Completed purse!

Over the weekend I finished the purse!  Yay!  Had to take pictures in a hurry because the person who commissioned it dropped in unexpectedly and I wanted her to take it with her when she left.

Today's quote is from an unknown source... "The ornament of a house is the friends that frequent it"

Final section!

This afternoon I finished the final section on the crazy quilted purse (and have even managed to get some of it sewn together).  Here is the last section...

Today I have chosen a quote from Joe Cordare.... "To the question of your life you are the answer, and to the problems of your life you are the solution"

Sights and a site

For today, I thought you might like to see the view I am seeing this afternoon from my studio window.  There has been a little break in the clouds and dullness and the sun broke through long enough for me to grab a couple of pictures.

This tree is almost directly across from my window.  There is a paved path that runs from the roadway and beneath these trees and from there along the river to the downtown core of our town.





In the picture below you can get a better sense of the river and walkway.

I have also completed the third section for the crazy quilted purse.  Three down, one more to go!!












Today the quote is from an unknown source.... "You know why it's hard to be happy?  It's because we refuse to let go of the things that make us sad"

Pictures, albeit mediocre!

Yes, today I have a couple of pictures for you.  Yesterday we had to be up at dark-thirty in the morning to take s-i-l to her medical appointment and there was a beautiful sunrise.  This picture absolutely doesn't do it justice...

My evening knitting has produced what my crazy quilted teddy is sporting - it's a baby-sized balaclava (the first of two I plan to make). 

The pattern is the 'Cozy Bay Hood' by Patons and is a free one.  I found it on the AllFreeKnitting site.  1 ball of Patons Astra yarn is enough for the small sized hat.




Today the quote is from Bruce Lee...."Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own"

No pictures, but some satisfaction....

I'm sorry to say there are no pictures to be seen on this blog today.  I apologize profusely for being remiss in that regard, but perhaps I can be forgiven if I tell you that it was because we were taking my s-i-l to a medical appointment and that I haven't been home since dark-thirty this morning. 

The astute among you might (or, more likely, might not!) have noticed the sudden disappearance of the BlogLovin button in my sidebar.  Those of you who read my rant about them last week might even have been expecting it.  Yes, the bloom is off the romance, the divorce papers were filed and it's over, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

To recap....for weeks now bloglovin has been driving me nuts.  It wouldn't let me mark blogs as having been read and I was ending up have to check each blog each and every time I signed in to see if there had been anything new posted since I last visited.  Then it went through a period where it wouldn't let me sign out of the site and continually demanded that I update my profile.  To what?  Why?  Well, then it decided that signing out at all, update or not, was not doable.  Oh, and maybe later in the day all would be back to normal, leading one to think that the fart it was holding crosswise had been released.  Nope...it wasn't to last, and the next time I visited it would be back to being grumpy.  Repeated emails (and postings on their site) were ignored.

 I asked for suggestions for a new feeder in one of my posts last week and received several suggestions (thank you!).  Deepa suggested one called 'Inoreader' and I checked it out, along with all of the other ones that were mentioned.  Inoreader had really good reviews and, seemingly, has a good customer support system in place.  It is very much like the old Blogger feed used to be and, so far, I like it.  Thank you Deepa for telling me about it.

Hopefully this blog will return to the regularly scheduled mumblings tomorrow, but in the meantime I will leave you with another quote from Anne Lamott...  "I do not understand the mystery of grace, only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us"

Giving thanks, embroidering, and crocheting

First of all, I want to extend best wishes for a very happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends.  It's a good time to pause and take a few moments to reflect on the blessings each and every one of us has in our lives and to hopefully enjoy some time with family and friends. 

I've been working away in my studio and have completed another section of the current purse I'm making, as you can see in this picture...

Sorry to say it's not a very good photo because it's dull and dreary here today which doesn't make for great pictures.

The piece on the right has been my 'evening-tv-viewing-time' project for the past week.  It's crocheted using fine cotton and is destined to be a Christmas gift, along with a nice candle.

For those who might be interested, I found the pattern on Ravelry..."Rose Doily #804". 


Today's quote is from an unknown writer.... "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words"

More crazy quilting

Today I do have a picture for you to see!  This is one section of the purse I'm working on that was completed this afternoon...

One down, three more to go!

The quote today is from Susan Harris.... "Anyone can be happy when times are good; the richer experience is to be happy when times are not"

another announcement

Today's quote is from Elie Wiesel.... " When we die and go to heaven, our Maker is not going to say, why didn't you discover the cure for such and such?  The only thing we're going to be asked at that precious moment is why didn't you become you?"

More embroidery on black

Now, on to the pictures for this post.  I'm currently working on another crazy quilted purse which has been commissioned for Christmas.  Thought you might like to see some of the seam treatments I've done so far....many of them are designs created by Pam Kellogg of Kitty and Me Designs, some were using the stencils that Sharron Boggon sells and some came out of my head (ouch!).

Today the quote is from an anonymous source.... "Let the beauty of what you love be what you do"

A few days of activity

Sorry, folks, about being somewhat missing around my blog but we actually have had several things on the go.  Thought I'd just do a post of pictures with minimal explanation....

A 30 lb. pumpkin = 10 pies and a large pot of THIS soup!

A trip up north to collect our winter's supply of fresh cranberries from the marsh = a stop in Bala to see the water going over the dam.

Same trip = some beautiful leaves.

And beautiful trees.

And a beaver dam.

And finally, a finished baby blankie - knitted, with a crocheted border.

Today's quote is from Joseph Addison.... "Three grand essentials in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for"

I am slowly going crazy - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 1, switch

Crazy slowly am I going!!

Bloglovin' is doing its best to drive me round the proverbial bend (which some would say doesn't take much).  I have been having 'issues' with my feeder for over a week now and it's getting frustrating beyond the extreme.  I posted a query about it on their site and my question, although it obviously went through, completely disappeared.  Tonight I posted yet again and guess where it showed up?  On facebook.  Ummmm.....last I checked in my Funk & Wagnall's  bloglovin and facebook weren't spelled the same.  I haven't changed my settings and have NO clue why they aren't wanting to play nicely.

- I can't mark any of the blogs as being read (once I've done so) - that's beyond annoying because I end up going back and rereading things I have already seen - several times over by now.

- I can't sign out of the site - it keeps telling me to update my profile.  I'd be more than happy to do so, but there's nowhere to update anything, even if I wanted to.

- I can't add any new blogs to the feeder 

SO....

Does anybody know of another feeder

that works well??

The marriage is over.

The romance is gone.

Today's quote (very fittingly) is from Sam Goldwyn....  "This makes me so sore it gets my dandruff up"

Around the World Blog Hop

Today I'm joining in with the other bloggers who are hopping around the world visiting blogs and getting to know one another. This Blog Hop is similar to a chain winding its way through the internet.  Follow the links backwards to see who came before me and then forwards to the people that I tag for next week. 

The premise behind the hop is that you receive an invitation from someone that asks you to post your answers to four questions and you, in turn, ask three bloggers to do the same on the Monday of the following week.  Visitors can then visit the blogger that invited you, as well as the three that you send them to.  From there you can branch out and follow links,both backwards and forwards,to blogs throughout the world.  It's a great way to 'meet' new people and find blogs that are interesting to you, as well as to increase readership to your own blog.  Kind of like a chain letter but with none of the threats of the dire consequences that might befall you if you don't send the tea towel, recipe or whatever else they might be wanting.  Nobody likes those!

I received an invitation from Lyn of Linie Cat at Large to play along.  Lyn's blog is funny and informative and covers many different aspects of her life.  She's creative and writes about her work as well as posting really interesting things about the places she visits and often about the history of the area.  I will unashamably snitch a picture from her blog to show you one of her art pieces...

Now, on to the questions....

1.  What am I working on?

Many of you know that I am primarily a crazy quilter.  It's something I am passionate about and spend pretty much all my waking hours doing.  I usually have several different projects on the go at any given time.  I never get bored that way!   Currently I have three things on my work table.  The first is the second white cloth that I'm creating with guidance from Karen Ruane's online classes.  This is not done in the crazy quilt style, but I can't resist adding some elements of it.

This is definitely a work in progress!  The photo above

is the whole cloth, in the process of being put together.

And below is a closeup of one of the sections

of the cloth.

Another of my passions is to read books about organization.  Yes, I read them....but application of what I read is an entirely different matter!  After seeing some examples of hussifs online I decided that I needed one to keep my sewing tools readily at hand and easily portable.  After pondering awhile and deciding just what I wanted my hussif to hold, I created a pattern and this is what I came up with...

 To the left you can see it folded, and below you can see it opened out. 

Each hussif is folded in thirds so there's lots of room inside for holding the things we like to stitch with.

If I thought one hussif was good, so two must be even better...right?  

The front in the photo to the right....

And below, the inside.

So how come I just pieced a THIRD one???  What woman in her right mind needs THREE hussifs? 

This one actually started with a stash-diving expedition looking for something else and discovering that I had a number of rose-themed pieces that I had been hoarding for far too long.  The plan (and I DO have one) is to make another hussif and change the pattern to also include a purse that will not only hold the hussif inside, but also some larger tools and an in-process project.

I also enjoy knitting and crocheting and the time I spend in front of the tv in the evenings is never wasted.  I'm currently working on a knitted baby blanket as you can see....

2.  How does my work differ from others of its genre?

This is a question I seriously can't answer.  Crazy quilters are a breed all unto their own and what differs between us is the access we have to supplies and embellishments.  In my area there are no stores where I can go to purchase the things I like to use and I have to rely on thrift store expeditions and yard sales.  Putting 'the word' out to my friends and family has yielded a lot of my stash, as well as inheriting bits from my grandmothers and my mother.  My work combines common embroidery stitches which I like to augment with the use of waste canvas to add cross stitched patterns.  Having a stash of things like beads, buttons and broken jewelry helps too.

One of the purses I have made.

 

3.  Why do I write/create what I do?

Having a peek around at some of the other blogs on the tour shows that we all feel pretty much the same.  I need to create - I'm not happy unless I spend at least part of each day with needle and thread in hand.  It's a compulsion and  I'm driven to do what I do and simply can't imagine not being able to stitch.  It's a passion, deep within, that refuses to go away.  I like the recycling aspect of crazy quilting  and the connection with generations past who made their quilts using whatever they had at hand.  Crazy quilting is much the same because I use scraps of fabrics, many of them thrifted, and oddments of things that might otherwise be headed to the landfill.  I like being able to keep memories of favourite pieces of clothing alive by using bits of them in my work and using things like a lonely earring that has lost its mate.  Giving new life to things that would normally be discarded gives me great pleasure. 

 I also love to work with recycled denim.

This is one of my crazy-quilt inspired jackets.

4.  How does my writing/creating process work?

My work tends to just evolve with no forethought on my part.  I often pull some coordinating fabrics from my stash if I have a colour scheme in mind and work from those.  The embroidery and embellishments I use are decided upon as I go along.  Sometimes a piece of work will be inspired by something I find in my stash of embellishments (like the rose-themed piece shown above).  Sometimes I will decide on a theme and what I use will be selected with that in mind.  Once I piece the background the fun begins and I just play with ideas and elements until I come up with something that works.

Another of my purses, with recycled denim this time.

Thanks to Lyn for inviting me to play and thanks to you all for reading this far!

I will leave you with a quote from Joseph Newton.... "We cannot tell what may happen to us in the strange medley of life.  But we can decide what happens in us--how we take it, what we do with it--and that is what really counts in the end"

bloglovin issues?

Just a quick question before I do my Around the World Blog Hop post....is anyone else having issues with your Bloglovin feed?  For some reason I can't mark any of the posts as read nor can I sign out of the site.  It keeps cycling me back wanting me to update my profile (which I've done).  Am I the only one?

on the road again

It seems like the past week or so we've done nothing but run the roads for various reasons, which translates into precious little getting done in the way of things I'm able to show you.  

So....because I don't have anything to mumble about either, I will give you a few little smiles to brighten your day...

Hopefully one of those will tickle your funny bone, and I will leave you with a quote from William Arthur Ward.... "God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say 'thank you'?"

Stay tuned for my Around the World Blog Hop post on Monday!

Flavours of Fall

When we were away we were able to sample some produce that had been put through a dehydrator and we promptly went out and bought one for ourselves.  Since then DH has been happily playing with it and these jars are some of the results....

Each of these jars holds approximately twenty plum tomatoes, believe it or not!  They are SO sweet and full of tomato flavour and it's hard not to keep snacking on them til they're all gone.  They'll be a tasty addition to salads over the winter (if they last that long!). 

Today's quote is from an unknown source.... "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least"

A new project

As if I need to start anything else (!), yesterday I pieced together a new hussif.  When I was going through my stash a little while ago I realized I had several things that had the theme of roses and set them aside to ponder what I might make to use them.  I could, of course, have simply made a crazy quilted block but that didn't serve a useful purpose.  The main colour theme (white) didn't lend itself to making a purse because that simply wouldn't be practical (at least for slobby me!!).  My mind kept turning to a hussif with a matching purse that would serve to carry extra sewing goodies that wouldn't fit into the hussif itself.  Perhaps the purse could be large enough to also carry an in-process project too.  Hmmmm..... ponder, ponder. 

Well, all that pondering has led to me starting another hussif.  This one will be different from the others I've done.  I plan to make the inside more detailed with lots and lots of roses embroidered everywhere. 

This is the left side of my hussif (it's a three-fold 'book').  

And this is the right side.

I had several rose-themed hankies in my stash so I was able to use them in this project.  I have a collection of rose brooches and such that I plan to include, as well as embroider lots of roses.





For those of you who are new to my blog, perhaps you might like to see my other two hussifs, so click on 'Crazy Quilting' in my sidebar and it will take you to my projects.  A scroll through will yield pics of the hussifs. 

Today, the quote is from Winnie the Pooh.... "What day is it?" asked Pooh.  "It's today." squeaked Piglet.  "My favourite day." said Pooh.

I actually did do some stitching today, but haven't taken photos as yet, so I will share a picture of the delicious supper our #2 son made for us when he was home.  And, before you ask, yes he made those buns - from scratch!



EDITED TO ADD:  For those of you who asked, there was tomato sauce, zucchini, cheese, and the eggs were poached in the liquid.  There might have been other ingredients too, but I wasn't privvy to the cooking process!!  Served over quinoa. 


Thought I'd also tell you about a very interesting article I found on Studio Kat's blog.  She discusses doing more of what you love, which will lead to a happier life.  I thought it was worth sharing with you, so go HERE to read it. 

Today the quote is from Tama Kieves.... "You can't cling to the old nest and soar to the flowering branches at the same time"

Absence explained, and tarnished silver

Sorry about being AWOL from my blog for a few days but we've been enjoyed a nice visit with our #2 son and daughter-in-love who live in BC.  They decided to fly home for a wedding and we got to have them with us for three whole days!  Needless to say the computer was the furthest thing from my mind!




Here they are, having fun, with the tree they planted at
their wedding.












Thought you might like to see my current 'collection' of tarnished silver pieces.  The piece on the left has a lovely lid so it's perfect to hold my sewing pins.  The rest are holding assorted pencils, scissors and such.  Would love to stumble across a large coffee pot that could be turned into a lamp.  I'm sure I'll find one someday!


Today the quote is from Martin Luther King.... "If a man hasn't discovered something that he would die for, he isn't fit to live"

I'm b-a-c-k!!!

Well, actually I've been back since Wednesday night, but had a ton of catching up to do so haven't had much time to be on the computer.We had a lovely time - very laid back.  So nice to not have to rush anywhere or do anything on any sort of schedule.  The weather was perfect which was a nice bonus as well. 

We had Irish coffee on our balcony outside our room.

We saw this view from the balcony.

 

We hiked on a trail.

 

We sat on this incredible beach.

 

We ate breakfasts that looked like this.

 

And, when we came home we made these.

 

The quote for today is from Anne Morrow Lindbergh.... "If you let yourself be absorbed completely, if you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly in those moments"