CQI - FFT#5 RR - Shari's

YAHOOIE!!! I've finally bit the bullet and just started stitching as nothing was forming for ideas for my "first" block of this round robin and my mailing deadline is fast approaching. So I used an idea from Carole Samples book for a web and greenery - added some beaded flowers, SRE leaves, DMC metallic French knots along the stem and did my own bead and bullion knot spider on Block A. I finished off with a zig zag chain stitched seam treatment to sort of anchor it all in.





Then on Block B I just did a simple web and a dangling beaded spider and embellished the flowers on the hankie below. I added a SRE dragonfly and then a loopy trim along with a buttonhole twist cretan and added copper bugle beads to finish. Then I added in two insect charms too.





I sure hope this is okay - I find it hard to "start" the embellishing on a block - scared me silly!!! It is much easier (I think so) to follow or add to someone else's embellishing to tie it all together!

Update on Dad

At lunch I got a call from Florence, she went up to help Dad with lunch and ICU was totally full and no Dad, she got concerned and the nurse quickly told her that he was doing better and they needed the beds so they moved him to the ward. PHEW! I told her I was sending a card to her to take up to him and she said who knows maybe he’ll be outta there by the weekend too!!! I hope not.

Anyways she went to the ward but was told she could not stay and had to leave and come back at 2:00 for visiting hours. So Dad told her to go home and bring his own PJs as the nurses said he could have his own if he had two sets so that’s next and also he has a phone so he wants his phone list from home too!!! Orders left right and centre but she said in a nice way so that was okay with her. You could tell she was doing better too by her voice but she's got bronchitis so this running around is not helping her.

Well tonight I called him and chatted briefly but he sounded very tired and said he was worse than this morning - hmmmm - maybe talking too much on the phone!!! Anyways Florence was sent back to his apartment again to get his razor - he needed to shave!!! Then was dissappointed that Wayne did not come with her so asked Florence to shave him - chuckling at that one! I give her credit, she tried but he was not happy with her gentle efforts and took over, then cleaned it and the sink up and she helped him back to bed - he was pooped.

Florence said he is not worse, just maybe tired as he was up walking today, first time since Monday.

Update on Dad

I felt relieved to have heard from Florence this evening and she was much more herself too, so I know things are more or less okay with Dad.

Yes he's had double pneumonia and a heart attack (sometimes a result of weakened conditions due to pneumonia) and he's also 95 so he's still in ICU today and might be there all this week yet and then moved to the ward for a bit before contemplating going home. Well like my sisters said, he's improving already as he's grumbling about not being fed on time, the food not to his liking, no TV to watch, and he wanted his razor cause he needed to shave!!! The next clue to his improving will be wanting his clothes cause "it's for shame being in pajamas all day", especially with people visiting! Apparently tomorrow they are going to have him up for some exercise with his walker too. Yep, he's mending, maybe slowly but on the up and up! I've asked Florence to call me when he's on the ward collect and I can then talk to him for bit.

Thank you LORD! and also all my dear friends for your prayers and positive thoughts.

A CLOSE CALL!!!

Taken May 25th, 1989 - celebrating 50 years of marriage.

Now I know MOM is our Guardian Angel and we all promised her we'd look after DAD and we are trying to. Last week he had asked Florence for some help and she did all he asked and he was his usual self and in a good mood. I had called him Saturday after supper and he was watching his hockey and chatted a bit but sounded a bit husky voiced - I didn't ask which was stupid of me - but thought he'd had a coughing spell of clearing his throat. DUH!!!

Well mid afternoon today he called Florence at work (very unusual) and asked to go to the hospital and she left immediately. She agreed he had to go as he did not look good or sound his usual self and needed her assistance to get to the car. Upon arrival at Emerg they checked him out, quickly hooked him up to IVs, gave him two needles, popped an aspirin into him and added an oxygen mask too. Apparently he has pneumonia, but no fever at all, but he's also had a heart attack which sometimes happens with pneumonia because of the weakened organs. So he's in the hospital overnight at least, as the Dr was not letting him go home as he lives alone and also did not think there was need to call the family. He thought for 95 Dad was doing very well considering.

SHEESH, needless to say I've had a bit of a start and knowing his stamina he'll fight this and be home before the weekend. He definitely did not want Florence telling us at all but I'm glad she did. And I know that he is doing good as Florence was a little shaky but not "upset" like when something is very serious, which helped me hold it together and not panic!!! She'll definitely call if anything changes and if not I'll call and check again tomorrow evening. I pray that he still has the strength and where withall to fight this and have a few more years with us all.

New Cotton!

Okay I purchased some awesome varigated cotton the other day from Kathryn's Stitching Studio and just have to tell all!!! It's by Lizbeth, Size 20 100% cotton thread by Handy Hands Inc. and it says "Tat, Knit or Crochet like a Dream!" on the label.

WELL it does feel awesome and it also LOOKS awesome made up in my favourite heart pattern - can't wait to find a small butterfly pattern to try out with this too. I had picked up "Springtime" and it does look like a field of coloured spring flowers.

CQing Motifs Ready!

My CQ Intnl group is having a CQing motif swap and I signed up for it! Here's what I made and I just LOVE them!!!

about 1.5 in

about 1.5 x 2 in

about 3 in


There are "8" within this picture of 3x4 in fabric embroidered web and spider motifs. I only needed "5" but made "4" extra for the hostesses.

Now I can't wait to see what comes back to me to play with on future CQ projects!!!

Pat & Randy's House Update

It's beginning to look like home!!!

WOW WOW WOW!!! Yep, they are starting the painting finally, then hopefully the kitchen and bathroom will be finished off and once the hardwood is brought into the house and adjusted then the flooring will be done this spring. Yep, when I walked in and saw the walls in the final stages I was finally seeing some semblance of a home coming about for them!!! It's been a long time now that they are living within a just about main floor gutted home!!!

So not sure if you can tell from these pics, but lots better than the first ones I took way back when - basically a frame with 2X4s showing where the walls were.


New entrance and yes they have a feature wall that is a red/wine and the rest are the taupe colour and the vaulted ceiling is white.


Living/dining room


Living/bedroom wall - indent is where hutch will be


Master bedroom from the closet - yes it's a pale green along with a feature wall and open wall to the main entrance. I stuck two pictures together to show you the layout and the open wall into the main entrance.


Looking into the old part - front room will be the den/sewing room.


Looking into the new part!!!

I can't wait to see this all finished, equipment and dust gone and their furniture back from storage - it's been a LLLLOOOONNNNGGGG time!!!

Proof in the Pudding!

Well maybe not pudding, but definitely with the pictures!!!



Okay let's examine the picture on the left first, forget about the printer box (just purchased and setting up) on the left and the shredder (part of the initial purging) bottom right - look at the Safeway box and bag to the right filled with fabric and imagine another bag plus on top yet. Now that is what accumulated over the year or so of various trips and fabric shopping. Now the picture on the right has the excess "purging" stuff cleared away since and you can see the Safeway box not overflowing now and actually holds swapping items and a bundle of 1930s fabrics which aren't for washing and now my two sewing totes sit peacefully beside it awaiting the next retreat. Lots better!

Now here's what Sylvia and I did a week ago - sorted all the sewing room boxes of cotton fabrics and put them into the storage cabinets.


This was the before one - nice and neat and lots of room eh!


And here is the after with all newer fabrics added in - I need a couple more shelves I think. Now I still have to find room for the Christmas fabrics in there along with the novelty fabrics and that will be two more boxes emptied! Also, I'll just keep the 1930's in the plastic carry tote as those are used over at my nieces on our occassional sewing sessions!

Not bad eh, once I got started! Now what's next???

It's FINI!!!

{not sure about the spelling - but you get my drift eh!}

Yep, finally I've washed ALL the new fabrics purchased since summer of 2007 that kept piling up in the livingroom awaiting washing-drying-pressing before migrating to the sewing room to join their other stash members!!! Naturally, I'd take whatever I needed and do some quick hand washing and pressing as needed.

It looks funny to see that pile gone from the floor - will post pics tomorrow to show you that it's gone (except my 1930s that I just have to put away as none of those are washed - most are charms, F16 or F8s etc) and all are used as wallhangings. I'll also take another pick of my storage units - they sure are filling up that is for sure!!!

So now back to stitching as I've a few March 1st deadlines to meet!

I'm TIRED!!!

Okay, I know I've been "lax" "lazy" or "just plumb did not want to" to tackle the job this past year of washing/drying/pressing all my purchased fabrics and they were just piling up in the livingroom infront of the TV (constant reminder that did not work eh!). Well the piles weren't staying upright anymore, so I decided to tackle them this long weekend and just about did it too!!!

I'd been washing fabrics all Saturday evening and then again today that have been awaiting this process before entering my sewing room. I've done five huge loads and still have two more medium loads for later this week - I'm too bushed to do more. Naturally I had a zillion tangles to right, then I overdried some so had to do an earnest dampening and pressing job but it sure feels good to get this job underway and over half of it into the storage cupboards. Call me "crazy" I know - but I just can't put my fabrics away without pressing them first - yes I know it's double use of time but that's just me!

I'll take another picture when I've finished as I know it's grown since that first picture I took when Sylvia helped with the sorting and stashing away last week!!! Heck I've taken a good two laundry baskets of folded fabrics into there and still more to go!!! I definitely don't need to buy more fabrics and my niece had asked if I found things I was missing yet (cheeky kid!!!) - hmmmm just a couple of things and also found a couple of repeats I bought just recently that were near the bottom of the pile already! WHOOPSIE!!!

Then around supper I took the small rag quilt made by some Aurora ladies along with an alphabet quilt I found in the filing cabinets when we moved around the office recently and my own bed quilt to the laundromat up the street for a good washing/drying in the BIG machines. Talk about a lovely I Spy child's quilt once it was washed. WOW talk about a new look for my bed also - just have to sit down now with some DMC floss and blanket stitch the polyester fall maple leaves back into place as many have broken apart etc over the years (a good 30 years for this baby - definitely time for my first quilt to replace it soon).

Postcard Received

NOW yesterday I received an email with a subject of "Just checking this address" and was going to mark it SPAM but then was curious and read the one line "I was given one of your fabric cards. Wow!!" and just had to reply to find out how and which postcard was received!



WELL you could have knocked me over with a feather! See it was the PC my boss had bought to send to a friend of his and she I think leerily too sent that brief email to see if it was legit. Talk about LOVELY receiving such a followup from a stranger and then having a nice chat afterwards! Much appreciated as some leave my care and I never know where they go!!!

Busy Days

PHEW, I had the day off work yesterday and spent it with three dear ladies and helped them serge up PJs for children for charity and had a LOVELY visit along with awesome food as usual!!! I also used Faye's large uncluttered table and trimmed off the Aurora tied quilt the group started a couple of years ago and now I've got the binding fabric I may just finish it this weekend???

Then today was our Aurora meeting but not that many attended due to other commitments and some did not realize the date was changed - SORRY ladies!!! Today I stitched on my CQI RR crazy patch block - the usual spider web (thank goodness for that option as I'm nervous being the first to embellish on someone else's block) and maybe tonight or tomorrow work on the spider and greenery around. As usual the meeting luncheon banquet was varied and except for my meatballs, delicious and those desserts that Florence brings are just way too much for me but way so yummyious!!! Thank you all!!!

Then I dropped into Liquidation World and picked up a lovely panel set (has matching plainer sheets) for a quilt backing and then I stopped into Marshalls on the way home and picked up some green that I think will work for the sashing and also the binding for the tied quilt that is ready. Then home and promptly sorted my fabrics bought in the last year and I finally got around to washing three loads and maybe out of my living room and into the cupboards tonight too????? I've a few more loads to do but will leave them for another weekend or maybe Monday, will have to see what I'm up to. Sure would be nice to get it all put away and already that area of the living room is looking better! ROFLOL!!!

Fabric Storage

Okay, I've been talking about cleaning up my sewing room for years and it'll probably still take years before it's in a "clean and sorted" state!!!

BUT while Sylvia was "trapped" in the city after our Gimli quilting retreat weekend because of this crazy Winnipeg weather, she helped me sort through eight colour coordinated boxes of quilting fabrics and they are now all in my two storage cupboards - scraps and pieces in the 3-drawer plastic unit. She wanted to help with the other boxes of fancy stuff, but really until I sort through some of this freebie stuff and decide what is "going out the door" nothing else can be done.


Poor bedroom has become a storage area again until I can clear more out of the sewing room.


VOILA, now how long will this last??? And like Pat said I probably don't need to buy fabric for a long time - just finish off UFOs. Besides this, there is a large plastic case of 1930's and also Christmas cottons to somewhere fit in. I think I need two more shelves in the second unit like the other one. Sylvia please bring your drill when you come visitin' in March, OK!


And here's me clearing out some of the quickly stashed boxes from the sewing room so we could move in there, back out of the bedroom so I could get to the bed!!!

Then Wednesday there was a break in the weather and she "escaped" for home and just in the "nick of time" as the rain turned to snow and now everything is frozen again and cold!!! It's been the fourth day in a week that tha major highway across the province has been "closed" to traffic - totally weird!!!

Gimli Retreat 2009

Yep another gathering of families and friends for 120 quilters (there abouts)!!! Again this year my sister Sylvia and her daughter Pat joined me along with Pat's friend and her two cousins. And there were many familiar faces (some also family members too) along with many quilters from MPQ and around.


Rose Anne, Sylvia and Pat


three sisters' 5 FQ challenge

Well I took one set of my step setting blocks belonging to my Moondance quilt with me and "rippit" six of the twelve blocks and resewed them with scant 1/4 inch seams to ensure they were the proper size to fit with the other blocks. Now to finish off the other six and then to find the other twelve connecting blocks and put these together in rows to allow me to start the applique items. I also took some crazy patch postcards to work on BUT didn't bring the "right" bag of floss - DUH!!! BUT I did bring along my crochet project for a bit of change - though I did not finish the item.



Sylvia only brought a couple of projects with her and I really liked the table runner she was working on with pansy fabric and then she was starting the upside down machine technique for appliquing the poppies into the centre of one of her watercolour garden quilt blocks. I'm letting her perfect the process and flower designs before I finish off sewing my colourwash blocks and start on mine.







Then Pat and Dianne (her friend) took the "Modern Thinking" quilt class with Rita Wasney Friday night. Pat continued working on more blocks over the weekend along with redoing the binding on her Celtic Table Topper from a previous MPQ workshop. Dianne and her cousins worked on various projects they had brought with them and they were busy when they were in the sewing room!!!

Rita's sample


We can do so much with computers BUT we can't open eyes!!!



We all partook the hands on demo of making a basket - thank you to Barb from Carellan - and I enjoyed it so much I bought more cording to make another basket or hotmat with coasters from some fabrics I have laying around home.



I also took part of a "home parties" demo and enjoyed an awesome foot treatment which I now know will have to continue at home. And again Pat, Dianne and I had our manicures. So we all played it low key this year and just relaxed, I don't think I stayed up later than midnight!!!

Yep, we've preregistered for next year again but seems we are the only ones who did not register for the extra Thursday evening, hope there'll be tables for us!!!

Then on the way home we stopped into Winnipeg Beach at the "Keepers Quilts" (just opened up the past year now) LQS run by Shelly (204)389-4333 or email: shelly@keepersquilts.ca and finally found what Sylvia was looking for Fran by Michael Miller Landscapes Snowy Chateau Winter Panel. Sylvia was so impressed she also wants to make this for herself.

Store sample.

Then I too picked up a different panel by Hoffman California Naturescapes E900 but in the cold blue colours (not the brown colours) and I'm thinking of cutting off the funny looking foreground and doing up a winter wall hanging for myself.

Yep we all had a great time and got back into the city mid afternoon and relaxed. Then found out that the Hwy #1 was closed and also to Kenora so Sylvia is still here and guess what???? She's helping me to sort through and put away my fabrics this morning, then we went briefly shopping but the parking lots were very icy with roads slushy and this evening we'll do some more fabric sorting. BUT it seems I've tired the old gal out as she just yawned and told me "this city life is not for this country mouse" - HMMMMM!

Cans Recycled!!!

Okay, some of my online friends wanted to see what I've done with coffee cans (after another quilter showed her coffee can stepstools) and it took me about an hour of searching and I finally came across a selection of pictures but not exactly the ones I was looking for. Now I've used not only the large coffee cans, but the medium ones, peanut cans, coffeemate and hot chocolate containers but also spaghetti sauce and juice cans too. Now I don't have pictures of the juice cans made into drums decorated with tartan ribbons and round toothpics with a seed bead on the ends to show you but they were not a hit so I stopped making them.

Okay here are the pics:


First off I made this "Cheeky Elf" which I proudly have him displayed on my wall unit all year round. His hat comes off and the plastic lid is removable to store goodies inside. I've one at the office too.


Then came my 4 large can Snowman: top left was my first one according to the instructions except made out of those brown paper mache boxes which I changed to the cans. His hat was the plastic black tophat for St. Patricks day which I too fast changed to my own made to fit felt hats and varied brims with trims. Then the last picture is what I changed them to the last time I made them but I also made Jr. of medium coffee cans for my friend and he's cute with one of those long pointed hats. And some day will make baby sister with a peanut can and bunting bag on a sled for her as she has been begging me for two years now for the new family addition!!!


Then I tried making an angel of the coffee can but she's just too fat and her lid is on the bottom!!! I'm not sure but the snowmen I think are from the peanut cans and also the hat removable and items can be stored inside.


And these Penquins were a lot of fun to make - the bottom ones were my first and the top more recent and I think slightly better paint jobs. These were from various cardboard coffeemate/hot chocolate containers or from the medium coffee or sauce tins and also the white crumpled grocery bags can be lifted and plastic bagged candies can be stored inside or as a gift holding container too. I've a couple that are at the office for the front counter at Christmas along with my first Snowman and Elf.


And last but not least are these huge pinecones that a truck driver brought me from out west somewhere and on a nice day went outside, put them into a box and sprayed them with insecticide then made sure they aired out the rest of the day. Then dressed them up as you can see with some on brass candle holders and some just on painted wooden heart bases. These were a sure hit with office staff.

Update on FF#5 Heart RR

Ohhhh Ritva of Finland sure made my day today when she emailed and uploaded her stitching on my heart block!!! She made some "simple" tatting (huh to me there is no such thing - at least until I have mastered it) and awesome Bullion knot roses - WOW!!! Now them I know are not easy and I had a hard time with Bullions until I did heavily embellished paisley postcards (four of them) and the whole shape consisted of Bullion knot edgings. Yep I learnt how to do them babies!!!

Any ways, here's my "naked" block and with Ritva's embroidered embellishments.







LOVE that work Ritva! Thank you!!!

Motto for Today etc

Now I think my MOTTO for today will reflect this image I made earlier!

"Zippit" in regards to my views/opinions and only ask questions when I need more to understand the discussion!

A LOVELY Surprise!

Well I'll start off with saying it was a !@#$% of a day and partly a result of my voicing my views/opinions and being shot down for it. Now in hindsight I see I'll have to curb my desire to do this and just ask questions if I want to understand that which is unclear to me. Anyways I'll recover and opening my mail today sure helped in that attempt.

See first I have this LOVELY fabric postcard in my hands (which again has me fighting tears) from Mary Lou C as a Congrats and Thanks for various things. WOW you could have blown me over quite easily I say. Thank you so very very much Mary Lou and your work on this postcard is very lovely.



Then I open a package and smile as this is exactly what I was hoping my agreeing to this personal "swap" was going to turn out to be. See Ann F and I swapped first some silk fabrics and then she had this SRE Notions Case pattern to swap with someone and I jumped at the chance exchanging more fancy fabrics and CQing goodies. I think both of us were very happy with this swap and the items we both received. Thank you very much Ann and yes I will gladly use this bead soup and who knows maybe on one of my BJP projects!!!



Now I look forward to maybe tomorrow a CQ block for me to work on and maybe help relax me more?

Some More Postcards!!!

YAHOOIE, I finally finished off all the Horse or Western themed postcards I had started before Christmas but stopped as I had not heard how the first batch were being received at the stables (figured no rush) and then two CQd Hearts. And early enough to take all the pictures, fidget with and file them, along with blog them!!!

So first off here are the two CQd Hearts I've been doing for the 2008 Birthday Swap in one of my PC groups and also for Just Because cards. I have three more in shades of blue for an exchange but not sure which one will appeal to me mostest so thus the three and then I'll have two extras.


Left #341 and Right #342

And now the Cowboy Boots and Hats postcards I finished off! A friend of mine reserved one the other day (in a previous post) even though it wasn't finished at that time. Yep, I like them very much!


Top row: #338 and #337
Bottom row: #331, #332 and #333


Left #334; Top #336; Bottom #335

#339