My Future is looking brighter and Where "woman" Creates

"The Winter Solstice arrives on December 22nd in the early morning hours for eastern Canada, and the evening of December 21st for the rest of the country."

excerpt from the Weather Network

  

Now with the sun rising in the East I would have thought Winter Solstice would arrive to us first, but who am I to argue with the Weather Network. Either way it is good news, because if this is the day with the shortest amount of daylight of the year, then that means it's all brighter from here on in!

I can live with that!

(taken on our trip to England in Sept. 2010)

FYI:

The Stonehenge monument in Britain was carefully constructed by Druids several thousand years ago, and the winter solstice sunset lines up with the monument.


To change the subject... I showed you a quilt top I whipped up on the weekend. When I measured it, it was a little bigger than I had figured. Turned out it was 65 x 80. 

I had planned to machine quilt it myself, but once I put a backing and batting with it, I started to rethink that idea. I knew "RUBY" was up to the job, but I wasn't sure I was. I have not quilted anything on my new machine yet and was not sure I wanted to cut my teeth on a large denim quilt, so I called a local gal who does machine quilting and she said she had time to do it. I dropped it off to her yesterday morning around 9 and by 3 she had called to say it was ready for pick-up. I picked it up last night and I hope to get the binding on it sometime today. (After I get my meat pies done.)

In the meantime I cut sashing blocks and pieced all the sashing for my friends dresden plate quilt, so it is ready for sandwiching now.
While I was downstairs with the camera I thought I would snap a few pics of my newly claimed quilting space. It is still not the tidiest, and needs some tweaking, but here it is...

Whoever it was that came up with the idea of a design wall needs a quilt named after them. What in the world did I do before I had it, I wonder?

Mr. O put up a shelf for my jars of buttons. Lots of storage areas in the form of an old trunk (under my cutting table), an antique plaid/metal cooler ( to store fusible web, interfacings, and freezer paper),vintage suitcases and drawers. 

I live in the country so curtains are not high priority, but I will get to them eventually!

I keep a little ironing area set up, but have my Big Board for the larger pieces.

Also have 2 pantry type cupboards for fabric, as well as the shelves for fat quarters.

I keep books in 2 old wooden pop crates, and I have 2 vintage machines on top; just because...

This antique treadle still works like a charm , but I do rather prefer "Ruby."

My Jim Shore figurine sits on the window ledge to watch over my stitching. 

Where "this" woman creates.

A gal needs a bulletin board to help  her remember and keep track of things.

My view from sitting at my machine.

A comfy chair for knitting and hand stitching. 

There you have it, so the next time I talk about working on a quilt you will have an idea of where I am.

In my humble opinion, every quilter needs a cat. This is mine...

I found him at a thrift shop with my sister this fall and he asked to come home with me. How could I refuse? I would love a real living breathing one, but Mr. O tells me that is not negotiable...I'm still working on him In the mean time this little guy  keeps me company.

You may have noticed my scissors and pens/pencils in the background. I keep them in  a cast off toothbrush holder also found at a thrift store. ** You may also have noticed all the dust and lint on my sewing cabinet but we won't talk about that...

P.S. I forgot to mention where I read the instructions and tips for piecing a denim quilt. You can find it HERE