Sewing Project - Chair Pads

 
The wood table chairs are now more comfortable.  I made chair pads for the dining table chairs this morning.

I used some blue mustard fabric I picked up for free a while back.  Nice floral pattern.  The back side of the pads are the mustard linen fabric I had in my stash.

The seats measure 15.25" across at the front and 13" at the back so there is plenty of each fabric.

I had checked out foam rolls at a fabric store at the beginning of the month and the price was $39 but not enough to make all of the pads.

I continued my research.  

I purchased a 1.5" memory top mattress topper for the foam in the pad. They were on sale recently for $50 which is more than enough to make them all with leftovers.  

The triangular shape of the seats will allow me to make good use of the foam and fabric by rotating the pattern.  The funky textures will be put to the underside which will work out alright.

There were some decisions to be made:

1. Zipper closure so I can wash them?  Where does it go? How long does it have to be? Do I have 4 in the right color and length?  Don't have what I need to proceed this morning. Next!

2. Fold over flap at the back.  This makes them not reversible and I would need to velcro the flap to keep it closed.  The math is a bit more complicated. Next!

3. Sew the foam in and see how it goes.  This is the fastest and easiest option. Yes!

The foam was thin enough to cut with scissors but not my fabric ones.  I just traced the shape with a marker.  I rotated the shape so that I could use the cut side for the next one.  Very efficient use of the material.

I cut 4 of these one for each chair.

I placed the printed fabric over the solid fabric and pinned the pattern in place.  I had to add a 1/2 inch seam allowance then a full inch for the foam pad.

I started sewing along the back towards the corner, back stitched the corners and ended just after the last corner leaving most of the back open so I could insert the foam.

The foam is very sticky so it was a bit of a challenge to get it in place but it should help it stay in the envelope.

The twill tape ties were about 15 inches folded in half.  I placed them so they would be aligned with the inside corner of the chair back.  Using twill tape meant I did not have to make ties which made the project move along.  

I pinned the back opening closed and as I went along I placed the folded tie aligned along the pinned seams edge.  

Then, I just sewed the closure seam which also tacked down the ties.  Did some back stitching  where the ties were for added strength. 

It took about 3 hours to make four pads so I am happy with that.

Here's is one on the chair and it looks great.

I have managed to keep my plants on the balcony alive so a small pansy bouquet on the table and I am set to host company!

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I decided to have flowers on my balcony this year.

I bought some frilly blue pansies and some larger regular yellow ones.

I have added some dill, basil and parsley as well.

I dropped by my sister's house with a box a paper we had rescued at Trash to Treasure.

Her and her daughter were working on a barn for the back of the float she was placing in the local summer parade.

It is going to be very cool!

I had a nice visit with a friend who recently lost her husband.

They had sold the house and rented an apartment they hoped he could return to following a lengthly stay in hospital. He was advised that would not happen and he was going into long term care. He quickly declined and passed away.

She invited me to her new home and we had tea and a wonderful catch up visit.

We headed out to Joey's for supper that evening.

My aunt and I visited the exhibits at the Harcourt House gallery this week.

Caitlin Thompson is a fiber artist that recycles natural fibers from thrifted shawls, scarfs, etc into works of art.

She dyes the fabric, does fabric collage and embroidery in her art pieces.

Lovely show.

We had Vietnamese food for lunch in a nearby restaurant - Saigon Taste.

I had a quick trip to Calgary this weekend.  I picked up my sister on the way. 

We dropped plants to both of her children. Had a nice visit with her son's family and checked out the garden and caught up on things.

We brought lunch to my niece who has been working hard to support her family and the extended family and needed a few hugs.

We went for walk to the local mall for a few groceries for supper and then headed north.  

It was just the girls and we had a great visit.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

It's that time of year.  The crops are being harvested and stored away for winter.  It was very interesting to see the different colors of netting on these large straw bales - green, red, blue at minimum. Red was my favorite bit it was not convenient to stop and take pics. 

The combines were in the fields kicking up a dust storm, the trucks were waiting for the loading to be done so they could head back to the yard, and there were very wide tractors on the highway so one had to be careful.

I did end up behind a large industrial load and the pilot car did not allow us to use the passing lane when it showed up.  Several of us were just waiting for the opportunity to pass and our hopes were dashed.  It turned off after 40 minutes.

I finally took a trip to the country to see my sister which I had not seen since May at my Mom's funeral.

It was time to clear all the large flower bed at the driveway.  I picked what blooms were still good enough to harvest and put those in a large jar.

Then we were careful to collect seeds from the cosmos, poppies, and pink lavatera.  All in their seperate baggies well marked.

Then the cutters and garden forks came out to remove the huge cosmos plants. I have never seen such large plants with very thick stems.  It was a couple of hours work but it allowed the rocks to be seen again.  There were some smaller plants which had suffered due to lack of sun and water.  A different variety will be planted there next year.

There are a few perennials as well.

This is the lavatera on the buffet at my sister's house with Mom in the back ground tending her flowers at the lodge. That was a year ago already.

These pink lavatera were one of Mom's favorite flowers along with cosmos.  Each place at the house had it's flower, pansy in the old wash tub, nasturtium in the cement planter at the front of the house, a row of cosmos in the garden, a row of gladiolas in the garden next to the house. 

She took care of her flowers, her vegetable garden and fruit trees with much love and care.  They produced very well for her.

I finished this book this week. Book 4 in the Angelic Letters Series. The Angelic Occurence by Henry K. Ripplinger.  It's been a while since I read number 4.

It was good to continue the story with Jenny, Henry, Father David and the rest of the gang.

Jenny has finally divorced her self centered husband James and found her own place but she loses her Mom about this time. Tough.

Henry is painting, running a gallery, put in a cafe at the gallery, and enjoying his acreage outside of Regina.

Father is shepherding the flock at St. Mary's church.

The end of this book was hard so I am so glad that I had book five to start right away.  More about that book later.

My sister loaded me up with fresh veggies from the garden.  They were getting ready to till the garden so the last few things were being harvested.

I came home with tomatoes, green onions, potatoes, a zuchinni, and this is a squash but it will do for a Halloween pumpkin.

It was really nice to get out of town for a couple of days.

Card - Watercolor Pansies

This is a card for my sister.  She celebrates her birthday soon and I wanted it in the mail so it arrives on time.

I found a coloring book page on line to help me with the line drawing of these flowers.

I used Stampin Up Wonder Watercolor Crayons so it would match with the card stock I selected.

The colors are Night of Navy, Elegant Eggplant, Daffodil Delight, More Mustard, and Always Artichoke. Once painted and dry I outlined the image with a fine Micron permanent black marker.  It pressed overnight under several heavy books.

The back petals are a mix of Navy and Eggplant, the center ones are EE and the front one is Daffodil with darker marks with More Mustard. Put a pale background with Night of Navy on the top and Always Artichoke on the bottom.

I chose to trim the watercolor piece to 3.75 x 5 inches. I taped a couple of lengths of grosgrain ribbon in the AA and EE to the back of the watercolor. Brought them forward and held in place with double sided tape and trimmed the ends on an angle. This was adhered to an Eggplant layer leave a small border.  Then that was adhered to the Always Artichoke A2 card base.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I took a trip south to visit my niece and her family before summer plans take over our lives.  My sister and brother in law would be there too!

This was late June.  I took a leisure drive down and arranged to meet at her house for supper.  Several of them were headed to the Nanton Parade of Garage Sales that day.

I arrived at about 3:00 pm and connected with her husband who was home getting things ready.  I decided to head off for a walk with the camera as I had been sitting in the car for about 4 hours.  I did stop halfway for a bathroom break and a bit of a walkabout.

They live very near a large green space which I have walked before so off I went.

I found this new flower for me - Shrubby Cinquefoil.

I found Squills as well which were plentiful in the meadow.

Supper was great and it was wonderful to spend them with family.  As we headed to my nephew's condo late in the evening I saw the mountains in  the distance.  They are so big!

The next morning my sister and I took a bit of a walk so I could get some mountain photos.  I managed a few without getting too much of the city stuff in the way.

I would like to take a trip to the mountains sometime.   It's been 8 years since I was there.

My aunt invited me to sit down and watch the new Downton Abbey movie - A New Era.

I did not watch the series when it was originally broadcast but have caught reruns over the years.  I have a basic understanding of the main characters both upstairs and down.  Also, the relationships involved - the Grantham family and the relatives of the extended family.

We watched on the TV at her place which suited me just fine rather than going to a movie theatre.

We got some delicious burgers and fries to round out the evening.  She picked up burgers from Delux Burger Bar which were absolutely delicious!  Sweet Potato fries were excellent.   It was a splurge but worth it.

I was disappointed that Henry Talbot - Mary's husband did not appear in this movie.   It was a great night out for me.  Thanks so much.

I have visited the St. Albert Botanic Park again now that new flowers are blooming.  

Roses, dahlias, lilies, Johnny Jump Ups were blooming as well as many more not included in the mosaic to the left.

I love going early in the morning when not too many others are about.

I did stop by the river but there was not too much wildlife about.

It is taking a nature bath when I can be quiet, calm and enjoy taking pictures.

I have started taking video with my camera and it is a learning curve.  I took this video of the pond and water feature at the park.  Hand help recording takes a lot of practice.  The flowering Ninebark in the background, the bulrushes, the running water, the curving stream of water and the stones all make for an oasis.

I took a walk with a friend around Beaumaris Lake recently as well. It was her first time and she was amazed at having this quite large lake in the city.  We saw White Pelicans, a Cormorant, Mallard Ducks, RedWinged Blackbirds, Grackles, a Painted Turtle, Coutts, and much more.

I am always up for a Christmas story any time of the year.

This is a story of the typical life on an English green during the Christmas season.

The season comes with the Christmas play of course, presents to buy, those coming to visit, church services, meals to prepare, those in need of time, love, caring and sharing.

In this case an older woman of the village is losing her sight, has a fall and is in need of temporary care of the holidays.  A friend who now is married invites her to stay with them.  The last of her Christmas shopping is done, she helps with the meals, and they attend church services.

It is a heart warming story of friendship and neighborliness.  I enjoyed the book.

2022 Photo Calendar - Garden Flowers

I have my 2022 Garden Flower photo calendar.  It is so wonderful that nature continues on despite the health crisis in our world.  I am so blessed to be able take photos outside.  I have captured some winners again this year.

01 Jan - Pasque Flower                            07 Jul - Pansy

02 Feb - Salvia                                        08 Aug - Dahlia

03 Mar - Grape Hyacinth                        09 Sep - Sunflower

04 Apr - Daffodil                                    10 Oct - Fuchsia

05 May - Astrantia Major Alba               11 Nov - Red Poppy

06 Jun - Pink Cosmos                             12 Dec - Late Tulip

Are you a planner?  

Do you want to see a date in the upcoming month?

Is your calendar stored in the black metal holder?

This calendar can deliver.   Just slide the current month up about a third of the way up to reveal the next month dates.

This idea came from one of my calendar users who has had one of these on his desk for nearly a decade.

Thanks for the tip!

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I took a trip to the country yesterday to visit my aunt and her husband.

We took a trip along the back roads and we spotted this pretty barn.

I love the two tone color scheme on this building.  The dormers in the roof and the cupolas on the peak add some interest to the architecture of the structure.

Judging from the ground floor doors and the hay loft door above them the inside of the barn is pretty huge.

The dark skies add drama to this shot.  It did not rain during the afternoon and it spit a few drops while the steaks were on the BBQ for supper.  Great visit

Garden veggies are the best at this time of year.

I have been fortunate to get some from my sister and my aunt.  I am so grateful to those with abundant garden who are willing to share the bounty.

Eating them raw is the best way.

Really enjoying them.

As a kid we picked them from the garden, barely got the dirt off them and ate them on the spot.

Yummy!

Same goes for fresh garden tomatoes.

Red and delicious.  Great to add to pizza, a salad, an open grilled cheese sandwich and a ton of other things.

I got some green ones which are doing their ripening in a brown paper bag.

Most folks here have picked their tomatoes as nights have gotten near freezing a couple of times.

I am working towards a stained glass piece of art.  I have always wanted one hanging in a window throwing some color into my living space.  

I am planning to buy myself one as a retirement gift but I had to put some thought into the subject matter.

I have decided on a sunrise.  The message being the future looks bright at the beginning of a new chapter.

I studied a lot of stained glass pieces then I drew what I wanted at 4" square.  Then I translated it intoo 8x8 inches and traced it onto inexpensive watercolor paper.  I painted this with watercolor and just stuck it into a quick frame.

I need to make some changes to the composition.  I  am missing the second layer of light yellow pieces on the left hand side.  I was having real trouble drawing the lines the right way on the left.  The suggestion is to reverse the right side and trace the lines then make some adjustments.  The larger piece of orange on the right needs to be made into 2 pieces.  The hills pieces need to be small and less similar. 

I will draw another 4" piece then into 8" piece.  It was suggested that I color it with the paint I plan to use for the 14" sample.  The 14" piece will be faux stained glass made with Elmers school glue and liquid acrylic color.  That one will be hung in the window for a while to see if it gives me the feeling I want.  If so, then I may have a piece commissioned if it is not too expensive.

I have been wanting a pansy for my 2022 Flower calendar so I have been check out all the ones I find.

It is so late in the season to find blooms still in good shape.

I found the two on the left in my aunt's flower beds. The one on the right I found at the park today.

The challenge at Flickr Macro Mondays was “Geometry Shapes”.  That leaves a lot of room for all kinds of images.  The image on the left is taken through the view finder of my Kaleidoscope. You can check my Flickr Photostream (SMDPics) to see the image I submitted.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #148 

and Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #305.

Be safe and have a great week!

Some Flower Pics

A lot of rain is putting water drops on flowers.  That works well for adding interest during my photography walks.

I am finding the pansies particularly good this year.  I have gotten some really nice ones.

The white rose was really nice with a water drops sparkling in the sun.

This rose's head was drooping. Not sure it was the water drops causing it.

This a cultured rose at the neighbourhood garden.

Love the pink.

Mosaic Monday - Recent Photos

I took these yesterday.  The top photo is a Chipping Sparrow sitting high up in a tree.  It took me a while of listening to locate him.

I took photos of roses in a rose garden down the road from my house.  Most of them were passed their prime but some were fresh.  They are so pretty and smell wonderful.

The bottom is a Summer Azure butterfly at the wetlands.  When their wings are open they are a pretty blue. They flitter about so and it was impossible to take a photo during flight.

I received these dishcloths from a friend.

I have not tried them yet so I will post a review once I have used them.

Here's a review which sings their praises.

I am working on setting up some tools for my photography.  I was wanting a back drop stand that would collapse and carry easily.

I researched some DIY options on line and then went shopping.  It was pretty easy doing my shopping in the plumbing department. I bought 1" PVC pipe. Cutting with a hack saw was easy.  

I set it up with the sides being 3 feet bottom pieces and the top pieces are 1 foot or 2 feet.  This one is set up at 5 feet.

The PVC pipe has letters printed on them so I checked out a solution which is acetone.  I will get some of that today.

I will make a carrying bag to hold all the pieces.

I watered a friend's garden and plant pots over the weekend.

I picked some pansies and placed them in this small crystal vase.

I was working on my Macro Monday challenge (line symmetry) and created this image.  I placed the vase on a large mirror and captured the reflection as well as the real object. The background is the ceiling and the gradient aspect happened naturally.

It was too large for the challenge but I think it turned out really well

I took this sunset when I was visiting Mom and Dad for Father's day.  They have a lake in their town and I had researched where the sun would set.  I thought that I could this kind of shot.

As they headed for bed, I headed out with my camera.  With sunset at 10:10 pm it took a while for the sun to be at the right height.  You can see birds on the water.  There was lots of waterfowl. The reeds provide a wonderful foreground for this shot.

Sharing with Maggie at Normandy Life who hosts Mosaic Monday #89.

Thru my Lens #149 hosted by Mersad at Mersad Photography.

Tea for One - Going Away Gift

I'm saying till later to a good friend this week as she moves back east for a new job.

I created a tea related gift for her.  This is a placemat made from pansy fabric on one side and a purple one (her favorite color) on the back, though it is completely reversible.  I sewed the green twill tape to the front piece then sewed the 2 pieces together.  I turned it inside out and and "quilted" it along the edges and the trim.



I included a purple napkin which matches the back side of the placemat.  It is a good match to the purple in the pansy fabric which is why I selected it.



 
I did say Tea for One.

This tea set is by MAXWELL & WILLIAMS Basic White Porcelain Tea-for-One Set.  It includes a tea pot, tea cup and saucer.  I love the simple design of this combination.  It works well with the pansy fabric.







I included a box of her favorite Jasmine Green Tea.



I will miss our brainstorming sessions about crafts, small business challenges and life always with a cup of tea.

Here's the card I made.  It features a piece of watercolor paper which measures 4x6 inches. I added a piece of silver paper cut with the Stampin Up Large Scallop edgelit.  I wrapped several lengths of ribbon across the top and added 3 silk flowers held with a flower sequin and a blue brad.  I added a bird punched with the SU Bird punch. He is sitting on a turquoise branch.  This was layered onto a large half sheet card with a turquoise sentiment layer and onto a purple card base.

I will be sharing with the following:

Tuesday Cuppa Tea hosted by Ruth at Antiques and Tea Cups
Bernideen's Friends Sharing Tea
Share Your Cup #221 hosted by Jan at Daily Cup with Mrs Olson

Monday Mosaic #3

I was home to take care of Mom while she recovers from surgery.  There were meals to prepare and dishes to wash.

She is not able to do her regular harvesting of fruits and vegetables.  I picked raspberries. We picked apples and processed them for crisps and she found her body was letting her know she had over done it.  Sunday had to be a day of rest.  The crab apple tree on the right as you can see is loaded.
I watered flowers and tomatoes, lettuce, carrots in the garden and her wonderful grapes. I forgot to take a photo!!!

I picked Nanking cherries. She has several bushes and some had been picked but there remained one full bush to pick. They were gorgeous and plentiful. They are delicious and easy to pick.

 

The pansies are volunteer this year but it means she still has a planter of great flowers to enjoy up.  She was collecting seeds to plant next year.

I found this Rudbeckia - Prairie Sun on my walk this morning.  I love the two tone of dark and light.  It has a green center where many others have dark centers. 

Mom is doing well and we are blessed to have with us.

I'm sharing with Mosaic Monday hosted by Maggie at Normandy Life.