A voice of One's Own

So I've been blogging for about 2-3 years now and finally feel that I may - perhaps - may have found a voice of my own. One that expresses my personal opinions and life observations without appearing to simply be rants or misguided comments. Personal observations of the minutiae in my life, are just that, personal, perhaps to be shared, perhaps not. My comments are not opportunities for others to offer unsolicited advice or admonitory censorial remarks. But some people just can't help themselves, and that's part of life also. Luckily I moderate all comments (ha ha). Those are the people I now choose to avoid, if possible. Avoid, because life is too short to get all wound up and anyways, girls just wanna have fun - right? especially this girl!

I acknowledge that perhaps I see life differently than the "norm" - for a woman of my age. I have a wry sense of humor and some people misinterpret my humour as anger. Not so, but hey - that's you not me. Occasionally I wonder if I should change how I present myself to the world and then decide the effort is just too great.  I'm not willing to pretend to be someone I'm not . We've all met the fakes - you know them, the just smile optimist/extroverts (they who think they rule the world ...). The ones who never seem to notice or comment on the absurdities of this life. I sometimes think their rose coloured perspective makes them miss most of the more interesting moments. Who knows, perhaps that's what they're after.

What brought all this on you might ask? Well, I've been reading this book by Kenneth Sherman titled What the Furies Bring. It's a collection of essays on his musings on the post 911 world, Judaism, poetry, other religions, terrorism, the works of Anne Frank,  Primo Levi, Franz Kafka and Varlam Shalamov, to name a few. Challenging but interesting and I'm pleased to acknowledge that I have actually read of most (not all) the authors he discusses. I also just finished the book Money from Hitler, by Radka Denemarkova, recently translated into English from Czeck, another find from the new books shelf (remember I work in a library ...) And also Findings : the material culture of needlework and sewing by Mary Beaudry. This latter one I was tipped off about from one of my many blog surfs. I can't remember who's blog, sorry can not ascribe attribution for this wonderful read. None-the-less, thank you!  I highly recommend this work for anyone interested in archaeology and the history of sewing implements . Boring you say - no no no, au contraire! I suppose we all know there are sewing needles and embroidery needles and darners and straw needles, but did you know there are minikins, and short whites, and middlings and poppets and corkins, and even mourning pins!!! Not so boring now eh .....

Nothing much to report on the craft side, still stitching along on my cross stitch. Perhaps the reading and cold weather have decreased my productivity, I don't know and don't much care. Anyway, that's all for now folks ....

TTFN

"If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people".   and
"The beauty of the world...has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder." Virginia Woolf

Winter Hiatus

Well friends and readers .... I'm back after a wee hiatus. Nothing serious, but the winter blas (pictured above) got to me and I took a break. Actually I've been a slug ... just going to work, feeding the cats and cocooning in my living room doing cross stitch! Yes - for the time being I'm all quilted out and have returned to an earlier craft. Actually, I'm taking a machine quilting class at a local sewing shop as I felt the need to have "professional" instruction in an attempt to improve. Time will tell if the effort was worthwhile. In the meantime I found a stamped cross stitch kit in my stash and am once again hooked on cross stitch. This may take me awhile so don't hold your breath!

So, being hooked on cross stitch I made up a cross stitch winter postcard for the quild's postcard exchange. Then I remade the mittens, pictured earlier, and finally got the needlepoint pillow completed. I've had the needlepoint for years and always wanted to make a small pillow. So, recently I moved a black hooked rug from the hallway into the main bath to cover the cold cold ceramic floor. Hmm, that gave me an idea and so I also moved mother's baby rocker into the bathroom corner ... and, well, you know how these things go ... I just had to complete the needlepoint pillow to put on the rocker!

So what else have Iris and Simone and I been up to you ask? Well, ok, I admit I have done some sewing. A while back I randomly put together the leftover blocks from my Cobblestones quilt. It's been on my design wall forever, and over the holidays I finally put some borders on it. I love how it looks, but it's still too small to do anything with it except maybe donate it as a kid's quilt.... So, now I'm grappling with what to do next, donate it or find something else to extend the borders. But don't forget this year's resolutions:

1) finish UFOs and 2) don't buy any fabric (hahahahahahahhah!) Wish me luck!

TTFN

Happy New Year!

 

So it's the New Year .... did you make any resolutions? I did, lots and lots of them .... I won't bore you with mine, but needless to say one of them is to be friendlier, happier and more accepting. Sounds good, lets see how long I can keep my resolutions this year! I was pretty good last year until about October when I got totally stressed out over my quilt show at the Library - oh dear. I shall have to guard against that in 2011 with the CQA show coming to London! I found a Christmas pillow someone gave me several years ago and decided it would look wonderful on the Eastlake chair my dear friend gave me. Don't you agree?
And keeping up with my sewing time this holiday season I finally, yes finally made those matching mittens for my down winter coat I call the beast. I got it many moons ago at a reduced price as the hood was missing. Since I'm a frugal shopper I purchased an almost matching hood then made an outer hood, cuffs, a scarf and now mittens out of dark brown with black trees fleece (no, the mittens are not all black!). Anyway, as always I learn best by doing, next time (ha - like there will ever be another time) I"ll know a couple of mitten tricks! Here's the online tut I used for this project from Sew Can Do. If you're anything like me I love to decorate for the holidays and hate, Hate, HATE taking it all down, especially taking down all the lights as they do brighten up the place! None-the-less take them down I must, today. But as a reminder ....

TTYL

 

Sewing Time!

So, this year I finally have some time to myself to get some sewing done. Am I inspired? No, not really. Funny how that works, you finally have the time but not the inclination. So, instead I have been playing way too many computer games, I told you the machine would eat my time up, and I'm making teeny-weeny projects which are fun but not necessarily productive. Here you see the double eye glass case I just made for myself thanks to this online tutorial by U Handbag. I had the purse frame in my stash of craft supplies, Who knows when or where I actually bought it. I purchased the funky fabric to make a laptop case for my niece. Maybe I'll make the laptop case for myself one of these days, if there's enough fabric left!

This other item is a thread catcher from The Stitching Room. Yes, I fancied it up a wee bit with some beading. It's small enough to go with me on quilt get-together nights. FYI, that's not a stain on the yellow batik, bt part of the fabric. It's made from scraps left over from Rachel's Star - remember that one? Well I gave it to my work colleague at his retirement party . He and his wife were thrilled! I got lots and lots of hugs for this one, and I'm very please. It was a total challenge, Rachel's Star that is, but I'm so glad I persevered. This thread catcher was also a challenge, my dyslexia got in the way several times. I won! WooHoo!

So to all those out there that think I'm nothing but a nasty bitter ole crone ... well guess what! Not so!! I have my moments, like we all do!
TTFN

Doom, I'm doomed!

I am totally doomed! This past year TVO, our local public broadcasting network has run the Charles Dickens Little Dorrit series. I have NEVER been able to catch the whole thing in it's entirety from beginning to end. I am fated to always come in somewhere in the middle. Yes, they have rerun the series several times, so I have been able to catch the beginning episodes, but that is simply not the same as seeing it from beginning to end! I'm doomed to never see it whole! So this year they ran the first three episodes Christmas eve and the remainder on Christmas evening. I missed the episodes on the 24th! I guess that's fate and I should accept it and move on, but really BBC productions are soooo good, and Charles Dickens is a classic! What's a girl to do? Empire of the Word is the other TVO series I've been watching, and since I also missed several episodes of this one I plan to catch up online!

Like my newest Christmas decoration? I couldn't resist as I got the glass bowl at half price, the pine cones for free, the ornaments from the dollar store and the I already had the ribbon! Once the season is over I plan on filling it with the dried hydrangea blossoms from my garden so I can enjoy them until the spring! Enough about Christmas. Onwards to a new year. I have lots of NY resolutions to make, and lots of quilty things too!

This year's tablescape

TTYL

  

HO Ho HO

So I thought I would get a pic of the lap quilt I made my father for the laptop he gave me! I kinda think that's a fair gift exchange. Now you can see the multi fabric border I boasted about in a previous post. No big deal but something new for me!

So last week was our first annual (at least I hope it will be annual) Christmas potluck for the quilt group I organize. It was a really good turn out, especially for this time of the year when everyone is so busy. I hope all the ladies enjoyed the evening. We went for an unplanned - bring whatever kind of potluck and it worked out wonderfully! Everyone brought luscious dishes, and I must admit that my green bean casserole was OK. Thanks Kraft Canada!

I'm still pretty much a basic point and shoot with the camera, so please nobody take offense if I left anyone out of a pic. A really big THANK YOU to JP for being our gracious host and making the initial suggestion. Playing secret Santa at the end of the evening helped top off the fun! It has turned out to be such a fun eclectic group and I'm really glad to be a part of it. I had 2 potlucks to go to this year and both recipes came from Kraft, I highly recommend this one!

Anyway, hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.

TTYNY

 

Ho Ho Ho

Final Christmas present completed .... TaDa! This free pattern came online to me from Quilt Arts magazine. I like free. Above is version one, which is yet to be quilted. I may wait until after my machine quilting class in January as I think it could use some nice machine quilting. Below is my completed version, yes done by machine. A colleague at work gave me the center (under the white Ho) poinsettia fabric which I also used on the back. The funky Christmas fabrics I found at the F.....Land store where I also found some nice green with light green stars fabric on sale for the binding and the funky buttons. All in all I rather like it and hope my niece likes it as it's her present (SHHHHHH)

Now, all I have to do is get through this season without killing anyone. Who said Christmas was supposed to be happy? Bah Humbug!

Postcards

Yesterday was a good day ... I actually made 11 fabric Christmas postcards! WooHoo! I know I know, this pic really doesn't give you a good detailed look, but since guild is next week, and some of these are for the postcard exchange, I don't want to give a zoomed in pic just yet.  I've been collecting themed ribbons and used some of them as my message - so in the above pic you are seeing some of the backs! On the abstract Xmas trees I placed a gold star sequin and gold bead at the top of each tree. I used my new Kenmore embroidery foot and machine quilted them all. I must say I'm beginning to like machine work!

TTYL

Seasons Greetings

It's December finally and all the fun begins! I've been sewing my head off and hopefully it will all pay off and people will enjoy their gifts. Just when I think I'm finished I find another project ... when mother moved from her condo last year she downsized and I inevitably received anything fabric related. So, many many years ago she purchased these machine made lace panels and red broadcloth with the intention of making placemats.  Yes, you guessed it .... I found them and feeling somewhat guilty that I have not completed her project (what? why am I feeling guilty?) started by hand sewing the lace panel onto the red square behind. There are a dozen of them - so stay tuned ....

We have a transit strike here in home town. So I have been providing rides to a young man in my complex, and rides home/errand trips to a co-worker, both of whom are dependent on the bus. So last night my co-worker gave me some "extra Xmas fabric" as a thank you. Looks like approximately 2 meters! so there's another project to complete. What shall I make, what shall I make?

Did I tell you I solved the porch light problem? I finally took a really good look at the original, shorter photosensor thingee and lo and behold I didn't have it completely open! So, I returned it to it's home in my front porch light, inserted the 150 watt light bulb and now I'm no longer in twilight when I come home! WooHoo! See, told you I would solve all the problems of my world!

Now, if only I could get myself in gear and out of my housecoat! But it is Sat am, PBS is on another fund drive so my quilting shows aren't on, and Vinyl Cafe is on CBC!

TTYL

Sis Bom Bah

I  am so proud of myself ... whenever I best technology is always a banner day (pardon the pun). Since the summer I have wanted to create a new banner for my blog. Now bear with me, I'm from the generation who did not grow up online, so much of what is second nature to some is totally mystifying to moi! None-the-less, when I finally, yes actually apply myself I can learn a thing or two. So, in the last week or two I have changed my template (I'm not done yet, but have started "shopping" for a new template), joined Quilting Bloggers and Canadian Quilters AND figured out how to add their logo navigation symbols to my blog.  The banner is just a beginning, I hope to create a better "scene" depicting some of my personal treasures, and of course my Idle Hands! Now, if only I can get my updates to My Library Thing to display I'd be a happy camper!
I have been shopping. Supposedly Christmas shopping - Ha! As per usual I have found wonderful things for myself! It started with a quick trip to the local Husky store - just for a look, and ended in me buying a plexiglass table for my husky!  Then there were these luscious books I've collected starting in September at the Sarnia Quit show where Grantham Books was a vendor. Well, how could I resist? The Butterflies book I hope to use when I finally get to finish off my Celtic Garden free style (er - no plan or pattern, maybe that's what's now called liberated quilting?)
This StrataVarious book I picked up on my last quilt run to the States with my quilt friend, which reminds me, I think we're due soon for another cross-border shopping expedition. I've always been fascinated with piecing the background then applying the applique, so think this one may get me started!

Of course that will be on one of those "My Days" when I finally sit down to work on a quilt for myself! Ha! Our guild has not yet set this year's challenge. I don't know about you ladies, but I need a few months fermentation time to get a creative idea and then, since I'm all hand work, I need a few months to get the piece made. So,  maybe this year I'll pass on the guild challenge and make my own .

I saw this Two Block Applique book in Exeter and picked it up from Grantham Books. There's a pattern at the very back in totally - not - my - colours .... but I absolutely love love love it! The blocks move from the outer edge towards the inside from dark to light, and there is a number of lovely wildlife appliques in the center...... hold onto your hats, I may just work on this one before retirement. It's going in my quilting journal as one of my To Dos! Speaking of wildlife the squirrels are super active these days, hiding and burying anything edible they can find. When I first moved here the only wildlife was rabits, but we seem to have developed a colony of squirrels. That's OK with me as it entertains the cats!

This Colour Blend, Opps, make that American spelling, Color Blend book is absolutely gorgeous! I'm hoping to get some time in the next few years to work on more flower pieces. I'm making a lot of assumptions, but have really good intentions of taking a stab at getting then all accomplished! Wish me luck! As you may have surmised I have a penchant for applique - well, for any hand work really. BUT, I have taken the step and signed myself up for a three day machine quilting  workshop in January! Hence the plexiglass table. I decided I better take a concerted stab at machine stuff as my hands are developing arthritis, and now I have something called a Seroma (!?) A six month aftermath from the unhappy discussion with Simone - she who does not like to be touched. So .... after brunch it's back to work where I stupidly left the anti-inflamatory medication my Dr gave me.
TTFN

P.S. To the person who last sent a comment - I can't read Chinese/Japanese (whichever your comment was written in) My apologies but I am unilingual, English only please.

Water Water everywhere!

Water water everywhere! Those poor people in Cumbria England ...  I can't imagine being flooded out! Oh, lucky me ..... the news images this week bring me to this week's blog entry from my wee corner of the world.  This past summer my local utility decided to greenwash a rather large cash grab and added 2 additional charges.  All told the fees now include a charge for the actual amount of water I use, a charge for the amount flushed, and a charge for the amount sent down the drain. Initially this amounted to a rather large increase in my water bill! (more than double - Ouch!). I say greenwash, because of course if I complain they will have the audacity to tell me that all I have to do is be a better conservor, be greener and use less water!!!
So .... that is exactly what I have been doing!

• First I turned off the dripping taps, I mean really turned them off. Iris and Simone are not happy as they, like many felines, like running water. Too bad, they now have 3 different water dishes to choose from and I am diligent about keeping them clean and fresh.
• Secondly, and apologies ahead in case I gross you out, I am now using the rule of three - you know, like at the cottage ... without being toooo graphic, it just isn't necessary to flush every time. (I'm not sure I like this new practice and we'll see how long it lasts)
  
• third, I turned off the water to the powder room toilet. There was a slow leak somewhere, I know there was as I did the food colouring test. Where? I don't know, but none-the-less I turned off the water and only turn it on to fill the toilet tank.
  
• fourthly, I am now emptying the water collected by the dehumidifier into the powder room toilet tank. This equals to at least one, sometimes two flushes per week.

Ok, I know that doesn't sound like much, but ....I have reduced my water bill by more than the recent increases. WooHoooooooooo!

Irish has finally discovered her bed. When my previous cat (Sada) passed away I thought about tossing the bed as I didn't think another animal would like to use a bed where someone had died. But a nice new fleece liner and pillowcase, combined with a good scrubbing, Fabreezing and months of airing seem to have done the trick! Only problem is now mommy misses her at night, she can produce a nice amount of heat. Now you know why single ladies  have cats! 

My "Christmas" Cactus has decided to flower. I guess I should be thrilled that it hasn't died and in fact is thriving. But really must everything in my life be contrarywise? Can't it pick a holiday and flower? No, wait - it's Thanksgiving in the US - right? So it is a holiday for someone, somewhere! Happy Turkey day to my American cousins.                             

TTYL