Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Travel

I've had a busy couple of weeks, packing last week for my SAQA retreat weekend and following that, a visit to an ancestral homestead in Halifax, NS.

It was built in 1825 and once sat on about 1000 acres which has since been appropriated by the city, except for 4 1/2 acres. There is now a B&B run by a distant cousin in the historical house.

I went there on Sunday to stay a night and hear the stories about of my relatives.

This is the original ice house.

Notice the present day house in the background. It is a little historic oasis in the muddle of suburbia.

Part of the property is leased for an urban garden.

And there are walking paths.

It was a lovely trip down memory lane for me.

Yesterday, was an unpacking, washing and generally catching up kind of day.

I did take some time to relax in the sewing studio, playing with a painted fabric from earlier this fall.

 

I cut up a couple of pieces, added a stabilizer and did some free motion loose outlining in black.

I've got a couple of small gifts in mind. I love doing these things. It's so fun to be relaxed because they're not serious big pieces and I can play.

After putting strips on each end, I decided to do the leaves with a heavier thread in the bobbin for the green wandering leaves. They are stitched from the back.

 

The 1st piece is a little hanging . I've sewn tiny beads in the flower centres.

 

The second piece will be a small sewing kit. I'm going to add French knots to the centres.

Pure and simple fun.

 

4 comments:

Sandi said...

How lucky are you to have a piece of history attached to your family and still have a connection ro it. Both sides of my family did it arrive in Canada until around 1910. One settled in Winnipeg Manitoba and the other in Cabri, Saskatchewan near to Swift Current. That family also considered living in Minot North Dakota about 600 km away. What a different like that may have been for us.

Mary Ann Tate said...

As a family tree addict I am so jealous...LOL To actually visit an old family site would be amazing.

Your stitching piece is beautiful.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful place to spend a weekend and explore. Loving your thread play.

Mereknits said...

Sounds like a wonderful trip Holly, love your stitching.