Christmas decorating and sewing

 

 

Today is the day we become first time grandparents! I've been keeping busy while I wait. This morning, I was outside finishing my arrangement for the front and starting one for the back.

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I need a bit more foam for this one.

I've also finished all my Christmas gifts.  

Then I pulled out the poinsettia runner that I started last year. The black free motion stitching really makes a difference.

There are four sections to do and the sandwiching and quilting. I may not do much more than the black. Maybe a little sparkle.  

Gifts things

While I'm waiting for grandbaby to make an appearance into the world, I'm sewing, decorating and baking. It looks like my shoulder surgery may end up in December so I need to be ready. Yesterday, I put out my santas.

Then this morning, I got out a few snowmen.

I finished up a little zippered baguette.

I cut out two more if the smallest and started them.

The second one.

I'm keeping this short as I'm testing a new blogger App.

Little things

It's a grey wet day here today, mild at least. My deck lights that come on at dusk came on shortly after lunch. 

I spritz mopped a floor this morning, did a wash, got supper in the crock pot (two pork loins- one for us and one to slice to take for my daughter), and went out on an errand. Hubbies birthday tomorrow! We met for lunch as he had to go out to get his driver's license renewed.

 I've had the afternoon to myself and kind of hoped to do some mono printing on fabric but I got tired. Instead I sat and finished a pillowcase.

Of course, I stitched the first one backwards for the French seam. Managed to get the second one right.

These are our guild's project for the children's oncology ward.

I've just finished a pair of mitts, for me.

Since I was too tired to get set up for printing, I at least did some drawing 

 Then I cut some fabric and ironed them on freezer paper.

 Now I'm all set for some mono printing when I'm up to it.

Baby quilt

In case you wonder where I've been and what I'm doing, I can say that I've been out sketching and lots of ideas are percolating.

However, my daughter is due this week and I'm just finishing the baby quilt! I got the last row on today and I cut the narrow gray borders. While I do enjoy Quilting something this size, time is of the essence so I'll send it out to a local lady.

 As I was ironing the fabric, I noticed the lights on the deck blink on. They're set to come on at dusk. It was barely 4:30.

 

The next month leading into the winter solstice will be like that. The lights will cheer me though and after December 28th, we start to notice the minutes of daylight added to our days.

The only leaves still clinging to the trees are the apple tree leaves. They're always the last.

Hopefully, soon I will have some time for some fiber art. It is a special week, though, celebrating my husband's birthday, awaiting our first grandchild and remembering my oldest son's birthday next week.

Happy Monday all.

Thermofax screens

When my husband and I drove over to the trail today, we stopped at the mailbox and my thermofax screens were there.

I'm so thrilled! They will be used in many future projects. The larger ones are about 5" by 7". I wanted to see how they would turn out before ordering some larger ones.

I love the patterns that resulted from my original single doodles.

We gathered a few branches which I strung onto two corners of my deck. No going across the rail this year. I'm keeping it simple. They will have pinecones, a bow, and snowflake lights added though. Between my daughter who is expecting in two weeks and my pending shoulder surgery, I thought I'd get a few things done early.

Last year, My husband wired them up to a timer that put them on at dusk and off at 11:00PM. It was encouraging to see the light up time get a little later each week in the winter.

I've just made myself a cocoa chai tea- my invention- and I'm heading to the studio. Start with almond milk, heated. Steep with a chai tea, add dark cocoa, honey to taste and cinnamon.

 

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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.

 

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Gelli print pouch

My intention this week was to do more painting and monoprinting but there were things in the house that needed to be done which I did yesterday while it rained. On the nice days, like today, I've been cleaning up the garden and picking the last veggies before the ground freezes.

I've still got a pot of Swiss chard on the deck. Plan to make a sausage, tomato soup with it tomorrow.

I've been slowly finishing little bits of sewing-- a binding-- and I started this little zippered pouch.

I used a Gelli print accented quickly with free motion stitching in black. All that's left to do is to sew the fabric that you see behind. It wraps around to the front and is top stitched down.

I've used the pattern many times. It's very easy, is useful and makes a nice gift. It would be great for jewellery or other little things for the non sewer. I love to use some of my work this way.

It's a bit sad to say good bye to the garden while at the same time satisfying to pick the last bits, weed and add compost for next year. We have two full compost bins which I've been slowly emptying this week. I'm writing this on the deck but as it's nearing 4:00pm and the sun is sinking, the air is cooling. Deck time is coming to an end.

One good thing about our four seasons is that there's always something new to look forward to. Trail walks and eventually snow shoeing. I'm hoping to be able to do a little this year. We'll see. The hip is great. Other joints are giving me some problems. I'm hoping for the best.

 

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