12 Days of Christmas

My sister has been doing the 12 Days of Christmas on Instagram. Me, I didn't even think of doing that. However, I have been working on a wall hanging by that name. Last year I came across a free pattern for counting down the Twelve Days of Christmas on All People Quilt.

As I was traveling home to St. John's, Newfoundland on December 4th, I needed something to stitch. This free pattern fitted the bill. However, it won't be finished this year. Hopefully soon. Time flies when you are having fun!! So far, all the 12 pear shapes are stitched. The stitching has been done on the tree stand but I'm not satisfied with it. I didn't trace the lines directly on the fabric but on tissue paper. This was pinned on and stitched. When I pulled the paper off, the stitches pulled a bit too. And I knew the difference - DUH!!! So I have decided to do a thin machine satin stitch over the hand stitching.

I love the nontraditional batik I've selected for the border. When it's done, I'll show it to you.

Have a very Happy New Year!

More stuff:

• Into puzzles? I've been known to do one or two. Here's a link for doing them on-line.  
• Ester has a wall hanging for counting down the days.
• Here's a Pinterest link for the 12 Days of Christmas
• Eye Candy 

Enjoy!!  

Gifts

Here's a peek at a few interesting gifts I received this year.

Isn't this a unique gift for an embroiderer! I have seen yarn bowls before but never one for a ball of embroidery floss. This particular thread bowl (my name for it) was gifted by a friend who attended last summer's EAC Conference in PEI. The bowl was made by an artist from that province.

Gale, my granddaughter, decided that I needed a real plant for my studio. She chose this one because she liked the bowl the best. I think she did a great job of selecting the perfect combination!

This ornament is the Signal Hill Star. It was created by Darrel Pike, Saltwater Pewter, NL. Each Christmas season, a large star like this one, is hung on Cabot Tower, St. John's. It's light can be seen from all over the city.

My brother, Don Eady, Sandy Point Stained Glass, made these for our tree.I have quite a few of his gorgeous stained glass pieces.

I was entertained by humming birds on my patio, last summer. My daughter found this delightful beaded humming bird for my tree. She usually gives me an ornament on Christmas. Many of them have been from her past travel destinations.

I treated myself to one of Anne Lucas's needle felted Gnomes when I was in Newfoundland in early December. This is a 'cute' one!!

Did you get a chance to check out the links on the previous post? Well, here's more:

• Interesting felt ornaments HERE (scroll down)
• Stained Glass Ornaments HERE  
• Beaded Christmas Tree Ornaments HERE 
• Yarn Bowls HERE 

 Enjoy!!  

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas wherever you are!

Today's post shows a few photos of getting ready for Christmas. I know, this should have been done a few days earlier but life takes over.

Gale decorated her own tree at my house. She chose all my bird ornaments to put on hers. Then she looked over at mine and saw a few things she liked and said "that would look better on my tree"! Of course, you know where they ended up. BUT, it's all about making memories. We had fun.

This is Gale's tree

Tree with Shimmer Ornaments

We had a green Christmas but snow was on the ground when this was taken

My Christmas Pudding from an old recipe mom used to make

Made back in the late '90's

Cookies for Santa that Gale & I baked. She did the decorating!

Now for a few links to check:

• Ten Textile Artists Pushing the Boundaries
• Exploring Textile Art on Pinterest HERE
• Art Textiles: Made in Britain
• The Textile Blog 
• The Textile and Fiber Art List   

Enjoy!

Sew Together Bag # 2

I can finally show you this Sew Together Bag that I made for my sister last August. Her birthday was yesterday. Needless to say, the bag had some goodies in it too.  Happy Birthday, Joan!

Check these links for tutorials for making this bag HERE, HERE, &  HERE.
Pinterest has lots of the bags HERE
My first Sew Together Bag is HERE 

Enjoy!

Catching Up!!

Where does the time go!!! I can't seem to keep up with posting these days. Last week was a flying visit back to St. John's, NL to visit my Mom who just turned 97 and touch base with friends. I managed to spend a couple of hours at the Eastern Edge Quilt Guild. It was great seeing all the quilters and catching up on news. I did see some of my stitch buddies for our regular Wednesday stitch day afternoon and meet others for tea at Chapters. Smack dab in the middle of my visit, there was a snowstorm which cut into my plans! But, I did do some shopping.

One of my purchases at The Fabric Merchant, was this cute Magnetic Needle Nanny, from Puffin & Company. They had quite a selection to choose from. Sadly, all the cats were gone! However, I do like my elephant. An old friend, who is no longer with us, loved elephants, so this is for you, Nina! You can also see a small part of a stitch project I took with me. It might get finished by next Christmas!

I did do quite a bit of running around while in St. John's. Stay tuned for more from my visit back home.

I can't keep up with links so please visit my blogger friend's site, Magpie's Mumblings, to see what she is doing. She has a way with words and often leaves me in stitches.

Enjoy!

Dalplex Christmas Craft Show

My daughter, Jill, and I spent last weekend at the Dalplex Christmas Craft Show, Halifax. Set-up was Thursday. It's the first craft fair where there were volunteers to actually help unload the vehicles, put the stuff on dollys and deliver them to your booth. The show was competing with Black Friday sales which I hadn't thought about but it didn't seem to have any affect on the number of visitors that day. Overall, the show was a good one and I managed to get a few Christmas gifts too. I try to buy local as much as possible.

My side of the booth

Having a coffee before the fair opens

Getting things ready before the show opens!

Enjoy!!

Lots of Glitter!!

I made a few embellished Card Cases for the Craft Nova Scotia Christmas Craft Show which occurred this past weekend. Lots of glitter in this pile. I love using Sulky Sliver Opalescence thread for top stitching these cases. This thread colour reflects the colour of whatever it's stitched on.

I had 16 different cases (not all shown here) ready for the show. Only three are left! I'm making a few more for the Dalplex Christmas Show this coming weekend.

One lady visited my booth on Saturday and got very excited! 'I'm finally meeting you', she said as she rummaged in her purse and took out one of my card cases which she had purchased at the NL Craft Council Gift Shop, six years ago. It was stuffed with cards and still in great shape! WOW!!! Thanks to my customers for purchasing glittery card cases!

Craft Nova Scotia Christmas Show

It was a great weekend in spite of the snowy start on Friday. We live over an hour from Halifax on the South Shore of NS, at Pine Grove (minutes from Bridgewater). My husband and I left home at 7:15 am. The snow had just started! We arrived at the Cunard Center, at Pier 23, Halifax Waterfront, at 10:30 am. Late, late, late, BUT we got there in one piece! Luckily, I had my snow tires installed the week before or we would never have made it.

Here are a few photos taken of my booth. You will note that I did move a few things around.

This was my first time at this show and I have to thank all those who visited my booth, to those who commented on my art work and to those who made purchases.

You wouldn't believe the number of Newfoundlanders I met too!

The 5" x 5" Glower Garden is sold

A Visit From Wesley Harris

Look who came to visit me at Craft Nova Scotia Christmas Craft Show yesterday, Wesley Harris, a Corner Brook metal smith. Wesley has his work featured at the Mary E. Black Gallery, Halifax, NS. This show, Mentor and Metalsmith, The Silver Art of Arthur Breckenridge & Wesley Harris, is a must see event. 
I've known Wesley for many years in Newfoundland. We have been neighbors at the Christmas Craft Show, Craft Council of NL, on several occasions. If you are in Halifax, the show is on from November 9 - December 21, 2018. This is on my to do list.  Please check out Wesley's art HERE.

We Remember

A day to remember.
These poppies grew in my Newfoundland garden. They originally came from my mother's garden. Poppies and Forget-Me-Nots (those tiny blue flowers in the lower right of the poppy) were among the flowers she planted.

Her brother, Charlie Emberley, served in WWll and survived. These are for him and for all of those who fought in wars to keep us free.


 

A Forget-Me-Not Shimmer was created at the request of The Rooms in St. John's, NL to commemorate the Battle of Beaumont Hammel, July 1, 1916.


 

Some News and Other Stuff

Oh, dear! Halloween already - we had about half a dozen trick or treaters knock at the door. October has been a very busy month of production.

Late September, I found out that my submission to Craft Nova Scotia (craft council) was accepted and that I could participate in the Craft Nova Scotia Christmas Craft Show, Halifax, November 16  - 18. While I'm doing this show, Jill, my daughter, be be at the Christmas Market at White Point Beach. That one is by invitation.

Jill and I are also doing the Christmas Craft Village, November 9 - 11. I tried to do Christmas at the Forum but it was filled. We will also be at the Dalplex Christmas Market, December 23 - 25. Both these will also be in Halifax.

The first weekend of December, you will find us at the Lunenburg Christmas Market, which is much closer to home.

All the above contributed to my intermittent blogging because, frankly, I had to get my head around doing all these shows and having enough work produced to sell.  In St. John's, I did two Christmas fairs: the Christmas Craft Fair, Craft Council of NL, and the Anna Templeton Christmas Tea and Sale.

Over the next little while, I will be showing some for the things made for the above markets.
Here are some of the newest Fibre Art Pendants, with more to finish. These photos are a bit darker than they actually are.

I also post photos to Instagram @jctextileart  as it's so easy to do via my phone.
Enjoy!!
 

On Fire!

A couple of days ago, I caught these flaming colours of the trees in the back yard, just as the sun was rising. Yep! I was up that early. The light was perfect.

• Autumn Quilts on Pinterest HERE,
• Autumn Quilts Archive
• Contemporary Artists 
• Another Quilt Artist HERE 
• Art Quilts on Pinterest HERE

 Enjoy!!

Shorelines and Sundaes

Last evening, my daughter, Jill, had a showing of new work in Mahone Bay, NS. Shorelines and Sundaes was an Art and Ice Cream Pairing at Get The Scoop. A very unique flavor was created to compliment Jill's 'delectable' art. It was delicious! I understand some very nice liquor was used to soak the cherries.

Have a peek at the new pieces:

 

Beach Babes

Brisk Wave

Charging Crescent

Swimsuit Pool

You will find Jill's previous show of art pieces HERE.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my family and friends!

These pumpkins were grown locally. It's great to see such fun stuff at the local nursery and bakery.

Life in Nova Scotia

I have been living in Nova Scotia one year today. It has been a very interesting, busy year to say the least. The one thing I don't miss, is the weather. CBC did a radio show a few years ago and St. John's was the 3rd windiest city on the planet!  I can believe that. It is so strange, even a year later, to look out at the trees and the leaves hardly move. Last fall, I purchased my first outdoor garment without a hood. In St. John's on most days, you needed a hood! Can you guess - I DON'T LIKE WIND!!!

In any case, we have settled into life on the mainland. Family is 10 minutes away. Life is good.

I joined the Mahone Bay Quilt Guild this month. Of course, Rose, the program coordinator, whom I met at Lynn's Quilting Studio the week before, has already penciled me in to do the March program. She wants me to do a 'show and tell' of my art work. I can do that!

Next week, the guild is having a Quilters' Harvest Quilt Show & Sale. Thursday night is the opening of the show for guild members. I was afraid I was going to miss seeing the quilts, as we are going to Cape Breton that weekend. Hopefully, I'll be permitted to take a few photos to share here on the blog.

Enjoy!

Check out my Instagram page @jctextileart to see some of the things I've been doing. I'm still having issues with transferring photos from phone to computer. Isn't technology grand!

Mush-a-Mush Beach

I just discovered Mush-a-Mush Beach. It is about ten minutes from my house. You can bet that I'll be going there frequently next summer. I'm hoping to make a few visits this month while the weather is warm.

Art and a Sunset

I haven't been blogging very much this summer. For one thing, it has been way too hot. However, a heat pump was installed about three weeks ago so it is now lovely and cool inside. We have had friends from Newfoundland visit as well as family from Tennessee and Ottawa so I've been busy with them.

This mini garden was completed last week. It is matted 5" x 5". The background is cotton with free-motion stitching. The old basket was stitched on a tan coloured fabric and appliqued by machine. The foliage is a combination of hand embroidery and machine stitching. The tiny French knots represent dandelion flowers. When I was a child I would often pick them in the back yard and bring them into my mother. Most of my landscapes have a dandelion or two embroidered on them.

 

Under the Sea was finished a few days ago. This one is matted 5" x 7". It is also a combination of machine and hand stitching. 

I had to add this sunset. I took this from the car as we were driving home from Halifax this evening. Love those colours!!

Sunset along the 103, on the way home from Halifax

• You can see a few previous Under the Sea pieces HERE
• Another mini garden is HERE  
• Find Textile Art Inspiration HERE on Pinterest. Lots for everyone!  
• Check out my blogging friend's blog at Magpie's Mumblings. You will be entertained for sure.

Enjoy!
I'll try to be a bit more regular with posts this fall.