Progress & 'Teers

I have accomplished another little section on my summer pillow cover, which you can see here...

Yesterday was our monthly CQTeers meeting and we had been challenged last month by Irene  to 'do something' with the hats she gave us.  It's always fun to see what the three of us manage to come up with and this challenge was no exception.

Here is Irene (who issued the challenge)

modeling her chic cloche...

and here is Sue, looking ever

so spring-like in her creation...

and I, being a rebel, HAD to

do something radically different...

I never wear a hat (unless it's frigid cold and I might be 

convinced to find a toque and put it on).  I removed the

stiffening in the brim and then wondered what I 

could use it for.  Some embroidery was added

and it became a plant holder.  

Hmmm.....not quite what Irene intended perhaps?

For those who might be curious, the basic hats we

were given all looked like the base in Sue's creation.

Here's another of the entries from my mothers' autograph book; this one dated Feb 27, 1939...

Many are sure in this book to write,

perhaps words of love to thee indite,

but for loving wishes for future bliss,

sure none will beat the writer of this.

Pillow cover progress

So far I have added one element to my summer-themed pillow cover...

Looking at the photo, it appears as though the lighthouse has 'wings'.  Hmm....must add another cloud to mask that!

For today's quote (and perhaps for another little series) I will share with you one of the poems that my mother wrote...

I wonder as I dream tonight

In this poetic way
Will this find a place among

My dreams of yesterday.

Tis thrice we met since those long years

When another love held sway

Surely can't be love that now

Makes me feel this way.

It seems I need a shoulder

Someone who will lend 

The comfort of a hand on mine

True value of a friend.

But these are only dreams it seems

On foundations not to last

Surely there will come a day

Unfounded by the past.

It's true my heart is empty

But tis not made of stone

And I can find no recompense

Within the bounds of home.

Having fun!

This afternoon I've been having fun, while I sit here and listen to the ice pellets hitting my sewing room window.  Instead of worrying about what's happening outside, I've been thinking of summer and piecing my next pillow cover.  In case you are new here, I am making removable seasonal covers for a pillow we keep on our couch.  So far I've completed winter, spring, fall, and Christmas.  

I just finished mounting the summer base onto my embroidery frame and will be able to start stitching later on.

There was a lot of fussy cutting of fabrics in order to get this looking the way I envisioned (or at least close to it).  Hindsight being what it is I now wish I had flipped the bottom two pieces of the 'water' but there's no way I'm taking it apart at this point!  

Now where did I put that sailboat pattern?......

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I am not apt to be posting over the weekend, so I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and blessed Easter.

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Here's another piece from the autograph book (dated July 1, 1939)...

Life is like a journey

Taken on a train

With a traveler at each window pane.

I may sit beside you all the journey through,

Or I may sit elsewhere,

never knowing you.

But if fate should place me at your side

Let's be pleasant travelers,

Life's so short a ride.  

Some mumblings

And, because everyone likes a picture....

Another entry from the autograph book; this one dated Feb. 24, 1938...

Those who love gardens seem to have such simple needs -

Good earth, fair wind, and sun and rain,

Tools, plants and seeds.

Those who love houses seem to find

The joy that springs

From chintz and oak, and pots and pans,

and homely things.

Those who love life need only ask

the sky above,

a roof, a bed, and daily bread

and lasting love.

Spring pillow cover

Over the weekend I put the finishing touches on my spring-themed pillow cover.  Many of you might remember seeing this piece in progress on my blog earlier.  I thought, being that the first day of spring has arrived, that it was time to put it on display.  Now I have to get busy and do a summer cover.

Here's another in the series from my mother's autograph book; this one is dated July 17, 1938...

At first I thought it hard to see

What life was really meant to be.

Sometimes I thought it simply grand,

Again so hard to understand.

Then I happened to discover,

That all are out to kid each other,

and now since I have found that out,

I think I know what life's about.

Baby announcements!

Over the weekend #2 son and daughter-in-love posted this on facebook...

This was their announcement to their friends - presented very aptly by 'big brothers' Stewie (the cat) and Kumo (the dog).  I couldn't resist sharing it with you.

Our big road trip out there to spend some time with them after baby arrives in September will be also a way to take the cradle that was made for our boys by my dad over 30 years ago.  At that time my dad was helping out at the local auction house and was the recipient of some beautiful wood after the auction people managed to destroy an old wooden organ when it fell off their truck during transport.  Their loss was his gain, and he created this beautiful cradle...

Here's another of the autograph book entries, dated Jan. 25, 1940...

What makes life worth living

is our giving and forgiving.

Giving tiny bits of kindness

that will leave a joy behind us

and forgiving trifles

that the right word often stifles.

For the little things are bigger 

than we often stop to figure.

What makes life worth living

is the giving and forgiving.

A finish!

This afternoon I finished the little wall hanging project and thought it would be a perfect day to show you because it's bordered with green  (happy St. Patrick's Day!).  

Of course it was yet another dull day here, so photos aren't that great, but at least you can see what I did.  The pretty fabric blocks were made using a set of Moda 2 1/2" fabrics that I won from Baa and I added extra plain embroidered flower blocks.  There were enough fabric squares left over to make the prairie points in the lower corner.   I quilted in-the-ditch and then added the buttons in the centre of the fabric blocks.  It measures approx. 20" square overall.

Here's another of the entries in the autograph book (this one is dated Aug. 19, 1938)...

It's easy enough to be happy 

when life flows along like a song,

but the person worthwhile

is the person that can smile

when everything goes dead wrong. 

A decision, and some progression too

Thank you to those of you who weighed in on the question of what colour to use for the embroideries to go along with these...

Grey seemed to be the one I felt happiest with and a search through my embroidery floss stash came up with a greenish-grey that seems perfect.  I didn't want an in-your-face colour that would detract too much from the fabrics and, since the flowers I'm embroidering are mostly ones found in the summer, I didn't want to limit myself to making it look too much like 'spring' (if that makes any sense whatsoever).  So, here's one of the flowers..

Hopefully you can tell the colour fairly well from the picture (although it's yet another dull day here and photos are difficult).  There will be seven different flowers - each embroidered in the redwork style and worked on a 4" square of fabric.  

Another of the entries that appeared in my mothers autograph book; this one dated Apr. 29, 1939...

All the luck the horseshoe ever stood for,

Every wish a wish-bone ever knew,

And by every four-leaf clover's magic,

I am wishing that it all may come to you.

Grande Plan or Grande Folly - you tell me!!

There you have it.  

The results of much floor-crawling,

pin-sticking,

and general mayhem.

Down and dirty,

thrown together,

use-it-up.

Done, and off the to-do list!

Even better? Reducing three big bags of

stash down to one!!

Another of the autograph book entries; this one dated June 2, 1931...

Life is mostly froth and bubble,

Two things stand like stone

Kindness in another's trouble

Courage in your own.

A new project begins

I recently received a wonderful package of treasures I was lucky enough to win in a giveaway from Baas Amazing Adventures.  In the parcel was a little packet of 2 1/2" Moda squares which immediately sparked a 'plan'.  (oh...and speaking of 'plans' - the Grande Plan is done, but pictures would have been as dismal as the weather has been today.  Hoping for sun tomorrow so I can show you how it turned out.).  

Anyway....

The latest plan is to sew together the little squares and then add some plain blocks to them to end up with a wallhanging.  I plan to embroider flowers in the plain blocks - sort of with a redwork-ish look.  

Here are the blocks...

I made prairie points from the leftover squares and plan to put those on the border.  Now, I have a question for y'all and would like your input as to what colour you think I should use to embroider the flowers?  I don't think red is quite what I want to use because I think it would overpower the pretty fabrics.  Black is too stark I think.  What do you think of grey?  Or do you have another suggestion you think would work?  I just want to use one colour throughout so whatever it is will have to work with all the blocks.

Over to you!!

Here's another of the autograph book entries - this one dated Sept. 7, 1932...

Along life's road,

Where'ere it winds,

Light be thy load,

And many be thy friends.

Something a little different

The 'Grande Plan' project is continuing, but it's really rather boring, so I won't share further pictures until it's done (which should be this week if all goes well).  In the meantime, I finished a sweet little crocheted baby afghan for....drumroll.....our new expected grandbaby due to arrive the first part of September!!!!  Much excitement here and plans are in the works to drive out to see our #2 son & daughter-in-love and new baby...a trip of over four thousand kilometers.  Rather daunting prospect, but the reward  once we get there makes it SO worthwhile!  We've often talked about driving across Canada and now is our chance.

The pattern for this blanket is called 'Cable Puff & Lace' and was in the book 'Best of Terry Kimbrough - Baby Afghans'  published by Leisure Arts. The yarn is Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo in a soft grey.

Here's another of the autograph book entries, dated Aug. 1, 1929.... 

Who seeks for heaven alone to save his soul

May keep the path, but will not reach the goal,

While he who walks in love may wander far

Yet God will bring him where the blessed are.

I'm here

I know I've been awol this week and I do apologize to my faithful readership.  It's been one of those disjointed weeks where I fly in and out the door and don't have time for much else.  In my spare moments I have been making an effort to get the 'Grande Plan/Folly' up off the living room floor and that has been accomplished.  

This is what it looks like now....

The various pieces have been stitched down using one of the fancier stitches on my sewing machine (my machine is pretty basic, but there are a couple of nicer stitches to pick from).  The doilies are pinned down in this picture, ready for a trip to the machine as well.  

Above are a couple of close-ups of pieces I used.  The little girl hanging the laundry is from a laundry bag that I was given.  I absolutely adore her, but there were a number of stains which I managed to pretty much cover with some strategically placed 'bits'.  The butterfly was embroidered by my maternal grandmother.

Today the quote is from Herbert Swope.... "I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is:  Try to please everybody"

you asked...

A couple of you have asked for the bread recipe, so DH is more than happy to oblige...

Simple Kefir Bread

4 c. whole wheat or all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 T. honey

scant 2 c. kefir*

Combine flour and salt.  Add honey and

1 1/2 c. kefir to flour mixture.  Mix well

and add more kefir until dough is sticky

but pulls away from side of bowl.

Knead 5-10 mins.  Transfer to oiled

bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place

12-24 hours.  Punch down, place in 

loaf pan, cover and let rise until reaches the

top of pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 mins.

* Kefir is a type of yogurt that you can make at home.  You will need to purchase kefir grains to begin with (although I imagine you can buy kefir at any health food store and use it in this recipe).

There are many uses for kefir - we've been drinking it for breakfast (with the addition of a little bit of hazelnut liquid coffee creamer)...yum!   The probiotic benefits are incredible, but I'll warn you now - the stuff multiplies!!  

The Grande Plan/Folly continues, to the detriment of my creaky bones.  See?.....

Right now it looks like a blob with pins stuck in it!!

Another autograph, dated Jan. 26th, 1940....

When things don't go to suit you

And the world seems upside down

Don't waste your time in fretting

But drive away that frown

Since life is so perplexing

It's now the wisest plan

To bear all trials bravely

And smile whenever you can

I'm so hot

And no, I'm not referring to my looks (get your minds out of the gutter!!).  I have spent most of the afternoon slaving over a hot iron (and if you think I'm ironing clothes, you're definitely way off base!) and crawling about on the living room floor.  
Yep, the Grande Plan (or grand folly, depending on what happens next) has begun.  I have pictures.  

These piles (and more besides) are being transformed.

Queen sized sheet,lying on living room floor (and before you ask, the wrinkles will be removed).

Below, a close-up of the beginnings...

There will be bits and pieces of fabrics, vintage and otherwise; bits of things that were made by my grandmother and other bits garnered from friends.  There will be doilies.  And there will be bits of tablecloths.  There will be lace.  And tatting.  

My chiropractor is  going to love me, 

once he finishes yelling at me, that is.

And, just for a change of pace,

here's what DH is playing with this afternoon....

That lump of odd-looking goo is, fingers crossed, going to end up being bread.  We've been playing at making our own kefir and have discovered that it's VERY prolific and now we're on a constant quest to find uses for it.  There is no yeast in this bread - this is what it looks like after 'percolating' overnight. Much like sourdough I guess, but no sugar as there is in most sourdoughs.

Yet another of our experiments.

Another from the autograph book series, dated Dec. 17th 1940....

Forget you that I never will

As long as I can whistle

I might as well forget to yell

When sitting on a thistle

More pictures

I didn't get time today to lay out the 'Grande Plan' project so no pictures to share as yet.  So...in the meantime, how about a couple more ancestors?

The lady above, although named on the back, doesn't as yet fit into my family tree.The gentleman below seems to be wearing some sort of official vestment - but I have no idea what its significance might be.

Another in the autograph book series,dated Jan. 1940.... "Be discriminating in your charitable impulses.  After you have given a man a leg up in the world, you often find that the same leg turns around and kicks you"

At the brink

I put the last stitch in the latest secret project so you will soon be seeing something creative on this blog.  Mind you, the next project on my list is rather questionable!!  I may have mentioned previously that I have a 'Grande Plan' (imagine that said with an appropriate snooty air!!).  Said 'Plan' involves:

 - the lying of a queen-sized sheet on the living room floor (the only place in this apartment there is space for such an endeavor).  

- the opening of three large-ish bags of white 'bits' of fabrics/vintage pieces/doilies etc. and tossing the pieces in the general direction of the floored sheet

-  much crawling about on said floor arranging and most probably re-arranging all the bits  and even more crawling about pinning things down (hopefully not to the carpet!)

- hauling the lot to the sewing machine and sewing down, using one of my 'fancy' stitches 

- a visit to the chiropractor to re-align my knees

- standing back and deciding whether I've created something worthwhile, or something that looks like critter barf

The Plot Thickens!!

Another in the ancestor series.

I have no idea who this couple is unfortunately.

Here's another of the autograph book pieces, dated July 17, 1938...

You'll find there's nothing sweeter

Clear to the journey's end

Than one who understands you

A good and faithful friend

So here's the whole thing in a line

I'm glad I'm yours and you are mine

Series continuing

My secret stitch project is merrily happening in the background but I'm sorry to say it can't be shared quite yet.  In the meantime, I have two little photos for you to use in your art if you would like....

Both of these are relatives; above is Bella  (Isabella or Isabelle) Ganton and below is Marie Akhurst.

They are both my 1st cousins, two times removed.

I have mentioned a few times over the past week or so that my mother had tuberculosis and spent over three years in a hospital in Muskoka.  I was able to get a copy of the book 'The Plague and I' from the local library and read it over the weekend.  It was written by a patient who was hospitalized at the same time period as my mother (although the author only spent about a year undergoing care).  This book certainly gave me a lot of insight into the horrible 'treatments' that the patients had to undergo....including the barbaric practice of collapsing their lungs under the assumption that if the lung were collapsed it didn't have to work to breathe and therefore would help with healing.  It's no wonder the death rate was so high!!

Here's another of the autographs from Mom's book, this one dated 15/8/40.... 

The flowers rest in season

More loveliness to shed

You've only paused to gain

New strength for days ahead

You've only paused to learn of

The friendships warm and true

That make a loving shelter

In times like this for you

A case of mumbling

You can tell from the title of this post that there's nothing that's stitching that is allowed to be shown here at the moment.  Trust me, there is stitching happening though.

 I will 'reward' you with another in my free series of images...

This one shows my grandmother (Alice Myrtle (Vesey) Webster on the back right), her siblings, and her parents Reuben Vesey and Fannie (White) Vesey.  Alice, who went by her middle name of Myrtle, was born 1893 & died in 1965.  Reuben (1855-1921) and Fannie (1865-1930) and the siblings are Olive (1897-1962); William (1890-1955) Henry (1888-1943); Mary (1905-1969) and Clifford (1902-1964).  

Another of the old autograph book quotes - this one dated Oct. 16, 1938... "This busy world goes round and round and keeps one busy too, but never too much occupied for just a thought of you"

Old family photos

Here's another in my series of old family photos (feel free to snag them and use them in your creations!)...

 Another of the autograph book entries, this one dated July 2, 1939....  "The world, Dwight Morrow once wrote to his son, is divided into people who do things and people who get the credit.  Try if you can to belong to the first class.  There is far less competition"

One never knows....

Yep, one never knows what you'll find over here at Chez Magpie! Today it's this...

... our latest venture into the unknown.  

#2 son and daughter-in-love sent us kefir grains so we can make our own probiotic kefir.  We now have a couple of jars percolating on the back of the cupboard and a further couple of jars in the fridge ready for drinking and/or baking.  This morning we had some for breakfast with the addition of a little bit of Hazelnut  Coffee Creamer. We were told it tasted like ice cream and it's true!

In the top picture you can see the 'grains' in the bottom of the measuring cup and the bowl.  The jar holds the drained, and now drinkable, product.  The lower picture is a close-up of the grains.

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For those who might be interested, my little tablet is now up and running and connected to the internet (after a little hiccup that Computer Guru Ian dealt with).  Now I have another little black box (with sexy flashing blue lights) sitting on my desk that does mysterious wireless 'things' that magically lets my tablet access the internet.  Amazing!  Not only that, I am now re-training my fingers to type on a new (wireless) keyboard....funny how the letters can be in the same place but it feels totally foreign.  Oh yes, and there's a wireless mouse now too.  Phew!   Talk about advancing into the latest technology in one go.  Oh yeah  - and I had to go and buy a new power bar to be able to run all this 'stuff' and guess what?  It has blue lights too.  Cool.

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Here's another of the old family photos for you

to use in your art...

This is my great-grandmother.

Isn't that chair amazing?

Here's another of the entries in the old autograph book, dated Aug. 19, 1938.... "If instead of a gem or even a flower we could cast the gift of a lovely thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angles must give"