If the Rooster were a quilter...

 The Rooster does stick his beak into the Coop and Saucer Playroom and offers suggestions.  He is even very helpful at finding quilt shops when we are away on holidays.  But he hasn't shown any inclination to try patchwork.

If he did I am sure he'd be a paper piecer!  We (he) are making a box for the kitchen hutch.  I am very much about 'good enough' but apparently 1/16th of an inch is not 'good enough'. Then he measures twice, starts the cut then remeasures to check how much he is losing with the bite.  ???  I said he should have been an engineer.  He told me he wanted to be one as a kid but that university was not an option.  I didn't know that.  He did go to university with only grade 10 but as a mature student.  He got his agricultural diploma.  I was so proud of  him!  Dean's Honour roll and he barely cracked a book as we had a farrow to finish hog barn that took any extra time and four kids to raise as well.  Definitely a paper piecer.  lol He does like to ask for my rulers when he works in the house.  That's okay.  I have my eye on his big T square!  ;)

Speaking of paper...

I am working away on my  canvases for the playroom wall.   This is third layer.  First paper, then tame it down with some gesso and then I added some texture by scraping light modeling paste through various stencils.  

The figures have been covered with mac tac, both sides.   I'm deciding just how to use them.  If I'd been more careful I could have used the cut away as a stencil.  :O  These will be masks to spray over and then remove so the image remains.  I need to decide on colours as well. 

 I decided to work on my Trip around the World blocks.  I do not want to rush my leaves wall hanging and just making scrappy blocks  will be kinda restful!  lol  I am wondering if these strong pinks and purples will mess up my trips!  ;)  I shall make more and if it doesn't work I guess I have two grand daughters who might console me if the original flight plan is cancelled.  lol

Please take a trip around Canada and see what my fellow Needle and Thread friends are piecing.  I imagine there will be a bit of a break for the holidays.  Blessings to all and to all a good holiday!

Taking Time for Thanks

I try to be thankful everyday but the calendar says today is the day to be especially thankful.  :)

Sundays are always a full house and yesterday was no exception.  The Rooster's cooking always inspires my heartfelt gratitude.  :)

So with the special thankfulness expressed I am free to get Moving on Monday  launched.

I am working away on my September calendar pages but I also paused to consider the addition of a fall canvas for the entry way.  Eliana says it is beeeeootiful!  It pays to pick the right judges! lol

I tried my Silks and my light molding paste.  I really like the paste.  I should perhaps have experimented a bit as I smudged some that overlapped but this is such a cool way to add texture.  Shoot!  Now I need some more stencils as a lot of mine have fine lines and this technique just begs for larger open spaces as opposed to lines.

This shows the Silks which goes on like paint and add lots of shine. It does enhance the magazine page but doesn't hide edges real well. Ah, I have the little jar in hand and it isn't a paint, it is an acrylic glaze.  Not only did I leap in without changing my good clothes, I skipped any of the how to's!  lol   This is okay but I doubt it'll remain this way as I learn better ways to get that idea in my mind translated to the canvas.

The calendar pages are evolving as I try different things.  I am also playing catch up.

I want to treat the one side as the journal entries and the other as a canvas.  This needs more work.

This is better.  The tags are scrapbook paper cut to fit the individual pocket spaces.

Change up as I will try writing on the spaces that the sewn line delineated.  I also worked the basic page backgrounds for the month in advance.  It does have its disadvantages!  Then I dab things on and they end up being less than appropriate so I'll be doing them weekly now with an eye to the current theme as well as the following page.



I wanted to try the colour wheel tree again and these teeny leaves are a bit fiddly.  This will be for the week the hurricane force winds blew all the leaves off and away!

Life very often plays out with little regard to lists and plans but that is also okay. This camper scene was a temporary renovating provision.  But it has turned cold and muddy.  Winter boots and mittens are the general play gear.  The renovation is a bit behind schedule.  We had some kind of wet, sloppy snowy, icy storm come through Friday and power was out just half a mile away from us. The 'other' side of the tracks!    Town declared an emergency as hydro towers and poles crumpled under the weight of freezing wet snow and high winds. The kids just got snow but the renovations and  hydro hook up are delayed and the windows aren't arriving till mid month.  Tis chilly in the camper so...  

The newly approved schedule just may come in for some real testing as we adjust to a fuller household!