Busy Saturday!

OK I did a tonne of running around today that I'm totally exhausted!!! But I finally got the Timberland boots I was looking for at Soft Macs but nothing descent was on sale so I shelled out lots more than I wanted too - they better be warm!!! The have a rubber sole with grips for traction - hope that works better than the ones I did have.  My co-worker says they are and I've got to learn NOT to wear cotton socks outside in winter but get some type of driwicking ones instead. I have two pairs of my old skiing socks so will wear those in the boots for now. And while at Polo Park I also picked up a Show and Save book and card for some breaks on purchases and/or eating out (2 for 1 coupons).

Then I bought some terry and flannel and when I finally got home I stitched up my baby bath towel with it's own matching hand towel and facecloth along with the two large flannel blankets. All edges were serged so it was lickety split quick - took longer to gift wrap them up!!! When I was appliqueing Winnie the Pooh on the hoodie I stupidly stuck my pointer finger (the one you always use) in under the needle and naturally tore off the corner - so yep sore and puffy already!!! I think I'll have to put some Triple Action Poly on it and a bandaide me thinks!!!

Also at Northern Reflections at the back sale racks I found a forest green waffle top with long sleeves for $12.99 so that was good. Then I picked up at Cdn Footwear two pair of Bamboo/Rayon socks to help with odor and comfort under wool walking socks. If not I think they will work beautifully for dress socks as I can't stand panty hose kneehighs! And at Nygaards on Notre Dame they had cotton socks like what I wear for work and everyday at 6 pairs for $10 so I could not pass them up as I've thrown out many socks with holes lately and I'm running out between laundry!!! I stopped in there to find some dressy tops
again for work but zippo to my liking and/or $$$.

Ohhh and my final stop was needless to say adding some gas to the baby as it was running pretty low.

I WON!!!

Today I received my prize copy of Sharon Brigg's "Tatted Flurries" and in perfect condition too from her draw on her blog!!! 

The announcement was made over the weekend but I was away visiting my 97 years young Dad - cooking and cleaning and shopping for him - yep he kept me going!!!

So yes, once I have a chance to try some of these patterns out I'll be blogging my pieces here and within my tatting group album for all to see.

CQd Heart - Finally!!!

6" CQd heart awaiting embellishing

I signed up for this Chain of Hearts Christmas heart swap some time ago to GET MYSELF going on this group!!! See I’ve been a member for a number of years and have six of these heart bases CQd but not embellished and there are ladies waiting to swap hearts with me so I figure I better get a move on already!!! So this heart foundation is finished and I thought I should post it to let the girls know that I’m working on it and hopefully this week I’ll finish off the embellishing on it and a another block I’ve got here from CQI RR to finish off.

There just is not enough hours in the day after working for me to finish off all I want to do AND to relax!!! Never mind the house keeping!!! I do that at my Dad’s, definitely not at my place!!!

O Christmas Tree!

Okay, this is the second batch of needle felted O’ Christmas Tree postcards I’ve completed recently. The first three were Christmas cards for a gift exchange and now these four are for a CofH group Christmas swap. And all were finished before the deadline dates but the first set was slightly less on the embellishing – Sorry ladies!!!

So I started off with my background sky fabric as the whole base and also on compressed Styrofoam that was part of my individual needle felting kits I bought on 60% off sales. Now I know why they were on sale – takes too long with a single needle and also the styro is just too hard compared to the brush base that Ann-Marie lent me to try out. Guess I’ll be making a purchase one of these days as this is just too much fun even with one needle, to not do again!!!

Christmas cards for gift exchange

I built the tree with two shades of green wool roving and then the trunk base of brown. Then instead of using up ALL my white wool roving I found some awesomely soft poly batt given to me for doll making (which I don’t really do) and it worked just GREAT for the snow. Once that was all completed to my liking I then tatted individual short lengths of DS and picots for a garland and stitched in place. After that I stitched on various seed beads of green, red, gold and clear along with a beaded gold star at the top. Now in the Chain of Hearts group we were to hide a heart somewhere on our postcard – on mine it’s in the tree – but that was the last one embellished whereas the first ones I did they are on the snow under the tree! Then to finish it off I decided to add the clear seed beads scattered in the snow cover before assembling the postcards.


Chair of Hearts Christmas postcard swap



MINE

Now too bad I don't have yardage of my background fabric - neato eh?  YEPPERS I just LOVE mine and now I’ve an order for the extra postcard also – WOW!!!

One More Step Closer!!!

Today I decided instead of battling the fluffy white stuff coming steadily down along with the drivers rushing around, some slower than conditions warrant and many many more zooming around as if it was summer, I avoided shopping for snowboots and finished off the preparations for my first bed quilt. Yeppers the other day I washed the nine metres of backing fabric and pressed out the creases ready for piecing of the back for the quilt. BUT Saturday at Aurora I didn't get to that stage.

So I picked up my quilty friend Florence and the two of us beat the parking snarl downtown because of the Christmas Craft Sale at the Convention Centre and stopped into my office. There we both were able to spread out and work on our various projects.

Hmmmm what goes where and do I like that?

My "Under Stars Galore" (cause they are on the front and back and I’ll be sleeping under them) was born out of the 2005 Western Retreat Mystery Quilt Project which was completed April 2006 – my very first bed-sized quilt top. The extra blocks border idea was borne by my niece Pat and the borders planned out by my sister Sylvia – so kinda a family project?
 

Under Stars Galore quilt top completed back in 2006



Close up of corner patches

Then on another Western Retreat trip in 2008 I picked up the just over nine metres of star/moon blue fabric on a 60% off sale (took it all as I wasn't sure how much I truly needed for a queen sized quilt) and today finally pieced it together for the backing, squared it off ready for the next step - sandwiching and quilting it together by someone else sometimes in 2011!

The backing fabric purchased in 2008


So soon I will have a NEW quilt on my bed made mostly by myself with some help!!!  YEAH!!!

What a DAY!!!

Well I was very very very happy with our Aurora meeting this month!  BUT I can tell you it took a lot out of me (don't know about everyone else, especially Brandy) and actually my back is giving me grief for all the cutting and rushing around I did today!  But you know me, I would not have done it any other way - LOL!!!

OK some time ago at the Manitoba Prairie Quilters guild meeting Brandy thought up the program that Satellite groups from within could volunteer one of their meetings to assist with ABC charity quilt kit preparations (with the number of smaller groups within the guild it could be ages before our help is required again).  See these kits are handed out at meetings to various members to stitch, quilt and bind or one of those steps and then finished off by others (whatever they can contribute) and Brandy was having trouble in having a sufficient number available for the monthly meetings. 

Since Aurora Quilters are registered as a satellite group with the guild, I approached our membership and arranged for this month's meeting to be our contribution to this endeavour.  So without further ADO Brandy hefted all her paraphenalia to Harrow United Church today and along with Wendy, Gail, Ricki, Norma (here from Nainamo BC), Virginia, Val W, Maureen, Florence, Dianne and myself along with guests Ann & Margaret (now members) and Val H to prepare 21 ABC quilt kits (8 of these are rag quilts complete with batting) and cut enough batting for 12 more rag quilts. 

Brandy, MPQ ABC Charity Quilt Chairperson

 

Hall view of various tables of charity quilt kit making

 

Margaret & Norma figuring out how to do this step

 

Margaret (new member) with Norma & Brandy at batting station

 

Ricki, Brandy & Gail well at it

 

I felt shaky but honest I didn't take this picture

 

Brandy with two of our guests - Val H with Ann L (new member)

 

Wendy hiding with Brandy & Maureen chatting and Val H in the background

And as usual the luncheon was a lovely complete smorgasboard started off with two batches of cinnamon buns (I ate two!!!) with coffee and ended with awesome desserts/cookies!!!  Thank you all for the food and your help today!!!  And especially thanks to Norma for making time to visit with us all - it was AWESOME!!!

More Postcards!

Bamboo Heaven - embroidery swap

Aren't these cute? I've called them Bamboo Heaven and they are for a postcard swap on Embroidery in my FunFriendly Yahoo group. I found two appropriate Oriental fabrics, cut out and hand appliqued the medallions in place on the bamboo fabric background. Then naturally I hand embroidered around the medallions and also all the bamboo shoots and leaves for emphasis. I was going to satin stitch them in either a gold or green but my niece Pat said cream and boy am I glad I was not in my usual "which should I use" mood and just followed her suggestion. I think the cream edging is great!!! Thanks girl!!!

Now these are two extras and will one day be added to my Fabric Postcard Pages for future quilt show sales and or swapping.
  

431

 

432

November Landscape

Well I had taken an extra day and had an extended long weekend for my trip to Dauphin and visit with my soon to be 97 years young Dad and boy was he ever chipper this weekend.  He had me going here and there and really not succeeding in accomplishing much but he was happy so that is what counted.  I did take home a pork roast and meatloaf pan and prepared them for our meals which he did devour for lunches and kept his suppers on the lighter side as he wanted.  Even had a lovely steak supper with my sister and BIL along with some cat sitting too - this time they behaved.

I did get that stock car revvin' starter changed too and hopefully it will be all warranty work.  Definitely this replacement one sounds like my car used to so not sure what was wrong with that brand new one to begin with - both mechanics don't know either!!!  And hopefully my next trip I will have some winter rear tires to help with traction - hope the stormy weather holds off till then.

Well on my way back it was sort of overcast and foggy towards Riding Mountain National Park  and as I got closer to Riding Mountain (the town) I just could not resist and took these pictures!  I'm hoping to one day print some onto silk fabric and use them with embellishments.

More Postcards!

Okay, I think I forgot to blog these two postcards I made as "Just Because" and sent to my sister and her friend recently.  They are basically mixed fancy fabrics bonded onto a lovely shiny blue fabric and then narrowly machine satin stitched in place.  The flat stars are overstitched in place and beaded halo and waist belts added for accent.  I knew my sister needed a pick me up and she'd just been over to her girlfriend's for some quilting fun which she really enjoyed and also as a Thank You to Fran for being there for her!  Then I found out it was a perfect day for Fran to receive a pick me up card too - so I'm doubly thankful I did do these up!  

#425 - Stained Glass Angel - Sylvia

 

#426 - Stained Glass Angel - Fran


Now this set is part of a number of postcards along the same theme but for different reasons I need to make this month.  I did a trial run on my own piece of fabric and loved these needle felted trees that I just had to continue.  The one thing I found out is the proper tools of the trade are important!!!  See I had bought the single needle felting kits that have compressed styro for the base.  Another quilter heard this and was aghast and immediately leant me her brush base to try out.  WELLLLLL it's like night and day I can tell you and if I'm going to continue with this technique I definitely have to get myself this base and possibly a multi needle holder too!

These first ones are gift cards for friends.  I blended two shades of green for the trees, brown for trunks and then used a very fluffy batting for the snow and it worked just as well as the wool roving.  Then I added the sequin star and various beads to represent lights.  I LOVE them!!!


#434-435-436 - O' Christmas Tree - gift cards

Peggy Sue's Encrusted #1 RR Block Embellished

OK, finally I've completed my "quarter" allotment of Peggy Sue's block and I must say this is the first time I'm in an "encrusted" RR and this is lots of embellishment for me, but next to the previous Encrusted RR it is very lacking!!!  Some day I'll get the hang of this level of embellishing.

Peggy Sue's naked block

 Here is the overall and close up of the embellishing I did!  Hope Peggy Sue likes it! 

Peggy Sue's - after Rose Anne's embellishments

Just Rose Anne's embellishments


Now for the detailed work.  This is the beaded paisley which I tried to emulate one of the paisley from the CQI group - sort of!  The inside is all beaded and outlined with an embroidered chain stitch then outlined with the same cotton Bullion knots.  Then Pat suggested to echo the paisley to fill in the block and I kinda like that idea instead of my thoughts of spattered chains, knots or fly stitches.  I then attached my tatted edging (not as scared to try other patterns now - LOL!) with beads as a seam treatment.

Paisley patch - idea from CQI Paisley Swap


This is the second patch I attacked with joy, as I knew right away I was going to stitch the Queen Anne's lace on this darker purple to showcase it and then attached Sharon B's gifted mini metal hearts finished off with mini silver beads within.  I then did a feather and chain stitched Japanese Buttonhole Twist seam treatment and finished off with mini purple beads in each chain cluster.

Queen Anne's Lace patch


Now this button cluster patch was a REAL CHALLENGE and I promptly went to visit my friend Pat for some guidance - hope I accomplished what you were trying to show me.  In the upper stacked shell buttons I finished off with a stacked beaded stems in gold.  Then I filled in the patch with tendrils of stem and fly stitched vines and mini flowers in JBT before attaching the purchased butterfly (which I thought was just LOVELY).  Then I worked on the centre patch next (explaination follows) and capped it off with the alternating blanket stitched half wagon wheels seam treatment with larger bead centres and then it still looked kinda bare so I topped it off with Colonial knots and then straight or V stitches.

Button Cluster patch


Here in the centre patch I used a varigated deep to pale rose cotton and outlined the roses accordingly.  Then the posies and leaves with Silk Ribbon embroidery and small yellow beaded centres.  I then stitched in my single strand metallic spider web - hidden in amongst the flowers - just like in nature.  Added in the purchased ladybug button and the lovely metal butterfly charm.  Now came the spider - I wanted something different from what I've already done but was at a loss so sat back and looked over the block and finally decided it needed a pearl one.  That made it much easier and promptly attached the two body beads and then used my size 20 crochet cotton and made the Bullion knot legs and eyes.  This patch was treated to a purple ric rac seam treatment held in place with seed and rocaille beaded zig zag design.

Flowery centre patch


Here's the close up of the web and spider - I really love this one!

Beaded & Bullion knot spider

 Now to wait patiently for Peggy Sue's verdict and also to watch the rest of this block to grow in embellishments and beauty!!!