FFT#5 RR Update

Okay, I'm getting close to finishing my embellishing and hopefully into the mail either Wednesday or Thursday - thank goodness it gets to Finland in 5 days - which helps me out!!!

I've added a second patch, which I've been wanting to try since I found it in a Candlewicking book, naturally I've used embroidery stitches to do this Bottlebrush bush and hope Diane likes it. Basically I'm using Dinky Dyes silk floss and just love the effect. I've just got to loosen up my stitching more so yet!!!



Now just to do one or two seam finishes and I think it's ready for Ritva's special touches.

Pets keep you Mobile!

Well they finally cleared our sidewalks last night I guess cause they were clear this morning and not late yesterday evening when I came home??? Now just for this slow melt to continue and maybe it won't affect the Red River anymore than it is! It's still slippery as heck out there and my good distance of a walk (Friday coming home from Stafford to Waverley) and then today from Waverley to the Grant Park Mall was a might tricky and my hip is complaining a might too. Oh well at least I didn't fall or jerk myself so that is good.

Phew this pet sitting is hard on this old bod, especially when I'm trying to keep up with these two dogs (Maltese) that seem to want to go their own ways and not always together - LOL! Oh well they sure keep me on my toes and at least they are not big dogs and tugging on my shoulder. I've still to master keeping the leashes straight - today on the last stretch they were a tangled mess and trying to hang onto the poop baggie too! I must be quite a sight out there!!! One night when they were pulling me like mad and I was a flailing arms and legs I huffed out at them that they were doing this on purpose so the neighbours would have tales to tell Mom & Dad!!! If anyone was listening I'm sure they think I'm looney for sure!!!

Right now they are waiting for me to "retire" for the night - like my keepers - LOL!

An Evening with the Girls!!!

Yes, it was another evening over at Georgie's with most of the Lewiscraft girls (we missed you Mary Grace - hope you're feeling better) and thank you Georgie, Pat and Mom for the lovely Italian supper and Amy and Michelle for the dessert.

Georgie

Pat

their Mom

Me, Pat, their Mom, Georgie, Karen, Amy Jean and Michelle is taking the picture.

It sure was delicious or like my Mom used to say "it must have been good or you were really hungry!", but I can say it was really tasty!!! And well the company was great too!!!

And last night I gave a demo on postcard making and I think I've a few more hooked on them too. I gave them alternatives: like using interfacing for the fronts and backs and two sided bonding or glue to adhere the two together, 1/4 inch from edge straight stitching all around and then trimming with pinking shears all around.

Georgie having a ball

Georgie's card

her fish


Amy's favourite critter and a couple of my postcards.

craft table now!

Michelle

Pat snapping pics

My heart for their Mom, Pat's dancer with help from me, Michelle's own creation, Amy's creativeness not yet finished, Karen wanting more embellishing yet, and Georgie's lanterns!

Two wanted to do more embellishing at home but they got the drift so I also gave them all the "FlexiFirm" and plastic sleeve to make up another one on their own. They are to bring them to our next meeting in May but pictures were taken of those finished and also the two fronts.

FFT #5 - Diane's block

Well I'm finally getting to work on it and I've completed my patch and it turned out fabulous!!! At least I'm pleased.



I used DMC metallic for the web, gold beads for the spider body, Japanese Buttonhole Twist for the Bullion Knot legs, Needle Necessities cotton floss for the stem stitched circles and Dye Weeks silk floss for the vines and leaves. Yep I think it turned out just lovely.

Now tomorrow onto the two seam treatments and see if I should do more or send it onto Ritva early next week.

House Sitting

Well it's going good except for the beeping last night!!! It only took an hour for me to finally locate where this was coming from and needless to say I was getting concerned and especially after the dogs staying nearby me and looking at the front doorway!!! It was only after coming out of the computer room that it beeped over my head and finally I knew it was the fire alarm. So now I have a new battery and I'm set once again.

AND IT'S MELTING AS THE SUN IS SHINING AND IT'S WARM OUT!!! Maybe no more shovelling??? I did have to shovel out the ridge the plow left infront of my car to get it out this evening and that was the hardest as I had to carry it over to the other side of the garage from the carport! Oh well exercise is good for me they all say!

Okay here are my newfound lap warmers!!! And it was as if they knew I was going out tonight as they cuddled all afternoon even at the PC!!! I still don't know which is which but lucky both come when I call!!! And one wants to give kisses all the time but sorry, I'll cuddle, but no kisses!

Molly n Lilla

but which is

which???

I've My Internet Back!!!

Finally after trying a couple of times I phoned MTS again and the recording said to disconnect and reconnect the modem, well I don't see one here but they have a DLink so I just one plug at a time pulled out, counted to 20 like the said and reconnected and FINALLY I'm LIVE again!!! Hmmm maybe not such a good idea, I won't get as much crocheting done!!!

MTS Internet DOWN!!!

Well so am I now!!!

See I started house/2 dogs sitting Tuesday after work for the next two weeks and wouldn't you know it our spring like conditions turned nasty on us and now I'm shovelling snow (three times yesterday and again this morning just to get out of the yard) and also MTS and Hydro are having a problem with the internet connections - Go Figure!!! And when I trudged to the bus stop a good two blocks away I was ready to go back to sleep again. And it's still snowing out there!!! Guess I'll have to shove and shove that gate to get in and then shovel the walks again! LOL!

And the poor puppies (small Malteses like Chichachaus but with tonnes of long hair) have such short legs and they are white - you can barely see them when we go for our nightly walks. I've been towelling them off once inside as they are definitely snow covered! Poor things - but they slept like logs just like I did last night!!! Heck maybe with all this fresh air and walking (more like trotting to keep up with them) I just might trim down some - I could dream right???

I sure hope the internet is back up as I feel totally lost. BUT I did get a lot of crocheted hearts in various colours made up and will take pics soon too.

Also I'm not affected by the flood, nor the thawing snow/standing water and the city tells us that the expanded floodway will protect us totally, but those outside the floodway - it is not good news at all - I totally feel for all near the waterways, many moved out already. AND the Red River is not supposed to crest until next week sometimes here!!! YIKES!

Thread Sketching Workshop

Well I can tell you that it was rough getting up this morning after the heavy concentration happening in yesterday's workshop, but boy am I glad I went to both. This one especially as I was impressed with some machine embroidered trees I had see in some magazines and I did take another workshop BUT this one was much easier to grasp and actually do for me!!!

So first off we worked on a 4 x 6" sketched pine tree image and I took a single tree as I remembered my disasterous attempts in the past and put my mind to doing the steps and seeing where it took me. WELL, I LOVE IT!!!

with Norma's matt

Yes, it is totally finished except for the matt and frame I have to pick up but it is stitched, sandwiched, and even "signed". I still have to make up the paper label to attach to the back.

see it's a tree!





finished n signed

Even my sister who mastered the water solvable Sulky technique found these steps easier to produce a finished image in much less time. She was impressed and very happy with this weekends sessions.





her's n mine



I think most finished their sketches in the morning.

Then the afternoon we worked on a larger 8 x 10" dragon or dansel fly sketch and this one I found lots trickier. But then it may have had something to do with the fact that I THOUGHT I had lowered my feeddogs but actually hadn't but I still got all my stitching done and even couched yarn around the wings and painted them too. Yep I'm happy with it even if it might have been lots better with them feeddogs down - who knows???


stitching on paper sketch from back - bobbin on front is right side


brushing fabric paint onto wings

For some reason Sylvia did not get much of her second image done, but then she had 5 trees on her island so that could be the reason!!! But she'll probably have these two totally finished before I get around to thinking about working on them again!!!

Photo Landscape Workshop

Gosh I'm dead tired but yet wired and have been this way since supper time!!! This day was awesome and I just have to shake my head as to think I just about missed out on it. See I've just been feeling BLAH lately and have to force myself to stitch and that is not good for me!!! Then I remembered that I've already paid for this workshop and Sylvia too and since I was the driver I bit the bullet and just went - enjoyed myself too.

It started out just awesome with Michelle Dobrin's awesome display of photo landscapes and a slide presentation of all the steps for her techniques. And I must say she provided very detailed handouts so those of us not quite finished should have no problem doing so. It was a very laid back workshop (yes I was anxious in the morning) and many had their pieces just about to the binding stage and Christine very very very close to finished!!! It was amazing seeing all the various photos that were chosen and how they were interpreted and manipulated into fabric landscapes.

Now here are the steps to my landscape - I'm tickled pink with it - yep I am!!!

photo used
step #1
step #2
step #3
photo framing
step #4
photo corded

And here is Sylvia's project before and just about finished:

Sylvia's photo
step #1
step #2
step #3
step #4


Yes, Sylvia, like most I think enjoyed Michelle's techniques and well run workshop. Thank you MPQ!!!

I've a New Blog!!!

I've been tossing this idea up for a while and then also a Website and just don't seem to have the time to sit down and "create" whichever properly. So I've chosen this as a fast solution and who knows maybe it just might work well for me too!

So within My Creative Extras you'll only find items that I've made and are "extras" for swapping, sale, etc. Right now it's empty as I'll have to transfer my "extras" from this blog to the new one tonight. Please stay tuned.

CQd Coffee Sleeve

Yep that was my next project that I've just finished!!! It's for a swap in my CQ-CA group and I'm only late by three days for mailing! Not bad eh, considering I had that comfort quilt to stitch up too and head out to visit my ailing Dad!!!

So basically I took a cardboard coffee sleeve apart and traced it out for my pattern then I planned out my CQ patches and stitched them together. Then layered the front with batting and embellished away.



Now I should have trimmed the quarter inch seam allowance off but I forgot and after sandwiching with a fusible backing I satin stitched the edges. Then hand stitched the two sides together and did some feather stitching to anchor securely together. I LOVE IT and I sure hope Sandy does too!!!





Now onto my CQd 6" block and embellishing too for the CQ-CA month end swap along with my regular CQI and SewBuds RR CQd blocks that are slowly trickling in for my turn of embellishing. I just love this!!!

Update on my Dad!

I had a lovely weekend driving wise - the weather was awesome - a bit of fog today but even that was not really bad and my visit with Dad was lovely!

As for my Dad, he's had a rough time this past three weeks, but he looks LOTS better than the picture Florence took of him in ICU mid February. He's not happy with the meals provided or his choice of workers - well we've all told him to just quit complaining cause this is the BEST he can have unless he pays for daily maid service as the girls work and can not drop everything to be there when HE wants!!! He did tell me despondently that "it looks like this is how it's got to be - oh well!" Well I just about cried, but held it together so he would not get upset and tried to keep it upbeat!

It was also awesome to hear the care workers and neighbours seeing him in the hallway or dropping in and saying that he looked lots better and not as grey - even had colour in his cheeks this weekend and he was smiling lots!!! That cheered me and I think also him too cause he repeated such to those that called too.

BUT, he definitely can not look after himself at all, but yet they say he's too good for the personal care home!!! I just pray he does not try to do things for himself and then falls and breaks something yet. He's very frail and I was afraid to hug him - I've never seen him this thin or having difficulty in breathing. Day by day I guess.

Comfort Quilt Top Finished!

YAHOOIE, I'm finished!!!

It may not be perfect by "quilt making" standards but after receiving the various sized blocks from some Aurora members I proceeded to stitch them together with sashings and VOILA I made a top 50" X 69.5" (which may be trimmed by finishers if they so desire). Now hopefully tomorrow it will be passed onto for the quilting and then the binding. I still have to do up the label this week and send it to them ASAP. Again thank you to Faye, Beryl, Maureen, Val, Ricky, Christine, Florence, Tami, Jeanette & Martin, Mary Ann, Norma and Judith for your blocks and the Coven group for the finishing! Much appreciated all!!! Then to deliver it to Ruth.