Catchup - March 10th-11th

March 10th

This was awesome to listen to! Thank you Brandy Maslowski. Plus a Sister's Scrap Challenge in support of Quilts of Valour! I can't wait, not sure if I'll finish but I'll give it an honest try!

Quilter on Fire

A quiet day with a walk in the route 90 area with Edna to KTR, Marshalls, Poco Beads, Michaels in and out and lastly coffee at Tim's and luckily there were two tables close by that we could sit inside and chat a bit!

March 11th

Ohhhhhh OMGG this was a breeze! Thank you so very much Kathy for showing us the Blocloc HST ruler and Helen of Cedar House Quilting for stocking it! It's a must have if you do any amount of HSTs in your quilting! https://youtu.be/gUqbjcV36IE

Image is prior to pivoting.

OMGG I received a Christmas gift from my dear friend Adeline J of Kenora today! She called to say the long ago promised gift was nearing completion and soon mailed off. See I was gifted some African fabric strips and pieces and once I'd sewn up my huge lace pillow carrying bag bases I gave the rest to her for whatever. Honest I barely made a dent in that bag and hoped she'd make me a pincushion as a keepsake from her, as she's for sure the Pincushion Queen! 💝📍📍 

WELLLLL, I not only received my cherished pincushion, but a Christmas ornament and a coaster now on my desk! NOW, if that was not a gold mine, I also received another mini hanger, all from these recycled strips. Adeline said hand sewing these stiffer/rougher fabrics was hard on her hands and now I'm truly feeling guilty with my gifts! 😍😘💞 

AND Sylvia had asked what I was going to hang on the top ladder rung? I'd said maybe a couple of my minis - ummmm nope not mine!!! Today I'd decided the 2 hangers Adeline has made for me have the honoured spot! 💖💖💖

Pincushion and ornament backs, green is my favourite colour! 

All filled up now! 

The green one is sewn from all the scraps I'd passed onto her the last decade or so, all hand sewn! 

A Mixed Day

I finally picked up a large photo album to organize my 500+ Cuban pictures and started sorting out my three packages of pictures I picked up last week.   I told the clerk I was picking up three large orders, guess he assumed because the first he came to had three thick envelopes bound together that these were all of them.  He didn't check order numbers either.  And silly me didn't double check either before leaving!  Well not so!!!!  I'm still missing two large packages yet!  And weird someone didn't notice packages not picked up and following up etc!!!  So hopefully they are still there or they'll have to reprint my already paid for orders.  GRRRRRRR!!!

Well I've had some fun finishing off the request for more of my hedgehog pincushions (wool roping stuffed)!   Now to see whether the PO estimate is what I'll be charged tomorrow!  The left 5 are Kroy sock yarns and the larger brown is a Bernat tweed acrylic.  The right side are two pricier superfine fingering wools.

January 29th Catchup

Jan 29th

Despite the frigid -40sC temperature, down to -50sC with windchills, I still ventured out!  Guess another saying not to be bandied around like "I'll never do that"!!!!!! 🤣😜🤯

Thank you Barb P for the lovely lunch, home visit and the loan of your Jennoop quilt suspension unit.  I'll try it out and let you know how it works for me.  Much appreciated and thank you.  Hope you have a wonderful escape from this cold spell and looking forward to another visit on a warmer day. 🤗

While driving my tire pressure light came on so stopped into Urban Garage to check and make my oil change appointment.  It was confirmed the cold will lower pressure enough to trigger the sensor and might be OK, they'll check.  Also when mentioned I need an appointment they said they'd do it now!  WOW!!!  This place has awesome efficient staff and both waiting room and shop are well maintained and clean!

This was on my Canadian Quilters FB and had to share with friends n family!

Well I think I've the Split Rings technique in my head as I didn't have to refresh before starting Riet's Dragonfly - alternative method of working!  Also I've taken liberties here!

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2002/sssr/rietdfly.html

Jan 30th

WELL I'm not sure what I expected but honestly it was better than that!  I was out driving and yes I let my baby warm up first.  Then headed for my hair cut bringing Adele a steeped tea, then a bit of needed shopping before a just because stop at Tim's again, this time for Barb B at work before heading home.  Again thank you Adele for the awesome styling and at least my hair is ready for Cuba even if I'm not!  I LOVE my curls!!!  Plus was dressed appropriately!!!

OMGG if I saw this while travelling I'd probably cause a traffic incident to get my pictures!!!!

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2019/01/lace-murals-nespoon/

Then I prepped my pictures for the Northern Lights Lacemakers monthly newsletter!

PHEW!!!!  I didn't think I'd finish off this bobbin lace practice piece worked on last October 2017!  But after rereading the lesson preparation and a number of false starts I finally got the hang of it and completed sections d, e and braiding off - that is except for the extra pair, I'm lost and too tired to figure that out!  Now to let the lace set a spell before removing the pins etc.  I also fixed my new travel pillow's insert that seemed uneven and ready to sew pillow n working covers and matching bobbin carrier.  Then I'll be ready to start the next lesson, but not till I've my personal teachers nearby to help me over the stumbling blocks!!!

Good night!

Tatting n Sewing!

My first order is completed and ready for mailing.  Hope they all like their gifts when given.

Then at today's Lace gathering I met Gerdine who knitted these LOVELY little angels - much to my dismay she does not sell them - only as gifts.

Also I started the tatted embellishments for my Red and White Art Quilt for the Canada 150 Quilt Challenge Fundraiser in support of the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library.  I can't wait to see the end result but a long way to go yet Melissa Marginet!

All Ready and First Day Over With!

OK we're all set up, had an early supper and now shopping before 5:00 pm opening to the public.  Here's the walk through from the whole booth and around closeups.

Sylvia's journals and my notebooks.

Sylvia's acrylic canvas and fabric thread painted landscapes.

My kitchen towels, pot holders and coasters.

My postcards, brooches, hot mats, mug rugs, coasters, oven mitts and needle cases.

Sylvia's and my quilts and wall hangings.

Sylvia's and my table runners and toppers.

Sylvia's placemats,  hot mats, aprons, ornaments and coasters.

Well the first 4 hr day went well and  we both did good.  Let's hope tomorrow's 6 hr day is better!!!  Thank you everyone for your compliments and wishes.

Feeling Relieved!

That I finally have all my craft items priced and packed up ready to leave tomorrow morning.   Soon off to bed and after breakfast I'll pack my clothes and load up the car, get gassed up and finally leave - only a day late but happy that it gave me time to finish off these items.  I've a variety of quilted and crafty items and hopefully my sister and I both do well at Dryden's Christmas Craft Sale this weekend.

I hand quilted the tops before assembling the pin cushions.

Lapel pins about 1.5-2.0 inches tall.

Needle felted snow and trees postcards, beaded along with tatted garland.

Red Hat wool crocheted and felted brooches with various embellishments - about 2.5 inches.

Lake of the Woods landscape postcards with acrylic paint enhancing.

Lonely Islands postcards with acrylic enhancing. 

Saturday's Finds

Not sure why I didn't wait with the previous post to include the pictures - not thinking I guess!!!  LOL!

So first off Karen picked up this lovely wall hanging for my sewing room while down in Weslaco TX this year and as Michelle said it's perfect for me!!!  Thank you Karen!!!

Then at the Antiques Collectibles in Selkirk (downstairs in the Gallery on Main St.) I found these treasures for myself.  The Oriental pincushion is something I've wanted for a while and here's one in GREEN!!!  Then there was this old suitcase holding various doilies, towels etc and I limited myself to this one with the butterflies and cluny bodies.  Then found this huge stack of lovely cared for hankies and could not resist picking these up.  I can see some awesome angel ornaments one of these days from them except for the two Irish ones.  

See the trip I'm going on to Ireland, taking in the International Quilt Festival of Ireland has asked for "hand blocks" from participants and I'm hoping to add the Shamrocks one as a cuff at the base of my hand.  Will see if I can pull it off.  Then when I get back home and have some time I'll do up another hand block to match and add the daintier Shamrock as a cuff for myself, maybe add some particulars of the trip etc in the block.

Sane Quilting, Tatting, and CQing too!

OK I finally finished off two table runners/wall hangings (whichever it could be) that I started at the Morden quilt retreat beginning of May. I'm very pleased with them and it was John at work that mentioned to me that the Dragonfly n Flowers could also be a wall hanging, not just a table runner! Hmmmm I was impressed!  I fell in love with this dragonfly and flowers fabric so fussy cut the squares and then added coordinating strips for an on-point effect.

Dragonfly n Flowers

Type Styles

This one is basically using a feature fabric with images of a typewriter and it's keys which I cut up into 2" squares and laid them out with a light orange batik alternately. Then Tami came along and said I needed 4" squares thrown here and there - that was after at least 2 hours the previous night of laying out the squares to my liking. I cut out the 4" squares, gave them to her and let the girls go for it, then came back and stitched it all up. And honestly I like this mucho better than my static 2" blocks throughout. The pattern is "Table Stripes Runner" within "Quilt Your Stash" - great projects from Joan Ford's Scrap Therapy program.  I love those drapery clips instead of stitching on a hanging sleeve.

Also in June I finished off my B&W disappearing 9-patch blocks quilt top (named A Touch of Red) and dropped it along with my delectable mountains lap quilt along with backing/batting to my machine quilter and a couple of weeks ago got a call that they were done and ready for pick up! WOW!!! So I prepared the binding for the B&W&R and will bind it while on vacation and who knows maybe someone will want to buy it! Pictures of the quilts to come.

While house/garden sitting for Angela, I spent my evenings in front of the TV stitching up these coasters trying to use up my stash of selvedges (tightly woven edges from fabrics) using the fancy stitches of my sewing machine.  I swear these things multiple in that bag!

Then earlier in the year I worked on the china saucer pincushions but felt they were kind of "bare" so then decided to tat an edging and anchor around the centre button. Well some I even added beads into the outer chain stitches. One I didn't get a picture of as it was swapped for a bobbin laced butterfly with Mary, but these are the last two I dressed up.

And not sure if I've blogged this but am including it here.  Within our SewBuds crazy quilting group I've a "panel" going around a second time after some embroidery by myself.  Someone mentioned the centre patch with the white lace reminded her of a mountain and so I wanted a winding downhill stream or river over the seam, along with tufts of greenery.  Not sure if I pulled it off but it's there.

Now back to crocheting hangers onto my kitchen towels and basically relaxing after running around most of the evening.