I am in love!

This 10 week old four legged fur baby belongs to Michael,  my DS.  Michael is living here at the moment; we discussed having a dog.  Originally it was to be a smallish dog.
 It is not the case however, Ares is a Lab/ English Pointer mix.
 I will be remembering the Christmas of 2010 as the Christmas we got Ares.  It is truly amazing how this wee creature has turned the winter grumpies into smiles.  I know the novelty will wear off, but for now it is a pleasure to go outside and watch him enjoy the snow ... the  big beautiful outdoors. Ah! Happiness is a warm puppy.
Merry Christmas

gudrun

Winter in Ontario

Greetings and Salutations from snow covered Ontario! I'd love to post pictures of all the
snow we have had the last week. The children had 4 days off school due to snow/roads/bus situations.
I can't post pictures because blogger is not allowing me to...although perhaps it is this little netbook
I am using.

I have ordered a new computer....hehe and some of my family is shocked that I have gone to the 'darkside' purchasing a 'windows' product. I have been on a Mac, since the 80's. But there are a couple of programs I want (yes I know about being able to run windows on Mac)
The thing is my best buddy is a windows gal, and being a programmer, she will be an excellent resource, as well I have adult children who know their way around the darkside, so I am covered so to speak. And very well covered indeed.

I started writing this bit, last Monday. It's been a week as mentioned and once again we are in the middle of a winter storm it seems like one week is much like the next except that yesterday our house hold increased by one. More later

Happy Monday,
gudrun

Home Again

I prefer to keep this blog a 'pleasant' place to visit... whinging is
not something I like to get into but I am going to Whinge.
A month away I am home to a dead computer. acck! Lots of plans go on immediate hold.
DH., is going to be depending on crutches for the next several weeks(months!)
Okay done. Thanks for listening :))

I have been visiting our west coast in Terrace, and Vancouver. It was wet, and cold.
Which is just how I remember November when I lived there.
I was once again very taken with the greens. Perhaps
it is the moisture in the air, that changes the intensity of some colours.
And the moss in Terrace....it's everywhere. It's green.(grin)

My 'puter came back from the doc's. Not good. My data is retrievable but the
power supply is no longer being manufactured.
I am writing on my sons wee netbook.
I may just end up with something similar.

I purchased some great regional fabrics while in Terrace.
I will post pictures as computer issues are resolved, sigh.

Wishing all those celebrating Harvest and Light Festivals a safe and happy time.
gudrun
(who is getting festive with a first string of lights)

House Keeping

Housekeeping translates to house cleaning for a lot of that 'keeping', does it not?
I have a young capable male hanging his hat here, and he was put to work, on Tuesday
after a long lazy Thanksgiving weekend... and he was efficient.

The carpets have been shampooed, which means the furniture was all cleared off,
(I got the pleasure of cleaning all the klinkerlitz.)  and moved away from the walls.
Which meant the woodwork was available ?? for cleaning, as was the furniture??
Boy does it look polished in here. Now for some window cleaning before cold and
grey sets in....nothing more depressing then looking at miserable weather through
skunked up windows.

And just when I thought I had a handle on all the cleaning. I noticed something else that
requires attention and this looks like the best method. Check it out :))

Hope it doesn't die when I do this.
gudrun

Valley Tour

One thing I like to do is tour the valley for colours.

View of Old Baldy from Talisman

That's the tour for today, back to the attic and quilting, 

Happy Thursday,

gudrun

A bit more about the "Attic".

(In answer to Teresa's comment)
Discovering this space was the best! I realize I have been blessed.

My sweetie calls it the 'Quiltorium'. This space would not work for anyone taller, 
there are a couple of spots where I feel the 'ceiling. I am 5'4",
The slant walls or knee walls in the 'alley' where I have the Beast fit me well enough, and 
it is big enough on the far end to get around without wacking myself on something :)
I am not the most graceful of creatures :))
The alley width is also more generous then it appears, I have a small shelf in one corner
and and old sheet music cupboard for pantos in the other corner. I am 
guess-timating the alley is about 8 ft. wide, and I have a 14' frame.

The first consideration I had was getting the poles for the frame up into the attic. We thought of hoisting them through a window, but luckily it wasn't required.

We did not do much to make this space serviceable mostly organization and elbow grease
It is a work in progress. I am keen on it :)

gudrun

Happy Thanksgiving Studio Tour

I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving weekend. I had my 'boys' home!
It was just lovely, I even enjoyed all the cooking...huh!

Thanksgiving weekend in my neighbourhood is traditionally a 'studio tour' weekend.
Various artists open their studios for viewing and promotion/sale of wares or services.
I think these tours are great. Artist friends who participate, tell me these tours leave them exhausted.
Perhaps that is why sometimes several people show out of one studio.
My studio is located in the attic of our family home. Because of my location,
(and other reasons) I see clients by appointment. A studio tour is a wonderful way to
see what & where artists create.

I just can not see myself joining as a tour stop. I don't see myself committing
to 2 full days of a tour event. A few hours of open house I can, and have done.
I can also give my friends a jpeg tour of my space.

Come on in...

Please enter through the front door up, continue up a straight staircase, down a hallway,
past a number of doors to another flight of stairs. I warn clients about stair climbing, those unable to are accommodated in my living room. (Need much advance notice for this.)

looking down past the stained glass

            second stair case 

At the top of the stairs, left

Here's the 'Beast' I call him Lenni, now APQS
put out a model called Lenni, he needs a name change!

Design Wall

Closer view of my apple ladder quilt holder :))

Well folks that's it!   You really don't want to see the work tables...trust me you really don't.
Next post is a tour of my valley.

gudrun
ps I give up trying to get these pics in the order I want.

Small Quilts

Long armers are the perfect match for large quilts so we get a lot of them.  It is such fun to
get some small ones. This was done in a heart meander.

Scrappy Bingo

The next one is for our Community Quilt Program.

Happy Thursday,

gudrun

Another Fall Fair Win

The quilt from a previous post, "Some Days are Diamonds"  where I explained how I adjusted
a full border on a quilt based on the pattern "I Had A Dream".  I am so pleased that this method
worked well, well enough to give the piecer  a 'second place' in her category at
 the Great Northern Exhibit, Fall Fair .
You go Sandy!!
gudrun
(I have the remnants of a cold and some annoying allergies, only George and I  here today, so I am blogging, and surfing instead of quilting. Later  I'll go outside for a bit.... see how the spider webs are doing  :)) 

Sewflakes

I purchased a new quilting technique book last evening at a Guild gathering. I just could not help myself. A much better purchase then my last book, but that's another story.
The author did an excellent Powerpoint presentation, as well as a trunk show of the journey that took her to writing a book about papercut-applique quilts.
Kathy K Wylie.  The book is called Sewflakes, and for those who enjoy applique I think
this book is a treasure.  I am still on the fence about applique.


Cheers, 
gudrun

Pictures, by request.

 I was asked for pictures of the too-small mixer-cover-giant-teapot cover.
I am having a little trouble with I (stupid) Photo.  This program restarts at # 1 when you get to
9999, so now I have number duplications and it won't let me add pictures to files it wants to
replace pictures.  If anyone knows how to fix this I'd be more then happy to hear from you.
In the mean time I am muddling along.....

How is this flat thing suppose to fit over a large kitchen aid mixer?
Made from 50's seed sack.

Played with flower drawing

A strange still life to illustrate the size of the teapot
(that's an average size peach beside it)

We have since adjusted the style, by rolling the bottom up, in
Canadian toque rolling fashion...imagine it with a big rim from the inside fabric.

Inside fabric, also 50's grain sack.

That's the story,

Happy Wednesday

gudrun

Some Days are Diamonds....

I recently quilted this large quilt called "I had a Dream".  I am unaware who is the pattern designer. This was fun to quilt till I got to the borders. My my.... 

If you look closely you will see the wee pleats I made to gather in the fullness. They haven't been appliqued down, so they are not flat and neat, yet! But looking decent already...lots of spray starch to help.

Fullness in Border.

I 've arrived in the season of fullness, here's another quilt with fullness in the centre.

This one of three 'same' quilts in different colour ways. The piecing is lovely except for what ever happened in the centre??  There was some fullness that I ended up carrying along to the border.  When I got  to this point on the first quilt, I re-examination of the other two quilts...same thing.  The piecer took them home and worked on the problem.  The next one I worked on  was substancially
 flatter,  a hit of spray starch, and of course tape on the tiny loose border,  it finished off well. The last one is not as well behaved :)) However, spray starch, extra batting and careful stitching should keep the fullness from traveling to the borders. Stay tuned.
Hope your Monday is a good one,
gudrun

Greetings, from the Village Idiot.

Greetings,from the Village Idiot.

I am having a series of serious of duh days.  

I sent Lesley's pillow cases off,  after I photographed them,first having to purchase a new set of rechargeable batteries, and charger...and promptly can't locate where I put the file of pics after I downloaded them? What? 

I made a cover for a mixer unit, which stands in the corner on the counter (not because it's bad, cuz I dislike getting it out of a cupboard). Because I have previously made a cover like this  I just grabbed my notes went along my merry way and when it was too late realized I hadn't made it dimensional...just flat.

So now I have a really pretty fry pan cover? It does sorta fit over a very large teapot, and because it is made out of wonderful old seed sack, and quilted so prettily it will cover that stupid t-pot and sit on top of the stupid fridge.

And I'll go back to the drawing board.  Speaking of drawing board, my eldest son use to have my drawing table when he was 'drafting'. Recently I got it back.  It's covered with 'stuff' perhaps using it will help with the idiot syndrome.

Wishing you some sun in your Sunday

gudrun

My Second Interpretive Challenge

I spent more time reading various philosophies based
on the four earthly elements, than I did creating my
interpretation.

4 elements

I kept coming back to a philosophy that  equates air with thought, fire with passion water with serenity and earth as maturity. Musings:
fire does not pass through water,
fire is reflected in water,
 thought feeds passion
passion falters with serenity
thought is in serenity,
                                     thought slows and then, no more.

Loose threads, attached with help of wash-away interfacing. on a snippet style background.

I had difficulty with the photographing,  what doesn't show well here is the yellow thread 'of air' running through the piece.
It was fun  :))
gudrun

Congratulations Lesley, Oh and me too!

The Lucky Lesley from our lovely West Coast will be receiving
a set of pillow cases I  made.  In her email she sounded
more excited  then any pillow cases  I have know are able to
excite....and I was right. As it happens she was also
 just hired as a teacher in her neighbourhood.
She'll be teaching music to children from k to 4.
  Her first job in her field of training.  Wow!

The Fall Fair season is upon us here in Ontario.  I was convinced  by friends, I should
participate in my towns Fair so I did.  I entered a new category "long arm quilting' and the
floral section.  I received two firsts and 2 seconds in the long arm category, the quilt at the top of the
page took a first.
I recd a second in a challenge called " I made it form my old jeans"  click this link  to see the quilt I used.

I entered four florals and took  two firsts in the florals category. I didn't take a picture of the cosmos I entered but the Pic below is of a design challenge called "No Blooms".

All in all a wonderful Fair for me :))

"No Blooms" is sitting on top of canning,   I did the day before the fair.

Floral arrangement " No Blooms"

Antipasto 2010

Here's a really good picture of the work that day.  I had lots of help. DH and DS pitched in with chopping and stirring .....

Antipasto Inspector and Assistant

Happy Thursday,
gudrun

Time to 'Give it away'

First, this day is special to me because it is the birth date of my first born.

Second, the give away' is a set of standard size pillow cases, I made.    My youngest son, choose a number
and the number is 21.  The twenty first comment was made by Lesley.
Lesley please contact me.
I'll  post a picture of the pillow cases on the morrow.... it's way past my time to retire for the day.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment.  I don't dwell on this, but I do wonder
who is dropping by to visit my 'world'.
Cheers,
gudrun  

Blogging can be fun.

I have read  blogs where things are given away.    Some very nice
things. It sounds like a simple thing to do for fun.  And I am curious about this whole process so,
  I am going to do ' a giveaway' in celebration of....
my 100th blog post.
it is a sunny day
it is the first of September
I am happy
I have  family I love
I have friends near and far
I have a home.
There is reason to celebrate.

What should I give away?  My heart is given but I will give you
something from the heart.
You need to leave a comment.  I do the usual and someone will get a surprise in the mail.
I will post the what  & who on Sept. 9th (an important date to me).
(it's a surprise so why would I tell you what it is?)

  Yes ! This could be fun.
gudrun

NQR (not quilting related) but how cool is this!

I am not a fan of spiders, but as long as they aren't in my face I let them be.
If they get in my face I freak...it is a strange relationship.

Last year I was amazed by a web high above my back door (I am short  :))
and the lack of flies getting into the house....no screen door here. Charlotte '09
is no longer above the back door but,  this year, I found this spider's
tunnel home at my back door, where I have a flower garden and rock collection
and a few other odds and ends.

Back door home for Charlotte's friend.

Close up of Spidey's Place.

Is it not  interesting?  Imagine if Alice fell down the spider hole
Argh I am freaking myself out here :)

Happy Wednesday!
gudrun

A 1 minute lesson on Wool Batting

Let's talk batting. I have recently taken to recommending wool batts in quilts. Wool batting is marvelous. It's my favourite. It costs more the a cotton batt or a poly batt.  However, I think one gets a bargain considering all great properties of wool. 

What I have learned about wool....

Wool fiber has a natural crimp due to its unique  structure. This allows the fiber to bend and turn, giving wool an inherent three-dimensional crimp. Because it is naturally elastic and resilient, wool has rapid wrinkle recovery, durability, bulk, loft, warmth and resistance to abrasion.

Wool is a year-round fiber. Wool easily absorbs up to 30 percent of its weight in moisture without feeling damp or clammy. This ability to absorb moisture makes it comfortable in warm and cold conditions. By absorbing perspiration, wool enhances the body’s own cooling system, keeping the skin dry. This characteristic makes wool a versatile all-season fabric.

Wool keeps you warm in the winter by absorbing perspiration, allowing the body to generate heat faster than heat is lost. 

Because wool contains moisture in every fiber, it resists flame without chemical treatment. Instead of burning freely when touched by flame, wool chars and stops burning when it is removed from the source of the flame. Wool is self-extinguishing; it will not support combustion. This is why wool blankets are recommended for use in extinguishing small fires. 

Amazing eh!

Happy Tuesday,

gudrun

Quilting a 36 patch

The season is the reason I have been absent from the blogosphere :)) I am having
a wonderful summer. I try to spend as much of it outside as possible, and on vacation
as much as I can get away.  I spent two weeks visiting a friend, a couple of weekends
on Georgian Bay sailing, have had friends for weekends and just have not had
time for media. ( Except for the radio.)  I am back, the season is winding down...work waited only
a little while.
 Look at this delight.

I like scrappy and this is great pattern for scraps.  The 9 patch blocks are 3.5" .  This lovely 4x9 patch,  uses a solid soft beige in the plain blocks. The result is surprisingly restful.

 I am off to do a little more gardening, it's perennial dividing and conquering time on southern Georgian Bay.

Happy Sunny Tuesday,

gudrun

New York Beauties

Another  New York Beauty I  had the pleasure of quilting.  There are folded fabric points in the construction method.  This does not allow for quilting edge to edge.

The second picture shows what I mean. I used a grey thread with a shine.  I was surprised at how

much the thread blended into the colours making it a challenge to see.
Pictures of previous NYB I  quilted.....

 







Sew...I need to finish the one I have started constructing. Of course I have no intention of setting the blocks like the quilts above. Although how to set them,  is yet to be determined.
gudrun

Preserves

It's been an exceptional year for rhubarb.  This year I made 18 - 1 cup jars of various versions of rhubarb jam...rhubarb & blueberries,  rhubarb & cherries and everyones' favourite rhubarb & strawberries.  

The strawberries where fresh, the blueberries frozen and the cherries where  a can of pie filling.  I don't use pectin,  half the usual amount of sugar,  Knox brand gelatin and yes I put glass jars in the freezer. 

 So I am thinking I can't really call this jam.   The jam police say it doesn't have enough sugar (and what's with the gelatin) to call it jam....fruit spread?  Fruit compote? 

Well let me assure you the fruit compote spread is yummy, especially on ice cream and perhaps  a waffle.

gudrun

Vacation Time

I am a fortunate person, able to have a summer vacation in a very beautiful place.  Have a look...

 I call this spot Baby Bear Bay, two years ago we were fortunate to see a wee brown bear here...from the safety of the sailboat  :))  This is the view off the the bow, and below is the view from the stern.  An old non functioning light house, of course I call this as Old Lighthouse point.  You are looking at places on northern Georgian Bay known for its 30,000 islands.  So who counted them, and when,  and should they be counted again? Water level in the Bay is down  significantly. I know of at least one more island that has arisen in the last couple years

  

Stay cool,

gudrun

SURE FOOTED GEORGE

It's a good thing George is a cat, because the railing on this upper deck is not to code, it's only
about 2 feet high.  I am not sure what I would do with this upper deck if we had youngsters living here.
gudrun

Baby Quilts

Good Day from a very warm  Ontario. A perfect day to stay put and do quiet things.

  I quilted this wee quilt with spirals in the body, and continuous curves in the border.  Apparently in the corners where I did the arcs to finish, one corner has more arcs....sheesh.  Better an extra (which can be removed) then not enough I say  :))

This is a quilt I made for a couple expecting their first. The papa was a favourite school teacher of my children.  The baby arrived a few days ago,  the quilt wrapped and ready is still sitting on the sideboard.  I am just not sure when it would be good to drop in on the new parents.
I don't care to phone ahead, as I don't wish to either visit or create anxiety by announcing that I am arriving.  I remember being a new mother. It was a long time ago, yet it feels like yesterday when I get to thinking about it.

This is my first attempt at a bargello style quilt. I see another one in my future.
I used what I learned from Jamie Walden's "ThreadFusion" to quilt a hearts  meander on it.  I neglected to take a 'back' picture, ha  I am not unwrapping it to do so,  the back is a turquoise blue with multi coloured hearts.
Happy Hump Day
gudrun

Quilt Guild Auction

Last February,  I had the pleasure of doing a happy dance when I acquired a stack of fabric for a stack of pennies.

This past Guild meeting I bought another stack of fabric, for a stack of dollars, but a bargain all the same.  This lovely Hawaiian batik was among my bargains  (yummy yes?!) a couple of audio tapes (silly me I 've heard them).  I also took The Canadian Quilters, summer 2010 from the Guild library.  I really like this magazine,  and  I think this last issue is great. 

         I don't have summer sewing plans in place....I always have projects it is a matter of choosing and getting on with it.

Happy Summer.
gudrun