Susan being Snippy

Do you keep a Journal?

I have been keeping a journal for close to 20 years now.  My journals tho do not follow what many people think are the RULES of journalling.  My journals are not uniform, they may not be neat and nicely written, whether hand written or typed, but they are my journals.  My journals do not contain secrets.  My journal sits on the table by my TV watching chair and sometimes I will add things in the morning, sometimes in the evening, sometimes I will rush to my journal to put in a photo or make a drawing that seems to me to be important to remember.

I noticed a "tweet" this morning that today is "Good Riddance Day", which apparently means that you should write down any bad memories that you have been holding onto from 2011 and then tear, shred, burn or otherwise destroy the paper with that memory.

Start the New Year Fresh and give up on those little incidents, slights, wrongs, mistakes and other foolish events that take up your thoughts that could be used for creative things instead.

Okay?  Now thats done!

By now you know my Christmas Day and the days surrounding are very quiet, but I do find ways to keep well occupied and my family too enjoy this week without stress and obligation.

Anyway.

I made a little wall hanging for my kitchen.  A bit of embroidery, a bit of big stitch quilting and a bit of quilting; along with a bit of fauxing...





Well, now, back to the sewing room....

Well, we got through those few days with minimal interruption of our daily routine.  I think I have said before, my household doesn't do alot for Christmas and we do not do ANY gift giving, except to a very few friends.  I am way over the idea of the obligation of exchanging gifts at Christmas.  Don't get me wrong -- I love to give gifts!  I just really dislike giving them because there is an obligation to do so.  I give gifts when the mood strikes me.  Anyday, anytime.

So instead of the hustle and bustle and the rush to get presents I spent time doing a bit of cleaning in the corners of my house -- you know a house always needs that, even if we try not to notice those corners!  Mostly tho, I did some sewing and testing out some ideas for products to put into my etsy store.

The last time on this blog, I wanted to talk about something new that I learned, the Housetops block.  Turns out it really is only the name, Housetops that was new to me.

This block is almost a Natural block that one would make if you had no idea about what patchwork patterns were out there. Perhaps this would be the very first block that you would make if you had a stack of fabrics and had no idea about patchwork.

"It is a historical utilitarian pattern used by the amish, african american women, rural women and many others. It is a form of log cabin variation at its simplest, but according to Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, is called "Blocks in the Box," and "Bright Hopes." Gees Bend quilters called it a variation of a pattern called "Housetops."

I hope you enjoyed this little Mystery and puzzled over what a Housetops Quilt Block might look like.  So Easy, wasn't it?

Well, today, I think I shall do a bit of crochet instead of sewing.  I ordered some fabric from anETSY seller so that I can make a pair of pillow cases for my son in Victoria, BC.  I'm sure, as a single man, buying pillowcases is one of the last things on his mind, so I am going to make some for him...  He is a guitar player and a car restorer in his spare hours so the pillowcases are a bright blue with sporty cars and car parts print.   I have to wait til it arrives before making the pillowcases so, a crochet project seems to be just the thing to fill in the rest of the day.

I discovered quite sometime ago that whenever I learned something new, I realized how much more I didn't know and how much more I had to learn...

Well, I sort of forgot that little "rule of learning" because I was beginning to think that I knew ALOT about quilting - and to be honest, I do have a pretty fair knowledge of quiltmaking but there is at least twice as much again that there is still to learn.

I have a couple of books -- actually more like 4 or 5 books on Quilt Blocks, the construction of, the design of, and the names of, the traditional blocks, how to recognize blocks using "grids", even a book with some japanese blocks and so much more in those books.

But.

I came across a quilt block that I had never heard of before and went looking for examples of it on the internet.  And that was quite a search, it is not a well known block at all!  In fact I am beginning to think that it is a SECRET!

So, Dear Readers, I am going to give you some hints about this quilt block and I am going to issue a challenge.  Make one of these blocks!  Or make a quilt using these blocks.

I am not posting any photos of this block but I will give a few hints about what it is and I would LOVE to see what you come up with.

First the name of this block is  Housetop

Next  think of your neighbourhood, then think what it might look like if you were in a low flying aircraft and looking down. 

And, the block is quite interpretive, there is a "design"(a detailed plan) to it but not really a "pattern" (a regular or repetitive form).

Now, create a Housetop block...

I am not promising any reward or giveaways, just the satisfaction of learning something new about quilting.

In a few days or a week or when I get around to it (now thats a promise, eh?), I will post some photos of Housetop blocks and tell you where this particular block probably orginated from.

I hope this gives you a little puzzle to work on and if you are so inclined, please send me a photo of your Housetop block and I will post it here on the blog.  

Send your photo to me at jswb4com AT yahoo DOT com

Oh, (since my sister who really, really dislikes me says I am a bully) I will BULLY you into sending me your interpretation so if NO ONE sends me a photo of their Housetop block, I may not reveal the SECRET at all and you may have to just go on wondering what the block looks like!

But Really, I would LOVE it if you would take up this little challenge!

A subject I have been dwelling upon for a day or two and finally came to some conclusions about this question.

A week or so ago, I answered a question "When it comes to crafting which do you prefer?"  

I actually answered the question wrongly, or rather differently than any of the other respondents.  I came at the question from a different direction than anyone else who submitted their thoughts.  You can go and see the question and answers by a variety of people, including me.  http://www.favecraftsblog.com/monthly-craft-question-quantity-vs-quality/

Now, that you are back do you see how my answer did not fit in with every other answer?  I wondered why?  And I have been wondering why for the last couple of days.  Turns out, to me, this is a more important question than I at first realized.

First, everyone who answered the question assumed that they actually have a choice between quantity and quality.  In general, so do I, most of the time anyway.   As for the question having to do with crafting -- one must have quality materials to create quality products, so because I have NEVER been easily able to choose a sufficient quantity of quality materials, I have created items to the best of my ability with materials that in most cases come from sale stock or are "vintage" from the 2nd hand stores or garage sales that I frequent.   In many instances I have a choice, to buy 1 meter of top quality newly released designs or buy 3 or 4 meters of year or older "sale" materials. Now, in the case of quilt making -- it is really not possible to make a quilt with one single cut of top quality fabric, so in this case my option, my choice becomes "What is the best quality I can get at discounted prices?"

And this is what blurs the question of Quantity vs Quality.

As a child, I grew up mostly on a farm -- my father worked in the city, driving 20 miles to his place of work everyday, in fine weather and bad and dangerous weather.   He provided the income for our family that paid the 'traditional' bills -- mortgage, car payment, and clothing.   Our farm provided the "intangibles".  We only had about 25 acres, but that was alot for my mother to manage.  The farm provided 95 per cent of the food we ate.  Even so, we still did not have alot of extra dollars to go around, so things such as clothes were usually second hand along with toys and many of the household items such as dishes, pots, utensils, towels, etc.  My mother used to say after you have worn a brand new shirt once and it has been washed, no one knows that the shirt you got from the 2nd hand store was not first worn by you...

As a child, my choice was often quantity over quality.  What good would one shiny crystal crock (large marble) be without 20 or 50 other marbles to make it a game, so 50 plain regular marbles was the first choice everytime.

This is how I was taught that choice sometimes meant that quantity was the choice to make over quality.   It was always better to have two or three second hand dresses than one dress that could only be worn for a special occassion.   We learned early that "something was better than nothing"  in EVERYTHING.

As my years have progressed the choice between quantity and quality became a Mother's question.  Two growing sons taught me that often Quality was the way to go even if I had to sacrifice a choice somewhere else.  As teens my boys played sports and did ALOT of running -- shoes became important -- the quality shoe not only helped them to be part of the sports they wanted to play but the quality shoe would out last the cheap wal-mart runner by at least 3 to 5 times the length of usefulness and therefore cost less in the LONG run!

Maybe it is only me (it sort of seemed like it by my answer of the question I replied to) but I thought just having the choice between quantity and quality is somewhat of a luxury.

Do you have that choice?  I bet you do!  You make the choice between quality and quantity every single day.  Do you go to the grocery story and buy 2 freshly baked loaves of bread or do you first go to check the day old bread and take home 4 or 6 loaves of the exact same baked bread that came out of the oven 2 days ago?  Me, I always choose the day old bread!  Habit, somewhat, necessity also often true.

Now -- to the point of this whole thought, of Quantity vs Quality.

What if you didn't even get a choice?  What if because of finances, perhaps bad choices others made for you, your choices were taken away.  Your single mother HOPES she has enough to get a turkey for christmas, she HOPES she can find SOMETHING for the child to open on Christmas morning.   What about the young man who even though it is his own fault is now living on a downtown street, he will be lucky to have the choice between a cold doorway Christmas night or a blanket in a corner of a overcrowded shelter.

Not only was it the initial question posed by Favecraft about Quantity vs Quality but it has also been the ongoing news story about the Attawapiskat First Nation Emergency which is not so unusual in our own rich country of Canada.  You can google the news stories if you have not heard of this (especially if you are outside of Canada).  Distress is not just in Africa, or Cuba, or remote areas of the world. 

My wish for the world and those humans living on it is that we all be able to have the basic choice of Quantity vs Quality.   What if your choice for Christmas was between a shelter, any shelter and one meal?  Which would be your choice?

Take the time to think about your own choices between Quantity and Quality -- How lucky you (and I) are!

Since I discovered that stack of Christmas fabrics in that bottom drawer in the back closet in the corner of the attic, I have been trying to think up uses for these pretty seasonal fabrics.

One of the first things was to make the table cover I did a few days ago.  Then I was thinking that I would use the fabric to wrap Christmas gifts in.

Then the idea progressed just a step further.

 I made drawstring bags of various sizes, some specifically for bottles, some for small gifts, and some for much larger gifts.  I went to Micheal's (and the 2nd hand store) to find the cheapest satin ribbons on rolls and used the different ones as the drawstrings.  Now each gift I have so far sent or given has been wrapped in these bags.  But.  Oh my! I still have at least 20 of these drawstring bags, (did I tell you how deep that drawer was?) so I am giving the bags to friends and relatives so that they can hopefully make their christmas wrap  more sustainable. Perhaps save some pretty printed papers from the local transfer station (dump, in other words) and save dollars on one time use paper so you can buy a bigger turkey... (SAVE A TREE)!

Now, I am not saying to go out and buy fabric for this purpose, unless of course you want to.  I am saying this is a really good use for the older colours and prints and designs of previous years, that perhaps you are not so keen on making a quilt or a christmas dress with. 

I have one quick link for you today...

Sometimes I find an interesting idea while surfing the internet and I get this little greedy bug in the back of my mind.  It is a bug that says, if I make this and show it off, everyone will be SOOOO impressed and I will have something special and unusual... Do you get like that?  Well, it is a hard thing to admit, but mostly I can overcome that little bit of greedy thought!

So here is a link to an origami type wreath.  It takes 12 pieces of paper or fabric -- remember if you use fabric to make folded items first spray starch the fabric or, I also discovered another method for accurately and crisply folding fabric, first iron your fabric to freezer paper!  The paper gives it that nice crisp fold.

Now, as I said here is the link.

http://angsandy.blogspot.com/2011/12/origami-wreath-tutorial.html

Whew!  I have not written on the blog for a week and a day!  That is cause I have been caught up with making! Making stuff for Christmas; all of the things are from other blog posts on the internet.  The best part of these other blog posts is that each one has a very well written tutorial so that it is easy to recreate one's own version!


My nephew is getting married at the end of December and I have been trying to think of something to send (half way across the country) when I saw this really cute fabric and knew it was just the thing for newlyweds.  It shows the "bear" family doing all the fun things a new young family does together, with little hearts sprinkled all over -- so I made a pair of pillowcases!   Now I realize that pillowcases are not a real exciting gift but this fabric just cried out to be something just for them and so because they each already have children, a loving family fabric seemed to be the thing...

If you want to try out these pillowcases you can go to the tutorial at  http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/millionpillowcases/instructions/RollItUp.pdf 

This pattern explains how to add the top border with a very simple turned under edge so that there are no raw edges, and the side seams are done as french seams, again shown very clearly in the tutorial. I think a pair of these took me just a bit over an hour to create -- and I think, now that I have done them once, it will be even less time to do more of them!

And Hey!  We all, or mostly all know that Christmas is coming!  And coming along faster than anyone can manage to fit in all the things that have to be done -- well, most everyone, but me, since I do have alot of fun with Christmas but don't burden myself with alot of Christmas obligations.  I can pick and choose what I want to do with this season and mostly to me that means creating things that please me and things that I can give as the whim strikes me!

So I discovered the cutest little crochet christmas stockings and had to go ahead and try out the tutorial for them, too.  These are very quick to make up and using left over scraps of yarn cost only the time it takes -- for me about 1 hour, while watching tv.   I must add that I wrote down the instructions, and between the time it took me to get from the computer to the tv watching room, the piece of paper disappeared (I suspect the dog ate it!)  And since the show on tv had started I was reluctant to go back and jot down the instructions, so my crochet stockings are slightly different than the tutorial, but my third one will be exact...  When I get to it -- perhaps another one or two will get made up tonight while watching SURVIVOR!


Aren't they just the cutest?

Go to http://www.lemondedesucrette.com/2011/11/16/little-christmas-socks-the-pattern/  for the very simple tutorial... 

Then read further in this writers blog (todays' blog post) where the writer shows some stockings made by another reader who made these little socks into ADVENT CALENDERS and be amazed at the variety of looks you can get with the combinations of colours!

The quilt guild that I belong to has a postcard exchange every month with a theme that those taking part try to conform to and at the same time try to create little original works of ART.  

I have to admit this months theme had me stumped.  I dawdled and put off creating my trade able postcard because just nothing came into my head.  The theme was YO-YO's.   I just couldn't seem to grasp an idea to use Yo-yos on the the card with.  Then while surfin' the net one morning, I came across this tutorial for making folded paper wreaths and the wreath and a yo-yo clicked into an idea in my head.

  Go to http://gretchenbarron.typepad.com/folded_wreath_tutorial.pdf for the instuctions.  This is a very old origami paper folding pattern but this tutorial makes it into a pretty little christmas ornament.

Now, because I wanted to do this little wreath with christmas fabrics you need to be aware that fabric just does not fold as crisply as paper, so what I did was use spray starch on the fabric pieces before I even attempted any folding and I used the HOT iron to press those folds nice and firm.  Also it is a bit trickier to fit the pieces together, so just work slowly and with patience and you will get the pieces together -- admittedly it took me a couple of tries to get the wreath to fit together and look right -- and another difference between paper and fabric, is that when I did get the wreath together, I sewed around the inside opening and that held it all together with no fear of the wreath slipping apart.

On this one, the extra time and effort is definately worth the end product.


PS I wanted to add -- I found a blog where all the links are CANADIAN web pages and blogs, go visit at http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/ and you will see what is going on across our country!

I am inspired to think about colour after a conversation the other day, with Doris and Ingrid...

Rather impossible to create a quilt without colour, isn't it?  Well, there is one type that you can make and that would be a whole cloth white quilt with white threads -- that is a quilt I would never dare to make for my home.... A black and white border collie and a black and white kitten and a grown up but still mischievious siamese cat makes for a very bad combination to keep white quilts in!

Can you imagine this sort of thing in the middle of a beautiful white whole cloth quilt?  I can imagine it, but I surely don't want such a thing!  Walter is happy on the hardwood floor where his black and white hair can easily be swept up or vacuumed away!

I am wanting to point you to a couple of interesting web pages that may help us with the colour in our quilts.   There are some of us who have a special instinct for putting colours together -- but that is rare and like I said very special!

I for one tend to choose rather dark or greyish colours -- and it seems no matter how hard I try, it is a very rare quilt of mine that comes out bright and with really excellent colour choices.   Even my scrap quilts tend to have a greyish look to them.   That trend has held true for most of my quiltmaking years -- tho, every once in a while I manage to put together brights!


So? Do you think these will help with combining colour in your quilts?  It is one of many many hints and tips that artist use in their crafts, I think.

I just found this little HOOKY treasure this morning!  A perfect little pear with a tutorial on this http://speckless.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/crochet-pattern-tiny-pear-necklace-charm/ lovely blog.

I was just looking at some of my scrappy bits of yarn yesterday afternoon and since I woke up this morning with SNOW on the ground, I think I will go set down in my chair and crochet one or two of these gorgeous little pears.   I am thinking though that the tiny pear would also suit my tiny christmas tree -- so instead of a necklace, I will use mine as a christmas tree ornament .  Will try to get back later today and post a photo of two of my own completed pear.

And to add -- 11:27 am -- the results of my efforts to crochet the little pear...

I need more practice - or I need different yarn.  I am using worsted acrylic and the tutorial says to use a baby type yarn -- I don't have any right now, not in green, yellow, peachy, but I do have purple -- pears are not usually purple.  So I made it with what I had....

It is only 6 weeks til Christmas!  Lot of time, RIGHT?!

I have said it before on my blog, we don't really do Christmas, but I love to watch everybody else "doing" it!  I don't go to the MALLS at all, because I don't really like crowds of people (unless I can get up and out early, early, early)

I most enjoy the lights of Christmas and am out a few times during the month of December driving through neighbourhoods to see the outdoor yard decorations.  Every year it amazes me, the ingeniousness of home owners and apartment dwellers to create a theme of Christmas in their own spaces!

I love the traditions of Christmas and the traditions that families create. The ideas for Food, Decorations, Gifts and the Spirit of Christmas, grows and changes every year.

So, I am going to start a Source for Christmas here on my Blog for the next few weeks and perhaps I can pass along some ideas that you may have a use for.

Today, Christmas Gift Tags.

Go to

http://www.freeprintablegifttags.net/

where you can print out a page or two or three of a number of gift tags to go on all those parcels that you wrap and give.

The instruction for printing is right there on the page.   You just need a printer with coloured inks (most inkjet printers are built that way) and a few sheets of paper or cardstock.

I wanted to let you, my readers know about my "other" blog.  It is The Peoples Home Library.  It is actually a book published in 1910 and describes itself as "a set of three practical books, the aim being to give the reader a complete library of practical information"

This book includes three essential subjects needed in the home, be it on a farm or on a city lot.  Housekeeping and all it entails, from keeping a home clean and neat along with the acceptable etiquette of the day, how to cook, what to cook, and when to cook.   Medical information -- not just the everyday treatment of  cuts and bruises but things such as birthing, treating broken bones, and diagnosing and treating common and uncommon diseases including herbal remedies and the making of tinctures, teas and salves.  Animal Husbandry -- how the man of the house can treat his stock, the horse, the pig and cattle, even a few hints on keeping the house cat and the essential farm dog!  Oh and of course a chapter on keeping chickens and even how to build a chicken coop!

I simply transcribe sections of the book -- I don't write any new words to what this book offers.  I present the book as a historical document for those who might be interested in "how things were done" a hundred years ago.

I do not transcribe the book in any particular orderly fashion, so one entry may include diseases of horses, with the next weeks posting may be recipes for muffins or how to set a table.   If you are interested in a particular subject, please use the "labels" to find pages that I have already transcribed from the book.  

I would like to add a note of caution.  Some of the items such as herbal remedies could be dangerous, so please use what is written only as entertainment value, not as medical advice!  I take no responsibility for your own choices in the use of the information that comes out of this book.  Keep in mind it was written and published more than one hundred years ago and modern knowledge has changed and improved in that time.

I did start transcribing this book, in 2008 but it has been on hold for almost 2 years while I waited to have the book and bindings restored.  I now have the book back in my hands and intend to continue entering pages and exerpts from this long ago household "bible".

My Mother discovered this large old book in a second hand shop in the early 1960's and even tho it was then 50 years old, it held some relevantcy to our life as my Father had just moved us from a city house to a small farm near St. Andrews, Manitoba (near Lockport) and we had a lot to learn about raising chickens and keeping an old farmhouse warm using only two potbelly wood stoves!  In those days, my mother became an expert farm wife, even to the point of saving the life of a sick turkey, only to have the turkey nabbed by a marauding neighbours' dog a few days later!

Go to http://peopleslibrary.blogspot.com/  to read the details of how to manage the home in the early 20th century.

I hope you enjoy this departure from everyday modern life -- it is a bit of time travel, I think.

The African print one is now almost done, layered and quilted, is now waiting for its binding.

And the pretty one, with of course a cat (Walter) making it known that he prefers the pretty colours best is still waiting for the finishing steps -- the fabrics on this second on is all done using vintage 1960's and 50's bed sheets.   I haven't decided yet myself which I prefer!


Time to rake up a few leaves? ya, think?

I think this is a first....

I am not generally a bird watcher, but Walter has become facinated with the crowds of birds at our feeders -- this variety of bird is the dark eyed Junco -- it took me forever to find photos and descriptions online.   I only noticed them last winter and now this fall, too.  I guess they come here to winter and I have no idea where they go all summer.  They come along with the chickadees but do not feed at the hanging feeders, they pick up the fallen seeds from the ground, so I found a little "cactus planter bowl" and set it near our patio doors. They are quite brave little fellows as it is quite close to the window and Walter sits within about 3 ft of the bowl, except with a sheet of glass between.  

I will have to practice at my nature photography -- perhaps I will post more as I find time to sit outside and hold the camera!