Sometimes I Have Nothing to Say

So as an explaination for my absence on this blog for the last few days, I will provide you, my reader with a Link.
 The Article is about my Uncle George and Aunt Irene.  I was recently in Winnipeg, as you may know if you have been reading my blog for awhile and visited with my Aunt and Uncle and other family members.  Though I am sad, I am also feeling very priviledged to have been able to "say" goodbye.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/news-of-death-kills-wife-110901369.html

I will write again about quilts and crafty things in a few days, I just need a bit of time to reflect and remember this couple who were a very important part of my life, for all of my life...

On the Way to Christmas Part 3

Just a few more Christmasy links...

How about a banner?  Heres one using paper and Christmas stamps...
Easy, inexpensive - if you have some stamps in a drawer somewhere - and sharing time  with the kids
http://chantalvincentart.blogspot.com/2010/11/easy-paper-christmas-bunting-tutorial.html

Do you BAKE?  My Mother and I tried to make a gingerbread house many years ago -- it was okay, but way back in the '60s there was not the kind of tutorial and hints and tips to make such a thing -- well, I don't remember that there was anything other than a picture and a recipe.  At Not Martha, she creates individual gingerbread houses for everyone to put on on their mug of hot chocolate!  Using her method and her very clearly written tips to create perfect shapes, how could you fail??
Take a look at http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2009/12/18/a-gingerbread-house-that-perches-on-the-rim-of-your-mug/

Are you on Facebook?  There is a Green Grocery Bag Challenge page -- the idea is to make and give grocery bags to either wrap your gifts in, or to just give the bags for repeated use when carrying your groceries or other items home.  The Challenge Page is at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Grocery-Bag-Challenge/107692562629944 but if you are not on Facebook, here is a few links to tutorials to make grocery totes -- choose one or two to make for yourself, or to give as gifts that will help save our planet....  Yes, it is easier to buy those 99 cent ones from the grocery store, BUT did you know that some of those bags (made in China) actually have been tested and have LEAD in the compiled material used to make those bags?  read: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/nyregion/15bags.html

Grocery Bag tutorials:

  for a roll up shopping bag  http://needleandspatula.blogspot.com/2010/11/roll-up-shopping-bag-sewing-tutorial.html

  a you-tube video tutorial  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7nN36oIBqY
(only thing I wonder about this is Where is the IRON?)

    a reversable bag - use and double use!  http://ourgreenexperiments.blogspot.com/2010/11/reversible-reusable-tote-bags.html



    I even did a bag making tutorial a few years back when I was writing Miss Snips Notebook and put it on Flickr -- but there you need to log in and that is a nuisance - but just in case you want to look -- here it is (you probably have to log in to Flickr)  http://www.flickr.com/photos/86029575@N00/918291309/in/set-72157601043057359/  once you are at the tutorial you need to click on each photo for the written instructions, which includes measurements for cutting the fabric -- but you can make this type of bag in any size you desire -- I am actually making some christmasy ones using the method described in my tutorial,  that are quite tiny ( 7" wide x 7 " deep) to put in the Abbotsford Christmas Craft Fair this weekend at the Ag-Rec Building --- check out Ellen's Booth as my bags are only a small part of the wonderful Christmasy things that you will see at the craft fair next weekend! 



Here's wishing you a great start to the season and Happy Christmas!

On the way to Christmas Part 2

There is always something new to learn...

Having been a quilter for many many years, I have admired the designs and creativity of the various paper crafts -- and there is an amazing variety of things you can do with paper!  My Son works at a middlin' size printer that does everything from government pamphlets to children's and other illustrated books.  He is able to occassionally bring to me bright or textured or  unusual types of paper that are 'cut-offs' from various runs, and now a friend is the proud possessor of a Cricut machine...  Those two things combined is encouraging me to explore blogs where paper is the main element of design.

As you might see, I have collected a variety of cardstock and paper and am thinking that perhaps, I might try to make a few christmas cards, or at least some greetings in the next little while...

http://inspiredbystamps.blogspot.com/2010/10/christmas-candle-critter-sketch.html

The above link is an illustration, with some instruction of a type of challenge to create a specific design -- now as I gather, the idea is sort of like a quilt challenge except with making a card -- a certain format or placement design is created and those who take part use the "map" and their own creativity to fit a theme.  This one a christmas candle.

For the beginner paper crafter, here is a very simple card that lends itself to mass production, or at least for the 20 or so cards you need to get sent by Dec 7...
Just cardstock, some folding and a couple of Christmas stamps and stamp pads
http://paperblossoms.blogspot.com/2010/11/cas-christmas.html

Here is another idea that looks like what you would make for that special someone!  http://rejoicingeverymoment.blogspot.com/2010/11/cocoas-mittens.html

And here is paper crafting combined with gift giving!  And HUMOR!  I really like this idea - a special little gift for visitors or those who you just want to give a christmas cheer-up to...
http://craftingwithdarsie.blogspot.com/2010/11/holiday-sunday-reindeer-poop.html

More Christmas projects, ideas and tidbits coming yet!....

On the Way to Christmas...

I don’t generally post lists of things, but I thought that since we are getting close to Christmas some gift ideas might be in order.

Some of these have been posted earlier in the year on other blogs whose whole purpose is to give you ideas and things to read, and some of them are sites that I return to on a regular basis either to remind myself of a project that I have already done at some time in the past or a new idea that seems to be just right as a gift for a friend or relative.

Check out these and hopefully one or two will be useful and help fill in your Christmas giving gift list.

http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/2010/09/lunch-money-cuff-tutorial-she-christie.html  I really like this one for a quick and easy stocking stuffer for those in between kids “tweens” that are finished with toys, but not quite ready for the full adult version of a product.

Décor? This could be a fun project to share with a grandchild to learn about crochet - or if you are a beginner crocheter, try out this for a way to perfect your expertise and to recycle some older tree baubles and to decorate for Christmas -- three purposed project!
http://meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com/2010/11/pips-crocheted-christmas-baubles-as.html

This is an especially nice Chef’s Apron Pattern, you just use measurements to make the patter or simply go direct to sewing this design. Free and easy and can work for yourself while making Christmas Dinner or perhaps make one for the BBQ season and your own BBQ chef?

http://www.spoolsewing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/apronpattern1.pdf

Here is a ’blog that every Monday features a crochet snowflake pattern. I especially love the one recently posted here http://snowcatcher.blogspot.com/2010/11/starflake-monday.html   if you look on the side bar and click on Snow Flake Patterns it will bring you to all the blog posts of the many different designs this writer has made and given instruction for.

Also on the sidebar is Snow Flakes for Kids to colour -- print these out to keep the younger crowd busy…

Here's a tip from Naptime Quilter of Calgary -- she shows how to create your own little tool for cleaning the lint from the bobbin area of your sewing machine.  Get and Keep your sewing machine running smooth for all that christmas sewing -- go to http://naptimequilter.blogspot.com/2010/04/friday-favourite-lint-tool.html

Want or need some hints on making chicken stock (do turkey stock the same way)?  Check Small Notebooks instructions and you should be successfull everytime and have a lovely stock for future soups... http://smallnotebook.org/2010/11/12/chicken-stock-recipe/

Well, this is a good start, but no one wants to spend too much time wandering about the internet, so I will leave you with these 6 links, and will post more in the coming weeks -- all links that will in someway be useful as we approach Christmas...

French Press Cozy

Yesterday I was reading about making cold pressed coffee and that the ideal tool for it is the French Press.  Well, I have been making my coffee using the French Press for a long time now.  The main reason I use the French Press is because it is small - 8 cups it said on the package when I bought it, but I thought that was a missprint (you know how things made in China sometimes have odd words?).

 Well it turns out that it means 8 - 4 ounce cups.  Who ever drinks a cup of coffee that is a 4 ounce size?  Espresso, I guess, but I drink regular coffee in regular Canadian size mugs, that is more like 10 oz.  Anyway, I get three good mug fulls from my coffee press.  I just put in two really heaping tablespoonfuls of coffee and pour in the boiling water -- it sits for about 3 minutes and I pour the coffee into my cup.  That leaves 2 cups or Canadian Mugfuls still in the pot, a second morning cup, maybe and a cup late in the afternoon ---  If I don't use all the coffee in the pot (by warming in the microwave) then I put the coffee in a mug, cover with with "press and seal" wrap and put it in the fridge and still have pretty good coffee for the next day's breakfast.   Now if I used one of those automatic makers with the heating plate that soon turns coffee into bitter black tar, I would be throwing out alot of coffee everyday!
This morning, I thought I would make a simple little cozy wrap for my French Press to extend the warmth of the coffee in the pot to my second cup...
I think it worked out well, using some thicker batting and some left over scraps - mind you by the time I got the cozy made, the coffee was already cold, so I will have to wait til tomorrow to see if it will keep the coffee warmer, just a bit longer. 
And here is the link about cold pressed coffee making, using a French Press http://www.lisaclarke.net/2010/08/24/cold-press-coffee-or-how-i-reclaimed-some-precious-counter-space/

Now the next thing, I think is to go make some oatmeal cookies...

Raise a Ruckus Mystery Quilt

Yes! another Mystery Quilt project coming up!  This will be a larger quilt top, meant as a small bed or lap throw, it will measure around the 50 x 70 inches and can be done with scraps or in a limited palette.
This project is especially for those who plan to celebrate New Years at home.  The first installment will be New Years Eve, December 31, 2010, there is a fair amount of cutting so this is the day to cut your fabrics along with some "strata" type piecing.  Plan to spend a few hours at this! Then on New Years Day, January 1, 2011 piecing will continue and if you have no plans for a big dinner or other visiting you should be able to spend 3 or 4 hours in your sewing room.  Finally, Sunday, January 2, 2011, you can relax a bit and piece the sections together and perhaps add a wide border, depending on if you like borders or want to slightly increase the size -- the plan is that a border will be added and it will be fairly wide.

I am of an age where New Year's Parties do not hold much interest and kissing people at midnight is definately not my style!  So this project is for the person who wants a couple of quiet days at home to do something that is not part of the crowd! So this Raise a Ruckus will be a quiet and industrious type of Ruckus!  The Fireworks will be part of the quilt that you create!

You will need to pay close attention to the light, medium and dark hues of fabric but along with that you will need to incorporate a BRIGHT -- I would suggest a Yellow, but a bright green, red or blue will also work but it does need to definately be BRIGHT and to be almost a solid or a very small print that will look like a very bright solid.  You don't need much -- about 1/2 meter -- or for you American readers about a 1/2 yard.

As to technique and ability.  This is a traditional design with a bit of a twist.  Almost all very straightforward piecing of squares, but if you have not done foundation or paper piecing this is where you can start.  There is one element of foundation piecing - fairly simple but to be accurate, this is the best way to add an otherwise "fiddly" detail.  Not hard, though!

Now because this is a bit larger project, you will need more fabric, so here are the estimates of what you need:

Border Fabric: optional a medium hue that perhaps refects or co-ordinates with the fabrics in the body of the quilt -- about 2.125 (thats 2 and an eighth) meter ***a hint about the border*** if you like you might consider choosing your border fabric FIRST, then while studying your border fabric, choose your other fabrics from the print that is within your border fabric -- the light, the dark, the medium and the bright elements within the border multiprint.
Background fabric -- either light or dark -- about 2.75 meters
Strong Contrast to Background --in other words, if your background is cream, the strong contrast should be a Navy Blue, Deep Forest Green, Burgundy, etc -- about  1.25 meters
Medium Print -- you will need a total of about 1.25 meters -- you should consider using two different medium prints, both in the same colour family, if you are working in blues, choose two different medium blues, that are very close in value, or perhaps you could go with a true blue along with a aqua, or a rose, with a coral. If you plan to work with scraps, carefully study your scraps, lay them all out together (maybe use a red viewer) or take a photo then look at them, make sure they are all in that similar medium tint or hue even if they are all different colours.  These should not break up the view as you look at them together, if one piece is either too light or too dark you should be able to see it pop out of all the others...

Finally you will need to consider your batting and backing -- you will need about 5 meters for your backing -- but again, you can use some large scraps pieced to make a backing.  You can purchase a twin, or double size quilt batt of your choice.

I hope that you will follow along with this project -- I am planning to create this quilt to donate to a project that my quilt guild is a part of -- Quilts of Valour -- so I thought today would be a good day to make the announcement of the Mystery Weekend.  Quilts of Valour in Canada can be found here .
If you are American there is also a Quilts of Valor page, to be found here .

You have almost 7 weeks to prepare -- and I will remind you about this again in the next few weeks...

Treasures from Goodwill

I discovered the problem with loading my pictures onto this blog.  I bought a new camera, and the resolution is too high!  Each photo now needs to have the resolution reduced in order to upload it in a reasonable amount of time...

Now, onto the store of Treasure found at the thrift store.  If I could whistle I would have been singing like a bird when I found these, they made my heart flutter!

One of the wonderful treasures that I found in the Goodwill Store was a box of wooden spools, in a variety of hues.  I have not come across this type of thread before.  It is called Buttonhole Twist - 15 yard spools.  As you may notice the spools are short and stubby and the "stamped" end says Beldings Artsyl  Made in Canada, Buttonhole Twist.  It is a fairly thick thread - I do believe it is 100% cotton but it doesn't say that on the spools or on the box of 45 spools.  Perhaps it is exactly what it says, thread to use to reinforce the making of buttonholes by hand.

Ya, Think?

A very pretty find, that I am more inclined to look at on a shelf than to actually use.

Anyway,the other find that I wanted to show you was a child's Sewing Cards Kit!  This one actually has a year and copyright mark --- 1974!  Thirty-six years ago a little girl named Ramona received this box of sewing cards.  I wonder how old she was then?  One card was close to complete and a second card was started.  The third card was not used at all.  I wonder if Ramona grew bored of this project, or perhaps she had already done and undone them a few times -- the yarn in the box was somewhat frayed.

I have wanted one of these kits now, for a very long time.  I have kept my eyes open and remember to look at every thrift shop that I visit.   I was so surprised to see this in the Goodwill Store in Winnipeg -- I was not thinking about sewing cards and did not quite believe what I was seeing.  It was under a stack of clothing patterns.  If you go to thrift shops you know how common clothing patterns are -- so common that many thrift shops, use the pattern printed tissue papers to wrap china and glassware, instead of selling the paper as patterns.

I don't know what to do with this box of sewing cards now that I have them!  Thats the craziest part.  How to use this ultimate treasure?  Where do I put it?  Do I leave the cards undone?  Do I take my adult self to the place where I can actually play with them by threading the big needle and 'sewing' a card or two?

So far, I am happy to just look .

Where Have You Been?

I'm Back! And happily so, but I sure had a great time visiting with family in my old home town!

I have grown accustomed to the climate here on the west coast of Canada, where the snow rarely shows itself except maybe at Christmas time.  I arrived in Winnipeg on a night that was very reminiscent of Vancouver, dark and rainy!

Visiting the old home town included some drives around the countryside.  I went to a school north of Winnipeg at a community named St. Andrews.  I was part of the first classes that attended this school the year it was built, now when was that?  Hmmmm, some time about 196?, Yes, that's it, exactly!

A bit of a grey day, but well, to me alot of my school days were grey...

And St. Andrew's Anglican Church on the Red - one of the oldest churches in Western Canada... it is across from the school - it can be a melancoly day's step into history, to read the gravestones dating back 150 years or more.  The one that said "Baby, aged 2, drowned in the Red River 18--" was one that set me to thinking...

Then further north, we drove to the general area known as Winnipeg Beach - my SIL's family has had a cottage there that has been in the family for more than 60 years -- long before it was popular to have a cottage at the Beach...
I could not pass up this photo of the Art Centre and the painted quilt block on the building.  What more lovely sight does a quilter want to see???

Now on another day we went to an number of 2nd hand stores -- thrift shopping is the family sport! Our Mother taught us very well, not everything needs to come from the big department stores or as they are called today the "big box stores" .  The Goodwill Store on Princess Ave. in old Downtown Winnipeg is housed in one of those pre 1900 built heritage buildings.  The stone quarried north east of the city at Garson or Tyndal Manitoba.  This store has been at this location for as long as I remember -- when I went it, the floors squeeked as they always had, the designated areas for goods were unchanged.  It was a step back in time - I expected at any moment for my Mother to call me to check on where I was!!  I could almost see her dark curly hair just by looking over the racks of clothes, it was heartwarming and yet quite eerie to be in the store again...

Tomorrow, I have to tell you about some of the treasures I found -- I spent only 1.60 plus sales tax (that is a whole 'nother area of contention -- how many times does one have to pay tax on the same thing?)

I would have continued the story of the treasures found, but for some odd reason, I cannot get any other pictures to load onto this blog...  So a bit of suspense...  It is worth the wait!