Liebster Award

Thanks to the lovely Pauline, at Little House on the Hill, who has nominated me for a Liebster Award.

It is nice to be appreciated, and Pauline is someone who always comments and says nice things.   I will admit, though, that I was nominated for this award last April, and I was also tagged in a similar event in December, so I've kind of run out of other small blogs to nominate.  But, I'm happy to tell you 11 random things about myself, and answer Pauline's questions.

11 Random Facts About Myself

1.  I started sewing at age 8.   I still remember what I made - a green skirt and matching vest.  I remember being very frustrated at several points, and I think that maybe my Mom did a lot of re-sewing for me after I went to bed.  But I finished it and wore it very proudly!
2.  I read the newspaper every day.  Recently, our paper stopped publishing on Sunday, so I read half of Saturday's on Saturday and save the rest for Sunday.
3.  I love to cook and bake.  I like to bring baking into work, to have the other staff say "You made this??"  Not that I've baked something so incredible - but few of the people I work with do any baking, so they are amazed by anything home made.  (I feel sorry for them.)
4.  When I was a kid, I wanted to be a teacher.  In high school, my family convinced me not to go into Education, as they said there was no money in it.  I went into law, and I honestly don't regret that, but I've tried to guide my career so that I get to teach  other staff.  It's the best part of my job.
5.  I don't like conflict. Mr CQT doesn't like conflict.  We compromise a lot, and we're both happy with that.  It seems to have worked - for the last 27 years, anyway.
6.  I'm very much an introvert.  My idea of a fun evening is reading a book, or doing some sewing, rounding out the evening watching TV with Mr. CQT.  We laugh about how boring we are.
7.  We're so boring, I'm having trouble coming up with 11 interesting facts about myself!
8.  Oh, this is interesting. To me, in any event.  I am working on a website - for work.  I'm not doing the design, but I am writing the content. It should be up in a month or so, and I'll post a link when it's done.
9.  When in doubt, talk about your kids.  I have two wonderful adult children.  My daughter is a teacher, and my son is going to school to learn "New Media Technology" - website design, graphic design, photography, video, etc.  No, he hasn't done any design work on my blog, but I'd love him to do that!
10.  I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada).  I've lived in Calgary, Alberta for the last 22 years.  Don't tell my Mom, but I prefer Calgary.
11.  I'm really obsessed with quilting.  (But you already knew that!)

And now to answer Pauline's questions.

1. How many UFO's do you have?
Do I really have to go count them?  OK I will.  [pause]  Oh, there aren't as many as I thought.  Only six.  I've also got 3 kits that I haven't started yet, and, of course, yards and yards of stash, for which I have many ideas.
2.  What colour do you use most in your quilts?
That's hard to say.  My projects tend to have a focus colour, and those vary.  My stash has a lot of blue in it, though.
3.  What was your first patchwork project?
I took a class and made a rail fence quilt.  I was hooked!
4.  Do you do other crafts?
Not really, any more.  I have done all sorts of crafts in the past - knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch. ceramics.  I was never very good at knitting or crochet.  And my eyes aren't good enough to do stitchwork any more.
5.  Do you like floral, plain or geometric fabrics?
I'm not crazy about geometric fabrics.  I have lots of florals in my stash, and am getting more solids lately.
6.  How many blogs do you follow?
147.  As of today - it will probably increase tomorrow.
7.  What do you like most about blogging?
It really helps me focus on my quilting.  I have to be working on something, so that I have something to write about.
8.  Do you like gardening?
Yes and no.  I have liked gardening in the past, but Calgary is so close to the mountains, and so dry, that not much grows well here.  We have a really short growing season, and the nights are cool all summer long.  So, I'm quite frustrated by gardening here.  I don't have a vegetable garden in this house - just some flower beds.
9.  What is your favourite time of year?
Definitely summer.  Spring, here, is cold and rainy / snowy.  Summer is short and sweet - really just July and August.  (It has snowed in Calgary every month of the year except July.)
10.  What is your favourite flower  / plant?
I had a hibiscus plant for many years.  It would grow leggy and I would chop it back, and then it would bush our and be lovely again.  It had double blooms, that only lasted for a day - but it bloomed a lot.
11.  Do you have a pet?
Not right now.  We had a lovely border collie who was with us for 13 years, and passed away last spring.  We're not ready for another pet yet.