2026 Slow Stitching Project - Page 11 - F1

I am following K3N Cloth Tales' slow stitch challenge for 2026.

We are working through the alphabet A-Z. First is her choice and second is the community choice.

K3N chose Feather but I did not. I chose Fish, Five Fantastic/Fabulous ones. 

I chose a bluish background cotton fabric and invisible stitched it to my thin white foundation layer.

I chose fabrics for my Fish from bright cotton scraps. I pinned them in place and used a running stitch to secure them to the background. 

I then decorated them in bright colors and stitch patterns. French Knots and running stitch in a variety of patterns.

I then used green thread to create plants in the water from the bottom and water pattern along the top of the piece in blue embroidery thread. I left space on the left for the eventual binding the piece into a book.

I think I got carried away with the stitching.  Decompressing from a very busy week. 

Sylvia's Simple Shots

Captured a Northern Flicker poking in the ground for worms in the park as evidenced by the dirt on his bill.  They are mostly ground feeders so that is where I have found them in the past.

I was visiting my sister and her husband for a fish fry on Friday for supper.  A tradition for all the Fridays in Lent.  It was delicious as always.

We headed to a local shop which sells ice cream and we in luck to have Maple Walnut flavor.  Hers and my favorite.  We ate them in the car so it would not result in a mess before we got home.

I was in Camrose for a funeral.  

With about 45 minutes on my hands and not being able to find the thrift store I headed to the Candler Gallery.

Found some wonderful art.  I recognized at least one artist who had art on display.  One of my aunt has had art in the gallery in the past which was why I knew where it was.

There was some nice pottery as well.

There is a gift shop in the front of the main level along with an art supply store.

Nice to enjoy a few minutes before meeting my sister and husband for lunch at A&W then headed to the funeral of my cousin's father.

While having a conversation with the gallery owner she let me know about the paints they carry which are made in Canada.  With the tariff situation good to know there is a Canadian option.

Tri-Art produces watercolor, acrylic and oil paint and is located in Kingston, Ontario.

I only picked up the watercolor brochure as that is what I would purchase.

The gallery ships Canada wide but a trip would be a nice break.

My good leather purse has a worn strap and the holding loop let go in the last couple days.  I don't have time to fix it right now so I packed it but I needed a replacement.

I found this bag at Goodwill for just over $10.  Inside is a tag that asks you to register your bag and it will be returned to you from anywhere in the world.

I was thinking this must be worth something if it has that kind of policy. There is a store in WEM which would explain it being here. 

I expect it is very good quality so I gave it a good wash in and out.  It is a bit floppy so I will have to do something to give it a bit of structure.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss is a book I finished recently.

A small book written by the same author as books I have recently read which I borrowed from my brother in law.

This is the story of Auri who leaves deep below the University.  A young lady that chooses to live a solitary life with animals rather than people.

She explores the vast spaces below ground and has named them all and has created paths and ways to travel from each. 

Some spaces house her special things, one is where she sleeps and all are very interesting. 

Very interesting character.

Cards - Charity - Glitter Butterflies

I made a quick watercolor of a fisherman for a guy that is celebrating a big birthday - 80.  It was a surprise party with about 30 people.  

He was out fishing that morning so that the preparations could take place without him knowing.

They caught no fish but arrived back on time on a story his friend created as to why they needed to be back.

I recycled a piece of watercolor paper with boring color and painted this little scene.

In this case the fisherman had no fish.

I adhered it to a Bravo Burgundy A2 card base and placed a white insert on the inside.

The party was a wonderful success. The work was shared by many so it was light and manageable.

Slow Stitching - No. 046 - Kantha Motifs

K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching Challenge 2024.

This week's prompt Nakshi Kantha Motifs which is part 2 of last week's Kantha Stitches.

I chose the fish as my motif.  I drew a circle which I stitched in black stem stitch. Then added my 2 fishes going around in it.  The central element is a lotus flower reflected.

I chose two different shades of green threads and alternated them on each fish.  

I used blue thread and seed stitches for inside the circle.

I used the Double Running Stitch in blues for the background quilting stitches. Alternating with single running stitches in darker blue. 

Oil Diffusers - One of a Kind - Set 2

 

Wings at Rest 

An elegant butterfly gently resting on a circle of leaves.  It is ceramic with a satin finish and features beautiful colors on the butterfly.  A reminder to breathe deep and rest for a bit. The circle rests on a crystal glass base with ivory felt in between to catch the drops which may escape from the butterfly.

Place 1-2 drops of pure essential oil on the butterfly to enjoy the scent in your personal space.

Tropical Fish 

Here, I have paired painted wood tropical fish with a turquoise felt and a yellow pompom.  It would work well in a sun room or a bathroom. It features beautiful bright colors.

Placed 1-2 drops of pure essential oil on the yellow pompom.  The turquoise felt will ensure that no drops escape onto furniture.

It is a bright and cheerful diffuser to lift our mood and brighten our day.

Caffe Latte is brought back from last year.  

It features a felt coffee layer then an ivory cream layer and topped with a cinnamon heart with a glass  bead with copper highlights.

One to two drops of essential oil on the bead will ensure the ivory layer is not stained by the oil. 

The blown glass vessel will protect your furniture.  Perfect for all coffee lovers and will fit into an office, a man cave, or maybe even a kitchen.

Sylvia' Simple Shots

I visited the new show in the feature pyramid at the Muttart Conservatory - Orchids through Time.

A misty humid atmosphere to ensure the health of the beautiful orchids in the show.

Orchids come in many colors and shapes. 

The pond was looking really good with the mist covering the surface and water droplets being generated.

The Koi fish were very happy in their pond.

The central flower is Common Spiderwort which was in one of other pyramids.

Things were quiet, peaceful, and very enjoyable.

Another World War II novel - Beneath a Starless Sky by Tessa Harris.

Lilli Sternberg is involved with the local theatre in Munich in 1930.  She is a dancer which makes her very happy.  She meets a young man Captain Marco Zeiller who admires her and she develops feeling for him also. 

As the years approach the start of the war slowly Jewish citizens are feeling the pressure.  Their rights are slow taken away.  Lilli flees Germany to America when the opportunity presents itself.

Her family is determined to hold their ground in their homeland. Her attempts fail to have her family go to Switzerland.  She flees Germany again and is able to connect with Marco at the last minute and they head to America.

The story has a wonderful ending where father and daughter meet.

One sister was visiting another this week to pick low bush cranberries. 

On their way through I connected with them for a Wendy's lunch.

My farmer sister had sent a box of goodies.

These beautiful sunflowers were in the box.  Three wonderful flowers that I immediately added to the vase which still held flowers from my other sister's garden.

I have been blessed by the generosity of those who have gardens and flower beds.

The box also held fresh picked corn, purple and white potatoes, carrots and cucumbers.

There is nothing like garden produce.

I ate the cucumbers first as they will not last as long as the other stuff.

The corn was enjoyed with butter.

I have sliced the potatoes with my guillotine slicer, microwaved them for a bit then finalized the cooking in the cast iron fry pan with onions and mushrooms.

Garden fresh carrots are best eaten raw.

It's been a quiet and somewhat solitary summer due to several situations beyond my control.

I have enjoyed my sewing machine and worked on several projects.

Cards - 4x4 set 2 - Thanks

A few more 4x4 photograph cards.  More photos from my calendars.

Great Black Capped Chickadee on a purple card base.

I have added a Modern Label punchie greetings adhered with 3D foam tape.

 

 

A Yellow Warbler on a textured yellow card base. I added a circle greeting which I mounted under the 4x4 photograph.

 

 A Koy Fish in the pond at the Japanese Gardens.  

I selected a terra cotta card base.

I added a Word Window greeting mounted onto a Modern Label punchie.

These will be donated to Compassion House.

2020 Photography Show - On Line

I am grateful that our art club - Allied Art Council has adapted and has been hosting our shows on-line.

The photography show runs from June 15 - to July 3rd. We had 67 entries submitted.

I submitted three entries.

The winners were announced today in a zoom meeting.

This photo details are as follows:

Rainy Night
12x12 inches
Photography

I love the great bokeh which reminds me of lights on wet streets.  Beautiful blue and green tones in this photograph.

I have manipulated the original photo with filters to increase the contrast and sharpen the edges.

I really like this one and will hang it on my walls.

Ignition!
12x12 inches
Photography

Someone on Flickr suggested that this shot looked like when the engine of a rocket.   I ran with that idea hence the title.

I love how the yellows are in the center and the oranges spread out from the center to the outer edges.  I like the dark edges.

Fish Feeding Frenzy
11x14 inches
Photography

I took this shot for a Flickr challenge.

I cooled the tone of the original photo to have the background appear more like water which goes with the title.  I really see fish with mouths open waiting for a morsel of food.

The winners were announced today in a Zoom meeting.  You can check out all the entries here.

Sewing Project - Quilt 4 - Fish Strips

I have finished another quilt.  I wanted to try a QAYG strip quilt which has less stitching as there is no top stitching in this one.

This one is larger coming in at 41 inches wide and 67 inches tall.

I used a piece of fish fabric cotton as the pattern in this quilt.  I added solids in yellow, brown and black fabric. I cut 4", 3.5" and 2.5" strips.

The back is a really soft fabric but I don't know the fiber content. It seemed a shame to cut it into squares so it was a strip quilt.

I added a layer of cotton polyester white fabric as the "batting" in this quilt. I started by pinning the batting to the wrong side of the back.

I started in the center and continued to add strips then iron them over and continued the process till I got to the one edge.  I then switched and went in the other direction from the center.  It is just a series of 14 very long seams. Once the strips were in place I then squared the quilt with my rulers.  I stitched all the way around about 1/8 in from the edge.

The bulk of the quilt was a challenge for the small throat of my sewing machine.  I rolled the quilt to get it through the throat and the length created a large pile behind the machine.

This will make a nice quilt for a boy.

My niece gave me this great piece of fabric from a stash she had been given.  Thanks so much.

This quilt took less time than my regular quilts made with 9.5 inch squares.  I chose grey thread so it would blend with the back.  I added a 2.5 inch binding in black fabric sewed with black thread.
You can check binding tips here.

Potholders - Flat

This is my standard 8.5 inch flat potholder with a 1 1/8 inch borders which have been stitched to the center 7.5 inch square. 

It has a center loop with top stitching very close to the edge to seal the gap where I turned it over.  I then added another close to the other edge.

To create my center stitching I used my 1 inch border chip board pattern piece and placed it along the edge had my sewing machine foot follow the other edge.

I chose some manly fish fabric for this set of flat 8.5 inch potholders. 

I paired it with an aqua 100% cotton for the back.  They had the 1 1/8 inch border.

Center hanging loop.

I changed up the center stitching and created a quarter circle from paper which I followed with my machine. I love that they intersect at the edges.  I'm glad it did not overlap the main fish too much.

I loved this bright church fabric with silver metallic lines and wanted to maximize it's use so I cut the center square smaller so I could get 3 sets of potholders.  With the wonderful colors in this fabric I will be able to pair it with several different colors.
This time I chose the royal blue but I had to widen the border to accommodate the smaller center. The borders 2 inches wide and I was able to get away with top stitching on the close edge and the far edge also did the center stitching. Excellent.

This fabric as really fabulous so I wanted to see a lot of it so I decided to make the whole in stars.  I paired it with the same royal blue from the previous pair. 

It needed a bit of a focal point on the front so I created a silver rick rack onto a royal blue strip which I stitched on before I assembled the potholder. 

The center stitching was just triangles below the accent strip. 

Less fuss on this set of potholders.

Share Your Cup - This Week

I've made some more tea cup coasters because they are fun to make. You can find the link to the pattern in this post.  I'm not sure how I made one facing the other direction.  It was not intentional so I will have to work on the process to figure it out, then write it down.  These feature subtle and bright fabric.

I have decided to include some relaxation into my life regularly.  The tool I have chosen is coloring so I bought my self a small book. 

I used watercolor pencils on this fish page.  I bought them for a class I am giving in the spring and I wanted to try them out to see how they worked.  I colored them just as I would with colored pencils. 

Once done, I used a paintbrush with a bit of water to blend all the colors.  It makes the image well colored as any white space is given color with the water.  This paper is not the weight needed for much water and you can see the wrinkled edges.  I had to iron it flat once it had dried. 

I am happy with the results.  It took longer as the design was quite a bit more detailed and the water color added some time.

I spent some time viewing art with my aunts. 
One of the most interesting pieces was an art piece with with this kit designed by Victor Vasarely (French/Hungarian, 1906–1997) Planetary folklore Participations no. 1 , 1969. Mixed media sculpture edition plastic, paper, metal 20 x 20 in. (50.8 x 50.8 cm.)
The plastic pieces are held in place by magnets in a black metal box frame. The pieces can easily be re arranged to create a new piece of art.  I loved the concept.  I found these images on line as photos were discouraged.

I have been sewing too.  

Car Litter Bag

The piece of fabric on the left with the marbling pattern was too small to make a litter bag. I combined it with red fabric for the outer bag and chose solid red for the liner bag. 
I have been trying to decide how to design the way the bag is held in place in the car.  I have decided to make fabric ties of 12" as well as include a loop in the center.  Some cars have a hook in the foot well which is works nicely to hold this type of bag.  Again, it holds a produce bag placed inside a plastic container which makes the opening always open and the litter in the produce bag can just be tossed when it is full. 

 

Scrap Sack

This one is made of turquoise butterfly fabric with a pale yellow liner. 

Sharing with Jann at Daily Cup with Mrs. Olson - Share Your Cup #233.

Greeting Card Gift Sets - Portfolio 2 more sets

This set of card features a cross stencil I created myself. I applied ink with a sponge in a diagonal direction in green. The purple butterfly stamped.  The doll is added to the a handmade paper card.  I added fiber for wings and thread for hair.  I printed trout graphic then colored it with chalk.  The gifts in the last one are my own design.  I printed them on the card stock then water colored them.

This set has one of my lily color prints onto card stock. It was mounted onto green card stock.  The Thinking of You features a small square piece of water color decorative paper.  The purple daisy is hand painted onto purple handmade paper.  The trio of birthday gifts are hand watercolored with a wide brush.

Photo - Devonian Botanic Gardens

I took a trip to the Devonian Botanic Gardens on the weekend.  It's a large property and a good thing I went early as it rained later in the day.
The background for this collage is a copper pot in the Arid show house which had this terrific patina on it.  I do water drops every chance I get and they had just irrigated so there were plenty.  The Koi fish is in the brook in the Kurimoto Japanese Gardens.  I've been trying all kind of options with my camera and this one worked out really well. The fish was about 12" long. I saw 4 different ones in the waters there. In the Butterfly show house I got this pic of a very nice warm colored butterfly.  He was just sitting there so I got a lot of shots.  The bottom picture is of course Bird of Paradise.  I think this is the first one I've seen in real life.  It's beautiful. 

Card - Challenge - Fishing

I made this card for the CST Home Card challenge.  This time around the theme is sports.  I color printed a digital fishing related image and I stamped 3 greetings in navy ink in the windows provided.  I distressed it's edges and layered it onto a couple of strips of aqua card stock.   I rubbed the edges of my blue card with the same navy ink pad. It matches quite well with the blue in the water where the fish is jumping out. This whole layer was mounted onto the card front with 3D foam tape. 

I found this image on my computer in a miscellaneous folder so I have no credits.  I was not able to find it on line again.

Card - Exchange - Clown Fish Scallop

I made a couple of these for my card exchange group.  I had a couple of these left over from card kits so I decide to use them as they are sitting on my work space.
I used Green Galore for the card and stamped it Basic Black with one of my SU! Itty Bitty Backgrounds.  I cut the fish with a round SB Nestabilities then cut the orange with the corresponding scallop circle. I mounted the scallop circle onto the card with 3D foam tape.  I cut the greeting with QuicKutz oval then stamped the greeting with a clear stamp.  I mounted the oval greeting with 2 brads. I added a bit of orange ribbon in the second hole to create a bit of a fin effect to go with the fish theme.

R2G - Nemo Wishes Card Kit

Aren't they cute.  I made this card for kids! Easy for them to make!
I started with a green card. I cut my image down with the TH Ornamental die.  I created the greeting with the Modern Label Punch and the Word Window punches from Stampin Up!.  The greeting is printed in black for all the colors of card. I coordinated the label punchie with the card color. The greeting is adhered to the label punchie.  The 3D foam tape is applied to the back of the label punchie then applied to the card front.
The kit includes 2 green cards, 1 yellow and 1 orange card. The greetings included are Happy Birthday and Thank You so the cards can be used to give to a friend or to express gratitude for friends being part of their party. They could be party invitations as well!
Check out my Occasions Card Kit page.