Hmmmm Whatcha Think?

Okay after I had posted the four finished blocks from pics uploaded to the CQI Photos into that square wall hanging idea - I then got a brain wave!!! So I played some more and this is what I came up with. Now I would like your input as to which layout you like better. I've included my email so you can keep it private or just post your comment - either way. And Thanks!!!

Yes I know I've still Gerry's block for this DYB to come yet but I don't really need the finished piece to decide the basic layout, but the block layout will be the last task! By the way, I tried gold and green around the blocks but blue seemed the best and then again for the outer border the gold looked the best, but it may be the gold fabric from the blocks and the blue I'm not sure about, might just be some of the green from the blocks - gotta experiment when they all come home.

#1
Not sure if vertical is an option for my bedroom - depends on the width of the borders, I guess.

#2
I LOVE this layout and was thinking of either decorative quilting in the corners or some other accent pieces to be attached.

#3
This is a more balanced horizontal and suggested by some co-workers.

So I'm polling my readers and hoping you will let me know which layout you like best. Click on my name Rose Anne and you should be directed to your "create/compose" via email or click on "Post Comment" within this posting. Again thank you!!!

My FACES DYB Update

Yeah I know you've seen the blocks BUT here's what I'm thinking might be my wall hanging - two more blocks yet to come - colours are not final yet - will see what I have at home and what looks best. These blocks are in the order they were worked on and WOW talk about awesome layout!!!

DAD is 96!!!

Yep, yesterday was his birthday and in a way I was sorry I wasn't there BUT then I remembered the lovely four days I had all by myself with him and you know what - I didn't feel bad at all!!! (smiling) See I booked vacation days for Thursday and Friday and drove to Dauphin Wednesday so I had three full days with him except for the mid-afternoons that I let him veg out and regroup before I came back again. Yes besides cleaning and laundry, I cooked lunches for him along with joining him too (some frozen packages) and suppers I made whatever light meal he wanted then tidied up and joined my sister Florence and Wayne for supper. So I got the better of two worlds I'd say! See not only was Dad in a fairly good mood while I was there but also Florence's choices for suppers were right up my alley and I enjoyed the food and company very much.

And to top the weekend off my car got new rear tires and brakes too!!!

I did call Dad last night and he was so chipper it was GRANDE to hear! Apparently he had four daughters (with DHs) and Mom's brother and wife drop by for a visit and/or supper along with many phone calls too (even his brother in Alberta)! So yes he had a good day I'd say and was nice and quiet relaxing when I called. Maybe this nice weather is a picker upper too???

Margreet's Winter DYB Block

Okay this is a third RR event for me, but the second while the first is still going on, within the CQI group. Sometimes I think I'm CRAZY for signing up for another while the other one is not finished - especially as it's challenging topic of "faces" to boot!!! Oh well it'll all come out in the wash as they say!!! So here's the first group of the Christmas/Winter DYB belonging to Margreet of The Netherlands and she wanted them to have an ice - cool like look to them so only using white, silver, grey or ice blue colours!

finished block

OK I started out by adding the beaded cord and then anchoring in place her awesome accent piece adding more beads around it. Then I added the iridescent sequins to the eyelet fabric and silver beads to lock in place. I remembered I had this awesome sheer with sparkles on it so I hand appliqued it in place and anchored it with silver Colonial knots here and there. Then I found this appropriate yarn with a silver thread in it and arranged it in the open cretan stitch (my favourite) anchoring from the back and adding beads at the crossovers. Then I found my light grey shiny DMC and filled in the spaces with daisy stitches.

centre

bottom half

OHHHH I wanted so badly to make up some tatted/beaded button snowflakes but after three attempts I put paid to that idea and tatted a split ring trim and added larger silver lined beads to the centres. And sort of to complement, I did DMC perle cotton daisy stitch for another seam finish and larger iridescent beads at the centres. Then I took my ice blue (I think) shiny DMC and tried to imitate one of NZJO's seam treatments but still not close in resemblance ;>) ! And for the last seam finish I used my silver DMC metallic (which I HATE to work with) and did my second favourite stitch – feather – with Colonial knots. I then found these sparkly snowflake buttons but cut off the chunky shanks and anchored in place – they can be removed if not wanted. Lastly I added the three star beads (always changing colours) and then the silver/grey flat sequins with beads to hold in place. Whoops, I forgot the seam broken by the accent piece - here I tried Kerry's BAS Week 39 - Braid Stitch with blue shiny DMC - but my photography is not so great!!!

top left

top right

Then I chose the “joint RR block” that we all have to work on to complete five of the six blocks before they head home. This one was easy as I decided to use the tinsel type of yarn Margreet included (couched of course) and added the silver beaded trims along with the star I learnt to make at my 3-D beaded workshop in August. The other seam finish is from my Judith Montano book “Embroidery and Crazy Quilt Tool Kit” on page 190 – Pistil Stitch + Colonial Knot + Straight Stitch using the shiny and metallic DMC and added the trio daisy stitches as fillers.

joint block

closeup

So I hope she likes what I’ve done here! Oh here's her emailed response to my uploads to the group - I gather she likes it!!!

"Hallo Rose Anne,
I took a look to what your work was on my DYB.
It is very good and cool I'm most pleased with it !!!!!!

... I loved to see the details. Thanks a lot.
Smiles Margreet."

My Faces DYB Update

Yep, I've got another picture of another block completed for me - that means there's only one more to go before they all come home to me!!! Then I have to stitch up one myself and naturally put them all together!!! Previous ones can be seen here!

"Rose Anne, I have just loaded a pic of my angel work for you - Goddess of Light. Hope you like beads cuz its fulllll of em! LOL!!" ... Leslie

"OMGG Leslie, I LOVE angels and beading period!!!!!!!!! That is just BEAUTIFUL!!!! WOW!!!! That's my MOM, my angel in heaven, now on my wall hanging for my bedroom. THANK YOU so very very much!!!!!!" ... Rose Anne

LCgirls Night!!!

Yep our Lewiscraft girls night out is still going strong and mostly at member's homes and we do some type of craft or play a game the odd time and have an awesome potluck meal along with heartwarming friendships.

This last one Saturday night was at Mary Grace's and she taught us how to "QUILL" and I'm telling you I'll not be doing any larger projects with this technique! ROFLOL!



See I caught onto the winding those narrow strips onto a tiny post and managed to make a flower card with them but the part I hated (remember this from my crafting days too) is the fact that all my fingers etc gets covered with glue!!! I even went a couple of times and cleaned off too!!!

So thank you Mary Grace for hosting this fun night and also thanks to Vic for visiting his friend so we can have the place to ourselves. Ohhh and thanks everyone for the very tasty snacks and meal and "Mom" (Pat & Georgina's that is) for the dessert!!!

Pat's NEW Kitchen!!!

WOW WOW WOW, I dropped over to my niece's house tonight and got an awesome surprise! See their house renovations are slowly but surely nearing the end and hopefully by year end will be all complete. Apparently over the weekend most of the hardwood was installed in the master bedroom.

Then today the kitchen countertops were installed and WOW WOW OH WOW it is just gorgeous!!! I haven't seen such a stone/granite/whatever you call it but it is just beautiful. And with all that WOW I didn't see the built in pantry fitted so nicely into the corner and the wood sort of just flows around the doorway joining with the cabinets etc.





Yep, I LOVE their kitchen and I'm sure she's relieved to finally have it back to just about 100% - the sink still needs some work but the fridge, stove and dishwasher are all working!!!

Then tomorrow some of Randy's family are coming over and they'll start installing the hardwood floors in the large open area - dining and living room!!! Wonder how far they'll get before a halt is called?

GOSH it will be just wonderful to have their HOME back and maybe even Christmas in their home too again??? It's sure been a long painful steady haul but I think the end is in sight!!!

Previous posts on the progress are here and here!

Diane's Faces RR completed

Okay my promise to get this block finished and out at the beginning of this week went !@# for tea kettle I can tell you! See I am in the middle of a "dustup" in a local fibre arts group and have taken it pretty rough considering how it was done, now I can imagine how my friend is feeling as she's positive her designs were stolen . Oh well nothing I can do but keep doing what I've done for years and that is note the book/pattern that the inspiration arrived from. Enough of this verbiage! Onto the good stuff!

Okay right off the bat (as we always do) I’ll tell you that my block was inspired by the “Feather Maiden” watercolour by Judy Balchin in “The Complete Book of Art Nouveau Designs”.

Diane wished someone would use her lovely face beads so I decided to give it a try and I sure hope my idea stands up to it’s beauty! I had such GRANDE ideas and plans (before it even arrived) for an art nouveau block until I read her message and realized feathers are not washable so had to rethink. Then I found this book at the Library “Stitches for Embroidery” by Heather Joynes (awesome landscape embroidery) and inside were these awesome stitched feathers so back to the grindstone to try this. I kinda like it, even if I had to shorten them some and it hides those larger white patches on the bead that should be black me thinks.



Okay, now the DMC floss and metallics for the braids along side the feathers with shorter strings of beads (had to redo this as the multi-coloured beads I first had didn’t do anything for this elegant Indian Maiden). So far it’s progressing but slowly. Then a beaded fringe over her doeskin (let’s pretend) dress, learnt at the beading workshop I was at resently and found inside “Beading on Fabric” by Larkin Jean Van Horn and again had to redo it as my spacing was wrong. I tried to have it lie over top the lower portion of the bead but no dice so I gave up. And then the finishing touches were embellished patches and seam finishes of sweet grass wreaths, feather-wheat ear-herringbone-cretan stitches and added a bird charm which I hope passes for an eagle besides sequins and beads.

Closeup
Full block.

Though, I’m not sure of the idea of putting these blocks into a jacket my dear – I’d be scared of them being damaged with wear and tear along with laundering – but it’s your blocks and definitely your decision. LOL! I enjoyed working on this baby but am very sorry it took so long. Now onto the next DYB and hopefully it will go a lot smoother!!!

My Faces DYB - update

Oh my it is nearing the end of this round robin soon and I'm anxious to see these blocks all together and in person - they are all looking so lovely.

Here is the latest edition and she even has the Gemini Twins on the block - that's what I'm calling them.



AND here is Diane's blog to read up on her making up! I've yet to read it all. I was just so excited to see the picture and post my blog entry! He He He!!! Also here is the previous post on this RR. Yes when they all come home I'll put them together and post as one picture - unless I finish it off lickety split!!!

My Tree of Life - ASL presentation

Okay the only way I could upload my video taped ASL presentation was to go through YouTube (checked Private there) so hopefully it will now upload here in my BLOG for my friends to check out (7 min 18 sec duration). Here is my video:



For those of you who are new to ASL maybe you'll get a kick out of how nervous I was and this was not memorized, I only had three run throughs - two with notes and signs and one from the notes only. And those that do sign I hope I didn't botch it too badly and I promise I am going to try and continue to use it daily with John. Enjoy!

Shuttle Finds

Okay, I'm sure these are not antiques at all but I had gone for a walk to the Forks today and checked out the Antique Shop there and actually found 7 shuttles (3 were metal and I didn't even look at those) and the other 4 were some plastic but two were grungy like so I settled on these two for myself ($5 each).





Now I checked Tatmeister's site and I think one is noted there (PLASTIC, Plastic, Ivory - mine has closed tips) but not the other. Not sure if I can find it or if it's even worth the time searching. I'm just going to find some type of glass covered box and line it with whatever that these can sit in with a little card identifying them if known. I'm sure I'll be checking for others in my travels to add to these. If needed I will use them periodically but right now the thread on them is way to fine for my expertise to use at this time.

More Tatting!

Okay with various projects on the go, company down for a few days and then a quilting retreat along with the ASL project to complete my evenings have been occupied and my tatting etc has taken a back seat. Well last night I finally felt up to (head cold) trying some tatting and I can tell you not successfully!

Okay I finished off the Tatters' Round Robin for Beginners (assuming by Georgia Seitz) but there is something wrong in the large loops - will have to try another to see if I can figure it out.



Then did the GR-8 Butterfly by Gary and Randy Houtz and I can tell you that my first attempt was a total disaster because what I read I did not understand but went ahead and did what I thought it was - MISTAKE!!! The second attempt turned out great!



And just because I did the Butterfly Tatted with Chains by Riet Surtel-Smeulders and I used two shuttles which turned out okay the first time.



And to finish off Lesson #3 practice pieces I TRIED the German Snowflake by Cristel Wutzmer and I can tell you I hated this cutting and joining with every point so I only did the one point which is not right for some reason and won't be trying it again.



In the NSAN group (tatting online) we are doing 5 weeks of lessons and this is my second time around and I've still not finished with the group. I guess I'll be joining them again in December for Lesson #4 and #5 as I did not get much out of the chatting since I did not do the reading or lesson work ahead of time. Lesson #5 is tatting with beads and I can't wait to experiment with that as I've a snowflake pattern for this and really do want to do it! Oh well I have like a month to catch up!!! I still have LOTS of trouble reading patterns though - most leave out things they assume you know goes with certain steps - not fair for beginners.

OHHH and one of our male tatters said "that you can add various types of lace work - he adds in bobbin lace - to your tatted pieces and it's a perfect marriage of needlework"!!! Just a tidbit if you did not know this already.