I have a new project!

I saw a program on tv where a group of ladies were taking plastic grocery and gift bags, cutting each one in one long strip about 2" wide and crocheting them into Grocery bags, or
makeup bags, any kind of bag you might need. I have started one and they work up quickly. I have all my family and friends saving plastic bags for me. I started at the top on one side
and will double crochet until I have enough to make a good sized bag by folding in half.

I will put strong handles on each side of the top - I think they will be handy for groceries and will recycle all the plastic bags we still get. I will post a picture when the bag is finished. I thought I might make 5 or 6 to carry when we buy our big order of groceries.

My dil also wants me to make some for her too. I thought you all might be interested. I haven't googled them, but I am sure they are on a website somewhere. I am just doing very simple ones. I think if I was going to make a travel makeup bag or a meds bag for travelling I would single crochet rather than double crochet. They are very light and I think they will be handy. I haven't decided how I will do the handles but will deal with that when I get to that stage.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I decided to join a Challenge on the Quilting Arts magazine so I will be working on both pieces for the next while. I have never entered my stuff anywhere but my friend Deb
talked me into it. It should be interesting.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is FINALLY + 4 C. First time we have been plus instead of minus for about 5 weeks.
We went shopping and it was quite pleasant, although still lots and lots of snow, especially
on the side streets. It sounds as if the bad weather we have had and the storms are heading south east.--------------We have our 5 year old for a sleepover tomorrow night
so that is going to be fun. I likely won't get much done - will likely work on the crochet bag as I like to be in the living room with Pat (dh) and Hayley (don't want to miss much!)

Well, now that I have drawn up my challenge, I think I will work on it for awhile. Talk to
you later! Shirley

"Fallen Leaves"

I finished my "Fallen Leaves" and I hope you like it!

I think I will give it to one of the winners of the draws on
Learningfa this next year. It is 33" x 22" .

I used a variegated green & rust thread for the green border
and am very happy with the result. I feel strongly that
the quilting on these wall hangings is nearly as important as making the center block - it really adds to the quilt.

Shirley

My followers

I apologize to those ladies who are "followers" of this blog. As the pictures of the followers on the side bar disappeared, I didn't realize the followers are still following this blog. I wrote to most of them and asked them to re sign up. Sheesh! Shirley!!! - I was sorting out my side bar and somehow lost the pictures. Oh well, this blog is a learning experience and I have learned to day not to
'jump the gun'. By the way, I hope, if you enjoy my blog, that you will sign up as a follower too. Shirley

Thought for the Day

" I have missed more that 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On
26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game's winning shot .... and missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why...... I succeed"

Michael Jordan

Hayley - this and that

We had a lovely time last night - the family got together at a restaurant for Hayley's fifth birthday. The staff sang happy birthday and gave her a piece of cake with a candle on it. She opened her presents and was a happy little girl. The time has flown by so quickly it is hard to believe 5 years have gone by
since she was born.

We have her coming over for a sleepover again on
Saturday night - we have lots of 'big plans' as she told her mother.

We are working on making necklaces and bracelets with
a kit we gave her for Christmas. She does very well.
She loves doing 'Art' with me and playing in the snow with Papa.
She loves coming here as there is always lots of fun.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been working on setting up a new Mystery quilt on the learningfa group - Noell, my good friend does the greatest mysteries. She has done one each year for our Big Sky retreat and they are wonderful. We have the data base open for new signups so if you
are interested, join the group by clicking on the side bar icon. The requirements for
fabric and cutting will be posted in the near future. The mystery will be finished in March.
---- We are also going to have a class on "How to make a fabric book" with Janet pretty soon and it should be a fun class too. We also will be having a repeat of the 'Prairie Points' class by Judith from Cdnquiltswappers, in the near future as well as lots of other great
classes which will be held in the next couple of months. Each 3 months, I will hold a draw
among the students who finish their projects and post photos, for one of my wall hangings.
Each of our classes are free.

I do enjoy our Learningfa group and it seems to be enjoyable for the members too - -------
--------------------------------------I am ready to put the backing, sleeve and border on my
'Fallen Leaves'. I haven't pushed myself to finish - in fact I have not worked on it very much this past week, but should get it finished this weekend.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am so sick of the winter weather - we are in a condo and the snow in the driveway is unbelievable. Finally they are bringing in some bob cats to clear it off the driving areas. I don't know where they plan on putting the snow though (hopefully they will truck it out). So slippery to walk and the side streets are very treacherous. It sounds as if bad weather
is happening all over so I hope everyone will keep safe, drive carefully, and stay warm.

Shirley

How much does your cut up fabric cost?

A good friend Joan of the Quilting on a Budget group - has an interesting post on what the real cost is of charms, rolls, fq's etc. I think this would be good information for everyone who quilts. Go to her group on the side bar. I think it is worth printing. She is amazing and her group is really excellent.
====================================================================
I lay down for a nap before going out for dinner for our Grand daughter's birthday and
got 4 telemarketers trying to sell me stuff - so maddening. I am going to have to contact the Canadian "Don't call me site" which just opened. You can register and be put on a list that bans most of them from calling your number. I am sure there must be one in the U.S. too.

========================================================================
It looks like a winter wonderland outside -frost on all the trees. It looks like all the branches are pale grey or white with the darker tree trunks. So beautiful.

I hope you all have a great evening. Shirley

My blog looks different

I have had been trying new layouts for my blog and finally decided I like this one - so will leave it for awhile. I don't want the background to overwhelm the blog - so I hope you like it. I would love comments on what I have chosen if you wouldn't mind taking the time.

I am slowly learning more and more about having a blog and it has been an interesting experience to say the least. I am going to try to work something on photo shop so that I can put in my signature - another adventure ! grin. I have only had mine for a few months and find that it is easiest to learn one thing at a time. My friend Deb has been a wonderful help in getting me started. Our learningfa group is going to have a blogger l0l class soon, where Chris Dahl helps us start our own blog. If you are interested - join learningfa and
go to the data base and sign up. There is a huge amount of interest in this class - we have
80 plus people signed up already for just this class- unbelievable.
===========================
The weather is warming up finally - but it sounds like snow will be coming over the weekend. It has been a very unusual winter, even for here.
===========================
We have a big day tomorrow . Our grand daughter is 5 years old! It is hard to believe -
the family is going out for dinner tomorrow night and later on she will have a birthday
party with her pre school friends and family friends. She is very excited. She just phoned
me to make sure we were coming tomorrow night. Such a joy! We only live l0 minutes away so we see her often. She is so bright and knows so much - she is wonderful on the
computer even now- her parents and my Husband and I spend a lot of time teaching her
works, figures and art and she is like a little sponge. Very independent and a very nice little girl.
===========================
Things are getting underway on the learningfa group -- I just sent out the lessons for
the Three fabric wall hanging, and when I receive some of the finished work I will post them here. We have had 50 new members this past month.

===========================
Thought for the day

"To love what you do and feel that it matters--- how could anything else be more fun?"
Katherine Graham

Thought for the day

"Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply
and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, "This is the
real me", and when you have found that attitude, follow it". William James

More about making my post cards

Here are some painted and thread painted cards I made while I was in my group.The black with gold
metallic thread and the one with white and
gold is quite
effective.










I loved doing the Northern
lights card and it was quite effective. I did 3 strips of them with 2 6" cards per strips.











-------------------------------------
I made these two cards the little mountain scene with the brown cabin, for some friends who were visiting me. I thread painted with a straight stitch, the mountains (not much detail) a little bit along the shore. Then I
painted a little house brown and thread painted the roof, bushes and tree. I started out
with a strip of fabric 4.5 wide and 13" wide and then finished them the way I did the abstract cards. It took about an hour ! My friends were tickled with them and when I visited one of their homes my postcards was still sitting on the mantel 2 years later.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fabric Postcards

There has been a lot of interest lately about fabric postcards. I just found a group of pictures which I used in a class I taught here in Calgary. I thought you might find them interesting.
Most are thread painted and you can see how effective they are. I also have a complete
set of abstract cards I made for Christmas and taught at a local guild.

I Started with a 13" x 19 " sheet of green fabric. The second picture shows the fabrics
that I auditioned for these abstract cards. I started by laying some pointsettas on the fabric the stitched them on the green fabric (with white thread in the bobbin. I proceeded to add more different
Christmas fabrics, lace, and ribbon as shown. Once I had all the different pieces attached to the green fabric, I used 505 or 404 spray and attached the piece to a l3"x 19" piece of
timtex (the heavey web you use for bowls.) I stitched around some of the embellishments to make sure they were well attached. I then placed the timtex and top on top of some
fairly good white or cream fabric (for the backs) using the spray again. ----I cut the piece into 4" x 6" postcards, very carefully. I then stitched around each card with satin stitch, or a fancy stitch. I have a stamp for a post card back, but when I taught this class I used a
archival ink pen to write what was needed on the back. This is a very quick way of making lovely cards. I ended up with 12 post cards - before sewing the last two cards around the edge, I cut them into 2" x 3" cards, finished them with a zig zag, attached a ribbon to one corner and used them as gift tags. I used this method every time I was in an abstract postcard swap, using different fabrics, etc. Here is the top of one set of postcards and gift tags I made for
a friend for her birthday which is before Christmas.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These cards are very very pretty and look like each was done individually. I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial. I will show some more ideas in my next post. Shirley

Thought for the Day!

"Achieving goals by themselves will never be enough to make you happy in the long term: it's who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that
gives you the deepest sense and most long-lasting sense of fulfillment" Tony Robins

Autumn leaves

I am quite happy with the green outside border . I did do some more cream bushes to give a contrast as the landscape is quite dark. I do like it though. I have quilted a strip up the center (vertical lines) and quilted the background trees. I also quilted the large tree at the back. I don't think I will quilt the inside of the tree - it will sit out quite nicely. I am really enoying doing this piece.

I hope to get the quilting finished today, although I want to make a quick trip to Fabricland (Canadian store) as they have 70% off most things. I want to pick up some 404 spray which is the permanent spray. (I also use 505 when I am deciding where to put things).
=======================================================================
As I mentioned yesterday - most of this piece was done with Stitch Witchery, I just love it. I understand Angelina fibers work very will with this product. It is so much easier to lay a piece of the SW and the lay the leaves (in this case) on top, then press it all to the background, then
use invisifil to tack the leaves down as well. If you look closely (click on picture) you can see that I added a few bushes here and there. This shows the same thing as the first picture but it is a bit more obvious.

=================================================================
I am having so much fun right now. We have over 370 people on the learningfa group and the new girls are so delighted with the group. My 3 fabric wall hanging class signup closes today and we have a large group signed up. Sometimes, in some classes we get up to
90 people signed up - unbelievable. We can handle that many as the classes are sent out in emails with pictures and instructions with each picture. I have all the classes for the spring on hand, ready to send out- check out the group as excellent classes are being offered in the next 3 months.-----------------------------

I am also really impressed with a group I discovered recently- Quilting on a budget..
Joan, the owner of the group belongs to my group and I belong to hers. Both groups aim for the same thing - to help quilters learn new things and keep the cost as low as possible.
I put it in the side bar. I also hope you will check out my friends, and interesting links in the side bar.
---------------------------------
Well, back to my quilting!!! Have a good day, everyone! Shirley

Thought for the Day!

"Know how to live within yourself: there is in your soul, a whole world of mysterious and enchanted thoughts ;they will be drowned by the noise without. daylight will drive them away; listen to their singing and be silent." Fyodor Tyutchev

'FALLEN LEAVES'

I just finished the center of a new wall hanging, and have one border on it, ready for a larger green border. I took pictures of the steps in making this wall hanging, and have
decided to show how I made this pretty wall hanging.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First of all, I wanted to have 3 main trees, so decided to paint them with acrylic paints and
textile medium. I drew three large (1.5 Inch strips for the foreground trees and 1"
strip for the background tree. I wet them, and dr0pped some dark purple along one of the sides of each of the trees. then added peach,brown and pearl cream to the trees. I set them aside to dry.
===============================================================
I chose a dark green patterned fabric for the background and then painted dark tree trunks on the fabric, and also appliqued some dark strips to represent trees onto the back ground.
I also painted some autumn colors in dark values to give
the impression of lots of trees onto the background.
I used a glue stick to hold them down.

This was the only place I didn't use Stitch Witchery
on this piece. (It was my first try with this product and I am really impressed with it. It will be a 'have to have'
in my quilting supplies.

Once I had the strips for the background trees stitched down, I then added some leave and shrubs in front of the trees.=======Now it is time to add the large trees. I added the narrower tree further back, and put bushes in front, then added the two larger trees with one closer to the foreground than the other. I had already laid a brown mottled fabric for the foreground. I then lay a piece of stitchwitchery on the lower portion of the picture, in front of the two large trees. I chose lots of bright colors for the leaves and fussy cut leaves from leaf fabrics and and red, rust, copper, beige, etc. I then placed them in front of the
large trees to cover the foreground. I then thread painted the big trees and thread painted bushes in the background as well as the branches for the trees.

















I then placed some branches on top of the leaves, squared off the landscape and put the first border on the wall hanging. I still have
a pretty green to use for the wider outside border. I will post the finished wall hanging when I have it quilted. I hope this tutorial was interesting . Please leave a comment if you liked it. Shirley
======================================

Thought for the day.

"Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special" Brian Dyson

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, productive and happy 2009. May all your dreams
come true - Shirley

Good morning!

The weather is not nearly as bad as it was that past 3 weeks. It is still cold but not bitter.

I finished binding and making the bag to hold 'The Three Sisters' so it is nice that it is done and I can go on with something else. I am debating what to start next - Seriously thinking of doing another wildflower quilt, using Alberta wild flowers in a fields, something like my
'Poppies and wildflowers' that I did last year. I had never done one like it before, and
I really enjoyed making it. The next picture for the series will likely be Mt. Rundle again as the one I just finished was a gift. I hope to do 5 or 6 of the Rockies over the next year.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our 'little one' spent the day with us yesterday. We worked on some 'Art' with Nana, and then she went outside with Papa and played in the huge snow drift right outside our
patio of our condo. She played outside for an hour and the two of them came in
completed covered with snow. She is coming for a sleepover on New Year's eve so that
her parents can celebrate the New Year together. We enjoy having her.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are taking a bit of a break on learningfa - we take the Christmas week off without
doing any classes, as everyone is so busy. I am looking forward to the classes we have
planned for 2009. One that will be very useful, is the beginner Quilting group by Deb- she will walk everyone through making a quilt from beginning to end and then follow up in the spring with instructions for quilting the finished top. There is lots of interest shown
for this class and I just posted it on learning fa.
---------------------------------------
Well, I think I will have another cup of coffee and decide what I am going to work on next.
Have a good day, everyone! Shirley

Thought for the Day!

" Count your blessings, not your crosses ------ Count your gains, not your losses -------Count your joy instead of woes, ----------Count your friends instead of your foes---------Count your health, not your wealth." Old Proverb

A Chinook arch arrived this morning!

which means a warm wind. The weather is now a great deal warmer. It is around 2 above C or approximately 32F. Much better after the bitter bitter weather we have been enduring here. I have posted pictures of Chinook arches previously but this one was really welcome-it is great to have the Chinooks in this part of Alberta - as it seems to give us a break.

I hope your weather, whereever it is bad, improves very soon.

Two of my recent works

I just finished a winter wall hanging for Debbie who is my 'daughter' (we decided l0 years ago that I was her second 'Mom" which is an honor indeed). I did this winter scene
with the mountains in it as she is now living up north and doesn't see the Rockies.
---------------------------------------------------------
I also finished the 'Three Sisters' as part of the series I plan on doing of the Canadian Rockies.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shirley

Thought for the day!

'You can no more blame your circumstances for your Character, than you can blame the mirror for your looks" unknown

This and that

Good morning everyone! I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas! We did. Our
little grand daughter is the best age for Christmas and it was a joy to see her opening her gifts and welcoming us all. She was so sweet. It was very relaxing and the dinner was great.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today is our big shopping day, something like the day after Thanksgiving in the States, but not quite as overwhelming. The stores open early and it is a good time to pick up bargains.
Not for me though , I am quite happy to stay at home and work on a wall hanging.
=======================
I am reading a good book by Barbara Taylor Bradford - "The Heir" and I also have the following book for the same series "Being Elizabeth" I love her books.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally it is turning a bit warmer here in Calgary - thankfully. I don't remember a
long spell as cold as this one has been. It is still cold but when it is -28 - 30 C with a windchill at least l5degrees colder it is pretty hard to take. Hard on our cars, hard on the roads (as we got a huge snow storm which added to the problems) - oh well, that is what we get every once in awhile in this part of the world. It seems that all over North America the weather has been bad and flying a real problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have taken a hiatus for the Christmas season, from our Learningfa group but will be
getting a good start right after the New Year. We have some great classes organized and
I do hope you will join us if you want to take some of our classes. We will have a
new class ' Learning to quilt from scratch" where you will learn how to quilt from beginning to end. We will carry on with our Thread painting classes for those who are
signed up. We are also going to have a blogger l01 class, a 'make a little book' class.
I will be teaching the a landscape course, and that is just some of our classes. We will also be teaching repeats so do go to the group and join us.

Take care everyone! Shirley

Thoughts

" From Home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other."
- Emily Matthews

Memories of Christmas eve,

So many happy memories of Christmas eve. When I was a child we sometimes used to go skating
on Christmas eve with all our friends, and then home for hot chocolate with marshmallows.----------


When I got into my teens, 6 of us used to walk through Mount Royal, singing Christmas Carols in front of the beautiful homes there. We did that every year until I finished high school.---------


Sometimes we would go to Church at midnight as there was always a wonderful Candle
lighting ceremony, and the choir would sing all the old Christmas Carols, with the
congregation joining in. Then they would finish with the "Messiah" I still get a shiver as that is such wonderful music and our choir was one of the Best I have ever heard..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I grew older and married, and had children, the memories are so sweet. I made the children
new pajamas every year, and we would sing Christmas carols, and tell Christmas stories. I remember one Christmas as a lonely time, as my husband was overseas with the Peace
Keeping forces on the Gaza Strip. He managed to get to Bethlehem though.----------

I still remember their faces when we decorated the tree. Now we see the same with our
Grand daughter. I do believe though that it was a simpler time - less stress, no credit cards, fewer expectations -
I think as we get older, our memories seem so perfect, and yet I am
aware that things weren't always as perfect as we remember. Isn't it great that we usually remember the good times at Christmas.------------------

I remember Christmas in New Zealand, with a barbeque on the beach and all our friends . Mussels, clams and so many wonderful fish. It was so different for us but many happy memories. I think of all
my friends in Australia and New Zealand, celebrating a 'summer' Christmas. I remember thinking I would love to be home for Christmas week, and then back to the wonderful weather!
--------------------------
I hope whoever reads this, will take a few minutes, and remember their Christmas eves.

Shirley
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wonderful decorations

I would love you to visit Debbie's blog and see all the wonderful Christmas quilts and
decorations she has, decorating her house. I especially like her Quilts hanging from the
balcony. She makes beautiful, whimsical Christmas quilts . She has such a great collection of different decorations. Her house
always feels as if Christmas is the greatest time in the year.

======================================================================
Thought for the day:

Grace Noll Crowell:

Let Us Keep Christmas
Whatever else be lost among the years,
Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing;
Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears,
Let us hold close one day, remembering
It's poignant meaning for the hearts of men.
Let us get back our childlike faith again.