I'm HOME!!!

Yes I'm finally home from my two jaunts to Dauphin this month and just over a week of house/dogs sitting and what did I do - well I stitched right through the evening!!!  LOL!  No I don't have pics of my embellishments as yet by maybe by the weekend! 

BUT what I do have is a picture of the elegant looking Victorian like Christmas stocking donated by Gerry H to the CQI Retreat Scholarship Auction.  I could not believe it when notified that I was the lucky bidder.  At first I had ideas of embellishing some of the swirls with beads etc but I can tell you that the drapery type fabric used is just lovely on it's own and all five buttons are different which adds to the uniqueness for the piece.  And the way the lace and strung beads are shaped gives the idea of the old fashioned button up boots.  Very imaginative Gerry!

Belated Christmas Greetings!!!

Sorry, I was trying to get my "Merry Christmas" wishes out before I left but with dogs/house sitting at the same time it just did not materialize.  I left Christmas Eve for an easy uneventful drive to Dauphin (semi heat this time) and was treated to this spectacular winter wonderland probably beginning around McDonald and NW on Hwy 5.  So beautiful!!!   Yep, you guessed it - I just had to finally stop outside of Neepawa as it was such heavy hoar frost and so bright even my camera could not capture it's beauty correctly.  Or maybe it was I!!!



Just east of Neepawa MB



Just east of Neepawa MB

Outskirts of Neepawa MB



Passing through Neepawa MB



Passing through Neepawa MB

Just north of Neepawa - Riding Mountain town

And when I got to Dauphin my first stop was the garage to get the heat and windshield washers looked at, then promptly off to visit Dad.  He's just been moved Dec. 10th into the Dauphin Personal Care Home and loves it there. Well I think the rushing and moving was too much for him (97 years young) and he had a bad barky voice and dry cough the 24th. But he did want me to join him for supper - he didn't want to go to my sister's on the farm and I don't blame him. So I stayed at the home much to my sisters' chagrin as they wanted me out at the farm - I was too tired and just wanted to visit with Dad. Once supper was over I felt better and Dad was going to rest so I decided to go visit my sisters for a while - arrived in time to enjoy some of my favourite foods before the table was cleared.

Christmas Day brought a major shock as my Dad was in bed at noon still in his PJs and hooked up to oxygen!!! He had been taken to the hospital (next door) and xrays showed he has pneumonia so he's on antibiotics and bed rest. WOW that was fast! I forgot to mention that the turkey dinner with all the fixings was delicious and both of us ate it all up (actually all three meals I had there were very tasty and lots to eat).  Apparently there is a flu going through the home and all are on preventative Tamaflu meds for the next two weeks. Today he said he was hungry and totally cleaned off his plate and then was concerned about not shaved and still in PJs and that was not good as two of his granddaughters were coming with their families - he needed to get dressed - I think the meds are helping him if he's concerned about his food and looks again. I sure hope so as it was quite the scare for me!

Yes I did have a nice and quiet Christmas even with Dad getting sick and now am back in Winnipeg dogs/house sitting once again! But sure could have done without the whiteout conditions on Hwy #1 for the last hour of my 4-hour drive! That was scarey!

Here's hoping you all have a Happy New Year and if you're celebrating please do it safely!!!

Another Felted Postcard!

Here is another of my felted O Christmas Tree postcard that I've gifted to Darlene who just loved the ones I prepared and swapped out earlier and begged to buy one for her "Rose Anne's Collection" she hopes to frame one day.  I decided that she deserved a special gift as she's always so very helpful and kind to me even when I'm not so nice!!!

Our office's elegant Darlene

Now you can see why Rachel and I both named my fur trimmed angel Miss Elegant Darlene - she definitely reminds us of our coworker (above) who is always so elegant in her attire and presentation.  I just love her hair (which you can't really see) but she's rolled it up in sections and pinned - something like a French roll but along the nape of her neck!

Angels for Me!!!

Secret Santa visited the Aurora Christmas Potluck and gave me an extra gift – guess he thought I was really good or maybe he knew I needed some extra TLC to deal with my family??? 

Anyways, I thank my friends (they know who they are) for giving me these angels. I have both of them at work and see them many times a day – probably more so than I would at home! One has been given the name “Elegant Darlene” (as she reminds Rachel & I of our co-worker Darlene) and she sits on my Double Wedding Ring Table Topper I made some years ago as you enter our office – visible from my desk too! The other Lacey angel with body of “straw” (I know it’s not that but it has slipped my mind at the moment) is beside my Doily angel on the credenza and I see them every time I go to the printer or out for whatever.

Yeppers most of my Christmas decorations are here at work – wonder what they’ll do when I retire!!!

2002 UFO Completed!!!

Ohhhh I forgot all about my exciting news!!!

See last week I decided I needed to finish up something quilty for myself, so I found the first block Sandra from New Zealand sent to me (an angel) – she was my Patch Pal from our local MPQ guild set up by Carol G who visited there on business and visited their quilting guild. So I found fabric to go with it and Sunday after supper I started quilting the block and actually finished adding the two outer borders in a quilt as you go process by 9:00 pm and then stitched the binding in place but totally forgot about the label – DUH!!! It was added afterwards once I found all the info on it so that’s good – well except for the pattern she used but I’m not selling it so doesn’t matter to me.  So here she is hanging in the office on the lovely quilt hanger I bought recently too - fits perfectly!!!  I still want to embellish her doily wings with beads etc but that can be added in later.

Angel Block from Sandra, my NZ friend

So maybe I’ll try and do more here and there in the future to get other UFOs completed. I’m enjoing it in the office then will bring all the quilted items home to store after Christmas till next year!!! I definitely have to figure out some type of hanging system so they aren’t always creased or embellishments flattened etc. Definitely time to clean out the closet so I can make use of it for hanger storage.

Christmas at the Quilt Guild

Talk about a busy couple of weeks but it sure was awesome to just sit and relax with my crocheting and visit with fellow quilters Wednesday evening at the guild meeting.  Then the Make and Take kits were handed out and I thoroughly enjoyed doing mine up but instead of the Snowman faces I stitched on some small yellow/gold buttons and added Terri's initials in the centre to keep flat for the cup to sit on.  This was I thought a perfect farewell gift for Terri who is starting a new job next week with new furniture arriving hopefully soon for her workstation.   

And here is the festive cup (also a carrying bag and FQ) I won for the Sewing Kit game we played just before the activity started.  Cute eh?

Another of Life's Chapters Closed

This Christmas will be totally different as my Dad has just moved into the Dauphin Personal Care Home (age 97) and as my youngest sister says, “he’s the only one who still holds his head up!” Yes he likes it so far and we are all glad for the “round the clock” care and scheduled meds and meals as he is becoming somewhat forgetful. He looks very well considering this time last year he said he was not long for this earth!!! I’m hoping he adjusts well and stays healthy to enjoy more carefree days!

But before this was all finalized it was a week of squabbling and hurt feelings and actually when I look back on it – all for nothing, but that’s what happens when there are two very controlling siblings that assume others need not know the details etc.

Well Dad/the family had like one week to accept the room, move in and then his apartment cleared out! So as soon as my meeting was over on Saturday I drove out to Dauphin arriving at 7:40 pm and immediately started sorting boxes of pictures - then after all that was finished I had to pack up a set of 8 place setting china dishes etc and the other items on my list, all by myself. The four sisters had decided it was my job and they were not helping, if it was left it was going into the garage sale or garbaged - so 3 hours later I finally got it finished, washed out the closet, then put the boxes in there out of the way for Sunday's apt sale. Needless to say I was beat when we got to my younger sister's house and rested half hour with an ice pack etc then off to bed.

Sunday was a whirlwind, up for 8:00 am and back to the apt to arrange the banquet table in the centre of living room and then loaded it with whatever and cleaning too. The sale was really good and about half the items went along with most of the furniture - dang good!!! It went smoothly actually so I was relieved and wondered why the heck they had to be so dang miserable the week before???

Monday we met back at the apt at 9:00 (minus one sister who went home) and moved the items around so we could tear up and remove the well worn carpet. We sold a bit more on Sunday and then the remaining items were either well used or not really of interest - so the Second Hand Store was coming the next day to pack up what they can sell and the remaining will be garbaged. Then my car was ready around 2:00 (no heat lately) and the cleaning was finished by 3:00 so I decided I'd pack up the boxes, visit Dad, then started for Winnipeg and even unloaded 3 boxes at my niece's for Sylvia who will be in soon. Maybe that was not so smart driving being so tired, but I think lots better than leaving very early Tues and having to HAUL everything up to my apt by myself and then going to work for my 11:00 am meeting!!!

The best part of the weekend was seeing my Dad settled into his new home and knowing he'll be cared for and it seems well fed, see he's refusing snacks as he's still full from his meals!!! LOL!!! Then I find out that Dad’s skooter was sold the next day and the bed given to the Grandson who found the buyer – great deal all around! Now all I need to hear is that Dad’s personal phone is reconnected – that’ll make Dad happy and I can call him again.

BUT I could not email when I got back as my keyboard malfunctioned that evening and Tuesday too – WEIRD!!! I was sooooooo annoyed as I don’t have the money to replace anything right now. But the next morning whatever was the cause had sorted itself out and now I’m right to go again!!!

Now my next move is getting ready for house/dogs sitting Dec. 20th-30th and hopefully an uneventful trip to Dauphin for Christmas!!!

I personally hope this Christmas season is merry and full of love for you and your family! Please celebrate with care!

My First Car Accident in YEARS!!!!!!

Dang it I knew I should have waited till after supper then venture out - like I normally do!!!  No I had to go after work and it was getting dark and traffic steady AND a panhandler distracted me enough to miss the brake lights ahead.  Thank goodness traffic was heavy and slow as I was barely doing 20-30 km/hr when I tried to brake but not soon enough or time enough to even switch to neutral to disengage the drive momentum.  And it was on the incline just past Osborne St so I basically hit their bottom bumper.

Naturally it was a BRAND NEW van and I followed it around the corner to exchange info.  The woman driving said this was the second time this week for her and when we both bent to check her vehicle basically there were rub marks on her rubbery bumper and well my car all the damage I had was missing one of the rubber strips off one of my sticking out parts.  Then the guy comes around and he says well what about this too and I looked at the dent above and said that was too high for my vehicle but he promptly said it is so as their vehicle was just out of the shop this week and you did it - well I backed off and said OK let's exchange info and you'll have to go get it checked out - I just wanted out of there before he got angry (he'd already told the woman that maybe she shouldn't be driving anymore).  Needless to say I was slightly upset but definitely no injuries at that speed, thank goodness!

Then my mechanic did say I should phone in my report and if anything comes from them I will be contacted.  So that's what I did and I mentioned the panhandler who distracted me along with the question as to whether my car did that other damage the guy pointed out.  If I did so be it, if not I don't want it on my record.  Even the agent said my record was clean so not much will probably happen and depending on their claim amount I could even buy back the amount and then have no marks on my license at all - whatever that means.  So now I sit and wait to hear back from MPIC, at least he gave me a claim number and my agent's name and phone number. 

First 6" Heart Completed

Okay I've been in this Chain of Hearts Yahoo group for three years and up to this point not gotten to embellishing any of my six 6" crazy patched hearts as yet for swapping with the members of this group.  Well that is until today!  Yeppers finally I've completed my first embellished heart for the Christmas heart block swap.  Maybe now I'll get cracking and work on the others and one day have some of the awesome works of the talented ladies from within this group for myself - Flickr album loaded with many beauties!

So here's my naked heart block which I then worked on the tatting pieces off and on between trying to decide how to embellish the rest of it. 

Naked block with trims added

 

Tatted tree


So here's what I came up with for the embellishments.  First off I stitched the outline poinsettia at the bottom and then secured the tatted tree in place with gold glass seed beads and decided to leave the background as is.  Then I built the Swaroski crystal snowflake and scatter stitched silver metallic tiny beads in the background.  After that I decided on a silk ribbon poinsettia and leaves with gold seed bead centre cluster and this patch I filled in with scatter stitched gold metallic tiny beads.  I was going to make a button cluster on the right side overlapping the pale green and glitzy brown patches, but a co-worker thought it might be too overpowering and to maybe tat some smaller snowflakes instead.  So I did two simple seam treatments on the two remaining seams before taclking those two patches.  WELL I must say she was very very right and I like this effect very much.  I then scatter stitched the silver metallic tiny beads to fill one of those patches and the snowflake with the irridescent seed beads I used DMC irridescent metallic thread and Colonial knots to fill the space. 
 

Embellished crazy patched heart


Here are some closeup pics:
 

Lower heart section

 

Upper left heart section

 

Upper right heart section

  

Centre heart section

Then it came to "finishing" the block ready for whatever project the recipient would like to use it in.  Now this is the first time to attempt "reverse applique" and it wasn't as troublesome as I first envisioned it to be.  It was explained to me like this:  trace the shape onto the front of the background fabric, cut away the centre fabric leaving 1/2 inch seam allowance, clip curves and turn to the back and press to hold in place.  This I then appliqued in place over the heart ensuring the darker fabrics did not show through by adding iron on interfacing to the back of this fabric first.


Reverse applique snowflake sparkled background fabric



Yep, I truly do LOVE my first 6" heart block and gott make more so I can start swapping with the very talented ladies within this group and maybe make a few for myself to mix and match with theirs'.
 

Completed block ready for swapping very soon