Happy Canada Day

Happy Canada Day from our nation's capitol, Ottawa.

Here a few new things I found to help celebrate the weekend:

• Canada Day
• Oh, Canada
• Canada Day fun for kids
• 101 Canada Day Activities
• Decorate for Canada Day
• Happy Canada Day 2014

Check out my previous Canada Day post HERE and HERE

Have a great weekend wherever you are!!

Dropping in to say hello!

I just dropped in to From Ewe to You, in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia. The link takes you to last summer's post. I had a nice chat with the owner. I did purchase a small knitting / crochet pattern book of sea life. The book is out in the car so I'll let you know its title at a later date. At the moment, I'm at an internet café writing this post.

I do so take the internet for granted. I have to get a program loaded on my phone so that I can tether it to my tablet and work away.

Sunny, Sunny Day!!

Lunch time, my sister and I went to Signal Hill to see the ice bergs. There are lots of them this year, however, the really big ones are off shore. The city also looked good from the hill.

Me!

Fort Amherst

Wonky Houses Advent Wall Hanging

Well, my Wonky Houses Advent Wall Hanging is almost finished! YAH!! It was a lot more work than I thought when I started it. However, I'm pleased with the result.  I still have to sew on some embellishments (decorative buttons & beads) but they won't get done until I do it with my three year old granddaughter in Chicago. She will help me sew on the stuff! At least she will indicate where to put the cats, and other things that you see in the buttons photo below. It should be interesting and fun! I'll post a final photo when that's completed. This is not an original design. The pattern comes all the way from British Columbia, Canada!

Here it is:

National Juried Show 2014

This is a very short post. Here is the link to the National Juried Show 2014, at Quilt Canada, 'Wonders of Niagara'. Take a few minutes to view the exquisite quilts on exhibit this year.
Enjoy!

Needle & Thread Network

I signed on again this week to The Needle & Thread Network. This is a place for Canadian bloggers to link up to show and share their wonderful creations. It's amazing the wealth of information one can gain from checking out these blogs. Have fun!

Busy Times!

My latest Felted Art Cards are going to Point Amour, Labrador, NL, as are other pieces of my art work. I received an order yesterday so I've been busy getting it ready. Lots of glittery threads in these cards!






















Other places carrying my work:

Devon House, Craft Council of Newfoundland & Labrador, Duckworth Street, St. John's
Newfoundland Weavery, Water Street, St. John's
Nonia, Water Street, St. John's
Mumbo Jungle, 318 Water Street, St. John's
Herbie's Olde Shoppe, Petty Harbour
Gros Morne Co-operating Association, Rocky Harbour,
Historic Sites Shops
Johnson Geo Centre, Signal Hill,
Norton's Cove Studio, Wesleyville, NL
Dark Tickle, Griquet, NL
King's Point Pottery, King's Point, NL
Grand Manan Whale & Seabird Research Station, New Brunswick
The Ice House Giftshop, Westport, Brier Island, Nova Scotia
Forte Framing & Art Gallery, Chicago, IL
Tour Labrador, Forteau, NL

Quick Quilted Summer Project!

Just a quick post to share this Quilt As You Go Zipper Pouch from Becky at Patchwork Posse. Sometimes we just need to make a small project and this one seems like a nice one to start with. Check out the other tutorials while visiting this site.



My today's project is to work on the Wonky (my term for this) Advent Calendar wall hanging for my granddaughter. I am stitching on the houses. All the chimneys are stitched with satin stitch. Once the houses are attached, I have to free motion the snow along the ground. Still lots left to do. I didn't realize what I was getting myself into when I started this (GRIN)!!! At the moment, all other projects are on the back burner so I can get the sewing machine stitching completed.

Book Review

I just received Alysn Midgelow-Marsden's book, Stitch, Fibre, Metal & Mixed Media. The photography throughout the book is excellent, with lots of close ups. There's lots of inspiration for the textile artist.

Alysn shares her ideas for working with embroidered textiles by combining fibres and stitching with various forms of metal and other mixed media. Her work includes dying, painting, piecing and burning fabrics as well as adding embellishment by hand and sewing machine.

The section about materials is quite informative and to the point.

The project section comprises most of the book. The directions for each project are excellent and can be translated into other projects and not just the ones shown.

If you are interested in exploring different methods for surface embellishment, consider this book.

Susan Lee Studios

Time to highlight another Newfoundland artist, Susan Lee Stephen, jewellery designer. Susan works with silver, semi-precious stones, copper, bronze, brass and sometimes textiles to create very unique sculptural jewellery pieces. To read more about Susan's work, click on the link above.

I visited Devon House this afternoon to see the latest gallery show, Elemental Nexus. Susan is one of the featured artists. Her work is incredible! Such attention to detail . . .  You can also view some of the show pieces on her web site.

To see some other art pieces, check out Susan's profile in the Metal Arts Guild of Canada and her Etsy Shop.

Quilt Shows

Once in a while, photos get posted of various local quilt shows. Thistle Quilt Guild, Westville, Nova Scotia, is one of them. Check out these two sites for their show photos:

• Scrapmaster
• Sheila's Quilt World Part One and Part Two

If you are interested in other guilds in Nova Scotia, check HERE.

For more quilts from around the country, check out Generations Quilt Patterns Show & Tell (scroll down). This site also has some free quilt blocks and paper piecing patterns.

Quilter's Connection has a list of quilt shows to check out this summer and fall. You just might be close enough to one or two of them to make a visit.

Quilt Canada 2014, Canadian Quilters' Association (CQA), will be held next week, June 11 - 14, at St. Catharines, Ontario. If you can, this is a venue to check out.

Enjoy!

Knit Fast Dye Yarn

I really enjoyed my visit to the Knit Fast Dye Yarn Textiles Craft and Apparel Design Exhibition at the Anna Templeton Centre yesterday.

The graduating students had a great display of work. I was impressed with the design / creativity and the amount of work they produced. Have a look!



Wooly Whale Project
 

This piece was gigantic!

Woven scarves! These are fantastic.



This dress and side curtains were made from woven panels.
The center lace panel (can't see the detail) was made from
scrim. It is hand embroidered using the drawn threads method.
It is a fantastic piece of work.



 

I was given permission to take photos of some of the work. There were ten students but I didn't get photos of everyone's work. The exhibit was packed with people so it was difficult to get photos.

On Thursday, June 5, from 7 - 9, the Anna Templeton Centre is hosting a Fashion Boutique and Cocktail Party. You can try on all the amazing handmade garments shown on the runway and purchase one or two to add to your wardrobe.

On Saturday, June 14, from 1 - 4, drop down to experience the Secret Garden Secret Kitchen. Experience a special food celebration on closing day with tapas style plates and refreshing summer beverages while you take a last chance to wander through the exhibition. $12

So if you are in the city on those days, drop by.