Sylvia's Simple Shots

This Christmas featured 2 big events in one day.  First in the morning was the 4 Sunday of Advent.  We light the LOVE candle.  

We are so loved by God that He sent His Son for each one of us.

May we truly take that in.

I spent most of the afternoon and evening on Christmas Eve with my sister, her husband and my brother.

It was a casual affair where we browsed food - shrimp, ribs, and pyrohy like Mom used to make them.

We caught up on our lives with all the good and bad and it was lovely.

We had blueberries, honey and cream for dessert.  

I headed home about 9pm with  my heart full.

Late on Christmas Eve we lit the Christ Candle which is the middle one.

I just love the sparkle that crackle glass brings.  

Unfortunately, one of the inserts is broken and so I plan on replacing this Advent Wreath next year.

I will keep my eyes out.

I spent Christmas Day at home.

I purchased sourdough cinnamon buns from Freesons for breakfast. They were delicious.  They came highly recommended and did not disappoint.  

Turkey with all the trimmings was on the menu for supper. 

This was the first Christmas without either Mom & Dad.  I missed them a lot.

I headed to my sister's and brother-in-law's on December 28th to have turkey with them.

It was a good drive with good temps, little traffic and a pleasure.

I decided that I would stop and visit a thrift store to get soup bowls to match my white dishes but they were closed till Jan 2nd.

This is how much snow was on the ground for Christmas this year.  Not a lot at all.

The deer came to visit in their neighborhood and I got a decent shot.

They always have a natural tree.  It is covered with personal ornaments each with it's special memory.  I don't think there was a commercial bauble of any type.

The Nativity under the tree with a stable of olive wood made in Germany and the Avon white pieces of the holy family and the additional members of that night.

I did not remember that we have the same Avon white set.  Mine has few pieces.

The birthday party was great.  

This is one of the gifts received.  A vintage Fisher Price tool bench with all the accessories.

A bench press, a drill, a hammer, wood that cuts on the table saw.

All in working order after 20 years in service.

It will be enjoyed for a few more years.

I rode with my sister and brother in law which was appreciated.

It's great to have like minded family that value something vintage and would prefer those to consuming something new and not as well made.

Sewing Project - Food Storage Cloths

I decided to make cloths specifically for moisture control when taking fruits or veggies to a pot luck.

They are cut to 6 inches square.

I serged the edges and tuck the ends into the seams.

I used paper towels in the past.  I have used some of my unpaper towels which are too big.

I decided to make a set that I know always are used with my Tupperware modular mates.  

I chose flannelette fabric in a snowflake pattern. The pattern makes me think fridge containers.

Celestial Stuffies

 

I made a set of stuffies for a little girl celebrating a birthday soon.  Sun, Moot and Star.

The Sun: I cut orange and yellow felt with rays layered on top of each other then turned the yellow one over. I cut a circle of warm yellow and stitched it to the center and stuffed before closing it up with over stitches. I add longer stitched to connect the rays to each other.  I added some orange stitches to the center.

The Moon.  I cut 2 large circles from white felt then cut out smaller circles from one of them. I layered some grey flannel fabric under it and used stab stitches to connect the two. Once the 3 craters were done I stitched the 2 white circles together with the blanket stitch around the outside. Once I was close I stuffed the moon with fiber fill and then closed the opening.

The Star: The 2 star shapes were cut with Stampin Up Star thinlit dies from yellow felt.  I embroidered the front shape with variegated thread.  The shapes are held together with blanket stitching.  It was stuffed with fiber fill. 

Watercolor - Tree Line

 

I brought home a small watercolor palette from the ReUse Center last week. I saw a video in the last month that the artist makes the practice of doing this tree line with a new palette so she has documented the colors in the palette.  I thought I would give it a try.  Wet on the bottom and dry on top.  Just go along the colors and this is the result.  

I wanted to do something with the art.

I have a set stitched squares dies which makes a nice frame. The large one which I have used on cards was too large for the small strip of 3" tall watercolor paper I had.  I used the middle one. The easiest was to make the watercolor this size of the cut out.  This gives less of a look of framed art.

I debated what color the frame should be.  I used a grey here. Could it be black?

The next challenge was that the card seemed too plain so adding some embossing worked really well. 

On this card I used Stampin Up Summer Sun card base,  a Cuttlebug folder with a diamond pattern for the back ground. Diamond in the Rough folder.

On this card I used SU Daffodil Delight card base with again a grey frame.  I think it works a little better on this card.

The embossing folder is Sizzix Softly Falling.  

I remembered that I had an instant camera die so I dug that out. Sure glad it made the cut during the destashing.  

On this card the white card seemed to white so I brushed it with Very Vanilla chalk.  Forgot to emboss this one.

A dark green die cut works.

With this die I could cut my watercolor strip just under 2.75 inches wide and it fit behind the frame.  I like this better.

On this card, I chose SU Baja Breeze as the card base.

The cool grey for the frame die cut.

I used Quick Dry glue along the back of the die cut and just layed the watercolor on to it.  Hold it down for half a minute and it is well adhered.

Again, I think the card front could have used some texture.

I finally remembered to emboss the card front.

I think this SU Gable Green card base with a Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Star embossing folder.

I like the contrast of these colors.

Slow Stitching Fabric Collage

This is my Boxing Day project.

I am thinking of doing a slow stitch fabric collage project.  It will be fairly large so I thought I would dip my toe and see what it was like.

This piece is about 6x6 inches.  I used some yellow thread from Mom's stash. It is quite heavy compared to embroidery thread.  My needles leave a little bit to be desired. Too thick but the second one was pointy enough.

I dipped into the small stash of fabric I gathered for the large project.  I chose fabric, lace, yarn, and felt.

It took about 6 hours to do this piece.  

I am happy with it. I did not baste the pieces to begin with but that is very important on hind sight.

The middle stage is quite chaotic looking so you just have to move forward and add the other bits.  I was tempted to add buttons but until I know where it will be used I will refrain from adding that kind of texture. I did add a layer of white fabric to cover the back. 

Merry Christmas

 

Wishing all a very Merry Christmas and joyful season!

Sylvia's Simple Shots

On the 3rd Sunday of Advent we light the JOY candle.

We have anticipated much and the end is near.  We are so filled with joy for the coming of the one who is Emmanuel - God with us.

I found this video this week and thought of my sister who does slow stitching regularly.

Stitch Meditation Scrolls by K3N presents several scrolls of a variety of sizes.

My sister and had a bit of a conversation about the concept.

Once Upon a Day by Lisa Tucker is a book I finished reading this week. 

Very bizarre story line where a man isolates his children from the time they are around 4 until they leave in their twenties.  No TV, no internet, limited amount of books, no socialization with others.  Groceries are regularly delivered to the large beautiful house. Father goes to town occasionally, the doctor comes when absolutely necessary, and that is how life is.  Dorothea and Jimmy know no better. Father says this is for their protection.

Jimmy just walks away one day believing that there is more than Father says out there.  He writes but then Father gets really sick and refuses hospital. Dorothea decides she must find Jimmy before their father dies. 

We do see the world according to their mother Lucy who has no idea where they are.  Has searched for years to find them to no avail.  Tragedy was part of her life and she found her husband's "protection" suffocating. She exerted control on her life with very sad results and the loss of her children. 

Eventually, the father facilitates the reunion of the children with their mother and all three come to the father's rescue.  The father gets the medical care he needs.  Is there hope for this family?

My friend, her partner and I attended this Christmas concert this week.  Her and I had attended 2 or 3 before the pandemic and it was now being held again.

It is just as one would expect from a Christmas concert, the children choirs, the adult choirs, several soloists, and beautiful music.

It was held in the community center which was quite full. In years past, it was held in the church which burned down a while ago.  It is being rebuilt and should be open for Christmas 2025!

It was nice to attend with friends.

After my discussion about slow stitch scrolls with my sister earlier this week and had the thought maybe I could make one.

I had filled the page in my organizer about the upcoming shows for 2024 and one is a 3D show.  It has\d been discussed at the reception of the Value of Color show. I called the gallery and got clarification about the brief and it should be a recycled/reused project.  It should be 3D but could be 2D with texture.

I checked out the spool bin and found a large spool that would do nicely.  I ripped a piece of cotton 3 inches wide which had been tie-dyed and added green color with permanent acrylic liquid ink.  It looks quite like a garden now.

I went to the ReUse center and brought home bits and bobs that may contribute to the end product.  Still mulling over the options in my mind. Check back later.

I did pick up my items from the gallery on the last day of the Christmas Store.  I was disappointed that some items did not sell at all.  No photo cards, linen coasters, or count down calendars sold.

The One of a Kind oil diffusers did not sell as well as last year.

My Tree Scent Ornaments did well again this year and I did sell some Sticky Note Holders.

There will have to be a total rethink about it for next year.  

Will I put anything into the store next year? 

If I do, what new and wonderful thing will I create?

Sylvia's Simple Shots

The second Sunday of Advent and lighting the PEACE candle.

The second Advent candle reminds us of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem before Mary gave birth to Jesus. 

This second candle recalls that after all of the division, destruction, and dispersion of the kingdom in the Old Testament, there might finally be peace on Earth – Jesus is coming, and so is his Kingdom of Peace. 

So fitting for our world today.

On Sunday I attended the Steve Bell concert with my sister and brother-in-law.  They have seen him 2 times before and this was my first time.

The Alliance Church was about 80% full. His concert in Calgary was a sell out.

The music was good, the company was great and it was a wonderful evening.  Driving home late at night was made better by the fact that there was no snow or ice and the temperature hovered just about 0C.

We had supper at Swiss Chalet before the concert which is the first time in nearly 4 years that I have eaten there.  The food was delicious as always.

I bought this book a couple of months ago for .50 cents.  It was after I had started with my Inktober challenge and I recognized that I needed to improve my drawing so I could do better ink and watercolor pieces.

I read the first 5 chapters.  That is the basics, now I will have to read and to exercises so that is no longer bed time reading.

I will have to get a sketch book and work on this.

When I was at the reception for the Christmas Store there was a table which had not been filled when I visited earlier with my friend.

The pieces were glass which is my weakness. There were small glass pieces made by Joe DeWitte.  There was a gorgeous acorn but it was less versatile than this small golden yellow flower.  Check out those tiny perfect water drops in the center of the flower. 

I still have to decide how I will display and use it but it means I can have flowers on my table all year long.

Totally happy!

I decided to revisit Greenland Garden Center this week. What a difference 5 weeks makes.  The shoppe was so empty compared to when I last visited.  They have moved a huge amount of inventory in that time.

I was truly amazed.

There was still a nice collection of Christmas decor to make a few shots possible.

The fresh flowers and plants were really nice.  Check out that Christmas cactus.

On Saturday I went to my aunt's house to make our traditional meat pies called tourtieres.

The meat is a mix of beef and pork with potatoes and onions then slowly cooked with wonderful spices.

She made a double batch of pastry dough and we made 8 small pies. The bit larger ones are for her and the 4 smaller ones for me. They turned out really great.  She froze enough meat to make a large pie when she is ready to host her family.  

We had omelette for lunch with no alcohol white wine and had a great visit.  It was a great day.

I attended the Women's Christmas event at church this week.  It was a small group with a wide age range.

It was a last minute thing.  I just got the details a couple of days earlier. 

There were a few ladies I had visits with which was wonderful.  There was snack food and games.  Minute to win it games went on for a long time and there was drama between a few of the participants which showed some immaturity. Disappointing.

There were wonderful door prizes. I chose this jam set with beautiful small jars, a plate and spoon.  Fig, apricot, orange, raspberry and black cherry are a few of the flavors.

Christmas Tree & Nativity Up

The Christmas Tree is up.  It was getting late in the season and I was anxious to hang the tree.

This is my wall Christmas Tree that I made in 2021 that hangs from a photo shelf.  The lights are part of the tree so that is a real time saver.

All the ornaments were hung with care.

Most vintage because I have been hanging them on a tree for over 25 years. All with precious memories attached to them.

The teapot from my Mom & Dad's tree. The snowmen my brother-in-law made. The vintage ones my aunt gave me when she was downsizing. The glass star that I bought for my large nativity scene which is packed in boxes. The green ball, a keepsake from one of our family Christmas. Stained glass ornaments bought at the big Christmas craft sale in the big yellow building.

The chair had to be moved to make room for the 2 TV tables that support the tree table top decoration along with the snow angel, the mercury glass owl, the candle stick holder and the glitter NOEL.

The movie I watched after the tree was up.  I have not watched my traditional movies this year but there is still time.

I have Polar Express, Love Actually, and A Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart.

This was just the right length.

Some eggnog with nutmeg and cinnamon and a bit of whipping cream for a seasonal drink along wit the movie.

It's nice to have traditions to keep my head on straight when lots of things around me are just upside down.

I put up the Snowpeople Nativity this year along with the LED tree, the green ceramic tree and the great mint green one I got on sale which lights up.

All the players are there - the Holy Family, the 3 Wisemen and the baby lamb.

The table was set up with the red table cloth and plaid place mats.

All looks festive and ready for a celebration, even if it is a quiet one.

Sewing Project - TV Chair Outfit - Chair Caddy

Today, I worked on the caddy for my chair that at minimum would hold my TV remote so I can always find it.

Here's the overall photo.  It is sitting over the arm of the chair on my right.

It has 2 pockets - a small for the remote and another larger for who knows what.

I started again with the stash of fabric that I had assembled for this project.

I realized that the caddy had to have some stiffness as it was not going to sit flush against the side of the chair.

I had a piece of 100% cotton upholstery fabric which I thought would do the job.  The color was within the family of colors but I decided I preferred to have the caddy blend in as much as possible. I checked on the size and it was not too big so I just keep it the size it was. 

I did have enough of the warm grey microfiber fabric I had used behind the headrest cover.  Excellent.

I cut the warm grey fabric to be about 1.5 inches larger than the cotton piece in all directions.  I then folded .75 inches then again to bring that hem over the edge of the cotton.  Once I had ironed, pinned and mitered the corners I sewed a seam very close to the edge all the way around. The cotton would be on the under side of the caddy. 

The pocket was the same warm grey microfiber.  I cut the pocket about 7 inches tall and 2 inches wider than the base to allow for some ease in the pocket(s).

I then used a small leftover piece of the fabric I had used on the cushion cover to edge the top of the pocket.  It was the perfect size.  I serged the cut edges of this piece before I sewed it to the top of the pocket piece.  I top stitched along the seam as well as along the top edge.

I folded the side edges and the bottom edge and ironed those flat.  It was then pinned to the edges first.  I marked the center to make sure ease was evenly distributed. I make a pleat in each pocket and then sewed all three sides of the pocket to the main piece.  I did have to shorten the small pocket for the remote because it fell too deep and it was hard to get out.

With the final project nicely ironed, all the stray threads trimmed, it was time to install it on the chair.

It is long enough that flap that sits on the inside of the chair goes deep between the cushion and the side of the chair.  There is not need for any other mechanism to keep it in place.

I now have an extra pocket which I don't know what it will hold but it's ready for use whenever inspiration hits.

This has been a very satisfying project.

All the pieces are bespoke, just the right color and size, with all the colors and patterns coordinating.

Love IT!

Muttart Conservatory - Christmas

The feature pyramid was decorated for Christmas.  There were beautiful poinsettias in a variety of colors on full display

I loved this variegated one.

The Hellebore - Lenten Rose was in bloom in the tropical pyramid.

I always love seeing this flower.

The tropical space had lost one of the main trees in the center so it was very much brighter but feeling a bit empty.

Fog was covering the pond in the feature space.  Love how the stalks just emerge from the mist and the silver ball reflects its surroundings.

Wooly penguins sporting red and white scarves where resting on a large snowflake.

Wonderful Christmas decor.

A clever tree decorating idea.

Beautiful clear glass spheres filled with red air plants.  They made a really nice looking tree.

The huge red star against the rock wall made for a great shot.

It would make a great Christmas card.

I was glad not to have missed this display as it opened some time in November.

It was pleasantly quiet as long as I avoided the group of  school kids moving from pyramid to pyramid.  I just skipped the Arid pyramid as I was getting tired and they were just ahead of me.

The gift shop has some really nice things for Christmas gifts.

Sewing Project - TV Chair Outfit - Cushion and Headrest Cover

This is my TV chair with its new outfit.

I received this chair from my aunt as a gift this summer and it reclines to bring a footstool.  I loved it.

I have been using the fleece blanket I had on the couch but it is too big and get caught in footstool when I get up and close it.

I wanted a new blanket, a new cover for the cushion I have been using and an updated head rest cover.

There is still a remote control holder to come but I have not decided and designed it.

 

This is the Cushion Cover.

I used the fabric I purchased this summer which matched all the chairs in the living room.  You can see the fabric in this post.

I found a yellow zipper in my stash that would be long enough for a side opening.

This fabric frays very easily so I had to serge all the edges as I went along.

I cut 2 pieces of this fabric 21 inches x 15 inches. This would allow 1 inch seam allowances. 

I followed this tutorial to put the zipper in. It worked perfectly.  I used the selvage edge of the fabric and folded it in 1 inch on both pieces. I sewed the ends about 3.5 inches leaving the center open where the zipper will show.  

The zipper is 14 inches on the 18 inch side. I then pinned the zipper to the opening making sure to mark where the metal bits were to make sure I sewed on the far side of those.

Once the zipper was in I could just sew up the other 3 sides. Make sure you move the zipper pull down before you sew up the sides as that is the opening you will use to turn it inside out.

I did have a large seam allowance (2.25 inches) across from the zipper but it was better to have too much than find I was short.

I had pinned loosely to figure out where the seam should be.  

Sewed it the other sides together and turned it inside out, used my chopstick to push out the corners. My little cushion fit perfectly inside.

I used the grey thread to sew this project.

Headrest Cover

The research and gathering of fabrics I did this summer paid off because the piece of 100% cotton upholstery fabric was in the bucket.

That will work for the headrest cover.  I paired it with a piece of microfiber fabric from the stash as well. 

I laid the cotton over the microfiber and then used my long quilting ruler to mark a rectangle with square corners. 

I then sewed those together leaving a small area to turn it around.

I then turned it inside out and ironed it flat.

I stitched a seam very close to edge to close the opening I used to turn it around and it finishes off the edges nicely.

I had gone a while back to purchase twist pins to keep the arm rest covers in place.

I dug out 2 of them and tacked the head rest cover in place.

I am very happy with the final results of this several day and 3 piece project.

I have 3 pieces that can easily be washed and kept clean.  This will keep my chair clean as well.

I will be working on the remote control holder.  I think it will be over the arm rest

I will keep you posted.