Irish Muses: September 2009

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

October Star

My October Star is Willow who has a lovely blog called My Irish Cottage, and who is from the wonderful state of West Virginia. She has been married for many years to her soulmate and has children and grandchildren. I know you will love her, as much as I do. Enjoy the interview, and please visit her blog , so you can get to know her even better.

Interview for September

· A Bit About Me:

I live in West Virginia, in fact all my life. I am married to a Wonderful Man for almost 33 years. After one week of dating he asked me to marry him and we did two months later. We have a Daughter and Son. Our Daughter has four children and Our Son has one. I love to make crafts, but I don’t think I do them very well, but it makes me happy, also I like to work in my Garden.

· What Insprires Me:

I love to read and that is what inspires me. I wished I could write and envy those who can. It doesn’t matter to me if it is a book, a paper, or a blog. They are all inspiring.

· What I Love to Do the Most Creatively:

That changes. In my youth it was drawing, but I lost that talent years ago. I love
to sew by hand nothing fancy, but I will try anything.

· My Favorite Fabric and Designer:

I can’t give an answer to that because I love them all.

· UFO I Intend to Finish First:

I have so many. Started them years ago and one thing after another got in my
way. I quess I would have to pick the Pumpkin Quilt I started a few years ago. I
only have to add batting , backing, and quilt it together. I have never done that
before and I guess that is why I have not finished it.

· What’s on the Design Wall Now:

It is a lap quilt, yes another quilt, but I am going to stick to it until it is done.

Who Would I Love to Meet:

It would have to be Micki and Joe, since my dream is to go to Ireland and they live there and I have gotten to know her by blogging and she is great.

· If I Had One Wish:

Only one? It would be that people in this world would start taking care of each other and respect life.
· Plans for the Future:

For now it is just taking one day at a time and not looking back, but forward with hopes of a brighter future for us all.

Here are some of Willow's work:

Thanks so much Willow for such a nice interview, and I am so happy that we have gotten to know each other and formed a friendship through our blogs!

Monday, September 28, 2009

The Luck of the Irish Hits Twice and a Poem

First, my dear friend Dzintra told me in an email that I won her giveaway. I was so happy, as the prize that I won was a J.K. Rowling book called
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and I just love the author. Thanks so much for a lovely prize, and I can't wait to read it. I looked it up, and the book appeared in the Harry Potter book called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was bequeathed to Hermione Granger by Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogworth School. It is described as a collection of Wizarding children's fairy tales.Well, I am tickled pink, as I am a Harry Potter fan. Now mind you, I only have the books, but if you really want to see a lot of Harry Potter memorabilia, then go to Dzintra's blog, as she has posted some of her collection there...It is amazing!

Then, while I was in shock over that win, Joe walks in with the mail and I won the Incredible Women Giveaway. I won a sewing gauge, two incredibly beautiful fat quarters, John James applique needles (just perfect for the Civil War Bride Quilt that I will be starting soon) and a lovely homemade case tht is just oh so cute. Please do visit that blog, as you will meet truly "incredible women." The interviews are out of this world. The interview there now is about Linda Black, and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the win so much!

Finally, thanks for all the emails about losing my sock. Serena just emailed me about it and said that a fabulous story or poem could be written about my sock, so here is my poem:

There once was a sock which had plenty of appeal,
Which somebody decided she had to steal.
Hopefully this person is a one-legged lady,
And maybe her name turned out to be Sadie.
I miss the sock, but it has found a new home,
And it hopefully will get a mate, so it won't be alone.
I cried some tears. but now another sock is on its way,
That's the saga of my sock, and have a nice day!

Check These Out

There is a wonderful giveaway at a new blog that I just discovered at http://sweetp-paulette.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-first-give-away.html Paulette is giving a lovely package, so check it out!

Also, Janice is having a giveaway in honour of her mom. You will love reading about the memories of her mom, and the prizes are just great! I have to admit that the story of her mom tugged at my

heart strings.

I am adding another giveaway. Heidi is having a great one. She has painted a pic that she is giving as the prize, and it is quite lovely. Hurry on o

ver and take a look at a very magical blog. If you love fantasy, you will love hers. By the way, the blog is called "Welcome to Fairy Footprints"....just right up my alley.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

The Saga of the Sock, An Angel Gift, The Streets of Ireland Quilt, and An Amazing Postcard

Should I begin with the bad news or the good news? I think the bad news is better, as you end on a good note. First the bad news....I finished the sock right up to the end of the toe, where I was just down to closing it up with the Kitchener's Stitch. Well, I found a local knit shop, which I was thrilled with and I decided to go this morning.As I only had to close up the sock at the toe, I scheduled to go over there, as I needed supplies too. I arrived at lunch time. The lady who owned the shop, named Mary,( and it was a pretty big shop) said we could have coffee out in the mall before we began. She said to leave our knitting bags in the shop, and we were off. I took my wallet, and we had a really nice lunch. When we got back....here comes the bad news....my knitting bag was not there. It seems that someone took it. I started to cry....I was that upset. Mary was feeling so bad that she gave me a new bag, even though I said that it was not necessary, as I was not upset over that, but that someone had my sock. Well, I got the supplies that I needed and headed home. I began a new sock....what else could I do? Anyways, that is the bad news. It would have taken me a few minutes only to close up the toe, and I was kicking myself that I went to the shop at all.

The good news....I got another angel gift, which was a fabric postcard and two flower charms. That made me feel a bit better. I also am working on The Streets of Ireland quilt. I have to cut out a few more applique pieces and then get them situated on the quilt, except for a few which go into the borders, so they go on last. I will take a pic as soon as I get them all on, and have the borders sewn. There will be alot of work doing the stitching around all the pieces. It is going to be a huge wallhanging. I had to stop at the quilt shop to get more Steam-A-Seam Lite as I never dreamed it was this large. Anyways, I got luscious fabrics for the quilt.

Finally, I got a wonderful postcard from my friend Marlene who is in Vietnam for a holiday. As you can see from the pic, it is an old

street in Hanoi. She said that the streets were full of motorbikes, bicycles, and carts going in all directions, and that no one seemed to be following rules at all. She said that she found a quilt shop, and she bought a quilt to support the poor rural women. I can't wait to see that quilt! Then she also met women of minority tribes, who lived near the Chinese Border, who were doing amazing hand embroidery work after dyeing their own fabrics.What an amazing trip that is!

We are off to Letterkenny to get some supplies for the painting that we need to still do. We have two larger rooms to do, and need that special roller that helps you paint around the edging, so you won't hit the ceiling.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

An Anniversary Giveaway and a Big Sale

Lyn from Bluebird Quilts is having a giveaway in honor of her wedding anniversary. Celebrate with her and join in the fun!

Happy Anniversary Lyn!

Also, Fiona is having a big sale at her Etsy Shop which you can see at

Mothers Cupboard. All the luck

Fiona! You are selling lovely things!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Busy, Busy, Tuesday

I found an incredible line of fabric that is so cute! It is called Safari So Good Fabric. Take a look at it here. It would make the cutest quilt for a child, or for an adult who did not grow up yet.LOL

Today, I also received my wonderful giveaway gift from Lyn who has the blog called Bluebird Quilts. She sent me Pioneer Penny pattern, which is just so adorable. I will definitely be making that in the near future, I thank you so much for a very creatively designed pattern, Lyn! You are so talented!! Lyn and I exchanged thimbles, and she got mine today, so I was so happy that she liked it. It was an Ireland thimble, and she really has a lovely collection.

I finally got to start The Streets of Ireland Quilt. I cut out most of the applique pieces and ironed them onto the wrong sides of the various fabrics that I chose and cut them out.The pieces are huge, and I didn't realize how big the wallhanging is going to be. I will have to get some more Lite Steam-a-Seam Two, as I do not have enough, so I will be off to the local quilt shop some time this week.

I also worked on my sock. I finished the heel, and I am knitting my way down to the toe. I want to make it a longer sock, so I have a bit to go to the toe, as I have to knit down to two inches of the toe. I am so pleased with how the heel turned out, so as soon as I finish the sock, I will make another matching one.

Finally, my friend Mary from Australia, who doesn't have a blog, sent me a fantastic site called 365 Days of Free Motion Quilting....It gives you designs, tutorials, and tons of information about how to free motion quilt. The free videos are incredible, and as everyone has to finish their quilts, I thought it might be helpful.

PS: I am resting my leg, as I want the hamstring tear to heal...Boy, a little hamstring tear gave me so much pain. It is slowly getting better, and I do thank everyone for their well wishes.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Dublin Trip

What can I say? I was a bit overwhelmed by the enormity of Dublin. I think that the Philly girl has turned into an Irish village lass, who is used to the quiet, beauty, and serenity of Dunfanaghy. I just couldn't believe how big Dublin was...I hadn't been there in years, and it was much bigger than I remembered, noisier, and filled with too many people in the city streets. I did have a good time though, but it wasn't easy with my leg, which was aching from the hamstring tear. The bus stopped at O'Connell Street right before the big spike that is there. I walked all the way up O'Connell Street to the Powerscourt Shopping Centre, which would have been a doddle, had I not had a torn hamstpring. It took me about twenty minutes, and I finally got th

ere. Here is the entrance to the Powerscourt Shopping Centre where This is Knit was located. I had to go down Johnsons Ct. off of Grafton Street to get there, and boy was I lucky to find that! I had two musicians playing as I walked towards the entrance to

Powerscourt. The course took longer than the scheduled half past three. We were not finished till around 4:15, so I didn't have much time till the bus at 5:45. I took pics around Grafton Street, which is a pedestrian street of many shops, and too many people. LOL

I was amazed at how many people there

were and you will get a sens

e of it with the pics .

I sat at Bewleys and had my cup of coffee and a slice of Bewley's coffee cake, and just looked at the the bustle of Grafton and then took the pics. I had to get to the bus quickly, so I could not stop at the places that I had planned to go to. They will have to wait another time. I did stop at the shops along Grafton, and found this wonderful Turkish Teapot...and I got it for the price of 3 euro...I couldn't believe it. I think that the man at the stall felt sorry for my limping and seeing me with a walking stick.LOL He could see how much I wanted it, and he gave it to me for a wonderful price.

I left Grafton Street, I took a pic of Molly Malone, who you may know from the song about Molly Malone who sold cockles and mussels from a wheelbarrow. Here are The Dubliners singing the song. Well, I then only had 45 minutes to get to the bus. Needless to say with my hamstring being to

rn, I wasn't going to make it, so I took a taxi, which got me there lickety split.

As to my knitting, I now know how make a heel. We have to finish the heel, and knit down to the toe, and of course that is our next lesson. This is what I did over there, and I have lots of homework to finish....I will be sitting in my lounge chair with my bum leg up and knitting away.

Well, I got to the bus, and met a French lady who was living, funny enough in Donegal. We sat together on the bus and chatted. She no longer had a strong accent, and I heard a bit of the Donegal accent. She said that I had a bit of the Irish lilt. I have heard that so many times, it must be true. You know how it is...you never hear your own accent.

I decided that Joe and I would have to go back to Dublin one day together. I wanted to see it all when I was not in a rush, but also Joe was born and grew up there in the Liberty area near St. Patrick's Cathedral, and he would show me the town in style. I would love to see the Liffey at night, because I had to cross it to go to Grafton Street.

Here is a pic of it at night that someone took. It really is lovely.

That was my trip...too quick, too long( 5 hours travel each way), but I was excited to see Dublin even for a short time. I was so tired when I got home, my leg hurt, but it was well worth seeing Joe at the the bus stop waiting for me, ready to give me a hug and a kiss. What a lovely way to end off my day!

PS: Here is a panoramic view of O'Connell Street where I was...enjoy it!
http://www.lookaroundireland.com/dublin/spire.php You can see the spike there and get a good view of what I saw in Dublin.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Streets of Ireland Fabric, Some Siggies, Joe Wins This Time, Recuperating, and Trip To Dublin

As you know, I went to the new Green Acres Quilt Store located just outside our village of Dunfanaghy on the road to Falcarragh. I bought lots of fabric for The Streets of Ireland Quilt, and I also ordered some yards of fabric from the Fat Quarter Shop online. As the fabric arrived today, I decided to show you the whole lot.Needless to say with the money exchange as it is, the value was much better ordering from the Fat Quarter Shop. which is in the United States. I can now begin the quilt, so that should be fun.

I also got two siggies in the mail. The lovely siggy with the coffee cup in the centre is from Vronie from the Netherlands, and she loves coffee as much as I do. Then, Anita from the Netherlands also sent me the siggy with the teddy bear, and like myself, she collects teddy bears....my kind of girl. Thanks for both of them for adding to my siggy collection!

Then, Joe entered a contest and won a 21 and a half inch monitor for our computer. I was happily shocked, so this time it was Joe who won something, and boy does the larger monitor make a difference! Yes, we seem to have the "luck of the Irish."You can also see the landscape pic of a sunset that I did recently, in case you didn't see it.

I haven't been sewing this week, as I tore a hamstring while we were painting last weekend. I have been lying in bed every day for hours reading, as Joe had the heat on in the bed, and that seemed to be helping me. It is better, but it is still hurting. I got the pain at a level that I can manage for my trip tomorrow to Dublin for the sock knitting course. ( Oh, I included a cartoon of a guy who had a broken leg, which was the closest that I could get to what I am like. Anyways, I do rollerblade like he

does in the cartoon, so it sort of fit me....There is a pic of me rollerblading too. Joe was in shock at how good I am. )

Anyways back to the trip...The sock course will be a two hour class and will complete on the 26th of this month. I had to knit down to the heel, and then stop, so here is what I did so far. As you can see, I am using one circular needle (Magic Loop

Technique)

I will leave Dunfanaghy on the bus at 7:30AM, and I won't return till half past 10 in the evening. I will take lots of pics and post the really good ones on the blog for you to see on Sunday, so you will all get a wee tour of Dublin, our capital city. I will have around two and half hours to shop around Dublin once the course is over, and so I am heading to Easons Bookstore, Hickey's Fabric Store, The Dublin Woolen Mills, Bewley's Coffee shop for a break of coffee and a dainty, and well, we shall just see where else I decide to go to.

I will miss Joe and the boys, but I think that I will love the course, and of course Dublin is exciting!

I will not be around on Saturday, but I will catch up on my mail and blogging on Sunday, so have a wonderful weekend!

le lot

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A Lovely Surprise and A Wonderful New Aussie Blog

I was thrilled today to get a lovely gift from Simone, who I am proud to say has become a good friend of mine. She sent me a lovely package in the mail "just because." It is always lovely to get a surprise like that, and I just loved the homemade needlecase, and the Holly Hobby fabric that she sent me. The card from her really touched me, as she thanked me for my friendship...There is nothing as special as that to me. Thanks so much Simone for your kindness, and most of all for your friendship!

Also, I came across a wonderful new Aussie blog called Among the Gum Trees, which you can see here. It is comprised of 9 wonderful designers who have together formed this blog. Each one is holding a giveaway,so you can visit each of their blogs, as they really are incredible! I think you will love them. I consider it an amazing find!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Lots of News

Joe and I had a lovely weekend. I went to the new quilt shop called Green Acres. It was very fancy shmancy, but it was a bit pricey, so that was a bit of a disappointment. I did buy the fabric that I needed for The Streets of Ireland quilt, so I will be able to begin that soon.We also enjoyed a few jazz sessions, one at Molly's Pub, and the other at Arnold's Hotel. The music was lovely, and I was drinking Baileys while listening to the incredible music. I have to admit that I love sitting in the snug with Joe. Luckily, it is always available for the two of us. Maybe, we should put a sign up that says, "Reserved for Joe and Micki Butler."

Today, Lyn from Bluebird Quilts told me that I won another giveaway, and the prize is a Pioneer Penny Pattern. How lovely is that! I can't wait to see the pattern in person. Thanks so much Lyn.

I also got two siggies in the mail.One was from Bep who lives in the Netherlands, and the other was from Erich who lives in Australia..Both are so lovely, and thanks to both of you!

Finally, I made a stocking for my friend for a swap that I am in. It is made from Michael Miller fairy frost, and has one of my favorite characters, Frosty the Snowman on it, which is all machine embroidered. I added a bit of trimming, buttons, a bow, and it was great fun to do.

Thanks for all of your kind words and concern about Joe....His head is a bit sore, and his hand is hurting as he fell a bit on it too, as he hit his head on the wall. Both of us are sore from the painting , but we always enjoy our time together. Thanks again for all the kind emails!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

My Favorite Things

Kath wrote a post about her favorite things, and emailed me and asked me to list my favorite things in a post. She referred to the song "My Favorite Things", which also came from one of my favorite movies of all time

"The Sound of Music".( Oh, I could say that one of my favorite things are classic movies.) You can see her post here. I am not supposed to mention my husband and dogs, but I have to...sorry Kath.I would have to put Joe first, as he is my soulmate and my best friend. My two rescued dogs Charlie and Rufus would come in second for sure. They have now been with us for over 10 years, and we love them. Charlie is always asleep...that is his favorite pastime.

Rufus is a border collie mix, and my sweetheart, and he is my favorite...I think because he was so abused by whoever had him previously. He was set on fire and beaten, but he is just so loving. Isn't that amazing?
You can see the love in his eyes.

Ok, let's get to the "things" that are my favorite.

Because I love my hobbies so, my machines are so important to me. First of all, I love my Pfaff 4.0 Expression, which is my quilting machine. It is awesome! If you are thinking of getting a new sewing machine, this one is awesome. It has a wider bed space, does tons of stitches, including 9mm stitches, and does free motion quilting like a dream. Everything is pushing buttons...there is even no presser foot lever.

I also love my Babylock EMB12 which is a 12 needle embellisher. I just can't stop playing with my wool roving and angelina fibres, etc.

The first thing that I ever made with my embellisher was this lovely bag which

mostly has the trimmings and angelina fibres on it. Oh, yes, I have tons of bags that I have made, so they are my favorite accessories....Don't ask me how many I have!LOL

I love my Janome 350E embroidery machine, and I have used that for my quilts and just to make lovely embr

oidery, which brings me to what is my favorite thing also... lace doileys, and here is my favorite one

that I made.

I also adore my 1953 Singer 221 Featherweight. It is perfect to take to quilting bees, and it is as light as a feather, besides the fact that it looks so cute, and makes the most perfect straight stitch in the world.

I absolutely love dolls and teddy bears, and as far as teddy bears, I have collected them since I was a little girl. This is my favorite teddy bear, as it is the last bea

r that I adopted in the United States, at one of those Build a Bear places. I named it Katie. Ok, I also love fairies and elves, and anything fantasy, but no pics to go with that.This led me to read all of the Terry Porter's Shannara Series.

I love flowers of any kind, and here is a bouquet of flowers that Joe got me this year for Mother's Day. As a result of loving flowers, I am really into gardening and enjoy watching birds and just reading books in my garden.

That's it Kath...I could go on forever. As I am a Gemini, I tend to be very eclectic and love many things. Give me an ocean, a lovely beach where I can walk with my Joe and the mountains and hills in the distance, and I am a happy camper, so one of my favorite things also is anything dealing with nature. If you want to write about your favorite things in a post on your blog, grab Kath's button, and join the fun.