Exhausted - But Finally Home!!!

And after I left Sylvia put up the trims and towel bars after Len cut one to fit the space.  Next is the backsplash, new rug and shower curtain.  Next time I'm there it'll be WOW like!!!!

Gosh it took me 6.25 hrs from Dryden to here.  Except for maybe half hour delay due to reduced speeds in construction zones which was really good considering it's been tonnes worse weekends, the rest was city congestion from the Mint to dntn.  This was due to a blockage on Fermor due to a bad accident this morning - was finally opened up 5:00ish.  I've not heard the details and feel for those involved.

Now will try to relax and figure out what I do now that I'm home again!!!

Here's the Gardening!

And here's our gardening work.  The plants perked up with the cool rainy weather yesterday.  Now hope the dang town deer leaves them alone!!!!

Feeling Accomplished!

What do you do when the hired carpenter isn't able to come and do the desired work?  Well you do it yourself by removing the small cabinet that was way too high over the toilet, removing the trim, adding braces to the back so it can be lowered onto the wallboard and hung back up with Len and my help holding it while Sylvia anchored it in place.  Then you go out and buy ready made cabinets and make them fit!!!!  Yep that's what Len told Sylvia to do and we promptly left to purchase bathroom towel cabinets (yes 2) and assembled them with some minor carpentry by Sylvia and we made them to fit the cubby hole.  So now she can sorta put her bathroom back to order.  Just some additional shelving cut to fit the double deep cupboard we made, 2 towel bars to be hung and trim put back and VOILA it'll be fixed up!!!!

Feeling Relieved - It's Finished!!!

That I've totally finished my "Carrying On" fabric art wall hanging (14.25" x 20") - my first one of this magnitude.  I am very pleased I spent a bit more time and extended the scene fabrics into the binding instead of a narrow solid colour.  After helping my sister plant all the harvested plants from yesterday's road trip, we both took a rest to recoup our energy, then I did the last of the hand stitching and light pressing.

Since it was my first large project I kept track of my time and am blown away that it took 34.25 hours from start to end and that's not counting the time I debated on fabrics!!!  It'll definitely be awhile before trying another.

A Tiring Day!

Well I've completed as much of the quilting as I'm gonna do on this baby.  It's quite the work in progress.  I finished squaring it off and added the matching bindings and pinned and marked the mitred corners.  Too tired to sew them after the Camp Robinson and Perrault Falls bush flowers and fern digging I did this afternoon.  We drove back to Dryden in quite a brief storm burst.  No funnel clouds visible thank goodness.  Been spitting and raining most of the day here.

Feeling Delighted!!!

That my first major fabric art wall hanging is coming along very nicely!!!  I worked on fixing up the large island and distant hills some 2 hrs.  Then this morning instead of going out for coffee with their friends I spent 2 hrs 20 min doing something detailed thread painting on the mountains and trees in the foreground.   LOVE IT!!!!

My Day!!!

Thank you Thank you Thank you for the birthday wishes.

So far it's been awesome - blue sky, scattered white puffy clouds and lots of warm sunshine!!!  I'm in Dryden ON.  Breakfast at A&W.  Drove to Sioux Lookout with my sister and BinL to Giant Tiger and Red Apple - great buys there and lunch at Tim's and brief limited shopping at both quilting shops and now at home resting.  Tonight is supper at B&B's - I get a discount for my supper equivalent to my age AWESOME - Florence and Roy are joining us too.

And awesome day too!!!  Yes I had my ribs and even two pieces and leftover ceasar salad from Tim's for tomorrow too.  I didn't tell them when making reservations but when ordering mentioned it was my birthday and she asked my age to apply the discount on my meal.  But she brought me the lit cheesecake w carmel sauce - nice finish to my meal!!!  Thank you Sylvia and Len and also to our friends Florence and Roy for joining me - so much nicer than me going out myself - still enjoyable but nicer with others too.  But it sure was noisy in there tonight - large group of middle aged women took over half the restaurant!!!!

Finally a Sunny Day!!!

It's a beautiful day - blue sky and lots of sunshine.  This morning I headed out for a good walk around town but I'm out of routine and cut it short at 5.7 kms.  Arrived back just as Sylvia and Len got home from coffee and she quickly set me to priming the new bedroom wall while she was outside readying her yard decor to put at as soon as the landscape service gets here to build the flowerbeds.  Guess I'll start some stitching shortly.

Feeling Ecstatic!!!

Here's the various stages in photos and time so far!!!

Next is some overstitching to keep all bonded and then the sandwiching and final quilting.   Hopefully these steps go as easily as the layering.  😆  Don't worry Monika Franz-Lien it's for you!!!

Mockup - 6 hrs

Top third - 3 hrs

Middle section - 3 hrs

Middle section fix up - 3 hrs

Foreground and details - 4 hrs

Feeling Ecstatic!!!

It's beautiful - I just LOVE it!!!!!
Hmmmmm wonder if I should let it go or keep for myself???
So far I've spent 19 hours!!!

Aurora Gathering

Enjoying the day with the Aurora Quilters group at Sobeys Community Room earlier today.  Gosh I truly missed the potluck monthly gatherings.

See we previously met upstairs in the River Heights Com Ctr but it lacked space and plug ins - so we brought our own lunches basically and some didn't bother carting up sewing machines etc.

But this place is awesome, easy access, new and we'll equipped kitchen for our potluck lunches with stipulation food had to be purchased from the store.  OK by me and most of the other gals too!  So a couple brought their machines and six others did handwork this first time - to check it out - but probably more will do such too.  The sliding doors closed us off from the store but many peaked through the windows at us and the rooms speakers were turned off too so we weren't bothered by announcements.  It was awesome to have our assortment of dishes and cleanup was a must too.  The only thing lacking was serving bowls - not a biggie but in future individuals buying salads will need to bring their own mixing bowls and salad tongs etc.

Sorry I totally forgot to get pictures of us at the various sewing projects before breaking for lunch and again afterwards.

Feeling Accomplished!

I had a good day but too long before I finally got home.  It started out early getting a new hair do, afternoon dropping the car off for an oil change and estimate of what new tires will cost me soon, and visiting Angela to pass the time by.  Then off to Costco to drop off a new reduced BP prescription but left as the wait was too long and I was tired already - tomorrow pickup.

Then home to do a printing fabric job for Pat before tackling the middle section of the VW camping wall hanger.  It took another 3 hrs cutting and bonding pieces together to look good.  I think doing regular quilting with pattern instructions is lots easier but this free for all is awesome seeing the picture come about.  Hopefully tomorrow evening I can bond the foreground together and then it'll be the embellishing and then the assembly and finally the quilting.  At least I'll be at my sister's for that time frame so if I'm lost and need some advice it'll be easier than over the phone.  LOL!!!

Mockup

Yesterday's bonding of upper section. 

Tonight's bonding of middle section.

Closeup of layers.

Feeling Inspired!

OK I'm starting the landscape hanger for real (bottom third of backing is out of the picture) but my very late supper bell was ringing so I've stopped for the night.  I like what I see so far and since my pounding headache has lifted I sure don't want to invite it back by pushing on.  There's tomorrow and Saturday so should have this assembled then the embellishing fun begins.

About 15 x 18 inches.

Small mockup.

Out Walking!!!

What a lovely day for our Prairie Pathfinders walk through Kildonan and McBeth Parks this morning with both Edna and Michele.  Even though it was a good bit longer than Michele prefers we all did it even though a might pooped and overdressed.  Time for capris and tees!!!

Then the three of us went to Baba Keys Ukrainian Restaurant just up the street for borscht and I had the grilled kolbassa with my rye bread.  YUMMY but sorry I think The Oakwood Cafe has better borscht!!!   After dropping off Michele, Edna and I checked out Sports Chex at Northgate as they are closing Sunday and had some good deals on walking stuff for us.  We didn't go crazy.  Just got one tee for each of us and I got a pair of knee length shorts and a walking fitbit clip that's compatible with smartphones and PCs.   Will see as once summer gear time comes I've no pocket for my phone and the waist pocket is too small for it - don't want to carry my larger bag either.

Now packing up my sewing stuff, dropping it off at home before visiting with Jacqui to show her my finished 'O Canada' hanger before I need to hand it in.  Then tomorrow back home for awhile until the next trip somewhere some when!!!!  😉

OK after SIX hours on my feet at the kitchen island I finally have a fabric mockup completed.   Now keep in mind that this is not final as I find the lake and road is way too dark and naturally I would ensure the far lakeshore is even, but the rest looks good to me.  I loved planning this with fabric.  I love creating!!!!

Feeling Inspired!!!

Has got me forgetting about lunch until my stomach started to growl.  😃  So this is a quick fix as supper is not that far away!  I got carried away searching my fabrics and cutting up pieces for my landscape mockup.  Yes I'm onto my next project.  I love creating!!!!

"O Canada"

OMGG my "O Canada" hanger is FINALLY completed!!!!  My creativity representing Canada's diversity of its people.  I wanted to share my love of shuttle tatting within this creation to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday and for this event.   It took me ages to tat all of the nine items and then determination in the quilting aspect as I had no clue what and how to finish it off!!!  I bit the bullet so to speak as I'm running out of time and went with echoing.

The tatted designs from left to right and top to bottom were obtained from the following free online patterns:
My Heart from Pinterest plus Mary's Heavenly Heart by Mary Joseph Donahue
Hearts Entwined/Crowning Hearts by Tat-a-Renda
Li'l Heart by Brigitte Phelps plus Mary's Heavenly Heart by Mary Joseph Donahue
Simple Heart by Sharon Briggs
Canadian Sugar Maple Leaf by Gale Marshall
Modern Heart Motif by Mark Meyers
Jon's Heart by Jon Yusoff
Heart's Desire by Susan K Fuller
Small Tatted Heart by Betsy Evans plus Mary's Heavenly Heart by Mary Joseph Donahue

Since the maple leaf was larger than the hearts it was tatted with size 20 Lizbeth cotton (finer thread) and the hearts with size 10 Crochet cotton (thicker thread) for a better fit.  These were all tatted and hand stitched onto fabric blocks, sized and assembled with sashing before quilted.

This was a joy to stitch and I hope it brings more joy to whomever garners this treasure from the auction in support of the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library.  Once I know when and where this will happen I'll post that too.