Wow! The work table is flooded!

 It has been just pouring rain these last few days.  The sun is out  now so I hope I am not tempting fate with the open umbrella!  I have baskets on the table, a Noah's Ark quilt and some bunny fabric ideas. oops, I forgot about the Rooster's mending!  :(   I've no time for anything other than a flood of ideas!

This was the general idea for the basket quilt.  I will put the applique posies at the top.

The wall hanging should actually be a bit wider but I could trim the sides down if necessary.  The background of these baskets is a white on white print, a tone on tone.  I like them but this has been in the stash a long time and I remember why;  the print is painted on and a real pain to applique!  :{

But the narrower sashing is much better as it is less busy and doesn't overpower the baskets. And I want to see those darn painted flowers in the TOT fabric background.  ;)  I really kinda want to leave my focus fabric of polka dots in the quilt.  :}

I got a huge selection of bias tape at a thrift sale and was thinking of a vine with circles.  But I had an aha!  What if I did flower stems?

 Looking through my paper circles for a size I found this checkerboard circle.  Cute.  I'm sure I have some checkerboard fabric.  :)

These baskets are proving to be a very time consuming quilt!  My ark needs floating.

And my bunnies are wanting to get hopping!  Cutting the most bunnies that I can may mean doing these blocks on point.  :O

My camera sure doesn't like focusing on dots!  But I do think I have a plan for finishing!

I need to stop the flood that is washing away my time! vbsigh  But I do wonder what kinds of floods (ideas,  projects, fabrics, finished projects, mosquitoes, etc.) the gals on TN&TN are experiencing

One more chapter

Last week I needed two grad presents and journals seemed like a great idea.  In fact, I surprised myself with all of this.

I gathered my supplies and took my first process photo.  I wisely decided to split the cardboard covers,  Wisely because I ended up stuffing 21 assorted pages of folded paper into each journal. :O

But that wasn't the surprise.  The surprise was that I got so caught up in the making that I never thought of capturing any photos until I had the cord wrapped around the bulging books, the pens secured  and I had laid them down to consider how to gift wrap them.  It was two days of bliss.  Luved it!

The Rooster was reaching for the truck keys as I very quickly spread them out for a few quick shots!  :O

Forty two pages but only one signature .  I must learn to sew multiple signatures.

Some are small inserts and keeping them aligned during sewing is challenging.

 I used a variety of papers and techniques to add interest.

Most of the papers were made from earlier print sessions.

 Then I personalized the booklets even more with stamps and stencils.

 I also used some scrap booking sheets and coordinating accessory packages.

I ran out of time for any beads but some ribbon was a lovely addition.

I had to keep telling myself to leave room for the girls to do their own personalizing!  ;~)

The pocket on the back cover holds odds and ends but didn't quite have room for the pen. :(

I did so enjoy making these that I will definitely be making more and learning how to make them better!

What floats your boat?

I'm not sure what is exactly going to float my boat for this week but I don't think grass cutting is gonna be part of the plan.  Note to self- Buy more mosquito repellant!

HSTerical- What was I thinking???

As I  began to throw up HST's on my design wall I realized that these HST's are NOT all cut with the diagonal running corner to corner!  :(  The blocks I have in the pattern above are not trimmed.  The trimmed blocks are down on the left corner and for some reason that I can no longer remember, they were cut wonky!  :O  Problem?   But then I got to thinking about Vicki's Fractured Spiral.  It is kinda wonky!

I have decided to embrace wonky but I am not liking the layout of this one because of the chopped off points.  I am thinking motion sickness!  sew...

This doesn't bother my sensibilities as much!  ;~)

And now I am being careful to make sure there are no matching points.  vbsigh

It looks like I may have a plan.  I think I will sew it in rows so I can press seams all one way and then the next row I'll reverse and press all the other way.

It should work out to about 40" x 50" and can go into the 'gift' cupboard.  :)  Then I can start on the 'normal' HST's.  Now if I can just stop worrying about holes in the boat!  LOL

I am linking to The HSTeria Quilt Along so if you want to see matching points, click over here!

Getting a handle on things

These 24 handles took a lot more time than I'd have thought.  True it has continued to be just as busy in June as it was in May but they are small and simple. vbsigh 

Now to get the baskets made up and attached to them.  But as I was attaching the main body of the basket I see there are a couple of handles that are not right.  :(  An easy fix but ...  The good news is that I saw a neat idea for a vine with circle flowers for across the bottom which appeals as the coloured baskets are all dots.  I'll need to measure and see how I'm doing for size.  I expect I'll be making the sashing smaller.

I am considering a few options for the June fabrics but not really decided other than fast, quick, simple!!!  lol

I am rethinking the design for the Noah's Ark Hysterical quilt because I have discovered that I had started cutting the six inch half square triangles at a wonky angle.  These are old blocks and I must have been on a 'bust out of my rut' kind of tangent.  :O  If I re cut I'll have to make them quite a bit smaller.  I'm ready to pull up the gangplank and just go wonky because if I had a plan it is now off in some lifeboat somewhere!  :0

I am somewhat caught up on my DYLP but can't say that for the daily sketching for the Sketchbook Skool class. :(

This was houses with a flap that covers the calender and to-do list.

This week was gratitude and certainly an easy page that I need to finish up.

This current week is to add book text and I found a map page.  I may stop putting flaps in and just keep the emphasis on art as I'm not so good with a planner.  :{ 

But mostly I have been using my new hoe handle!  I have heard that bees are being compromised but they are sure abundant here even though I find it quite chilly out.  Notice my bought transplants look kinda limp.  The raspberries are just humming with bees but I can only see some leaves, no flowers.  That patch of purple thyme has about a dozen big bees all over it and they don't all look the same.  Some are huge and a few are pale and less fuzzy!  I hope they can handle their bucketfuls!

Life's Secrets

I introduced the grand kiddies to my secret garden, the one where the faeries hang out.  They don't know about faeries!  I shall be introducing them to the search for elusive wee fantasy figures.  :)

We are looking for the blue bird of happiness.  We might even make a birder out of Josh!

Stopping to smell the lily of the valley is also key!

Sharing the work load really helps get the jobs done!

Then a secret elixir of gathered apples, cucumbers, carrots, rhubarb and a dash of dandelion leaves may or may not prolong life.  They enjoyed the mechanics of the making but the actual drink, not so much!  lol

We fed the residue to the chickens and were rewarded with a hot egg!

Somehow as a young girl I wanted to marry a farmer.  I found the Rooster.  Farming has had its ups and downs but, it is no secret that we have had the best life.

 And another secret is to celebrate those best of times!  :)

HSTerical

                                         HSTerical

It may not look like it, but I am having fun!  I get some sort of 'jollies' from sorting and organizing messes!  I decided to tackle my fabric stash and see why piles of fabric weren't finding resting spaces behind those white design wall curtains.  Isn't that hysterical!

The good news is that I don't have as much fabric as I thought.  The bad news is that I have way more wips than I thought.  I also decided that many of my 'sometime in the future' projects that I have stashed in plastic shoe boxes need to re enter their designated colour piles.  I could have used some of those fabrics in recent projects.  :{

One of the plastic boxes has all kinds of Half Square Triangles!  I had an old Debbie Mum Noah's Ark fabric that was perfect for a wedding quilt, but not the arks so much.  lol   I cut off the arks and a great idea was born, started, but never completed.  I do believe its time has come!

I'm thinking this layout and I'll figure out the borders later.  It just floats my boat ark. ;~)

This whim (work hidden in my mind) has come up to see the light of day as well.  I found the print somewhere a long time ago.  It just appeals to me.  I have this block in mind and will use all the colours on the taupe background.  No already done or even cut hst's but I can maybe redraft the block to fit my die cutter.  :)  I also may find a better taupe background now that I see the photo.  :O

I am just thrilled to have dealt with old stacks, (from at least 5 years ago) and got everything organized.  I had already purged what I won't use.  Most of the fabric groupings stayed intact with their idea attached but I just better placed them in the shelves in case I 'need' what they have to offer.  Surprisingly everything pretty much fits.  On the cutting table is a big basket holding a current project. Pinks are also ready for cutting.  The other two I had totally forgotten about and again one has the blocks done.  sheesh!  I feel like some extra weight has lifted though as I look around and see bare floors and table tops.  vbsigh

I think I am now up to 5 different ideas to toss up on the design wall concerning half square triangles.    Do you think that is hysterical?  ;^)

I am linking to Vicki's HSTeria Quilt Along.  :)

wow, what happened to the worktable?

I do try the KISS way of doing things.  I really do!  vbsigh  Let me share how I got to this photo.

May was very hectic due to weekly exploratory posts over on ...and then we set it on fire...!  I tackled the ambitious project of experimenting with Lutradur which was a new material to me.  Then I combined that with 12 x 12 inch pages themed mother and daughters which I put in a fabric memory box.   This was the prize winner for underestimating projects.  lol  Definitely worthwhile and I'll be finishing that all up.  But I made a horrendous mess in my Coop and Saucer Playroom.    I shut the door and went off to Winnipeg on Monday.  I planned a stop at my local Bernina dealer, Sew Inspiring, to pick up one small item that was amended to two before I even left.  As I was paying for them I overhead a conversation about Plexiglas inserts and a portable table.  That lead to purchase number three as I realized it was my birthday soon and this table opportunity had just fallen into my lap.  :) 

May's marathon helped me identify my priorities.  Mixed Media Art has seduced me away from my first luv, fabric.  I am missing my quilting.  Sew...

I have been thinking a lot about my passion.  What do I like to do and how do I do it???  And I do hope it doesn't turn out to be furniture moving!!!  ;~)

I want fabric and stitching to be in most of my work.  I like to stand to piece but to improve my MQing skills I need to sit and so does Nina.  I can indulge the messy stuff with dyeing/painting/stamping fabric as well as paper.  And journals can incorporate cloth. Really!  :)

Nina is a big girl and to shine at FMQing she needs to be down in a table.  I had the Rooster all convinced to remodel my traditional sewing cabinet which has the smaller opening when I saw this 'fidget' table at Elizabeth's store.  Look at all the work I'm saving the Rooster!!!  And the truth be told, I needed more leg room.

After trying to keep my lovely quilting surface as well as the new table I ended up folding the cabinet away and  butting up two old Ikea cupboards and an old wooden table to surround Nina.  The drawer even opens for some added elbow room.  It works.  I'll tweak the levels, order the Plexiglas insert, find a round stool and QUILT!  Nina will always be ready.

Mini is strutting her stuff from command central.  I cannot live without this cutting table.  I wish I could have it fully extended but the reality is I clutter half of it and only use the cleared part.  :(  Mini is near the wet area and can stitch a quick line.  She doesn't seem to flinch when I get to flinging paint like Nina did.  ;^)  She is set for quick piecing, ironing and fast runs to the design wall.  I did lose my ruler spot but I have also learned I am NOT a peg board girl so a shelf up there will hold my ruler stand.  The drop leaf extends over part of the MQing area and when I'm leaning on it, two plastic drawers nicely support the top.  They also store 'stuff'!  :}

Out of view and already filling the very back is all the stuff I need to find new spots for.  But, I have warned all my little playmates that if they don't fuel my passion and don't have a spot.....   SURELY, this has to be the last time for tweaking.  ahem, I am already eyeing up the fabric stash behind those curtains as fabric seems to be creeping over flat areas and gathering in corners because the shelves are quite stuffed.  Purge coming!  Well, I've purged to the minimum, maybe restacking will help!

Which brings me to the monthly wall hanging.  I am liking this commitment to myself.  May was a little harder to keep up with but I am finishing it up because Nina wants a crack at MQing it.  Her faster speed could help with the piecing but ya know, I'm learning to enjoy the process.  :)

June could beabout big wild pink roses but it is gonna be about pinkness, wee roses and bunnies!  I can't recall how I got the centre FQ's but they are kinda cute.  The two fabrics on the right are new and part of my reviving stash buying dilema.  Where are all these little critters coming from?  The left are oldies but goodies.  I want to feature the bunny motifs and I'll be thinking churn dash or ??? options while I finish up the May baskets.   I am liking the bigger wall hanging size and will be doing the dreaded math to figure out my design plan and size requirements.  I can't wait to chase bunnies after I get the baskets completed and the playroom all tweaked!

The applique block for DD#1's quilt was May basket but I didn't get to it.  It is a fairly complicated block with a woven basket.  But I'm not behind because I have this trapunto block finished and I was holding it in reserve.  :)  I might need to remove some stuffing though as it is quite distorted now that I'm actually looking at it.  hmmm  I need a rabbit or two to nibble on those flowers.  lol

I wonder what the rest of Canada is chasing this June? 

Its my party and I'll...

do what I wanna!

May was a crazy busy month.  The weather is still kinda yes, no, maybe so!  June is my birthday month and I'm definitely celebrating this year because I get a government pension cheque.  whooeee!  Next year I'll be back to ignoring it!  LOL  Silly to race to 65 and then do a brake stand but...

I'm not sure what June will actually look like but I do know I shall be interrupting the regularly scheduled programming!

 So while some may see a senior having a moment,  I see myself as let out for recess! 

Its a Moody Manitoba Morning

I don't know how popular this song by Manitoban Rick Neufeld was but it says it all.   I do luv Manitoba!