Monday, July 5, 2010

Did you remember...

I have moved to my new blogspot... http://www.notionnanny.blogspot.com/

See you there!!!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while." (English proverb


Oh MY GOODNESS!!!!!!! I have been so busy the last 2 days... I am not sure whether or not I am still breathing! In fact, I was so tired at 5 o'clock last night that I fell asleep in the chair and missed the ball game (which really wasn't much to miss from the score!) and slept right through the night. I just can't believe how much there is to do when you are starting a new business.



The other day, my brother came up stairs and asked me if I was just going to live on the computer from now on. I told him what I was doing and he said, "Good thing you finally got yourself something to do because all you ever do is lay around on the couch all day and do nothing"! Let me assure you that his black eye is healing nicely!
(That's him, reeling from the blow!)


But really, they say if you want something done you should ask a busy person, but this busy person is going to have to learn to say no! For a little while now, this business is going to take up all my time and resources, so "NO!" (blanket no, to cover all future enquiries!) OK, well maybe.

Yesterday, I got my first delivery. I didn't realize that all that money would come in such a small box! And when I opened it, half the box was empty boxes filling space. But, I have to say when I got into the meat and potatoes, there is something to be said for that first moment when you see and feel those beautiful notions coming out of the box. Well lets just say, one might need a private moment!

I love notions, not the ordinary ones like the ones you have to have... irons, rulers,cutters, (well maybe I love them just a little!) but the extraordinary, "gotta have that one", type of notions. The ones that fill your boots when you use them. The ones you can tell your friends about. Sometimes it's not even a new product or idea, sometimes its a discovery you make when you try something that has been hanging around for a while and find out it really does what it says it will do and then you find an exclusive to you idea that makes your heart pound and you think "Why didn't I think of this before". It's a great way to start a sewing day and I suggest you all dig deep and find that wonderful notion, hidden in the recesses of your sewing room, drag it out to the light of day, AND Try it. If you can't find the instructions for it.. don't call me, I've lost mine, too!

I told you I would have some news for you, but unfortunately, I can't share today as it hasn't really happened yet. And now it probably won't happen until next week, so I don't want to Jinx it.


What I can tell you is that I have my web site up and running FINALLY, and as abbreviated as it is, it's actually up and running.

http://www.notionnanny.ca/

I added my shop on Monday night at 2 am... just as a test, but I am taking it off for a few days so I can get the products up on to it. Believe it or not, it took me hours to get the few things I have there, up and running. So hopefully I will get time this weekend to do some more.

And best of all, I am off to Guelph for Kevyn's 40 birthday. First time in 37 years, that I will have a chance to wish him a happy birthday on his birthday. Look at me, I am crying already! but I will have time to work on my blog so you'll hear all about it!







Sunday, June 6, 2010

I have moved.... look for me on my website www.notionnanny.ca or on my new blogspot www.notionnanny.blogspot.com

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Hello.... anybody still out there.

Parc de la Chute-Montmorency

Well... I am back, momentarily. LOL


I have been in the process of setting up my own web page and was hoping to move my blog there, but it hasn't happened yet so, I thought I would check in here so you could catch up.


I have been busy, busy, busy! End of year for my husbands business and we needed to get the books all up to date and all the year end junk done. As a present from hubby, he took me off to Quebec City for the weekend and what a QUILT that was!!! I have pictures! I have many favorite spots in Canada that I love, Newfoundland is my most favorite Province, the Glacier Highway in BC is my favorite path and Quebec City is now my favorite city.



Old Quebec is the most beautiful setting I have ever been in. What a surprise I had when I arrived and saw all those old wonderful mortar and metal houses with their beautiful little porches, surrounded with flowers.


One little house had mirrors above their window box so people down below could enjoy their little garden.




Every corner brought a new hill and every hill was filled to the brim with shops and homes and history. A peek through the trees gave you a beautiful view of what was to come as we traveled down those curvy hills to the next level of explosive colour. Too beautiful for words. The St Lawrence River flows past and ships and ferries and yachts and boats and kayaks and jet skis dot the surface as the blue shimmers and mixes with the reds and greens and yellows and blues and oranges and golds of the houses on the hills. The only words I could find to say were, "Oh what a quilt this would make"!


On our way home we stopped for a night in Montreal and it was the crumbs after the cake and icing. We did go to a wonderful restaurant, Moshies, a man ran to take our car on a busy street and park it who knows where, a doorman opened the door and escorted us in. We were seated with the utmost care and before our waiter arrived with the menus, a young man filled our table with the most delicious dill pickles and coleslaw and a sip from your water glass was all that was needed to summon a refill. The meal was delicious, (although we loved the pickles and coleslaw the best) And our waiter was there at our every beck and call. But the big disappointment came when there was no Creme Brulee and they arrived with the bill instead. Next time we are heading for the deli... for pickles and coleslaw and saving our money for fabric!!!










Thursday, May 13, 2010

This is the quilt that sits on my table all the time... I love this quilt. Our guild is doing a windmill block exchange this year and I am going to make another quilt, just like this one from the blocks, only my exchange is all white backgrounds so it will be nice for spring and summer.


Ok, Ok, so I don't have a picture of the FINISHED Nutcracker... No! not even half, or a quarter. In fact no sewing yesterday at all.... grrrrrrrrr. I was detained by my own self. Who knew that someone who wanted to sew as bad as I did, could stop me from sewing the whole day. WHO KNEW?


I know my friends are all saying, "I did, I did"... Well my real friends will keep that to themselves. I started out well, but the day flew by and the next thing I knew it was midnight and I missed the whole day. I would like to think I am the only one that happens to, but I am sure there are a ton of people who have it happen to them and I bet they all, pick themselves up and say... OK... Today is the day I finish the Nutcrackers.



So... today is the day I finish the nutcrackers. ( Are you buying it?) hmmmmmm.




(Don't You love this quilt... someday after the nutcrackers I am going to make this quilt and hang it on my sewing room wall... If I lose 40 more pounds I'll look just like her.)


I don't know exactly what happened yesterday. I spent some time on here and
then some more time on here, I washed my kitchen floor and more time on here while the floor dried. I went for lunch with Mariona, and then the girls came over to sew and I got 4 baskets ready for an applique project I am working on, and then I watched one episode of The Mentalist that I had taped, ate a sweet potato, went and visited my granddaughter, went and visited my friends Aimee and Sharon and came home at MIDNIGHT and went to bed... Did I mention that I am a bit of a procrastinator.


I did find a very interesting web site, actually my friend Aimee found it for me... http://www.quiltshops.com/ . It's a virtual shop hop and well... if that doesn't keep you up at night, I don't know what will. We spent at least an hour cruising around at Aimee's and then when I got home, well, all I can say, is if you see me yawn today, don't ask why! Amazing.



Anyway... no matter what, I am not even going near that site today. I am going to do Nutcrackers.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

This little quilt was made by making 9 patches and cutting them through the middle both ways and repositioning them, then sewing them back together... sounds complicated but it was easy and fun and I made them for the grandchildren one Christmas. I put Minki on the back and they were the most cozy quilts!


Well, here I am back again. I didn't think I would say this, but I have missed my little blog. It's funny how having structure in your life helps you to motivate yourself to do the things you don't want to do.

And speaking of doing things you don't want to do... today I am going to FINISH those nutcrackers... I don't care if I am up till midnight. There, I have written down and now it will become stone!!!!! (We'll see; I will tell you tomorrow how I make out... LOL) (this is the quilt as shown at
Mine is nothing like it... except ofcourse the nutcrackers! Pictures to follow, tomorrow, maybe!)

Funny how things happen, isn't it. I was sitting here yesterday thinking I needed to get back to this little blog when I got an email from a friend of mine saying how much she missed it. I hope she wasn't just being nice, because I am back and intend to commit to another 30 days of something... I am thinking about something like... pieced blocks and how to construct them... What do you think... would that be interesting? Well, you can let me know in the comments.
A recent acquaintance who has become a friend, is opening a quilt store here in the next few weeks... I for one am very excited. She has some great ideas and it looks like I will be teaching some basic classes with her, this fall. My long time friend who has the quilt store in Harrowsmith is planning some Bernina classes with me too and I have another iron in the fire that I am still trying to wrap my brain around, but any way you look at it it will be a busy, busy fall for me.

I have a new product for you... well new to me really.. but it is real fun to use. Take a look at it here:
I have a project in mind for it... but it's a secret... I'll post a pick when I can! I first saw this at the Sewing and Needlework Festival in Toronto, and then on a couple of Internet quilting sites, but when I saw some of the finished products, I really fell in love with it. If memory serves, it wasn't at all expensive and I spent hours, the first few days I had it, putting together a bunch of things with pictures I had taken... Now to put them into a quilt. But not today... today I am doing the nutcrackers!!!! Remember!!!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Cute little baby quilt that I made using embroidered blocks from one of the cards for Babylock. this Quilt went to Sweden
I've turned a corner. Sleeping is impossible.The problem is there are too many forks in the road and I can't choose!

Yesterday I did something nice for my Very Best Friend. She didn't get it. But I felt so good. It's one of those things where you have something that is meaningless to you and you know it will be meaningful to them. So what's the point of hanging on to it... So I put it in her hands. Traded it for something she wasn't happy with and I didn't care about it, one way or the other. Life is so good. And the lesson I learnt? It didn't cost me anything to be nice. Sometimes I forget that!

I won't be spending any time on notions for a bit... sorry... but I have to get some sewing done. after all you can only procrastinate for so long. Another week and it's Guild again and I still haven't done last months pinwheels. I am going to do both months this week and get it out of the way. And Cathy's block is not done and soon Bev's block will need to be done... late probably, but done, none the less. And I started that BOM... late... and another month has just been put up and well... I need to sew. I like this ... blogging... so I probably will see you here each day, just need to spend a little more time at my machine.

And sleeping. I need to clear my mind so I can choose a fork to follow. I have been awake since 3 am... I need to sleep But first... I NEED to go to the solitude of my sewing room, close the door and SEW! (and listen to Neil Diamond)



My Daughter and I went to Toronto to see Neil in concert last year. She was 9 months pregnant and I had a bad case of vertigo... What a Beautiful Noise!