Happy Halloween!!!

 Happy Halloween!!!!

I carved my two little pie pumpkins this morning and Brian will set up the chute for delivering hot chocolate to kids just before supper.  We are making fries for supper which was our tradition when the kids were at home!!  I have had 22 kids last year but with the good weather and more vaccinated people this year we may get more.  The sun is shining and we are anticipating a high of 5C though it was -8C this morning.  Still frost on those areas where the sun has yet to shine.  We pray for Dad and Mom and take it all one day at a time!! ]

UPDATE:  Went up north right after lunch to see Dad in hospital.  He is doing better!!

 Therese

Cat quilt is finished!

I have finished quilting my last quilt top( 65" x 42.5") !!  It took the better part of a day but it worked out so well.  I used cotton flannel for the batting and navy blue poly cotton for the backing. The piece was just wide enough for the backing so I had to find something else for the binding.  I chose this orange poly cotton.  I cut it 3" wide and used the single fold method which I think it how Mom does the binding on her quilts but I don't recall having used it before.  It worked quite well and I used a decorative stitch when I did the top stitching with blue in the bobbin which gives the back side of the binding quite a bit of contrast.  It is nice to have all my finished quilt tops made into quilts.  I will have to start another project - there are several in the queue!!  Therese
 

Slow stitching to mend Brian's winter coat

I used slow stitching to mending the lining of Brian's winter coat.  You can see below that it was worn in several places.  I cut some brown patches and hand stitched them into place to cover the wear.  I used orange thread and they look kind of cool.  Very similar to Boro Stitching used in Japan to mend their clothing which when done repeatedly adds some artistic quality to the piece.  It will give his coat another few years of life.  

Therese

 

Slow Stitching - mending a sweater

I have been slow stitching mending.  This sweater has added patches and they were simply sewing on with a line of stitching with raw edges.  With a bit of wearing and washing the patch was coming undone where the raw edges have pulled away from the stitching.  I added two rows of stitching with dark gray mending wool to reinforce the edges in hopes that the patch will stay intact.  Slow stitchng is relaxing regardless of what the project is.  

Therese

 

Turkey for lunch

 Sylvia and I needed to connect this week so she could bring Mom's Christmas gift which we will bring with us when we go to bring the DVD's we ordered for her (La Terre Humaine).  Brian had requested turkey dinner at home so I decided to combine the two so I made turkey for lunch yesterday and invited Sylvia to join us.  It was a wonderful day and driving was good.  We visited longer than we expected in the afternoon but with good weather she got home in good time.  

Sylvia and I bought a set of books for Mom - Books 1-6 of the Angelic Letters Series by Henry Ripplinger.  The newest book - #7 - The Heart of an Angel  - was not part of the set we bought.  I had borrowed this set from friend and it is excellent and I have yet to read the last one.  If anyone is looking to buy something for Mom for Christmas the last book would really be nice so she will have the whole series.  Book #6 finishes off with so many things hanging in the air!!

Therese

Large leaf quilt

 

I used a soft green backing on this quilt and I really like how nicely it frames the quilt as it also was used for the binding.  I stitched one edge of every second strip for this quilt.  It worked very well but I did forget from my past experience that I should go back and forth instead of always starting on the same side which allows the back to shift a bit and reduced what was available for binding on one side.  I had to undone several rows to but it was worth it because the binding went very well.  I double stitched it with two rows of regular stitching.  I used a cotton flannel for my batting.  Therese

Care Bear quilt

I have been working on this quilt off and on.  I dedicated a day last week to get it done and I am very happy with how it worked out.  I used the decorative scallop stitch to quilt the three long pink strips and then again on the binding.  The blue fabric matched the blue Care Bears very closely and I am glad I chose that colour as it creates a very nice border around the edge of the quilt.  I used a cotton fabric as batting.   After washing it I did have to do a bit of hand sewing where the binding had not sufficiently caught the top.  I have a few quilts in my box now and I have three more to finish before I can consider any new projects.  Therese

 

Sparrows eating sunseeds

The sparrows were snacking on sun seeds this morning. I inserted the stalks I had removed from the flower bed into the fence so they could finish them off.  I expect they will make short order of them now that the hard frost has come.  Therese
 

Thanksgiving at Suzanne's

Wilbur and Charlotte at Thanksgiving!!!  The whole family at the table for our special turkey meal!! It was so nice to able to visit and share a meal of thanksgiving for all our our blessings.  Therese

 

Apple pie

I baked an apple pie for Thanksgiving at Suzanne's at the condo.  I brought along everything I needed and managed to make it happen on Monday morning!!    Therese
 

Sewing a Halloween costume

 

I went over to Suzanne's when I had the time to help out with what needed doing.  I helped Mina (Bucky) to alter this dress into a Halloween costume.  It was a chance to use the new sewing machine and notions which arrived for her birthday!!  Much more confident with sewing now!!  Well done!!

Therese

Mountains

We were in Calgary last week.  Brian continues to work on the reno on Richard's condo.  I went for a walk everyday and this is the view of the mountains on my walk!!  The weather was pretty good though it is getting cooler at night.  Good that we took care of the water in the yard before we headed out.  Therese
 

Patio stones and a trip to Mom and Dad's

 Deciding that we needed a hard surface from which to shovel snow this winter Brian went and picked up two loads of patio stones to create a walk from the house to the garage.  He picked up the first one in the early morning in order for me to accompany Sylvia on her trip to Mom and Dad's via Vermillion for medications.  It was a good trip and we treated Mom and Dad  and Carmen and Allan to Chinese food for lunch.  Mom is feeling good and her tumour is softening.  Dad is sleeping more and eating less.  He was on antibiotics for a lung infection and feeling better.  Sylvia and I joined Brian at A&W for supper.  Brian had picked up another load of patio stones and we headed home in after supper.  Once we unloaded the patio stones we had enough for the walk way we needed for the winter.   Therese 

Tomato and carrot soup

 I made tomato and carrot soup again today.  I made some a couple of weeks ago and it was very tasty with fully ripe tomatoes and garden carrots.  I did not have enough tomatoes to can so I made soup instead.  I made enough for a couple of meals so I expect it will not even make it to the freezer!!

Therese

Care Bear quilt top redone

After taking a photo of this Care Bear quilt top I decided that I need to move a couple of strips around.  I removed the pink and panel on the left and added them to the right side.  This left my two yellow strips in the center of the quilt which is much more visually appealing.  I hand cut out some pink hearts out of scraps and slow stitched them to the yellow strips with pink embroidery thread.  You can see the details below.  I used blanket stitch all the way around and then added straight stitches in a bit of a star pattern in the middle of the heart and finally added a yellow french knot to create the middle of this element. 

 I am much happier with the look of this quilt top so I am glad that I took some time to ponder how I could fix the imbalance.  It was helpful to talk to my sister about it.  So this quilt top gets added to the few quilt tops I have sitting waiting for batting, backing and binding.  I hope to get them all done by Christmas.  I don't have a lot of other slow stitching to do except for more cats so I should be able to get them done.  I am thinking on my next slow stitching project though.  It always helps a bit to do some pondering when you are at bit at loose ends in which direction you should go.  I am looking forward to working on quilts in the next few months.  Therese

 

First cat quilt with slow stitched squares

 I have finished my cat quilt top which has incorporated 5 of my cat squares that I have been slow stitching.  I framed them in a light blue fabric which worked quite well to highlilght them.  I originally had every strip in bright colours and it was quite "BRIGHT" so I decided to tone it down a bit by making every second strip a plain blue fabric.  That helped quite a bit to keep the concept of a bright quilt but have it not be too loud.  The pieces had been sitting on the floor of the downstairs bedroom and with the weather cooling off some I decided that I needed to have the space available for exercising.  I have been walking in the morning all summer but the sun rises later now and the nights are cool so usually the 1st of October and the 1st of April I change up from inside to outside ( outside to inside) for my exercise.  I decided to finish this quilt top this week instead of stacking the strips and setting them aside for later.  I really like how it worked out and fortunately I had very little trimming to do on the sides.  It is large 42.5" x 60".  Maybe the largest I have made so far.  Am hoping that finishing it will not be too difficult.  I have a few sitting waiting for batting, backing and binding!!   Therese

Old style coffee percolator for the trailer

We picked up this old style coffee percolator for the trailer at a thrift store this week.  Brian has been practicing making coffee in it and it seems it takes a bit of a knack to know how many grounds and how long to perk the coffee.  It is a challenge he is up to and will no doubt have perfected by the time we take the trailer out next time.  

Therese
 

Fall walk in the country

We went for a walk around Alix Lake this week because it was beautiful and the fall colours were really great.  We found a little fairy house in a tree.  Very cute.  It indicated on the note that she was going south with the geese and would be back to her house in the spring.  

There were many beautiful corridors on the walk that showcased the leaves and trees and near the end a beautiful copse of trees which contrasted beautifully against the blue sky.  It was a hoody sort of day and such a pleasant walk.