Showing posts with label Yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yoga. Show all posts

11/21/11

Quilt? Check!

It has been quite a while since my original 'before 25' post and I have finally accomplished some of my goals.

This weekend, I went to visit my Aunt Donna down near London to trade her quilting skills for my internet prowess. In exchange for her help in finishing my quilt, I gave her a lesson in the facebook. Let me tell you a little bit about this quilt.

When I was fifteen, I took some sewing lessons at the local quilting shop. I learned all the basics and went on to create some pillow shams, a tote bag, a few pairs of pyjama pants, mittens, scarves and a denim dress (that didn't really turn out the way I had pictured). For my next project, I decided to conquer quilting. Did I choose to make a nice, small throw quilt or a flannelette baby rag quilt? No. Obviously not. I guess I thought my sewing skills were pretty hot, because I decided to make a queen-size log 'rail fence' quilt. It was a pretty intense experience. First, I had to slice all of the fabric into little rectangles with this cutter thing that is like a pizza cutter, but much sharper. Then, I pieced the rectangles into squares and then into long rows. I eventually sewed all the rows together and added a wide border. This took me months and months. Towards the end, I was slicing some more fabric with that pizza cutter thing and… I slipped. I sliced off the tip of my left index finger. Needless to say, progress on my quilt went pretty slowly after that. I did manage to sandwich some filling between my quilt top and whatever you call the back piece. I even pinned it all together with these little bent safety pins which are especially for pinning quilt tops to whatever you call the back piece. But that was it. That was how my quilt sat, rolled up in my closet for the past nine years. I just couldn't let it sit there any longer.

So Aunt Donna got me set up on her machine and I finished the quilting bit. Then, she helped me figure out how to turn the edges under and finish them off. In all, it only took me about six-eight hours. And it looks great… looking at these pictures, you may be thinking 'Wow! Sarah is such and incredibly talented quilter, I must get her to make one for me!' Well, I'm gonna just let you believe that. I'll keep all the wobbly stitches to myself as I cozy up under the extra layer on my bed.



I have also checked off a few of my other goals. I joined the Christmas Cantata choir at my parents' church! (We're singing on Sunday Dec 11 at the morning service, if you want to come see!) I've started going to yoga at one of the local studios too! (And pretty soon, I will have completed all my teacher's college applications!)

I haven't really read much more of Samuel, so I want to get on that! It's those darn 'Game of Thrones' books! I've read the first two now, and they just suck up all my reading time. I can't put them down!!!

9/27/11

Only 43 Weeks Until My 25th Birthday…

Hi Mom and Dad and Laura and Andrew and whoever else reads my blog! Thanks for doing that, by the way, it's real nice of you.


So I am going to be 25 in only 43 short weeks. For those of you that have already been 25, I am sorry for making you feel old, but try and remember how you felt when you were my age. I feel like I should be DOING something, you know?


So I am going to do something. I am going to do a lot of somethings before I turn 25. I have quite the list in my big red notebook, but I have chosen not to reveal them all at this time as some of them are private and others of them will make nice surprises in the grey dullness of February and March.


Here are a few of my goals to accomplish in this, the year before I am 25:


Apply for Teachers College
So far, I have filled out the online application at the Ontario Universities Application Centre and printed off a couple of informational booklets. In reading these booklets, I have discovered that I really can't do much more as far as my applications go until I get some kind of email from each of the universities. I'm sure I will update you on this process once things actually start moving.


Get Blogging Again
Done and done!


Run another 10k
I am pretty out of shape after a summer…and September of not running. But this is definitely an important goal for me— heart health is a good thing and running is really good for the heart!


Get another Tat
I am working on that at the moment… but until I get myself a second part-time job, pay off my credit-card bill, pay down my OSAP a bit more and save up a bit of dosh for Teacher's College, I'll hae to make do with my existing ink.


Try Blueberries, Olives and Grapefruit 
I have tried all of these foods in the past, but I don't like them. However, they are all foods that my friends and family seem to love! 'Blueberries? Are you serious? How can you not like blueberries? Oh my goodness, your taste buds must be broken! I just love blueberries and they are full of anti-oxidants!" So I am going to be an adult and try them once again. I'll make sure I have a camera ready to record my reactions… which, by the way, I anticipate will include expressions of disgust.


Finish my Quilt
For those of you who knew my in high school, you may remember that I had a bit of an injury in grade 10 regarding my left index finger. It was a tragic quilting injury that, unfortunately, prevented me from completing my very first quilt. Since 2002, it has sat in a box in my closet, untouched. But this year, my friends, it will finally be completed! I will have to enlist the help of my dear Aunt Donna, who knows far more about sewing than I do. She has suggested we make a trade. She teaches me to finish my quilt and I teach her how to use Facebook. I think that's fair.


Read all the Books in the Bible I've Never Read
I have started with 1 Samuel. My favourite part so far is this (1Sam 3: 2-10):



One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God.


Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”


“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.

Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”

Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”

Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”

And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

Take French Lessons

Take Yoga

Join a Choir

Volunteer

Take Sewing Lessons

Frame My Posters

Go White Water Rafting

Now those are all the somethings I am going to share with you for the moment. What do you think?