My Creative Works

July 30th

Well go figure!  Today finally I read my instruction booklet for my treadle and was setting up to thread a bobbin etc and practise but no go!  Either it was missing or when transporting (upright) it was loose and fell out - but no spool holder in the drawers or accessory case.  Now I'll have to contact a local machine servicing shop and hopefully get a replacement.  Darn I was ready for a chance to do some machine footwork - see if I forgot how from my teens.  But maybe with this recuperating foot that's a relief!  😀


At least I did wind to shuttles for tatting ro start on my new snowflakes ordered!  And experimented with my butterfly pattern.  Love the new ones.  Cream is the basic pattern.


I'm going to make a few in different sizes and colors in case I need them like now for my postcards or whatever in future.


Just stitched on my Kenmore on this 5"x24" row for a sort of Row Robin but was starting to make mistakes so stopped for today.  Maybe finish off tomorrow?  I had to draft this up myself and used my eraser lots before it passed mustard!  Lots of itsy bitsy paper pieces to remove after that and send it off to the next person.  Been awhile since I participated in such.



July 31st

Enough playing - I'm tired!  I also increased stitches etc on both the butterfly and dragonfly.  I think I like the larger sizes better.  WOW not long ago I tatted as per the instructions only!  And for some reason my camera is not reading the Lizbeth 124 colors right in my tatted projects.  So I downloaded the ball so you can see the true colors.



And can be dressed up with beads like I did afterwards with needle and thread.  This is the original pattern that I played with.


Aug 1st

Oh boy here's today horoscope for Gemini!  Talk about true!  I hope I can survive Jan's plans for today and tomorrow in Kenora!

Aug 01, 2018 - Get ready for an active, energized day. If you have too much energy -- which is a real possibility! -- channel it into a vigorous workout or a project around the house. Or, work on a goal that means a lot to you. You're a social creature, but being by yourself is OK today. Creative ideas are coming fast and furious now. Your mind is zooming ahead. There are no limits to what you can accomplish!

Well I've finally finished off my part of this CQI Yahoo Group round robin.  Besides being a slow stitcher I also hurt my left wrist which was not my stitching hand but still it was needed and naturally slowed me down even more.  As for the wrist it still hurts on certain movements like two month afterwards but at least useable.

As for the last block I finished off for Dana A here are the pics and it was mailed off last week so should be arriving either later this week or early next - hopefully safe and sound.

Dana's block after Maire, Susie, Molly and myself

Rose Anne's tatted Allison Edging

Rose Anne's joined tatted butterflies

Rose Anne's two embroidered seams - one on the green brocade - the other a variety of flowers with beaded ants

I think I'll be taking some time off from RR stitching as I've many UFOs I'd like to start on plus it would be awesome to get this apartment unpacked and organized BEFORE my retirement next year!!!  Once that happens I'll be too busy getting ready for my gift to myself of a trip to Australia and New Zealand.  And nothing better happen to postpone this date!!!

I just don't know where the time goes!  I've been busy at work with our Department-wise reorganization learning website uploads and trying to continue my work until new job description/duties are decided upon.  Naturally headaches are back and then last week was office cleaning to make room for two staff moving in so add to that lots of muscle aches.  Needless to say my stitching and quilting has fallen by the wayside and in dire state for catch up!

Then to add insult to injury (so to speak) I have another co-worker retiring and a gift I'd like to make, I also signed up for a Sashiko Japanese embroidery class (something I've tried on my own and now need to drop bad habits learned), a trip off to Toronto to visit friends, a house/pet sitting stint and quilt retreat all back to back so to speak!  I must be crazy!!!  And in this mess I'm still trying to fix Tom's retirement gift with much worry and also another crazy patched round robin starting up at the same time.  

BUT I've corrected the quilting on Tom's wall hanging just having a problem reattaching the mitred borders so waiting for the quilt retreat and my sister's much needed assistance to finish this baby off.  I've just about finished the second retirement gift, finished off my "naked block" for the round robin and some tatted/beaded thank you gifts too - just need to serge the baby gift before Wednesday to take with me to Toronto and I think I'll pack my Sashiko as my handwork while out east to work on evenings etc.  





Then mid-November I'm going out to my sister's in NW Ontario and assist them to move into Winnipeg for the winter months.  That'll be a challenge for them but also a relief for them and their families that they'll be closer to all if help is needed.  OK I think I'll make it one step at a time!

No I'm not swearing, but there were times the air may have been blue during this crazy quilting RR - LOL!  It was a challenging round robin not so much in the effects we were creating but more so in the number of blocks for each person and the number of seams or depth of the seams (which was new sort of for me) we were creating.  You did not really want to repeat what was done previously but yet sometimes the creative streak just was not coming forth!  Oh well I'm finally finished the last of the nine sets of nine blocks (yes I had to start a seam on each of my own set too) and now it's to wait patiently for my babies to come back home and have fun checking out the various members' creativity!!!

So here are Diane M's blocks which in a way were kind of tricky as she combined sane traditional quilt blocks and asked us to embellish crazy patch-like!  Well I think we did a pretty good job and now have to wait and hope that Diane likes our interpretation.

Block #1

Block #2

Block #3

Block #4

Block #5

Block #6

Block #7

Block #8

Block #9

Now to wait and see if Diane's so called creativeness pans out and she pulls off her original plan to embroider a tree outside the attic window foreground.  I so can't wait - this plan sure has stretched crazy patch beyond traditional boundaries!

OK I've finally finished the "seventh" set of nine crazy patched blocks in this "Build a Seam" RR and ready to show off the beauty of these "just about finished" blocks.

Anything Goes  -  This baby is pretty full so I added to the Venice Lace flower patch some feather stitched filler stems and French knots in Perle Cotton 12 – A Leaf Falls.