Looks can be deceiving!

Tough day! I had to give myself a stern talking to when I found myself diddling around instead of doing the first thing on the list. But I did get it done and rewarded myself with a coffee break!

Then I studied the work table. Looks good but I do still have a few piles on the floor.

Then I had to go on another hunt to find this quilt that I'd squirreled away because I'd wanted to make the place look neat. I had previously done the straight line stabalizing so now I can remove all the safety pins and do the more decorative stitching which is often free motion. This is a new set up for me as I usually have the drop leaf behind the sewing machine up and operational. If it doesn't work I can still push things around and get it in place. This is a queen sized quilt and I'm thinking it will be the second last queen that I'll do. I'm gonna stick to doubles. I must admit it feels good to be tackling a bed quilt again.

But I'm also gonna tackle my dear hubby! Look at that shelf! No way that is level! argghhhhh!

HMMMPH

It is with attitude that I am sitting down in front of the Strategy screen.

I am slightly skeptical as I hover over possible mouse clicks.

"Do not be intimidated, nor put off by the challenge. Refresh the challenge when you slip." oooh!

Now one of the first things I learned on the computer was to refresh. I don't know which F number it is but I know those two little arrows. I like them!

The Power of Routine. Harness it.

Schedule your day. First begin at a set time, i.e. with the first cup of coffee, and write down the tasks you want to accomplish for the day. Prioritize and start immediately.

Can't be with the first cup as DH tells me his plans then and he takes a dim view of my inattention. When he asks my plans, I just razzle dazzle him with my fast moves with the coffee pot! If I make a new pot after he leaves and then make a list I shall be there till the pot is finished while I contemplate the fact that you need to do the thing you don't want to do first.

It also says not to think about the whole darn thing, just the starting. But keep it to a specific time and a short time. So I could hit the shower contemplating my options, write them down while they are still wet and get started before the ink drys. 8^O

I've noticed that I avoid the fine print on my bold focus for the day list. I see that I am great at generalizing but I have to get down to the nitty gritty. So, I'll nail that big to-do list right here at eye level. nnghh

oh, dear. It also says to talk with those whose example of successful time management is known. That means I have to say, yes dear, you are right AGAIN! I'm gonna give it one more week on my own. sheesh This is the man who comes in for coffee, looks at his watch, hmm 10:07, I need to start again at 10:22. VBSigh But he accomplishes a bazillion more things than I do.

So the alternative is: wash, write, work. wash, write, work... wa....

Still Green

The only creating I did Thursday night was the processing of garden fresh green beans. So I felt the urge to do 'something' this morning. I dabbled a bit with stencils and paint and I think I have the difference between a dye ink pad and a permanent-waterproof dye ink pad figured out. lol
But I also had to get my gift project finished and I did. It is meant as a table topper and could be considered to be a Christmas themed quilt but actually it is very much at home in a country green decor setting. The red is sorta rusty. The greens actually have a few variations ranging from blue green to olive green so I knew it would go with the country green.
The design is 2 blocks, one a plain alternating theme fabric and the second is a 4 patch. To create lots of movement I had the little plaid squares run at an opposite angle to the light and larger squares.

Tomorrow I will have to get those shelves operational on the house list. I might as well get the books in them as I'm not sure when I can tweak the bookcase itself.

Love is like the colour green

The noun love is listed in the English dictionary with about 4 meanings. The verb has one meaning: to hold dear, bear love to, to be in love with, be fond of. I have a problem with love because I hold my life dear, I bear love to my garden, I am in love with my husband and I'm very fond of potato chips. It is all the same word.

Green is like that. Green wouldn't be a favorite colour. In fact khaki green could be close to the very bottom of my fondness list. But gardening and a green quilt challenge has caused me to appreciate all the nuances of green. Green isn't just green. It is green and then some!

Love is like that.

Second Go-round

I machine quilted like a madman in the morning but that sun on my tall green grass beckoned in the afternoon. And who knows when the sun will be replaced by rain again so...

The bush on the north of the house is poplar and some oak that are starting to make their presence known. But I realized that I like the lighter wood and the shaking leaves that sound like water (?) sometimes. This bush would be very dark looking if the one oak that was here when we came continues to make its presence felt. But the poplar has been dieing. That could be evolution or because I mess around with the edge. I've coaxed out a peninsula and I've made a path thru the bush behind this area in the photo. Last year I mulched with straw and sawdust. I planted an aspen, and a couple of shrubs.

While I was waiting for someone to come rescue my lawnmower from the mud I'd stuck it in I weeded this area. Hence the before and after picture. 8^) Mulching works. I've ordered trees from the prairie shelterbelt people for next year. Some are native to this kind of bush so I'll fix it up. I also have 2 sprawly shrubs that need to come out of my current flower bed. Both have their gene pool from hardy natives. One is a yellow green dogwood and the other a burgundy ninebark or elder. They would work along the edge to bring it a bit more civilized look. I'm aiming for the cabin at the lake look.

The lawnmower was rescued and I continued. Looks like I might have to continue today as well. But I did get the MQing done last night and this morning it will be binding. I should have photos for Creative Night on Thursday!

Good News

I get a plus added to my grade for the day!

I stuck to the plan.

I spent the morning organizing

The Coop and Saucer Playroom.

I think I have all the mixed media stuff in the

bookcase where it is most useful.

The main table is clear.

Then I had to switch to outside work as our weather has been extremely rainy and a break in the clouds gave opportunity to accomplish something without getting too soaked.

The larger of our barns is undergoing reorganozing as well. We are downsizing our sheep flock and a summer kitchen, chicken coop, and feed storage area is planned for the front half. So son #3 and I were cleaning. He and I worked on cleaning old pens. One job was to get rid of old ashes from the pellet stove in the house. It was my job to disperse them over my flower beds. These ashes are residue from burning feed grade grains in the stove. The poplar tree bush we have next to the house is not suitable for heating. But we can grow a feed grain that heats the house wonderfully. So I'll be anxious to see if the flower bed benefits from the added fertilizer. But boy, was I dirty when I was done!

Then in the evening I organized my dyeing notebook for next time and I basted the small quilt/tablecloth for machine quilting today.

The grass cutting will have to wait for sunnier days. Things take longer to dry as the sun is starting to loose it's warmth so drying takes a lot longer. The flock and farmyard animals are not liking all the mud. Well, ducks excepted! 8^)

So I am feeling extremely virtuous. YAY!

Rome wasn't built in a day!

It being Sunday, I'll throw in a bit of scripture; "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" It must be for people like me that it is repeated twice!

The good news is that I can see this organizing/planning stuff works. Now I just need to make sure I do it! I am beginning to understand that I can see the big picture but the details aren't something I like to spend the time on. So I need to make sure I check the plan for the day and then commit to it. That means I get down to the 'nitty gritty' and then little by little the whole is done because the parts were worked on bit by bit.

I did manage to get lots of the big picture done yesterday. The house looked good, except for the playroom which is what I was supposed to have done this last week. :>( But my dearie gave me some 'honey do' time this afternoon and things are messy again. But the bookcases are set in place in our bedroom and that involved taking out a baseboard to get them back where they needed to be so the door opens properly. The shelves are going to need a slight fine tuning but that can be done easily enough later. Then I needed some shelves attached above my sewing cabinet and there was a bit of blue smoke 'cause I hadn't prepared the work area and there was much in the way and nowhere to lay down tools. oops! He still isn't quite convinced that I really AM making progress. 8^) He has actually seen too many of my bright ideas but bless him for trying the new improved version yet again. Hopefully this new improvement will be the impetuous I need to get this room done. And I do need to get it operational as I found a UFO (unfinished object) that will be the perfect gift for a fast approaching special event.

Blowing in the wind

I got a good idea. (again) I'm still cleaning. I also rewarded myself with the aforementioned trip to the dollar store before the job was done. oops! Not only did I get canvases but I also got a few other neat things.

But my idea... I was admiring my just dyed fabrics for the bedroom decor and I had spread them on the bed. !!! I am on the hunt for new fitted sheets for my bed. The bottoms wear faster than the tops so I'm prepared to pay for a good thread count in nice solid colours that go with what I have. But I'm not finding much in the double size. Why wouldn't my 90 inch wide pillow ticking work? I could dye the fabric and make fitted sheets. How hard can that be? I do like this tight weave cotton. It softens up after a couple of washes but is nice and crisp which I like. No flannel sheets for me. I could even make some coordinating pillow cases. The 1 yard piece blowing in the breeze is a piece that I did this week. I liked it so much, I did some more. The bedroom will eventually be painted a yellowy/peachy/pink. The seasonal themes will work with this colour and I have the quilt fabrics pretty much lined up and patterns in mind.

My handyman hubby promised to do the honey do list in that bedroom tomorrow but his boss has other ideas so I'll be able to get done tomorrow what I didn't finish today. Gee, sounds like that hamburger guy on the old Popeye shows. lol

You are what you eat!

Drat! I have not been making good choices. Nor did I follow the plan. But at least I am seeing it. I need to be creative with feeding myself- MM's, Motivating Morsels!

So today I gotta get this playroom finished and keep it at the ready. Then I gotta snack (eat) HEALTHY. Energy to be creative. No excuse but the weather has been grey for weeks and we are usually a very sunny spot. We've been having our share of rainbows but not long, hot, sunny days. It is beginning to slow down everybody's smiles.

Something to smile about- I did want to find some dollar store paint canvases and try more layering techniques but the store closed before I got there last night. So if I get finished up early today I'll treat myself to a quick trip to get a few blank canvases.

Light, a colourful word

Light streams through the atmosphere from its source, the sun. Without it we would not have life. It brightens everything. It strikes the earth at different angles at different times of the year. It is diffused through the canopies of clouds and trees, and the curtains of voile and rose petals. Light then bounces all around and back into our faces. It makes us laugh as we try to catch the dancing specks from sun catchers. The revealing light of the North American prairies is different from the heavy light of the South African rain forests, is different from the crisp light of the European coasts, is different from the breathless light of the Asian mountain steppes, and is different from the relentless light of the Australian desserts. Generally we take light for granted; specifically it is probably the most constantly changing aspect of our days.

We say it is white but it is a bundle of colour, refracting through prisms of water or crystal.

Ah, all the colours of the rainbow!

What is your favorite colour? Mine? Ah, it depends what day it is, where I am, and what jewel I'm beholding! But if pressed, I'll go for the source, sunny yellow!

Art's Garden

Not the homeowner's name but perhaps a little poetic license is allowed!

I am not at all familiar with urban gardens but this garden was chosen for a number of reasons. It is a fairly simple garden that relys on greenery rather than flowers. There is about a foot rise from the patio floor to the back of the yard. It requires no steps but is such a treat in our relatively flat area. This grouping of houses has no fences and yet the area is very private. It relys on trees, shrubs and a few screens around private patios. Very pleasant.

No gardening for me today. There are areas that are ankle deep with water in my back yard. Good to know where the fill needs to go when we level the ground! 8) But people are starting to talk about summer being a wash. Good thing I can make my own rainbows and I'll be washing them out this morning. The sun is supposed to peek out sometime. I'll be taking the opportunity to wade out to the clothes line which turns out to be one of the areas that needs leveling!

Art in the Garden

The garden club in town has been having garden tours. They needed a last minute fill-in for the art part of the garden for this last Saturday's tour. I'm usually 'up' for last minute fun so I agreed. I had 10 minutes to come up with a theme and chose Seasons in the Garden and tried to pick with that in mind. I luv making vignettes. A few challenges: no idea of what I could expect, getting pins into the little holes in stucco, the rain every half hour, the ho, hum between visitors, and the mosquitoes! (course they kinda took care of the ho, hum!)

I'm sure the organizers were disappointed with the rain and poor turn out but there are a few zealous gardeners out there.

They appreciated the quilts and a standard question was "You did all of these!". I kept thinking of all the stuff I'd left at home. :D If I'd been quick on the up take I could have asked if they had planted all the green growing things in their back yards. Gardeners are collectors, too. lol

The biggest quilt, Garden Trellis, welcomed visitors and went straight into the washer and dryer when I got home and I was very okay with that. I use my stuff. A small wall quilt on top of an easel tells a story. The sun is shining, birds are singing, there is laughter in a secret walled garden. Inside there is singing and love because of what it contains. There are triangles representing my favorite things: sunshine, birds, butterflys, and bunnies, music, each member of my family, flowers, garden tools, veggies, each season, a creek, well, you get the idea. Oh, the figure representing me holds a quilt!

Below that is another small quilt that has small squares of some of my favorite fabrics. This shows that even with the disparity of colours, designs, etc. it all works beautifully within the confines of a well chosen border. This applies to gardens and LIFE as well.

It was a new experience. I did enjoy it, though I'm not ready to have business cards printed up. And I better get busy and make some more/better 'art' in case they need another warm body in the future! 8^)

The journey begins with a single step

Having a focus for each day is making such a big difference. According to the experts having a specific time dedicated to your work developes new habits of working. It builds a good work environment and puts some of the many distractions at a distance. And I am easily distracted but if I know it will have its specific time in the week, I can more easily submit to the plan for the day.
Monday I was supposed to quilt but I organized more stuff. Not quite the plan but it is moving me in the direction of being able to do just that as I make my space more 'ready'. I was all inspired to do some dyeing but Tuesdays are physical garden work and I kinda made myself do that and I had such a good day, probably the best dry day for the week. The continuation of the garden day with the walk Wednesday morning was a bonus job from the prep work done the day before, so things were beginning to roll along on their own. Thursday I was stalling but I really want the dyed fabric so I started with the laundry which is in my dye area and I began to assemble stuff between loads and things began to roll along. Momentum built because I'd verbally committed and creative things are scheduled for Thursday nights. Felt good to go to bed knowing I'd have results for show and tell in the morning. Friday I coulda started the next colour run but those darn shelves. I'd been putting them off and today I'd written them down as the house project. nnnngghhhhh I am so messy when it comes to painting. But again; commitment.
The rewards are there. Feel good, physically tired and a good night's sleep. Feel good, try a new recipe. Feel good, invite company over. Feel good, a serendipity happens.

The study guide says: don't deny distractions, but deny their temptations.
And I would add, It'll feel GOOD!

Make your own sunshine

I seriously under estimated how long it would take to paint 8 shelves. True, the little doll cupboard turned out to be quite fiddly. 8^) (I shall save my dolls for another time.)

I was finished rinsing the rollers and brushes and was lining up the sealers in readiness for the 'berry colours' when the phone rang and the day turned in a different direction. Who says interesting things can't happen to ordinary people! Well, at least in a small town it is possible.

I shall have a surprise for Monday!

This'll wet your appetite!

Doesn't that look good? Yellow is my favorite colour. That orange is golden yellow.

I had thought my handy dandy hubby would be working on my to-do list this morning as we have rain. I'm the assistant so I just gave them a quick preliminary rinse. But he's been called to work so the playroom shelves will have to wait. Now I'll be able to do more recipes. yum!

But I gotta get the shelves painted for those new bedroom bookcases. First the not so fun and then it is okay to DYE!!!

C is for cooking creatively

An all night lightening and thunder show must have inspired me because I managed to stay inside and have a creative day. I'd forgotten that I'm supposed to be giving food a little more consideration but I got inspired to try corn flour tortillas for lunch. They hardly have a recipe and I do better with specific guidelines but it worked. I'd add more salt and I definitely need to work on the shape. There was a slight haze in the air while they were cooking so temperature needs some adjusting. But I rather impressed myself.

Son # 3's laundry showed up and I had to get that all out of the way for dyeing. Seems like I was still into cooking mode as I spent considerable time washing sealers. I have lots of canning jars so I figure they'd be best. Pints for the dyes, 2 quart sealers for the small gradation batches and then gallons for the 'parfaits'. I also did some big ice cream pails as they are recommended. But I only have so much fabric so I've been trying to re figure some things and math is NOT my strong suit so I'm going for those pinch of this and a scant handful of that kind of recipes. I finally couldn't stall anymore so I started in an orderly and precise manner and that soon deteriorated into 'what the hey' because I only had one timer and I knocked over the soda ash container mid process. The notes are kinda vague as well as blurry. But I have begun!
I decided to start simple and figure what each number actually colours up as. I have 3 different dyes for each of the 3 primaries and I only got the yellow started. I'll have 3 gradations of each yellow and then one combo as the 3 mix and mingle in a shallow tub which I had to find and wash after all that prep anyway! So now it says it is okay to just let them cook and I'll rinse tomorrow morning. Hope I can sleep!
More thunder and lightening is forecast and I'd like to hang the results on the line for photos but that might have to wait for good weather. But I hope to continue with the 3 reds and the 2 blues. I have 1 green I might try for some real mixing.

So now when I'm asked "what's cooking"; it's no guarantee it'll be edible!

Hasty

In my case it should be a verb!

But it is an adjective and the first definition is at least gentle. Hasty means excessively quick. But the second states that hasty is done with great haste AND without deliberation. ouch!

Three cheers for my long suffering hubby who never knew hasty til he met her!

Laying 3 patio blocks took ALL morning and things are still settling so tools are still not put away. Those things are heavy, too, and he yelled at me for not paying attention to the instruction about pinch points. Sheesh, it was my fingers. 8^)

But I am guilty. I seriously under estimate the size, difficulty, cost and TIME for these 'little' jobs.

Which brings me to dyeing. Not being able to mix, stir, and splash immediately has left me only reading about it as I think inspiring thoughts on my way to dreamland. My dyes don't have the same numbers as the book. I'm starting to catch on that just because I see in my mind what I want does NOT mean that it will happen by wishing, hoping and great desire. So if I want Sunrise pink I need to identify blue red verses orange red. And I'm thinking turquoise is probably not the drop of blue that will make everything just peachy! So I'm rethinking this. I should do some basic "one layer, one colour" and keep some notes in a binder, WITH a swatch. I can save the 'parfaits' for the follow up on gradations.

Hmm, I wonder if it is okay to gradually get hasty?

Thought I'd die

I was really tempted to forget the plan and start to dye some fabric but I have to keep my word to myself. Garden day, exercise day. Turns out to have been maybe the hottest day so far. I made sure to keep drinking water.

I worked along the 'terrace'. It is a long hook shaped border that has a gravel path between it and the south wall of the house. The hook has a somewhat circular gravel area that really needs a nice wrought iron table and 2 chairs, white. I haven't found one but plastic just blows away. There is a weeping willow in that hook which is lovely to sit under.

This is close to the water hose so I've some roses, lilies, iris, foxgloves, peony, cranesbill, heuchera, hosta, ferns, Joe Pye, Autumn Joy sedum, (etc.) and a couple of shrubs. The colour scheme is pastel yellows and pinks with a silvery blue for accents. I can't seem to wait for the 'right' time to transplant and if I see something that screams 'wrong colour' I move it. I'm eyeing up some of the day lilies. Their peach is bordering on orange. I try to contrast leaf textures and I've learned that the shade plants can do well under or behind some of the sun lovers..

I luv the sound of the gravel but it does get into the bed and that black edging is a pain. I am switching out the field stones that lead thru the bed and up to the front steps which is our main entrance as nobody likes walking on them, except me! My hubby is off from work for a day or two and has agreed to get about 3 big patio blocks tomorrow morning and position them for me.

I risked life and limb to grab a couple of photos. The mosquitoes are bent on murder. But I've lived to tell and maybe I can dye tomorrow! 8^)

Complicated Simplifying!

I forgot to take the recycle stuff when I went to town. Then I got company for the afternoon. Then I found more stuff when I was clearing the work table in the playroom. I'd been happy to get the paper reduced by half and now I see it was multiplying under the cover of important stuff! I'd dispair but it didn't take too long to pitch it and I really am starting to feel that things are progressing. I have 2 small drawers in the old library file that are empty and I know one drawer in the chest will be 'toast' because I'm starting to get fed up with this, this junk! I'm beginning to get breathing room. I hope to never get this deeply buried in stuff again!

I took "Color By Accident" to bed with me last night and I'm feeling a powerful urge to dye! I'm trying to think what colours and a quick peek in the organized fabric shelves shows the gaps! But I'm also thinking that this could be the first layer for a more complicated design. Good thing the first step is fairly simple and I can get more complicated on another day.

Inner or outer?

I don't really like analyzing the why of things, particularly in myself, but the To-do list section in Strategies pointed out that why something is on the list is very important. If it is an intrinsic motivator, it'll have a higher priority. I forget what the external word was but the bottom line is that if I think it is worthwhile, then it stands a chance of getting completed rather than the 'he made me do it' mentality. So simplifying is happening because I am so tired of never finding what I'm looking for. Now I need to use this to help me get more stuff done. It also suggested doing the most difficult (uninspiring) stuff first. So I'm doing paperwork first thing this morning and then delivering it to the mail. Then ... quilting!

Down in the depths

Rainy day and I skipped a floor and went straight to the basement. No pictures of a 1930's basement. 8^) I and ds#3 had dragged the counter top that used to be in my sewing room down to the pantry area so I moved things around and got it operational. Then I started in on my laundry area which is also my dye spot. The darn table is always buried. But I continue to downsize and besides garbage, I have 3 bags for the local thrift shop. Feels good!

But how is that being creative? To create is to bring into existence. I'm creating order and repurposing how the areas function. The only interior walls are a cement cistern in one corner that has been opened and is referred to as 'the cave'! It is the cold storage area and it was repurposed last fall. So I do have lots of options for creativity. But what I'd really like to bring in to existence would be a utility room off the back of the house and fill the whole darn basement in with gravel! vbsigh

Creativity revisited

I haven't made it to the big city but I went back to the local scrapbooking store. I musta missed the whole section on paints, inks and dyes. The gal working in the store is also a quilter so we tried to figure stuff for fabric. She took me to their playroom and we tried a few things on the inside of our cuffs and pockets and an old piece of denim! She also suggested some cost effective supplies. I'm invited to bring some stuff back and we'll try some more things. How encouraging but she said crafters need to share what they know! So I have a date for 2 weeks hence.

Last night I began again and wet stuff is certainly more challenging for us zealous, spontaneous, can't wait for it to dry, dabblers! But I'm feeling a bit more comfortable; NOT that I know what I'm doing but I'm certainly feeling that incorporating wet processes into my bag of tricks is gonna be FUN! I'm still on paper so now I need to bump things up a notch. I wonder how I can keep the fabric taut? Something to ponder as I go back and finish the other 2/3 of the basement on this rainy housecleaning day.

Letters to the editor 8^)

Not at all where my thinking was going but it is always good to be flexible.

I'm relieved to see some free space showing up on the floors and table tops again and was thinking about the process of eliminating extra stuff. I was thinking editing.

But it seems it is a literary term and one who edits (prepares for publication) came before the stuff edited, if that makes sense.

Anyway, the definition that seemed to fit what I'm doing is "to modify or adapt so as to make suitable or acceptable". I think I also came across delete and eliminate at one point.

And this editor is eliminating mostly paper stuff but I shall consider editing my written words as well! My dear ol' Dad used to say, "State your business and be brief!".

Perhaps working on the exterior shall have an effect on the interior. My secretary should make a note of that. Hey, I'm trying to eliminate paper so edit that note!

Boundaries

When we moved here in 1974 this was a derelict farm. There was a big barn and a farmhouse from the 30's, a few old graineries and tangles of barb wire fence remnants. Imagine the worst! First year we hauled junk. Second year we hauled junk. All the while trying to make the farm support our family of six. When we finally could get down some grass things looked better. We ordered shelterbelt trees with only mediocre success. But the single most impressive thing we did was about 1985 we put in a rough lumber fence that divided the farm yard from the house yard. It enclosed nothing and curved slightly. We could not believe how it anchored the buildings and gave a settled appearance to the site. This year that fence is getting some needed attention because the focus this year is fences whether it be sheep fences, poultry yards or the kind you hang garden gates on. My farmer had also said to me, "enough". He has curtailed my plans for world dominion but he agreed to a short decorative fence across the back for another boundary. But as we've been cutting grass and gnashing our teeth over lack of hay this year we realized it should not be decorative but functional. So we are getting ready to pound posts for another sheep pasture behind my yard. I'll need to refigure that back area but I believe it will be just as impressive. We look west to the prairies and east to the parklands. I'll still be able to see forever but I'll have that edge that says, the garden of Elle stops here!

paper by the pound!

Whoa! This is a bigger, heavier job than I thought. I have reduced the paper by half. I think! I still have a bit more to file in the file cabinet but I am only using one cabinet whereas I had 2 legal sized ones before. Probably still too much but wonderful as the internet is I do like my hard copies. I mostly saved up to date 'how to's' and some inspirations
Some of the stuff I had is no longer where my interest lies but some still make me smile. So as I was reminiscing I thought I'd see if I could throw in some of my history. The past, some very old; some pretty near! You know I could see that some of the 'real me' was there but I supressed it to conform to 'the image'. I am not a flower person and the group I was with were all traditionalists and we took a class in a shop where the fabric we needed to buy was pretty flowery. So I got the paisley as my theme and went with the solids. I'm not a blue person either but ... This was also the hand quilting era and I am NOT. So if I was to get this finished in my life time, I finally decided to roll it up and I started my machine quilting debut.

The Red Hat quilt is from a Yahoo group. I quite enjoyed this quilt. Among my throw away papers I found the original alternate block I'd drawn for the alternate blocks. I had lost it and decided on the graduated fabric. But I still like the idea in that block and it is in the saved pile!

The 6" sampler blocks is part of a new local group which is about teaching/learning/experimenting. I picked a palette of fabrics for a scrappy look and just luved doing this. The diagonal direction was very much where I wanted to go right from the start. This was hard to give away.

Samples of Samplers

Traditional Sampler from class about 1989 (paisley theme print and solid shades of blue)



Red Hat birthday blocks 2006 (alternate squares are a graduated colour fabric)



Chocolate Box Sampler 2008
( groups of nine 6" blocks arranged in diagonal rows rather than an 18" block)

Back to the drawing board, as they say!

The planning centre! This was two steps forward and one step back. I need to get those shelves up and disperse the extraneous stuff from under the bed and my dresser. My evening reading material has been Mixed Media 101 texts. I need to be better prepared for my Thursday nights. But it needs to be gathered up and put back in its place. It seems that clutter breeds clutter and it definitely cannot be shoveled ahead of me anymore; its getting me down. But that is a good frame of mind to have for the pitching party. I think I'll be making that the focus for each day.

Thinking outside the box

In this case it would be outside the electrical box!

My dearie needed to go to the city so I leaped into the truck with my list. My focus for the house is the master bedroom. We have small rooms, plaster walls and two electrical outlets per room. The head board is on a low knee wall. We read in bed and there is no night table on my side but a plug is kinda close. The hubby's side has a low dresser but no plug. I need wall mounted lights that swivel. So I had finally located them a6t Canadian Tire and yes, we can adapt them to lamp cords with in line switches and hide the power bar under the bed. I also got the hardware for the bookcases so I can get the shelves in place as soon as the weather clears so I can finish painting them. The four botanical pictures are calendar pages I especially bought for framing. I have four in dark wood frames in the front room and now I have these four in white. BUT! 8^( The darn foot board cuts right across them when I lie in bed so I will change them to three across. I shoulda made the units six inches taller and then the pictures could have hung higher. Oh well, live and learn and die dumb! lol Things really are coming along well though.

I am thinking ahead to the sewing room and got a couple of boards for some wall shelves above the sewing counter. I'm making happy noises. I think I also found the right colours for the upstairs paints. It is from a brochure on kid's rooms. But why should they have all the 'kewl' colours?

What if ya don't know....

... all ya thought ya knew? Good place to start I guess is knowing that you DON'T know anything.

I got out the art supplies and I learned I am messy. I may have to find another spot to do mixed media stuff. I learned that supplies dry out when they are bought tooo far in advance. 8>( I learned that I haven't a clue what a basic supply list would include. I learned that variety would be better as watercolours on watercolours make very low contrast. lol

But I did actually start to put creativity down on paper in amongst the reorganizing and I'll be thinking about the concept of standing up even before the proverbial first step never mind running to the winners circle. sheesh

Making things fit

The word adapt is "to fit" (something for a purpose). It is to undergo modification so as to fit new circumstances. That's my life. Adapting! There always seems to be something that requires a little detour sign. I am happy to say that with the focus for the day figured out I at least have a destination to head for after the detour rejoins the main road again. This week there are 3 sections of detours and that doesn't even include the weather.

Foxtail Barley

I'm not sure what this is really called. We call it foxtail barley and once it gets to this stage it is unpalatable for the sheep, in fact most grazing animals. The farm yard area has had the sheep grazing in it but they left any of this stuff and it makes everything look untidy so I was in that part of the farmyard cutting it down. whooo, itchy stuff. We need to remember to rotate them sooner as this grass is taking up far too much time when I could be doing something way more fun.

Small start, a pleasing start

A challenge for a quilted shape is done. I'm pleased I am ahead of the deadline. I'm pleased that it is actually going to be part of another project that will become finished. I'm also pleased that I managed to do it without getting sidetracked by all the stuff that still needs putting away here in the coop. I cleared the sewing and cutting table in the morning. I cut grass as the window of opportunity was only open for a short time. Then I locked myself in the playroom after supper.

The inspiration for this was a challenge to make a quiltie shape. I had taken a class to make small quilties, stack them, cut them, shuffle them and resew them. They looked exactly as I've described the process. 8b I did like the fabric so I was looking to see if I could make a shape from one of the sections. Hmmm, they could be a background if I off set them, play with them... There ia a leaf motif in the Bali fabric I had used. The colour wheel showed me an accent option and I had the perfect piece of fabric, kinda small but just maybe, if I don't mess up. Leaves aren't flat so the thinnest batting I had added to the puckery look and I couldn't find the interfacing anyway. I traced a shape, zigzagged around it using my walking foot, then switched to free motion for spine and viens. I cut it out and then free motioned with the zigzag around the edges. Thank goodness the Bernie really can sew on air! lol

Next challenge will be to get this background worked up into something I can also be pleased with. The first two I'd originally joined did not craete artistic confidence!

The week in review

I'm rather liking the focus for the day. Things don't always go as planned but it helps me see where I need to go next. My long suffering hubby has been looking at the menu or lack there of and I was actually one step ahead of him. I do like to eat but the mechanics of food is not high on my desirable list. So I'm thinking I could add it to Thursdays with the reward/carrot being a fun art night and perhaps a snack treat.

I took a learning style quiz and I am a visual/nonverbal learner. The good news is that this category of learners has an artistic side that likes visual art and design. Hence the graphics I luv to add. I am a huge fan of colour coded office supplies. I like things pretty! But the learning strategy recommends I translate words and ideas as much as possible into symbols, pictures, and diagrams. It almost makes me wanna go back to school! 8^)

So when I look at the week I see a calendar. I see me quilting, me gardening, me reading, me, ah, well, at least looking like a cook and then I see a jumble of stuff laid out on my cutting table, then me cleaning house and I'm making happy noises 'cause I like cleaning. Now Saturday strategy sees me as a secretary, stacks of coloured files, pens and pencils sharp and at the ready; fancy daytimer WITH my initials, surrounded by office sounds! Then my dearie bursts into my dream with a folded serviette as his list and spitting out "just do it"! Need I mention that we are opposites. He is auditory. But I bet I have more fun! <>

But we won't compare accomplishments. I'm sure the problem is a daytimer that is the wrong colour!

The Coop

The coop is a working coop. The back part opens to a large area and houses the chickens. I have Buff Brahma Bantams mostly. Buff is the colour, Braham is the breed, and bantam designates size. This rooster is darker than the hens, has a plumy tail and feathered feet. The hens fade as they age but are definitely less colourful. They lay small brown eggs. This year they are babysitting my farmer's spring chicks. He ordered some Canadian chicks. Chanticleers from Quebec. His are full size and will live free range on the main farmyard.

My favorites are the call ducks. They live in the front of the coop and exit from the side. They have a smaller area but I've given them a pond. Call ducks are minature ducks that come from England. They were originally used as decoys to lure in wild ducks. They are very noisey and their small size enabled them to be kept in pockets. I particularly like the butterscotch/apricot colours. I can watch them in their kiddies pool from the upstairs windows.

They, too, are babysitting as my farmer ordered 3 Indian Runner Ducks and 3 Kahki Campbells. They are full sized ducks and quicly outgrew their surrogate mothers. Actually they'd kinda run them over! 8^) I've been leaving their gate open so they can get used to the big wide world as they'll be living over at the barn. Mine often forage about in That Faerie Place near them. I lock them back up at night as an owl visited and 'did in' my male a while ago.

Yesterday when I returned from the city I could hear a call duck. Usually they are quiet in the heat of the day, chillaxing under the shrubs in their pen. I found the neighbour's dog in the pen and much carnage. The chickens also did not escape as they often find ways to 'visit' the ducks and perhaps they feel the bugs are juicier on the other side of the fence!

The final tally is still not in as some were driven off into the bush behind the coop and the stress on the live birds is huge and they just sucumb later. So it has been a sad day, but nothing for it but to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start all over again! Hmm, maybe the Faeries can console the survivors! I'll have to see if there are any faerie lights tonight!

Little quilties

I had taken a class that had us making little quilts, stacking, cutting, shuffling and resewing them. They didn't look like art to me, they looked just like their discription. But I really liked the Bali fabric I'd begun with. Another challenge to make a quilted shape had me drag them all back out to see if I could use one to make a shape. As I was fooling around I started to get a background that I could live with. The colour wheel gave a clue for a dimensional shape, a leaf. A necklace helps me see some beading at the bottom. This could be the beginning of an art quilt. I am off to the big city with a list that will include some beads, especially a few leaf ones.

hmm, what if I did some stamping as well? oooh, what if one thing leads to another? 8^)

Sheared for shape

The shearer gives little notice. He brings all his supplies and we provide meals and a place to stay if it ends up being an over nighter. He has been shearing our sheep for 20 some years and we have a lot to catch up on over lunch. 8^) Our flock has decreased so we now only require half a day. The light coloured sheep are the ewes (females) which have just been sheared. The smaller greyer sheep are this spring's lambs. They have actually done very well this year and the whole flock is in good shape.
What if... I've kinda taken the sheep for granted. What kind of creativity would they inspire?

Curves

When life throws you a curve...

A curve can be a baseball pitch. It can be a line on a graph representing data. A curve is also the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes. Those are nouns. The verb is a curl, curve or kink!

Curves always happen on my life line. It does make life interesting.

But if you are heading towards a goal, any deviation will take you away from your goal. That is probably not good. But there are also curves that stay on target. They just dip down into a valley and then rise up over the top of the hill. They don't have to way lay me from my destination. They just take more time. I need to be relaxing on the straight ahead curves and get the benefit of the coasting or exercising that happens on those curves. The sideways shuffles need to get my attention real quick so I can focus and get back on that straight trajectory.

Last week's curve was the lack of internet access. I did not too bad on staying focused. Today the shearer arrived to do our sheep and I almost got off track until I realized that curves don't have to be sideways! Thank goodness I didn't get a kink!

Technical Difficulties

Whoops! Just when I thought I had things licked, a workable plan and was seriously making progress the computer throws a nasty curve. Actually it was more of a straight line; you know, the code red in the emergency room. I became well acquainted with many of the tech support people from our provincial telephone company. Then I was razzle dazzled by a young techy at the 'puter store. Then back to the telephone advisors. I was just about to lose all hope when the connection happened and things are once again looking promising.

Opportunity

"I took the opportunity to..."

In my attempt to reorganize the house I was hauling a 5 drawer dresser up from the depths of the basement. As I was cleaning it up I thought, hmmm! Why don't I paint it with some of the left over paint I have. Not at all in the plan. I haven't done any painting in a few years. I'm messy, it is late in the day....

But I took the opportunity and I'm wonderfully glad. It looks great!

An opportunity is a noun that comes from fitness, suitableness, favorable time. It means a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances.

I had paused by the front door with a drawer. The sun was shining and not much wind. I checked out the paint on my next trip for drawers. Yup! The primer needed some mixing with my electric mixer but it is washable paint. I got the chest set up by the front steps and the parts were practically dry before I was ready to start the last coat. I was washing things up when hubby arrived.

Circumstances were favorable. I had suitable paint and supplies. I kinda knew it was now or never. But the ramifications are much more than a freshly painted chest. It has revived my 'make do' creativity. Reminded me of my younger days when it was all 'make do'. I feel virtuous.

I shall be looking for more opportunities! 8^)

Perfume

I need to straighten up a bit and smell the flowers. I probably should have heeded the advice to start small and get things under control before adding new beds, especially as I kept dividing the little to spread over the much. Those darn weeds hate to see any bare ground. But my peonies are really doing well this year and I have a big bouquet on the table that makes everything so worthwhile. I've also left the roses alone and they, too, are doing well. I stick to the hardy Canadian Explorer roses and the Morden roses that have been developed in Morden which is in my province. I try to get the fragrant ones right up near the house. I don't find the roses to be very demanding and they come thru winter without needing much more than some pruning and of course the peonies live forever. I have realized I'd rather not fuss with my plants so I try not to get the big doubles that tend to flop and I'll cut those that do for fresh flowers in the house. The roses aren't the big teas but they are still charming and suited to our farmsite. The bulk of my beds are mixed plantings but I try to have a sprinkling of flowers happening somewhere in each bed so there is always a flowering focal point.
Now that I've got a few of the kinks out, I think I'll go for a stroll and a sniff before I retire.

So creative

Wish it was sew creative but my Dh has been watching all the organizing and now wants his own room. ??? A knock down, drag em out fight got me to offer him the best closet in the house. No? Another go 'round and I allowed him the guest room if he agreed to keep a single guest bed. My attitude definitely needed adjusting as I envisioned the warehouse look with his talk of roll away cot and folding work table. awk! But I hauled Everything out! This has caused logistic problems all over. But I've been pleasantly surprised as he gathers what he wants. First was an old cupboard we got at an auction sale. Gee, no room for big table. That's too bad! This may actually be good. 8^) I'm rising to the challenge of making a guest room with office capabilities.

So no sewing today but I did dig out the paint cans and my creative juices are flowing better than some of this old paint. lol But I really do need to get a baby quilt done this week so I shall be stealing some time from some other endeavor.

The week in review

Well, just because I assigned a general purpose to each day doesn't get it done. A lot of flurry and I guess some things done, but...

So I better unearth the little black book and start to number things 1-5 and face up to which wheel is squeaking the most.

Two steps forward...

and one step back!

In my attempt to sort stuff I seem to be making more of an upheaval than planned. I know I'm pitching stuff but it still doesn't look like it is all gonna fit back into the closets that it came from. hmm, part of the problem is I'm reacquainting myself with stuff (good stuff) that I had put away for 'later'. I'm thinking that time is here and I am making new piles! vbsigh

TGIF

If boys have toys...

do girls have curlers???

I don't think so. I have ordered a free DVD from the Dremel web site that is gonna tell me all about this handy dandy tool that is apparently a 'must have' for serious mixed media artists. I'm kinda excited/scared. I can do serious damage with hubby's hammer and if I can't find a screw driver the hammer is sometimes just as useful, but probably not for this artsy stuff. :0


I did buy a cute little tool kit from the scrapbooking shop but I need to take it back and ask them what it is I exactly bought and how it works. lol I am still sorting stuff and I'm gathering my supplies together. I'm into old photos, epherma and memorabilia now. I have made a spot for wrapping paper and ribbons. But it seems ya have to make a mess to clean up a mess. Oh, well. I'm starting to see bare floor and spots on the work table surface.

ORGANIZE

ORGANIZE comes from Latin- instrument, organ

That is neat because our body parts, organs, are very organized.

The verb can mean several things and the ones that resonated in me were:

-action of organizing parts into a whole
-cause to be structured or ordered or operating to some principle or idea
-arrange by systematic planning and united effort
-create (as an entity)
-plan and direct (a complete undertaking)

So this whole house organizing is a grand idea to create and execute a workable system but I need help because it is a united effort. ooh, wait'll I tell hubby!

Shelter belts

I've been out and about a lot and I'm noticing the shelter belts out on the prairie. Many are old abandoned farm sites with a few straggly trees around the perimeter of the site. The wind does a number on the trees and sometimes they are hard to even get established. Many of the rows are just one kind of tree. When I drive by areas of bush I see much more diversity.

I think that diversity is also needed in gardens. I'm planting our wind breaks in clumps rather than rows with various levels. Upper story of several trees, middle ground of small trees or tall shrubs, some accent shrubs for the understory and then close to the yard I add perennials and ground covers. They are happy to help each other and I think things remain healthier.

I do wonder about those old abandoned sites, some with crumbling sheds and windowless houses. What if...