Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

 Happy Thanksgiving Weekend Canada! 

Wishing all my relatives and friends near and far, a very happy, safe Thanksgiving Weekend. 

In honour of this special holiday, I have the perfect autumn quilt, which was made by my sister, Joan, in Tennessee. She made it and hand delivered it in 2018, for my July birthday. 

This photo was taken today where the temperature reached 22C. I was lucky to get the full view of the quilt as it was a bit breezy. The wind reminded me of home in Newfoundland where it's windy most of the time!

The back fabric is all birch trees.

My back garden is displaying its gorgeous autumn colours, most of which, are in this quilt.

Links for your pleasure:

• Joan's creations on Instagram  
• My photos on Instragram   
• Free Quilted Projects  
• Free Leaf Quilt Blocks    
• Fall Quilt Projects   
• Autumn Leaves    
• Free Fall Patterns   
• Autumn Projects on Pinterest HERE    
• Pumpkins   
• Previous Thanksgiving posts HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE     
  

Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

 

Hand Embroidered Circles - Instastitchwithsue

Blogger has decided to introduce a change on how we post to the internet. This change in method, is very similar to Word Press, which I am learning how to do. A new web site design, for my work, is coming soon. There will be a new blog on that site which will focus on the work I do in my studio. I will still use this blogger and link it back to the new site. Thanks to my husband for taking on this task.

Below is # 62 from the free stitching with Sue Spargo's, instastitchwithsue from Instagram. This is a Red-Spotted Guard Crab. Since a purple circle was the next one to use, it fitted in with the actual colour of this species of crab.

Stitches for this design include: chain stitch, trellis stitch, bullion knots and French knots.

Here's a few other embroidered little critters. They aren't perfect, far from it. I decided early on that I wouldn't pull out any stitching unless it was absolutely wonky on the eye! Variegated thread often brings its own colour scheme - sometimes when you don't want that to happen. For example, the little green owl has odd colours from the thread used and the lamb has two different leg colours.

Enjoy!!

More Circles: (half way mark just passed at # 45) Instastitch With Sue

Have a look at a few more of my one inch circles. The colours shown below are not exactly the same as in real life. I have five full rows plus three on row six.

Seven more have been stitched to the above 'doodle cloth"

I like this one. Too bad my circle wasn't yellow but I am working with the colours that I originally stitched in place.

Lime green is a challenge when on a black background.

My Irish Owl!!! Some variegated threads in use.

I believe I used the wrong weight of thread for the wings but it works!

The circle turned into an oval. Oh, well . . .

The colours are off on this one. There is more contrast in the loops than in this photo.

I choose the wrong colours for the ladybug but I was not about to change them. In the group photo,  the body is a purple shade not a gray.

Enjoy!

Check out my Instagram page @jctextileart

First Circle Stitched - Instastitchwithsue

Here's my first circle stitched from Sue Spargo's instastitchwithsue on Instagram. I'm very satisfied with this one. The cream fly stitch, lime pistil stitch and burgundy colonial knots, are embroidered with Valdani threads. The bullion knots, variegated outer edge and center, are from Sue's collection which were purchased at Sew With Vision, Halifax.

I do have number 2 finished but I am thinking of adding another colour to it as I'm not happy with it. I'll post the before and after photos on my next post.

Stay safe, stay home and wash hands! I keep a fragrance free hand lotion on the bathroom sink to help with skin dryness.

A few links to check:

• Stitch Dictionary from Pintangle
• Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread stitch videos
• Tutorials from Shawkl Designs (Stitches for Crazy Quilting)
• Kelly Fletcher Needlework Design 
• Pinterest HERE (stitch tutorial from Kelly Fletcher)  

Enjoy

The Trainyard General Store

Yesterday, I delivered my first order of Shimmer Ornaments to The Trainyard General Store, downtown Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. My ornaments were viewed by Kimberley, co-owner, on my Instagram page and she thought they would be a good fit for the store. Thank you Kimberley!

I had been looking at the store for awhile and thought that it would be a nice place to have my Shimmers. So, if you are in the area, pop down to the store and have a look around! There is something for everyone.

Working

Happy April! The weather is getting a bit warmer and we are having lots of sunny days. I've been making Shimmer Ornaments for customers in Newfoundland and they are ready to send in the mail.

Yes, that was the temperature on the back deck one day last week. It seems that we have a bit of a micro climate here in Pine Grove with all the trees around our property.


Today has finally been a partial work day. I caught a bad head cold this week and have been doing absolutely nothing since. Card Cases, in various stages of development, have been on my table for awhile.

Ready for free motion stitching with sparkly threads

Close up

Close up! Love the sparkly fabric

 

 

 

 

Ready to be made into card cases

• Art Quilts  (thanks to Magpie's Mumblings for this one)
• Fabric Surface Embellishment Techniques   
• Surface Embellishment on Pinterest HERE & HERE    
• Textile Artists 
• Me on Instagram  

Enjoy!!

Pendants

The thermometer on the back deck has reached 35 C! That's the highest it's been so far this summer. Nova Scotia has a high heat alert for the next few days. Thankfully, it's quite comfortable in my studio.

I just finished these pendants for the Canada Day Festivities in Bridgewater. Of course we also have Maple Leaf ones in red only. I can make them with any colour background.

Have a look at past Canada Day posts HERE and HERE

Some things to check:

• It's a bit late to be posting these but there is always next year!
• Canada Day on PINTEREST 
• Reversible place mats HERE 
• Me on instagram HERE 

 Enjoy!!
    

Canada Day

I have really gotten out of the habit of posting since the move to Nova Scotia. My apologies! Things have been hectic and I really haven't produced a new body of work in awhile. However, new Shimmers are still been created. In fact, a new one, Canada Map outline, will make its debut on Canada Day in Bridgewater.

As my daughter has written in her Instagram post: We're coming for you Canada Day in Bridgewater! We will also have Canada Flags, Maple Leafs, Viking Ships, and other assorted Shimmers for sale on our maiden voyage of Nique Sea! Come visit our tent on July 1st, King Street Plaza.

Nique Sea is a new family business venture. We have a new website and online shop already to be launched where you will be able to purchase my Shimmer Ornaments and Fibre Art Pendants as well as prints of Jill's paintings.

Check out my Instagram page.

Here's a peek at some Shimmers drying outside a couple days ago. That's one thing I could not do in St. John's due to the constant wind.

Enjoy!!

Newest Pendants

I finished a few new Fibre Art Pendants this week. Some of them are now for sale at the Lady Luck Boutique (facebook link), Halifax. This quaint gift shop specializes in the work of Canadian designers and artists.

I'm not happy with the colour or the quality of these photos.  However, it is too late to redo them as some are now gone, but you get the idea. Check out more of my photos on Instagram @jctextileart. Coming soon is an on-line shop selling my smaller pieces such as shimmers, felted ornaments, art cards, greeting cards and pendants. I'll keep you posted on our progress as I've had several inquiries wondering if my work is for sale online.

From 2008: In All Its Glory

Easter has silently crept upon me! Yesterday, I realized that it's next weekend. Where does the time fly. I wonder how many of you have all your Easter Projects finished and in use? Me, I don't have anything to put out at the moment. With no studio yet and most things still in boxes, I'm managing to keeping up with production orders and not much else. I am chief gopher for studio renovations which is important.

I posted this textile seascape, In All Its Glory, on Instagram and FaceBook today:

Now check out a few links:

• For all the scrappy quilters out there, check out SCRAPtistic on Persimon Dreams
• How to make a Craft Bag 
• Free Easter Patterns at the Quilt Gallery   
• Easter Baskets and Eggs Tutorials 

Enjoy!!

Maple Leaf

Maple Leaf Shimmers were stitched out this morning. This design is an older one but I haven't stitched it out in red in quite awhile. Since this is Canada's 150th Birthday, I thought it fitting to do it again.

Sticking with my Canadian theme, check out the Canadian Quilters' Association Pinterest page. Lots of interesting boards to explore. Don't forget the Instagram page and Blog.

• The Canadian Flag on Pinterest (quilts, wall hangings, pillows . . .) 
• Quilting in Canada  
• Upper Canada Quiltworks  
• Canadian Mystery Quilt   
• List of On-Line Canadian Fabric, Pattern & Notion Shops  
• Victorian Quilt Designs  

This list is just the tip if the iceberg.

There are lots of interesting Canadian sites to visit. I did a very quick search.

Enjoy!
             

New Embroidery Books

Two new hand embroidery books have been added to my library. One of my friends has these and brought them to one of our stitch days. Of course, they were "must have"! 

The projects in Simply Stitched uses a combination of wool embroidery thread and cotton embroidery floss on linen. Using wool means that fewer stitches are used. However, using thicker embroidery floss, might just work as well (my opinion). The motifs are simple yet elegant and can be used in a variety of ways. You can experiment and use them in other projects than those in the book.

Zakka Embroidery designs are 'an elegant blend of Japanese and Scandinavian style. The motifs and patterns are spare and graphic, yet softened with organic shapes and imagery drawn from nature'. In this book, the motifs are stitched using just one or two colours. The photographs, the step-by-step instructions and detailed diagrams, are very well done. I can see using this book for inspiration, perhaps taking bits and pieces and incorporating them into an original piece.

Some inspiration, tutorials, Pinterest . . .

• Pinterest HERE (work is fantastic), HERE, & HERE 
• Art of Michelle Kingdom, UK   
• Thread Organizer  
• Yumiko Higuchi on Instagram & Pinterest  (both worth a look)

Enjoy!!  

Instagram

Well, I finally got Instagram working on my phone, thanks to artist daughter, Jill! She clued me in to using hashtags and generally how to navigate around the site.

I'm just getting started with posting and hope to do so several times a week. You can find me at jcfibreart

Signs of early fall, taken last week on a walk