2009 Re-Cap of my Year (entry 55)

I think 55 is a good entry number to re-cap the year 2009 and getting the idea for this from ParkcityGirl Website – thanks Amy.

**when I first wrote this entry, I didn’t have any quilting projects added sometimes I’m so focussed on the project at hand and forget why I’m doing this and all of the quilting that drives me**

Here’s a montage of my year in a nut-shell:

January: re-negotiating contracts with my business partner at Exhibit Studio, setting budgets for the coming year, discussing the market, reading the Twilight Series

February: high stress with the market crashing, not enough work to keep employees busy, trade shows getting cancelled, trying to figure out different avenues for Exhibit Studio, reading the Twilight Series

March: My Birthday, thinking about my quilting business, something I’ve always wanted to do, how can I make this work, the huge decision about deciding to sell Exhibit Studio, reading the Twilight Series (lovin it so much!!)

April: more discussions about quilting business online, partnership with another gal, hmmm, lots of debating about doing this on my own or with another person. DH showing so much interest in this new business venture for us, possibilities are endless, reading the Twilight Series

May: sold Exhibit Studio to my partner, Bye ES I wish you well :), now onto full time thinking about online quilting business, what should the name be, how can I make this work, what do I want my goals to be? May long weekend camping and waking up to 4″ of snow, so much fun!

{taken the day before the snow storm, which we slept like babies through it all, lol}

June: Started training for a race to clear my head and regroup for a new chapter in my life, Incorporated my new business name of Pastimes Online Ltd. Pastimes could be used for any hobby like Scrapbooking, Photography (DH’s passion), cooking, etc. and online self explanatory. Registered my business, which felt so good:) and camping (bliss)

July: Training for the race, figuring out block of the month programs and found this great site, ordering in some supplies, finding Manufacturers to do business with all over the world. Finding a great one in India – thanks Anant for all of your help & I love the silks!!, camping at Kaslo, BC – what a fab place!

{the famous SS Moyie}

August: Training for the race, placed orders for cottons, dupioni silks, threads, Gingher Supplies, Quilters Tea (our own blend) and more! Finished Pinkie Lee.

this one I’m keeping for me 🙂

September: Race time, 12km in 1.5 hours, my 8th Wedding Anniversary, (I love you Jeff), waiting on materials, building website (thanks Jeff), taking pictures, prepare for Podcasts, reading, reviewing, & rating websites (pros and cons) to figure out what I love the best & what you will love the best. Finding Squarespace and Squareflo – both life savers of time and money, reading Friday Night Knitting Club – touched my heart! My cousin got married & my sister and I made a set of personalized sheets. Designed my first pattern, Cutest Camera Bag.

{on the home stretch, phew}

October: My DH’s birthday, ThanksGiving, spending time with Family, always a joy! Playing with my new silks that have arrived. Finding an excellent supplier for lightweight fusible materials for applique, silks etc. Our very good friends had a beautiful baby boy, Zach. Opened PastimesOnline – what a month. Started another Freebie 15 project with my LQS.

{which will be available to purchase soon}

{perfectly matching threads, beauty}

{mom and baby Zach at his baby shower}

{waiting to be layered and quilted, hopefully soon}


{official store home page}

the theme is leaves and I LOVE the colours

November: Shooting my first podcast, finished first block for the Journey of a Quilter Block of the Month and loved it! Realized yet again how much I love being part of my quilting guilds and how these women impact my life. Started work on the development of the basement, new home of PastimesOnline and my new Studio location. Quilt til you Wilt weekend to complete the two housecoats for my nephews. Quilters Connection Magazine, finally a magazine for Canadian Quilters – thanks Heather! Joined the Toyota 4x4ing Club with my DH, started reading The Book of Negros – WOW!

{where to begin?}

{almost finished and boy what a journey}

December: Marketing investment with QuiltDash and Within a Quarter Inch, hosted Christmas potluck for my Lakeside Quilters Guild, and attended the potluck for my other awesome Guild called Flying Needles, hosted Christmas Dinner for 13 plus 4 and it was probably the best Christmas ever. Permits approved, more work on the basement, dry-wallers scheduled, carpet ordered, dreams coming to fruition, *sigh* life is good.

Here’s some of the gifts I made for family:

aprons for MIL and SIL

housecoats for nephews and messenger bags for nieces (silks)

silk scarf for Mum, it kind of works with the red shirt 🙂

Happy New Year everyone, I am so looking forward to starting an amazing 2010 and getting to know you all who follow my blog, comment and email me privately as well as all of you who’s blogs I read. I would love more comments and please let me know what you would like to see and read about or ask me questions…

Until next time have a happy, warm and creative day, 

Around the Net: Clare’s Craftroom (entry 54)

Hi everyone, hope Santa was good to you…He was super good to me, so I’m thinking I was a good girl in 2009!!

I’m sitting in my studio, it’s snowing again outside, we definitely had a white Christmas this year – it was awesome!!

I’m in the process of making the cutest Birthday present for my Mum I can’t disclose as of yet but my DH saw it and said “make one for Colleen as well” my SIL so I spent the day creating and it felt wonderful.

I also tested some new silk flosses and fell in LOVE with them. They glide through the fabrics and shimmer like jewels the BEST to work with. So I’m going to finish the pattern I’ve just created, get the tutorial on here for all of you and kit these little beauties up and include some of these fab flosses…just look at the way they glisten.

I found this cute site: Clare’s Craftroom, she has winsome patterns and is a delight to read.

this is the header on her blog, don’t you just love how cheery it is?

This frog is what made me read more into her adorable site…

This one is called John Bear 🙂

{All photos courtesy of Clare’s Blog}

Until next time, come join our Block of the Month Club: Journey of a Quilter 

AND if you can think of the reason why you LOVE your iron, I need to know. I’m desperate to find the best iron out there and why, so if you love yours please pass the info on & if there is an iron on your wish list, please let me know that also, thanks.

Have a happy, creative and warm snuggly day…

Christmas Tree, Freebie 15, Tig (entry 53)

Hi everyone, I’m sitting here thinking about my blog and how great it will be to expose all of my handmade Christmas items after Christmas…how I wish I could share them with you today as they are so cute!!

Here’s a few shots to tide you over 🙂

{cute shot of one of my sweet little somethings on the tree}

here’s my beaters…they DIED during the whipping time of my famous shortbread cookies…these are probably over 12 years old. You would think they could have made it through another year 🙂 

This gorgeous quilt was a raffle that we did just for our own guild, we all made a somewhat scrappy block, I put the pieces together and made the piano key border and Kathy B hand quilted it, I think she said she completed this in 2 weeks, yes ladies 2 weeks!! She’s amazing, thanks so much Kathy. Heather won this quilt and it’s sits beautifully and cozy on her bed but she brought it to show everyone. We all wished we would have won it!!

Here’s my 2nd Freebie 15 block for this year, this is called “Poplar”

Here’s Tig, playing on the back deck, watching the snow drip from the window sills from above, we had a fabulous chinook come in this week so it warmed up from -30C to -2.5C, she was enjoying the warmer weather.

QUESTION: Over the holidays I’m hoping to find a new iron, I want something super hot (temperature-wise:) and high end – what are your favourites and why? I’m thinking about spending a couple hundred…please help me out finding the best iron – thanks ladies!!

Until next time, if I don’t get another post in before Christmas (I hope I do) I will wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year. Have a happy, creative day…