KERRYKATIECAKES

The Fox

2012-02-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

I picked up this little kit at the thrift store for under a dollar. Where to get ideas and where to get supplies are always recurring questions that come up in the crazy quilting groups so I thought I would share the story of this little fox. He is a nice little kit, basically thread painting, but tiny and came with one of those nasty little plastic frames for him to go in. I wouldn't have made it up as a kit and hung it anywhere but as a motif on Sarma's forest theme crazy quilt I thought it was perfect. It came with the the threads, all good old DMC floss, instructions and the pattern printed on the fabric. I discarded the bit of fabric after tracing the pattern onto tracing paper. I basted the tracing paper right onto Sarma's block and stitched right through it. I was very happy with the way he turned out on the block.

So, here is my advice to those just starting out and trying to build a stash for crazy quilting, especially when you live out in the boonies like I do and don't have access to a lot of stitching shops. Frequent thrift stores, selvage centers, garage sales, etc. and keep your eyes and your mind open to what you find there!

Sarma's Round Robin Block - Forest Theme

2012-02-15T08:25:00.000-08:00

Sarma's forest themed round robin block was a lot of fun to work on - had to think about this one but once I got going there was so much more I wanted to do! I could see stitching toadstools and blackwork trees but by the time I was done all that the whole block would have been filled and I'm only the second one to stitch on it. This is where the block is as I am mailing it on now and below you can see what I ended up stitching.

The first thing I did on the block was the strawberry plant because I could envision stopping to pick wild berries on the walk through the woods. The seam above is just some flower trim I added. The seam to the right is a buttonhole stitch with detached chain leaves and small flowers. I love these little jewelry spacers for attaching with a small bead to make flowers.

In this photo you can just see the corner of a black lace motif. Sarma said she added it there next to the blue velvet as a bit of plant that had gone black and waterlogged. I loved that idea and added more to the velvet to carry on the water theme: a couple buttonhole stitch lilypads and a frog charm. I made silk ribbon cattails to cover the seam on the right.

I embroidered this little fox sitting in front of his den in Sarma's woods. He took me the most time to do and I just have to send the block on now because of the time it took me. I had so many more ideas!

Thank you to Sarma for letting me work on her block and for providing such a wonderful theme!

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

I know I showed this just a couple days ago but it is now full of little matching stitching accessories! And, it is Valentine's Day, and it has a heart, so... I'm taking liberties with showing it off again. I can't show you all the neat trinkets inside because it is a challenge on the Stitchmap Yahoo group and I don't want to spoil it for the next batch of stitchers who take the challenge. I am very happy though to report that this is another Christmas present finished and ready for next year's handmade Christmas attempt. It will be my gift for the guild exchange and they are always handmade anyway but I think it will be well received and I won't be wildly stitching at the eleventh hour this year to get one done.

Reflected Glory

2012-02-14T06:28:00.000-08:00

At the end of January, I packed up my little exhibition at Vulcan County and brought it home. It was good fun to have my first little show and to see it featured in the local paper, but more exciting than that I think was this comment in the little guest book! It is reflected glory - to think that Judith Baker Montano's sister stopped and looked at my pieces and commented. I knew JBM had roots in Alberta but I had no idea she still had family here. I'm more than a little excited! lol

More Piecing....BORING!

2012-02-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

I know, this is a boring post with another batch of empty blocks but I feel like I have to prove I have been doing something! lol These are six more blocks, for the other Fools Gold DYB this time, again done in bridal fabrics. Once they are embellished I think all this boring white will be very pretty but for now, not so much so...

The six blocks together is a little more interesting! You can start to see the quilt here right? Now mentally add the other six blocks for the other Fools Gold DYB Round Robin and it is growing into something.
In any case, these blocks are winging their way off to Flora and I hope they will inspire her!

Another Christmas Gift in the Works!

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I did this cross stitch years ago. It was, I believe, from a pattern in Cross Stitch and Country Crafts magazine and I couldn't resist it - I love pansies and the verse is so wonderful. It has had several lives over the years - it was a box lid and then it was framed and I think it fell off the wall and the frame broke because it has been back in the stash waiting for me to think of something else to do with it.
They are having a challenge over on Stitchmap Yahoo group where the participants are making a Travel Bag for your stitching along with accessories.

So, I am happy to have finished the first of the projects, the travel bag, and to have this favourite piece of embroidery reincarnated again! Now on to the other pieces in the set and I'll have my gift exchange at Guild next Christmas taken care of!

My February AAQI Quilt

2012-02-05T22:43:00.000-08:00

I ended up babysitting tonight for over six hours but managed to make my small art quilt for donation to AAQI this month anyway - I'm on a roll! This one is called "Fractured Glass". It is inspired by the stained glass panels of Frank Lloyd Wright but seen through the eyes of dementia. Stained glass is a wonderful thing - the light creates beauty whichever way it is coming, inside or outside, but the view of reality when trying to see through it is distorted. At least that is the way my mind was travelling today as I made this.

If you haven't checked it out yet, there are some lovely quilts up for bid in this months auction!

Potholders & Dishcloths

2012-02-05T14:01:00.000-08:00

I surprised myself by actually finishing something to put away for gifting next Christmas. So, this is my January contribution towards next year being a "homemade Christmas"! I made three chenille potholders ...

...and two matching dishcloths. These were fun and easy projects! The dishcloths are nice and large and made from sugar sacks so should be good and absorbent. I added a band of one of my favourite fabrics towards the bottom of each dishcloth and sewed a length of ribbon on each side of it on both on the top and bottom edge so that the raw edges of the fabric were caught in between. Then I found matching trim in my stash and stitched it on top of the ribbon. I added a loop to the top of each dishcloth and they were done.

The chenille potholders are very easy to do as well. They are made of a sandwich of the featured fabric (face down for the back), two layers of insulating batting, five layers of colourful scraps of quilting cotton face up, topped with the featured fabric again, also face up.

Sew diagonal lines across the potholder sandwich, about half an inch apart, starting in the middle and working out on both sides. You can see the lines of stitching here on the back of the finished potholder.

Working on the front, clip along between all the lines of stitching, down as far as the last layer of quilting fabric before the batting. So, you will have the fabric at the back face down, followed face up by the batting, one layer of fabric and then all the rest to the top will be clipped. At this point you add a matching binding and a loop if desired and the sewing is finished. Once you wash the potholder, all the clipped portions will fray and puff up, giving you the chenille appearance. Fun!

Blocks Ready for Fools Gold 2 DYB

2012-02-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

I have been anxiously awaiting the start of two new round robins, Fools Gold I DYB and Fools Gold 2 DYB, which are the brain child of my friend, Gerry Krueger. The idea behind these is to have all the fun of goldwork embroidery using only faux gold - inexpensive trims, ribbons, beads, etc. that only look like real gold. So, I have just sent my set of blocks off to Gerry, who will stitch on them first.

These are my blocks for Fools Gold I DYB, all pieced in bridal fabrics - silks, satins, etc. in shades of white and ecru. I am hoping they will come home to me again adorned with lots of bling!

Crazy Quilts Are Quilts Too!

2012-02-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

Here I am with one of my favourite round robin blocks!

I could not resist entering a piece in the Crazy Quilts are Quilts Too online quilt show and one of the requirements is an introductory post, sharing a bit about myself and my stitching. Luckily for me, Hideko recently interviewed me for the latest issue of the Crazy Quilt International newsletter so I will happily plagiarize that interview! Hideko also collected a lot of photos of stitching I have done, much more than I remember doing! So, I will share these as well - thanks Hideko!

Altered & Embellished Altoid Tins

Jigsaw Pieces I made for Pat Winter's swap awhile ago.

I was born and raised on the east coast of Canada. When I was a teenager, my father's job took the family to the prairies of Alberta, Canada, and I have been there ever since. For the last twenty years or so, my family and I have lived in a tiny rural hamlet in a home we have created by renovating an abandoned church. We have a couple acres so we are able to have a big garden and keep a few animals. My husband and I have two grown children, a boy and a girl. My daughter still lives at home as she is still pursuing her schooling. My son lives in Calgary with his wife and two children.

Floral and Garden Themed Motifs

I love all types of embroidery and crafts. My main focus is always crazy quilting, however, I still love to learn new things. This year I learned techniques and started projects in Penny Rugs and Romanian Point Lace. I love cross stitch and am fascinated with blackwork and goldwork. Someday I want to try moose hair tufting!

Crazy Quilted Christmas Ornaments

My mother started me stitching at about the age of three with those sewing cards for children. She soon had me embroidering pillowcases and other linens. When I was in my twenties, my mother and I joined a local fibre arts guild together and I have been happily learning new stitching techniques there ever since! I had seen crazy quilting in books and magazines and admired it for years before I finally decided to take the plunge. I have been crazy quilting for more than eight years now.

Blocks I created for group quilts benefiting Breast Cancer Research.

Small Art Quilts I have created and donated.

Art Nouveau Block

Some Round Robin Blocks I have done

Under the Sea Block block and motifs

I love to make small motifs in counted cross stitch, using waste canvas. I also love seamwork although I struggle against always falling back on the same two or three favourite stitches for those. I started the Build a Seam (BAS) Challenge to train myself to try new and different stitches.

My favourite thing about crazy quilting is that I can bring all the other embroidery techniques I have learned over the years to my projects. I love the freedom of letting each block evolve as I stitch.

I started my crazy quilting journey eight years ago when I joined the Crazy Quilting International Yahoo group and have had the pleasure of being the "Group Mom" for a few years now. I love the fellowship of so many women from different places, ages and interests all gathered together with this common passion for crazy quilting. The inspiration is endless and everyone is so willing to share their knowledge!

It has been a pleasure to introduce myself to you and I`m looking forward to visiting the blogs of the other quilters involved in the show. I hope you will take the time to as well!

Wild Strawberry Motif

2012-01-31T17:32:00.000-08:00

I just finished this motif for Sarma on her round robin block. Sarma's block is lovely and in the booklet she sent along, she talked about the forest and her love for walking through the woods and everything she enjoys about it. So, this is the theme for her block and I wanted to give her as many of the enjoyable things about it as I could. So, the first thing I stitched for her is this strawberry motif. Picking berries is a great part of a walk in the woods.
I thought it might be interesting to walk through how I create a motif like this. It is so great to free yourself from copying other people's designs and strike out on your own. Having said that, though, the first thing I did was google "strawberry plant images". Most of what came up were commercial plants which made my mind click that what I was looking for was wild strawberries so back to google I went. I don't copy the photo per se but instead use it to remind me of the characteristics of the plant I want to stitch.

I used the last Build a Seam (BAS) Challenge, Van Dyke Stitch, to create the leaves for the plant. The photos I looked at reminded me about the long leggy stems on wild strawberries that carry the fruit up to the sunshine where it can ripen. The chain stitch stems and Van Dyke stitch leaves on this plant are worked in good old DMC cotton floss, using two strands. I added the berries next, working them up in a bright red pearl cotton using padded satin stitch. The green DMC came out again and detached chain stitches formed the small leaves on the berries. They look plump and juicy enough to eat! lol Lastly, I added a couple blossoms using white silk ribbon and straight stitches. I used white thread to catch the ribbon here and there and manipulate it into the shapes I wanted. A single strand of yellow DMC and french knots added the centers to the blossoms. The last touch was the colouring on the center portion of the silk ribbon blossoms. I used a yelow water colour pencil and then a q-tip to moisten it and spread it where I wanted.
I like how this motif turned out and can't wait to get back to stitching in "Sarma's woods"!

UFO Boxes

2012-01-31T08:56:00.000-08:00

Three boxes - three gifts ready for the coming year - three round robin blocks put into use! I love the round robin blocks I have from swaps at Crazy Quilting International Yahoo group . Each block is a treasure when it comes home from a round robin - a gift of stitching between stitchers from all over the world to each other. It seems a shame for the blocks to languish away in a pile though, even if it keeps them very handy for sitting and drooling over them! lol
These boxes are one way I have come up with to use the blocks in a way that allows each one to shine on its own and to be on display. I am always on the lookout for suitable boxes on my thrift store hunting expeditions.
The white one here was an unfinished box that had a woven wood insert in the top portion as well. On this one my husband was kind enough to cut out the top woven section with an exacto knife and paint the box white for me. Yes, I can paint but he is much better at masking than I am so I did not end up with white hinges and latch as well this way. I used the standard method of lacing the block around a piece of mat board cut to size and then glued the mat board into the top of the box. In this case I used a piece of trim around the join to hide any imperfections in my construction.
The foremost box shown was a box intended for storing photographs and had a space in the top to place a photo on display. It is a simple matter to display a block laced around a thin piece of cardboard instead and since the box is already set up to facilitate display, there was no deconstructing of the box necessary.
The box at the back has a nice deep display area - originally it held pieces of nasty plastic dimensional miniature furniture. The box itself though was a lovely wooden one and just waiting to be used for something nicer. On this one it was necessary to pop off the piece of wood on the inside of the lid and remove the original display matter. Once again I laced a favourite round robin block around a piece of mat board cut to the correct size. Inserting the block into a deep framework like this box had allows for using a more dimensional piece of stitching - lots of room for buttons, silk ribbon embroidery, etc. without it being crushed or distorted. The box also had a piece of glass in place to protect the stitching. I used E6000 to reglue the piece of wood from the inside of the lid back into place and it all looks like this was the original intention for the box!
I hope you enjoyed the explanation of how I used these round robin blocks and that you will be inspired to search out suitable boxes like this to display pieces of stitching you have. If you are looking for more ideas, check out the linky party at Pigtales and Quilts for more ideas on finishing up your quilting UFOs!

BAS - Week 80 - Van Dyke Stitch

2012-01-29T20:30:00.000-08:00

Van Dyke Stitch is another braided center stitch. I have made my first attempt at it here on a leaf shape. With a little more practice, I think this would be a great stitch to use for leaves and borders. It is simpler than the Portuguese Braid Stitch featured earlier and works in a nice rhythm.

There is an excellent tutorial with very clear photos and instructions at Stitch School here. Have fun!

Kimono Girl sold!

2012-01-29T08:55:00.000-08:00

I was so happy when I visited the AAQI website today and discovered that "Kimono Girl", this little crazy quilt I made for AAQI has sold and raised another $85 for Alzheimer's Disease Research! Yay!

Latest Issue of CQ Mag Online

2012-01-28T09:17:00.000-08:00

Just a note to say the latest issue of CQ Mag Online (the great online crazy quilting magazine by crazy quilters for crazy quilters - FREE!) is online.

Colour Theory

2012-01-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting much the last little while because I haven't been getting a lot of stitching done. Instead, I have been working on a Basic Colour Theory class over at the Stitchmap Yahoo Group. This is a great group by the way, where you can take free online classes on all kinds of stitch techniques. The classes are very high quality and you are matched with a mentor to assist you one-on-one. These are some of the samples I have been stitching for my class notebook.

Achromatic - colour scheme that uses no colours, only black, white and greys.

Monochromatic - colour schemes that use tints, tones and shades of only one colour.

Analagous - colour scheme that uses different tins, tones and shades of three or four colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel.

Complementary - colour scheme that uses tints, tones and shades of a colour and its complement.

So, as you can see, I haven't totally been slacking off! I hope that I will finally get a handle on this colour theory now and be able to use it effectively in my stitching.

Sane Quilting?

2012-01-27T06:51:00.000-08:00

This is one of my two laundry tubs that hold scraps of quilting fabric that are too small to fold up and stack with the fat quarters and fat quarter wannabes. So, when I got to choose the block for the monthly lottery over at the Mailblocks Yahoo group, I knew I wanted it to be a good stashbusting block. I ended up choosing "Scrapbagger" from Quilter's Cache.

Here are my five blocks I made up yesterday on my day off. Every scrap came from the scrap basket so I am happy. They are off in the mail today to the happy winner of the monthly lottery.

It is fun to look at a photo of what could end up being a section of the finished quilt - you can start to see the secondary patterns forming. Making these lottery blocks always makes me want to make a whole quilt myself from the pattern!

Great Bead Book!

2012-01-27T02:00:00.000-08:00

I just received a great little bead book in the mail from Meg: Bead Embroidery - The Complete Guide. It looks like a good resource and I'm looking forward to delving deeper into it. I have to say I love books in this format with the small size (perfect for toting around) and the coil binding inside so it stays flat for you while you are working. Looks like lots of great instructions which will be a great help working on the Bead Journal Project this year. This was a prize from a draw of names from the December monthly challenge at CQI. Thanks Meg!

January 2012 AAQI Quilt

2012-01-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

I suspect anyone who follows my blog is getting tired of seeing this block! lol I promise this will be the last time. I have sewn it up and it is already in an envelope waiting for the post office to open so it can begin its journey to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. This quilt marks a sort of milestone for me with AAQI. This is the 12th month in a row I have donated a quilt to AAQI and I am pretty pleased with myself. I intend to continue on in the coming year as well.

I usually finish off the back of these little quilts with Fast Finish Triangles - a great and easy way to allow for hanging the quilt.
As you can see,my quilt is #9272, which means another big milestone for AAQI is approaching. It won't be long before the 10,000th quilt is made and donated by someone!

TAST - Week 3 - Feather Stitch

2012-01-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed this week's TAST, the feather stitch. For more details on the TAST (Take a Stitch Tuesday) Challenge, please visit the information page on Sharon B's Pintangle blog.

Above are the three variations of Feather Stitch which were the BAS (Build a Seam) Challenge stitch for this week here on my blog - a happy coincidence for me since I only had to stitch once for both challenges! A full list of the BAS stitches can be found by scrolling down the sidebar to the right. The details of these particular stitches are in my last post.

I also did a patch on my block with the feather stitches I use often for under the sea growth.

After completing the feather stitches, I have decided that this block Juli made for me at Christmas is embellished enough. It is not the usual encrusting but I like the way the stitching is stealing the show and don't think it needs a bunch of lace and charms etc to carry it. I'll be finishing it up now as my AAQI quilt donation for January. Ta-dah! Does that make three birds with one stone??

One last thing - I have been visiting many of the samples of Feather Stitch in the comments on Sharon's blog and I have an absolute fabourite. If you haven't seen it, check out Gayle Schipper's Tessalating Fish Lips!

BAS - Week 79 - Feather Stitch Variations

2012-01-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

I have about the next twenty BAS stitches scheduled and by happy coincidence this week's BAS is a series of Feather Stitch variations which coincide with this week's TAST stitch if you are following. So, we can hit two birds with one stone!

These hardly look like feather stitch but they are. They are created by making the "v"'s of the feather stitch vertical on the inside. Very simple to do but a different look to an old stitch.

The second variation is created by doing two feather stitches at a time on each side, again making sure the inside of your "v"s are vertical and line up as much as possible.

Same thing again in this one except they are in series of three. To me these have the look of stitching on old crazy quilts so they are nice to add to your stable of stitch variations. Hope you enjoy them and have fun!

TAST - Week 2 (Buttonhole Stitch)

2012-01-16T07:54:00.000-08:00

As much as I wanted to continue doing this block all in fly stitch, I decided I would get hopelessly behind if I didn't move on to the second week and do some buttonhole stitch. I didn't get a whole lot done but did try some variations of the stitch that were new to me so I think I did all right in the spirit of the challenge.

The first seam I added was a Double Buttonhole Stitch - simple but effective.

I used blue silk to make a simple buttonhole stitch of staggered heights and then wrapped the base in red thread. Never thought of wrapping buttonhole stitch before!

This one is a Crossed Buttonhole Stitch which was a tiny bit mind bending for me.

Two for one! At the bottom is another buttonhole stitch of staggered heights and at the top is a closed buttonhole stitch.

The inspiration for all these variations came from Sarah Whittle's wonderful website - check it out! Also, you can check out the guidelines for Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST) Challenge here.

BAS - Week 78 - Portuguese Border Stitch/Portuguese Braid Stitch

2012-01-14T22:10:00.000-08:00

The new Build a Seam (BAS) Challenge stitch is Portuguese Border Stitch, also known as Portuguese Braid Stitch. It is a tiny bit tricky at first but you soon develop a rhythm and it goes nicely after that. I have posted a tutorial for the stitch in the next post if you scroll down. I think this is a very pretty stitch and can just imagine it with a highly variegated thread! Have fun!

Tutorial - Portuguese Border Stitch/Portuguese Braid Stitch

2012-01-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

I found two names for this stitch, either Portuguese Border Stitch or Portuguese Braid Stitch. Either way, it begins the same way with a row of parallel straight stitches that act as a foundation.

Once you have your foundation stitches in place, begin by bringing your needle up in the center under the lowest straight stitch or rung. Slide your needle under the second and first rung. (Don't pierce the fabric, just slide the needle underneath.)

Pull the needle through and then take it under the second rung again. Always keep your thread on the left hand side of your stitching.

Now go up and slide your needle under the third and second rung and pull it through.

Slice your needle under the third rung again.

Continue on in this manner, moving up the rungs of the foundation stitches.

Once you get to the top of the row, either finish off your thread on the back or slide it under your stitches on the back to bring it back down to the bottom again to work the other side.

Bring your needle up again under the lowest rung. For this side, you keep your thread to the right hand side of your stitching as you work.

Slide your needle under the second and first rung.

Then take your needle back up and under the second rung again. Continue on in this way working your way back up the foundation rungs until you reach the top. Take your thread to the back and secure it.

This is what you end up with! Imagine it done in a highly variegated thread - how cool would that be?

Crazy Quilts Are Quilts Too! - Online Quilt Show

2012-01-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

This photo has little to do with my subject today but I do love crazy quilts and I do love barn quilts, so there you go!

2012 is starting out with such a bang! There are so many challenges out there for crazy quilters right now and one of the most exciting ones coming up fast is the online quilt show at Pigtails and Quilts.

Time is running out for entering so you will want to check out the details here!

"Heartbreak to Hope"

2012-01-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

"Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope" continues its five-year journey across the United States with a stop at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival XXII, February 23-26, 2012.
The exhibit will hang at the Hampton Roads Convention Center (Greater Chesapeake Bay / Williamsburg Area).
Show hours are 10 am to 6 pm Thursday - Saturday; 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday.
"Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope" is an exhibit of quilts about Alzheimer's sponsored by the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI). Fifty-four small format art quilts (9" x 12") illustrate the disease from a variety of perspectives. They hang among 182 "Name Quilts," each 6 inches wide and 7 feet tall, which carry the names of more than 10,000 individuals who have/had Alzheimer's or a related dementia. The names of loved ones, written on fabric patches by family members and friends, honor the 5.4 million Americans in the United States struggling with Alzheimer's disease.
If you live nearby and get a chance to visit the exhibit, say "hi" to my little Forget-me-Not quilt for me!

Don't forget! The AAQI quilt auction for January ends tonight so check out the quilts while you have a chance by clicking here. Scroll down a bit to see the beauties up on the block this month!

TAST - Week 1 (Fly Stitch)

2012-01-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

This is the stitching I did with Fly Stitch, working on Sharon B's TAST (Take a Stitch Tuesday) challenge you can find on her Pintangles blog. For details on TAST, click on the icon on the right hand side of my blog. It will take you to her site and tell you all about it.

So, here is what I did...

I knew that I wanted to attempt a dandelion after seeing some samples done so here is my take on it. The heads of the dandelions as well as the seeds in the wind are all fly stitch. The stems were a bit of a cheat, being made of chain stitch, but the leaves are all fly stitch as well. The simple fly stitch seam underneath was the first thing I did and it will have to come out since I think it interferes with the dandelion head.

Above there is a green stem stitch stem meandering across a seam with fly stitch leaves on along the way. Each little flower or bud was made with two bullion stitches.

I did this seam in Arrowhead Fly Stitch, using a wonderful soft silk thread I found at Shuttleworks.

I used the same stitch for this variation called Fly Stitch Garland.

This last one, in the same thread, is called Double Fly Stitch, a rather wide fly stitch with a longer narrower one over it in a contrasting colour.

I had hoped to finish this block (which you might recognize as being one I received wrapped around a Christmas Cracker) entirely in Fly Stitch but time got away from me and this was as far as I got. I am undecided now on whether to go ahead with the fly stitch variations to complete the block or move on to this week's challenge, buttonhole stitch, on another block and have this end up as yet another UFO. Tuesday came too soon and it's only the first week of the challenge!

Pincushion from Gerry!

2012-01-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

I received a wonderful package in the mail this week - a pincushion made by my friend, Gerry! Gerry is famous for her hand painted buttons but before she started that she was making these wonderful pincushions! If you check out her Etsy shop, you will see she is now selling kits very reasonably so that you can make your own. I do not need to make one though since I have been blessed with one of her originals! I am tickled pink with this beauty. Thank you Gerry!

I'm Artist of the Month in Vulcan County!

2012-01-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

Well, this is a bit exciting! I made the local paper - they have published an article on me as Artist of the Month for the county! I am really hoping enough people will stop by the Vulcan County Office and see the pieces of crazy quilting and get interested so that there will be enough people registered for me to teach a class here locally! You can check out the article here.

I took in a collection of my favourite pieces of crazy quilting EARLY in the morning Monday so we could set them up. I had to be there when the office opened so that I could get back in time for work so got to enjoy a beautiful sunrise on the drive.

This is a piece I couldn't wait to share with everyone! You will notice that I immediately picked it up to hold when the reporter asked to take a photo for the article! I finally got my beautiful block back from the framers after Gerry finished working her magic on it! If it looks familar you likely saw it on Gerry's "Block Talk" Blog! When it came back from the original round robin there were problems with the block which Gerry was kind enough to fix for me. She is also the one who stitched all the beautiful dragonflies for me on the original block so it seemed perfect that she would come up with the idea of the little frog in the corner!

This little Christmas Stocking is also hanging in the Artist of the Month exhibit. This is the sample from the class that didn't run because of lack of registration. I was disappointed that I didn't get to teach this class in Vulcan because I think people would have enjoyed making it - maybe next year!

These are a couple of little six inch Christmas blocks. I have been on a framing and finishing frenzy over the last couple weeks getting things ready that I could hang in the exhibit to entice people into the wonderful world of crazy quilting. I only managed to get the first dragonfly block framed professionally because I knew it was one I would treasure and keep for myself forever. All the rest of these are framed by myself in thrift store frames. It shows - lol!

This one is a spring themed block - I don`t usually work in pastels so it was a fun change. I finally gave it a try getting out my needle and thread and lacing the blocks onto the backing in the proper method. I can see why it is recommended - a big improvement over my previous method.

This one is one of my earlier pieces but it was good to finally finish it in some way so that it got out of the pile of finished blocks I have never done anything with.

I love to explore ways to use cq pieces that avoid the cost of framing so I used a table in the County Office in Vulcan to display some boxes I put crazy quilt tops in, the denim cushion I made for dd when she returned from Brazil, and a pincushion, Notice I finally put together the tea cozy - this stitching has been the header of my blog for ages and I had never finished putting it together until now!

I wish all my stitching friends lived close in Vulcan County so they could stop in to see the pieces and cheer me on!

Finished Block

2012-01-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

I love DYB (Do Your Block) Round Robins, where everyone in the round robin works on one of six (6" square) blocks so that at the end of the round robin you get five of your blocks home finished and one left to do yourself. I am usually very bad at actually getting that last block done but I managed to finish up this one left over from the Tea Time DYB Round Robin I was in.
For this block I added some gold trim on one seam, threading some pale pink silk ribbon through it. On another seam I added a flowered Mokuba-type trim. The button cluster is made up of one of my decoupaged buttons I make, a Czech glass button and one of my very favourite vintage brass buttons.
There is a bit of lace inserted to act as a tablecloth under the teapot charm that came from a group charm buy we had. I added bullion roses and a few detached chain stitch leaves to the lace. One of the remaining seams is my BAS stitch for this week. the Portuguese Knotted Stem Stitch, with cretan stitch on either side and french knots. The last seams are feather stitch done in a variagated perle cotton and a layered stitch seam of herringbone stitch, cretan stitch, detached chain stitch and french knots. I used one of the sequin fans I love as the base for an embroidered fan done mostly in chain stitch. As always, if you would like to see any of it in a larger format all you have to do is click on the photo.

Now I just need to put these six blocks together into a finished project!

BAS - Week 77 - Portuguese Stem Stitch or Portuguese Knotted Stem Stitch

2012-01-02T23:13:00.000-08:00

Here is our first new Build a Seam (BAS) Challenge stitch for 2012! I have found it called the Portuguese Stem Stitch as well as the Portuguese Knotted Stem Stitch. It is a less common stitch but certainly an interesting one to look at! It is not difficult and I'm including step by step photo tutorial below.

In case the photos are not clear enough, I found a good set of stitch diagrams at the Stitch School here.

Goals for 2012

2012-01-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

The last couple years I have found that posting my New Year resolutions here has helped me enormously in keeping focused on them so, without further ado, here are my goals for the coming year!

1. First and foremost, I renew my commitment to stitching for at least 15 minutes a day. All the other stuff aside, the stitching itself is the core and the reason for all the other goals. If I stitch for 15 minutes, I am likely to keep going and stitch longer. If I don't stitch at all today, I likely won't stitch tomorrow either and inertia sets in. Next thing you know, your muse has flown the coop again... So, 15 minutes a day minimum! (Try it - this works!)

2. I will take part in Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday and stick with it as much as humanly possible. I may not push the envelope every week exploring the stitch fully, but I will attempt to at least use the featured stitch every week.

3. I will take part in the Crazy Quilt Art Project each month on a personal level as well as serving on the committee. I will work on blocks each month that will be put together at the end of the year. The quilt I envision making will be a gift for DH - a sort of memory quilt of our lives together, where we have been and where we are going. There will be blocks for family members and major events in our lives, the things we love, etc. I can't wait to start embroidering fishing lures, lol!

4. I am going to take part in the Bead Journal Project this year. I am not going to over commit here - I am thinking I will only be making ATC size pieces, postcards at the largest. However, I do want to explore more beading techniques in my work and this is a good place to start.

5. Build-a-Seam (BAS) Challenge - I commit to continuing to post BAS stitches regularly here on my blog and over at CQI for those of us who are still enjoying this challenge. Regular posts!

6. I will keep my blog up - posting at least half the days each month.

7. I will get my Etsy shop up and running the beginning of February and keep it going.

8. A new goal this year is to find a way to have my work exhibited at least once a year. This is a bit of a cheat since I already have it scheduled for 2012 but I need the goal to keep it up in future years and I will need to work on it in 2012 to have it happen in 2013 so that is why it is here. Also, since I already have it scheduled it means I will achieve at least one goal! lol This is also a great motivator to actually finish things - with the little show coming up in January, I have been on a "finishing frenzy" here the last week or so! As soon as I get the camera (which disappeared on Christmas Eve) found again, I'll post some pics of what I have accomplished.

9. I will write at least two pieces and submit them for publication again this year. Once again, I don't expect to get two pieces published, but I would like to at least write them and submit them - that is the goal.

10. I will continue with the cq teaching and work on both the number of classes I teach, the venues, and the quality of the classes. I have taken a number of great classes from wonderful teachers over the years so I know what makes a good class - I just need to work on achieving a similar experience for my students.

11. I will finish my crazy quilt Christmas tree skirt in progress in time to enter it in the Calgary Stampede Creative Living competition next summer. I think this is the third year I have promised myself I would accomplish this - third time the charm?

12, This year I will enter at least four competitions with my stitching - that`s one every four months so it sounds not too intimidating! It is harder than it sounds but with the "Crazy Quilts are Quilts Too" online event coming up at Pigtales and Quilts, I at least have one scheduled to take part in so far!

13. I will create and give at least one item a month to charity - this will be my service project for the year. I will post pictures to keep myself honest. Some of the groups I would like to do some work for are the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) continuing with the pledge I have made to them of a quilt a month. I am very happy that my local guild, CGNFA, has adopted the AAQI as their charity for the coming year! In addition I'll be trying to make small things on a local basis like baby quilts and baby sets for the hospital gift shop (profits go to the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary) and knit caps for the newborns at the same hospital as well as placemats for Meals on Wheels. My local public library and the school next door to me both have silent auctions each year so I would like to donate to both of those again. There are actually a lot of things you can do locally if you look around. Even the local library is in need of book bags for the local literacy program. Finding a place to donate is never a problem - just finding the time to make the items!

14. I will once again re-organize my studio and try to contain my stash to that area. It has managed to burst out again and take over the entire house so it is time to rein it back in. This year I commit to keeping the space workable as well as getting it that way. This won't be an easy one.

15. I firmly believe you get out of something what you put into it so I am committing to giving my time and energy to both my local guild, Calgary Needle & Fibre Arts, as well as the Embroidery Association of Canada during the coming year.

16. Here I go again setting myself up for failure! lol I'm putting my idea of a Homemade Christmas back in my goals for this year. I did have partial success last year and I think if I can manage to start now instead of November, I'll do better this year! So, this goal is to make my gifts and stay out of the stores next December.

17. I chose "journal" as my word for 2012 so I will explore it by playing with art journals (a new thing for me) as well as keeping up with the Crazy Quilting Journal Project and the Bead Journal Project.

Wow! Okay, so that should keep me VERY busy and also prevent me from cooking or cleaning, two things I like less every year, lol. And no, I won't be putting those particular items on my list of resolutions or goals, or losing weight, etc. It is all about the stitching here so that's the way I'm going to keep it. Wish me luck and if you are making a list of goals or resolutions for the coming year, drop me a line so I can check them out and cheer you on!

Self Promotion?

2011-12-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

I had a weird experience yesterday - I was interviewed by the local paper. I am going to be featured as the Artist of the Month at the County Office here and I am hoping that it will help to promote crazy quilting locally. I have taught in Calgary and other places but the classes I have sent proposals in for in my home county have always been cancelled due to lack of registration. So, I am thinking that if someone does not want to learn crazy quilting, it can only because they have never seen it! lol Am I right or am I right? So, it feels important to me to do what I can to promote our art form here on the local level. This was my reasoning behind having my work featured as the Artist of the Month and also for the local newspaper article. But, I have to say that being interviewed feels really weird. Luckily, it was a charming gentleman who came out to chat with me but the weirdness comes into having to promote yourself in order to promote crazy quilting. I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling this is odd - probably everyone my age was brought up with the adages of "being seen and not heard" and "modesty is a virtue". So, blowing your own horn really goes against the grain! I did it though and I hope the article with peak the interest of some local stitchers who will go and see my exhibit and then decide they want to learn all about crazy quilting. Cross your fingers!

Christmas Cracker Fun

2011-12-28T17:19:00.000-08:00

It is an annual tradition on the Crazy Quilting International group to have a Christmas Cracker Exchange. We draw names and send each other homemade Christmas crackers stuffed to the brim with all kinds of stitching stash. Unfortunately, I ran out of time and had to use plain fabric for the outside of my crackers. I had the best of intentions of covering them with pieced crazy quilt blocks but time just wasn't on my side. Hopefully the goodies inside helped make up for it though.

Here is what was in the first one - yummy fabric, decoupaged buttons, charms, a butterfly applique, silk ribbon, buttons and beads. Lots of bling in this one!

The second one was more on a blue theme with a blue butterfly applique and silk ribbon in shades of blue and mauve. More decoupage buttons, beads, sequins, charms, buttons, trim and a silkie.

This is the last one and it was more pink in colour - same fabrics, a Christmas silkie, beads, charms, buttons and a range of pink silk ribon. I also added a cabachon face trimmed out in beads.

I hope Elizabeth, Joyce and Lorrie enjoyed the additions to their stash. I just received my last cracker today from Portugal so as soon as I have a chance I will take photos and share what was in the ones I got in the mail. This is such a fun exchange every year!

Final Look at 2011 Resolutions

2011-12-22T06:50:00.000-08:00

Well, 2011 is quickly drawing to a close. So, this is my going to be my last accounting to myself as well as to everyone else on how I did in meeting my goals. So, here it is, the last rehash of them all...
1. This year I am going to continue with teaching crazy quilting that I started last year. I will make as many opportunities for myself as I can to do this. I am also going to build a workshop or class around a specific project that I'll design and submit an application to teach it wherever the opportunity presents itself. More of the same as last year - just stretching further with it.

I actually did this although I had not realized it until I stopped to think about it. In order to make the cq classes more appealing for the fall session, I put together a cq Christmas stocking and built the class around it. Spring classes scheduled did not go through as hoped due to lack of registration but I have a little something planned for January to hopefully help fix that problem. (More on that later! lol) The fall classes went ahead for the most part and I really enjoyed them - such great ladies attended. It was a pleasure to get to know them. Although this goal was met technically, I still have a ways to go to complete it in the spirit I intended when I originally made it.

2. I will try to go ahead with the "Homemade Christmas" plan that fell by the wayside last year. I have already told my family that I intend to be on a cruise ship somewhere during the holidays next year (that part might not happen! lol) and that I will be making all the presents I give. If you made two gifts each month, you would have 24 gifts ready next Christmas. Not just that you have made something from the heart, but avoiding a good part of the annual Christmas panic! I am resolving to do this and will post photos of them as I get them done. None of my family reads my blog so no worries there.

I did manage to make some gifts and I am really pleased with the ones I made. I won't have long to wait now to see if the recipients feel the same way about them - lol! I fell short on this by a long shot but I did manage to bring Christmas shopping back under control and that was half of my goal, although unstated.

3. This year I will make, or at least make a good start on, an actual crazy quilt - not just single blocks.

I am in an absolute panic to finish projects in the next week but honestly don't know that this will get started, let alone done. So, I think I have to give this one an "F" on my report card. I think though that next year will see it done and that scheduling was the main problem I had. Something always comes up and you just have to make time for these things, even if you don't "have time".

4. I will finish my crazy quilt Christmas tree skirt in progress in time to enter it in the Calgary Stampede Creative Living competition next summer.

Another "F"! Didn't get it done, didn't get progress made on it even. I think I will have to rework the schedule to figure out when I want this done and how I'll do it next year. Open-ended projects just don't work for me. I need deadlines to make it work and even then I will procrastinate until the last moment. Lesson learned at last!

5. This year I will enter at least four competitions with my stitching - that`s one every four months so it sounds not too intimidating! I only got halfway this last year on this resolution so I'm going to try again.

I am drawing a complete blank here - did I even enter any? I don't think I did but I might have entered a couple small ones...?

6. This year I will write about crazy quilting and stitching and submit it for publication somewhere. Let`s see.... twice! So at least two separate things will be submitted for publication.... somewhere. Their being accepted and published is not part of this goal but would be a great addition!

I was getting discouraged going over the last couple goals, but success at last! This one was a go. I wrote an article for Embroidery Canada and submitted it (remember they don't have to be published for my goal - just written and submitted, lol) Also did a write up on the CQI Retreat this year and it appeared in the last issue of Pat Winter's Gatherings. So, that is two! Ta-dah!!

7. I will create and give at least one item a month to charity - this will be my service project for the year. I will post pictures to keep myself honest. Some of the groups I would like to do some work for are the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) continuing with the pledge I have made to them, Grandmothers for Grandmothers (the purse auction), Aids Angels, The Toy Society, and CQI's Making Memories project for Breast Cancer. In addition I'll be doing small things on a local basis like baby quilts and baby sets for the hospital gift shop (profits go to the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary) and knit caps for the newborns at the same hospital as well as placemats for Meals on Wheels. There are actually a lot of things you can do locally if you look around. Even the local library is in need of book bags for the local literacy program.

Easy-peasy! This one was very easy to keep track of and accomplish because I have done taken part in the Quilt of the Month Club at AAQI. I got my required 12 charity projects done in one fell swoop with the AAQI quilts! Can I hear a Whoop? In addition, I managed to get some donations in for a couple of silent auctions, donated some stitching books to my favourite library in the summer, and got a couple projects donated to the Hospital gift shop. There were group projects I was involved in too - Hearts & Hands for Sendai, etc. so it is all good.

8. I have decided, because I am a terrible procrastinator, that I will stitch a minimum of 15 minutes per day. Once I start I am likely to carry on longer, but starting is the difficult part for me.

This was the best goal I set for myself the last couple years - I highly recommend it! Doing that 15 minutes a day keeps the creative blocks at bay and really increases my output. I just can't say enough good things about the 15 minutes a day. It has even extended to other areas of my life - 15 minutes of housework at a time, 15 minutes of organizing, or sorting, or computer work... They all add up!

9. I will organize and clean out my sewing room so that I can actually work there! And find things! I'll work on this one hour a day (minimum) until it is accomplished. I have added the library room adjacent to my sewing room to my work space as an annex so it should be easier to find places for everything.

This is a maybe yes, maybe no. I did get it done but it hasn't yet recovered from a summer relapse. I need to get in there and redo a few areas again so I can find room to work. But, since it actually got done at one point, I'm giving myself this one! lol

10. I am going to put the time and energy necessary into Leslie's and my Etsy shop and get it going.
It is a new area for me and that is always a bit scary but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Nope - changed my mind on this and decided to take a different direction. Watch for my new and improved solo Etsy shop in the new year instead.

11. The best advice I ever received about UFOs (UnFinished Objects),was from a quilting teacher, Anne Severson: that perhaps the reason you haven't finished something was because you had already learned what it had to teach you and have grown past it. So, bearing this in mind, I will deal with at least one UFO a month - either get rid of it if it no longer holds my interest or to put it back into my stitching schedule if it is still a part of my stitching journey. I might even finish a few in the progress!

Well, how do I judge this one? I did manage to get rid of a bunch of kits and UFOs etc. I donated some to various causes and that helped lighten the load. However, I added at least as many UFOs and kits to the stash so I don't know quite how to assess my progress here.

2011 Tree Hunt

2011-12-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

Now, I ask you, how Canadian is this photo? lol Here we are heading off to the Kananaskis to look for a tree - through a snowstorm and with a box of Tim Horton's Timbits on the dash of the truck!

We found the perfect spot and all climbed out.

My job is to get the fire going...

and the meal ready for when everyone gets back from trudging through the snowy forest finding "the perfect tree".

Even the snack after the tree hunt is a big family tradition - hot dogs over the fire, chili and hot chocolate.

Here is my dh, Gary, and dd, Katie - the intrepid tree hunters!

It would be easier to stop at the tree lot but how can you put a price on a smile like this?!

Words for 2012

2011-12-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

There seems to be a wildfire burning through the online community - of words! It started with a blog post, sorry I can't remember whose, about her choice of a word for 2012. Now I see almost everyone on one of the groups I belong to has chosen a word for the coming year - a word to inspire, direct, and motivate.
All the words chosen seem to be thought provoking - light, do, enjoy, change, encourage... Almost every word sounds wise and deep when taken by itself. You consider the meaning, the possible nuances, and what it means to the person who has chosen it.
Not one to like feeling left out, I put a little thought into it and chose my word for 2012 - journal. It may not be as deep in meaning as some of the words but I hope it will keep me on track a bit. It can't hurt, right? I have signed up for two big projects for 2012 - the Bead Journal Project and the Crazy Quilt Journal Project for 2012. Both of these pursuits promise a year of adventure in stitching but a lot of work. I think both will prove rewarding. I also chose journal for my word because I have been wanting to explore art journals - it seems to be so wide open for interpretation and exploration.

So, have you chosen a word to inspire you in 2012 yet? What is it?

Erica Wilson

2011-12-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

I was saddened this morning to read about the passing of needlework icon, Erica Wilson. I have several of Erica's books in my collection and it is a testimonial to her talents that I still consult these books today as I have for many many years.

Erica Wilson led a rebirth of needlework, bringing crewel and other embroidery techniques to an international audience through books, magazine articles, and television. She passed away at the age of 83 from a massive stroke but her legacy will live on.

Canadian Pacific Holiday Train

2011-12-14T06:12:00.000-08:00

This weekend, dd and I finally managed to see a piece of Canadian History that has been going on for thirteen years now - the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train! This year the train visited 140 communities along its route. Here you see the train pulling into Vulcan, Alberta, where we were waiting to see it.

As the train reaches each destination, it stops and a boxcar stage opens up.

I am not actually sure if these energetic elves were part of the show or members of the community but they managed to keep everyone very enthusiastic.

As we all stood on the railway siding, performers including folk singer, Valdy, performed for the crowd. This is really going to show my age, but I remembered every word to Valdy's "Rock 'n Roll Song"! I even saw him almost forty years ago when he was the warmup act for another band! It was great to see him again and sing along.

DD, Katie, and I enjoyed the event so much! As you can see, so did her dog, Dexter.

No excuse for this extreme closeup other than the fact bloodhounds are so darn pretty and Dexter is no exception! lol

And here I am! It is very rare that I actually end up in a picture so I thought I would share it as well. Usually I am the one behind the camera.

Some folks have managed to see the train every time it has come through. I was pretty impressed by how prepared some folks were to watch the show in comfort - like this gentleman!

Since its inception in 1999, the train more than $5.6 million and over 2.45 million pounds of food has been collected in Canada and the United States.
The goal of the Holiday Train is to collect food and money for local food banks and to raise awareness in the fight against hunger. At each event, the Holiday Train provides a box car stage, a line up of great musical talents and a corporate contribution to the local food bank. The community, in turn, is encouraged to donate food and funds, all of which stays in the community

This is just some of the food which was collected the day we were there. In addition, over $5,000.00 was received by the foodbank, which they are able to use to provide four times that amount of food - over $20,000.00 worth!

In typical prairie style, there was a hayride after the event for everyone to enjoy.

That a beautiful team of horses!

Here is the caboose, slowing disappearing after the event. I would love the chance to see the train at night sometime since the sides were covered in Christmas light designs.

Hollis Chatelain Gets Hat Trick — AAQI Gets $17,327.26

2011-12-13T09:41:00.000-08:00

Hollis Chatelain earned a “hat trick” and the coveted MVP award for “Hollow,” a 16″ x 16″ thread-painted, machine quilted image of a woman’s face. Chatelain’s quilt raised $2,570 for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) in the “Stanley Cup Quilt-Off” online auction which ended November 10th. This is the third year in a row her quilt earned top dollar in the charity auction.
Twelve quilters in two teams competed for bragging rights, the highest selling quilt earning its maker the MVP award in this spirited competition between The Feed Dogs (Alex Anderson, Hollis Chatelain, John Flynn, Becky Goldsmith, Renae Haddadin, and Sue Nickels) and The Rotary Blades (Caryl Bryer Fallert, Pat Holly, Libby Lehman, Judy Mathieson, Mary Sorensen, and Ricky Tims.
The annual celebrity quilt auction was the most successful online auction in AAQI history raising $14,025 for the nonprofit. A Viewer’s Choice component to the “Stanley Cup Quilt-Off” was also offered at the International Quilt Festival in Houston and online. Each $1 donation to the AAQI was counted as one vote, raising an additional $2,277.26 overall. Profits from sales of earrings made with images of each of the 12 auction quilts, brought in $1,025 for a grand total of $17,327.26.
Thank you!

December Quilt for AAQI

2011-12-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

I am tempted to quote Monty Python here - "And now for something completely different...!"

This is my quilt donation to AAQI for this month. I've named it "The Cathedral Walls are Falling Down". It started life as a rectangle of vintage quilting - cathedral window blocks to be exact. As soon as I found it I knew it wanted to become an AAQI quilt but it took me awhile to figure out how. I ended up deconstructing it into pieces with quite a bit of hand sewing involved. Then I reassembled the pieces into a random shape which fit the size requirements. I added buttons at all the junctions and corners.

I like the idea of it portraying something as solid as a cathedral slowly falling apart. We look to our elders for guidance and wisdom but Alzheimers robs us of this privilege by making their minds crumble and fall apart like my imaginary cathedral. Hopefully someone else will see what I see in this piece.

Another Christmas Gift Done!

2011-12-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

I have just finished up another Christmas gift - this time for my granddaughter. (She doesn't read my blog so it is safe to share here). The idea started with these kits I picked up at the thrift store. They were complete and the original price tag on each was $35 - I paid $4 each for them so I was off to a good start!

My granddaughter does artwork on the computer, creating anime characters using the Paint program. So, the first thing I did was lay my hands on two of her pictures.

The kits came with a stretched canvas and a foam brush, scraper and jar of medium. First step is to copy the pictures on a laser copier on the special paper provided, making mirror images. Next you brush a layer of the medium over the artwork and the canvas.

Once this is dry, you do the same again, this time brushing in the opposite direction. Easy Peasy!

After the second coat is dry, you put a generous coat of the medium on the canvas and then place the artwork copy face down onto the canvas. Use the scraper then to press the medium out from the center towards the edge of the canvas, wiping the excess off as it oozes out. You can either let it dry for a couple hours then, or if you are inpatient like me you can put it in the oven at 170 for 15 minutes. After that you moisten the back of the paper until it becomes translucent. The paper peels off easily then in one piece leaving the artwork image behind. One more coat of the medium to seal it all and it's done. Very good instructions in these kit - very easy project.

So here they are, with the image applied to the stretched canvas and ready to be hung up on the wall.

I think the two of them look pretty neat and will make a nice grouping on her wall and I think (or at least I hope!) that she will think it is pretty cool. So, one more handmade gift off the list!

Finished CQ Box

2011-12-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me say right off the bat that I can't take credit for this beautiful stitching. I didn't do it - it was the cover of one of my Christmas Crackers I received in a CQI swap last year from a wonderful crazy quilting friend. I can, however, take credit for the finishing! I am always on the lookout for boxes and things I can take apart and reassemble to hold crazy quilting pieces. This box from the thrift store was a great find and I paid under $5 for it. It held a pretty ugly grouping of ceramic bits and bobs but now it holds this beautiful stitching. There was lots of depth to the original collection in there so the bullion stitch insects and other dimensional stitching have lots of room to breath.

I love it when a plan comes together! I will be keeping this for myself and finally I have a wonderful way to protect the treasured gift of stitching and display it for everyone to admire.

AAQI Quilts Sold in Houston

2011-12-08T09:39:00.000-08:00

Before I get into the quilts in Houston, I need to remind everyone there are two days left on December's AAQI auction! There are still some bargains to be had so think about your Christmas shopping list. Here is a sampler but check out the rest here.

Quilt #7475 - Tis the Season
Donated by: Charlotte Rayl

Quilt #7791 - Driven Snow
Donated by: Marlene Woodfield

Quilt #8505 - Phoenix
Donated by: Ann Louise Mullard-Pugh

And now the news from Houston! The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) raised $62,000 during International Quilt Festival (IQF) in Houston, Texas. From November 2-6, 2011, volunteers sold 1,141 Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts (mini quilts measuring 9" x 12" or less) breaking all previous sales records for the all-volunteer nonprofit organization.

Click here to see the quilts that sold in Houston.

This was the sixth year the AAQI was invited to display and sell Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts by IQF founder and director Karey Bresenhan. Brooke and John Flynn, from Billings, Montana, again sponsored the booth.

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative awarded $115,000 in grants in 2011, funding research at the University of Michigan, the University of Pittsburgh, and CornellUniversity. AAQI grants are made possible in large part from income generated by selling quilts made by its supporters. Nearly 9,000 Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts have been donated since the effort began.

The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative is a national, grassroots charity whose mission is to raise awareness and fund research. Alzheimer’s Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope, a nationally touring exhibit of quilts about Alzheimer's, and the Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts project are two of its programs. The AAQI has raised more than $679,000 for Alzheimer’s research since January 2006. Ami Simms of Flint, Michigan is the founder and executive director of AAQI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Her mother had Alzheimer’s.

For more information on the AAQI or to make a donation, contact Ami Simms at 810-637-5586 (9 a.m – 3 p.m. Eastern), ami@alzquilt.org or www.alzquilts.org.

I was very happy to see a couple of my quilts included in the ones that sold in Houston! I hope they bring happiness to the folks who bought them!

Thrifty Thursday - Thrift Store Find

2011-12-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

This week's Thrifty Thursday post has nothing to do with stitching at all - it is just something I came across yesterday that I could not resist! I love this colourful firescreen I found at the Salvage Center. It is sturdy, made of painted tin, and makes me smile every time I look at it. The price on the still attached tag is for $45.00 which I wouldn't consider a bad price but probably would never have paid. So when I saw it there and asked for a price and was told $10, I thought why not treat myself? I came right home and set it up in front of the woodstove and it is jumpstarting my urge to decorate for the holidays!

Last Crazy Quilting Class of the Year!

2011-12-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of teaching a class for the Town of High River on how to make a Crazy Quilted Christmas Stocking. As you can see, Glyn looks very happy with hers!

All the ladies worked very hard and I think the class was enjoyable for them as well as me. I kept harping to "press, press, press!" As you can see, Debra was listening! lol

Here is Debra's stocking - the results certainly were beautiful! She was very patient with my drooling over her grandmother's button box too! If you enlarge this photo I hope you can see the motif with the ruched ribbon and the darling little brass buttons. They came from the button box and were just perfect in this spot!

We held the class at The Culture Centre in High River - a wonderful facility! We had all the room we needed to spread our stash out and get right into it.

This is the second time Jasmine has taken a crazy quilting class from me so it was really nice to see her again. She has a real artistic vision and takes whatever I show her and makes it her own.

Sharon was another student who wasn't a stranger to me. We used to attend the High River Handicraft Guild together and I had the pleasure of having her in my Fabric Manipulation class earlier this fall. It was exciting to me to see her take the embossed velvet she made in that first class and incorporate it into her Christmas Stocking in this class.

I want to thank Valerie, Jasmine, Ann, Glyn, Debra, Sharon, Rhonda and Ethel for making this class such a pleasure to teach!

Tractor Blanket for a Special Boy

2011-12-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

Well, it is not crazy quilting or even sewing but it is done! I have fallen hard for the grandson of my friends and wanted to make him a little something for Christmas. He is two and obsessed with tractors and heavy machinery so when I saw this fleece John Deere panel I knew it was perfect. I trimmed it and then fringed and knotted it last night in a couple hours and I think he will love it! So, another Christmas gift (homemade even!) is done and ready to go!

Stitch-In Day at Elboya (CGNFA)

2011-12-04T09:14:00.000-08:00

This Thursday I the pleasure of taking part in a Stitching Day in Calgary with friends, old and new, in the Calgary Guild of Needle and Fibre Arts. It was a relaxing day, as it always is, stitching and chatting without interruption. I spent the day putting together kits for an upcoming class while the others beaded, stitched and knit. Even though I was feeling pressure to get done everything I needed to get accomplished that day - it was a lovely way to spend a winter day and I am happy I went even though I was not able to sit and stitch.

Beryl was working on a beaded cover for a Christmas ball and was deep in concentration. What a beautiful project it is though! It was a mini workshop at the last Stitching Day and I am so sorry I missed it.

Much as I love my Yahoo groups because they are the ultimate solution to stitchers who are isolated geographically, or by winter weather, I have to sing the praises of belonging to a group where you get out and spend time with like-minded people. I have belonged to CGNFA, a Chapter of The Embroidery Association of Canada (EAC) for about 27 years now and some of these ladies I have known for all those years! I have been encouraged to pursue my embroidery when I might have given it up if I had no interaction with other stitchers. I have learned most of what I know either from the Guild or through Guild contacts.

Benefits of CGNFA include Stitching Days like this one, organized stitching Retreats at beautiful venues, monthly meetings, workshops, and fellowship. We do charity projects as well and I am happy to say that they have adopted AAQI as our sponsored charity for the next two years. Since CGNFA is a Chapter of the Embroidery Association of Canada, members also reap many benefits of a national stitching group: National Seminar every year, correspondence courses, Embroidery Canada magazine to inspire and inform, an extensive national needlework library, and so much more!

Fun is also a definite part of these days as you can see from the conference here on a hand knitted sock and how to finish the toe! Barb is offering constructive advice on the project, lol. The Guild encompasses all kinds of stitchery, basically anything which involved a threaded needle, but these sock knitters are a breed unto themselves!

December AAQI Auction Starts TODAY!

2011-12-01T04:14:00.000-08:00

These are just a few of the beautiful little art quilts going up on the auction block in December! Don't you just love them? I think the little Christmas tree is my favourite so far but there are 27 in total so please do check them out by clicking here. The talent of all these quilters leaves me in awe!

Alzheimers Art Quilt Initiative Quilts

2011-11-29T07:49:00.000-08:00

There are two quilts heading out in the mail hopefully today. Yes, I know this first one looks familiar - it was the quilt I made for October for AAQI. Unfortunately, I did not measure closely enough and it was over the size limit of 9 X 12 so it came back to me. I took the binding off and cut it down and rebound it and now it is heading back. I actually like this smaller version better though because of the two pieces of lace that now travel across the binding. They were too beautiful to consider cutting so I folded them back and once the binding was done stitched them down again so now they intrude on the binding - I like that!

This is my November donation to AAQI. It is entitled "Kimono Girl Crazy Quilt" because of the little earring that is added in the bottom right hand corner.

This little art quilt started out when it arrived to me in the form of a Christmas Cracker from Juli in last year's CQI Christmas Cracker Swap!

It was full of wonderful goodies too and the block itself was beautiful and I couldn't resist making an AAQI quilt from it! I added a fan using a sequin applique and some tatting. Some vintage lace went onto the red brocade. I added more seam treatments and some ribbon embroidery as well as the little cluster at the botton right with SRE flowers, the earring of the kimono girl and a Czech glass button. I had purchased the large red flower with the bead dangles awhile ago and had no idea where I would ever use it but I like it here! Because the quilt will hang the beads have a chance to dangle nicely. The rest of the work on this piece was already in place when I received it from Juli - including the beautiful seam treatment with the coloured mother of pearl discs. I love that seam!! Thank you Juli!!

So, these two are heading off in the mail to AAQI and I will start working on one to send for December now.

Victorian Pin Cushion

2011-11-27T22:36:00.000-08:00

I have recently had time to get more active in the Stitchmap Yahoo group, which is made up of apprentices and mentors and focuses on teaching all types of needlework at no charge to anymore - simply as a way of preserving these arts. This is the first challenge I have taken part in - a Victorian Pincushion.

This thing is big! lol I thought I would never finish stuffing it! I used a pale pink moire fabric for my base and did silk ribbon embroidery in a heart shaped design. After stuffing, I used white silk ribbon to add the feather stitch down the sides. This was a fun project and it will be my gift for the guild swap in about ten days so one more thing off my Christmas list! I glued porcelain roses onto a couple of pinheads as the finishing touch.

BAS - Week 76 - Ship-Ladder Stitch (with Tutorial)

2011-11-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

Here is Week 76 of the Build a Seam (BAS) Challenge. It is called the Ship-Ladder Stitch - for obvious reasons! lol It is made up of straight stitches. There is a line of straight stitches and then a second series of straight stitches, each going from the right of the top of a vertical stitch to the left of the bottom of the same stitch. There are a couple step by step photos below that will explain it better than my words do.

Make a straight stitch from top to bottom and bring your needle out to the right of the top of that stitch.

Complete that straight stitch by taking your needle down to the left of the bottom of the vertical straight and bring your needle back up in the center in position to begin the next vertical straight stitch.

This is my first attempt at the stitch so it is not perfect. It is important to keep the slanting stitches uniform in length and angle - the regularity creates the beauty of the stitch. Have fun with this one!

Whose Stupid Idea Was This?

2011-11-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

A homemade Christmas? All the gifts to be made lovingly by hand? Whose stupid idea was that? Yeah, okay, it was mine! Now here we are exactly one month before Christmas and all I have to show for this plan is a lot of ideas and piles of supplies!

The question now remains - "Can I pull this rabbit out of the hat?"

I'm not sure what the answer to this one is! Hopefully, yes, I will manage to pull it off! One way or another, I will have a lot of stitching and craft projects to show you in the next little while - either the promised handmade Christmas gifts or the stuff I will be doing instead. My new work schedule has been playing havoc with my stitching time, let alone my computer time, but I have decided I am simply going to HAVE to get dh into the housecleaning routine, as much as he hates it! That should free up a little time for me! Cross your fingers for me!

Windy

2011-11-23T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today is the second day of howling winds of over 100 km per hour. It is getting on my nerves! This is my next door neighbour's greenhouse sitting upside down quite a way from where it was earlier in the week when it was right side up.

In this one you can see what looks like a white platform in front of a little shed. Well, that was the roof of the shed before it decided to go walkabout. Everywhere there are tree branches down and shingles off. I wish this wind would just quit!

Bead Journal Project 2012

2011-11-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

So many exciting projects are coming up for the New Year! Here is another one - the Bead Journal Project! You can read all about the rules here. If you haven`t heard about the Bead Journal Project before (do you live in a cave? LOL) you can read about it here.

TAST Rides Again!

2011-11-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

Here is some great news for everyone! Sharon Boggon has just announced that she's doing Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST) again starting on the third of January. You can get details on her blog. Thanks Sharon!

I LOVE my MOO cards!

2011-11-22T11:13:00.000-08:00

Well, do you love them? I so love my MOO cards - they just arrived in the mail! I was limited in the photos I could upload because of problems with my connection but I did manage to get two of my favourite pieces loaded so they could be on my cards. I got these because I needed them to include in the kits I put together with my classes so they were really a sensible purchase. I just didn't expect to love them so much when they got here! lol Too cool!

Crazy Quilt Journal Project (2012)

2011-11-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about this new event, orchestrated by Kathy Shaw! We recently received the exciting news that J. M. Michler will be this year's Honourary Chairman! How exciting is that!

Just a reminder of what is involved in the Crazy Quilt Journal Project, here are a few points:

-- Participants will complete one crazy quilt block each month. Size and shape can vary...but it should be at least equivalent to a 6" square.

-- Participants that want their efforts published (and we hope that they do...because their work could inspire someone else to begin their own crazy quilt journey)....can submit photos to the Committee (via email to: chairperson@cqjp.org) for inclusion on the CQJP2012 blog (link: http://www.cqjp2012.blogspot.com).

-- Complete rules, registration information, and general information about the CQJP2012 is at the website (link: http://www.cqjp.org).

-- The CQJP2012 is honored to have J. M. Michler, author of The Magic of Crazy Quilting as our Honorary Chairperson this year.

Remember - it is not necessary for you to have a blog or website to participate! Everyone is welcome!

Build a Seam (BAS) - Week 75 - Plaited Fly Filling with Tutorial

2011-11-18T05:02:00.000-08:00

If you are not familiar with the Build a Seam (BAS) Challenge, briefly, every week or two I post a picture of the basic bare bones of a seam treatment or a new stitch, and we have a week to decide on and complete whatever other stitches and embellishments are needed to make it a complete - and gorgeous! - seam treatment. I am really enjoying training myself to see beyond the basic herringbone or cretan stitch I like to fall back on, and to learn to make more passes across the seam adding more stitches, beads. SRE, etc. - I hope you do too! There is a list of the stitches with links to the original posts for each on the right hand side of my blog here. Feel free to jump in anytime!

So, without further ado, here is a tutorial for Build a Seam (BAS) #76, called Plaited Fly Filling Stitch. Begin with a row of fly stitch , working horizontally and overlapping the stitches by half each time, as shown in the photo below.

Make another row of fly stitch underneath the first one, lining them up as shown.

Continue on in this manner until you have filled the space you want to fill. You end up with a neat geometric pattern with lots of little nooks and crannys you could embellish further if you would like to.

Here is my finished sample of Plaited Fly Filling Stitch, which I used on Sue's block. Have fun with this one!

Another Class Over!

2011-11-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of introducing a group of 6 ladies in High River to crazy quilting today! What a wonderful stitching group they have! They have been meeting together for 12 years and are such a friendly, happy bunch. They made me feel so welcome and I left feeling more than a little jealous of their group.

The ladies all had their blocks already pieced so it was straight to the fun and games of embellishment - motifs and seam treatments. We managed to experiment with several common stitches - herringbone, cretan, feather , did some combinations of stitches for more elaborate seams and also got a good start on a sample of silk ribbon embroidery, making several types of roses and Japanese ribbon stitch leaves. We had a little fun embossing velvet and they really enjoyed that. It was a real pleasure to introduce such an enthusiastic group to my favourite art form!

Sue's Round Robin Block

2011-11-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

I was the first stitcher on Sue's FFT (Fabulous First Timers) 14 round robin block. It is a great block made up of wonderful silks and a very cool cotton print. I love to be first on a block because you get to set the tone on the block and are not restricted by what has already been done on the block. Selfish, I know!

This seam you might recognize as the BAS 75 - Roman Stitch post a couple days ago. I added a line of beads to each side of the Roman Stitch to add a bit of sparkle. I filled in the small corner patch with a filler stitch - more on that one later - it will be BAS 76 next week.

In the top right hand corner of the block I added a fan. Thanks to the help of my friends at CQI, I was finally able to locate the little sequin fans to use as a base for larger fans. I love these things! All I did to make the fan was to gather some organza ribbon with a gold edge that I had and stitch it down under the sequin fan - then I added a store bought gold tassel. On the seam under the fan I added a piece of vintage lace and a gold cord. The ribbon with the sequin flowers was an addition Sue had already made to the block before she sent it out.

In the bottom left hand corner of the block I finally found the perfect spot to use a piece of Nicki Lee's wonderful hand dyed lace I had been saving. I added a seam treatment to the right of it, comprised of a number of stitches, sequins and beads.

I'll have this off in the mail to the next stitcher in the round robin Monday morning - I can't wait to get the next block to stitch on!

Lest We Forget

2011-11-11T06:15:00.000-08:00

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place: and in the sky

The larks still bravely singing fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved: and now we lie

In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe

To you, from failing hands, we throw

The torch: be yours to hold it high

If ye break faith with us who die,

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields

Composed by Canadian physician, soldier, teacher and poet Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae at the battlefront on May 3, 1915, during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

Build a Seam (BAS) #74 - Roman Stitch with Tutorial

2011-11-11T04:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the huge delay in getting the next Build a Seam stitch out. My new job and a heavy teaching schedule this month are really playing havoc with my time! Excuse my less than perfect first attempt at this stitch and have fun creating it yourself!

Roman Stitch looks best when worked in a medium to heavy weight thread. This silk thread I used was not quite thick enough but what can I say? I love silk.
Start by bringing your needle up at the left hand side and take it down again directly across on the far side of the seam. Bring your needle back up again in the center. You can get different effects by either making your center stitch a bit lower as I have which creates a slanted chevron effect or you can make your center stitch parallel to the long stitch instead.

Whichever way you decide to go, take a tiny stitch over your long thread, catching it in the center. So, you have a long stitch now going from left to right and a tiny stitch holding your thread in the center. Bring your needle back up at the left just below where you started and keep repeating.

Here is that I ended up with. Roman Stitch creates a fairly wide solid stitch on your seam and finding ways to further embellish the seam should be fun.
Roman Stitch is good for use in leaf shapes as well as other forms where you might want a center rib effect. Have fun with it!

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012

2011-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Fabric Manipulation & Embellishment

2011-11-06T04:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to teach a class on Fabric Manipulation & Embellishment at the Culture Centre in High River. Six wonderful ladies joined me for a day of fun and learning, exploring new techniques that can be added to art quilts, fibre arts, mixed media and collages.

Some of the materials we explored were Tyvek, Texture Magic, Angelina fibres, alcohol inks for dying lace, acrylic paints and fabric medium for stamping on fabrics, silk velvet for embossing with stamps, encrusted beading stitch, and adding glitter. It was so much fun to share what I have learned about playing with these "toys"!

The ladies had fun creating wonderful bubbly fabric using Texture Magic and stitching various grid shapes.

The velvet embossing was a big hit and the samples turned out beautifully! I know I will be seeing these samples again when some of the ladies return for a crazy quilting class next month!

Closing in on my Goals for 2011

2011-11-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I think it is time to look at my New Year Goals again since the year is coming to a close and I'm running out of time to do anything about them. This makes for a long post with no photos so bear with me!

1 . This year I am going to continue with teaching crazy quilting that I started last year. I will make as many opportunities for myself as I can to do this. I am also going to build a workshop or class around a specific project that I'll design and submit an application to teach it wherever the opportunity presents itself. More of the same as last year - just stretching further with it.

I have worked as hard as I could on this one. The classes I proposed in the spring did not run due to lack of registration although I taught a full day workshop to Calgary Guild of Needle & Fibre Arts. My fall classes are running now - I have a full day workshop this Saturday on Fabric Manipulation and Embellishment and then two full day workshops on Crazy Quilting before the end of the year. I am going to be featured as the Artist of the Month in January in the Country of Vulcan so I hope that will promote some interest in crazy quilting there and maybe I'll get enough registration for a class to run there in the spring as a result. The big project I wanted to design never got past the planning stage - just not enough hours in the day!
2. I will try to go ahead with the "Homemade Christmas" plan that fell by the wayside last year. I have already told my family that I intend to be on a cruise ship somewhere during the holidays next year (that part might not happen! lol) and that I will be making all the presents I give. If you made two gifts each month, you would have 24 gifts ready next Christmas. Not just that you have made something from the heart, but avoiding a good part of the annual Christmas panic! I am resolving to do this and will post photos of them as I get them done. None of my family reads my blog so no worries there.

There is less than two months til Christmas! Did you realize that?! lol This plan is still in effect as far as the Homemade Christmas portion goes but the part about no annual Christmas panic might be overly optomistic!
3. This year I will make, or at least make a good start on, an actual crazy quilt - not just single blocks.

Still only in the planning stages! Drat! I am working on a wall hanging at the moment but the full size quilt hasn't even been started.
4. I will finish my crazy quilt Christmas tree skirt in progress in time to enter it in the Calgary Stampede Creative Living competition next summer.

This one has been rolled over to next year's goals - hoping I'll get it done by then. Right now classes, Christmas coming and the new job are taking every hour of the day and then some!
5. This year I will enter at least four competitions with my stitching - that`s one every four months so it sounds not too intimidating! I only got halfway this last year on this resolution so I'm going to try again.

Just didn't happen! I am working on two entries for the EAC logo contest but who knows if they will be done in time to submit?
6. This year I will write about crazy quilting and stitching and submit it for publication somewhere. Let`s see.... twice! So at least two separate things will be submitted for publication.... somewhere. Their being accepted and published is not part of this goal but would be a great addition!

I actually did this one! I have a couple articles submitted, three in fact, and am now just waiting to see if they are published. Writing and submitting them were my goal though, not getting them published since that part is out of my hands, so I achieved this one!

7. I will create and give at least one item a month to charity - this will be my service project for the year. I will post pictures to keep myself honest. Some of the groups I would like to do some work for are the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) continuing with the pledge I have made to them, Grandmothers for Grandmothers (the purse auction), Aids Angels, The Toy Society, and CQI's Making Memories project for Breast Cancer. In addition I'll be doing small things on a local basis like baby quilts and baby sets for the hospital gift shop (profits go to the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary) and knit caps for the newborns at the same hospital as well as placemats for Meals on Wheels. There are actually a lot of things you can do locally if you look around. Even the local library is in need of book bags for the local literacy program.

I went over the top on this one - more than achieved these goals! Most of my donations were AAQI art quilts, one a month since February, but I also managed to donate items to the library's silent auction, the silent auction for the school here in town, and to the local hospital. So, this one is achieved!

8. I have decided, because I am a terrible procrastinator, that I will stitch a minimum of 15 minutes per day. Once I start I am likely to carry on longer, but starting is the difficult part for me. This was the best goal I set for myself last year - I highly recommend it! Doing that 15 minutes a day keeps the creative blocks at bay and really increases my output. I just can't say enough good things about the 15 minutes a day. It has even extended to other areas of my life - 15 minutes of housework at a time, 15 minutes of organizing, or sorting, or computer work... They all add up!

This goal is met or not met every day and continues to be a daily challenge. Most days I manage it now but some days I miss due to life getting in the way and ordinary, garden variety fatigue. I continue to recommend this goal for everyone who wants to be more productive though - can't say enough good things about the 15 minute a day goal!

9. I will organize and clean out my sewing room so that I can actually work there! And find things! I'll work on this one hour a day (minimum) until it is accomplished. I have added the library room adjacent to my sewing room to my work space as an annex so it should be easier to find places for everything.

Done! Having a workable space is great too! Of course, you have to manage the upkeep as well and keep it organized... Not in a good spot right now but still workable. The stash does seem to have spread again though into almost every room in the house!
10. I am going to put the time and energy necessary into Leslie's and my Etsy shop and get it going.

I decided that sharing an Etsy shop with someone else was not the way to go - much too complicated with the postage costs from two different countries to contend with. So, I've bowed out of this and will get my own Etsy shop up and running instead - only time is stopping me right now.
11. The best advice I ever received about UFOs (UnFinished Objects),was from a quilting teacher, Anne Severson: that perhaps the reason you haven't finished something was because you had already learned what it had to teach you and have grown past it. So, bearing this in mind, I will deal with at least one UFO a month - either get rid of it if it no longer holds my interest or to put it back into my stitching schedule if it is still a part of my stitching journey. I might even finish a few in the progress!

I didn't keep track but I'm sure I have made it on this one. I consider anything I have bought and brought home a UFO even if I haven't started it since it takes up space. I've sent items to the ladies in Texas, other stitchers, donated kits to various causes, so it's all good!

Well, that's it! I'm running out of year here to achieve my 2011 goals but I have managed to make progress on them and that's what counts!

Right now my life seems insanely busy - adjusting to the new job is really taking some doing. I am working as a caregiver now for a gentleman in town who was badly injured in a car accident a couple years ago. I drive him where he needs to go and visit with him on the days he doesn't need to go anywhere, make coffee and help where needed. This week we have just added three outings a week to a wheelchair accessible swimming pool in a nearby town so busier and busier! This is pleasant work though - he is a very cheerful and congenial man and very easy to get along with. It can be tiring though so fatigue has become a factor in what I get accomplished at home. After work tonight, I'll be coming home to put together all my kits for the class I am teaching tomorrow. I have lots of great things for us to play with - tyvek, texture magic, silk velvet to emboss, angelina fibers, etc. so it should be fun! I became inspired when I took a Fabric Manipulation class as Seminar this year and have been experimenting with other methods since then and want to share my excitement about these techniques. I'll try to remember the camera tomorrow and will share how it turned out here afterwards.

Blogtoberfest is over!

2011-11-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well, Blogtoberfest is over for another year but I really enjoyed the challenge of blogging every day and the fun of discovering new blogs to visit!
I didn't quite achieve my goal - I had 28 posts in October, not 31, but I am fairly happy with what I did post and will be joining in again next year to try again! It is a good motivator to get you posting so why not give it a try?

November Resolution??

2011-11-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to dd, I have just discovered MyFitnessPal online - it is great! It is all free and you can sign up and then you are able to track your calorie intake, track your exercise and fitness, and so much more I have yet to discover! You can even get badges for your blog with your weight loss and they update automatically. So, you can watch for those here once I have something to report, lol. In the meantime, this is my Day 1 so cheer me on! Something had to be done about all that Hallowe'en candy I ate. lol.

Tatted Bookmark from Rose Anne

2011-10-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

What a treat it is when you get a package in the mail unexpectedly! My friend, Rose Anne, is a fabulous tatter and I am tickled pink with this Peacock Feather Bookmark she created and sent to me. Isn't it gorgeous? Thank you Rose Anne!

What Does AAQI Do With the Money?

2011-10-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

If you have ever wondered where the money the Alzheimers' Art Quilt Initiative is spent, read on! I am attaching information here I have just received from AAQI. You can read this and more on the site!

The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) has awarded its ninth grant to Dr. Chris B. Schaffer, Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University. The $30,000 grant is the second grant the charity has awarded for Alzheimer’s research at Cornell University.

Dr. Schaffer explains his work: “In the conventional view of Alzheimer’s disease it is thought that neurons in the brain are damaged by the accumulation of a small protein called amyloid-beta, but recent work shows that the blood vessels in the brain are also affected by amyloid-beta. In addition, Alzheimer patients have less blood flow in their brains than people without the disease. It is possible that the vascular effects of amyloid-beta and this blood flow decrease could contribute to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and add to the impact of the direct neuronal damage by amyloid-beta.

Our work suggests that the blood flow decrease may be caused by white blood cells that block small blood vessels in the brain. Normally, white blood cells become activated, stick to the wall of blood vessels, then exit the vasculature and tissue in response to an infection or injury. However, in Alzheimer’s disease such activation may be detrimental because it could slow blood flow and deprive brain cells of oxygen and nutrients. In addition, the decreased blood flow may trigger the accumulation of more amyloid-beta, producing a vicious cycle of injury to the brain.

In this work, we will test potential therapies that prevent the white blood cells from plugging blood vessels. We expect to see an increase in blood flow and hope to see a decrease in amyloid-beta accumulation. This work relies on new imaging techniques that enable us to track changes in amyloid-beta and blood flow with micrometer resolution in mice that are engineered to develop Alzheimer’s disease. If successful, this therapy could potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in patients.”
Learn more about research that has been funded by the AAQI here:

http://www.alzquilts.org/researchawards.html

A Hallowe'en Tradition - Witch Finger Cookies

2011-10-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

Witch Finger cookies are a tradition at my house for years and years and this time around my daughter made the batch for us all to enjoy! Creepy and yummy - a great Hallowe'en combination!

If you would like to make asome of your own, the recipe is available at Canadian Living website here.

Embroiderers' Association of Canada

2011-10-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I mention EAC here, which refers to the Embroiderers' Association of Canada. (If you are from the US, you can equate EAC with EGA.) I thought it might be interesting to share a little about this group. EAC is a national non-profit educational organization whose purpose is to have a fellowship of persons who enjoy needlework and wish to learn and share their knowledge; and thereby work towards maintaining higher standards of design, colour and workmanship. EAC's aim is to preserve traditional techniques and promote new challenges i the Art of Embroidery through education and networking. You can learn more about EAC by visiting their website.

EAC is made up of numerous Chapters which are located across Canada, and in additional there are a number of Youth Chapters. You can join EAC either as a national member if you are not affiliated with a specific Chapter, or if you join a Chapter your membership to EAC is included. I first joined the Calgary Guild of Needle & Fibre Arts (CGNFA) over twenty years ago and I have never regreted that decision! In the years I have belonged I have benefited from many workshops and classes and have attended EAC's National Seminar three times. Last year's Seminar was held in Sackville, New Brunswick, and next year it will be in Victoria, British Columbia - from sea to sea! I have also been able to attend Olds Fibre Potpourri (an event hosted in alternate years by the Chapters in Calgary and Edmonton) numerous times and have learned even more there. It is so exciting to me to have the opportunity to learn and explore new techniques and different forms of embroidery.

So, the reason I decided to tell you a bit about EAC is because I think these organizations are very important. There is nothing like interacting with other stitchers in person, seeing what other people are working on, learning and growing together. So, if you don't belong to a group yet where you actually go out and meet with other stitchers - give it a try!

Blogtoberfest #24 - More Hallowe'en Fun

2011-10-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

This is the latest foolishness at our house - dd and I have been making Hallowe'en candy! I bought one of these Wilton molds and some candy melts and we had a blast with them. The ones with the faces are dd's - I am not so adventurous - I just fill the molds up with a solid colour. These were fast and easy to do - the hardest part was finding the big pretzel sticks!
One of the enduring joys of living in such a small community (population - 70) is that you can give out handmade goodies for Hallowe'en because everyone know where they came from. Of course, the downside is the largest turnout we have had in the last twenty years is 10 kids trick-or-treating! Doesn't matter to us though - we have a lot of fun decorating anyway for the holiday. I love Hallowe'en!

Thimble Holder

2011-10-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

Over on Stitchmap, there was a great link posted to a tutorial on Idle Hands Empty Brain to make the cutest little thimble holder! Check it out!
This is my first attempt and I have to 'fess up and tell you I blew it - it doesn't work. It won't close so it isn't really being held open by the thimble like it appears. I love this little project though so I will be giving it another try. It's a nice green project too, using very small scraps of fabric and things you would usually throw out.

FNSI - UFO Challenge Completed

2011-10-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

I spent Friday night and today working on and finishing up Ruby's project for the UFO Challenge. It's a thread roll.

This is what it looks like unrolled. Ruby had started it and I finished it so, thanks to this challenge, one UFO off her list. I can't wait to get mine back from her and see if she had as much fun as I did.

Ruby already had this gorgeous purple lace motif on there and some of the leaves. I added more leaves including some SRE ones and the sloppy french knot ribbon flowers.

Ruby had the gold butterfly on here already and some of the feather stitch in the background so I added more feather stitch and a second blue butterfly.

There was a little section at the bottom where some stitching had been taken out so I covered it up with my favourite vintage lace trim, added beads, crystal butterflies and butterfly charms.

These are the buttons Ruby had on there but I kind of moved them around a bit.

This is the inside of the roll when it is open. You can see there are rings sewn at the top for you to loop your threads on before you roll it up.

I got the matching needlebook finished as well. I added a few seams and motifs and did the construction. This is the front.

This is the back of the needlebook.

Inside there are four pages for your needles as well as a lace pocket on the inside of the front and back covers to hold packages of needles.

I thought I should get my FNSI stuff posted before Saturday was over!

Blogtoberfest #20 & Thrifty Thursday

2011-10-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

It is Thrifty Thursdays over at The Quilted Cupcake and I thought it might be fun to get in on the fun and show off one of my thrift store finds - not the pincushion in the top picture. That one was made by my dear friend, Jacque, and I won it in the auction last year at the CQI retreat. I love it! I included the photo so you can see the possibilities of my thrifty find below.

It's a larger version of the one I have and needs some pegs replaced that are missing. Of course, it needs upholstery (cq of course!) added as well. I just have to share this find because I paid - are you ready? - 45 cents for it! Whoo-hoo!

UFO Challenge - Part I

2011-10-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

This is a needlebook which is one of two items I am working on in the UFO Challenge at CQI. This is a fun challenge! We all have so many blocks and unfinished items of cq so we swapped them and each to get to finish one someone else did and then send it back. This needlebook is one of two items I got from Ruby. I have finished all the stitching on it and started putting it together now. Next is a thread roll which matches this. Hopefully I will have that finished up in the next day or two as well. I worked on both of these at retreat and they were lots of fun - great colours!

AAQI Quilt for October - Spider Webs for Luck

2011-10-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

Well, the photo isn't much but it's late and I don't want to fiddle with the camera anymore! lol This is the redo of my Retreat Challenge Round Robin Block, made smaller and embellished further and now ready to head off in the mail to AAQI, the Alzheimers Art Quilt Initiative. Hopefully it will make a few dollars to further Alzheimers research. This one is called Spider Webs for Luck because it has two spiders and webs on it, a Victorian symbol for good luck. If you aren`t familiar with The Alzheimers Art Quilt Initiative - please check out their website. These volunteers do good work! Also, take a minute and "like" them on Facebook if you would please! Thanks!

Hallowe'en Craftiness

2011-10-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

Where here is what my little craft session on the weekend started with: some black paint, a set of stacking boxes from the thrift store and some spooky green lettering.

And here is what I ended up with! I have been seeing such wonderful Hallowe'en boxes on different blogs around, I couldn't resist a bit of fun of my own. I started by putting a couple coats of black acrylic paint on the boxes and then sprayed them with acrylic sealer. The "trick or treat" was glued on with very cute green sparkly and spooky lettering. Lastly, I tied some spider web ribbon around each box and added a black bird to two of them. Fun!

Friday Night Sew In - this Friday coming!

2011-10-17T04:22:00.000-07:00

With Christmas sneaking up, the Friday Night Sew-In seems like a great idea! I always try to take part in this event but usually end up forgetting. This month I have a sticky note up on the computer screen so I should actually remember to get something done. I like the idea that there are lots of ladies all over stitching away at the same time. So, this Friday, I'll be working on some Christmas gifts that I need to get working on. I'll blog about it again on Saturday and tell you what I managed to get accomplished! If you would like to join in the fun just click on the link in the sidebar.

Blogtoberfest - Day 16 - Nail Biting Day...

2011-10-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

I had two interviews over the telephone today and so I was biting my nails all day! Happily, both went all right and now they are over (the best part!). Cross your fingers for me that something comes from them.
I've been crafting away today - yes, crafting! not stitching - and it made a nice change. I have been seeing so many cute Hallowe'en crafts on the various blogs I follow, I couldn't resist getting in on the fun. I'll show you what I've been up to tomorrow once the paint is dry.

Giveaway Winner!!

2011-10-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

I geared up the Randon Number Generator after going through the comments and numbering them all and the lucky winner of the book, "Knit Your Own Dog, is #13: Alessandra Lace. Congratulations!

I have sent you an email asking for your mailing information so as soon as I hear back from you I will get the book off in the mail. Thanks for following my blog!

Update on Breast Cancer Auctions

2011-10-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

The CQI's crazy quilts for Breast Cancer have been relisted with some lovely closeup photos and more time to allow for bidding. This first one, Golden Crazy Quilt for the Cure, can be seen on Ebay here.

I love the little black corset in this closeup of the quilt! This block was made by Hideko in Japan.

The lovely pink ribbon meandering across this block serves as a reminder for the cause we are tring to raise the money for.

The block featured in this portion was created by Rose Anne B of Canada.

The auction for this second quilt, Crazy Quilt for the Cure, is located here on Ebay. As with the other quilts, the proceeds are going to Susan G Komen for the Cure.

I hope you enjoy these closeups of the second quilt.

The third crazy quilt up for auction is entitled, Another Crazy Quilt for the Cure, appropriately enough! Check out the auction here.

Here are three closeups of this third quilt so that you can enjoy the details of the stitching. Just click on the photos to enlarge them.

The 4th and final quilt in CQI's auction to benefit breast cancer is A Tribute to Mother, created by Diane Matheson of Ontario, Canada.

You can see a bit more of the details in this photo. To check out the auction for A Tribute to Mother, go here. All four auctions are ending on October 24th, so please visit them today!

Please feel free to borrow any of these photos or information for your own blog. Help us spread the word! Thanks!

Last Day to Enter the Giveaway!

2011-10-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway for this book. Go to the original post and leave a comment there. I'll be drawing a name tonight - good luck!

Crazy Quilt Auctions for Breast Cancer

2011-10-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

Crazy Quilt for the Cure

Golden Crazy Quilt for the Cure

Another Crazy Quilt for the Cure

These three crazy quilt wall hangings are up for auction right now on Ebay. Right now each quilt is sittting at a starting bid of $50 so this is a great chance to own one of these for yourself! The quilt blocks were constructed by the members of Crazy Quilting International and assembled by Leslie and they are gorgeous! All proceeds will go to Susan G Komen for the Cure - Denver Metropolitan.

Hurry over and have a look before the auction is over in a little more than a day. The link under each photo will take you directly to the appropriate Ebay auction page.

Work in Progress

2011-10-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

This was my block when it came home from the Retreat Challenge Round Robin. I already knew it was going to become a little AAQI quilt so was prepared for the first thing I would have to do... since the maximum size for the AAQI quilts is 9 X 12 inches and this round robin featured 14 inch blocks... I had to cut it down to size! Talk about stress!

Well, I simply had to use the magnificent spider web and spider and also couldn't bare to eliminate any or the gorgeous hand dyed lace so that determined where I had to cut. Not to worry - the bits I cut off will become postcards or ATCs or find their way into other projects! So, I have been adding a few seam treatments here and there. There is still more to be done before I can back it and finish it up but I thought I would give you a peek of where I am right now.

Another Retreat Challenge Block I Stitched On

2011-10-11T05:20:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share another of the blocks from the Retreat Challenge Round Robin that I worked on. These were some of the things I was working on the last few months that I could not share until after the retreat. This particular block was a large fan so it gave me lots of opportunity to play with seam treatments. The first one I did was very standard - a Chevron Stitch with trios of Detached Chain Stitch added.

The second seam treatment, done in Gloriana Princess Petite Perle silk thread, was a simple zigzag of straight stitches with french knots, detached chain stitch, and more straight stitches added. I finished it off with sequins attached with beads.

The third seam treatment, again in Gloriana threads, was two rows of box shapes built using chain stitch. More detached chain stitches in the center of each box.

I found some wonderful vintage sew on jewels in the thrift store and had to find a way to use them so this is how the next seam treatment came to be.

I made a row of buttonhole stitch ovals and then used one of the sew on jewels in the center of each oval. This was gone in good old DMC floss.

I have to share this even though I hate it and sincerely hope it has since been removed from the block. I was inspired by Carole Samples' Daddy's Ties book (this concoction is in no way a reflection of Carole's book!) Somehow or other this is what I came up with on my own and I hope the block owner has taken it out and found a nice piece of lace or something to cover the spot! It was stem stitch, detached chain, and french knots.

Anyway, this is the block when it left me and went on to the next stitcher. The fabric at the base of the fan was the challenge fabric and I think whoever pieced this block did a wonderful job working with it and using all the colours. It was a great block to work on!

Post-Thanksgiving

2011-10-11T03:11:00.000-07:00

These are the Pecan Praline Bars/Cookies I posted the recipe for the other day - ooey, gooey goodness!

Blogtoberfest is really turning into a challenge for me - posting every day even when I do not have a lot to say!

We had Thanksgiving dinner at my house Monday. Thanksgiving is in October here in Canada so it i a bit confusing - the folks in the US were having Columbus Day instead this weekend. They will be celebrating their Thanksgiving in November. My favourite part of Thanksgiving is the break from cooking you get because of all the turkey leftovers!

I am starting a new job this week and so I am a bundle of nerves. It is silly to still be nervous in a situation like this. How many jobs have I had in my lifetime? Lots! But I still get nervous when there is a change. If this job works out, I do not expect to be going back to the lake next summer so that will be another big change for me.

Missed a Day but Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-10-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

I missed a day of my Blogtoberfest blogging but I don't think the blog police will be knocking at the door so that's okay.
It is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada so I am getting ready for lots of cooking and baking - a little "kitchen therapy"!
Yesterday I made a yummy - and easy! - treat so I'll share the recipe with you here:

Pecan Praline Squares
Ingredients:
graham crackers
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
i cup chopped pecans

Spread your graham crackers on an ungreased cookie sheet. Combine the brown sugar, butter and Cream of Tartar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the nuts and spread over the graham crackers. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple minutes but remove from the cookie sheet while still warm.

YUMMY!

Frida Kahlo

2011-10-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

The face of Frida Kahlo will be familiar to anyone who had the pleasure of taking Martha Green's workshop at the CQI Retreat this year. Some of the recurring images we saw and worked with during the workshop were of this Mexican born artist. I have to admit to being ignorant of Frida Kahlo and so wanted to share some of what I found out with you.

A short biograph can be read on this website. If you are like me, what you read will intrigue you to discover more about this artist and feminist. I can certainly see why Martha finds her such an inspiration!

Thank you!

2011-10-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was settled into an evening of stitching working on my pumpkin (on the 4th and last layer now!) when I realized I had not posted today so had to get back on the computer briefly to do so - can't fail at Blogtoberfest this early in the month!

I want to thank everyone for your thoughtful comments and helpful suggestions with regard to my pout about my classes being cancelled due to lack of registration. I will definitely put some of these into effect in time for the next session of classes. Thank you!

The last couple days have continued to be stressful for various reasons but with the long weekend coming up in a few days (it will be Thanksgiving here in Canada on Monday) I am looking forward to some restful days. DH is planning on going out hunting this weekend and DD is working her last weekend at the campground so it will be DIY and HGTV on the TV, and toast or yogurt for meals. My kind of lazy weekend with lots of time to stitch! Monday everyone will be home again and I'll cook a small turkey for Thanksgiving with all the trimmings. Hopefully I will manage to get my penny rug finished so I can share it with you in time for Thanksgiving!

Blogtoberfest #5 - I`m Pouting!

2011-10-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

This is a very discouraging time of the year for me. It is the time when the venues I have submitted class proposals to count up their registrations for each class and let me know if they will "be a go". I am always disappointed to find out there was not enough interest in a class for it to run - I want everyone to learn about stitching in general and crazy quilting in particular and learn to love it like I do!

So, what to do about this I ask myself? I guess the answer to this will have to be twofold:
(1) how do I get myself cheered up about it?, and (2) how do I work towards a more successful outcome in the future?

These two questions are related after all because if I get a more successful outcome, it will make me feel better as well!

Looking at the first question first...

- I should relax and let go of the stress. After all, now I don't have to worry about getting all the class prep completed in time, right?

- I can go back to working on my Penny Rug project without feeling guilty because of the samples, etc. I should really be doing. No class - no samples needed!

- Return to my belated "spring cleaning" - reclaiming my house after five months away and getting it back to the way I like it. NOT pointing any fingers here either - dd was working away as well and dh was doing his best while working 10+ hour days with 3+ commuting time.
- All my suitcases from retreat - most of which are stash - still need to be unpacked and that has got to be like Christmas!
- The trailer still needs to be unpacked and cleaned up - all I managed to unpack before I left for retreat was the refrigerator in there!

- I am just burning to try the piecing techniques I learned from Martha Green at retreat. That will be a real treat to myself!

Now, what to do about next session's classes?

- promote it! This is difficult for me - I don't like blowing my own horn. I am scheduled to have a little display though as "Artist of the Month" at the county offices in January and that might build a bit of interest in crazy quilting I hope so it is a plus.

- I'll make a few phone calls this morning also to the different venues and see if I can get them to let the people registered in the classes that won't run know that the same classes are scheduled elsewhere. Perhaps if they combine them they will be able to go.

- Concentrate on the classes that will be running and put the others out of my mind for now. Concentrate on the positive, right?

Okay, so here is where you can help me! Any ideas on what kind of classes you would like to take? What might others be interested in? Any suggestions?

Work in Progress

2011-10-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it is Day 4 of Blogtoberfest and I am 4 for 4 with the goal of posting every day this month!

No finished projects to share today but I spent a few hours working on my fall penny rug, on the pumpkin in particular. I'm hoping to keep at this project now until it is complete. I finished up two layers of the pumpkin - two more yet to go.

My Stitching on one of the Retreat Challenge Blocks

2011-10-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is the great block Gerry pieced for Janet in the retreat challenge round robin. The pink/blue/yellow fabric was the challenge fabric and I loved how she used it here in this great block.

I was really taken with the circles and after doing some of these long seams I got crazy with beading the circles and echoing them with beaded buttons and tatted trims.

I made some beaded circles out of fly stitch as well and even got out the sequins. Loved the fabric and had a blast embellishing it!

Heart Cushion by Colleen

2011-10-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Here I posted all about the Chinese Auction at the retreat and I didn't show off what I came home with! After opening several different packages and having them promptly stolen I opened this one from Colleen and quietly tucked it down behind the coffee table so no one would remember I had it. It worked and I got to keep it! Isn't it adorable?!

Blogtoberfest - I'm In!

2011-10-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

You can read all about Blogtoberfest by clicking on the button in the sidebar. I was taking some time today to check out the blogs I try to follow and decided it was a good time for me to jump into something like this. So, I have signed up and here I am October 1st with my first Blogtoberfest post. It seems lately that so much of what I do on the computer is work - not the kind you get paid for, but putting time and energy out there and hoping it benefits someone besides myself. I think it is time for some "me time" so Blogtoberfest will be my little gift to myself - a time to randomly blog about what interests me each day and what I'm doing.
Today is pretty boring - I'm in the midst of spring cleaning. Yes, I know it isn't spring but after being at the campground for four months and then away at Colorado at the crazy quilting retreat, I am finally home and trying to catch up on the housework - washing windows, walls, light fixtures, etc.
One happy note though is that my sweetie just walked through the door, back from his hunting trip, so finally we get to spend some time together!

Part 7 - Sneak Peek at Hearts & Hands for Sendai Quilts!

2011-09-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

Another exciting aspect of the Show n' Tell at this year's retreat was a sneak peek at the Hearts & Hands for Sendai quilts. Leslie organized this event in support for the devastation created by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Sendai, Japan, earlier this year. 92 crazy quilt blocks were created and donated! Now, Leslie is putting the blocks all together and we were able to get a look at them in progress. They are wonderful and my terrible photography in no way does them justice!

Thousands of people lost their lives as a result of the earthquake in March so hopefully the money raised from the exhibition and subsequent sale of these quilts will help in the continuing relief efforts. They will all be heading off to Japan soon.

Giveaway

2011-09-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Still lots of time to enter my giveaway here!

Part 6 - Retreat - Challenge Round Robin

2011-09-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

Something we tried this year was a Retreat Challenge Round Robin with the finished blocks being revealed at the retreat. There were two challenge fabrics available but when we chose which one we only knew the colourway and not the actual fabric. Here are the two fabrics that had to be incorporated into the blocks:

Colleen organized this challenge round robin and chose the fabrics. Didn't she do a good job? lol - "challenge" was the operative word I think for some people! Personally, I liked both fabrics, but I loved the yellow/pink/blue one! It was great fun to stitch on!

I'll share what I did on the blocks I worked on later but in the meantime here are some of the finished blocks as we saw them at retreat. A few were not completed in time and are going back for more stitching but it is interesting to see what everyone did with these fabrics.

This last one is my block. I think Nancy did the piecing on this one.

Part 5 - Retreat - Show 'n Tell

2011-09-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

Show and Tell is always a highlight at Retreat! We get to see and touch (and drool over!) some of the projects others have completed as they are passed around. It is so great to see them in person! Photos are great but there is nothing like the real deal. I have completely lost track of who made what so will just give you a few photos of some of the BoHo bags that were made this year and tell you they were created by the lovely ladies at retreat and members of CQI. I am not taking credit for any of these because I definitely didn't get anything this great accomplished!