White for starters

The neighbours south of the border have sent us some more white stuff! 

This is NOT conducive to good lambing.

But the snowy downpour didn't really matter as I was not going out. I was also not even going to commit to put pen to white paper and make a written plan; I was just grabbing the vacuum and starting on my housework as I have a lot to catch up on.  I'm just doing the next thing first!  lol

I did get the table stained.  Dark walnut didn't do it but ebony did!  Now I noticed while vacuuming that the table leaves show their underside when they are down, which is most of the time.  :(  I shall up end the table tomorrow and give them a quick coat on their undersides.

With the main floor restored to whatever normal looks like these days and the laundry started, I shoved the vacuum into the first room after I sucked up the bigger dust bunnies on the upstairs hall carpet.  Stage two is tomorrow.  The playroom is such a mess so I have today to do all my wet stuff.  I shall continue cleaning and then do dry stuff tomorrow.

Margaret Applin's class ends this week and as I save the lessons I've been reviewing and there were a few things I forgot.  The last and third journal we make is an 'everything' journal and she gave us 12 page starters with a variety of techniques for overcoming the white page.  Here are three that I forgot and am now trying and I will be developing them later.

Doing this mixed media art work is just so much fun.  I am sew glad that I have the Finish A Long to keep reminding me about my 'other' projects.

:)

2013 Finish a Long Second Quarter

I really felt the benefits of this Finish a Long.  It isn't even about any prizes it is about committing in a public way and then trying to keep from being shamed!   When I was near the beginning of the end of the first quarter I read the comments on my commitment post and I was inspired to do my best when my motivation was flagging.  Thanks very much to my commenters!

Sew:

I got these two bunk bed quilts quilted but not bound so that will be first.  There are two and this photo shows one front and one back.  I will be trying the binder again and the fabric is starched nicely and is peeping out between the two quilts.  I am hoping a slow job will produce stellar results.

I would like to get some sewing done and these fabrics are grouped together for blocks to compliment the  3/4 bed that is also in the room with the bunk beds.  The goal is to get the blocks all made.

Spring will be in full bloom and I need this quilt for a guest room bed so I will be basting it and machine quilting it as a prep for 'that' quilt which you will recognize later in the line up. ;^)

This quick project is the companion quilt for grand daughter #3.  Her brother and sister each have a lap quilt and I need to get hers done.  Her fabric has insects on it but in the same colourways as her siblings.  I use most of the theme fabric for the backing and place some squares in the front.

I should then be ready to machine quilt this top which is only needing basting and some straight line quilting.

Then I guess it is time to face the quilting of this one!  Maybe I should move it to the top of the list.  vbsigh

I might be ready after this to finally finish up my art quilt from a Jane Sassaman class.  Hmm, I might just try it in a portrait orientation as opposed to the landscape position.  It is embarrassing how long it has languished in the closet. :(

The scrap trip along is also on the list as a reminder I want the blocks ready for the last quarter.

These blocks are listed to bring things up to an even 10 projects. Heaven forbid I should have weeks with nothing to finish! lol   These are for my bedroom.  I came up with the plan all by myself so I really am anxious to do it.

I shall link these to the Finish a Long and I guess it is "Ladies, start your machines!".

What a week!

This has not been the week to try multi tasking!

I did get my series journal completed in the Printing the Journal class through Joggles.  I really like the concept and I will definitely make more of these journals.

One side is simpler as I got the hang of things.

The second side got much more elaborate as I got in the 'zone' of creating a story!

 I chose a days of the week theme and I decided to hide faeries in the backgrounds making them more visible as the week progressed.

Then I realized there are six pages for a seven day week so Sunday got the whole back.  lol

No faeries.  It is a day of rest!  :)

I'm not sure if this is totally finished.  I may go back and add a few more images as I feel Sunday needs a bit more glorifying! ;^)

But that is all for this week.  I need to post my Finish a Long list for the second quarter and we have a birthday boy at our house!

I decided not to post the picture of the Rooster reading the instructions as his comb was in the crowing position!  Ha!

Where was I?

Life and housework!

Housework I can work around or just jump over!

Life not so much!

As soon as the leak is fixed I'll be back!   I can clean up and blog at the same time then! 

the Point of this post

A little regrouping here as we set the pointer for this Monday and a look at the second quarter of 2013.  Spring has not arrived.  We may not even get a spring this year.  But it is time to quit shivering and shoveling and get started with this next season whatever it looks like!!!  The second quarter for me comprises April, May and June. 

The theme for Spring is paper! 

The Whole House Purge will be to reduce the stacks of paper that seem to accumulate.  First up is the 'puter drawers.  Then I shall grit my teeth, glare fiercely and tackle my bedside filing system (or lack there of) and finally the playroom.

The decorating will be to Paint.  I want to finish the furniture in the north rooms and accessorize.  Bathroom should be a quick job for May.  The Rooster hopes to be outside on the fence and well into the barn by the end of spring so my workroom fits nicely into June.  The paper for theses projects is mainly protective paper on the floors!  lol

This quarter's books focus on photography and PhotoShop Elements.  I want to capture better images on paper and then manipulate them for collage papers.  The three books are:

Photography & the art of seeing-  Freeman Patterson
Digital Essentials-  Gloria Hanson
Digital Expressions-  Susan Tuttle

The classes projects come and go.  I shall finish Printing the Journal in time to start Colour Love 101.  The Getting Started basics class covers  Deli Paper in April;  Lettering in May; and June is Watercolours. I will have several kinds of papers on the go!  ;^)

Then there are The Projects.  The Finish A Long was hugely motivating and I hope to pick up where I left off and continue with more in this next quarter. I also want to do a Die Cut Scrap a long that will help me learn to use my die cutter and process a few scraps at the same time.  This round of paper will be to check off items!!!

The directional pointer is set and the projects are in the planning stages.  Let the process begin!  8^)

That'll Do!

When our Border Collie, Sweet Pea, has gotten the sheep where they need to be or even if we just want her to be still, we tell her "That'll do!".

It is time to officially close this first quarter and start spring whether it looks like it or not.  It is snowing again and it is down right cold! :(  Can you see Manni? Our night shift guard dog is still overseeing the early morning situation! :)

The lambs aren't waiting any longer and the first has come.

I lost my momentum when I had to take ds#3 to the city Thursday.  I soaked up 'atmosphere' at the upscale furniture store behind these two gentlemen.  Then I came home with decorating on my mind.  I am so ADD!  lol

The whole house purge is looking worse not better as all the stuff from the north rooms has found places of temporary residence while the contractors worked on the sitting and dining rooms on the north side of the house.  Some of their stuff is still here as I await the last couple of small details for them to be finished.

I am slowly putting things back in the room and I used some left over paint from the glaze finish on the walls to spruce up the old bookcase.  Next is to stain that table a bit darker and polish it up.

The book, Creating the French Look, was a surprise.  I got it to learn the paint techniques.  But reading through the various styles that comprise the French look had me identifying several design elements that are very French in my own home.  I'm a cross between country farm house and country manor.   France has several different areas which lead to the variety of styles.  I am attracted to the subtle and simple, with flair.  I like the playful and the delicate.  The colour of French style is quiet.  I luv Toile De Jouy fabric for some reason and it is uniquely French!  lol  I prefer simple, sheer, white window treatments.  Sparkly chandeliers make me smile.  Boulis, quilted bed covers, are the basis of my bedrooms (with an accent patchwork across the foot).  I want to learn how to replicate that wash of light grey or old white on wood that says 'French'.  I am presently eyeing up my dining room hutch to see how to transform it with paint.

My classes are coming along.  I have one more video on gesso for the basics class.  We are also using gesso as a foundation to our pages on the Printing the Journal class and I am keeping up real well with that one.

And I think that I am to the place in the Finish A Long where I must stop and tell myself, "that'll do".  I didn't get to any of the quilt blocks I wanted to make but I had hoped to do the bindings on the last two bunk beds.  Since I'm determined to accomplish a 'factory finish' with this binder attachment I need to stop the rush!  The 2013 Finish A Long has about 300 finishes so I feel I did add my few to the number and the rest can go on the second quarter's list.

I guess if I talk about the dogs I better at least include a photo of one of the grand kiddies. #3  We did have a hoppy Easter day at their house!

It is time to say, "that'll do" for the winter season.  I shall continue with the burst of ambition that ended the quarter as I head into this second quarter. 

Finish Five,part A

This quilt top is the main reason I joined the Finish a Long.  It had been languishing way too long.  It is my daughter's wedding quilt and child number three is here. :(  I learned a valuable lesson on procrastinating.  I can't even find the book that has the original wall hanging directions.  I just made it bigger and got overly clever with all the colours and 'flowers'!  The wedding saw all but the last row and a half done.  Then she sat.  and sat and SAT!  enough.  But even with the April deadline I dragged my feet and that has put the other ufo's behind. BUT...

She is done and I will be putting her on the second quarter list for machine quilting and the final part B.  The binding is worrying me.  Why did I let DD talk me into all those curves???

The north rooms are also in part A mode.  I am slowly putting things back.  I need to think about some kind of curtain for the sliding doors. on the other hand...  Privacy isn't an issue so I'll make haste slowly.  lol  I am also deciding about darkening the table under the mirror and the round dining room table.  Then there are colour decisions for the hutch and bookcase. 

I hope to roll through some starched strips through the binder later today for the next twoquilts.  Is that a finish line just ahead???

wow Finish # four

In my quest for faster binding methods I decided to try putting the binding on from the back and then stitching it down on the front.  My photo is too blurry to show. I shoulda took at least two!  ;^)  I like a thin binding but I am learning that machine stitching a narrow binding is aggravating.  Trying to pull that slightly narrow edge over the bulging seam allowance is not as easy as by hand.  I would be more generous now and cut my strips two and a half inches for a double fold binding.  For this one I used my blanket stitch.

I spread the stitches quite far apart.  I think I like that better than a zig zag stitch.  I should have matched my thread better as well.  Hindsight is SEW wonderful!

I am starching the fabric for the next binding and I hope to have something to show for the end of the week.

There are one or two things to finish in the north rooms and then I'll be able to get some of the stuff I have stashed all over the house back to its appropriate place.  I don't want to rush but move slowly and choose wisely!  Just because that was where it has always been doesn't mean it has to go there.  lol

In between quilts I took the opportunity to screen print some deli paper and some watercolour paper for my class.  Deli paper is unwaxed or dry waxed sandwich paper.  It is translucent and when applied to collages the background almost disappears and the paint predominates.  Lots of fun making these as they are not finished works of art but are meant to be ripped and glued down on top of other images.  Instant gratification and helps me tackle some more of those old ufo's.

April 1st was the coldest in 16 years here in Manitoba.  Perhaps a look at some of the other Canucks linking to the The Needle and Thread Network will show that winter  REALLY is finished in other parts of Canada! 

Finish a Long Three

It was an April Fool on the Rooster as he thought one of his ewes was lambing.  Coldest April 1st in a long time so he was glad she was only fooling!  But he moved them up closer to the barn as their time is approaching.  :)

The binder works well when I have my mouth just right!  Operator error sometimes.  I do wish I had gotten the bigger size as the batting and the seams make things a wee bit more difficult.  I'll be practicing some more as I think I can snug things up even better.

But she is another finish.

Finish a Long 2

                                                                           Baby quilt.

                                                            Backing for the baby quilt.

This baby quilt is leftovers from a quilt along.  The top with a new backing ended up going to my niece as a wedding present.  She now has a baby and I think these leftovers will be fitting for her daughter.

History:
Colour choices
Stripping
Processing
Nearly done
Leftovers

I hand sewed the binding and realized I will not get my bindings done before the deadline so I am now learning how to use my binder attachment.  Stay tuned!  lol

Finish along for First Quarter

The Snoopy Dance is for the First Quarter Finish A Long.

This has just been the best thing for me as I have wanted to get these old ufo's done so I can start a whole bunch of new things. :O  Well, let me rephrase that.  I want to make new quilts, 'finished' new quilts and some new fibre art also finished.  I think I have learned my lesson about having old projects languishing in piles all around the coop!

I also like planning things so it was fun to sort and prioritize for the first three months.

This week will be all about finishing.

I started off easy.

A binding for the veranda quilt.

The quilt was started back here  and here.

This is a lap quilt. It is called the veranda quilt because it was made got the quilt rack in the veranda.  The Rooster had to shore up the veranda roof and he made a creative shelf for the spot . Now the quilt rack is awaiting a new spot but the quilt actually lays nicely on the end of the bed!

One down and a few more to go!