Blogging - 1589 posts!

I was reading Margaret Blank's blog and she mentioned that she has been blogging for 15 years and posted over 1500 posts. That got me thinking, so I checked my blog profile and so far, my total is 1589 posts. I didn't think I had written that much in ten years (it will be ten next August). Some would say 'long winded'!

I've tried to keep my comments related to my art and the art of others. Most of the time, I've linked to lots of interesting sites where you will find things related to textile / fibre art such as free patterns, tutorials, YouTube videos, other blogs, teachers, classes, quilt shows . . .

Thanks for stopping by and for your comments.
Now it's time to view a few links:

• Magpie Mumblings has lots of interesting links. Her writing usually gives me a chuckle or two.
• Needle and Thread Network  
• Brown Paper Bag (from Magpie Mumblings) 
• Asian Sewing Patterns 
• Fabulous Fat Quarter Sewing Projects 
• Sashiko and Other Stitching (Susan Briscoe's photos from Tokyo 2018 Quilt Festival)
• Free Coaster Tutorials & Patterns for all Occasions   

 Enjoy!


  Here's yesterday's visitor:

Bits & Pieces!! & UFO # 2

I hope you had a chance to view some of the shows on The Quilt Show this weekend. I managed to get a couple in but that was all. I spent today setting up for the Wholesale Show tomorrow as well as attend a lunch / lecture related to selling to the public.

Yesterday I spent some time cleaning up my email accounts. Then tonight I realized that I hadn't been very prompt replying to some recent comments made on my blog. Of course, by that time, I had to go and reply on each post as the old emails were gone. So, in case you are wondering if that person ever responds to comments . . . yes, I do, but if you were missed, please check back on my past posts as I commented there. Does that make sense? GRIN - I hope so. Anyway, you are very important to me as I love receiving your comments.

Here's another UFO that was completed last week. A friend gave me this piece of Christmas fabric as few years ago. I thought it was about time to make it into a mug rug for next December. I did some stitching around the squares and rectangles.

Enjoy!

Misty Monday

It's a foggy but warm day. A good one to spend at the sewing machine! I hope someone out there managed to get a bit of stitching done. Yesterday was my day for doing that (more on that later)!

Today I'm going to post a few blogs to view. I haven't done that in awhile. Enjoy. . .

• Blender Pattern
• 100 + Pincushion Patterns
• Reversible Box Tote
• Sewing Portfolio Organizer
• Tips & Tutorials
• Summer Leaf Table Mat

From Art Threads

What a Bummer!

I have been so faithful blogging everyday since January 1st that it wasn't until I just posted about my recent fabric purchase that I realized I missed posting yesterday! What a bummer!

Oh, well, stuff happens. Here's a few more photos of inspiration I took a few days ago. I can see some hand stitching using these colours or machine stitching on coloured organza and cutting the flowers out and adding them to a piece of work. I did that for the poppies in the commissioned piece, Back Garden found HERE.

Enjoy!

Good Bye May!

The last day of May! Can't say I'm sorry to see it go as it means the days will (I'm optimistic) get warmer. That's not to say we haven't had some nice days but this definitely has not been a warm month.

This month was also a milestone for me with blogging as I reached 1000 posts and had a winner in my giveaway. The gift is on its way to Nova Scotia. I hope she gets it soon. Congratulations again.


I did find a few more projects for you to check. Some of them great for summer!

•  Kids Activities (for parents and grandparents) Now that school is almost finished for the year (at least in Canada), activities to keep kids busy are sometimes necessary.
• Color Block Keys This looks interesting however, my only concern: will the nail polish peel off? It's worth trying with so many keys these days. Colour coding is a good idea.
• Pyramid Pouch This one is done in Christmas colours but just think summer. What fabulous combinations you could have!
• Sewing for Beginners Sewing Bag Tutorial (something to use with a young sewer?)

Enjoy!!

Even weeds can be beautiful! Think embroidery or quilting - so colourful.

Pincushions

I made a couple of pincushions yesterday. I had an embroidery design that I wanted to try on some batik fabric. It worked out fine. The red one with the thimble was done on linen ages ago. The thread colours chosen for that one are a bit dark. With the other two, I opted for lighter, brighter fabrics. The pincushion at the bottom is a lot brighter than what you see here. I didn't bother with colour corrections this time. 

These designs could also be used on a quilt label or in a small wall hanging. 

Check previous posts HERE and HERE for more pincushions.

If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, please leave a comment on 1000 Posts before May 24th.

Enjoy!

1000 Posts! To Celebrate - A Giveaway!!!!

Post 1000 today!!!! YAH!!

To celebrate, I am having a giveaway open to anyone, anywhere! To be entered, just leave a comment, any comment is accepted. Maybe you can let me know in what part of the world you live. It's up to you. You don't have to be a follower but you will get an extra chance to win if you are. You can follow via email or bloglovin. Just send a second comment telling me how you are following. That's it! Good luck.

The giveaway will end on May 24,2015. I will remind you during the next week or so when I post.

Oh, yes, the giveaway prize will be three of my shimmers and an art card. If you aren't familiar with my shimmers, you can see a few of them HERE & HERE. Lots more throughout the blog. I do three types of art cards: embroidered flowers, iceberg and felted abstract.

I'll let the winner decide which type of card and shimmers (if in stock) they would prefer.

Here's some sample cards:

Sample Card

Sample Card

Samples (not finished)

I've also linked up with The Needle & Thread Network. Drop by to see what some of the Canadian bloggers are doing.

Needle & Thread Network / Pinterest

Today I joined up with The Needle & Thread Network. It's the place to see what lots of Canadian bloggers are doing these days.

So far this year, I have managed to post every day! WOW!!! I didn't think I'd manage to do that. If you visit often, you will notice I'm not much for writing a lot of 'stuff'. I like to focus on the topic for the day. I also try to keep personal things out of my blog and just focus on my work and the work of others. Finding freebies and tutorials for most craft (quilting, embroidery, felting, sewing projects, knitting, some crochet), is like a game. I have 41 Pinterest boards and pin to it when I have a spare moment!

Thanks for visiting and leaving comments! I do try to reply to all comments when possible.

I forgot all about Linky Tuesday, Freemotion by the River, yesterday! There are lots more to see there.
Enjoy!

Butterflies

Butterflies! Yes, it's about time to bring a bit of colour to the east coast of Canada. Why not flowers? Well, I found a blog hop (that's now over) about butterflies that you can still visit. The hop is mostly jewellery but I decided to do some extra searching for other butterfly related sites. Have fun and remember, I am not responsible for all the time you spend checking out these sites (GRIN)!!

Here they are by blog / website title:

• With heart and Hands
• Little Birdie Secrets
• Moda Bakeshop
• Just Imagine Designs & Publications
• Sewing.Org
• Trish's Crafts
• Simplicity Creative
• Sew Mama Sew
• Free Quilt Patterns
• Arbee Designs
• Bing Search

I have lots more links but this should do for now. You just might find something to make for summer!
Enjoy!!

Bolgathon, Canada - Maritimes

Welcome to the second day of Blogathon Canada! Thanks to Sew Sisters Quilt Shop for sponsoring this event and to Linda at Scrapmaster, and Linda at Stitch Lines, for co-hosting the Maritimes and Newfoundland Labrador.

A little about myself:  I live in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. I've been retired from teaching 17 years (I can't believe it) and having a great time creating with all kinds of fabric, threads, and yarns. To find out how I started creating textile art, please go to a previous post from 2010, Voyage of Discovery.

Since 1999, I have created many textile pieces portraying Newfoundland landscapes and seascapes. I have won several awards for my work, have been published, and had a gallery opening in Chicago, IL. Several pieces of my art have been purchased by the Government of Newfoundland Labrador and by the City of St. John's as part of the art procurement program.

I wasn't satisfied with the commercial fabrics printed with rocks (we have a very rocky terrain) so I researched how to print on fabric from my computer. The discovery of Bubble Jet Set 2000, saved the day, and I have been using it until pretreated fabric became available. I was printing on fabric long before it became popular with many textile artists. The rock fabrics I use are printed from my own photos. I usually cut up a printed sheet and applique the rocks to the background.

In All It's Glory is an example using 'rocks' printed from my computer. This piece was on exhibit at the Grand National Quilt Show, Ontario in 2002. The sky and ocean are hand dyed. The rocks and beach are printed on silk, cut out and each piece appliqued to the surface. The foliage and flowers are stitched onto organza using free motion stitching, cut out and stitched in place.

 

The other photos are samples of the textile art I have created. I thoroughly enjoy what I do. 

Check out my other photos and please visit my Website and things I have saved to Pinterest.

 

At the moment, I am getting ready to participate in the annual Christmas Craft Fair sponsored by the Craft Council of NL. This is the first time in four years that I will have a booth at the fair so needless to say, it's been a busy fall. Since my previous display was dismantled, my husband has been working overtime to get another one ready for set up Wednesday afternoon. The fair opens at noon, Thursday, Nov 20th and runs until Sunday, Nov 23. Maybe I'll see some of my local visitors to my blog there. Please drop by and say hello!

 

Thanks for visiting!

Click on the Blogathon Canada logo to the right of my post for the lists of hosts for the week. Lots to see and lots of quilters to meet.

There will also be some great giveaways!

 

Enjoy 

In All It's Glory

Treasures of the Sea, Award for Innovation and Design

Calm (private collection, California, USA) 

View From The Rooms

The Deep

Quilt for granddaughter

Western Brook Gorge (commissioned piece)
The mountain is dyed cheese cloth.

Gower Street, St. John's (commissioned piece)



Fishermen's Museum, English Harbour West
 (Part of the City of St. John's art collection)

Fishing Stage, Quidi Vidi, St. John's (commissioned piece)

Tea Cosy (private collection)

Pisces Fantastica

Garden Sewing Box (published in magazine, A Needle Pulling Thread;

also won award for Technical Mastery, NL; and Original Design, EAC)

Back Garden (commissioned piece)

 

 

Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation

Today, July 1st, the Canadian anti-spam legislation takes affect. If you do not want to receive any emails from me notifying you of new content to my blog, please unsubscribe. Otherwise, everything will remain the same. Thank you for your continued support.

On another note, my blogging will not be as regular as it has been. Internet connections have been a bit spotty these days.

Have a great Canada Day!
Enjoy!

Colour Complements

I didn't participate in the Grow Your Blog hop last month but I did visit most the blogs listed there (what a pleasant job!!). I met a lot of bloggers (well, not met them in person) and quickly read a bit about them and what interests they have. I joined some of the blogs and had lots of people visit back. Some ladies even joined up to follow me.Thank you.

I came across a Canadian on-line shop called Colour Complements just outside Vancouver, BC. Lorraine Stobie is a mixed media artist who dyes her own threads. She specializes in beautiful, bold, vibrant, one-of-a-kind, over dyed threads in small quantities. It was her vibrant colour schemes that caught my eye. The threads are just gorgeous! You can visit her blog HERE. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
Enjoy!

Last Few Minutes . . .

A few minutes before the Atlantic Canada Trade Show closed, I remembered to get a photo of myself taken in front of my booth. It was a great show. I met lots of vendors but that's for another day! Thanks for visiting, for leaving comments, and thanks to those who chose to join my list of followers.

 

I just linked this post up with WIP Wednesday, on the Needle and Thread Network. This is a Canadian site which hosts Canadian Blogs! Join the blog hop as you will not be disappointed. You can check out WIP Wednesday by clicking on the link to the right, on my blog (scroll down)

Enjoy!

Kitchen Stitches

I had a quiet flight to Halifax yesterday. Certainly not like my trip from Chicago last week. During that trip, there was a major snowstorm in the Halifax area and my flight was delayed several times.

As I was relaxing in my hotel room with a hot cup of tea, and catching up with some of the blogs I follow, I came across a new book called Kitchen Stitches on Jackie's Art Quilt blog. Jackie has something to be proud of as one of her designs is in the book - congratulations! She also has great photos showing some of the projects. Did I mention she is lives in Ontario, Canada?


Reading Amy's Creative Side, I discovered that Amy has a table runner in the same book.
Lots of creative ladies have wonderful projects in this book.

Enjoy!

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to my daughter! Last year, I was in Chicago with her and her family for this special occasion.
To celebrate birthdays everywhere, here are some fun birthday pieces for your pleasure:

• Happy Birthday, Quilting Arts
• Happy Birthday Wall Quilt
• Happy Birthday Wall Hanging
• Riley Blake Designs Happy Birthday Quilt BOM 2014
• Happy Birthday Quilt 
• Happy Birthday Cake Quilt  
• Birthday Blog Post

Enjoy!

Grow Your Blog 2014

Grow Your Blog 2014 is a marvelous blogging event that started yesterday. There are almost 600  bloggers in this second international blog party! It's a way for participants to visit other blogs as well as have others visit back. You can join sites that interest you, as well as leave a comment or two! In any event, drop by as many blogs as you can. I don't think you will be disappointed!

Unfortunately, I was unable to participate. When it was announced back in October, I had just gotten back from a lengthy vacation and I simply forgot all about it. So you may visit as many of the blogs listed HERE!

It would be nice if you dropped back here once in awhile - I'm always blogging about 'stuff'!

Enjoy!

Frustration

For some reason Blogger is causing a few frustrations. I like to have a continuous scrolling of my posts but for some reason (I have gone to the correct page for configurations but to no avail) this isn't happening.. To continue reading my older posts, you have to click 'older posts' at the bottom of the latest one. What a bummer! Let's see what happens when this one is uploaded to the blog.

 

It seems it is only happening to my previous post - strange!!!

The Sewing Store

I'm trying to play catch up with some of the places I visited while in the Chicago area. It was difficult to do a daily blog with an hour commute each way to and fro Chicago to our home base at Leisure Lake Resort.

On one of the few days we decided to stay 'home', I discovered The Sewing Store in a small plaza in Joliet, IL. There is a sister store in Morris, IL.

This shop, in Joliet, specializes in sewing and embroidery machines (Brother, Bernina) plus all the necessary accessories to go with them! I took other photos of the shop but discovered they are in a format not compatible with blogger (too big) and I don't have the software with me to convert them to jpg. I discovered this after I was outside thus the sign was taken as a jpg.

What was interesting: another lady came into the store while we were there. She over heard that we were travelling from the eastern part of Canada and got curious. To make a long story short, her grandmother and uncle are from St. John's, Newfoundland and she had visited there as a child. You never know who you will meet!

Soon . . .

I haven't been blogging lately but hope to get back at it soon. I hope you have been surviving the hot weather of summer! There were severe thunder storms here in Southern Ontario last evening. It just poured where I am. I hope it will cool down just a bit as 30 + C is too hot for me.

I have been searching Pinterest while on the road. I started a board. I can't believe the amount of 'stuff' crafters have found and the numbers of followers on some boards! It boggles the mind.

Have a great day!!!

Post 600!

This is my 600 blog post! I can't believe I have written that many different posts. Thank you to all my followers, readers and to those who have left comments. You are all much appreciated.

Now for some tutorials to check out!

• Lots of tutorials at Terri Stegmiller's blog
• Circle Zip Ear Bud Pouch
• Everyday Beautiful Tutorials
• Fabric Sewing Caddy
• 6 Summer Sewing Projects
• 24 Beautiful Purse Patterns
• 25 + Things to Sew
• Something About Nothing Tutorials

Enjoy!!