Catchup - Nov 21st-30th

Nov 21st

Heard something today that's worth sharing. You know when you go to Wal-Mart, or the grocery store and they have the wipes to clean your cart handle? How many of you don't use them? I always use them, and I always thought of the germs only. 

Was told today that a police chief suggests you do it because of all of the problems with drugs nowadays - if they have Fentanyl or something like that still on their hands and touch that cart, then you do, and it can get into your system. 

Scary but worth taking the time to clean the handle. All you'd have to do is rub your nose or touch your child's mouth. 

I'm searching for examples of how to display/store my tatting shuttles? I've acquired some lovely ones over the years and truly would like to SEE them, not just in a bag of those I'm using. These are my recent purchases! Tooooo beautiful for a storage case or drawer! MHO!!!

Okay after much searching I think I'd like something like this, known as a typeset drawer but with glass hinged door to keep dust out, for my shuttles. 

It needs to have rectangular spaces of 3.5"w x 1"d x 1.25"h in each row or column, either vertical or horizontal. Maybe a few smaller ones for my thimbles? Now to keep my eye out for such! I was told matchbox car storage boxes might work!!!

Nov 23rd

It's nice to be back home and out with Edna and Sylvia at the MPQ guild meeting and craft sale. Thank you to those that supported the vendors. It was a might disappointing to find out one of my fabric covered notebooks went missing, I had counted items before packing up and once home counted cash and compared to my inventory listing, minor discrepancy. I honestly did not expect this!  

Afterwards us girls went for lunch to Southdale Village Family Restaurant before heading home. Now back to my tatting and hockey watching!!!

Well I was pulling out my blank cards for special Thank Yous for my hostesses and hosts then realized there's a postal strike and it wouldn't go anywhere! So it's virtual!

THANK YOU so very much for making and sharing time with me on my visit to Toronto and area! I really appreciated this special time with you all! 💞 Hopefully it won't take me so long for my next visit with you, Yvonne and John, Nancy, Maria and Orio, Deana and who knows maybe combined with a tatting conference with you Deana and Ginny!

Nov 26th

It was a sleepy quiet morning except for Dahli somehow falling off the back of the couch scaring all of us, I can tell you! She seems okay upon her exit. Even later ran around the yard in the snow! Did she learn, nope, but at least she's awake.

Nov 27th

DAMN I am very frustrated with this Rogers/Shaw shit and NHL selling rights to varrious streaming apps that ive no desire to pay for. When Ignite TV was the away from home with WIFI I could watch my programs or hockey on my laptop or phone. This new Rogers Xfinity Stream has a restriction on and says to watch this hockey game on your home TV. I'm not home that's why I've this app but it's stupid and useless! GRRRRRR!!!!!

Here's wishing safe travels and a wonderful Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends here and in the USA!!!

Seems more often than not this is the "strikers" perfect time of year, no matter the company!!!

It's going to be another quiet day, slept in, coffee, then some phone stuff before finishing the last snowflake for Maija. YIKES now it's Bubba on the couch top, he was snoozing till I turned to get this picture. He better not fall off!!!

Nov 29th

Not a smooth sleep for Dahli (tossing around) nor me with aches etc! Bubba was in sleep mode!! Neither wanted up this morning! Maybe I should have slept in too! Dogs outside, fed, then another quick trip out and all of us back heading back to bed for a bit! EXCEPT I trip over the wooden crate of dog toys, that poor right leg has enough with sciatic pain now a nice shiner too!

At least I enjoyed my lunch with Cindy at Roxy's Restaurant and Lounge in Oak Bluff and delicious quesadillas and nice coffee! Lovely landscape art on their wall too, but can't figure out the medium used. We're trying to get a supper with Janice in before Christmas too, hope that's possible!!!

Nov 30th

Okay it was a rush getting out the door this morning making sure dogs were good to stay and picked up Sylvia from Pat's nearby. That sure was a help! Then off to ACQ where I sold her kits to students while Sylvia prepped to then teach her landscape class to eager quilters. Many afterwards said it was a fun, enjoyable and interesting class. Show n Tell next month.

I was in the free sew room and sandwiched 18 placemats. Next week I'll clip, turn, edge and quilt them before our Christmas luncheon and hand them in for Meals on Wheels program. Ohhhh I also have to sew up my pincushion for the gift exchange!!!

Also picked up some freebies a member was sharing! Talk about just in time for my handwork retreat in January to add to my wool applique projects! I'm so very happy!!! And I've always wanted the teapot pincushion pattern, now I have it!!! 

Along with two quilting patterns, one for a child's PPd blocks quilt and one kinda New York Beauty that I'm going to reduce the pattern some and try a miniaturized version. She just chuckled when I said that!!! Thank you!!!

Can I somehow magically transport expenses paid back to Toronto area? Temps are to start dropping and I'm chilled at -10 to -21C already. I think I need warmer socks!!!

Catchup - Nov 2nd - 5th

Nov 2nd

Today both Sylvia and I took part in the Trapunto from the Front class at ACQ facilitated by Jackie J.  It was awesome, even if I diverted from instructions so I could stretch it onto a painting canvas frame, naturally larger than planned.  Hopefully I've not bitten off more than I can manage!!!  

So in class I got all the trapunto sewn in, the 1/2" diagonal quilting lines in the squares marked and all sewn, even in one pass somehow!!!  Then I diagonally marked my 1" grid for the borders before packing up to go home.  

At home I finished off marking one corner that got missed and finished off the quilting but took two passes around and then two for the inner sashings.  I was so proud of myself as normally I'd stop at each seam, cut, tie and bury ends!  Jackie showed us how to travel from one section to the neighboring lines and I was very impressed!!!  So I've learnt a few things in this class.  ❤️

Nov 3rd

WOW!!! Yesterday at ACQ Janet N gave me two baggies stuffed full of 1" and 1.5" squares and widths of various length of strips. And today I decided to match up and mark the 1.5" squares for my next mini project!!! Not sure when it'll be a finished project but thank you Janet!!! I can't believe they are so precisely cut ready for me to use!!!

OHHHHH HOW TRUE!!!!

So three or so hours later I've emptied the dressmaker pins container and maybe half the 1.5" scrappy squares prepped into 189 squares to sew up 378 HSTs. Once sewn up I'll dive back into this baggie and start again, the are lovely fabrics and totally different from my stash, which is very good!

Nov 4th

Had a lovely lunch with Aruna at PF Changs, awesome food and company, and she again settled my anxiety about my flight confirmation and answered my queries!

Hey hey hey, it's finished! Oh not labeled as yet! Sylvia helped me with the measuring and trimming of the batting/backing then refreshed my binding knowledge. Once sewn together the two of us stapled the binding to the back, I then used her Tacky glue and anchored the edges around the frame. I LOVE IT!!!

Also a UFO of fabric bought 5 plus years ago, set aside for something special and now it's finished from the Trapunto from the Front class at ACQ past Saturday.

Nov 5th

Lovely visit with Edna at Oakwood for borscht again, then picked Sylvia up and checked out Mook's and Fabricland's sales! I bought 3 pieces for kids quilts for borders n bindings. Then coffee break with the girls before taking all home and now trying to relax.

Not sure how much as things are moving fast in booking my Toronto escape! Sure looking forward to seeing Nancy, Maria, Deana (maybe Ginny n others) and relaxing with Yvonne n John before returning home!!! 🥰

Honestly, I hate "online" registering, buying or booking whatever!!! Yeppers I did good booking my Aeroplan flight and FlixBus from Toronto to London no problem, nervous as hell though. Then feeling relieved, I tried booking my ParknFly.ca with a corporate coupon I was gifted and totally screwed up. I've emailed for help and hope that comes tomorrow!!!

Catchup - April 13th-14th

April 13th

Well I've started again some purging and came across these four various sized quilts - child's to large lap. I trimmed them and found binding fabric for all.  

I thought this purple/blue/green one was familiar and I've found MY picture of this flimsy from my first online storage system on Webshots, WAY BEFORE my Blog started! But yet I've not found my own picture for the year sewn up.

So obviously someone in Aurora gathered these flimsies, quilted them and returned the bag of four to me, who knows when, to bind/label. Binding I've completed today. 

But I'm too tired to struggle with my laptop to print off both Aurora and MPQ labels. Maybe next week, then I can wash/dry them and I've decided I'll drop them off Thursday or next month for the MPQ ABC program for whatever organization needs that size of quilt.  

If you recognize these please let me know so I can acknowledge your efforts whether for the quilt top and/or quilting. Thank you!

This purging is making more work for me!!!

Ohhhh I was sooooo very happy Sylvia phoned and got me out of that overstuffed sewing room! I have enough floor room to do some slower dance moves, but no energy - WOW!!! Every time I turned around something behind me would fall? Not sure what it was but I better stop and wait for Pat just in case something falls on ME!!! BUT dang it I still haven't come across my shoe box full of fabric Jelly Rolls!!!

But darn I've 3 big boxes filled of crafty and some yarn n fabrics, 1 medium box of crafty things and three large bags already packed n labeled for their new homes! 

 

I gotta stop as I've a very busy and horribly early (for me) day tomorrow and a sewing class too! Need my head well rested!!! But hopefully Sunday I'll have lots of crafty stuff out of my closet and hopefully get to store my specialty fabrics in clear bins, my flimsies with their backings and/or some sandwiched quilts just waiting for me to tackle the quilting!!!  Then Tuesday will be delivery day for these boxes and maybe celebrate a small victory hopefully with wine!!!

April 13th

WOW!!!  Yes it was a way too early start to my day, picking up Sylvia 8am and heading to Crestview for the Assiniboine Circle Quilters gathering and lucky us the opening set up and put away closing this month!  Plus I had a class on Fabric Manipulation with Valerie H.  There is another technique with Fabric Magic that was shown but we didn't get to it, but someone showed her awesome example with the item fancy stiched before steamed, I'll be trying that one day and adding it in here.  I think we all enjoyed this class very mucho!  Thank you Valerie!

Thank you Sylvia for these three pictures!!!

Chopkey Hexagons

Continuing Prairie Points 

Lined Prairie Points 

Harlequin Tucks

Straight Tucks, Sample 1

Straight Tucks, Sample 2

Once home 3:30ish I promptly took a nap before watching the Jets game and catching up on missed curling games while finishing off my various class pieces.  These I hope will go into a way too snazzy tote bag for myself, lots of beads and trims I think.

April 14th

O M G G ! ! ! 🫨🫨🫨

Pat and Sylvia got here 11ish and we started purging my crafts supplies! Pat brought homemade soup, humus and veggies and I had taco chips and salsa for us for lunch. Sylvia cut off a strip off my stash of felt putting them in a smaller bin, then sorted and put my batiks into that larger felt bin and finished off with sorting some of my Christmas fabrics and into another large bin. Pat and I were in the sewing room pulling out various bins, purging most, combining some and putting stuff I was keeping into clear bins that were purged. We got rid of most non see through plastic store bags and boxes!!! We did MAJOR purging damage of mostly craft stuff and WOW!!! what a huge improvement in that room. 

Left side of master closet

Right side of master closet

These will be split between three places, most are fabrics.

This is all crafty stuff we purged!

Down the road I'll start sort lying around or boxed fabrics hopefully into the two cupboards that Pat showed that I can now open without items falling everywhere! I'll pull cotton fabrics I've lost interest in for a group that sews quilts for Sleep in Heavenly Peace and fancy fabrics and more embellishments for Alzheimer's quilts. It'll be awesome to find things at a glance now!!! 

Thank you Angela for the two sources and my friend Monica is getting some too!  All these will be dropped off Tuesday!!!  YEAH!!!  Nice to know someone will make better use with these than I now-a-days or dropping them off at thrift stores.

Catchup - Jan 31st-Feb 3rd

Jan 31st

Oooohhhhh why can't people get a normal honest job already! It seems like some SCAMMER is using my cell phone number as a cover for their ill tried gains! I've checked with Rogers security section and they advised that I continue HANGING UP and immediately BLOCKING that caller. On can also report thr incident to the Cdn National Anti-Fraud Centre. Also if anyone calls me that I've been SPAMMED - not such and to state the above facts too! The scammers are not actuslly using my number, but SPOOFING!

Hmmmm now that Day 10 TIAS is here I'm still no closer to guessing accurately, even with the two parts together! I'm using a clear silver lined bead so not quite visible.

Feb 2nd

Awesome to have a half day class/sewing session finally! Sylvia enjoyed the ZOOM session with the girls too! Thank you Melissa for this Modern quilt as you go table runner class! We both enjoyed it very much!

At Sylvia's in her Studio! 

My back for reversible.  Sylvia's backing has black with white dots so her stitching did not show. 

Last night I retatted the snowflake that gave me grief! It went much smoother and I'm more pleased to gift this now! The Eighth Day of December from 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn.

Second lots smoother tatting.

Firts not so great tatting. 

YEAH, thank you to Susan for contacting her daughter Madison who with Paul, helped my overly large desk to be GONE! 💞💞💞 My freezer is in it's new space now and tomorrow I hope to make the final furniture moves! Then it's going through my "stuff" in future to downsize!!!

My new book has arrived! I'm too tired to give it a try tonight! I've some of those mini balls so I'll be trying tatting covers one day!

Feb 3rd

Well home after a quick oil change and check on items I'd noted, nothing serious to fix.

This is where I took those bears pictures from!

Live with Kelly and Ryan

Updated: Ann, the Admin of our PFA FB group asked me to repost the following orange postcard and info from comments under Acrylics theme to the general group. Which follows. But here is the original that spiralled into requests for similar postcards shortly afterwards. This was from our MPQ guild's Fibre Art class taught by Michelle Dobrin back in March 22, 2009! I called it "Lonely Tree" and had to frame it for myself with a stickly mailing label on the back. 

Here's one of my acrylic multi media postcards using that same technique.

I did this one July 2009 that was started with right side down paper image wrong side for guidance with decorative black thread in the bobbin for the island and tree stitching, then used acrylics for shading and finished with topside quilting to batting. I had to make various colours and various number of trees to the island for others, some framed. One day I'll try this again and get pics of the steps. 😉

Hmmmm now it's TIAS Day 11 and still no closer to guessing accurately, even with the two parts together! I'm using a clear silver lined bead so not quite visible.