Fish Pond Quilt

I took a class with Gloria Loughman back in the spring of 2007 (I think, counting back). It was a one day class working on a crazy quilt style quilt. She was teaching a few other classes that week but I could not do the days she was teaching the design classes. I thought I would be great to still be in her class and get to see her quilts up close.



We started the class by doing the machine applique of a few blocks and maybe one row of fabric around. We also cut out some special prints we were to bring. If you can see I wanted to do a fish pond theme. I got some great fish fabric and worked on the birds and one fish. I also built a fish pond this same spring (with my husband's help).



This project has been in a box all this time. I have taken it to many retreats but not worked on it since class. I dug it out this week. I started by placing the blocks on the wall. I had to iron most everything that came out of the box. I also got digging around in some other fabric, as I was sure I had some green strip sets that I did not use on another quilt.



I found this. I forgot about this green fabric. It is from poverty piecing I did with a friend Lou, in a class. I do not think I will use this but keep it out in case, the wrong greens.



Here it is the sets I was looking for.



And this set too.



Once I started to work on a block or two again, I could see I wanted more Blue. So I made a Blue strip set.



Here is my machine working on a blue set. I get late day sun at my machine in the winter. It is so nice to have sun shine coming in.



Here is all the blocks at the end of a few days work again. I think I will work hard on this quilt for a while now. I want to make a set of quilts for the living room. I may have many posts on this quilt because it will change as I get more done. I will do more blocks and add to the blocks and then the rows. I can show you how this quilt processes because it was started in a class and I will not enter it in a major show.

I am also getting the binding done on a quilt I plan to enter in a major show. I have to get photos done too. I dislike that part.

Good mail

I got this great frog in the mail this week. He is a thank you gift from my Betty Swap I was in for Christmas. Margaret, my new Cajun friend, was who I sent a big box of goodies to for the swap. She has made the frog for me as a thank you. He is a pin cushion and a thread catch. Perfect for beside my sewing machine. The lime green batik fabric is one of my favorite fabric ever. She has also sent me a stash of Fimo clay because I work with polymer clay sometimes too. How lucky am I!

Local Scrap Book Store Sale

I did some shopping this week. My local store had a sale before they go to CHA 2011. All 30% off. Got black glossy paper, brown lace, Red roses, die cut alphabet set, fabric images, tissue tape, paper, mini misters, Tim's seasonal stickers, and two stamp sets.



I love this stamp set. I have plans for some Sea pages and mini books. My grandfather was a fish boat captain as a young man, from Newfoundland.

Not So Black and White

I made this quilt "Not So Black and White" quit a few years ago. I just got it hung back up on the wall. It travels with me a lot when I speak or teach.

This quilt was kind of a second one of it's kind. I first, made a baby quilt for my friend Jan and her new little girl Kate (now 9 yrs). I almost did not give her the quilt but did not have time to make a different one. So I made this one for me after. I made this one bigger and spent more time on the colour flow. This quilt is the better of the two.

I have sent this quilt to many quilt shows. It got a few prizes and recognition over the years. It was a part of the Focus on Fiber Association Art Show in 2002. It won 1st in the class it was in. Then they had it in a traveling show across Alberta for a year. The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Traveling Exhibition Program quarterly newsletter had the photo on their front cover. The Focus on Fiber Art Association used a photo for their brochure, front cover. It was a 3rd place ribbon winner at the Pacific Northwest Quiltfest in Seattle, WA in 2002.



A close up of the quilting.



Here at the front door, is were I hang the quilt. It looks good with the rug.

I show you this quilt because I am again working on a quilt for judging but can not show you yet. Not till it is hung in the show I hope to enter it in. Or I can show you if it does not made it in the competition.



I got my rug out too. I have had the good wool rug put away while the dog grew up. He is now 3 and is good to go outside and not the house but I really waited till I was sure. He did chew on one of the older rugs I had here.

Every Day Art Journal - Trail ride

I have another page done. This page is looking a little bit like scape book page but I really wanted to work on it here. I love riding my horse. Winter riding is kind of special time. A good friend gave me the die cut fabric snowflake the week before. I won a book with one of the tickets. It was like magic how it all went together.

I got to go riding again this past weekend and yesterday, our weather has been warm. The snow is really deep now (2 ft plus) and we have to be careful were we ask our horses to go. We might get them stuck. The lake is flooding, not sure how safe it is either, so not riding on the lake now. Talk about getting exercise, the horses for sure, but I have sore muscles too.

Janice's Quilt

I did Janice's quilt earlier this Jan and when she picked up her quilt I asked if I could post photos of her quilt. She said yes so here it is. The front is these great coordinating orange and pink flannels. I know you can not see the quilting.



So here we have the back of the quilt. Many of her fabrics had daisies so I did more daisies with the quilting. I hope you enjoy a Tue quilting bee.

Wool Flower Wreath

I made this flower wreath using wool fabric. I have given it to my mom, Betty. I am pleased that it is so spring feeling. Any one missing that season yet? The wreath was started in a class with Lynn Roth at the Rug Hooker's Guild. I hand dyed most of the wool myself and I bought a few pieces of dyed wool from Lynn. Lynn dyes beautiful wool. The rose with the dark center is one of Lynn's fabrics. Mom has found a candle to place in the center.



In class we learned the tea roses, an Alberta wild rose, sunflower, peony, lilacs, and the two kinds of leaves. There were a few other flowers too. The class was based on a book about 3D flowers but I would have to find my notes on the class.



This one has a good start to it, but is upside down. It needs some leaves hooked next to the lilacs and more mini blossoms for the second lilac. I also have to trim the peony leaves, some are round now but need cutting down to look pointy. You can see it is built on the linen that we hook on. I am planning to keep this one for myself. The purple lilac fabric is also Lynn's dyed wool. I had to buy it, it was calling to me.

Don's Basket My Yarn

I have been spinning some yarn this summer (when I did not blog much). I have kept my small balls of singles and double yarn in this basket for a couple of months. My Dad, Don made this basket. I blog a fair bit about my mom's quilts but I thought I should show some of my dad's work. Dad is also a wood craftsmen. This summer my dad took a course on basket weaving. I teased him so much for taking basket weaving. At University, we would all call classes that are easy Basket Weaving. My dad has his PhD and answered "That when you have a PhD, you can take real Basket Weaving". Even with my teasing, I guess he thought I should have one of his baskets. I love it and thought my new yarn would look good in it. I keep it on the coffee table in the living room and have trained the dog not to steal them (he loves balls). So far so good.



I got so many great comments yesterday about my Everyday Art Journal, thank you. It really makes me want to keep going. Add colour to a page and just right, then add an embellishment or two and your done. I have another page done but I have to retake the photo, I do not think I got enough light on it.

Every Day Journal mid Jan

I made this flower pin many years ago. It is made with hand dyed fabric but it is very faded now. I do not wear it any more, it has been hanging on my design wall for a few years. I thought it needed a new home. I have been making most of my pages on water colour paper. I paint or spray, as in this one. I needed to write down some ideas for a new quilt project. So I got out a page in a few minutes I had journal-ed all about it. I really do not know yet how I will do it but I have some ideas down, or at least the questions I have about the project. I have a little bit of fabric attached to the top of the page. I know this quilt will get done in Hand Dyed fabric.



It is not the prettiest page but it did feel good to get these ideas out of my head and on to a page. I was nice to work on a coloured page. I normally write about my quilts in a white book and only a few pages get any colour. If I draw out the quilt with the blocks and colour the blocks I never seam to want to make the quilt. It is like the coloured drawing is done and it is finished so why do it again in fabric. So I rarely colour my quilt drawings. I would be no good at the computer aided quilt programs. The colour is were the magic is and I like to save that for the design wall.

Hay Thieves

I got photos of two of them. We have three bucks and at least two does that are getting into our hay. I lose at least one small bale of hay to these thieves every day. We have had a few feet of snow in the last two weeks and the natural grasses have been buried. Our hay is easier to eat. We have put up fences and tires and all kinds of crap to keep them out. My horses are so not scarred of deer now. I wish it was hunting season now. My husband would like to get the first buck.

Laddie's Blue Silk Quilt

I have done another on of Laddie's quilts. She does this great machine embroidery on her home machine with a card. This quilt is all silk and blue and white.



Her thread she uses for the embroidery is Rayon.

I got my internet back. I will plan to make a quilt post on Tue like this one or my own quilts. I pick Tue for quilting because my quilt bee group use to meet on Tue. Then I am hoping to have enough done on my art journal to make a post on Thursdays. My other crafts and hobbies will be when they happen.

Snow Dyed Baby Quilt

It is snowing again. We had a foot of snow last weekend. Now we are getting more. We are running out of room to plow all this snow. The fields are to deep to walk in. I think it may blow later in the week and we will have to plow again.

Here is a close up of a baby quilt my mom Betty pieced and I quilted. Most of the fabric is snow dyed by me. The Dark blue and the boarder are batiks. The blue was snow dyed and then over dyed again. The pinks and peachy are just out of the snow bank and washed. I have machine quilted it with leaves and butterflies. It is a gift for a little girl, a friend of the family.


My internet is down and been that way for a week. I am at mom's to down load emails and make this post. I had hoped to make a post about my every day journal every Thur. I have a page done and other drawing done. I will have to make a post another day.

Laddie's Christmas Quilt

I quilted this Christmas quilt for a customer in early December. She has done some nice machine embroidery with her great machine. The quilt looks great in person. She was so pleased with the quilt, she may keep this one for herself. She has many to do and plans to give most of her quilts away to family and friends. I think the embroidery was a pattern "T'was the Season" but I did not get the designer's name.


Here is the green flannel backing. The quilting of the darker boarders shows better on the back side. I have used holly leaves and berries. The finer boarder has a loops pattern.


I wanted the background quilting to look like blowing snow. I thought this would look good with the Christmas theme.


On the gingerbread men background I did two rows of echo quilting. It help make the cookie pop a little and made it look more 3D.


Santa and his reindeer.



This hole fence and leaves is all thread done on her machine. It turned out great.

I have a few more of Laddie's quilts I will show you in the future. I like to make sure I have the customer's permission to show you their quilts. I also like to know if the customer wants their name in part or whole in my post. I hope you enjoy seeing some of my quilting and my customer's work. I do not get enough of my own quilts done these days so I have to show you what I do get done.

Did you see today's date 1/11/11 wow what about 11/11/11 later this year.

Sock repairs

Every year around Christmas and the New Year I knit some socks for myself. Hand knit socks are just so nice. I love all the great colours that the sock yarn come in these days. This year I have not done much on my new socks but instead I am repairing the old socks. Here is two pairs I finished last week.


I got these three pairs of socks repaired this week. Some of the socks had just small wear spots that were going to get a hole - those I just stitched the area with a second layer of yarn. Other socks I have gotten the hole already and then I knit a new toe. I am not sure how to darn a sock and I do not want it to feel lumpy.


Here is my new pair of socks I am starting to knit. I have not gotten very far. The yarn is 100% wool (so may not wear well and need repair sooner) I think that it is Arctic Fleece brand, a hand dyed yarn from the east coast of Canada. I love their colours and the yarn is so soft to touch. I think I have three or four more balls of their yarn to be knit up.


This is also Arctic Fleece but the one sock blew a big hole on the ball of the foot area. I am re-knitting the toe. I have reinforced the toe of the other sock already. For some reason I wear out the ball of my socks all the time. Always the same spot. I have very little wear on the heals.


Someone has been trying to get in on the action here. He loves balls and thinks that any thing ball shaped should be his. Darn chessy dog.



These are the socks I am wearing today. Lots and lots of snow here today. A good day to stay inside and knit or quilt. Off to quilt now.

Starting Art Journal Every Day

I have signed up to do the Art Journal Every Day. There is a blog link Here. This is my first page. I am aiming to do about a page a week and spend just 10 minutes a day on my journal. I can glue a background or add a few lines to a ready started page.



Spray painted paper flowers. I hope to use a few of these in the coming weeks. This took more like one hour as my spray bottles were plugged up and I sent time cleaning and finding out which worked or did not work. Some of the mister are just no good. I think I will stop buying spray mister and make my own colours with paint and a mini mister and glitter dust. I have all kinds of colours.


Here is my work space. I am planning to work on one end of my big orange sewing table. I sometimes use this space to cut fabric. With a little cleaning I can cut fabric here.