YIKES! HAND STITCHING

I'm starting to feel the pressure to use hand-stitching in my work.  It seems that it's everywhere!  I haven't used traditional embroidery stitches since I was in grade 9 (a long time ago).  Why not try a small piece?  What could it hurt?  Ha!!!!  It takes FOREVER!!!  I've spent a good few hours a day during the past few weeks and weekends.  Here's what I have to show so far and there's plenty left to do.

SNAIL MAIL TREASURE

Last week I received two more postcards in the mail.  Snail Mail for sure - September and October cards received at the end of November.  

The "landscape" theme shows a dried riverbed in southern Africa.

October's theme "cats".

THE CARDINAL

I was tidying up my studio yesterday morning and came across a kit that I received in 2003 - ten years ago!  It seemed the right time to start a new project.  I knew that it wouldn't take more than a few hours to complete, so off I went.  I underestimated the amount of time it would take to complete (7 hours), but I did it.  I think that it will make a great Christmas gift for someone.

Cardinal #501, design by Joan Shay for Petal Play @ 2003

COLLAGE BOX

Sandy Simmelink hosted a workshop with the Burlington Fibre Arts group.  The group had a few options (felted ball, Victorian ornament or collage box) and I chose to make the "collage box".  We started with a small tin and began to collage.  We were shown the projects ahead of time so we would know what materials to bring with us to the workshop.  I had planned what I wanted to do so that while there I just had to put it all together.

I made two collage tins, but the second was more useful in nature.  It's a small sewing kit that contains needle, thread, thimble and buttons from my father's sewing kit that he took with him to war.  I added collapsible scissors and a few pins.

WELCOME CHAIR

There is a chair that sits just outside my front door encouraging guests to sit and stay a while.  I call it our Welcome Chair.  It sits just so, decorated with a pillow of the season.  Pillows take up a lot of space when they are stored, so now I use the same pillow and just change the case.  

This Christmas themed case is made like an envelope so that the pillow can be stuffed in and taken out easily.  It will sit outside until January, then it will be washed and put away until next year, and switched up for another.  

STAR OF WONDER

The company for which I work is holding its "Holiday Party" this evening.  I do attend, but don't tend to dress up too much.  I found a new pair of pants at the back of my closet that will be perfect, however they need to be hemmed - that's why they were still in the closet.  I've been trying to get to it for a few days, but I seem to find other things I'd rather do.  Why spend my time hemming, when I can create!

This piece was actually made from a pattern - something that I don't usually do any more.  The base is made from machine-pieced cotton, over-layed with sheer fabrics and finally embellished and quilted.   The pattern is called Star of Wonder, from Another Creation From Mother Earth Studios, by Hilary Rice.

Here's a close up view.

  

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Halloween is over and it's time to get in gear for Christmas.  Yesterday, I went out shopping and picked up a few new ornaments.  When I got home I whipped up this panel (Anni Downs of Hatched & Patched for Henry Glass & Co) by sandwiching the layers, machine quilting between each section, binding and adding a sleeve.  It will be used at my sister's church when they have the annual Christmas service.

CTRL ALT DEL

What do you get for a computer geek's 40th birthday?  I spent a few days thinking about the appropriate gift and when I walked into the "Man Cave" the other evening, where my husband was watching TV, I found the solution.  

I have many sizes of pillow forms but none all the same so instead I just made some.   Squares of muslin were cut to size.  Two pieces were stitched together around the perimeter, leaving an opening for filling.  After stuffing, the opening was stitch closed.  Letters were printed onto Steam-a-Seam and black fabric, cut out and ironed onto background fabric, then I stitched around each letter to hold them in place.  After the letters were added, the pillow cases were made with a pocket opening at the back - ready to pop in the pillow form.  Done!

UP ON THE ROOFTOP

I took a vacation from work yesterday.  I spent the day taking my aunt to an appointment at the hospital.  While I was waiting for her procedure to be over, I stitched this.

Ok, I really didn't stitch all of it, but I completed the binding.  The silhouette was circuit cut and all I had to do was peel off the backing paper and adhere it to the white background.  How simple is that?

NOVEMBER LOVE

The November Postcard Exchange theme is LOVE.  This is the card that I created.  I know that it's not the typical red or pink associated with love, but I just LOVE blue!

CROSS HATCHED 9-PATCH

Yesterday, I attended a workshop with the Halton Hills Quilters' Guild and Jackie Syer, our teacher.   What a great time we had.  Jackie had three, yes three, patterns from which we could chose.  I chose the Cross Hatched 9-patch.  The pattern uses jelly-roll fabric or 2.5" squares.  I have TONS of fabric so I chose to go the scrappy-look route.  Of course I took with me way more 2.5" squares than needed.  I think that I could probably make four or five quilts with all the scraps that I have.

2.5" squares

                      

The 9-patch blocks were chain-pieced.

This is the first block, partially stitched - only 82 more to go.

After a long day, 83 9-patch blocks were produced. Yeah!

SQUARES AND CIRCLES, OH MY!

I'm off to my workshop and I think that I've changed my mind.  I don't want to use diagonals and triangles.  I'm going to work on squares and circles.  I've even changed the background fabric from black to white.  After HOURS of cutting, here's what I have - a stack of 2.5" strips for the workshop and a stack of 1.5" strips for another project.  Wish me luck.

TAKE A BITE

I know why I don't have enough time to quilt.  I spend too much time on other activities.

These were made for a work function.

Beware!

I drew a tree on the pumpkins with permanent marker, drilled holes randomly, then stuck mini lights through each hole.  I thought that it would an easy-to-do decoration, but it took hours - all for 26 kids that stopped by during a rainy and windy Halloween night.