I am home from

Both retreats and learned that two retreats,one immediately after another is just too much.

I am taking a few days before we leave on a week's holiday into BC to take it easy and just

do what I feel like doing.

While at the retreat dear Debbie taught me how to make bowls using clothesline cords. I am

visiting a friend in her new apartment tomorrow and will take her this set as a housewarming gift- a bowl, 3 hot pads and a knitted dish

cloth -- I hope to make a couple more dishcloths tonight for

the set.

I have also made a set for my dil as part of her birthday present.

Once I get back I am going have to get my brain working on my next challenge with the Challenging Ourselves group.

I was so glad to get home -- we had two great retreats though and it was great to reaquaint with a my friends. It was the l0th anniversary of the Western Retreat and the pillow cases

I made for the anniversary with landscapes on them went over very well.

I will be getting back to normal with my blog and the learning fa group once we come back from our little holiday.

Shirley

Here I am again

I have been working on some projects that I wanted to finish before I go to my two retreats next week. I am really ready for a break -- I missed one of them last year due to my son's illness and

I am looking forward to getting away. It has been a difficult year and it seems to have caught up with me a bit - so I will be happy to visit with my friends and get some 'fun ' work done too.

I am teaching a class of my miniatures (rough edged applique) and I am also ready to work on

another manipulated miniature - also have some binding to hand finish so I will have lots to do.

I doubt I will have a chance to post before I leave but will post some pictures of the show and tell and other retreat pictures when I get back. Shirley

I watched the ceremony

in Washington last night and it really was wonderful. I was so impressed with the tribute to the veterans, and especially the widows of men killed in the war.

We are in Afghanistan too, and a neighbor of mine just lost her son. I was an 'army wife' for

20 years and my husband was in the United Nations Peace Keeping force -Gaza, Germany, Korea, and other parts of the world. I was so touched with the beautiful singing, and the tribute to the wounded and the men who have lost their lives. I thought the way they presented the two stories

with actors, was done exceptionally well. It doesn't matter if I am a Canadian we have been in Afghanistan since the beginning-- we are all

in the same boat during this awful war. I feel so much for the people represented by the

ceremony So sad for the wounded and the families left behind.

It was very well done -

===================================================================================

"In flander's fields the poppies blow,between the crosses row on row,

Which mark our place,

While in the sky, the lark still bravely singing, flies. Scarce heard among the guns, below.

We are the dead - short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

loved and were loved, and now we lie in Flander's fields.

Take up the quarrel with the foe -- to you with failing hands we throw,

the torch - Be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with those who die, we shall not sleep.

though poppies blow in Flander's fields."

=======================================================================

This was written by a Canadian soldier Lt. Colonel John McRea in the first World War who died shortly after

writing it. If you are interested in reading the story behind it there is lots of information if you google it.

I hear that

Ontario is having a heat wave -- I know how hot and humid it gets there. HOWEVER, we

are having lots of snow - can you believe it! We have such a short summer under normal

conditions that we don't need a week of rain and snow at the end of May!

I am so tired of it! We had a lovely month of March and since then it has been yucky!

Here in Alberta we get winds from the North as well as winds from the Pacific and if the two run into each other it means lots of bad weather.

Oh well, at least I am getting some work done. I am also getting ready to go to two retreats

starting June 17 I will be gone for a total of 9 days - I will be teaching my little humming bird

Challenge quilt (with the babies in the nest) as well as a little winter scene. They will learn to

do a l2 x 12 miniature which will be thread painted on fabric backed by heavy timtex-

One of the retreats (Western Retreat) I started l0 years ago and women came from all over.

We have made many lifelong friends from it., The other is another retreat which originated with the first one. Between the two we have over 60 people meet each year.

I am working on a series of fish studies from underwater deep diving. They are wonderful and will be given as gifts for an upcoming event. I am really enthusiastic about them and have the first one well under way. I really like doing the miniatures that are completely thread painted.

Well, off to the library and then back to thread painting.

Shirley

Jacket for my sister

I decorated a jean jacket 4 or 5 years ago for Marj - it was a forest scene with tipis etc. a lake . She just loves it and has worn it a lot . She mentioned how often she wore it so I decided to do another for her. Here it is. It is very much like one of my scenes with a coyote in it and I know she will like it. I am going to put a winter birch tree on the front.She is in Ottawa so we don't see each other often. Thank heavens for the internet!

She is much taller than me so the jacket will fit her better than it does me! Shirley

Hayley

We took Hayley out for lunch the other day, and we found some pillows shaped like a rainbrow trout - it was a foot taller than she was and she just loved it. I couldn't resist putting a photo

to show you.

She is growing so quickly, We look after her once a week and have since she was born so we have been lucky enough to be involved with her growing up. She changes so quickly.

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

I have had more issues with my mac - although I think I have the problems solved - for how long I don't know.

Yesterday I opened my blogs and there were no pictures or back

ground color on the blog s. It happened before and the mac

support person helped me get it back. About 3 hours later it was blank again except for the text - so I called them again. This time she walked me through quite a few steps and voila! there was the color. I just had all my data removed and there seems to be a glitch in it. Hmm- might end up having to buy another computer if it keeps on acting up.

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

Our Çhallenging ourselves group has chosen another challenge theme - 'FOUR ELEMENTS'

there should be some interesting reveals on this one. I have a few ideas perking around in my head. These challenges are REALLY a challenge.

I hope you will drop by our Challenging ourselves blog and see the results of the first challenge

"Hidden Treasures" Well, I have to head out for some errands. have a nice day! Shirley

Challenging ourselves reveal today

There are now l5 'Hidden Treasures' in the Challenging ourselves BLog and I hope you will drop by and check them out. This is our first challenge and therefore our first reveal. I am so pleased with the variety of subjects and the beautiful finished projects.

We would love it if you check them out and comments would be very welcome. The address is on the side bar - of my favorite blogs. Shirley

My challenge piece, HIDDEN TREASURES!

This is my challenge which was revealed today.

I decided it would work well, if I used baby Hummingbirds as the Hidden Treasures . It was fun to do.

I will be teaching this miniature, as well as two others at the Big Sky retreat in Olds, in June. I hope you will check out the rest of the challenges.

Challenging ourselves reveal today

I would love it if you would go to the side bar and click on Challenging Ourselves - today is the reveal of our first Challenge "Hidden Treasures" The girls in the group (20 of us) are posting

pictures of their challenge and telling us how they decided to do their challenge, and what they did to meet the Challenge.

It was a 'reach' for all of us and I am soo impressed -- We have about 9 challenges posted and the rest will like come in today. I think you will find it interesting. I am so glad we set up this Challenge group - it is amazing how different people work. Check them out! Shirley

UNDERWATER CORAL WALL HANGING 2010

I  have had a great two days.  I started this top yesterday and finished it a few minutes ago.

I will add a border (possibly 2) and then quilt it.  This will be a class , but it is also going to 

be a wedding gift -  I have decided to do some beading as well.   Isn't it a nice feeling 

when you start something and it just happens, with no problem and the work just flows?

It is the first time that has happened since we lost our son so I am feeling really good about it!

====================================================================

Well! we have had the Mother of all spring storms.   Rain, 8 - l0 inches of snow  heavy wind, and really a mess.   We never left the house.   It is slowly passing.  The only good thing about it is that the farmers desperately needed moisture so that will help.  The roads

were blocked, accidents all over the place.  Our summer is so short that we really don't need a storm like this in May!  The whole Province from Edmonton to the Montana border was 

affected and roads impassible.   Now I hope summer will likely arrive.  We were in Banff last week and it was 22 deg.

C   (over 70 degrees F.) absolutely glorious.   One thing about our Alberta weather it can change in an hour.

I  have just about finished binding my winter Skating on the Pond, and have finished 3 

 fully thread painted manipulated miniatures so it has been a good time for me.

I am attending two retreats in June, as I do every year, so have started getting my 

secret sister gifts ready  and other things organized as well.  I am really looking forward to it

this year.  

Nothing much on tv tonight - but I feel good about finishing the wall hanging.  Shirley

My first quilt - ever

One day the quilt group in the park asked me to teach them how to paint on fabric.  They wanted something southwestern, so I agreed.  It was my first use of my 'little people' which I had designed for sets of cards etc.  While we were in the class I casually mentioned  what a great quilt they would make - one of the girls offered to help me make a quilt - all the rest agreed to help me. I had ABSOLUTELY no idea how to quilt, how to put a quilt together.  I drew l6" x 20" panels and we picked out the  sashing fabric.   Eighteen of my friends helped us.  Two close friends helped me  sandwich each  block with a portion of the sashing.  l6 of my friends hand quilted a block each and when we got them back my friends showed me how to put the quilted blocks together.  I then hand quilted the  quilt - I couldn't believe how beautiful it was.   That was the last year we were able to go to Arizona and when we got home I decided I wanted to make 

another quilt so that I wouldn't forget anything.  All of my hand painted quilts were 'quilt as you go' and all were hand quilted.    There was a lot of interest in the quilts and there are three of them in the US - hmm I wonder if they are still being used.   

I then put together a group of blocks given to me for running the first Western retreat - it was two sided and I learned then that traditional quilting for me was not nearly as much fun as using my own ideas for quilts or wall hangings.  I will put a picture of the second  and third quilt I made - one was given to my son Rob 9 years ago and he treasured it.  I have it in my 

collection -  Shirley

Student's Southwestern wall hanging

Last year I taught a class on learning fa - it was a southwestern scene and used some of my 

patterns for southwestern 'little people'.   Susan just posted a picture and as we are talking about some of the southwestern work - I decided it was fitting that I showed it.   T here were some 

wonderful wall hangings completed with this class.   

I am going to take some pictures of my Southwest painted quilts  and tell you how they evolved, tomorrow.  I hope you are enjoying my memories of Mesa!   Shirley

Pine needle baskets and clay

This is part 2  of my southwestern art pictures.   I learned to do some wonderful pine needle 

woven baskets  which I still have, while I was staying at Valle del Oro in Mesa --  In some cases I hand built some centers and

poked in holes all around the center circles -- Then I attached the raffia and started making the outsides.   The long one is 

a 'bun holder' - the larger is a hot mat -- the basket at the side 

is a bit different.  First of all I dyed my needles a brown -  and used sliced walnuts put together with silicone - which gives them strength and a nice looking finish.  I also incorporated some walnut slices in the ends of the basket.   

As mentioned in my previous post, I loved doing the southwestern arts - and these are 

treasures.  I made quite a few at  the time for gifts but made  sure I kept one of each for me!

I hope you enjoy looking back with me.   Shirley

Older work

I was talking to my dear friend Debbie on the phone and she has taken up pottery and doing a great job.  

I finally found some pictures of my clay and basket work to send to her and  thought I would 

put them in my blog.  I think I might have shown them 2  years ago but here they are again.

I took a class using Arizona red c

lay and we made navajo indians on a wall.  I did the two navajoh - but the third one ended up as Chief Chiniki an indian chief from the Morley band just outside of Calgary.  He used to ride in the stampede parade with his beautiful head dress and 

beaded outfit.  I grew up watching him at the parade and some how he ended up on my wall.

I have to admit  the wall means a lot to me.    I also did  a lot of other

 types of clay work. 

Two of the above are "southwest indian carving's  which was interesting to do.  You take a green ware vase  raw -and using undercoating thinned with water  you put l0 coats letting them dry in  between each coat.   Then you put  between 8 and l0 thin coats of another color , letting them dry thoroughly between each coat.  Then you put the last series of coats in a 3rd color.  You let them dry for at least four days - then you carefully draw your design on your vase and start 

scraping very carefully until you reach the color you want -- My first coat was black and turquoise and sand were my other colors.  I scraped the black  until I reached the next color and  then scraped that way until I reached the bottom color.  we then fired the piece and what you see with both the vases is what you get you can fire it to bisque and then either cover with a clear matt finish (not fired)  or you can  cover it with a matt or shiny glaze and fire it again.

I didn't use a glaze - I finished it off with a matt finish painted on.   I loved doing them.  I won a

ribbon at the Phoenix Art show which pleased me. 

I loved going down to Mesa every year - there were wonderful areas for so many new arts that I hadn't taken before - My eyes were opened to a lot of wonderful new techniques.   I wish I 

lived closer to Debbie as I would join her pottery group.  It was amazing the work that 

came out of that pottery room.  One girls made a 3 ft long crocodile made in 3 section which 

fitted together so that it was able to be placed in different ways.  It was really outstanding and 

she really reached out of the box.   So many memories of Valle Del Oro in Messa.  I got my start in quilting and fabric painting there. 

Our 55th anniversary

was yesterday, so Pat and I decided a couple of days ago to go to Banff and spend some time 

just soaking in the scenery.   The  picture here is Bow Falls right in Banff Town and although the ice has melted the falls are still covered with ice and snow.  It is a lovely spot.   We then went to the Vermilion lakes which is also in the Banff Townsite and took lots of pictures of Mt. Rundle with snow on the lake.   It is one of my favorite mountain scenes -- and each time you go it looks different. 

I am going to do another wall hanging ,Spring in the Rockies once I finish binding a couple of my newest wall hangings.   Check out the header on the blog and you will see how beautiful it is.

It was a wonderful little trip and the when we got home last night Kelly (son) and family took us for dinner.    

I really needed to get away and I could feel the stress leaving me on the trip.   It is my favorite place in the whole world.    Shirley

New BLog

I hope you will welcome my friend Val who just opened her blog.   Val and I are good friends.

She lives in Canmore and worked at the Sugar Pine quilt shoppe (anyone from Alberta or BC will know about the Sugar pine) and I met her at one of the retreats a few years ago.

I would love you to check out her blog and look at the quilt she made of her grand daughter. 

She should be very proud of it.   I have put her blog on my blog list. 

----------

It was a gorgeous day and we took a drive - however, I FORGOT  my camera and saw at least 

4 scenes which would make great landscapes.  oh well.  Talk to you all later.

Learningfa Class projects

We are having a very successful thread painting  on going series and Delia from Australia

did this beautiful parrot.   I taught how to do a robin and was so pleased that she took one of 

the beautiful parrots that live in her part of the world.   When we were in  Oz  about 5 years ago we  visited a place just outside of Melbourne that  had thousands of parrots.  They ate out of 

our hand.

  Delia is in the same  Challenge group that I belong to and an active member of our group.  She can do anything - traditional and art quilts.  She will be teaching the 'disappearing nine patch ' in May.

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

The second picture is  a Seminole patchwork wall hanging which was taught by Verona -

her wall hanging is lovely.  It was a very successful class and I am showing you her

class sample.   Verona does such gorgeous work.  It was an extremely successful class.

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

The bottom   picture is the next landscape class I will be teaching  in May- we just finished 'skating on the pond"  the girls are working on theirs right now.   This one is quite easy so I hope they enjoy it.

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

these are just examples of what we do in learningfa (fiberarts).   So much fun.   Shirley

Thread painted daisies

were done by Teri  in the learningfa group.   She is taking my thread painting series and I was so pleased with what she did with these.   She is keeping it and hanging it in her house. 

She is one of our most active members and does very lovely work.  Good job Teri!

#2 Manipulation

I have  nearly finished thread painting my second small wall hanging of manipulated fabric. 

I am really liking the finished result here.  I have about two inches of the border to quilt then will trim the outsides and satin stitch around it -   I have another one I am anxious to get at. 

This is fun ---  I love thread painting and I have found I like the results of the manipulation.

I hope you like it so far.  Shirley

Skating on the pond - continued #3

I finished doing the landscape part of this piece, for a class I am going to teach on 

Learningfa -- we have over 80 students signed up so I hope they enjoy this winter 

landscape.   Here is the finished top -- it now has to be bordered and quilted, but 

the class portion is finished.   I hope you like it.   There will be lots of room for 

variety as the student can go much simpler than this one so I hope  the class goes well.

A landscape similar to this one was sold at the quilt acution for breast cancer a few 

years ago  at their auction and did very well.   I have to admit I am glad it is done 

as I like to do new 'stuff' rather than repeat - however it is great for a class and people

love the little skaters.   

Skating on the pond (continued)

I have the background all completed and the skaters ready to attach to the ice.  I 

will us invisible thread  for the little ones and steam a seam light to attach them.  It is looking 

pretty good.  I will be attaching a couple of similar scenes with less buildings and skaters so 

people can choose their degree of difficulty. 

New class

"Skating in the pond" is a class I promised last year but life got in the way. I just lost all my data on my computer
and my class was one of them . I decided to do another one so that I wouldn't have to cancel the class. I am having
a lot of fun with it. I plan on giving it away as a Christmas present. I have started with the snow, and buildings- having
all the buildings and skaters ready to be added. This is one of my favorite classes so I do hope the girls enjoy
doing it.

It is a lovely sunny day here in Calgary, we had a chilly spell for the past couple of weeks but it is nice and warm now - a real spring day.

I will show you more of my 'work in progress' as I complete each section. I still have to put in 2 more buildings, snow mounds and some shadows on my snow. I also have to do the edge of the pond. Then will work on the pond and also a
mound of snow with some birches at the front. Lots of fun.

Shirley

My header picture

shows a bouquet I recently received from Rob's ( my son who passed away in December) former wife. I was so
pleased with them. She is a very fine person and it was so nice to have gotten back in touch with her recently.

-------

I have been working all day in trying to find my class emails and other information after having my computer
'crash'. It has been a long day, but some of my dear friends on learningfa have sent me the classes they received
and it has made it much easier than having to re write the classes.

--------

Our weather looks as if it is going to improve a great deal this next few days. We got a showering of light rain and
then a wee bit of snow today so I am looking forward to the nice weather.

Easter is next weekend -- time does fly by. Shirley

Thread painting ...

has been a passion of mine for the last 4 years- I was going through some of my old discs - trying to find photos I can
use for my Thread painting classes, as I lost a lot of information and I discovered this one, which was one one of my first
real attempts of doing thread painting of an original drawing. I remember the feeling of satisfaction when I finished it and framed it. I gave it to my aunt and as she is in Newfoundland - I haven't seen it on her wall. I hope you like it.

testing

not sure if it is the blog or me but I have no background