MIA!

Sorry everyone that I've been sort of missing in action on this blog. Work has been very busy and I've also been dealing with headaches along with self induced backaches from packing, shifting (men doing moving) and now unpacking of office "stuff" so it can be painted. Hopefully this week it will finally be finished and I can get my quilted projects back up on the nicely coloured walls - yes I will take the camera to work and post pics.

Lately I've found myself direly strapped financially and have had to make major decisions after much advisement - needless to say the headaches. So I think it's a go and now to adjust to a "new life" but I have lots of support and hopefully life will become a happy adventure.

Saturday morning my niece Pat picked me up and we went for a short drive in the country to visit with another niece's family, then back home to help her feed the working crew. See nephew's family was over helping with the insulation, vapor barrier and gyproc covering of the inside walls of the addition today (finally it's starting to look like a house) and I agreed to help with the chili etc. Then she drove me over to my girlfriend's for an evening visit, even got to watch her hubby whip up a quick supper and a taste test too, before Angela dropped me off back home.

Sunday, I'm joining a couple of quilters to start a small quilting session whenever possible on weekends and our first project is a table runner and I've chosen my fabrics all from my stash!!! I'm also taking my Christmas fabrics so the two girls could pick and choose if they need a little something else to go with their fabrics. This will be the planning and cutting session only. Will be nice though!

I'm just about finished the required Double Faced postcards and hope to get them into the mail this next week after quite a delay. Then I can get to work on the Spiders postcards before getting back to my crazy patch embellishments and my beading project! YOWL, I've gotta get caught up!!!

Lovely Saturday

WOW, I had an entertaining postcard demo/workshop with Maureen in Beausejour (was leary as I had such a horrible head and back ache from the work situation - packing/unpacking and paint fumes). Then we relaxed at Carol's bed and breakfast and were treated to a scrumptious breakie before heading off Friday to Steinbach and Tanell's Fabrics - Oma's was closed again - not sure when I'll get to see her shop!!! I tried to be good and I think I managed so, before we returned to Wpg.

Then today was my quilting group meeting at the church and I woke so so and actually had a lovely visit with the ladies and looked through a hoard of quilting magazines and came home with only 6 and one might be going back as it is a book. I didn't much beading accomplished on my Double Faced postcards though!!!

Then Maureen guided Florence and I to some samples sale and I thought upholstery and here it was 100% cottons and the cards varied from four to some had eight pieces of approx. 10" pieces of the selection for that name or brand or whatever you call it. I saw one bundle of 1930s and exclaimed aloud and the lady quickly brought out a box (I'm not sure that these are all repros) that she didn't have out as no one was buying them. Well I chose a few and left the rest behind - BOO HOO HOO!!! So I've my name and phone number on the list for next year's heads up for the same samples sale.

AND you won't believe what I paid for the above cards!!! One I noticed was marked $6.45 each and she was selling them off for a $1 each!!! YEP talk about a deal and most are about a large FQ or half metre of fabric per card, some were less and I'm not sure why. Then there were some wildlife and farm type animal scenic prints and I took one and then the two 1930s panels/pillows pieces and I'm going to cut the pillows off and reattach them at the top and have two crib quilts. Oh and she also had some flannels and tonnes of sample yarns and some crochet cottons so I picked up two yarns and varigated yellow crochet cotton for my CQing motifs. AND ALL this was $14 - pretty darn good eh?????

Oh and when I dropped Florence off she found her just bought book "The Secret" and gave it to me, so now I don't have to keep borrowing from the Library for my pokey reading/exercises and I traded her my older digital as she does not have one as yet! I'd say a pretty good day today!!!

Oh and I'm watching HOCKEY and soon to put my feet up and relax before crashing!!!

Idea Searching

Yep, that's what we were doing this evening at Pat's - Dianne, Linda, Jackie and myself. See Pat got a needle felting machine and we were checking it out and imagining all the possibilities this baby can do. And naturally checking out Dianne's magnificent statues - WOW - love that newest one! She also gave us a quick paper demo on machine applique on curves and corners but I got lost partway through then caught on again! And we all were skimming through some books Linda brought for our feedback. Then there was me sitting and a stitching away on my Double-faced postcards. I just love the look so far and can't wait to see them finished BUT they are taking much time!!!

THANK YOU!!!

Oh my, I truly am grateful for all the awesome comments posted and emails received after the viewings of my Victorian Hats! I even received a lovely personal email from Darna of Ruby Lane after posting my appreciation on her website for her lovely creative hats - WOW totally unexpected. Well just like all the others I've received too.

Thank you everyone on your appreciation of my work!

Hats on Parade!!!

YEAH, they're finished!!!

I participated in a "Hats Off" postcard swap in one of my groups and I knew I what I wanted to make. Just HOW??? Well I googled Victorian Hats and came up with various websites but the one that impressed me is the Ruby Lane one - the home of some awesome dress hats for sale.

Now I have to tell you making flat images appear 3-D is very hard!!! Basically they were machine stitched for the satin brim, netted poof and tail attached along with the hat form and veil, then the velvet top attached with a fine matching zig zag. Then the brim was embellished with hand embroidered matching French knots before attaching the feather and ribbon trim. Now up to this point it was so-so but the trickiest part was doing the silk ribbon spider roses, leaves and the floss French knot fillers overtop the feathers. I needed ALL my fingers to keep the feathers from being pulled into the stitches BUT it was worth it in my opinion!

So without further ado here are my Victorian Hat postcards. (do you hear the drum roll!!!!!) Now hope the ladies I'm swapping with like my version!

- Mine

- swapped

- swapped

- swapped

- gifted

- 272

- 274

- 273

- 275