Every now and then, I delight myself

 This was a long time in the re-making, but I finally finished the formerly PINK dress form.
I really love the way it turned out.
It is coming with me to the CreativFestival in Toronto next month.
The thing that  makes me happiest about this project is that I finally parted with some things I had been saving for the just the "right" project.
The ribbon rose is real silk ribbon from Mokuba, a downtown Toronto store I only visit once or twice a year. They have little remnant packages -- made, I think just for me -- and this ribbon was in one of them. Ditto the rice paper leaves I made for the rose.
The spool is from the cast of thousands that I dearly love and just enjoy having around. They are a cozy reminder of when I first started sewing on my grandma's old black Singer machine. I hunt them down when I can, people give them to me when they are discovered in the sewing boxes of grandmas and great aunts. Ditto the buttons, acquired from happy button discoveries in thrift stores over the years.
The pencil and the scissors are not real, they are from the jewelery and scrapbooking sections of Michaels.
I am excited to be going to the CreativeFestival with this overhauled lady. I hope that when people stop to "meet" her, they will also want to learn about embroidery and embellishments.
Yep, every now and then, I manage to delight myself.

Close quarters call for fat quarters

Teacup doll rescues cracked cup

We have had so much snow in the past few days there is nothing to do but acquire some cabin fever. For me, that means I make some things and then order some European sized FQs. (I also made the mistake of watching Hoarders, but let's push that aside. If you only order FQs, then it is not actual fabric. Everyone knows that...)
Among my new acquisitions is the new Tilda summer book.
It is in Norwegian, but once you know how to do a Tilda figure, all you really need is the pattern. Also, Google Translate does an excellent job in clearing things up when I can't figure it out.
I decided to also get some actual Tilda fabric to do the Princess and the Pea wall hanging, and there is a seaside girl in the summer book holding a toy boat. It reminds of me of visiting my family in Eastern Canada and playing in the ocean in Nova Scotia.
The howling wind and swirling snow convinced me that I needed the toy boat, so I ordered that too. And, said a fond farewell to the last of my Christmas gift card.
As always, I ordered my stuff from lovetilda.nl

Learning Norwegian

I like to support small web shops when I can, and as I have written before, I believe this is one of the best around. Rian has a good selection, and is always ready to offer a helping hand if you're stuck on an instruction or technique.
Ours is a big world, and it is nice to have a reliable source to buy the things you love. Lots of people miss having a little shop where you can pop in and find what you need, along with friendly service. I really can't stand being forced to shop in big box stores that offer a disappointing selection. My only other experience with a North American Tilda supplier was disappointing, frustrating and very unsatisfactory. (she gingerly gets down from her soap box ...)

Sailing away

As I wait for the weather to clear, I will get busy on "dressing" my mannequin. I started on it the other day, but the mojo wasn't quite right. I set it aside.
I am learning slowly that sometimes, that's the best course of action.
Have a great weekend, y'all!

Here's the hoop-la

I have been working on my hoop-la design.

I have spent the past few days having fun with the kids, who have been on their Reading Week break from school. Even though they are quite mature -- and they frequently tell me I am not -- we  have been enjoying our time together.
What with the shopping trips, having a nice dinner out, and watching movies on TV, my creative time has been a bit sidelined.
However, I did finish sketching out the hoop-la design for the CreativFestival in Toronto this April. I will be showing people how to do embroidery stitches and other surface embellishments at A Needle Pulling Thread magazine's booth.
 This is a lot of fun for me, since I enjoy talking with people, and showing them how to do something they think they can't do. In just a few minutes, they usually gain confidence and after they try a few stitches, they are eager to try more. This is how our ancestors taught the skills we were slowly losing, and certainly, I learned at the elbows of talented older needleworkers. I am glad to be part of the renewed interest in embroidery and surface design, and happy to share what I know with others.
 I like the way my little Tilda bunting flags dress up the design. The next step is to trace it onto linen and tack down the flags using fusible tape. I plan to fix just the very tops of the flags, to create some texture and allow the bottom flags a little "movement". I am considering which colour to use for the script. I was leaning toward red, but I think a deep pink might be nicer on the cream coloured linen.
Have a wonderful weekend, y'all! Who knows? I might even get my mannequin dressed -- as soon as everyone gets back to the books.

Not quite in the pink

These past few weeks have been difficult for a number of reasons. However, last week, I redecorated a thrift store mannequin in preparation for my appearance demonstrating embroidery and embellishment techniques at A Needle Pulling Thread's booth at the CreativFestival this April in Toronto.
Each designer is allowed to bring a small example of their work. I wanted to show abit of what I like to do beyond sewing and other textile frolics.
I found the mannequin at Value Village, just after I received four stamps for donating four bags of stuff. My card full, I was then eligible for a 30 per cent off discount on my next purchase. I was headed for the door when I spied this torso.
At first glance, it was a challenging bit of kitsch. However, my re-create brain was engaged at that very moment. (Sometimes that doesn't happen) I could see the whole transformation in my head. Also, I have a policy of leaving no mannequin behind. So, I picked it up and headed toward the cash. It was marked $9.99 -- which is quite a lot for a thrift store -- and Pepto Pink. However, I had the magic 30 per cent off coupon.
Now, I admit, $7 is still quite a lot for a thrift store find -- and let's not forget the challenge of the PINK! As I reached into my pocket for my car keys, I found $20 in my coat pocket. (I had not worn that coat since last spring.) I know that doesn't make my mannequin purchase free, but it sort of felt like it was because of the hidden $20.
When I got the mannequin home, I disassembled it from its stand and took stock of what I had to do. The fabric flowers had to come off with the assistance of pliers. Ditto the shiny braid. I was left with a reasonably good substrate. I gave it a quick sand to get rid of any residual glue and got to the real work of getting rid of the PINK!

The PINK! was so vibrant I decided to use a dark umber as the base coat before the crackle medium. In my mind's eye, the new colour scheme was going to be a lot more subdued. If you have ever visited Evelyn and Rose, you will understand the vibe I was going for.

Susan has a colour palette that uses white in many incarnations, along with lovely blues and greens. I love the tranquility of that -- it feels like sand, sea, home and happiness to me. Also, I get sort of lost in her blog. Be warned. It is pretty there.

My mannequin was looking much better even with its dark brown basecoat. Once it was dry, I put on the crackle medium. When the medium was dry, I did the first coat of off white paint -- white mixed with antique white. The first round of crackling was quite violent. To tone it down, I added another coat of off white. When it dried, I decided another coat of off white would make the mannequin appear old, but still in good shape. Sadly, I don't think this is the case with humans, but I am willing to suspend all disbelief...

After three coats of off white, the crackle effect was quite subdued. I let the paint dry for 24 hours before using permanent ink to stamp the images on it. This way, the images would stand up to the three coats of satin varnish I used to seal the surface. I am pleased with it so far.

The next step in the process is to create a ribbon, bead and button skirt. I am working on that later on today, but I thought I'd share the WIP.

Little things help ease big changes...

My friend Rian lives in the Netherlands. I have never actually met her. However, she is lots of fun to chat with, and she runs lovetilda.nl. This is my go-to source for all things Tilda. Not only does Rian have good pricing, she actually sends the things one orders promptly, safely packaged, and with reasonable shipping costs. Hence, we chat a lot. 

Not long ago, Rian began offering scrap packages of Tilda fabrics-- the left over bits from her own projects and from the workshops she has begun offering in the Netherlands.  I pounce on them like a panther when she puts them up in the web shop.

Little bunting flags

Self covered buttons

Tilda buttons!

As you may know, I really enjoy using scraps and remnant fabrics. As a child, I was allowed to raid my Aunt Rita's scrap basket for little sewing projects. This, combined with free and easy access to her button tin, set me up for a lifetime of joy when I see a pretty useable scrap or an interesting vintage button.
We have been going through some major changes around here.
The time had come for my mother to move into a long term care. As I tried and tried to care for her as she moved through the stages of Alzheimer's Disease, I began to see that the disease was going to over take us.
Our relationship was fast becoming non-existent, and a sort of battle ground around the need to eat proper meals, keep a sensible bedtime, and a hundred other details of daily living that are not an issue -- until someone can't remember how to do them any longer. When the call came that there was a room for Mom in the long term care facility we had chosen ages ago, I felt profound relief. And sadness. And fear. And, the big one -- guilt -- with a capital G.
Since the start of the new year, my days have been spent doing paper work, packing up things, and worrying about whether I was doing the right thing.
In the end, the move went well, and Mom is happy in her new digs.
In all of this to-ing and fro-ing, My creative time has been somewhat curtailed. I have missed it.
Last week, Sandra and I got together to chat and work on some projects.
I got out my Tilda scrap packages and started working on some mini bunting flags. These are going to be part of a larger project I will be presenting at the Spring 2013 CreativFestival in Toronto.
Once again, I will be demonstrating embroidery and embellishment techniques at A Needle Pulling Thread's booth at the show. I am going to be creating a wall decoration which is finished in an embroidery hoop -- a Hoop-la -- if you will. I will post a photo once I have the whole design ready for its closeup.
I also did some self-covered buttons. I was using scraps of scraps for some of these. (Tilda fabric is too precious to throw away anything more than little bits of threads!) 
As Sandra and I worked and chatted, I felt my worries about everything else going on start to melt away. I felt happier than I had in months. And suddenly, I began to see that my mom is happy where she lives. She has made friends, there are people there who care for, and about, her. And, I am able to visit with her as a friend, and not the bossy lady who makes her eat all her vegetables.
Last Sunday, my son and I visited her. There was a musician giving a concert for the residents. At one point, my son was dancing with my Mom. As I watched them, I realized, I have done all I could for her. It was time to allow other people to help me now.

Sorry, I have been away making merry...

Miss B and the cookies

Toutons, a Newfoundland treat

A gift for Ruth and Eric

Presents for Lisa and Kate

Inside the keyring wallet

Homemade lemon curd

It has been a busy holiday season around here. We hosted Christmas this year. Enough said, right? I like to make the big meal, it's the excessive tidying that grinds you down. Just finding a place to put all the extra coats from the hall closet was a task and a half.
Not to complain though, it was a wonderful day of visiting and catching up with the family. Also, it made the quiet of Boxing Day extra nice! The backyard rink recovered from the early thaw of the first of part of December and there was skating on almost every day of Christmas break.
While all the skating, cooking and tidying was going on, I managed to finish off some presents for some close and dear friends.
This year, Miss B and I made some lemon curd using Meyer Lemons. It was magical stuff! And, in their little fabric chapeaus, made some impressive gifts. We also did our traditional amount of baking for our cookie monster nephews (cousins). This year, I also made some toutons to serve at Sunday Brunch with my Aunt and my cousin and his wife. Toutons are a bit like pancakes, but also like doughnuts. They are made by frying a bit of bread dough in hot oil and then serving them with butter and molasses. Yikes! I used heart healthy oil so we didn't keel over at the breakfast table. The traditional way is to fry them in a bit of lard and fat back pork. Well, traditionally, this was food to stick with you until you brought in the first catch of day... 
This year, our little family elected not to buy each other a lot of gifts.

A Niagara Falls -- magical and cold....

New York shopping

and a bit more shopping

We saved our money for a little mini holiday in Buffalo NY. Where there is a Joann's Fabrics and Crafts. And a Hobby Lobby. And, Shout Colour Catchers!
I made a list before I left. The customs rules have changed about personal shopping totals for an overnight stay, but I didn't go too crazy.
I tried to focus on things that are not easy to obtain in Canada. Like kiss lock purse frames at affordable prices and in various styles, and the aforementioned Shout Colour Catchers (I added the extra U -- it is not on the box).
I love those things. They work really well too, you can wash all kinds of things together, thus saving the water and energy. It is nice to be able to wash all the fat quarters together and not have to worry about the colours running together.

Finally, there is skating on the rink!

We can't get these marvels here. Just can't. Don't know why. Sometimes, friends go to the States and bring some back. Sandra gave me a couple of boxes for Christmas. There were coupons on the boxes. I used them too.
Speaking of coupons, Sandra, veteran cross border shopper par excellence, sent me a link to Joann's and Hobby Lobby -- thus saving me many, many dollars. I had a 15 per cent off my total purchase (covering regular, sale AND clearance items) and I also had a 40 per cent off coupon. I was allowed to use both! Unheard of in Canada. Few things make me happier than saving crafting money.
I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Looking forward to getting crafty in 2013 and seeing what everyone is up to this year! Let's MAKE it a great one!

Doe a deer, a reindeer -- gender non specific

This deer nearly drove me crazy, but now that it is finished, I love it. It stands on its own, but only if you successfully stuff the legs properly, and then attach them properly on the body. Being a Tilda pattern, the location for the legs is not marked on the body pattern piece. I have no idea why -- not telling us doesn't make it easier to pull something like this off -- just saying. One is largely left to one's own devices.
For me, this means pinning, repinning, pinning again -- and not in the fun Pintrest way. More like in the,"Why won't this flippin' deer stand on its own?" kind of way..
It was too wet today to go and get some cuttings from our shrubs to make antlers, but I will add them when conditions dry out enough.
I have been working on a number of Christmas gifts this week, so I can't post photos. However, once they are given, I will post pictures.
Hope everyone is enjoying these days leading up to Christmas!