Sugar day

Wednesday afternoons are my time to play with sugar with my friend Verdie. We're working on an order for May 11 for a combined Christening and Confirmation. There will be an 8" Jamaican fruitcake with a baby cradle, a 10" lemon cake with a cross and rosary beads, twenty 4" lemon cakes each with a sugar calla lily, a standing card, and several dozen cookies, half of which will be baby-themed cutouts.

It's a pretty big order with not a lot that can be made ahead of time. Today we worked on the calla lilies, the baby cradle, the rosary and lettering for the cakes & card.

Happy Colors

I really like the colors in my newest mini embroidered art quilt, which is a part of my ongoing abstract series that I have been working on and posting in my Etsy shop. (This one is "Abstract no.8") The colors make me feel all happy, and remind me of early morning sunshine, green fields, pretty flowers, and blue skies!

C-9 Jane's Tears

I joined the Dear Baby Jane Group Here I have about the same number blocks as they have done but some are not the same I'm going to start with there first blocks and do them in the order they did and hopefully catch up in a couple weeks I think I will post each blocks separate on my blog. So here is the first block C-9 Jane's Tears

C-9 Jane's Tears

I joined the Dear Baby Jane Group Here I have about the same number blocks as they have done but some are not the same I'm going to start with there first blocks and do them in the order they did and hopefully catch up in a couple weeks I think I will post each blocks separate on my blog. So here is the first block C-9 Jane's Tears

A Little Bit of Vintage

Here's the 7th mini embroidered art quilt in my abstract series. My youngest daughter, who shares my love of sewing, declared this one to be her favorite. And at least one other person felt the same way, because it sold lickity-split! The black flower print is vintage, I believe from the 1930's.


I tend to hoard my vintage fabric, and only use it when I feel it is truly needed, (it's not like I can run to the store and buy more!) Below you can see that I used a strip of the same fabric in this illustration quilt I did 2 years ago. It may be hard to tell from the photo, but this quilt is completely covered in embroidery stitches, and is one of my personal favorites.


It's called "Walking to School in the Garden of Eden". It is semi autobiographical, and deals with the loss of innocence. The only part I have never been satisfied with is how I drew the snake in the grass, in the lower left panel. A bit to cartoonish, I just could not get it right. I used Tsukineko all purpose inks to color in the girl, the bird and the snake. They are wonderful as you have a lot of control over their application, and it is very easy to build up the color just so.


Other vintage elements in this piece include The red flowered fabric along the sides, the green fabric used for the flower petals, and the background is done on a vintage piece of feedsack. If you look closely you can see the printed text of the feedsack, but the embroidery stitches have somewhat obscured it. The button that represents the sun is also vintage, along with the crocheted buttons in the center of each flower.

Busing it.

Because I cannot drive with one arm, today I took the "Flag Bus" to my hairdresser. We are lucky in our condo that the Flag bus actually makes a stop right outside our front door. The schedule is a little thin, about every two hours, but, hey, at $1.75 a ride, it's cheaper than a taxi and better than always asking for rides from friends. The bus just happened to let me off outside a book store that I have never been in before, and as I had about 35 minutes to kill before my hair appointment, I went inside to look. Well.....there was a rack of non-fiction books for 75% off and I came away with French Knot Pictures by Christine Harris, Garden Landscapes in Silk Ribbon Embroidery by Helen Dafter, and Silk Ribbon Machine Embroidery by Nancy Bednar, all for a total of $26. The machine embroidery book has some nice patterns that are easily adaptable to hand embroidery; I don't expect I'll every use my sewing machine for SRE!

Another day out!

A month or so ago I had signed up for a bus trip to the Casino at Niagara Falls. It was a cheap do at $10 each which included the bus trip (400km total) and a buffet lunch. Even though I am still in pain and it's very awkward with just one good arm, I decided to go. My mum (91) and I had a great time, the lunch was delicious, and we made our $20 betting budget last for 5 hours on the nickle and 2-cent slots! At one point I was up $24, but didn't have enough sense to quit!

The bus was very comfortable. In the two hour journey, there and home I was able to get one seam of my summer garden block done.

Doll Quilts

I am almost done with this doll quilt. I have to add the border yet. It's amazing how many places around my home that a little quilt like this looks good.

Doll Quilts

I am almost done with this doll quilt. I have to add the border yet. It's amazing how many places around my home that a little quilt like this looks good.

Civil War Diary Blocks

I belong to the Sew Many Blocks web ring making Civil War Diary Blocks. Here are my blocks so far. I am hoping that I can keep up with the group now that they are going to make fewer blocks a week. I also am not going to make a real large quilt. I'm hoping for a lab quilt size or a little larger. I'm cherry picking the blocks I want to make and do not plan on making all of them. I also alter some of the blocks a little some a lot. If the first quilt turns out okay I would like to make another using a different color scheme.

Civil War Diary Blocks

I belong to the Sew Many Blocks web ring making Civil War Diary Blocks. Here are my blocks so far. I am hoping that I can keep up with the group now that they are going to make fewer blocks a week. I also am not going to make a real large quilt. I'm hoping for a lab quilt size or a little larger. I'm cherry picking the blocks I want to make and do not plan on making all of them. I also alter some of the blocks a little some a lot. If the first quilt turns out okay I would like to make another using a different color scheme.

A good day

Well, I have to say that today I felt that I was on the mend! I spent a great day with my two girls at the Creativ Hands show at the International Centre. I really wasn't sure that I could handle dodging folks who were heading for my poor shoulder, but in the end we went early and it wasn't crowded, and it was nice to get out of the house. I didn't buy a whole lot, a couple of needle threaders, a little jar of shades of pink "Flower Soft" that gets glued on to hand made cards. I did a quick make and take and it turned out quite pretty. I also bought some packages of silk thread in beautiful shaded colours.

I have limited use of my fingers on my left hand, and I can manage a little bit of embroidery, but not much. I've had to drop out of the two RR that I signed up for because I would not be able to finish on time and I'm not as neat as I would like to be on someone else's block. But since I have my blocks put together for the under the sea and summer flower garden block, I'll work on them slowly and post photos of my progress soon.

Everyday Pleasures

Note: I originally did this post with different images, but apparently the pictures were not showing up for people visiting my blog, (a big thank you to those who let me know, as I could see them fine!) I am starting over with new pictures, and will share the first batch next week when they feel like co-operating with me! Please let me know if anyone is still experiencing problems seeing my images, thanks!... And now for my post!

Last Friday I did a post on why I like the Green Dragon Farmers Market. Over the last 12 years, during the spring and summer, we have gone there almost every week, yet last Friday was the first time that I had ever brought my camera along. Looking for blog inspiration, I was encouraged to zero in on and capture snapshots of what made this a happy place for me, and that made it into something extra special. In keeping with that intent, to step out of my head a bit more, look around at my surroundings and zero in on what brings me joy, I have decided that every Friday I will do a post on everyday pleasures.

The way the farm woman around here all hang their laundry, way up high, on long wash lines.


A beautiful horse peacefully grazing on dandelions.


A mysterious old, blue lock box in the middle of a field. I wonder what's inside?

Abstract no.6

I started making "Abstract no.6" on Tuesday, Earth Day, and looking at it now, I believe I must have been influenced by the day, even though at the time I wasn't consciously connecting the two. That is one of the things I love most about the process of art, the way in which our moods, thoughts and feelings all have a way of finding there place in what we work on, whether we consciously intend for it or not. And that is also why I am so drawn to stitching. It is a whole language in and of itself. Every line, cross-stitch, and french knot is gently communicating something old and ancient, unspoken, yet understood.

Abstract #5

This is my fifth mini embroidered abstract art quilt. (That's why it's called "Abstract #5"... such a clever little title!) I am having so much fun with these! All of the applique pieces on this particular quilt are of japanese chirimen fabric. This type of fabric was developed in the 16th century and has a lovely subtle "wrinkled" texture to it, which comes from the way it is woven.

Jacob's Ladder

Here is my 4th finish for the year. The pattern is Jacob's ladder and my first machine quilted quilt. Not a perfect job on the quilting but not to bad. My goal is to finish 4 quilts this month and
I only have one done and it's the 19th already. The next quilt is quilted and ready for binding. But I will have to push the machine quilting a little next week if I want to reach my goal.

It has finally warmed up here in South Dakota. Here is my first jug of sun tea brewing in the sun for the year.

Jacob's Ladder

Here is my 4th finish for the year. The pattern is Jacob's ladder and my first machine quilted quilt. Not a perfect job on the quilting but not to bad. My goal is to finish 4 quilts this month and
I only have one done and it's the 19th already. The next quilt is quilted and ready for binding. But I will have to push the machine quilting a little next week if I want to reach my goal.

It has finally warmed up here in South Dakota. Here is my first jug of sun tea brewing in the sun for the year.

Shouldering The Pain

I tripped and fell on the lobby floor in my building yesterday amd dislocated and fractured my shoulder. It is my left one and I am right handed, but you need both hands to sew! I also had to finish the cake. What a disaster!!

My daughter brought me home from the hosp, and went home with the un-iced cake, the frosting and the pieces I'd made, and this is the result. Well done Suzie and John!

Wih crazy quilting on my mind right now, I'm glad I had the presence of mind to stop the nurse from pitching my "15 Year Anniversary of Disney World" sweatshirt which they had to cut off my body.

Riding The Rails of The Orient Express

Today (April 21st) this piece won an honorable mention award in the Vacaville art gallery's juried art show.

No longer for sale. My daughter admired this one and said it would look good hanging in her home. So that is where it went this weekend. (Sept. 20, 2008)

The Green Dragon

Here are six things that I really like
about the Green Dragon Farmers Market:


The sign


The view


The produce


The timelessness


The flowers


The variety

Shabby Chic Block

I couldn't stop myself this morning! I just had to cut and pin a new block out of my new fabric. Pink is almost my favourite colour, so this was a real pleasure to put together. I'm very much a newbie at crazy quilting so I don't know all the different procedures in constructing a block. This one I drew out on the back of a 12" x 12" scrapbooking sheet and then cut out the fabric using the paper pattern. It worked really well. Does anyone else use this method? I took a photo to show the block and the paper pattern on my "design wall" (the back of my sofa)! I still have over half pinned but not basted, so it looks a bit wrinkly.

More fabric!

As if I didn't get enough fabric on the Pensylvania trip last month, I had the urge again to shop! You can see from the pile on my bed that I was in the shabby chic mood and found some really pretty pieces. A couple are vintage tablecloths which have a nice damask design. I also bought a piece of sheer curtain with a printed rose design which will look nice as an overlay. Now I just have to find somewhere to put it all!

Cake's progress

It's 1:23am and the cake is in the oven. It's big, 12" x 18" and it took 3 cake mixes. My kids like box cakes (I doctor them up with a bit of this and that). It's so late because I had to pop around to our 24-hour Sobeys grocery store for supplies. In the meantime I've been working on the apartment building and the firemen. I'm not much good at modelling, so for these little guys I used the Wilton people cutouts as a base. I added flames to the building and glued the walls together with royal icing. It should be dry by morning, and safe to move upright.

Abstract #4

This is my newest little abstract mini embroidered art quilt. For this piece, along with the bright colored solids, I added some japanese chirimen to the mix. I really like the added pattern and texture of the chirimen fabric.


The hand stitches are what give these little pieces their personality. I never really know how these abstracts will turn out until I finish the embroidery, which I just make up as I go along. That's often the best way to work!

Five on Saturday

My oldest grandson, Jack, will be 5 on Saturday and, true to form, he requested a fireman cake. Last year he asked for the same and I made him a great cake, trouble is I don't think this year's will be a patch on last years! (It wasn't my design and I would like to give that person credit but I haven't been able to track them down.) Photos below are from last year.
















Saturday's cake will be a big slab with an apartment building. I'll put some candles inside so it looks like the building's on fire! Sounds good in principal. Here it is under construction.