a combination)
1/2 c. pitted Kalamanta olives
1 English cucumber **
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

Rinse quinoa and then cook according to package directions.  Combine lemon, oregano, s&p and whisk in olive oil.  Add cooked quinoa.  Cool completely.  Add chopped vegetables and feta.  Chill before serving.  ** The RC said to tell you to quarter the cucumber lengthwise and remove the seeds before chopping.  

- Have a peek at the incredible creations by THIS artist!  And THIS one too.

- I might have a go at making THIS, just for fun.

- I think THIS would be a great family gift.

- I once made a book cover using THIS technique, but I like this version too.

Today's quote..." I wish I could sleep but my brain kicks in and...one sheep, two sheep, cow, turtle, duck, old McDonald had a farm...hey Macarena..."

The pile, it's growing...

 Shipments of fabric are starting to arrive so it's time for Grandma to fire up the sewing machine and get busy making pj's for the grandies.  Here you see three (of the four) flannelettes I chose to make pj's...

I'm waiting for one more to arrive, as well as the fabric to make the adult-sized lounge pants (x4).  

- THIS guy made me smile!

- There are some cute ideas HERE for packaging small gifts.

- THIS would make a nice package topper or just a wee gift to tuck into a card.  And so would THESE.

- THESE would make welcome gifts I think.

- There might be some of THIS tucked into a few Christmas boxes this year.

Today's quote..."Crafting won't solve your problems, but neither will dusting or ironing"

A squirrel of sorts

 I suddenly woke up to the fact that it's November and therefore I need to think seriously about getting anything I want to mail overseas ready sooner rather than later.  So...I created a card for a cousin in Australia who just happens to have a Scottie dog...

- There are some great ideas HERE for jarred gifts that are perfect for Christmas giving.

- Although THIS is targeted towards Thanksgiving I think it would be a great Christmas gift as well.

- Of course I JUST threw out an old iron and I could have done THIS.

- There are some nice ideas HERE for Christmas giving.

Today's quote..."When you see something beautiful in someone, tell them.  It may take a second to say, but for them it could last a life time"

A little bit of Christmas sewing

 Over the weekend I made three (of four) pillowcases for the grandies, each in a 'theme' that they like.  Waiting for the fabric for the last one to arrive (as well as the fabric for the pj's).

Pokemon, unicorns, and Lego

- Have a peek at the amazing creations of THIS artist!

- THIS little guy is positively awww-worthy.

- THIS is targeted towards kids, but I can 'see' it as being fun for adults too - and perhaps done in a Christmas theme?

- I think THIS would make a perfect gift for your sewing friends - or perhaps a knitter/crocheter would find it useful too.

- If you'd like to do some decluttering prior to decorating for Christmas, perhaps the ideas found HERE will help.  There's a free printable or you can scroll down to read the post.

Today's quote...

Almost forgot

 I almost forgot that a couple of you asked me to share what the end result was of the tin can revamp I showed you a couple weeks ago, so here it is...

By the time I got to the dollar store in search of fall 'stuff' to fill it, most of their stock was gone and this was the best that I could find.

- There are a number of fun things HERE you could do with some fall leaves.

- I think THIS article is interesting and is something I didn't know about.

- THIS little guy made me smile.

- THIS would be a fun addition to your wardrobe (or a gift perhaps)

Today's quote...

Bull's eye - sort of!

 Well, here's a new one for me.  Somehow I managed to slow down enough to let a tick have his way with my leg and this is the result...

Not the more well-known bull's eye that is more common for a tick bite.  Meds taken and hopefully no lyme in my future.

- THESE little guys made me smile.  And so did THIS.

- THESE are rather cute and would be easy to make.

This is something you might like to make...

Today's quote..."Don't do something permanently stupid just because you're temporarily upset"

An update of a different kind

 I am surprising my fickle-self by still being enthralled with knitting on this mitred squares blanket.  My box of 'leftover' sock yarns is dwindling but there's still enough to make several more rows.

Each of the squares measures about 3"

And...in further knitting news, I've completed one sock in the female cardinal colourway from THIS wonderful shop.  I'm using THIS colourway - with one sock representing the female cardinal and the other the male.  These will be gifted to our funky-sock-loving #1 son at Christmas.

- THIS would be a great project for Christmas and a perfect way to gift some baking.

- For some reason (and yes my mind DOES indeed work in mysterious ways!), THIS made me think of using last year's calendar pages.

- THIS is rather awww-worthy.

- Some things just make me laugh and THIS is an example.

Today's quote..."Never regret a day in your life.  Good days give happiness, bad days give experience, worst days give lessons, and best days give memories"

More, more, more

 Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for any ear worms you might encounter by reading this blog (just sayin').

And yes, there's been more done on the landscape as you can see...

The quilting is pretty much done, I've added 'Him and Me' and am working on a bank of flowers which will be augmented with embroidery, no doubt to the detriment of my arthritic fingers.

- The American Quilter's Society online Parade of Quilts has gone live and you can see all the amazing entries HERE.  Please vote for your favourites!  (you might notice I have an entry - or three).

- THIS guy made me smile.

-  THIS pattern is definitely awww-worthy.  And THESE made me laugh.

- THIS would make a cute gift.  And so would making THESE.

A further glimpse

 The eagle-eyed among you might notice the change I made to the 'grass' area of the latest landscape (scroll back to my previous post if you'd like).  When I stood back and looked at it, I didn't like the colour I used so now it's changed and I did a patchwork look.  Hopefully it's better!

- I plan on making one of THESE before winter really sets in.

- HERE are some fun desserts you might like to try for fall.

- THIS is so pretty!  I just finished knitting a sock in this yarn in the same colourway (picture will follow once I complete the other sock).

- Have a peek at the creations of THIS artist!

Today's quote..."The fact that there's a highway to hell and only a stairway to heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers"

A landscape update

 Over the weekend I worked on the latest landscape and have it to this point now (ready for quilting)....

Updated to add: since this photo was taken, the
grass has been removed and replaced

############################

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT....I've been getting increasingly dire warnings that my 'cloud storage is full' and I, being of a suspicious nature, checked into it.  It appears that it's a scam so thought I should let you know in case it happens to you.

###########################

- I'm not quite sure about the usefulness of THIS, but sending it along in case you want to give it a try.

- THIS falls under the awww-worthy category!  And so does THIS.

- I know some of you are going to groan over me starting to share ideas for 'that' day in December, but getting an early start is a good thing.  Go HERE for one idea.

- THIS is something that would be fun for fall in all sorts of different ways.

Something for a baby

 A friend is expecting a new grandbaby so of course I had to make a little blanket to welcome the wee one...

The pattern is THIS one and I used Baby Marble yarn by James C. Brett.

- THIS is a cute little project.

- And so are THESE.

- I know I've posted the instructions for THIS before but perhaps you missed it.  A couple tips I have found...the shelf liner doesn't want to go through the sewing machine because it sticks, so I stitch through a piece of paper and remove it afterwards.  I also add an 'X' through the middle which helps to hold it together.  Ours gets LOTS of use.

Today's quote is from Dwight D. Eisenhower...."A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both"

Starting another

 Of course you know that I'm starting anther landscape and have already spent hours stitching this part of it...a form of sashiko stitching.  Alas not ready for a photo quite yet so you're going to have to put up with yet more mumblings.  Operating on very little sleep the past couple of nights due to the RC having come down with some sort of plague.  Hopefully he keeps it to himself!

- If you happen to like cats, perhaps these two links that take you to a free PDF pattern will intrigue you (and if you aren't a cat person, have a peek anyway because it's awwww-worthy).  Go HERE and HERE.

- THIS is a really pretty project.

- And so is THIS.

- THIS would be a great use for some leftover denim jeans.

Today's quote...

Fun and games?

 As soon as I saw this photo by Dale Stewart (and shared with his always kind permission) I knew I wanted to play with it...

I had to wait until the dollar store had plastic skeletons available and once I got some, I turned Dale's photo into this...

"I Told You We Were Lost"
measures approx. 24x20"

FOR SALE!

Can you see the wee fox?  And here's a closeup of the bottom corner...

I had the orange floral beads in my stash for ages and finally found a use for some of them.

- If you crochet, have a look at the free patterns found HERE and if you knit, go HERE.

- I know you all were just waiting for me to share THIS!  Go ahead, I know you want to try them.

- I think I'm going to have to try out THIS process on my cutting mat.

Today's quote..."Just a reminder that watching birds is better for your health and well-being than watching the news"