I've Confused My Brother

Around my birthday, my brother Jeremy asked what I was going to buy with my birthday money.

I told him that I needed a new comforter set for my bed.

"WHY?", he exclaimed. "You're a quilter!"

"Because," I replied, "in the summer heat, if I'm going to sweat, it's going to be on my Kohl's comforter and not one of my quilts!"

I tried to take a picture of my new comforter before it had the first trace of cat hair on it, but I was too late with the camera!

What do you think? Does Ginger approve?

Do you have both store-bought and handmade for your bed? After these pictures were taken, Ginger scooted over to her quilt! That's my girl!

Back to my stitching....

Happy Thursday!

Elisa

 

Denim Picnic Quilt

This is really turning out to be a year of finishes. Here's another project moving along:

Aren't these denim patches adorable? The fish was a contribution from my little niece Julia. I have more!

I need to finish this for my upcoming Geobash and the summer concerts at the zoo! Must add more critters so I can take it to see these critters!

Took these at the Detroit Zoo this last weekend!

Elisa

 

<sad>

I did something yesterday that hurt someone close to me. I didn't think things through at the time, and, in retrospect, I realize I was very wrong. I've apologized, but I fear I damaged an important relationship.

Why, as we age, do some of us not learn?

So sorry.

(sad)

 

Geocaching... One Year Later...

GEOCACHING (according to the Urban Dictionary) is using multi billion dollar military defense satellites to find tupperware in the woods.  Really, it's kind of a scavenger hunt for containers called "caches".  You use a GPS, sometimes you solve a puzzle.  Learn a little local history or science or math.  Many times you are taken to an interesting site or nature trail.  Find the cache, sign the log, and sometimes swap out swag.

Yep, that is the simple definition.  A year ago today, my brother and his family (3inaTree) introduced me to  the joy of geocaching, and today I found my 585th cache!  Woot! 

Geocaching has taken me outdoors, increased my Vitamin D, battled my depression over the closing of Borders, introduced me to new friends, increased my familial bond, and led me to beautiful places in Southeastern Michigan, Ontario and Maine. 

In celebration, I thought I'd share some of my favorite moments or experiences over the last year.

My first cache. We started with a hard one!



Veterans Day Flash Mob!  First "event" for myself and Wikid Kriket



Mama Tree is smart!

Can you spot the cache container in this picture?  Nope - it's not the birdhouse!

Wikid Kriket getting serious in Franklin!

PopLob found his first cache!

Caching brought me to lovely Harsen's Island

Hockeyman40 with his first cache!

A bear could sneak up on them and they'd never know it!

Poplob and Little Tree spending quality time....

Michigan Metroparks are stunning!

Tristan39 with the find!  That is a "cache" in his hand.

3inaTree after a successful day at Indian Springs Metropark

Typical contents of a cache... log to sign and swag to trade

First time - and definitely not the last - enjoying a Huron Metropark!

Wikid Kriket and Tristan39 enjoying the hunt

Wikid Kriket NOT enjoying the hunt!  But being a good sport!

The cache was called "Are the Deer Watching?"  Yes, they were.

Caching in Woodland Hills park in Farmington

Very inventive.  Found this cache in a PILE of stumps!

Cache containers come in all shapes and sizes!

Did you find it?

Mama Bear can often be found in a tree

CITO - Cache In Trash Out
Cachers give as much as they take

How many cachers does it take to find a piece of tupperware?
More arrived before we located it!

I LOVE geocaching on Belle Isle!

Team Free Range Lobsters on Belle Isle
We were missing a few....

3inaTree after a successful find!

Yep.  3inaTree in a tree again....

Even the dogs get into the act! 
Indy was finding them as fast as Tristan39!

Making new friends on the Dexter Geotrail.
Really... started out as strangers, but it never takes long with cachers....

Caching in Maine is cool!  Er, cold!

These are geocoins.  People will place them in a cache and ask others to move them along.
I've held coins that were 6 years old and travelled over 20K miles!

BikerChick and the Buffinator make the find!

Geocaching will include Challenges.  Me playing to the camera.
There was a cache just a few feet away!

Even a cache on the stately manor grounds.

CampFamily6 with their first find!

Thank you for sharing my memories!  Everyone, I hope you have a safe & healthy Memorial Day!

scrapcat

Roll Call: More Favorite Tutorials!

I have a very dear friend that I miss greatly (Hi Dottie!) who likes to remind me regularly…. How many days until Christmas.  She loves Christmas! Can you believe just 7 more months!?!  Time to get cracking on those holiday projects!

 I have another friend (Hi Allie!) who completed a project a month last year so she could have a relaxed Christmas.  And, with summer coming up when we have the need to take portable projects with us on trips…. I thought I’d share some of my favorite project links for the last 6 months. 

Each tutorial makes a great gift for the holidays or birthdays or a guild gift or for your favorite blogger…..  These are not Christmas-specific projects.

·         Blooming Blossom Table Runner

·         Bunny Bowling Pins

·         Circle Zip Earbud Pouch

·         Clear Project Bag

·         Coffee Cup Cozies

·         Cutlery Tote

·         Denim Do-It-All Bins

·         Emergency Zippered Pouch

·         Flash Drive Cases

·         Gathered Round Baskets

·         Idle Hands Thimble Holder

·         Me & My Sister Fabric Napkin Rings

·         Moda Key Tape Fob

·         Pink Penguin’s Lunch Bag

·         Pink Penguin’s Puffy Pouch
·         Poochie Pillow

·         Quart-sized Travel Pouch with Window

·         Triangle Thread Catcher

·         Zip-it-Up Pencil Case  

You can see previous posts with more project links here, here, here and here…..  I can't guarantee all these links still work, though.

Hope this has inspired you for the summer!

Elisa

E-Magazines & the Advent of the Digital Quilting Age

As you can see, Ginger is trying to help me pick my next project. Well, I'm not sure if she's helping or hindering...

As you know, my bookstore chain closed last Fall and many blame the popularity of eBooks - that there's no room for a brick-and-mortar store in the digital age. Even if this is the reason, I do like eBooks. I do a lot on my iPad (like writing this post), and it's very convenient to always have several dozen books at my fingertips.

Lately, I've been offered several of my quilt magazines in electronic format. I must admit... The convenience and shelf-space would be nice, but I can't convert yet.

• When I work on larger quilts, I like to copy the pattern and keep it with the project.
• There's no pull-out section for pattern pieces or quilting motifs. Even if I could print them online (not sure I can), but can you guarantee they'll still be in business when I get around to that project?
• Many are the same price or more than the paper copy.
• If I don't have a paper copy, I forget I own it (sorry Reader's Digest, Smithsonian, and Mental Floss for neglect!)
• How else am I going to spend quality time playing "the game" with Ginger! (You know the one... You try to flip through magazines and she tries to sit in the middle of them at the same time! She likes to crinkle sound her butt makes!)
• Plus an eMagazine doesn't have the same look, feel, smell..
• I've also had offers for embroidery magazines. Now, how do you transfer patterns?

I must admit, though.... I'd be tempted to convert if they offered video tutorials within the magazine itself. Wouldn't that be great? Missouri Star Quilt Co does some sweet tutorials on YouTube & their site, and they've just released an iPad app to view them more easily. I see a lot of projects in my future.

Wow! Digital age has arrived. I do use Electric Quilt (EQ6) and PDF blog posts too. So, my question for you, do you use technology in your quilt making? And does it make you more or less productive?

 

Happy stitching!

Elisa

 

 

Time to KISS and Tell!

I made this quilt for some friends and dropped it off tonight.  So.... I can finally share!  This is a memory quilt for a young man who passed away - he loved KISS!

This is what we started with

Here's the finished quilt.  He LOVED purple.

Used the images from the shirt pockets for the label.
His name is grayed out for privacy reasons.

It was great to hand it over to the Mother.  I know this quilt will be loved!  T-shirt quilts are SO soft!

Happy Stitching!
Elisa

Tape Measure Rant

I saw this today and kept shouting, "How true! How true!"

My friend Lauri has been asking where my latests posts are... I have a few scheduled for the end of this week (you'll understand when they appear), but I've been SO busy making memory quilts with deadlines.

One thing that keeps popping up lately is the subject of my broken tape measure. I had a 120" retractable one that was fabulous! It broke :( And the only ones I'm finding in the stores are just 60". Now, if a border or backing is SO long that I need a tape measure, why would I only pull out a 60" one?!? Aargh!

Ok, Lauri. There's your post!

Have a great week! Will talk to all of you again shortly!

Elisa

 

Wandering Around Windsor, Ontario

On the last day of my vacation, I'm backing up photos on my camera and decided to share some pics from my recent adventures.  Nipped on over to Canada on Thursday to enjoy the beautiful, sunny day!

Willistead Manor belonged to a former Golden Age Baron in Windsor.
Now the house and grounds belong to the City of Windsor

Another view of Willistead Manor

Willistead Manor - fountain detail

Detroit skyline from Windsor Riverside park

The name of the nearby geocache was "View of Belle Isle".
However, when I looked up, the freighter was blocking my view!

Goose Neck Park

Nearby Riverside Park features many topiaries

Detroiters know this as the Ren Cen.
Windsor-ites kept calling it the GM Building.

Did you know the aliens landed in Windsor?

Entrance to the Odette Sculpture Gardens

Nearby Ambassador Bridge

This one captured my attention

Greater view of sculpture Gardens

Actual planes at memorial in Jackson Park

Sun setting in Jackson Park

Queen Elizabeth Gardens

 I think this one should be my Detroit-Windsor postcard.  Don't ya think?

Happy Sunday!
Elisa