Winter Trials

My My My, the Good Lord is sure testing me and my patience with this winter driving lately. Today was fine until I hit Falcon Lake and then it started gusting and twisting me this way and that and then the snow started falling and naturally when oncoming traffic passed - white out conditions. It seemed a might slick on the highway but not that bad until I entered Ontario and then it was like night and day - snow everywhere and looking like a beautiful winter Christmas card! I just wanted to stop the car and go X-C skiing but I didn't have the gear with me so maybe walking BUT there definitely was no safe place to pull over and park and be visible either. Then around Clear Water Bay I swear that's where one would find "picture perfect scenery" right now but like I said the conditions by then was heavy snow with reduced visibility so I just kept going at 80 klicks and only a few passed me but very carefully too.

So yes I've arrived safe and sound, Adeline fed me spaghetti and now we're both a stitching and gabbin! Ohhh and her cat insists she's sitting on or near me and definitely wants pets so will have to limit my contact and keep my Benedryl close by to enjoy these days.

CU!!!

Happy New Year to All

My Wish for You in 2008

May peace break into your house
and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans
become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline
and may laughter assault your lips!

May your clothes smell of success.
May happiness slap you across the face
and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had
forget your home address!

In simple words ......
May 2008 be the best year of your life!!!

Love and hugs, Rose Anne

(excerpt from an email received
- but very appropriate - Thank You!)

PC Catchup!!!

Well it's about time I'm catching up on some of my very tardy swaps!!!

Yep my Oct. 15th "Spiders" are finally completed (worked on here and there between family weekends, extensive Hardanger Father Christmas classes and December's OT with missing staff and somewhere a life) and in the MAIL today!!!

So as you can see they are not my usual creative images but my plans had to change slightly as others had the same idea as I and guess that is one of the advantages of being late! Even though I usually DO NOT change my mind from the images I draw or note on my swap group listing. Now those sent out may be slightly different in layout and "characterization" as my stitching is never the same along with the colour of the fly's wings depending on the sheer ribbon I had on hand (hard to find that stuff). So hope you all like your PCs and again I apologize for my tardiness.

Also I've started on the Victorian PCs and hope to get them embellished while away visiting another quilter for the New Year. If all goes as planned they should be sandwiched next week and hopefully in the mail the next week.

As I mentioned in my PC groups, I've not signed up for other swaps since these two and will probably lie low for a while so I can catch up on my Ornaments swaps (now a month late) and the new year online Quilt U class and my BDE group mystery project too. I've also many items to work on in preparation for our local quilt show "Quilt Reflections" coming up in April so like I said I'll be busy and might not be online as much.

All the best to everyone for 2008!!!

Post-Christmas

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

and other such carols

were sung at Dad's this holiday season!

No matter what gifts were exchanged or if any at all, the most memorable this year in my mind was when two sets of grandchildren alongwith their children gathered for Dad and sang! He was just smiling!

Yes Christmas Eve, one grandson and his young family arrived after supper for a visit and their toddler entertained Dad off and on with her antics and before leaving they all sang so lovely and many of us there joined in too.

Then Christmas Day there was only Dad and I when another granddaughter and her young family arrived on their way through town to my sister's and visited a spell with us. They all sing in their church choir and the oldest said I had to lead them - UMMM YEAH RIGHT! - but I did join them with the help from their Hymm book until she choice one I did not have a clue of at all and then just joined Dad and listened with smiles.

Yes he was very pleased that they do drop in - even bearing homemade cookies for him too - that too brought a smile to his face. And before Christmas another grandson and his wife stopped in to drop off some food from another sister and they got rooked into putting up Dad's decorations, well that made his day as I'm sure it was bugging him that his were still in the closet and others' had theirs up and blinking.

Yep, I did have a very nice visit this Christmas with him and the family and the weather cooperated after a slight wintery start. Now it's back to work tomorrow and no more holiday fare or spirits (hmmmm not that I had any anyways)!!!

Holiday Greetings!

My wish to you all
a very Merry Christmas
with family and friends!
May you enjoy
the food, love and laughter
this holiday season
and if you're travelling
please drive safely!
God Bless!

Pink Comfort!

Here it is the FINISHED cuddle quilt!

Thank you Phil for holding this up for me!

Now that I see it all together I wish I had used one of the grey fabrics for the binding. Oh well they say you always learn as you go!!! Guess with this quilt it was the "quilt as you go" method that I need to study more and to watch the colour of the bindings. See with the 2.5" wide pink ribbon fabric bordering all around this staggered backing I figured I'd use up that same fabric for the binding too. My intentions were good for the back but not so great for the front.

Pink Comfort!!!

OMGG I don't believe I've finally finished it!!!

I'm too tired and aching to cry tears of joy as I've completed stitching the binding and label onto Shauna's cuddle quilt just now. All that's left to do is a few anchor stitches on the label tomorrow and vaccuum the threads, package it up and hopefully deliver it to her tomorrow and take some final pictures with her and the quilt.

Oh my, oh my, oh my, be still my racing heart!

That's another major project off my shoulders finally. I'm really sorry that Shauna has had to wait like 4 months after leaving to actually "receive" her parting gift from me. Hopefully her course is still on so she can still cuddle and study with it as I had first intended!!!



Friday, sewing on the binding.



Saturday at the Aurora Christmas potluck, I'm hand stitching the binding in place, see the label!

There'll be a final pic to be posted once I've deliver this to Shauna.

A Surprise Rec'd

WOW today in the mail was a strange package and silly me could not figure out why it came to me instead of being shipped as noted on the packing slip!!! DUH right eh! Here I was thinking of repackaging it and sending it onto my friend as noted, but emailed her first to see what gives!

"It's your Christmas gift - ENJOY" is what came back to me! WELL on come the tears and feelings of thankfulness for such friendships!!!! WOW! now to "learn" how to embellish this lovely lace on my crazy patches and also how to best show off this ribbon and all it's lovely hues.

http://tinyurl.com/2k9adn - ribbon from Joggles

I can't copy/paste the picture here but there's the link to the ribbon and it is 1" wide - any ideas on how I can use this? Thank you.

Sooooooo CLOSE!!!

Ohhh I tried very very hard but just could not finish the sack so my Father Christmas could be totally together tonight! But here are the robe and cape pieces before the French seams and gatherings sewn.



Oh well I've finally got some pictures for you (minus the sack- maybe later this week). I used a taller slimmer water bottle partially filled with sand for my base, covered with some type of sand lining I think. Here his head is attached and the robe added. You can see the cape together, sleeves with arms anchored and the vest on the table. The red cardinal I was planning as a prop on his walking stick.



And here he's semi together and looking more with it! Thank goodness the cape will be covering him as I attached his arms too low as is.



And the back view too - the pin is holding it together so I can anchor the slit closed and keep the stress point to a minimum on this looser woven fabric.



VOILA! And here he's together with his walking stick and poinsettia!



Now I must say that I got the gears for adding bling to my Father Christmas but all I could see was all the GOLD embellishments on our Priest's robes (Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church) and just could not resist adding some to MINE!!! I just LOVE him and can't wait to see the sack completed and stuffed with the goodies I found in my stash. I'm also going to find my fine wool and add cover his hair, beard, moustache and eyebrows for a more realistic look.

Now here's mine with Mrs. T's shop samples to show you - yes Carolyn's own angel that some of the gals were making (all just lovely too with lots of bling added for awesome effects) and her Father Christmas (Old World look) too. Yes, I too was thinking at first to use the green and then gave in when I saw the wine but OHHHHH talk about torture stitching that darker colour. BUT in the end it's finished and I'm very happy with the overall effect.



Can you believe it I just about have a totally FINISHED class project???

YAHOOOIE!!!!

Ohhhh I've had a good day today and finished cutting most of my pieces for Father Christmas out and washed and hung to dry. I also used my hair blowdryer and heated up the screw top of the water bottle and bent it to fit into the porcelain head, now will see if it opens up once cooled or stays. I also search through some of my craft stuff and found a star, a drum, a gift wrapped, pointsettia and holly with berries along with a cinnamon stick for his walking stick and I just found a Cardinal with wings outstretched also.

WOW I'm so close to being finished, it feels so good after seven weeks of steady stitching in between "life" trying to keep up with this project. I've completed the stitching on one half of the sack so tonight I'll see if can finish off the other side - I know only do one side - but what if when stuffed and topped with goodies it does not sit that way and both sides show up???? Nah I'll feel better if both sides are embellished. That I can finish off myself if it's not quite completed in time.

Then I made supper and thoroughly enjoyed feasting too! Now I'll go read a bit and relax before getting back to my stitching. Then I'll have to stop to press my dried pieces and do some preliminary sewing needed and then the evening to either relax or stitch some more. PHEW so close and such satisfaction that I'm caught up.

Hardanger Update

Well Friday evening I felt too worn out to do anything that needed heavy concentration as it was a busy day at work - seemed like everyone knew I needed to be left alone to do some catch up and it worked some! It was also a tough day as Suki was preparing for vacation and was also trying to ensure I knew what was changed in the Markets since I have to step in to carry that load too. Needless to say it will be a rough December for me.

Anyways, I just did some brainless crocheting of kitchen towels as co-workers are asking for them for gift giving and then read the evening away. That felt good. Then I woke this morning kinda refreshed, had breakfast and 9:30 was stitching on the hardanger class project.

And after a couple of reading email breaks I can proudly announce that I've completed the stitching on all the necessary pieces for Tuesdays last class, that is his robe, vest, sleeves, and cape. I've got to cut all these pieces out and wash/press them along with some presewing so I'm more free to assemble than stitch up during class. Yes I still have to embellish the Sack and hopefully I can do that today too then tomorrow I'll do all the cutting in the morning when more with it and with the window lighting too. I don't need mistakes at this point of the project. (chuckling)

I'm kinda getting excited again with this Father Christmas like when I signed up for the class. I've even a neato porcelain head with arms that looks like a Father Christmas and my teacher added some wool and made her's more realistic - gonna have to find mine too and see if I want to try that or not.

Yes, it definitely is close to picture taking time so who knows maybe next week he'll be blogged!!! Stay tuned!

So then onto the long overdue postcards and then the Christmas ornaments. It's coming together slowly but surely.