Sympathy Card - Butterflies

I made this card for a family who lost their father and granddad to COVID19.  Very sad!

I started with a dark blue green card base.

I added a layer of warm toned designer paper - K&Company - Addison Swirl Collage which was adhered to the card front.

I added a piece of vellum on the left hand side, folded over on the top and bottom and adhered to the inside of the card with tape.

I cut butterflies with the Sizzix Winged Beauties thinlit set.  Large and medium are layered onto each other and adhered to the vellum.

I punched a Scallop Circle from the green card stock, a 1 3/8 inch circle from pink and an ivory 1 1/2 inch circle greeting in ivory.  These were layered then adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Sewing Project - Quilt 10 - Appliqued Leaves Two

Another quilt finished but it took me a week!  There were a lot of challenges and mistakes this week.  Cabin fever?

Color was the first challenge which often happens with blues.  I tried yellow and blues but I finally settled with a textured cotton fabric in warm greens.

Challenge #2 was using leftover fabric which led to piecing.

Finished Size: 41.00" W x 49.5" T

Front: Appliqued Batik Leaves, Brocade textured cotton fabric in warm green. 

Pieces:
6.25" Squares for leaves
3 inch soft suede sashing
Warm Green textured cotton fabric rectangles 10.5" tall x 11" wide

Accents: Appliqued Batik Leaves

Backing: Warm Green floral print fabric 100% cotton. The 2 pieces were not wide enough so the gap had to be filled with a piece of cotton. I  chose a warm teal piece of cotton.


Batting: Flannelette Sheet leftovers
  
Thread: Grey thread on a cone dispensed with my Christmas gift.
Binding: Warm Teal cotton fabric cut to 2 5/8 inches wide and 200 inches long.
You can check out this
Fool Proof Quilt Binding video for how I now do this.

Binding stitching: Stitch in the ditch.  I pinned very closely and had near perfect capture of the folded edge on the back. Used grey thread

Quilting: I assembled the quilt with Mom's Quilt As You Go method starting on the right hand side. quilted the Ginger Fabric panels with 1/4 inch top stitching. The quilting the rectangles was done with a grey thread.

Lessons Learned: 
Using leftover fabric brings some challenges.  Having pieced the backing I decided to off set the column of blue to the other side of the leaves on the front.  When I came to quilting this presented a problem because I did not want to cross the blue strip. Should have been both on the same side.

The flannalette I used as backing was in several pieces.  I should have created a layer of flannalette before I put in between but I did not. Bad idea.  I just pinned it but ended up with a pin stuck between the layers.  I did have to open a seam to get it out.


I had the flannalette bunch in between the front and back layers.  I can't tell the hours spent getting it back in place so I could quilt the squares.

Silky thread - Bad Idea - I chose it because I thought it matched the green pretty well but because it was silky and shiny it stuck out like crazy.  I had to rip it all out. Sewing tired and late at night is not the best practice.

Bent straight pins - really!  I bent several straight pins while pinning the binding.  This warm teal cotton and the textured cotton seemed to be too much for these.  You can imagine my fingers if the pins look like this.

The textured cotton did not seem to have a right and wrong side.

The warm teal worked better with the backing than the front of the quilt so I would have preferred using the soft suede from the front.  I should have tried using to piece the back as well.  I may not have enough but it would have been worth checking.   It is what it is.

Christmas Card Challenge - April - Holy Family

The theme for my April Christmas Card Challenge is Holy Family. 

I chose a ivory card base and the designer paper is by Provo Craft - Stone Washed Denim Suede cut to 4.00 x 5.25 inches and adhered to the card front.

I chose my Penny Black Manger Die to cut the family from ivory pearl card stock. 

I cut the navy ornament from textured linen card stock with the one of the Spellbinder 2011 Heirloom Ornament Nestabilities dies. I punched a hole at the top with a 1/8" hole punch. Added a length of ivory thread. 

I used tape runner on the back to of the family to adhere it to the center of the ornament.  The ornament was adhered with double sided tape.  I added a bit under the greeting to keep the threads in place.

The banner greeting was color printed in navy then fussy cut with scissors.  It was adhered to the card front with three small pieces of 3D foam tape.  A seasonal insert quarter sheet insert was added and I have 6 more cards in the box. Yeah!

Recent Photos

I have been enjoying the out of doors from my balcony window mostly.  Last week we had several days where the sun was just pouring in.  With a cup of tea, my toes on the sill I just sat there and soaked in the sun.  It was marvelous.  This week we have snow and cloud.

I went for groceries last Thursday at 7:30 am so I could get in during seniors hours.  I found this tea which is much better than my previous store brand.  One tea bag does a pot of tea.  It is strong and delicious.  Really loving it and of course it is decaffeinated which a must.

I finished this book this week.  I try to include self help books every once in a while between the historical fiction stories that I like. 

God is a relationship person so it was good to be reminded even if I am distanced from my humans He is still close.

Connie says that God will provide a dream and the steps to get there.  Now not always will the whole plan be revealed at once but more likely one step at a time. Take it one simple, immediate, possible yes at a time.  He does provide proofs (chocolates, peace, power, provision and presence) along the way.  Chocolates are tangible evidence that you are on the right path.

The barriers:
Fear - The minute you change "what if" to "what now" you are in a position  to hear from God. Human fear builds walls godly fear builds roads.
Pride - Let it go and let God
Guilt - Remorse brings me to God - Guilt separates us
Shame - is a dark dungeon place and transparency is the key to letting light into that dark place
Comparison - Show up, do your best, judge your progress on your own performance not on others
Doubt - We do faith - it is not a noun but a verb

These pillows were given to me by a friend.  She said they are the perfect color for me and she is right.  Love the golden yellow butterflies. 

They now live on the couch but give me the extra height on my chair when I am sewing. 







It was time for a trim but with businesses closed it was up to me to do it.  I put a cloth in the bathroom sink, dug out the scissors, had to scrounge for a comb and cut 1/2 inch off my hair closest to my forehead.  I cannot stand it hanging on my forehead.  Feels better.

Sewing Project - Quilt 9 - Appliqued Leaves One

I finished another quilt.   The wonderful appliqued leaves which are the focal point of this quilt were given to me by the lady in charge of quilting group. The ginger fabric also came along for the ride that day.  The backing of the leaf squares is wonderful batik as well as the leaves. Beautiful! Thank you Linda.

Finished Size: 41.5" x 50.25" T

Front: Appliqued Batik Leaves, dark brown cotton sashing and Island Paradise by Northcott in the large panels.


Pieces:
6.25" Squares for leaves
3 inch brown sashing
Ginger panels 10 inches and 22 inches wide

Accents: Appliqued Batik Leaves
 
Backing: Tone on Tone Caramel cotton fabric which had to be pieced from two pieces.


Batting: Flannelette Sheet
  
Thread: Warm brown on front and light cream on the back for the highlight stitching and binding. White for assembly and quilting.

Binding: Ginger print fabric cut to 2 5/8 inches wide and 200 inches long.  You can check out this
Fool Proof Quilt Binding video for how I now do this.




Binding stitching: Stitch in the ditch.  I pinned very closely and had near perfect capture of the folded edge on the back. Used warm brown thread on top and bottom for it to disappear.

Quilting: I quilted the Ginger Fabric panels with 1/4 inch top stitching. The quilting was done with a warm brown thread on top and light cream on the back which works with the light backing. It was a lot of pinning and it worked out well.

Lessons Learned: 
It took a bit of time to work out the layout as the image on the right was the first layout considered.
I was just not a fan of cutting up the Ginger fabric into small pieces.  I am really happy with the layout I chose which makes the column of leaves the focal point. Thanks to my sister for the brainstorming session.

Working out how to piece the backing fabric to be large enough took a bit more time.

I did really well this time with my stitch in the ditch binding so it disappears.  I am getting better.

I was not sure the cooler dark brown would work well with the other pieces which were warm browns.  Under social distancing I was not going out to find a fabric that worked better.  There was some of that brown in the leaves.  I think it worked out.

I am super happy with the quilt.  I am glad I stretched my comfort zone and tried a different layout.

The blue leaves will show up in another quilt.

How To: Stitch and Slash Fabric

I have not done one of these in a while.  I created a How To to explain my process for making the Stitch and Slash fabric which I turned into coasters.  It was a lot of fun and learning something new in this time of crisis was therapeutic for me.  My motivation to do this was the challenge on Flickr Macro Monday which is layers.  I asked the question "What could I make with layers of fabric?" I found the technique, watched some videos and pulled out the fancy fabric box and the rest is history. Check back Monday for the layers macro I submitted.

Sewing Project - Stitch & Slash Coaster Set

The Flickr Macro Monday challenge on March 30th is layers.  I thought I would come up with my own piece to photograph.

Fabric layers came to mind so a bit internet research brought up art pieces with splits with bits hanging out.  A bit more research and the technique of Stitch and Slash came into focus.  I watched several videos, read several tutorials and I was ready to tackle the project.

I was grateful to be able to dig deep into my fancy fabric stash. Taffeta, organza, velvet, crepes, and others came out.  I did find several metallics and satins also. 

I created a large piece which was then cut down to 4" square coasters. 

Sewing Project - Quilt 8 - Green Polka Dots

I finished another small quilt today.  Doing my part, staying apart gives me a lot of time for hobbies.

I have been a fan of sashing between squares but on this one I went into a completely different direction.  I cut rectangular pieces and sewed the pieces next to each other.

Finished Size: 41.5" x 45.25" T

Front: Green Polka Dots ranged from small to very large across the fabric.

Rectangular pieces: 9.5" W x 5.0" T inches

Accents: Bright green 4.0" W x 5.0" T   & Dark Green 2" W x 5" T

Backing: Green Geometric Fabric  It needed to be pieced from 2 different pieces. I took the opportunity to add a polka dot strip to bring the front to the back.

Batting: Flannelette Sheet
  
Thread: Dark Green for the highlight stitching and binding. White for assembly and quilting

Binding: Same fabric as the front at the large dots end cut to 2 5/8 inches wide. Check out  Fool Proof Quilt Binding video

Binding stitching: Stitch in the ditch.  I pinned very closely and had near perfect capture of the folded edge on the back. Used dark green thread for it to disappear.

Quilting: I chose the Quilt as You Go method across the rows of 5 inches. There is no top stitching on the quilt.  The quilting was done with white thread which works with the light backing.

Lessons Learned: 

Planning of the rows and which direction they were supposed to go would have prevented the dark green strip over 3 rows.  Paying more attention. More math and planning may have produced better results.  I am happy with the overall irregular layout of dot sizes.

I decided I need a few solids in each row to break up the very busy dot pattern.

Recent Photos

I snapped this terrific shot of a Black Capped Chickadee on my walk this week.

The river valley trail was pretty busy with people getting out of their homes because it was so nice. The stairs were tricky to navigate and still maintain social distancing.

I hope that the message is getting out that everyone should stay home unless absolutely necessary.

I have been very careful when going out to protect my hands with gloves then washing the gloves and the hands  when I get home.

I am making sure my home is a safe place to be.

I am quilting again so the slow cooker comes out so I can concentrate on that and not food prep.

I have 1.5 quart slow cooker which filled to the top makes me 4 meals.
I freeze some for another day.

I found the Cauliflower Curry when searching for slow cooker recipes.  It is an adapted recipe.

The Curried Root Veggies is a recipe I created with my experience with the cauliflower.

The recipes all have coconut milk, curry, ginger, garlic and chickpeas.

The Silver Roadster has been on a journey and has returned safe and sound.

This photo won 3rd prize at the Juried Members Show last year.

Then, I donated it for a silent auction prize for which I was expecting a charitable receipt. I have been chasing that for nearly a year and it did not arrive.

It was placed in the auction, received bids but the person never picked it up.

My last email garnered the offer to have the photo back which I happily accepted as I was assured no receipt will be issued.

I have not had this problem before when donating my art to charities.

Sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #72 and Through My Lens #233 hosted by Mersad.

Flickr Macro Monday challenge this week is "Natural Shell" - acceptable photos would be nut shells, egg shells, sea shells, seed pods.

You can check out my photo stream and the Macro Monday submissions.

With the world situation we have a great number of submissions this week.

Nativity Card Selection

I finished the card order today.  This is the selection my friend made from the choices in this post.

The prints turned out a bit warmer than the first print so I chose ivory card stock instead of white.

The photo has been trimmed to 3 3/8 x 5 inches which was done at the top.  The sentiment on the front was printed at the same time as credits.

The photo was adhered with double sided tape.

Love the color in this image.

Farewell Card - Painted Blooms

A card for the lady who started the Welcome to my Kitchen fellowship group.  Nine of us met at her house in the fall of 2015 and brain stormed the mission, the activities, and division of responsibilities. It has been a huge success.

We have been going strong for nearly 5 years which means it is meeting a need.  I took charge of the group in 2016 when she needed more time to spend with her elderly mother.

This card is half sheet size so there is enough room for all the sentiments our ladies want to share.

I started with a 8.5 x 11 sheet of Stampin Up Soft Sky card stock which was folded in half.

I chose a sheet of the SU Painted Blooms designer paper - cut to 5.25 x 8.25 inches and adhered to the card front.

I placed a white paper doily in the bottom left hand corner, glued it down and trimmed it to the edge of the card.

I added a grosgrain ribbon in Rose Red wrapped around the card front along the fold and knotted.  Trimmed the ends.    I placed a circle of the same card stock over the doily and trimmed it again to the card edges.   I printed a sentiment banner in Wild Wasabi and Rose Red which I fussy cut to the border.  It was adhered to the card front tucking the left hand end under the ribbon.

Blog Give Away - Bird Calendar

This calendar is on it's way to Angie who left me a comment on my Blog Give Away post.

Enjoy the calendar.  I understand that traditional paper calendars are not very popular with most folks using their phones these days.

I hope it is enjoyed for the rest of the year.

Exchange Cards

I decided on hexagons for this month's exchange cards.

They are cut with the Spellbinder Nestabilities set.   I chose a true blue card base in the landscape orientation.

I added a length of red grosgrain ribbon wrapped toward the top of the card.

I added 3 blue hexagons adhered along the ribbon.  I chose one red hexagon and a greeting.  The greeting is color printed and punched with the Stampin Up Modern Label.

I chose a kraft gate fold card base and included an ivory insert.


I used the Stampin Up Wonder Watercolor crayons to add some texture to the card front.  I used Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke and More Mustard.  The color was applied with a natural sea sponge.

I mounted 3 hexagons with the adhesive on the left hand side so the card will still open.  They were cut from warm tones card stock.

These are off to my card exchange partners.

Recent Photos

Washing your hands is important in this day of the COVID 19 Pandemic. Wash your hands video. 

Dr. Oz did a great break down on his show the other day to explain how doctors wash their hands and why each step is important. I could not find that one so I have included another.

The impact of the corona virus on my social calendar.

Saturday - Juried Art show postponed
Sunday - Church cancelled
Monday - Quilting cancelled
Tuesday - Cardmaking at Compassion House cancelled
Thursday - Welcome to My Kitchen Fellowship cancelled

I will be quilting this week on my Viking sewing machine but soon it will be different.

I got the news today that my new to me Bernina Record 830 machine is working perfectly.  It will be delivered when I have cleared a space for it in the bedroom.

This is my second book by this author.  Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley. The story is situated on Long Island in the 1700's.  Two French soldiers are billeted at the home of Zeb Wilde who has a farm near Snug Cove.  He has several sons and one daughter Lydia.  William the oldest runs a business in New York City and owns several ships. Benjamin who is younger wants to be a sea.  Eventually, he becomes the Captain of the Bellewether owned by his brother.

The one officer, Lieutenant Jean-Phillipe de Sabran only speaks French as he is a Canadian officer.  To keep himself occupied he eventually participates in farm life. 

In the modern period, Charlotte “Charley” Van Hoek has come to work as a curator for the Wilde house whose family has a storied history reflecting the life and times of that colonial period.

It is very well written, the characters complex, and true history is woven with fiction to create a great story.  Loved it.

My grand niece was in a band competition this week so I went to listen and support her in this pursuit.  She is one of over 40 members. They traveled by bus and had an overnight stay which is exciting as a teenager. They played 3 pieces of music. 

She had a fan section of her mom, her grandparents and me.  This was not a public performance but we wanted her to know we see what is important to her.

The event was very well organized as they moved kids in and out of the hall. 

Sharing with Mosaic Monday #71 hosted by Angie at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf.

Gallery Rotation Submission - Delayed

I was wanting a piece in the Gallery Rotation so I check out what I had previously printed.

I had this early morning photo taken near the river with the sunbursting over the horizon putting our Walterdale Bridge and the old Rossdale Water Treatment Plant in silhouette.

Title: Sunburst

Size: 17.25 W x 13.25 T inches

Photo: 8x10 inches

Juried Show Submissions - Postponed

We were to have deliver our pieces for the Juried Member Show today to see which pieces would go into the show but the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted our plans.  The building has been closed for 3 days and the show is currently postponed. We will learn more on Tuesday.

My first piece was taken last March on my morning walk in the river valley. 

It is features a very moody atmosphere.

It leaves one wondering. What lies ahead? Where does that faint staircase on the right lead to?  Kind of symbolic for the current health crisis in our world.

Title:  "Foggy Morning"

Size: 15 x 12 inches

This is another result from my oil on water photography.

I decided to take advantage of the color separation between blue and green.  I lightened the bubble in the top right hand corner to create a "Moon".  Another moody photo which creates an interesting landscape.

Title: "Moon Rising"

Size: 14 x 14 inches

I took this photo earlier this year at the Antique Market.  This sculpture was quite small measuring around 6 inches tall.  I don't really know what the circular structure is but it was being held by a monkey above his head.  I decided the wood circle was the best feature so that is what I made the focus.  I placed it on the floor so that I would have the natural wood boards as a background. 

Worked out really well.

Title: Wooden Sculpture

Size: 14 x 12 inches

Sewing Project - Quilt 7 - Blue Hexagons

I finished another small quilt today.  I just loved this fabric when I saw it so I brought it home. 100% cotton.

Finished Size: 39.25" x 48.25"

Front: Original Waverly Bridal Gingham fabric in true blue







Backing: Tone on Tone textured light blue cotton




Batting: Flannelette Sheet
  
Thread: Navy for the highlight stitching and binding. White for assembly and quilting. 

Binding: Navy Blue cotton cut to 2 5/8 inches wide Check out the Fool Proof Quilt Binding video for details.

Binding stitching: Stitch in the ditch.  I pinned very closely and had near perfect capture of the folded edge on the back. A couple of the corners had to redone.

Quilting: I chose to highlight the hexagons on the fabric with navy thread which I stitched on the single layer before assembling the quilt.
I pinned the 3 layers together and stitched in white near the navy line I had done earlier because I did not want dark thread on my light backing.





Lessons Learned: 

I loved using the hexagon in the fabric rather than always doing it like I have before.

Better pinning may have doing the binding perfect.

I think the navy stitching on the hexagon is just enough to make them more visible.

Into the box it goes.