Temporty change of connection

Hi All.
Life has thrown me a hard curve ball. Mom's stroke has meant she is currently living with us for an unknown amount of months. All my efforts at time management and keeping goals are gone, gone and gone. I could look at this as a moment for change or a moment of holding my breath to get through this. There have been signs and portents but no animal entrails to lead me in either direction.

After a weekend at the camp where my thoughts tend to crystallize, I decided I need to use Instagram to help me keep on track of goals. Time is chopped into fragments now, goals have to be smaller and Instagram is a good tool to capture this bits and bites.

I really enjoy writing this blog and from what I understand of trends, lots of people like to read a short blog of people they follow. In that spirit, please join me on Instagram. There is a link on the upper right corner. I will notify Instagram whenever I post a blog here and visa versa.

Have a good summer!

A snake in the garden

Upon waking one morning, a few weeks back, it came to me that the stitched piece I am working on needs a snake.

Sometimes a flash of an image just shows up, fully figured out. That is always a nice way to start the day.

It took several fabric auditions, but I finally settled on this blue tie. It has a distinctive right side and a nicely softened back.

A few variations of a snake were drawn out and this long, curvy one was the winner. I decide to keep its head inside the stitching, there was a nice sized opening.

I haven't any idea why a snake. No references to evil, genesis, micro-climates or ecosystems. Just a snake.

On the topic of snakey lines, I decided to make this top from Ottbre magazine.(here)

Ottobre is a Finnish magazine,with English text, specializing in women's and children's patterns. In this issue, the focus is for women and larger sized women. There are two centre-fold pages with the patterns printed on both sides.

The patterns have to be traced out, then cut out, then used as normal pattern pieces.

The instructions are in the middle of the magazine and are fairly good. I'll know better as I get sewing and actually follow them.

This little duo of sketches are being thought out so I can keep going once the snake of above is finished. I know the watering can will be red, but appliqued or stitched or maybe, in an act of madness, painted?

 It turns out I have been invited to join the allotment garden where these sketches were made. Hurrah! Hopefully more sketches will happen in the warmer months.

Broken sewing machine - OW

Yesterday there was a dial. I didn't remember what it did. Instead of getting up and finding the manual, I turned it. Boing!
That's it. No more zigzag, or stretch stitch, or button hole parts. Only straight stitch remains.
I guess that isn't a complete disaster. I can still stitch cottons or most other woven fabrics, but forget button holes or certain seam finishes. But worst of all, I can't sew any knits and I have a line up of knits to sew.
That took up a certain amount of my day, stomping around and trying the stitches several times to make sure they were broken.

I did manage to get a certain birthday present done and I am pleased with the outcome. This is what I call my miracle apron because it comes up high under the collar and food doesn't fall behind the apron.

 It also wraps around the hips. That way when I forget to use a towel, I can wipe my hands on my hips. That happens all the time. The apron helps the jeans last longer.

Well, that's a crummy picture. The close ups are better.

We are on our second messy blizzard. I should have been watching movies and stitching, but instead, I shoveled and watched ridiculous You Tube videos and didn't stitch. Self sabotage there. February is the month in which anything that gets done is considered a success.

Getting out of bed, feeding the cat, finding socks.... Anything that involves some physical exertion and a minor amount of thinking is a successful achievement. Last weeks sewing projects, some stitching this weekend and an apron, plus roaring around with my snowblower make this February a brilliant success.

Part of my procrastination is that I know this piece needs something significantly more beyond this image but the mind is blank. I will get this bit done and show it around a bit to some friends and see what happens. I will also head out into the freezing ice pellets in the direction of the woodpile, make a fire, make some cheese and crackers and return to You Tube. Snow ya later.

I am momentarily famous

I invite you all to go to the link below and have a look. I was interviewed by the Studio Art Quilts Associations, Atlantic area. I am enjoying the kind comments from the people I have already shared this with. Feel free to adore me more, I love it.

http://saqaatlanticcanada.blogspot.com/

I've been invited to be interviewed for a blog that should be available to link to soon. The works on the photo wall below will be shown. The dolls were all made over the past few years. I call them the Vine Girls.

The three upper left pieces are themed on garden paths or flowers in a bowl. The longer piece is stitched on paper and called "A String of Spring".

I have finished "3 Sneezes Make a Wish" but still need to sort out how to mount them as a group.

I really don't know how to photograph larger pieces with small details. Is there a good You-tube video out there anyone can recommend?

The little blue girl is "Weather or Nut". The one below doens't have a name yet.

 The snake's tail was fun to do.

The "String of Spring" is over three feet long, stitched on paper.

I finally finished a skirt begun two years ago.

I had used this pattern in the past and made a skirt definitely too big, I sized it down according to the pattern's measurements, but it looked too small. Two friends gave me some advice and between the three of us, I chose a size, took a deep breath and cut. The sewing takes very little time. The sweater was knit about 5 years ago, making the outfit entirely made by me (except stockings, undies and bra) Undies are a future plan. I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

At the end of December I went a little mad with on-line shopping. Two fabric shops, a book store, a calendar and a course with Karen Ruane (link on sidebar) were bought. Then fun of fun, they all arrived a day after my birthday, making another day all about Me!

The long cotton lace piece will be added to a piece I haven't blogged about. The blue is a heavy-ish textured knit for a jumper or sweater. The creamy one and the rose-y one will be winter neutrals next year. The two books from Persephone Press in the UK are a real treat. The catalogue comes out twice a year and after a thrilling adventure with a marker and the past issues, I decide what to buy next, then buy them when I am feeling blue. This season reads are, The Far Cry by Emma Smith, and Mariana by Monica Dickens. I no longer remember the reason for choosing these books, so part of the adventure is in the re-discovery of what captured my attention.

As part of that sewing weekend, I also finished off an old, old project. This little table topper has several old fabrics from the 1940's. I wish I hadn't chosen that dark pink in the centre, it is too dense. If I find a better fabric, I will applique over it, but until then, back in the drawer it goes. Unless someone out there likes it as it is. Let me know, I'll mail it to you.

I made a set of curtains for Steve's office that I will blog about more once the other parts of the room are done.

Steve is sanding paint off of an old drafting table and refinishing it. Could be a while.

Quest completed, stitching commences

In an amazing feat of daring-do, my friend Cheryl and I went to a home accessory shop and found everything in one place.

It wasn't until I wrote that sentence that I realized the true magnitude of it. I think most people love the hunt of finding house accessories, while I usually browse the curbside for peoples 'junk'. Having too many chairs, a table, a monstrous sink with metal drawers combination, and pieces of 'good' wood in the garage, I decided that linens and anything electric should be new.

Cheryl, who is an expert at finding what anyone is looking for was equally surprised. While we stared at the three twin size comforters on offer, we glanced into the sales bin and lo...the perfect quilt and pillow top. On to the curtains and bingo, Cheryl found lovely purple sheers and my attention was grabbed by a copper base lamp. Ka-ching, we were done. In under 20 minutes no less.

Off for a lunch of croissants and then there was enough time to get a couple of hours in the studio.

I will have to do a separate photo of the copper lamp next blog, it is just so gleam-y. The stack of boxes by the closet is one of those deferred decisions. They contain years of slides Steve took that he needed for teaching Architecture. The technology has changed so much they are completely obsolete, except as an archive. But those teaching years are coming to a close and the library is swamped with slides that need to be turned into digital images. Maybe slides will return to popular culture the way the vinyl records are? Maybe they are a retirement fund? In the meantime, there they sit.

I auditioned a couple of scraps of silk for the new hanky piece and pulled out the threads for the previous two.

I have several combinations I liked. The piece was in danger of being completely appliqued, but that would wreck the continuity of the group.

The little house at the top of the hill called and called to the orange piece of silk, so I had to listen.

Who wouldn't want to walk on a blue path?

Maybe this piece of applique should have been in the forefront, instead of the background? It was a bugger to get exactly in place, so it is a potential mistake I think I will live with.

I will rip it out if I must, but to do that, I need to hear a chorus of "rip it out, rip it out" from viewers.

Walking home from the gym in the rain this morning, I ran a couple of titles through my head.
"Achoo"
"Gazoont-height"
"3 sneezes"
I settled on "3 sneezes makes a wish"

A decent set of photos today

The cat is super anxious, there are pigeons under the bird feeder. Several varieties of birds grace our backyard, but the pigeons are, apparently, scumbags.

I'm not sure if it is their size, the way they fly in or that they feed on the ground, but nobody has any peace of mind until the pigeons leave. And that means Cleo Belle is in and out of my lap, on and off the table, on and off the window sill and in moments of real stress, she climbs up my leg. Very Ow!




As I wrote this paragraph, we were visited by a yellow bellied Flicker. What a gorgeous bird. The last siting of him was about 10 years ago. Cleo Belle didn't notice. She is not a good birdwatcher.

Last Friday I was at a textile related event and a goody-bag containing beautiful old linens was being shared around. I galloped over and scooped as much as was socially acceptable.

These are two cotton table toppers, sweet but not too exciting.

A trio of a table topper, a circular polyester table cloth and a short table runner underneath with hand crocheted edge. Although polyester, the curved piece will give me good yardage whenever I need a curve somewhere.

Here is a closeup of the upper left table cloth. I am never sure what to do with crocheted bits, they can fray like billy-oh when cut. It might become a background for a larger piece and remain intact.

Now here is the real Scoop-de-Jour. It is a fantastic quality of linen and the crocheted inner border has been inserted by hand.

Look at how beautifully this lady turned that corner! This scrumptious piece is going in my private stash, never to be cut or modified by me. Some pieces are really just too fantastic to alter.

And speaking of altering and stitching, this sketch is about to be drawn onto the next sheer hanky.

This hanky has some staining from being too close to a damp cloth and is rather frail. Stitching will be a challenge, simply because the structure isn't too firm. The sketch itself is simple and opens up to some applique. I hope I have some good green silk ties in the stash.

Every so often I get a mad urge to cross stitch a pattern. This one from Threadworks Primitive (here). Her Etsy shop is where the action is, not her blog. This pattern is nicely simple until...... you see the cloth.

I have had the beige cloth for eons and it has taken me forever to finish this dragon. You can see how the slightly red cloth is about 50% smaller in weave. I needed to use a lighted magnifying lens. The simple "Let it Snow" has taken me 3 Decembers to complete. Once January comes, I tuck it away. Foolishly, I am searching for a new cross stitch for next December.

In other parts of the house, we are working away on getting this Ikea bed built and installed. It has a sliding trundle bed underneath and 3 large storage drawers.

Tomorrow, a friend and I are going to find a duvet, a lamp and maybe some curtains. The walls are a calm green and there is an old armchair with 1970's orange and green upholstery. A Quest.

And some stitching

A second hanky, somewhat sheer and now stitched with a suggestion of a story.

It opens with a little blue bird, as many animal stories do. The image quality is really crummy, my apologies.

Who is joined by a rabbit.

And then a fox wanders in.

A fish and a mouse are invited.

Here's where the story gets weird. The final creature is gathering its stripes. I intended one thing, my husband saw another.

I really enjoyed making this creature. There is a silk tie underneath the stitching that is rolled up inside of itself to raise it up.

What do you think? Snake or dragon boat?

It was tough photographing this project. My camera still dislikes a white background. The outside light was so grey and there was a lot of reflected light from overhead lights. I thought the images looked alright at the time, but I see that is not really the case. I need to investigate in a decent photo manipulation program. I use a Nikon Coolpix P90 to get good quality images, but it ain't happening. I also have an Ipad thingy that takes alright images but they look tons better once I've jiggled them a bit. However, the I pad thingy and the blog do not intersect technologically that I am aware of. Another project.

mmm