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!

Posting from Winnipeg

Well no pictures today, cause I am not at home... but look back to the blog post on Saturday.  See the snow surrounding the house?  Well, there's no snow... Yet.  But it is windy, and there are lots of Halloween decorations out on lawns and even Halloween house lights!   Just in case y'all were wondering.

Packing?

I am going to the Old Home Town for a visit...

I know there is not quite this pile of snow but, gee, snow is the most common theme in a city like Winnipeg, and thats how I seem to remember everything there...

Perhaps this is more appropriate to the season...  Yes, that's me in the blue hair, which is actually a mop head attachement for an industrial size mop -- my husband worked at the time for a company that supplied all sorts of cleaning stuff and the mop head was borrowed for halloween night, I think 1980.  We did have fun!

And there's the old neighbourhood and the kids waiting for the school bus.  We lived in a brand new development and every 3rd or 4th house a repeat, in colour and floor plan.  My brother called it Baby City cause everyone on the street seemed to have a child under age two!  It was a great place to grow your kids.  A playground around the corner, and a dead end street, so the traffic was mainly just those who lived there -- but now the street has been put through and is a main access to a large residential section.

Lots of other things to see, but mostly people to visit.  The place itself is not so important anymore, my home is here, but the people still in Winnipeg and surrounding areas are mostly the people I really, really like and don't get to see so often!

So I am gone now for a bit over a week, til November 3 or 4...  See you back here again, then.

Sometimes...

I wanted to stay in bed this morning.  I had put a different quilt on my bed yesterday and it smelled like the blankets and sheets that my Mom would bring in from the clothes line when I was a child. I was warm and very comfortable.  The back of the quilt was a nice cotton flannel and was tucked under my chin and up around my ears on the pillow.  There was no place that the cold air from outside the wrapped-around-me quilt could get in.  There was a cat, Archie, laying curled up with his nose under his tail (as cats often do) and another cat, Fossie, laying behind the back of my knees and purring quite loudly.

Who would ever want to move from that very special and cozy place!

But.

There was no maintaining the feeling of comfort.  My husband was in the kitchen, coughing just often enough to cause a spike of irritation in me, everytime he did it.  The dog, ever at his side was pushing her food dishes around the kitchen floor, because my hubby was busy munching his toast and peanut butter and reading the paper, totally ignoring the noisy hunger pangs of Pearl. 

Outside our door, the workers who are doing the reno landscaping and some groundsloping and water proofing brought in their excavators and the motors started up and the front buckets started scraping and banging and dumping and moving...

No sleeping in, not even just enjoying the cozy moment of warmth and peace.  The peace was broken, and the warmth was becoming too warm and sweaty...

HO HUM, time to start the day -- with reluctance.

off topic

just for a bit of change, here are recent photos of the lovely Pearl.

She went for her first ever visit to the Groomers...

It tired her out - she was quiet the whole afternoon for a change.

Perhaps she was not happy with her Halloween scarf -- later she managed to get it off and within minutes it was shredded into what looked like a bird's nest!

Socky Things or How to keep your tootsies warm in Winter

A few years back, I found a free pattern online to make socks with polar fleece or most any not too stretchy fabic.  Previously I would crochet myself a few socks.  Not socks that you would wear in your shoes, but really rather thick and warm socks cause my feet just get so very cold at night.  I wanted socks that I could wear that had no elastic cause my feet tend to swell (the doc calls it edema) and elastic in socks would make it worse.

Anyway, my socky things are a yearly ritual, I make for myself a couple or three pairs of these cozy warm polar fleece socks.  I try my best to find the brightest and cutest and oddest polar fleece prints.  Mostly I hunt all summer and fall at Value Village for yardage, where it is WAY WAY cheaper than at the fabic store.  This year, lovely bright red with teddy bears -- last year it was purple with yellow elephants.

One of the things though is that  I have started making these 'socky things' as gifts and it has come to pass that I get requests for repeats!  So, it turns out that I make some for myself and then another half dozen or so pairs for others!  I surely don't mind making extras and am happy to know that my dear aunties have warm toes, on those cold Winnipeg winter nights!

 I sometimes will wear my own 'socky things' when I wear my Crocs, as the weather starts to get cooler. Some people have noticed my really odd socks when I have worn them in public, so I have given a few friends the link to the free pattern online.

 I don't know if anyone else is making these as regularly as I am, but these are also great for seniors or wheelchair bound persons.  Bright colours or more somber fabric choices even, make pretty good gifts for a diabetic, because of course there is no elastic to cause problems with circulation.

So if you might like to try out really cozy and comfy socks (that can be used as slippers --just put a safety tread on the bottom) here is the link i have been using now for close onto 10 years!
http://www.cedesign.com/familyphotos/sewing/holidays/fleecebooties.pdf   the pattern is easy, with very well written instruction, even explaining the "grainline" of polar fleece and how to tell the right side from the wrong side.  The pattern has sizing from a baby size two up to a men's size twelve!  It does help if you have a colour printer as the patterns are sort of printed overtop each other using different colour lines so that you can distinquish one from another. 

Make sure to make one pair to try them out first -- I need to slightly adjust the pattern because as my mother used to say, I have legs and ankles like tree trunks, so the ankle on my personal adjustment is slightly wider than the actual pattern as printed.

I use the pattern so often now, that I have made semi-permanent templates (using cereal box cardboard) of the sizes I regularly make.

Now is that a picture of newly made 'socky things' or a picture of Pearl the dog?  Oh well, they both look pretty good, don't you think?  Warm Feet Wishes, to Everyone!

Peace to Joy Mystery Table Runner Part 2 (and Reveal)

Now to finish up this little table runner top...
If you didn't notice, check back to part one, because there is a major correction -- I apologize if this caused more work than necessary and especially am sorry if you use precious fabric!

Just summarize: you now have  12 half square triangles made, 10 short piano key sections and 8 5" squares.

Step 3:  Now with your 12 half square triangles you will make 3 "Broken Dishes Blocks" (see the photo).  I have randomly placed the fabrics, without worrying if light or dark or medium happens to be too close or opposite, so your placement is as you so choose.   Below is the block you will create.  The block should then measure 8 1/2 " x 8 1/2" square, trim up to make it accurate.

Set these aside for a few moments

Step 4  Now you need to cut the necessary sashing strips in order to finish placing the components that are already sewn. 

I have cut my sashing from regular width fabric.

The sashing strips are cut 2" wide so that when sewn they will be 1 1/2".
You will need about 230" in total, which works out to 5 1/2 strips but might as well make it 6 strips that are 2" wide and 42 inches long (at least)

Now from the 6 strips you will need to sew together 3 lengths so that you will be able to cut 2 strips that are 48 1/2 " long (or just a tad more as a just in case)

from the remaining sashing fabric you will need to cut 6 - 8 1/2 inch lengths, and 12 - 4 1/2 inch pieces.

Step 5:  Now we can put together the main sections.  First we sew 2 strips using, the piano key sections with sashing strips and the plain blocks

** a little pause here ** before you continue to sew, you need to take those 8 - 5" charm squares and recut them so that they are 4 1/2" square.  Thats a 1/2 inch off top and 1/2 inch off one side.  Be Accurate.

Now.  You will sew 2 long strips.  Start with the plain square and sew a 4 1/2" length of sashing strip to it, then to the sashing piece sew a piano key component, followed by a sashing and a plain square.  Take a look at the photo below and make sure you put your pieces in the same order - you start and end with a plain square.  The strip should measure 48 1/2 inches long.  Did I say to make 2 like this?  Okay, Make 2. That should leave you with 4 piano key sections and the 8 1/2 inch pieces of sashing and the two long strips of sashing along with the broken dishes blocks.

*excuse my photography - it is gloomy and rainy outside and the indoor light does not do this justice*

Step 6:  This last section will be the centre strip of the table runner.  So beginning with a piano keys component sew a 8 1/2 inch sashing piece to the long side, next you will sew a broken dishes block to the sashing and another sashing to the other side of the broken dishes block.  Continue in this manner ending with a piano keys component.  These will measure 48 1/2 inches long.

Step 6 a:  Next you will sew the long sashing strips to each side of the broken dishes section.  See the photo below.



AND FINALLY ---

You will sew the two smaller strips , one on each side to the centre broken dishes strip and you will be finished your table runner...

I have managed to quilt my top, but not quite finished adding and sewing the binding on.  So here is the almost completed Peace To Joy Mystery Table Runner. . .



Did you work along without peeking?  Like I said yesterday, I do understand if you wait to see the end.  If I may be so bold as to suggest, that this is a pretty good project for using up those charm packs that you bought on a whim!

Well, now I am working on creating a pot roast for dinner today ---My Son doesn't much care for turkey and he has to work tomorrow,  so we indulge him and forgo the turkey for beef roast as our Thanksgiving Dinner.

May you all enjoy your Meal with family and friends around you in person or thought.

Peace to Joy Mystery Table Runner Part 1

**uh oh - check for a correction in step 2, it should be 6 squares of light and 6 of dark**

Finally!  I am back - I missed me, so I won't even ask if you did -- Gee this has been a miserable cold -- which really has not ended yet!  Something that I do wonder about, not to do with colds but to do with relationships...  Why is it, when I have a cold (perhaps you too?) does my husband insist on snuggling, or gathering up my carelessly dropped and used kleenex?  How many times did I tell him to keep back?  How many times did I tell him to not touch the tissues?  How many times did I tell him to not finish up the bit of 7-up in my glass?   And when he starts to cough now and then, why does he say no, if I ask if he has caught the cold???

This little Thanksgiving Mystery is done in only two parts.  If it was me, I would wait til tomorrow to find out if I want to actually make this project -- but that sort of spoils things -- I'm not very good at Christmas either!!  I just don't see any point in torturing myself...  Anyway...

Before we start sometimes it helps to know what some of the end will be – even though it is a mystery, in this case, this mystery, as with some mysteries we are told what happened at the beginning so that the mystery them becomes How or Why.

The end of this mystery turns out to be a table runner that will measure about 18” wide and 48” long – a nice size for a dining table or perhaps as a dresser “scarf”.

So we start with a selection of 5” squares. One Charm pack will do nicely as most charm packs, I think are 42 squares. If you are cutting your own 5” squares from stash fabrics, you actually  need 40 squares.

You will also need a sashing fabric that either contrasts or co-ordinates with one or more of your charm pack fabrics – in my case I chose a fabric that I also used in some of the 5” charms, the lightest fabric.

Step 1. From your stack of 5” squares or charm pack, make two piles, one light fabrics and one dark fabrics. Some of the squares may be on the edge of light or dark or even exactly in between and since this is a mystery, I will leave the decision of what goes in which pile completely up to you, the maker.

Step 1 A. Now choose 8 squares from your stack – any 8, light or dark or medium is fine – perhaps this is a good use for the medium value fabrics that you are unsure of if they belong in the light or dark pile? Well, thats what I did with those, not really darks and not really lights...

Set these 8 squares aside, til later.

Step 2: Now choose 12  6 light/medium charms and 12  6 dark/medium charms. Randomly match one light, to one dark, lay two fabrics together and draw a line across diagonally exactly from one corner to the opposite corner using a pencil then sew 1/4” from that line on each side fo the line. Cut them into two following your original drawn line, Press the newly created half-square triangle open with the seam pressed toward the dark fabric.

You will now have 20  12 sewn, half-square triangles. Take the time to measure and trim square these so that they are 4 ½ “ square. This will help to ensure that your points all come together nicely so  that all your seams will line up.

Step 3: Now choose 10 more light squares and 10 dark ones.

Cut all the squares in half horizontally, so that you have 10 light rectangles that measure 2 1/2” x 5” and do the same with the dark squares. Now match light to dark and sew light to dark to make 20 sections that when sewn will measure 4 ½ x 5”

With these 20 pieces, again randomly match them and sew them so that you  then have 10 short strips, each section sort of looking like “piano keys” and 4 pieces sewn together that will measure 8 ½ “ x 5”. Then trim up each set so that they measure 8 ½ “ long x 4 ½ “ wide.  (that means to take about 1/2 inch off one long side or a 1/4 inch off both long sides, measure carefully)

And that is it for today.

I Hab a Code...

My eyes are not up to staring at a computer screen, nor does my nose stop dripping onto the keyboard; my ribs are sore from coughing.

I don't feel like making stuff or doing stuff -- I will be back SOON!  I suspect that I picked the cold up on my adventure to the big city (Vancouver) to see Harry Connick Jr. in concert about a week ago...  A really fine concert but way too many people -- it was a full house and I am sure someone just had to sniffle and snort their way through the concert and I was lucky enough to catch one of the millions of little bacteria they passed around to the concert goers...

More crochet wrapped Rocks

This took a bit of extra time to create, because I had not before done dimensional flower motifs in such a small thread and hook.  I am aquiring nice round rocks faster than I can make lacy crochet for them...

and a bit closer, these flower motifs are quite easy once you get the hang of keeping the tension tight -- it took a few tries to get the flowers to look proper considering my tension was way too loose.  I had to take it quite slow, and I am not showing the purple flower one I made first, it is pretty bad, so I didn't add the looped chains to wrap it around the rock...

I am still looking for a yellow varigated crochet thread to wrap around a rock -- I am almost obsessed with yellow varigated thread -- the first place I check out in every 2nd hand shop is the craft corner, looking for the elusive yellow varigated thread!  Soon, I know I will find it soon.

How and Who 2

Picking up a memory from an almost 60 year span is sometimes an adventure in time.  Trying to remember something from early childhood is often a challenge and definately not an exact science -- even when you think you remember something clearly, often you have not.

As things are, I am the eldest sibling in my family and therefore some of the things that happened to me through the years can only be verified by my parents and neither one is on this earth to correct my memory or to validate it.  So I have to rely on what is tucked away in my own brain and hope that it is clear...

When I was seven, I received what I remember as my first store bought Christmas/Birthday present.  Prior to that, my father would make things for myself and my brothers -- he made a wooden pedal car for us, he made wooden tools, a shovel and rake and even a hammer, he made a doll house and each year for at least a half dozen years after, he and my mother would fashion furniture from wood, tin cans cut and manipulated, he even used a set of christmas lights attached on the house to celebrate christmas!

As I was saying though, somewhere about 1959 or 1960 I got for Christmas a toy sewing machine!  I remember it as being turquoise in colour and that it sewed a chainstitch.  Now when I see things move, I have a need to figure out how it does that.  I studied that little hand crank machine in as much detail that a seven year old mind can.  I loved how the needle would go down through the little hole and a metal hook would catch the thread loop then hold it til the next time the needle came down bringing another loop of thread and form a loop that pulled through the first loop.  No bobbin on this little machine, but it sure was a fun thing to not only learn how the machine worked but also to see how it could hold fabric bits together to make something.  I remember my mother showing how to create a pattern to sew pants for my dolls and then soon after to show me how to add a sleeve to a rectangle with two "V's" cut into it and this became a shirt.  Later to make a collar for the shirt.  Those pattern shapes were a huge leap from cutting two holes for the arms to go through on a square piece of fabric.  All of a sudden, I could see how clothing wrapped around people!  Then I learned how to use darts -- my how my Barbie doll dresses fit snug -- Barbie soon had dresses like Marilyn Monroe!

If memory serves me correct my toy machine was somewhat like the one above, though I THINK mine was turquoise in colour.  I went hunting all over the internet for this image and discovered it at an etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/pearl25  for saleand this lady kindly let me use her image.  I have no pictures that I can find in the family photo album of my sewing machine, and even if I did the photo would be black and white and the idea of turquoise would not be provable anyway!

 I do remember I took my machine one time to a friend's house and her mother showed us how to make pot holders with a place to slip your hand in so that both the palm of your hand and the back of the hand would be protected from the heat.  I think my friend had the very same toy sewing machine and we spent alot of time using scraps of fabric to make things. 

I remember also around this time my mother was working on a hexagon quilt, I know that in the quilt some of the hexagons were sewn on my little machine.  My Mother would pin two hex's together and I would slowly stitch along the pencil line she had drawn.  I don't ever remember that quilt being finished tho... I wonder what happened to all those hex pieces?

Were you a lucky girl to have a toy sewing machine that really sewed?  Tell me what you remember!

Peace to Joy Quilt Mystery

I was going to call it Between the Seasons, but that didn't sound right, then I was going to called Between You and Me (my husbands birthday is just a week ago and mine is at Christmas)  But then I thought I would just call it what it can be used for.  From a quiet peaceful fall evening to the joy of christmas time -- my colour choice somehow turns out to be fall colours with a lot of green and red  AND  I do believe the Moda charm pack that I made it from was called Peace and Joy, though I cannot be sure of that because I bought it more than a year ago.

Anyway, this is to Announce that I will be doing another Mystery Quilt on the CANADIAN THANKSGIVING LONG WEEKEND.  That is SATURDAY OCTOBER 9, 10, and 11.

We will do a traditional style of pattern -- it came together for me through an experiment of piecing the squares that are available in a charm pack.

This Mystery will be in TWO main parts and will be suitable for any quilter, even a beginner, though a beginner should be well versed in keeping an accurate 1/4 inch seam when piecing! 

The third day Oct 11, will be just for you to finish up the details of the project, the layering, quilting and binding -- probably accomplishable between putting a turkey in the oven and serving it to the family...  as long as someone else sets the table!  Or if you get up real early, you can finish up the project and set your project ON the Table for decor while you eat!

So, if you are considering taking part in this mystery, you will need the following supplies.

Fabric:  1 charm pack -- or cut your own from your stash of fabrics, which means you need to cut at minimum 38  5" squares.  You should have a co ordinating range of fabrics and have at least 8 different fabric designs, a varying amount of light, medium and dark.  Like I said, I did use a Moda Charm Pack and the variety is pretty much exactly right for this project.

             You also need a co ordinating fabric which you will use as "stoppers" and as the binding -- sorry I did not actually measure how much as I was 'testing' the pattern -- but less than a meter, say about 1/2 meter.  And backing.  You will need to piece the backing, unless you cut it longways of your fabric, which means you will need a meter and a half in length, but then you will have half of it left over...  Maybe there is something in your stash that you want to use?  If you don't mind piecing your backing you can get away with about a 1/2 meter plus 6 inchs (about 26 inches by width of fabric)  OR if you buy a meter and a half of one fabric it should be enough for backing, binding and the stopper fabrics needed on the top...

            batting for the project -- I used a good quality poly batting and peiced it from some other left over projects, but much like the backing you will need enough to fit about 20" x 50"
Tools, etc
As with any Modern Quilt you need your sewing machine, thread, bobbins, sewing machine needles, scissors, rotary cutter, acrylic ruler (for this I like a 9 x 9 and a 6 x6) but the old trusty 6 x 24 will work.  and of course the cutting mat.  don't forget you need an iron to press seams.

So, I hope you will be happily looking forward to this project -- use it for yourself as a Autumn to Winter enhancement in your home, or make it and give it at Christmas!  Mark the Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend on your Calender!

How and Who

Lately, I have been thinking about how and who I learned my quilting and crocheting from, not to mention the multitude of other crafts that I occasionally pick up and still enjoy from time to time.

This is a HUGE subject so, it will take a series of posts to explain and perhaps introduce some of the sources where I learned about quilts and making quilts.  Maybe by following along with my path you may say "Hey! I remember that." or perhaps, "Oh, so that's where that idea comes from..."  I'm not doing this series in chronological order, though.  My eclectic brain may alight on one area or another so you never know from post to post where this series may take us.

I  am not going to plan the How and Who posts for any particular day so I hope that you will be able to join me on this personal journey through time and experience.

Since this will be my first post in this series, I would like to talk about one of my earliest and most important influences...  This is not where I learned of quilting, that came from my Mother, and Grandmothers and especially from my Aunt Vera.

Georgia Bonesteel (click on her name to learn more about her) taught me a technique that was indispensible in my early years of quiltmaking.
The first quilting book that I bought was written by this lady.  Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel

The book jacket cover on my copy is long gone, worn out, torn, bent and beaten from careless use, BUT i do still have the book! I used this book for quite a few years, and then my sister wanted to teach herself about quilting too.  So I gave her the book.  She had it for quite a few years and then one day on a visit to her, I saw it in her give away box that she kept by the front door.  I asked for it back and thankfully she gave it back to me!  I am so glad I have it in my Library again. 

 I thought I would check on AMAZON.ca if this book is still available -- IT IS!  Actually, it is available through the site's resellers and some copies are asking upwards of $80 US funds.  Whew!  I am so glad I bought it way back when it was newly published somewhere about 1980.   I loved and still love this book. 

  It opened the door to a way to make quilts without the expense of a big frame in my little Winnipeg house.  First making and quilting the squares with a large oval hoop, and later with the "q-snap" frame.   I made at least 4 full size quilts using this method and even formed a group to work together to make quilts for each of us using this method, 6 or maybe it was eight of us.  We picked names to generate an order and then each of us made a block each month for three months for the person who's turn it was.  It took about 3 years total for all of us to each have a large queensize quilt.  Each one a lovely sampler type of style.  It was a great sharing project!  We each too turns with the book when it came our turn to put our blocks together.  The instructions and techniques in it were easy to understand for each of us.  I know each of us in the group learned some of our basic quilting techniques from Georgia!

If you are looking for a good starting point in quilting, I would certainly recommend Georgia's Book and if you can find she also had a regular quilting show on PBS.  Perhaps there are dvd's available.  She is a wonderfully good teacher...