FABRIC FABRIC EVERYWHERE

I spend most Saturday's with my sister - shopping, going to a play or movie, visiting friends, taking in an art class, walking the local farmers' market or attending quilt shows.  This past Saturday, we planned to go to Bloor-West Village and pick up a thing or two at Bizzy Bee.  Now, I'm not really into scrap-booking our journaling, but I do enjoy looking at them, so why not tag along?  I picked up my sister as usual, but she drives all the time (I'm directionally challenged).  I know that Bizzy Bee is to the east of us, but my sister headed out going north.   Hey, where's she going???  Surprise, surprise.  We ended up at the Hobby Horse Quilt Shoppe - one of my favourite stores.  My sister had heard that there was a big batting sale going on and we were going to get in on the deal - and so we did.  

Ok, great deal, but where to store it????

Not only did we pick up batting, we picked up many fabrics.  Here, they have just been washed and dried - now ready to be pressed (ok, maybe not pressed, but at least folded).

The blacks were purchased to back a traditional Chinese Lantern quilt.  The white fabric is for dyeing.  The blue was for my sister's retreat, and the orange just spoke to me (I have no idea what to do with it, but I loved it).  If you love it, it's too late.  I took it all.

HHQG PRESIDENT'S CHALLENGE

I'm usually up for a challenge, especially when it involves stitch.  This past year, the Halton Hills Quilters' Guild President Challenge was to complete a UFO by the end of the quilt guild season.  I signed up in February, thinking that if I pushed myself, I would be able to complete a quilt that I have been working on for years and years.  My brilliant idea, at the time, was to quilt it by hand.  Of course, I backed it with flannel.  Quilting by hand was long and tedious and hurt my fingers.  Now I remember why I quilt by machine these days.

Anyway, I persevered but did not complete the quilt in time.  Over the past week, however, hand-quilted for hours and completed all the hand-quilting I thought necessary.  This morning, I brought the quilt to my machine.  I'm going to machine quilt the borders and maybe even free-motion stitch around the hearts.  Maybe it will be ready for the next President's Challenge.

FIBRE-ART POSTCARDS

I received a couple postcards last week.  Our postcard exchange group has been re-organized so for the next six months I start trading with another group of artists. 

This is a card from Amanda in South Africa, depicting the theme "colour".

Here's one from  Flossie in Alabama showing an Oriole, in keeping with this month's "Bird" theme.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

 Some days you just have to celebrate the country in which you live.  Happy 146th Canada!

This quilt was a result of a "Tinners" block exchange.  I chose the theme "Canada", and the blocks that were returned were amazing.  I added a few more blocks to square up the piece and I love the result.

Close up of one of the blocks.

Last week, my boss left the country to take a new position in India.  This was the cake that I made for our Farewell-to-Canada pot luck.  

REBECCA REACHES OUT

The week just keeps getting better and better.  

The Burlington Fibre Arts group (to which I belong) submitted "Rebecca Reaches Out" into the juried Tall Tales Exhibition.  A photo of Rebecca - an orange statue sitting on the Burlington Art Centre lot, and a photo of the Burlington Pier were superimposed onto one another.  The photo was enlarged and cut into 15 slices.  15 of the art group members created their slice using a medium of their choice.  The slices were felted, knitted, quilted, stitched.  Even paper was used.  The slices were mounted on a steel rod with steel washers dividing each slice - very industrial.  Out of 44 submissions, only 18 entries were chosen to be displayed.  Our group submission was one of the 18.  Not only was it chosen, it was given the "Juror's Choice" award!  Congratulations to all the artists that made this huge undertaking a success.  The Tall Tales Exhibition and 35th Anniversary of the Burlington Art Centre will take place between June 22nd and August 25, at the Burlington Art Centre, 1333 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON   L7S 1A9.

This is the slice that I submitted.  It was machine pieced, machine quilted and embellished with wool. 

Here are some close-ups:

EDIBLE PHOTO COLLAGE

Besides quilting, I love to bake.  I recently invested in a printer loaded with food colouring filled ink jet cartridges, and some frosting sheets produced by Kopykake, available at Golda's Kitchen.  Downloaded photos to a collage program can be printed directly onto the frosting sheet and applied to the top of any cake.  

Here's a birthday cake for my two nephews:

Here's one for my sister's retirement party:

This one was for a gentleman at work that was leaving:

THREE LITTLE BIRDS

The June Postcard Exchange theme is "Birds".  I exchange with a group of five.  I usually make six so that I can keep one for myself.  I used french knots for the eyes, placing them in slightly different locations, adding character to each bird.

Here's a couple close-ups.