Hallowe'en

Spooky stuff, Hallowe'en..the neighbourhood kids will be out in full force tonight, looking for treats.  I like to buy the ones that I like..little chocolate bars...BUT! ..I have to hide them from ME!..put them in a cupboard where I don't see them..out of sight ..out of mind!

I always wondered...why does four ounces of chocolate mean a 2 lb weight gain???

Makes no sense to me.

I decorate for hallowe'en with my sewing dummy, Peg..years ago I made her with duct tape..well, I made 2..didn't believe I had all this extra me right there..lol,  so hubby and I did another.

Have you ever tried making a sewing double?  Lotsa fun, you put on an  oversize T-shirt, then get covered in duct tape...but in such a way that you don't mash down all your curves or add more that aren't there. It's hot and uncomfortable, and if hubby is helping, sometimes annoying ...lol..and you have to be cut out of it!  I never , ever,  used it for fitting garments..only at hallowe'en to build a witch.
I call my dummy Peg as in peg leg..she only has one leg and she stands in an sun umbrella stand.  I put a costume on her that I made many years ago (read..doesn't fit me) and have her stirring a boiling pot (plant stand and stuffing)filled with eye balls and fingers..I use the little battery tea lights for effect.  I have an aquarium stand that I cover in red tissue and fake dripping blood.
I have scared some little ones, but after I show off her undersides, they realize that she isn't too scary....but they walk down the driveway, glancing back over their shoulders...just to make sure she is not following..
It takes me hours to set it all up and then by 9 pm she is all put away for another year.
So I will take pictures and post them tomorrow.



Cleome



I really love having a laptop...why?...I spend a good deal of time up in my sewing room, away from my hubby. He travels alot, so when he is here, I like to spend time with him.  That might change once he retires...lol.  But, to use the big computer, I would still be upstairs and apart from him for a long time..the other computer is so slow.  With my laptop, I can work on my blog and be in the family room too...I can sit and search for quilt patterns, shop, research sewing patterns, watch You-Tube videos of sewing or quilting, and still be in the same room with him.  I can watch programs that I like and still do stuff on-line. I can do what-ever and he can watch all the sports that he likes.  I heard on the radio that most people are not just watching one screen anymore...we are multi-tasking.  No surprise, right...we are women and we multi-task!




snapdragons ...same plant has been growing for 3 years!

 

It's so nice having all the mod -cons (modern conveniences).  Some of those we really take for granted...heat ..hydro (electricity).. gas..internet...we literally have the world at our finger tips...we can access any thing, any where, at any time. We can talk to anyone in the world.  We can access almost any quilt pattern, quilt maker without any problem.

Quilting is said to be a dying art...I don't think so...we are WORLD WIDE!!! how can we be a dying art?  

I had our guild exec meeting here the other day and at the end of the meeting, I brought out the laptop and some of us played with it.  Elizabeth logged into her pinterest account and showed us some of her work.  She left it logged on and later I had a really good peek at what she had.  I logged her out and opened my own pinterest account...Seeing all that body of work from all over is truely inspiring.
Speaking of mod cons.......
 Last week hubby and I went to  local quilt show...we used the GPS.. and couldn't get voice directions..the screen view was fine, I was co-pilot, so we managed fine anyway.  Today...the weather is the same and hubby is using the GPS....good thing he really knows where he is going because the GPS is in GERMAN today.  hehehe!  mod cons! love to hate them! but gotta have 'em

cut glass

Cut glass dish really does remind me a cut glass dish, with pickled beets in it.  Paper pieced, this one wasn't as bad or as confusing for me.  Lots of definition between the colours.  And I am getting smart...leaving EQ up on the 'puter so that I can consult it. If I was REALLY smart...I would put EQ on my laptop. It actually went quickly, and turned out nice.

darting birds

Next was Darting birds.  I used the beige that I have used quite often for the background and a dark blue that I had precut into squares....I had just enough of the blue...not a scrap left!

I skipped the next block and sewed "Economy"..easy, peasy,  I was ready for an easy one and ready for bed..2 colours of purple...also known as "square in a square".

inspiration



my background.. Maggie's art

 Where does it come from?  Our minds are strange things.  We were all talking at our exec meeting, how we all see the patterns for quilting in every day things...a gorgeous plaza's paving stones..mosaic walls..flooring..fabric design.  Pattern is all around us..how boring it would be without it.   But then we are surrounded by the very same patterns that are in nature.  The swirl of the seed head of a sunflower..the scales of fish..all shapes that have found their way into our quilts,  plus thousands more.
Sometimes it is just a flash for me..I see something and it triggers a desire to make it into a quilt.  LOL...Seldom does it happen for me.  I am not really "free" enough to let my artist out.  Quilting a quilt...putting thread to the layers is difficult for me.  I know that it can make or break a quilt..So, I try some things to help loosen up.  I use a child's toy called a doodle-pro...it's like an etch-a-sketch, only with a pen..Elizabeth suggested a white board, to practice quilting designs,  build what they call muscle memory.  Practice ,practice, practice..I NEED it.
Surfing the net I found Zentangles...doodling...supposed to help set loose the artist in you...easy to do and fun..it did seem to help me when I tried McTavishing...that's quilting free form.  It takes about 30 minutes to loosen up so that you can sew freely...and I need that..wine helps, but then you can have too much...
I usually play it safe while quilting,  stitch in the ditch, stippling.  That can get boring.  So I am trying to find my inner child,  that playfullness that we lose as we grow old.
I hope I find it soon!

Finally, finally done with 'country path'...this was the block that was giving me grief.  I had a hard time visualizing the colours and how it went together, I didn't trust myself when I thought I had it wrong, but it was right and I resewed it a couple of times but now it is done.....and I am glad..I only had a small piece of the very dark brown and I used it all.  I think this block took me the longest of all the blocks I've done so far.
Working in reverse sort of throws me...
but that's what happens with paper piecing.
The next block is cut glass dish......lots and lots of half square triangles..I am going to pp that one  even though it might be easier to just cut and sew.
Wow! up to block 25 already....ALMOST a quarter done!..lol

weekend work



monkshood



What a beautiful day today....the sun shone and it was warm, with just a few puffy clouds in the sky.  The air was clean (?) and clear with no winds.  There was so much dust and dirt on the patio table from the last 2 weeks of rain and wind storms...more than I've ever had to clean up before.

We were able to take down the canopy and do some yard work.  We still have lots of tomatoes, I picked most of them and hopefully they will ripen BEFORE they rot.  I don't like fried green tomatoes...tried them..yuck...maybe it was my recipe.. green tomato relish is good, but there's not really enough for that.  Besides, my feet are sore and I want to relax now.  We don't eat enough to warrent canning anymore.

 We cleaned out the bird feeders ( should I call them squirrel feeders?) and fixed another.  I will have to pick up some suet cakes, too, for when the weather is really cold.  I hadn't even finished putting seed in the feeders and one little squirrel was at the feeder already..she has big boobs, so she must have a new litter or is having one.  Actually the look smaller than when I first noticed, so maybe she had them....I haven't seen any young ones...but there is a  hawk in this area  that I have seen.



 

mandelvilla

 I noticed that the finches have eaten all the seeds from the daisies..blackeyed and purple cone flower.
I cleaned out some of the garden, while hubby cut the grass.  All the neighbours were out doing the same and enjoying the fine weather.  I'm sure we won't get much more of this

I really hope that we don't have rain this weekend, but it sounds like it might. It's raining already...cold and dreary.   We really need to take down the sun canopy and work in the gardens removing the dead plants.  Last weekend was windy and raining, not good for taking down the canopy.  But good for taking in a quilt show. 



Recycled Stained Glass by Judy Makinson



This little wall hanging is made with recycled candy wrappers.

  I have some summer bulbs that are still in bloom and I still have tomatoes growing....lots of cherry tomatoes.  I like those, they are so sweet.

There is nothing like the taste of a freshly picked tomato..  I will be sad to have to buy hothouse or imported tomatoes again this winter. 

The cat nip is huge..I will cut it down and dry it in the garage.  MissT likes the fresh new shoots ...and it's time to plant her some cat grass. She doesn't like to go out in the cold...just lies there all day in the sun in the front window  on her catshelf....ahhh ...the life of a cat!... eat and sleep..well, in the summer she loves to be out, sleeping in the sun,  she catches things too.  Many a time she has brought me a gift of a mouse or bird, a couple of dragon flies.  If I see her after a bird, I will try to stop her..but mice...she plays with those until they won't play any more....
One afternoon she lay in the garden hidden under the bird feeder, she almost caught a young male cardinal...he got away, but she had a mouth full of tail feathers!

Jay's Nest by Judy Makinson

this was raw edge pieced...very beautiful in person.

Tomorrow is hubby's 65 birthday...Happy Birthday SWEETIE!

I guess we will have to do something special for his birthday....no..he is not retiring...YET! one more year he says! 

I was reading a friend's blog, and for some reason I can't leave a comment, but I know she reads this..She was saying how her loved one borrows her good scissors.  I heard a tip a looong time ago, Nancy Zieman, I think....put a small lock throught the handles of the scissors, no one will be able to use them without the key.



panel

 This weather reminds me of the fall I went to New England to visit my sister.  Of course, we hit all the areas quilt shops and then some.  I bought lots of fabric...needed that empty suitcase..lol

I picked up a small pack of bali blenders, 1/4 yards of lavender fields, pack of 5" yellows called morning sun...some 10" sqaures of " Summer's Warmth" and a pack of greens .."Meadow stash builder"..all at Keepsake Quilting..plus some other stuff that I have used already...

We were on the roads through all sorts of small towns ....and the road sides were covered with scarecrows...hundreds of them. In all sorts of dress and undress! ..lol.... My sister couldn't tell me much about it except the scarecrows are judged, and they have done it every year that she has been there .  It was sight to behold...and try as I might I cannot find those pictures. and that is really bugging me...where did they go?? with all the unmatched socks in this world...to the twilight zone?

I made a huge pot of pea soup today,  the only thing missing was home made bread.   I haven't made a big pot of pea soup in years.  It is delicious.
My daughter supplied the ham bone and I did all the rest....she will get more than half of the pot of soup and some will go into the freezer for cold days that  I don't want to, or am too busy to cook.

cups and saucers

I went into my sewing room and decided to do the skip next the block, it was giving me such a pain ...and do cups and saucers instead..I picked some fabrics that reminded me of fancy, or 'company' cups and saucers and made up the block then I was able to pick out fabrics for the last block....I don't know what was blocking me,  I couldn't really decipher what the colours were and how many of them there were...so it took a while..and I still haven't finished the block.  Almost, but not quite.
I joined a forum the other day and many of those ladies are also doing FWS.  Some of them are even finished.

I am sitting at the computer blogging....hmmm...I came up to sew.  I usually sew at night, but I am blocked.  I don't know why I can't do it. 

I finished the next block...turned out okay. I think that green sort of sparkles.  I really like it.
So I started on the next block and it is a complicated one and just couldn't decide on the fabric .  So I went on to the next block and I am still waffling on the fabrics.  I think that I will just go to bed, read some of my new books and magazines and see what tomorrow brings, maybe I will be more inspired.

I went in to see the repairman as he suggested.  The bobbincases that I have might be able to be fixed.  I will try that....that is IF they can get the parts.  I may need a new hook race for the Hv #1.  If I do, I will spring for it.  One of the store owners said to me "It's like owning a Ferrari, it can get really expensive, but when they run they are a dream".
My daughter is fine, she feels 100% better, was able to have the keyhole surgery.
Then Saturday I went to a local quilt show...very enjoyable day.  I spent a little money...bought some books...wanted to buy some fabric, but held myself back because I have so much already. 
I feel inspired to sew..shows can do that to me, so can guild meetings.  I can never sleep after guild night.

Last Christmas I made my mom a lap quilt.  I used a pillow square and surrounded it with borders and a row of paire points.  It looked lovely in her home, but she never used it there,  I brought her to my home and cleaned out and sold her house......at any rate this was an odd size.  I can't remember the dimensions, but it was too wide for a single piece backing. 

I recalled a method that John Flynn had highlighted on the show Simply Quilts.

He pieced the backing in such a way that  resulted in a large enough piece of fabric with a seam from one corner to another.  Well,  I tried it and it worked.....but I did by gosh, by golly...and then when someone asked how to do it ..I didn't really know...Bev and I searched John Flynn's site and "HEY!"  there is a formula on how to do it.....mathematical formula!   I did say I hate math, right?

Here is the formula

LF=LQ+_LQ(WQ-WF)

               2WF-WQ

Here is a link for John Flynn

http:flynn.com/workshop/FreeLessons/

half way down the page...a story of how it came about  and how to do it.
Work it out on paper a few times...

As you read this I will be at the hospital with my daughter, having her gall bladder out.
She has a high pain threshold and she has been in agony....spent the holiday in misery....won't go to the hospital, then got a call on a cancellation...so with a bit of scrambling , off she goes today.

I am not having a whole lotta luck with my machines.  I went to my Mega Quilter and cleaned it, changed the needle and was going to load a quilt for "Thing 1" ..I tried to move the sensor for my cruise control and ....CRAP!!!!!... broke it.  I knew it before I touched it,  just had a feeling.  I tried some silicone glue and see how that goes.   If it doesn't work I will have to order a new sensor...$65 each!  When I checked it out on-line, I can see that they have changed the bracket that holds the sensor.  Looks a lot sturdier.
 And the silicone  did not even stick.  I will have to come up with something on how to fix it.


corn and beans



In the mean time I have been working on the block, corn and beans.  Another challenging block with tiny little triangles, and I will have to go back to the computer to figure out how it goes together.  But I am still not done sewing it.

The new machine is a dream...I love it.  I really like the auto lift and the auto thread cutter...

And corn and beans is done.   I find that paperpiecing is more challenging than regular piecing for some of these blocks, but it's finally done.  Then I took a little break and made a pair of shoes...for a doll..Thing 2 loves her dollies, she got a new one for her 8th birthday and is now collecting clothes and shoes for her.  I have some doll clothes patterns, and decided to make her some clothes...an old heavy satin silk blouse with a heavily stabilized collar inspired the shoes.

I used fabric paint around the edges to stop any fraying.

Turned out pretty good...let's hope they fit.  If they don't she will have to bring me the doll so I can trace her foot.

Boy oh boy, am I having problems with the husqvarna #1+..bobbin just keeps jamming..and it JUST came back from servicing. The bobbin case seems to be out of whack.  I talked to the repair man and  I will take it back today and we will see what can be done.  I have 3 bobbin cases and can't keep the tension on any of them.
I really haven't done any sewing.  Haven't really had time with all the cooking ....and with this new machine, I really had to sit down, read the manual and get familiar with the new machine.
She is a beaut....just getting to know her and I love her...
I also decided to check out all my extra feet,  make sure that I can use them on this machine.  WHICH I CAN!
She is much bigger... larger sewing area so that she takes up more room in my desk.  Good thing  I had my hubby cut out part of it before,  or I would need a new desk also.  My insert for the desk doesn't fit, but I am able to use the plexiglass extension table that I have from another machine, just not use feet on it.
 I am still waiting for my quilt package and new walking foot....soon , I hope.
Looks like the cooler weather is back again..the skies are dark...the air cool and crisp.
My neighbours tree is almost bare.  It turned a lovely gold and then dropped it's leaves.

I took my Husqvarna in for service..I blew a lightbulb and broke the lens on the light.  So, in she went for a spa day.  I got her back the next day, but didn't get at her.  Today I wanted to sew and she didn't ....crunch...crunchhhh....ouch... don't know why, but I really screwed up the bobbin case. now there is no tension..and now I know I need a new bobbin case.  So the store will get me one.  This is an old lady...maybe 30 years old..but I really love her...she is heavy..does an excellent job..one of the first embroidery machines.  but she is fussy...doesn't like lint..me neither, but I still work! and for some reason , once in a while she just jams....not workin' she says...vacumn me out and brush me...and clean me and maybe I will sew....lol
The store calls all the machines "she"....I asked...?because when she won't sew she is a real bitch?...
 I bought a new one...Sapphire...I hope that she is a jewel...she is my pressie to me . fabric sensor..auto scissors..lift and pivot...and I brought her home already...I am not getting rid of the Husqvarna #1+...she won't be my main..but she will stay with me ..I really do love her...lusted after her when she belonged to my mom...
But now I have too many machines  and I know I will have to part with some....
And tonight...I cannot play with my new toy...I have to go to guild..(well, don't have to, I want to) ..and tomorrow is a PD day..that's means grand daughter have no school and are here  for the day and I have look after them....do you think they will let me hide in my sewing room all day??  I don't think so.!
This has been one of the best long weekends we have had in a long time..sunny and warm, actually hot!

Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada.  We celebrate our harvest..so today is a day of families coming together to celebrate and EAT!
For us it means the kids and grandkids come for turkey and all the trimmings...trimmings being a turkey with bread stuffing, scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, onions, broccoli AND cauliflower with cheese sauce, gravy and cranberry sauce....and blueberry pie for dessert and those blueberries are from northern Ontario....so it is a big production..all that food..I start a couple of days before..cooking what I can before, so that I am not in the kitchen the whole time...Huh...I even use canned gravy to add to the pan drippings so  that I am not tied to the stove.  Everything else is scratch..that means I make it myself.
BUT...I don't do the HUGE turkey thing...I try to buy a small one so that I don't have a month of leftovers.  Don't get me wrong....I love leftovers..the tastes have all mellowed and melded..no need to cook for a couple of days, yet you have delicious meals..and then soup...yummmy.
But we did all this yesterday...
So today will be left over turkey IF there is any!



girls and all the quilts for Slavelake



But then I was going to tell you about the grand daughters and their quilts  and how does this tie in??

Last spring Alberta has some terrible wildfires...Slave Lake was hit hard and many families lost their homes.  Lynn stood up at quilt guild and asked that we donate quilts to the local quilt shop in SlaveLake that had decided that every one who lost a home would receive a quilt and needed donations.. I must say that the guild rose to the challenge and sent numerous quilts to SlaveLake, as have many guilds both in Canada and the USA.

I was telling my husband and daughter about this and the grand daughters decided they needed to send their quilts to Slave Lake along with a teddy .

Donna , Courtney & Hayley

They were very thankful for what they had and wished to express this...  So, they did...hoping that girls their age would get them...which did happen..in fact, one girl has the same name.  Hayley and Courtney gave quilts and teddies to 2 sisters, Hailey and Cameron...huh!!    This summer one of the ladies that lost her home came to this area to visit her sister...we arranged to meet...she is the principal of the school in Slave Lake that the girls go to....so ..well there has been a lot of stuff about it...if you REALLY want to read about it...(TISSUE ALERT!!!!) here are some links.
http://www.insidehalton.com/community/life/article/1033585
http://lakesideleader.com/110706/week27.pdf   page38...this is a long, long download.
http://lakesideleader.com/2011/110727/week30.pdf

Hayley and Courtney (my Grands) received a Thank You card from each girl this September......
These girls have learned so much this year about giving of themselves...helping those in need and how just one small thing that may not matter much, could mine the world to someone else.

When I was a kid, my mother would always let me use her Singer sewing machine, I bought a Barbie pattern and used Mom's scraps to make clothing for my Barbie.  I would help my mother by sewing her tailor tacks...we spent some time together at her sewing table. My brothers and sister also used that little machine..  When I got married and had kids, MY kids used my machine...I think my son more than my daughter..the kids knew that they could come into my sewing room (hmmm...I always had one) and talk, or use the machine. 

Then when I had grandkids, I did the same...they could use almost anything in there to sew or craft  (except for the rotary cutters).

Last summer the 2 grand daughters made  quilts; 2 small ones for Courtney and one for Hayley.  I had all the squares precut, so all they had to do was to sew and then quilt it, which they did..I only did the hand sewing of the binding.

They did an excellent job.
Next week I will tell you what they did with those little quilts.

Happy Thanksgiving to those in Canada                                           

I fixed the block Century of Progress, I had just reversed the last 2 pieces..easy to correct.

thing 1

BUT, when I went back to my machine to fix it, I noticed one light was out.  I tried to remove the cover and ...oppps...broke it....so off I went to my local sewing machine retailer to have it serviced.  Might as well get it cleaned while I have the bulb replaced.  Well...they can't get parts for it anymore...the machine is 25 years old, maybe even more.

SOOO, I bought a new one.  I have a reputation with my friends on purchasing machines...I have a few!!  I gave my daughter a Husqvarna about 10 years ago...she kept it in her basement and her basement leaks...I said...Give it back ..I will store it for you...that's one..I have a Mega Quilter on a small frame...that's 2..the Husqvarna I just took in for service..that's #3..an embroidery machine I inherited ..that's 4..and another machine from Sears makes 5... that is not counting the serger and felter.....

This can be an expensive a hobby as you wish.

We don't really NEED all the modcons (modern convinences), but they sure are nice to have.

thing 2

It was nice to have more than one machine in the summer when my grand daughters were here and sewing.
In these pics they are making themselves each a pair of shorts.
Last summer they did some quilting ...and in my next blog I will talk about that.



churndash

 Churndash another really easy block that I paperpieced.  Doesn't that look nice in purple?.  I thought as I made up this block, that it was one of the last blocks...so I checked the back of the book and there it is again as Wrench..exactly the same, just 2 colours instead of 3.




Contrary Wife was next, in 2 colours of blue.  I paper pieced this one , carefully mindful of how the colours were placed.   But not careful enough because I got it wrong.. I didn't have the dark blue bar going through the center, instead of taking it apart and redoing it, I redid the whole thing without paper.  Went faster and was easier to keep track of where the colours were supposed to go.

contrary wife

One tip that I used I got from Bev at a workshop she held. She gave us all a dozen flower headed pins, told us to number them with a marker, and use them to keep count of our rows on the project she was teaching.  I used those pins to number my fabric colours.

Century of Progress was the next block..



century of progress



this is mine.  I had trouble again with how it went together...and looking at it again, I see that I still don't have it right..The corner triangles are wrong. Well, here I go reverse sewing ...AGAIN!

The next block was Checkerboard..



checkerboard



even though this would be easy sewn tradtional, I paperpieced it..and I had no issues what so ever.  I used all purples for this block.  I have been using browns and rusts; very "fall" colours, but no more.  I am going to try to use more of the colours that I like...which is  purple and blue.



calico puzzle



Calico Puzzle was pretty easy.  No bumps..reminds me of the Union Jack.





cats & mice

 Cats and mice...

tiny little triangles and 3 set in seams ...yuck.  this one  certainly was a challenge.  I won't want to do another like it.  At lest not paper pieced.  I think it would have been easier to just piece normally. 

I read one tip in the The Experts Guide to Paper Piecing, to use pins to pin match seams then use paperclips to hold the seam when you sew.  I tried it but had to remove my stitching and redo it.  The pieces are too small or maybe I need smaller paperclips.
Good thing it was only two colours, it would have been very confusing for me .
I really could not for the life of me figure out how this went together.  I sat in front of the computer, rearranging the pieces for quite a while.
I pressed the snot out of it and it looks fine.







paperclips for pins



sewn