For Tom K.

Today I gave Tom this quilt I made for him about two years ago, in memory of his dad, who passed away in 2008. Tom's dad lived on the outskirts of our city and so does Tom, we never seemed to connect. His dad Bill K. had many types of John Deere tractors on his property. I had some fabric left over so I used it on the back.

January 23, 2011.

People I know, People I show.



My Mom and Chris, 1992
My favourite picture.



Mrs. Irja (Irene) Maki and Henry (Heikki) Maki,
Taken at their summer camp. (cottage).

My mother spent her last 10 years or more in a nursing home. It’s not like the terrible ones you see on TV, it’s run by the Ontario Government. Mom had her own room, three meals a day, plus snack and coffee time, as often as she wanted, she could have a bath or shower when she felt like it. She was free to come and go as she pleased, but had to let the home know when she would be back. The last five years of her life, Bill and I were retired, so we went to see her everyday. We would take her out from time to time, but the last few years she didn’t want to go anywhere so we just sat with her. The home changed the sheets on her bed every week, but my stubborn mom insisted I change her bed every Saturday. It was her way of making sure I would come back and be with her. It has taken me a long time to realize mom did love me, she just didn’t know how to show it. She left her family, mom, dad and 9 siblings at the age of 23 in 1927, and came to Canada from Slovakia. All her Aunts and Uncles went to the Sates (Pennsylvania and Connecticut). The reason mom couldn’t go to the States, in 1919 United Sates closed it’s door to the Slav nations, the government accused them of being too superstitious Mom passed away February 28, 2002, at the age of 97 3/4 years. I brought my Slovak album of mom’s family to show her nurse, her parents came from Slovakia. A few weeks before Mom died she was sitting in a wheel chair looking out the window on warm winter’s day, she asked me “could I see my mother one more time”.

I bought a digital camera about 4 years ago. While I was in the store getting my photos printed out for the first time, I ran into a retired Safeway employee, who told me she always carries her camera with her so she can take pictures of her grandchildren whenever she saw them. I thought that was such a good idea, I’ve carry the camera in my purse since that day.

My next bright inspiration was, “I should take a picture of all my old friends who grew up with me, went to school or who worked with me, and any others I met in my life time”. I would put one picture of each person in my special album. When I started quilting I decided to keep a record of all the things I’ve made. I’m doing a 1930/40‘s type of a scrapbook. I know that was the time because I have Bill’s Dad’s scrapbook. Mr. Henry Maki kept a wonderful scrapbook of the war in Europe, he was especially concern about his family he left behind in Finland. His sister Martta is still alive in Finland at the age of 95, she is the last of dad's siblings.







From Henry's scrapbook. I miss you dad.









Here are two pages of "My Friends" album.
















"Things I made" album.











I don't always make labels because I scrapbook my quilts, but here are few I did make. Cartoons by Bill.






These are projects I've made.






















This is the way I scrapbook my quilts. I'm not as good as Nicole, but I don't have the time because I need to take of Bill. What is most important to me is to make sure I take a photo of each quilt I made, who gets them and a little info of both the quilt and the person receiving my quilt.

Now, when I turn 100, I won't have to ask my children to show me my albums, I'm taking them with me and I will sit in my wheel chair and look out the window, check out my albums and reminisce. I have been blessed with good friends, and now I have more because this last year I joined a quilt swap club.

Aunt Pitty Pats' Fat Quarter Swap

My gifts for Robin.



Robin's swap gift to me.





November 2010 Aunt Pitty Pat's Sawp.

Swap Requirements:
Send 4 Christmas themed Ft Qts
1 matching spool of thread
1 package of rick rack
1 yummy treat :) This can be anything.. Candy Cane, Hot Cocoa,
Flavored drinks, Flavored Coffee etc..
lastly
1 small handmade gift.. like a pin-keep, zipper pouch, mug rug if you wish :),
softie, potholder etc...
Of course you could make an Ornie for this handmade gift ;)
Please use what you have on hand for your small gift.
Have fun with this one.. the sky is the limit here ;)
We have recently posted an AWESOME tutorial from Nadine
for making Shoop Shopp Bags.
Enjoy making this small project ;)







Robins second swap for me.




My gifts for Robin.





Robin sent my swap package out but after three weeks, I thought it was lost, so she sent me a second one.

I can't believe she took the time, money and energy to send a second one.
I wanted to thank her for her kindness, so I added a few extra surprises for her.
I made a small sewing kit and thread catcher for Robin to use when she is traveling.

Robin got her package back yesterday.


Thank you Aunt Pitty Pat's for having a swap program.

Fabrics I Bought But Don't Really Need.

From the Quilters Stash,

Floragraphix III by Jason Yenter for "In The Begining Fabrics".

I bought 6 - 1/2 meter pieces. Now I need a pattern.

Snapshot, Matthew's Quilt

Bill enjoys going out everyday for coffee so we go to McDonald's in Wal Mart. Matthew is a dear young friend who works there.
He takes care of Bill when I run around picking up things. We let Matthew call us gramps and granny and from time to time we enjoy giving him a ride home.
Matthew picked the cars fabric, I picked the rest. It's taken me a long time to finish this quilt. I had a heck of a time quilting on the grid, my thread kept breaking. I used my Pffaf 2056 and Husqvarna Designer 1, the thread still broke. Heather suggested I use "all purpose sewer's aid' on my threads. It worked and I was able to finish the quilt. I've had this problem for a number of years, when I take the machine to the repair man at our quilt shop he can't find the problem. It's too bad we have no one here who can really take care of our sewing machines.
This is the same quilt pattern and fabric I made for Zack. If I use the same pattern more than once I tried to change something. The binding on both quilts are different.









Matthew was happy to get this quilt. His old horse, Trigger, was put to sleep last week, so I know Trigger won't be cover in Matthew's new quilt. I hope the dogs don't get at it.
Matthew I'm just kidding. I love you.

We Finally Got Some Snow.

This is where I live.












Thursday, January 13th, every state in the USA had snow except Florida. I wanted to say, "welcome to Canada" but we really haven't had much snow this winter season. It snowed Thursday and Friday, now the children will have fun playing in the snow. When the temperature is mild, winter is a beautiful season. Walking in fresh fallen snow is delightful. We who live in the North are accustom to the quirks of nature, so we have no trouble driving, only icy roads are a problem. In Thunder Bay they use salt and sand on the streets so in a day or two the sun comes out and the streets are clear again. The good thing that occurs when it snows, the temperature rises.





Clark with the help of his wife, Linda built a beautiful cedar log home. I made a Thimbleberries quilt for her which went well with their home decor. I also crochet the tablecloth on her table. This week they invited us out for lunch. Home made soup and sandwiches tasted so good.

Bill and Clark.










On January 8th, Isabel, Bill N., Bill Maki and I had coffee at McDonald's in WalMart. All three of us are retired Safeway employees. I worked 30 years, they worked 40 years. We reminisced about all the good and sad times we had.
When I got home I was shocked to hear of the shooting at a Safeway Store in Tucson, Ar.
I guess, 40 years from now, the Tucson Ar. Safeway employees will do the same.
God bless all of them.

Chris and Nicole are now Americans.

This is a very good week. On Thursday Jan 13th, our son Chris and his wife Nicole became American citizens.
Now all five of the "Utah Maki's" are Americans.

From Nicole

"It was such an inspiring sort of day. I loved all the pomp and ceremony and the stories told by the new citizens were so moving. It is such a privilege to have our American citizenship and to be able to retain our Canadian citizenship as well. We're very blessed. I think it would do a lot of good to have average people sit in on these ceremonies as it really brings to focus what is right and special about this country. The media is so polarizing, but moments like these are beautiful acts of inclusion, acceptance and hope for the future."

I'm so happy for them.

At their Citizenship Ceremony






Waiting for the proceedings to begin. We received flags, voter registration and much more in our packets.





Nicole loves her new self made scarf.
I agree with her, looks great.















Families of new citizens were invited on stage to take pictures while we took our oath. Our boys didn't make it. They were squished in a door at the right.

Halloween 2010

A few old photos from Halloween, me, Bill and Brady.

Christmas 2010.

Small quilted bags we made for a swap with Maria Bells' group 2009.


My first Aunt Pitty Pat 4 Fat Quarter swap from Robin.


I thought Robin's 4 Fat Quarter swap package was lost in the mail so she sent me another one. I finally got the first one and a few days later the second package arrived. In the second 4 Fat Quarter swap Robin also sent out a small quilt. For her kindness I returned it with a few surprises. A rug mug, mug, thread catcher and a small sewing kit for traveling.










I received this gift of placemats, a Bearstone Collection and 4 fat quarters, from Heather. Love her.

A few years ago Al sent his dad some Christmas Peanut family ornaments. Later I bought some for him and the collection keeps growing. We put Jesus, Mary and Joseph into the group.


I got this bear from Heather for Christmas.



Heather gave me this bear for my birthday in November

Trying To Start Over.

My bedroom as it looks now.


I got rid of some of my quilt magazines and now I have an empty shelf, at least for a little while. lol


Picture of the bottom half of the wall.


The opposite side.

And How Was Your Day?

Another Christmas has come and gone and we are now in the New Year. It’s time for a change and maybe a fresh start.
Thursday before the New Year, the weather was like spring, it was actually raining, but as the day went by it got colder. Friday, December 31, 2010, I went out to my car only to find it sealed in ice, I couldn’t even get the door open. Two hours later with the help of Ralph,(a good neigbour) windshield fluid and some de-icer I finally got the door open, five windows cleaned, and one left undone.
My plans for New Year’s afternoon, was to scrapbook and blog. Later in the day, being a true Canadian, I was going to watch the NHL outdoor hockey game played in Washington, DC, the Capitals and Penguin in the Winter Classic.
A few years ago Bill and I sold our home where we lived and raised two boys for 50 years. The upkeep was just too hard for us, we live in the North. We chose to rent instead of buying a condo. I did the math and with no children living here it was the best way to go. The apartment we have has four storage rooms. I use one for my cutting room, it’s 42” x 85”. We put up shelves on two walls for my quilting books and stuff, plus Bill’s many political cartoon and sport books. Saturday afternoon as I was taking down one of my scrapbooks off the top shelf, the rest of the books came crashing down. The wall-brackets holding the shelves had come away from the wall. I had to remove everything and put it all in my bedroom. The worse was my soft covered novels all 150 or more spread all over the floor. Bill said, “if you live another 100 years you will never read them all, you should get rid of them”. It was a sad moment, I love books, but I did the right thing, I put them in the library in our building, I can always go back and get them.
I missed most of the hockey game. It wasn’t a winter game, it was raining out, and quote from the Globe and Mail. “As a game, it was certainly not one for the ages – and barely one for the new decade. Nor was it even remotely the hoped-for mano a mano challenge match between Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin. Neither superstar figured in the scoring.”
Sunday my niece came over and fixed the problem, this time she used plugs to screw the wall-brackets in. It took her two hours to fix the problem and it took me two hours to put my books back.


Here is what the wall looked like when we removed the shelves.


View of the opposite side, selves still in place.




My bedroom filling up with some of my things from the cutting room.