40 Years of Service Award

OH BOY here’s a perfect example of “I’ll never make 40 years of service!” statement coming back to haunt me!!!  Yes I was initially supposed to retire in 2010 but circumstances deemed it necessary to stay working a year and then another, then my “retirement trip” to Australia was kinda postponed from 2013 to 2014 so I decided to stay working still another year.  WELL lo and behold I will even surpass my 40 years of service for the Province of Manitoba (all with the Dept of Agriculture) by the time I actually pull the pin so to speak and retire.

Anyways Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (department name now) honoured long time service employees on Friday, May 3^rd, 2013 and my Manager Bob Ward and myself were presented with our certificates and official photos taken with the our respective Bosses, Dori Gingera-Beauchemin - A/Deputy Minister and the Honorable Ron Kostyshyn - Minister of Agriculture.  Bob asked if I had my Thank You speech ready and I kinda panicked and then started to get nervous while waiting, but once the presentations started I realized I did not have to do such, I relaxed some.   There was no time allowed for a “rebuttal” to Bob’s introducing me and my accomplishments over the years, with some of his own comments added to my prepared speech for him. 

Bob Ward introducing me

David Kaminski presenting awards

My chosen black framed gift by http://www.expressiveframes.ca/

L-R:  Dori Gingera-Beauchemin, Bob Ward, myself, the Hon. Ron Kostyshyn

L-R:  Myself, Bob Ward (Manager), Margot Cathcart (Director)

After the presentations the various honorees, their invited guests and Committee Members etc milled around enjoying a light but lovely lunch – I had invited my niece Pat and her Mom Sylvia (my sister) to join me on this special day – before leaving to join fellow quilters at the Winkler/Morden quilt retreat weekend. 

Yes a lovely milestone in my years with the Department.  Thank you.

The Last of the BAS RR Blocks

No I'm not swearing, but there were times the air may have been blue during this crazy quilting RR - LOL!  It was a challenging round robin not so much in the effects we were creating but more so in the number of blocks for each person and the number of seams or depth of the seams (which was new sort of for me) we were creating.  You did not really want to repeat what was done previously but yet sometimes the creative streak just was not coming forth!  Oh well I'm finally finished the last of the nine sets of nine blocks (yes I had to start a seam on each of my own set too) and now it's to wait patiently for my babies to come back home and have fun checking out the various members' creativity!!!

So here are Diane M's blocks which in a way were kind of tricky as she combined sane traditional quilt blocks and asked us to embellish crazy patch-like!  Well I think we did a pretty good job and now have to wait and hope that Diane likes our interpretation.

Block #1

Left hand side - triple feather stitch in Japanese Buttonhole Twist (JBT) #117, detached chains in JBT #w with seed beads at base of chains.

Block #2

Added black beaded Bullion knot legged spider to already stitched web.  Chain stitched ovals and then four detached chains in centres with straight stitches and seed beads in centre.  At the joins made long straight stitches with detatched chain in centre with seed beads at ends.  PS: And no close up photo of lower left patch of feather stitched stems with Colonial knots around and French knots in centre.

Block #3

Right hand side alternated slanted straight stitches of long-medium-short with Colonial knots at ends and darker thread across all three on an angle with French knots with straight stitch across. 

On the right hand side I added three outline/stem stitched scrolls and Bullion knot bar crossovers with Colonial knots at ends. 

Block #4

Filled in both sides and at base interlocked Bullion knot half circles in Brazilian threads.

Made running stitch stems and fly stitched leaves and in JBT #158 varied sizes of detached chains for Brown Eyed Susans with seed bead centres.

Block #5

In Wildflowers #253 Ink made uneven wavy herringbone with Perle Sweets Jelly Beans cross bars and in Pearl Cotton #12 A Leaf Falls varied sizes of detached chains from opposite of cross over to opening.  Then a trio of French knots on outer tips of detached chains in JBT #91.

Block #6

Using Rajmahal Art Silk #255 stitched a 4-way feather stitch with two detached chains at outer tops in Anchor 0101 with 3 straight stitches and Colonial knots in centres in Clarks Anchor 0307.  Then three straight stitches at other ends in between also in gold.  At outer edge of patches in the middle did variying lengths of straight stitches in purple and a red seed bead at base.

Above cat added a stem stitched shelf with running stitch filler of JBT #84 and a padded brown DMC #371 mouse with tail dangling.

Block #7

In YLI silk #78 golden/orange butterflies in sheaf stitch - straight stitch bodies - detached chains at wing tips and body.  Along top in detached chain leaf upper border in YLI silk #114 and clusters of Colonial knots for grapes in YLI silk #108.

On someone's scroll work patch I added pearl seed beads to the tips of the straight stitches and also extended the tips of the scroll.

Block #8

In DMC #4045 and curved stem stitched archs for detached chain fern stems with Colonial knots at tips.  Space edged with wine DMC slanted Blanket stitch. 

Block #9

Tatted two butterflies and a dragonfly in Lizbeth #2 cotton in #137 with black and metallic seed bead bodies.

In DMC variegated made a cretan stitched shaped vase with outline stitched edges.

Now to wait and see if Diane's so called creativeness pans out and she pulls off her original plan to embroider a tree outside the attic window foreground.  I so can't wait - this plan sure has stretched crazy patch beyond traditional boundaries!

Apartment Update

Well I've finally unpacked the three boxes of "kitchen" stuff and some I tossed/recycled and others I washed and put into drawers etc.  Then I dismantled the three plastic towers I had of craft/fabric stuff and rearranged them into four and when Harold has time he'll come over and somehow anchor with elbows my countertop from Margot onto these and VOILA I'll have a proper height cutting table in my sewing room not on my freezer!!!  After that I put together the small 4-tier wood shelving (has funky coloured baskets within) and will maybe use for patterns to have on hand or other sewing stuffs!

This morning Bruce and Angela came over and he switched the ceiling fixtures with my ceiling fans so now I's ready for some spring-like weather to roll in!  While he was doing that Angela helped me out with some furniture ideas and I LOVE them and will be changing my mind in regards to the kitchen table I'll be getting.  And she said once I've got some of these boxes out of the living room she'll come and help me with decorating and showing off my paintings/quilted projects too!  She has such AWESOME taste and I just loved her ideas today!  Now just to find the time to act on her suggestions!  Thank you my friends!

Next it will be Harold coming over to sort out my cutting table, possibly my cork/peg board for the sewing room also and I would like one more shelf added to my storage unit to extend in an "L" so I can put the lighter not used/but have to be kept stuff to up there and leave the other shelf for in/out stuff.

Yep if I continue doing some here and there I'll soon have my apartment functional and then to buy the easy chair and kitchen table/chairs and who knows maybe a loveseat too. That would be just awesome!!!

Saturday's Finds

Not sure why I didn't wait with the previous post to include the pictures - not thinking I guess!!!  LOL!

So first off Karen picked up this lovely wall hanging for my sewing room while down in Weslaco TX this year and as Michelle said it's perfect for me!!!  Thank you Karen!!!

Then at the Antiques Collectibles in Selkirk (downstairs in the Gallery on Main St.) I found these treasures for myself.  The Oriental pincushion is something I've wanted for a while and here's one in GREEN!!!  Then there was this old suitcase holding various doilies, towels etc and I limited myself to this one with the butterflies and cluny bodies.  Then found this huge stack of lovely cared for hankies and could not resist picking these up.  I can see some awesome angel ornaments one of these days from them except for the two Irish ones.  

See the trip I'm going on to Ireland, taking in the International Quilt Festival of Ireland has asked for "hand blocks" from participants and I'm hoping to add the Shamrocks one as a cuff at the base of my hand.  Will see if I can pull it off.  Then when I get back home and have some time I'll do up another hand block to match and add the daintier Shamrock as a cuff for myself, maybe add some particulars of the trip etc in the block.

Val's Solo Quilt Show

Well my day started off with stopping into Michaels and picking up a 50% off quilt batt, then off to get a hair cut and then zipped back to Michaels for a 50% off oval embroidery hoop and other stuff on sale as they won't let you use two coupons together now!  That's OK as I was in the area so I just returned.  Then I zipped over to pick up my two friends and off to Selkirk for lunch at Barney Gargoyles - awesome food.

OMGG Val CONGRATULATIONS on a beautiful "solo quilt show"!  My friends from Lewiscraft were with me and they both thought you are AMAZING!!!  We had the place basically to ourselves for our own leisurely perusal.  Now I've had a few questions on how you did some of the threadwork on the guys especially the facial stuff.  I answered that it was all machine stitched and then quilted in places.  Am I right?

BTW we had no problems at all travelling (more snowfall was expected today) except for trying to avoid the potholes and for me not enough spending money!!!

See after the quilt show we went "downstairs" to the AWESOME collectibles shop and I dropped a $20 easily there and the prices on my items were very very reasonable.  I wanted to buy lots more unique hankies, doilies and pot holders but restrained myself - maybe another time if she sticks around.  Beautiful shop and very well displayed and marked.

Then we went next door to the second hand store and I just found a couple more balls of crochet cotton and chatted with a clerk who also makes charity quilts and crocheted blankets for donations.  Then naturally over to Selkirk's unbelievable Dollar Store in walking distance for a few greeting cards and look around at the unusual decorated/household stock they have.

We finished off with going back to Barney's for sharing of a pumpkin cheesecake (even left some on the plate) and coffees before heading back home!  YEPPERS an awesome day!!!  I can't wait till I retire and get to do this anytime - not just on weekends!!!

BAS RR - Pamela's Blocks

OK I've finally finished the "seventh" set of nine crazy patched blocks in this "Build a Seam" RR and ready to show off the beauty of these "just about finished" blocks.

Anything Goes  -  This baby is pretty full so I added to the Venice Lace flower patch some feather stitched filler stems and French knots in Perle Cotton 12 – A Leaf Falls.

Buttonhole  -  This one was also kind of full so I used the Buttonhole stitch for the shape of the pineapple and filled it with straight stitch to form diamonds in Valdani #12, stem stitch for the leaves in Wildfowers #252 Prairie Grass and Cretan for the grass base in Simply Wool #0440W Maple Syrup.

Chevron  -  There were no open seams so I did a circle medallion in chevron stitch, filled in the centre with straight stitches and anchored in centre in Crescent Colours #013 Finley Gold.  Joined the outer edge with fly stitch and detached chains.  Then on an existing button seam treatment I added detached chains in the same gold as the medallion.

Cretan  -  I used the darker seam for my Cretan trees of DMC #4065.

Detached Chain  -  Using DMC gold rayon detached chains lying down alternating positions and then with DMC green rayon stitched in between in herringbone.  In the orange patch stitched a detached medallion in DMC #4240.

Feather  -  This time I left the one seam untouched and in the gold patch stitched my first not bad feather stitched heart in 2 strands of Sampler Threads Gentle Art #0311 Holly Berry with 1 strand of DMC silk S3685 for accent with blue seed beads.

Herringbone  -  On the purple/orange seam in Needle Necessities #1781 floss an uneven wavy herringbone seam anchoring crossovers with bars.  Then on the purple in DMC 740 orange and on the orange in Anchor #0101 purple added detached chains and French knots.  In the orange patch I stitched a wasp/bee in dark brown and gold DMC – padded satin stitched head, Colonial knots for upper body, blanket stitched body, stem & fly stitched wings and chain stitched legs.  Finished off with outline flight trail.

Outline (Stem)  -  Along the gold patch seam in DMC #4045 stitched an entertwined stem and branches with detached chain leaves and added seed beads for berries.  Then on either side of the butterfly patch added stem and detached chain designs in DMC #4240.

Straight  -  Along the darker blue patch in Wildflowers #253 Ink a straight stitched diamond design, with DMC #5 dark orange accents.  Centres of detached chains in Crescent Colours Finley gold #013 and straight stitches at outer points and finished with pearl seed beads in centres.

Now onto the "LAST SET" of nine blocks for Diane (received last week) and then I'll finally be all caught up and completed for this BAS RR - it's been a long haul and fraught with many setbacks - a fair share of my own.  Hopefully I can get them planned out this week and buckle down to stitching so they hopefully can be on their way home mid-April!!!

Needless to say I'm anxious to get my blocks home and see the beautiful work done by all the girls - I know pictures do not tell the WHOLE story of how exquisite the stitching embellishing is!  I still have intentions of making mine into a table top fabric book - I just hope I can pull it all together!!!