It's a marshmallow world

It's finally our turn to get SNOW. So pretty to look at, ugly to have to drive in. We've gotten five inches  since Tuesday morning. But I'm thankful that it held off throughout the holidays, even if it did mean a brown Christmas for us, because it waited until all of the travellers were back at home before it let loose.

Everyone has been so busy quilting since the beginning of the year, while I'm still working on this past Christmas's presents. And the Christmas before! I'm envious, but devoting my days to quilting just isn't going to happen until I retire. But I have been practising my Free Motion stitches. I have to say that they looked better a year ago! Don't know why, but they're just not clicking right now. I'm doing a lot of repeat stitching. Maybe I'm experimenting more - last night I tried using some lovely Sulky metallic thread. I'd heard metallics were tough to work with, and I was prepared for it. So I wasn't too disappointed when I didn't get far with it before it began snarling and breaking. I'll keep trying, because I love the way it looks. Maybe I'll practice on some more cat blankets.

I got caught up in the Christmas rush, making a few last minute gifts for friends and co-workers, and I put aside some large projects I was working on. Now that the Christmas crazies are over, I've start working again on them. This one is for my partner's granddaughter. She's only five years old, but a little sparkplug: a Leo with a Scorpio Moon and a Virgo ascendant. The notes I made while researching that astrological combination were: "Bold golds and blues, red, green, brown, orange and black. Sunshine, stars and bright shapes. Hidden patterns. Deep and passionate designs and colours with either dramatic contrast or subtle differences in colour. Snakes and anything dangerous or mysterious. An endurable quilt top for sitting and playing on, easy to clean, indestructible. Themes of adventure, heroism or royalty." I fell in love with the cowboy boots - You Go Girl by Northcott - and I think she will too because her mother's side of the family is very much into horses and ranching and rodeo. It's a very simple design of snowballs and... ? I can't recall the name of the block so I'll just call them "coins" because they look like old Chinese coins to me.

Until next time