Have You Met....Mireio?

It's been the usual insanity around here but more on that later.  Right now, I need a mental respite and a touch of something pretty.  Maybe you can, too.

I've been meaning to share one of my favourite online spots for ages. I head there often for eye candy and finding a little treat...

Mireio is one of my happy places. It's the creation of my lovely friend, Wende (with whom I would probably have coffee near weekly if we weren't separated by a border crossing and many kilometres and depending on the season, 1 or 2 time zones.)

 I'm a sucker for buttons. And eye pillows. 

Her photography is soft and bright. I keep telling her she needs to do a calendar.  You should see the shots she uses on her blog.  They have such a warmth to them - if there were a brick and mortar version of the shop, you have a perfect image in your mind of what that shop would be like, and know exactly why you'd want to spend time pouring over every item.

And she has such beautiful things...

...that smell so nice.  I have her sachets in all my drawers, especially with the frillies.  Every day is better with lightly-scented frillies.  Have I mentioned my love of lavender?

I asked her if I could tell people about her shop and she graciously allowed me to not only use her gorgeous photos but even came up with a coupon!  At checkout, enter CITRICSUGAR for 20% off all the pretty things until the end of September.

If you want to get a jump on holiday shopping while supporting independent & handmade, the timing is perfect!  (And yes, I've started. I am one of those people.  If it makes you feel better, I don't tend to finish until mid-December but I usually start early.)

Anyway, while you're waiting for me to get a blogpost together, I hope you swing by Mireio and check it all the goodies Wende's got waiting for you!



Please note:  This is NOT a sponsored post. I don't do sponsored posts.  I will only ever promote businesses and products that I personally use or for which I am a customer, because that's what friends do.  We share the word about good stuff!

Featured: The Name Game!

I told you I had a surprise.

  

Today, I was lucky enough to be asked by my lovely friend Cindy at LiveAColorfulLife to play her famous Name Game!  I'm thrilled - I've been introduced to so many wonderful bloggers by following The Name Game and reading Cindy's blog.

So, if you've ever wanted to know why I go by the name "CitricSugar", be sure to swing by Cindy's blog today. :-)

Thanks for asking me to play, Cindy!

Scrappy Trip Finish and Great Mail

I finished this one last week, a matter of hours before our guild meeting.

The blanket's a little wrinkly with a giant fold down the middle, but lemme tell ya - it was some friggin' cold outside.... It was downright polar.

Since I was using only scraps for the top, I made sure it would have at least a little continuity and arranged all my block strip so that they progressed from dark to light with a grey, black or navy fabric running down the centre diagonal. They were looking pretty ghastly individually but once I laid them out, they took a different look through the camera lens. I didn't know ahead of time if it would be pretty or horrid so I determined ahead of time, whatever the outcome, it was going to be a blanket for cuddling up at night in the gazebo this summer.  This might have been a mistake to make that decision too early as I got pretty careless with the quilting and binding as a result.... lol.

Apparently, whatever was going on with my hand was so strenuous, I was unable to stand up straight. 

I arranged them light corners to light corners, dark to dark, which gave me this rising/sinking effect.
To emphasize the light and dark effect, I quilted it with lines running through each dark diagonal all through the quilt and then concentric squares through the rest.  Since there's no batting inside, I wanted to be sure I had quilting through each and every square, though it doesn't really show up.   I decided against batting* (which made it much trickier to baste and quilt - slippy!) as I didn't want it to be too heavy for a summer blanket but I did want it to have some coziness to it, so it's backed in a Caravan flannel, which is the only thing I purchased for this quilt. It's bound entirely in leftover binding, which feels pretty good, too!

This flannel sucked me in.  I'm usually not a florals person but this one just makes me happy....

________

I was lucky enough to get a copy of Modern Quilts from the Blogging Universe from Audrie at Blue is Bleu. You should read her, if you don't already. Definitely a kindred spirit.

The book is great, and full of people that already populate my RSS reader so it made it that much cooler.... Thanks, Audrie!  I owe you one. And by one, I mean a few. :-)

*Dana at Old Red Barn made some 'outside' quilts last year without batting and I loved that idea...  You should also read Dana's blog. Also a kindred spirit.

Up and Running (Stitch)

Well, I'm excited.

We have the website for the Saskatoon Modern Quilt Guild up and running, we have a Flickr group, internet buttons, a mailing list, real live members, and, let's face it, a lot of fun!

My lovely co-chair, Jaclyn of JaclynQuilts, (the Statler to my Waldorf, the macaroni to my cheese) and I are hoping to blog regularly to keep members and potential members informed about what we're up to and have some general quilty goodness, so from time to time, I'll be over there. We're also hoping to get our membership involved in blogging on the site as well.

Basically, we're official and that feels really good.

Like 'bite of cheesecake', good.

Early gift

Yep.  I went AWOL again. It happens.  I get busy, life happens, you've been there.  Plus, most of what I was busy with is not interesting or a Christmas secret, and then there were real world incidents that break my heart so much that I can't bear to write about them.  I've had to filter a great deal of what I've been watching and reading because as a teacher and someone with a precious tiny person in her life, my grief is too much.  For everyone who has been affected by the horror of it, my prayers are with you...

It was overwhelming but now, I am choosing to concentrate on all the incredible blessings in my life and remember why I love this season so very much.  Peace, hope and love.  I am extremely grateful, extremely hopeful, wishful for positive change, and finally, finally, able and inspired to blog.  Sigh.  And here we go...

***

If you haven't come across Cindy's blog, Live a Colorful Life, you're missing out.  Not only is she talented, and marvellous, wonderfully funny, she's about the nicest person I've never met in real life.  :-)  When she asked me if I wanted to do a private swap, I instantly and nervously said yes!  We decided on pouches, though we were both a little skittish on zippers.

I knew the one I made would have to be full of colour so I went to the rainbow side of things.

Plus, I got to play with teeny tininess which always makes me happy. Then I added a little Saskatchewan and sent it off.  Cindy blogged about it here.

A week ago, this marvellous package arrived.

It's beautiful!! And huge!  It's now my new knitting project bag (and the zipper is perfect.  Yes, perfect. The one I did?  Well, Cindy was nice enough not to mention the amateurish installation...)  Cindy does these amazing things with selvedges.  And this hexy flower is no execption! Somehow, I've missed taking a decent photo of the inside (so hard to get good light these days!), but the fabric is perfect and there's two big pockets.  And then there were the goodies she threw in!

California honey, chocolate covered jumbo raisins and almonds (completely gone, by the way - so good!), a wonderful bag of pretty buttons (I have a weakness for buttons) and a box stuffed full of 1 1/2" squares. Joy!

Plus, something I've longed for since she opened her etsy shop, a custom pin cushion, all of selvedges and so completely perfect.

I won't lie and say that I didn't get a little misty-eyed, because I did.  I was terribly sick and had a bad migraine to boot so it's timing was amazing.  My thank you email feels inadequate.  I am so lucky to have such fantastic people like Cindy in my life...

And now, I have a month's worth of blog-reading to catch up on but as I am officially on holidays, officially done shopping, making and wrapping, and officially into the buttertarts, I will be able to do so before 2013.

Regardless of your faith, background, geography or politics, I am wishing you peace, love, and hope today and every day of the year.

Much love,
Carly

Back! And Forth...; Tying Bows with Forks

Holy moly, I was on hiatus for a while there....  I am back and will be returning to my (ir)regular posting routine of once or twice a week.

I will have a bigger catch-up post tomorrow but... 

TODAY is special.  I am featured at Mireio Designs today.  Excited?  Heck, yeah!

If you haven't come across Wende around the blog block yet, you've been missing out.  She's truly one of my favourite people in this world and a dear friend.  She writes with a refreshing sincerity and takes really lovely photos (often of really lovely stuff that she has in her really lovely shop!) In short, she inspires me.

When she asked me to contribute to a new thing she was starting, Teach Me Something, I immediately said yes.  And then I immediately started to panic.  Teach what???  And then I remembered that I had a little known skill that could be used to save hundreds, nay, thousands...! (...of seconds on wrapping gifts or decorating various items...)

Basically, I can tie a bow using a turkey lifter fork.  And you can, too!  Just pop on over to Mireio and watch the video tutorial. So, go! Go forth!

Bonus Diet Coke Drinking Game:  Take one sip for every time I inexplicably pause or um in the video.   Take a big gulp of Diet Coke if I try to same two words at the same time and have them come out as a third, possibly related word.

Hot streak, cold weather, warm heart

I've had a run of luck the last few weeks.

I won an e-book copy of Modern Mix on Amy's Creative Side.  Can't wait to have the time to try some of the patterns, though right now, I'll have to content myself with the gorgeous photographs.

Then I won a book of poetry, Today's Special Dish by Nina Lindsay, at Both Fires...  It hasn't arrived yet but I delight in knowing that I will soon have a feast of words in my hands..

And then I won a paper-piecing pattern by Very Kerry Berry, on Live a Colorful Life.  I'd have posted about this earlier but I wanted to wait until I'd tried it. I've wanted to give this technique a whirl for ages but hadn't gotten around to it.  No excuses left this time!  For a first project, I'm thrilled with the results! The precision in the piecing amazed me, especially the teeny tiny parts. I still have a ton to learn but for now, I have a cute Winter Woolies set.

Clearly, I finished it in the nick of time because this is what I woke up to:

And now, I must depart the sewing machine and get back to marking.  The last night of the school play was Friday and, after all the rehearsals at lunch, after school and weekends  I treated myself to a lazy Saturday, thinking about what those talented kids accomplished on that stage.

For some reason, the gratitude of young people never fails to move me.

Lucky = Thank yous

I made a wish.
I've had a little run of luck lately.

Some generous people have pulled me (my name) from the heaps and me reaps the benefits.

Scraps, beautiful scraps, from Kate of One Flew Over - oh, my little spiderweb quilt will be so much richer!!

And one I forgot to post about (how could I have done something so thoughtless...) is this pattern from Emily at Carolina Patchworks (If only all Pink Floyd allusions were as pretty...) via a giveaway through Dana of MADE. Not only are these three women generous but the amount of inspiration I've found in their blogs incredible.

Anyway - I owe them a HUGE THANK YOU. I will also owe my sewing machine a tune-up but it's a little busy right now...

Warmth from Wonderful People

It might look bleak and cold.

But you might come home to something you've won in a fabulous giveaway.

It's warm and the stitches are immaculate.

Thank you, Jess! I love it and it could NOT have been more timely!

Last of Last - First of the New

If I haven't told you yet, Happy New Year!!

I came across an idea I loved this week - at A Commonplace Life. Rather than focus on resolutions and what didn't happen during the last year, look at what you've accomplished.

I started a weblog.

Made a few new good friends.

Found my path.

Found a job that makes me happy.

Baked 200 cupcakes for my sister's wedding and managed to keep from crying myself into a joyful mess on the day! (Trust me, that was difficult. When I have a feeling like happiness that becomes too large for little me to contain, it starts leaking out my face....)

Started an Etsy shop.

Learned how to make lasagna from scratch.

Gathered the courage to enter a poetry contest.

It was a trying year in many ways but that is now the past. I'll try to learn from my history and then put it behind me. And keep the memories of the good things beside me as I venture into the new year. And it is so very full of promise!!

*****

The first post of this year - the last projects of last year....

The pillows I felted for Mum for Christmas. The designs are my own adaptation of one in this book, Felt Forward.

The dresser runner is finally quilted as well. I solved my existential question and my metaphorical one shortly after. Life's like that.

And no, you can not see what's in the mirror behind me. Like I said, it colours the view but it really isn't all that important. :-)

Too cold to be clever with a title. :-)

That's a glance at the weather here for you. I snapped it on Tuesday just before sunset. As much as the cold can be bitter, there is something sublime about frost that lingers thickly whether the sun shines or no'.

I love the cold and frost and simple beauty of winter so I'm not really lamenting about it. I'd much rather have -30 than +30. Thirty above makes me cranky. Thirty below makes me crafty. (If the temperatures seem weird, you are suffering from Fahrenheit syndrome - think in Celsius...)

Despite the chill, we had a very large crowd for our Soaps Christmas improv show last night. Thank you to anyone who braved the weather and the humour.

Happy Hanukkah, if you celebrate it! Happy Saturday, if you don't.

I have finished a few projects this week and regretfully cannot share them. Gifts are gifts and should remain surprises. Sister only pops by every few weeks, but with my luck, if I showed off what I've made her for Christmas, she'll read it today. :-)

Thank you to AmberLee of Giver's Log for mentioning me and the shop yesterday and for the lovely compliments! You have no idea how much simple joy your blog brings to me. A giver's list of ideas is a gift in itself! (Trouble is, you find all this cool stuff that I want for me... :-) Everyone else - go check it out.

Well, after a week of getting up in the dark at a quarter after "why the hell am I awake" and then coming home in the dark, I was looking forward to a good, solid, teen-style sleep-in until the sun was shining gloriously but my eyes popped open at 8am. So I'll try to be useful and productive instead.

It's a good way to keep warm.

Featured on the Best of Etsy!!

That's right! My mittens were featured today on Mireio Designs with some other very awesome stuff for holiday giving! You can check it out here.

Plus, you should visit Mireio's shop, especially if you haven't finished your shopping. The acorn sachets are soooo very cute and her pillows are the jam. (Jam: noun - meaning: the best part of the doughnut.)

Thank you for the mention, Wende!!

The bleak month of November (which has historically been unkind to me for several years) is OVER and December is starting off with a bang: new job that I actually love, we finally have snow, my car is NOT a write-off, wonderful and supportive friends and family, and an advisor meeting booked for that good news that I haven't actually spilled about yet. :-) Soon.

And if you love free stuff, there is a plethora (yes, a plethora) of giveaways all linked at Sew Mama Sew.

Now - if you've read all that - have a fabulous Wednesday and treat yourself to: a) a dish of ice cream, b) a half-hour alone time with a good book, c) a snuggle with your favourite mammal (human/four-legged) or d) all of the above!

And the good mail keeps on coming!

When it rains, it pours!

I snapped up this work from Juneatnoon. Last Monday. And it's here. Through customs, too. Ridiculous, right? (The shipping speed, not the work. Because it's beautiful. Even if my photograph is not.)

And a new Amy Butler pattern. But I won't be using her Love fabrics. Because I don't. Love them. They're nice enough, I guess, but they are sooooooo not me.... It'll have to wait until after the holidays, regardless, so I've got time to pick something fabulous. Probably by Amy Butler. :-)

The universe knew I needed to come home to treats this week because my car looks a little like this....

Do not wish me sympathy. It was very much my fault (after three years without so much as a speeding ticket!!). My mental capacities were diminished by the brutal violence of eight hours of video tutorials at a job I've started - but that is a factor and by no means, an excuse.

No one was injured. Minor damage to vehicles. The only thing smarting is my pride and deductible.

SO. I've poured myself a cold one (Diet Coke, that is) and am going to indulge in some jiffy cinnamon rolls while I bask in the warm glow of my beautiful postal treasures - calendars, embroidery, and the promise of future projects.

Aftah all, tomorrah is anothah day! (Cue sunrise, a swell of music, and a stubborn refusal to surrender. Which is a tad funny when you consider that failure to yield is what caused the accident.)

[Laughs. Wipes tear. Sighs.]

i heart mail

I have a thing about getting mail. Everyday there is the possibility of something wonderful. And today, it was a reality. Because I came home to this....

... from Whitney @ WhiskerGraphics.

If you would like to see an approximation of how excited I was and still am, find a five-year-old, tell him that tomorrow is his birthday and he gets to go to Disneyworld on an blue stegosaurus that is also a Transformer. (Actually, you could probably tell me the same thing to elicit that reaction. :-) Amazingly, a few months of web-logging gave me the presence of mind to grab the camera but it was agonizing not to tear into it immediately. Agonizing. (I was trained in theatre; there is a part of me that will be five-years-old for the rest of my life.)

If you haven't checked out Whitney's blog, you can find her here at Whisker Graphics, here at her etsy store, and here for her Divine Twine (seen in first photo). Not only is she talented, she's really nice.

Thank you, Whitney! I love it!

The Object Project wanted me to tell you...

...about this great giveaway Leigh Ann's got going on...

The Object Project Giveaway

Not only does she have another cute tutorial using an everyday object as a pattern, but

JOY!!!!!!

there is a beautiful throw blanket which will be given to a random commenter (double entry if you link your own weblog to it) so GOOOO!!!!! NOW!! Before Sunday!! Leave a comment!!! Share what you enjoy reading in the summer, the onslaught of projects you've got upcoming... Or simply admit that you're in it for the blanket.

And I want you to know that I decided to share this information with you DESPITE the fact that your own entry makes my odds of winning a little smaller. :-)

Have a great Monday!

Mustache cushions.... seriously

Okay - so if you're not as committed to the idea of tattooing a mustache on your finger like I wrote about just yesterday..., you can always get these cushions and play around with the facial hair. I love that there is a fumanchu, too. Whorange always finds cool stuff.

The blog-verse works in mysterious ways.

And this is Senor Mysterioso. He also sports the 'stache but I'm saving his story for a slow news day.... ;-{

A Happy, Warm Feeling and FREE Thank-you Notes

I left a comment on a WhiskerGraphics post last week. Whitney was having a giveaway and to win, you could suggest a new stationery product... I didn't win but this is pretty cool too.

She made my suggested item!

See them here! (where you can get them for free...)

WhiskerGraphics has been mentioned here before on this weblog - if you haven't checked out her blog (or especially her etsy shop), do it.

And know, that when you get recipes from me on pretty pretty cards in a pretty little folder tied up with ribbon or twine, I'm not the only one responsible.... :-)

It only sounds heavy...

It took me a long time to decide to start a blog. Strangely enough, I think the biggest impediment was the word itself - blog. It sounds heavy and clumsy. It looks awkward, too. Especially if you capitalize it. BLOG. So chunky.... Blahhhgg. Blah. Gah! Blah blah blah - certainly not my goal here and I doubt it's the goal of most people who commit time and energy to creating their own space. It almost encourages writer's block - another "blah" sound. No wonder people burn out - the sound alone implies a weight.

It's feels odd to say "I blog". Almost like an Apple product gone horribly wrong. iBlog - now available in several colours and very little battery life. Teeny tiny soapbox not included. :-)

So I've decided to call this my 'weblog' and reintroduce the original name. (Funny how a word so new to the public lexicon is already obsolete.....) It starts out softer on the ear and easier on the eye. There's a gracefully symmetry to it, isn't there? Like a rolling hill as opposed to a brick wall. The "b" is less bothersome with a whispering lead-in.

But there is another reason I like the word 'weblog'. The sense of community that can come with it.

We blog.

I follow a few (more than a few) amazing women who share their lives and ideas. They follow other women. People follow each other. Perspectives are exchanged. Encouragement and consolation are given. Connections are formed. A community is built. And it is so incredible and reassuring to know that in this age of technology that can distance and alienate people from each other, the internet can actually bring us all a little closer together. It can be a positive piece of the universe. We can face forward and look back at the same time.

Here is just a handful of those who've inspired me lately:

Operation Nice - because everyone could use a little positivity

The Pioneer Woman - her photographs alone are incredible, not to mention the rest

Mrs.Flinger - something about the way she writes makes me very happy

My Milk Toof - I dare you not to smile.

Angry Chicken - very talented

WhiskerGraphics - again, talented

TheObjectProject - invents interesting from ordinary

And these are just a few... Ladies, if you're reading - thank you for sharing and for giving me a nudge.