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.

Slow Stitching - No. 21 - Boro and Sashiko Stitching

This piece is for the K3N Cloth Tales slow stitching challenge.  

This is Week 21 and the prompt is Mending is healing. Japanese Boro and Sashiko stitching. The stitching was to keep garments in wearable order for peasants. They made use of every usable scrap.

I chose the light blue fabric in the center which had holes in it. I stitched around to stabilize those. I then continued to stitch pieces around. I used white, red, and blue thread.  

I added several patches in the form of the white square, navy ribbon and the red heart.  In some places I stitched in both directions. 

Sewing Project - Book Sleeve

I decided to make a book sleeve today.

It about the same dimensions as the book bag but it has no handles or closure.

I chose these yellow cotton fabric because I have a bit of it and could afford to lose a bit if it was a bust.

I chose a deep brown very polyester fabric which was stiff and slidy.

Making this took a lot of brain power to translate the process I developed for the wine bags to this one.  

The differences were no box corners, a fold on the bottom instead of a seam, and a portrait orientation vs the landscape one on the book bag.

It does hold the largest novel book I own which I have been using as my guide.

The tab originally was to going to keep it closed but that did not work out so it became a decorative tab instead.  The closure would need to be elastic to accommodate the various thicknesses of books.

I added a button to match the yellow fabric on a brown tab.

There is an opening in the lining where I could turn it inside out.

I did zigzag all the seams as the brown lining fabric was thin and may give it put under too much stress,

It should be nice for this purpose.

I used my wavy decorative stitch again to to top stitch the top edge.

I used fleece for the batting in between the outer and lining fabrics.

I used straight lines of stitching to quilt the outer fabric to the batting.

I prefer to have handles but based on my research many of these sleeves are being made and sold so I thought I would give it a try.

I added my "My Bag" tag to the top edge.

 

Slow Stitching - No. 020 - Desert Island Stitching

Here is my piece for Week 20 of the slow stitching challenge hosted by Kathryn at K3N Cloth Tales.
This week we took a trip to a special place on a magic carpet.  We could only take 8 things with us so we had to choose wisely.

I did choose my pieces before I watched the rest of the video so it was interesting how things went.

Check the picture below for my items.

I did iron my fabric before I boarded the carpet. 

I was able to tear several pieces to create layers.

I chose 4 different stitches on the solid green fabric, a set for each corner.

I chose 

• 1) foundation cotton layer
• 2) scissors
• 3) a lipstick pin cushion with 3 applique pins and one needle to fit the baggage limits.
• 4) a skein of purple thread
• 5) yellow printed fabric
• 6) solid purple fabric
• 70 solid green fabric
• 8) patterned purple fabric

You can see my eight pieces on the right.

On hindsight I would have appreciated a bit of darker thread for contrast.

I am glad I bought my scissors.

Sylvia's Simple Posts

I was out to visit my sister this weekend.  A lot of memories associated - Mother's Day its been over a year since we lost her so I brought tulips for my sister since Mom is gone.

It was there wedding anniversary - they would have celebrated their 70th year anniversary. The got really close.

We laid them both to rest at the cemetery 1 year ago.

Found these Redhead ducks when I my sister and I headed for a walk around the lake.

We had a family get together this week with a cousin who lost her Dad (my uncle) recently.  My aunt hosted about 15 of us and provided the meat. The rest of us brought salads, bread, and dessert.

It was good to see everyone!

The washing machine is still out of commission due to the fact that the drain hose is still leaking.

The plumber did what he could be it would not stop.

It could not be returned to the painted laundry room so it sat in the hall way for another while.

It needs a look by an appliance repair person and that has been arranged but it will be another 2 weeks.

Under the Visible Life by Kim Echlin was the book I finished this week.

The 2 main characters are young women who have had a bit of a hard life and meet in New York and discover their mutual love of Jazz music.

We get to know Katherine Goodnow - a half Chinese and half Canadian who struggles through a 1950's childhood.  As a teenager she discovers jazz and it transforms her life.  She is talented as a player and composer. It opens many adventures and helps her survive the unreliability of her children's father.

Mahsa Weaver is half American and half Afghani and when she is twelve her parents die and she is sent to live with strict uncle in Karachi. She escapes to Montreal for her education but then finds herself forced into an arranged marriage.  

They meet in New York and are kindred spirits.  The become each others support, creative partners in music, and life long friends as they navigate life's challenges which continue to appear.  Great read.

I picked up this small enameled cast iron pot a Trash to Treasure last week.  It is a Descoware pot made in Belgium. It is an $85 dollar pot and a replacement wood handle would cost $36.

It was dirty and needed a good clean and it need a handle.  I tested to see if a regular broom handle would fit and indeed it would.  My wooden broom handle original to the broom had split many years ago and I had just duct taped it back together.  I headed to the dollar store to buy another handle for the broom so I could use the broken end of the old one for the pot.

I used the Dremel tool to smooth out the end once I had cut it square with the hand saw.  I applied 2 coats of Tung Oil and there it is ready to be used for many years to come.  I should get rid of the small stainless steel one so there is enough space to store it.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

The Heart of an Angel - Henry K. Ripplinger.  This is the seventh and final book in this series.

Henry is again facing a life and death decision.  Jenny lies in a coma but very pregnant with their child.  A little girl who has been named from the very beginning.  With complications in the pregnancy Jenny was advised to terminate it but absolutely refused.  She risked her life to give this baby a chance to live when delivered premature. With Jenny unable to respond, Henry must decide.  The father of Julean (Henry's first wife who died) a pastor was very helpful. 

The baby is delivered premature and survives and fortunately so does Jenny.

Father Engelmann is nearly finished the love story book he is writing about Henry and Jenny. He knows the end is near. 

This has been a very heart warming, encouraging, tearful at times series. A wonderful series that promotes Christian beliefs and at times quite Catholic practices.

The embroidery scissors I bought on sale when Fabricland was closing one of its stores spend time on the sewing machine.  There cutting surface tends to be at the end so not always great.

They have been relocated to the embroidery box along with the other bits and bobs which I have accumulated to support my slow stitching habit.

There was a great coupon at Michaels this week and I was thinking what high priced item could I splurge on with a 50% coupon?

I decided to buy a pair of scissors for the sewing machine.  I did buy the more expensive pair that are all steel because they remind me so much of the pair my Mom had at her sewing machine.

I miss her a lot.   I am grateful that she taught me to sew which I very much enjoy in retirement with more time on my hands.

A red sun due to forest fires in the province and further a field.

There have been some evacuations again this year.

This maybe a contributing factor to having to use allergy drops for my eyes again this year.  In general, only my eyes are affected so it is better to use a targeted solution.

My aunt and I headed to the tea house for lunch this week.

This is a place we try to visit at least once a year and more if possible.

It is run by volunteers and business had been slow so they were very happy to see us.

Of course, the fact that you can choose a real porcelain tea cup means I am all in.

I did not turn it over for a trademark but it was a lovely blue floral pattern.

The crumble was a treat all home made.  With cutting down on sugar, we still have to enjoy the simple pleasures.

Small Tin Needle Cases

I found a few small metal tins at the ReUse Center and thought they could be used for Needle Cases.

You can see the Lipstick Needle case I made earlier.

I cut a couple layers of felt just the right size to fit in the box.   For this one, it was 2 pieces of blue and white for the back.  I blanket stitched around the edge and overcast stitched the join. 

I am debating whether the felt needs more adhesion to the box.  I will have a discussion with my sister.

There's enough room for a few needles and several applique pins.

Here's a small Altoid tin which has a hinged lid which is a bonus. No lost lids.

I chose white felt for the front and royal blue for the back.  I added blanket stitch all the way around the edge.

I added a line of stem stitch on the right hand side. 

These are a great way to carry a few needles and pins for a needle work project on the go.

It closes securely and will keep the sharps away from the bag.

I debated whether I wanted to disguise the branding and decide to keep it just the way it is

UPDATE:

In September as I was working on these needle cases I decided to alter this tin with Alcohol Inks to change the way it looks.  I think it looks a bit more artsy now.

Alcohol Inks in blue and yellow.  Allowed to dry then sprayed with spray acrylic sealer and then brushed on coat of Modge Podge.

This black tin is just a bit wider than the Altoid one. 

I cut a couple pieces of felt in sunshine yellow and an orange and stitched all the way around the outside with blanket stitch and yellow thread.

I added a bit of an accent in green along the left hand side.

The hinged lid is a bonus and it closes securely to keep the sharps away from the inside of your project bag.

Sewing Project - Creating Blocks

I worked on creating squares from my slow stitch challenge projects.

Today, I did 11 to get caught up with the 19 pieces I have made so far.

The grey cotton squares measure 7 inches. 

I am using a navy seam binding to cover the raw edges of the pieces and stitching it would a decorative stitch which covers the width of the ribbon.

This time I used navy thread which looks much better.

Slow Stitching - No. 019 - Kintsugi - Celebrate Imperfection

My next piece for the slow stitching challenge on K3N Cloth Tales.

It is week 19 and the prompt this week is Kintsugi - the Japanese practice of mending broken vessels with gold. 

I chose a blue scrap - possibly hand dyed. Not batik as it was nice to stitch. I cut the blue to create my fissure. I layered a piece of yellow cotton between the blue and the foundation layer.

I chose to stitch the wavy edges of the blue pieces first with an overcast stitch. 

Earlier I had checked what I had in my tiny supply of pearl cotton. 

I had a yellow but I thought it too bright.  

My sister suggested tea dyeing it.  That worked wonderfully.

In the end, I chose to mix the two. I ran 2 needles one with each color and I just used them alternately along the curve of gold.  We need to cover the fabric underneath completely so it took a long time to stitch it.

It is very textured and looks really great.

I did add some fine metallic thread through out the fissure as well.

I am really happy with this piece.

 

Cards - Christmas Ornaments

I have to get started on Christmas Cards because it is already May. 

I created the green watercolor paper yesterday.  The water color paper is 9x12". It cut it 3.75 x 5 " so I would have leftovers.

I cut red velvet paper with the Sizzix Ornament #2 die.  I chose gold foil paper for cutting the hanger.

I had enough leftover watercolor to punch 4 SU Scallop circles. I chose a gold heart brad as the accent and it will hold the 3 layers together.

I chose a SU Real Red A2 card base.  The water color layer was then adhered to the card front with double sided tape. I then a length of Real Red grosgrain ribbon which I just inserted into the hanger and adhered with ds tape.  The front piece got another tiny piece of tape. 

I seasonal insert and a white envelope for each of the 4 cards I made.  Onto the book press for the rest of the day then into the Christmas Card box for later this year.

Cards - All Occasion - Watercolor

Another set of cards while I wait for the drywall mud to dry.

I chose to make some watercolor background paper early this morning. I used liquid mixed media paper.

Once it was dry and flattened I cut it into pieces. This is 4.00 x 5.25 inches. I chose to loosely trace some flowers. I then painted them with watercolor. These are blue.  Once dry again, I outlined in black permanent marker.

I chose a SU Brilliant Blue A2 card base.  I adhered the watercolor with double sided tape, added a white insert and a white envelope.

Ready to press under books overnight.

I drew a meadow and tree with a 4H pencil then watercolored the image. 

The blue horizon line was on the background paper so I had to work with it.

I painted the stems then added the flowers a bit later.

Once all was dry, I outlined a few things with the black permanent maker and added the birds in the sky.

I mounted the watercolor to a SU Groovy Guava A2 card base.  Glued a white quarter sheet insert and pulled a white envelope.

This was the left over piece from the watercolor background I made this morning.

I started by adding a light blue wash across the whole piece to cut down the white spaces.

I then used a plastic doily to create some marks but I was not as successful as I had hoped. My brush was too wet in places.

I then used a bottle cap dipped in the dark blue watercolor to add some circles keeping it to odd numbers. 

Once I added yellow to 2 of the circles then I cut a length of yellow grosgrain ribbon and mounted diagonally across the piece.  Still need something so i went to my brad stash and found this yellow postage stamp brad.  

That was what it needed.  I chose a SU Summer Sun A2 card base, added an insert and an envelope and it will join the others under books overnight.  

Card - Sympathy - Watercolor Flower

A sympathy card for a friend who recently lost her husband.  He has been ill for a while.

I cut a piece of mixed media paper to 4.00 x 5.25 inches.

I loosely sketched the flower and leaves with my 4H pencil. I wet the paper and added the background in blue at the top and green on the bottom. 

I then a painted the flower with an orange and the leaves with sap green.

Once dry I erase the pencil marks and added the spatter marks in blue.

Once that was dry, I stamped the sentiment with my black Versafine pad and a stamp from the Simple Sketched set.

I then mounted the painting to a Kiwi Kiss A2 card base.  With a quarter sheet insert and a white envelope it was ready for pressing.  It will be mailed shortly. 

Card - Sympathy - Watercolor Cattails

While repairs were taking place in the laundry area I decided to make some cards.

My aunt's husband lost his older brother recently so I decided to make a card.

I started with a panel of Mixed Media paper.  I lightly sketched the cattails/bulrushes with a 4H pencil.  I watercolored the background first with blues on top and greens on the bottom.

I then painted the cattails, their stems and the leaves of the plants. 

Once that was dry, I outlined in permanent marker the cattails, stems and a few leaves.

I added a bit of spatter in blue and green.

I used a Stampin Up stamp from the Simply Sketched set with my VersaFine Black ink pad to add the sentiment.  

I then mounted the panel to a brown A2 card base and added some embossed lines on the right hand side with my paper score tool.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

The Siberian Squill are in bloom in the neighborhood.

Several front yards have these tiny beauties.

Beautiful blue color hanging on this delicate stem very close to the ground.

I have not see the white ones this year. 

I squeezed getting my taxes down to the last day.  It really did not take as long as I anticipated.  

Now, that I have retired there a very few pieces to collect and plug into the calculations.

I did manage to get to the bank to pay the bit I owed.

It's been a good week for photography.  I have visited several of my regular water spaces to see what I could find for birds and flowers.

Here's are a few shots from Beaumaris Lake.

The Ruddy Duck with it's bright blue bill.

The Golden Eye which in the sun shimmered its green head.

The Red Wing Blackbird which is a staple of many wet places.

The Common Grackle was showing off its blue head and yellow eye.

The St. Albert Botanic Park was starting show color.  The Pasque flowers are always early bloomers.  The pink flowers are apple blossoms and the small purple flower was very close to the ground.

It's that time of year.  The waterfowl have arrived and trying to sort out a place for a nest and raising the next generation.  

The American Avocet is always a treat to see. We are on the northern edge of their breeding area.

The Beaver was very curious to see what I was up to and then went on it's happy way.

The Canada Geese were defending territories and there was much posturing, chasing and honking going on.

The Lesser Yellowlegs were scoping the area for food.

The Northern Shoveler duck was there showing off his bright head.

Sewing Project - Picnic Placemats - QAYG - Red,Yellow and Blue

This is the last one for a while as I have to get ready for contractors on Monday.

The deep floral fabric in this placemat was the inspiration.  It came in the box of free fabric I received back in February.

I chose the main colors in it and added coordinating strips in the quilt as you go method. I used flannel as my foundation layer.

The zipper is upcycled and it had been cut along the way so I was able to make it longer.

I chose black for the zipper insert/pocket as well as the backing.

These ties are about 11 inches long.   These will be donated to Grandma Africa sale in June.

Sewing Project - Picnic Placemats - QAYG Warm Blues

These placemats are becoming fun to make, now that I have a system.  Here's the collection of warm blues scraps I had.

I did have more patching to do in this placemat.  Some of the scraps were not 12" long so I had to ad bits.  The zipper insert/pocket was great with a turquoise 9" zipper. The back is a light grey cotton poly so I did put grey in by bobbin so that my back seams would blend. The ties are 12" each.

Sewing Project - Picnic Placemats - QAYG Warm Greens

After a trip out this afternoon, I made another picnic placemat.

This one featuring warm green fabrics.

I was able to get warm green cotton poly fabric at the thrift store so do the back and pocket of this placemat.

This one feels very nice because the backer fabric is heavier. 

It has a full layer of flannel as well.

Wavy stitching again to keep the layers together.

A dark green tie at 12 inches for both.

Sewing Project - Picnic Placemats - QAYG Blues

Another set of scraps put to good use.

This time I chose all blue fabric. 

I created the navy blue zipper insert/pocket on the right hand side first. 

I chose a piece of grey flannel and chose to make the size of the placemat this time. 12.5 x 17.5 inches.

I sewed on the strips of fabric starting from the right hand side close to where the pocket ended. I continued till I got to the left hand side. 

I created a tie from the polka dot fabric.  The back is a pin striped cotton poly fabric which I cut the size of the front.  I pinned the ties opposite the pocket and sewed all the way around leaving a space open to turn it right sides out.   I trimmed the fabric in the corners, turned it and pressed it nicely.  I put a line of top stitching very close the edge which closed the space I left open earlier.

I chose my wavy decorative stitch to quilt the 2 layers together 3 time across the placemat.

Another done!

Sewing Project - Picnic Placemats - QAYG Warm Colors

I sorted through my scraps this morning and gathered like colors to see if I had enough to make the front of the picnic placemat. 

I am trying to keep the pocket on the right hand side distinct from the rest of the placemat. I created the zipper pocket like an insert with the brown fabric.

I then cut a 13x13 inch square of flannel to which I sewed the various strips of fabric. 

I chose a beige cotton poly leftover for the back. 

I created ties from the same fabric.

I laid these layers facing right sides together and pinned the ties on the opposite side to the pocket.  I ran a seam all the way around leaving a space to turn it right side out. I top stitched the wavy line to define the pocket then added 2 more similar seams to quilt the 2 layers together.

I am happy with it.

Slow Stitching - No. 018 - Pocket & Visible Mending

It's week 18 in the K3N Cloth Tales slow stitch challenge.

The prompt was pocket and visible mending.

Today, we take pockets for granted and in general I need at least one in every garment.  Such, was not the case for women in the 1600-1700s. Was it because they were considered to own little so they did not have to carry anything?I would think at least a hanky.

 This is why tie on pockets were created to wear under your dress. It was accessed through a slit in the skirt. These were precious. I chose blue fabric for my Mom and added a piece of Dad's blue plaid shirt. The bit of yellow is the nod to visible stitching. The tiny heart is for my Mom. Kathryn did an eyelet so I did one to try it out. The pin is there to hold my 3 things to the right in my pocket.  I created little tags from fabric and permanent markers. A fishing rod for my Dad, a seed packet for my Mom because she would be all in by now and the 50th is to remember my 50th high school graduation this year with white and green - our school colors..