Sunday Snapshops #11

Happy Halloween!  (Or if you are from down south, Happy Hollaween : )  Need some spooky pics today?  OMG  Trapped faeries!

They live in my herb garden throughout the summer.  Poor things.  Now they have to wait in the windowsil until spring comes.  But wait! Do you want to see something REALLY scary!?

My goodness, what a mess.  And that's only about a quarter of it.  I have so much organizing to do. I did finish the binding on my owl boxes quilt this morning.  Looks good!  

I originally auditioned chocolate brown fabric which matched a lot of the owls.  It gave a nice earthy feel to it.  I went with a mixed scrap binding in brights instead.  It is a pretty fun quilt.  I thought I should keep it that way.  My favorite sections are the diagonal plaids.

I guess I'll put this on Etsy.  I would love to hear if anyone locally can suggest a good market to sell at.   I gift a few each Christmas to children's shelters.  (I love doing that).

By the way - do you try to photograph your quilts / art / postcards and they always look like they are through a fish-eye lens, all rounded?  Back up as for as you can and then zoom in.  That will keep your work looking perfectly square.  Neat hey?

pretty teeny leaves on the crisp snow

I'm off to check out how the neighbors are coming along with their Halloween decorating.  My kids love to watch the teenagers up the street while they spook-up the front yards : ).  Everyone have fun tonight!  We're handing out potato chips and toothbrushes : )

the spider in my sewing room window

~Monika

ps- one day left to put your name in the runnings for the Angelina Fibres! ; )

Jack Frost & Mourning Joy

I love mornings.  Today I rolled out of bed waaaay too tired from blogging late into the night.  I opened the blinds and look!

I considered taking an early morning paper route for extra fabric-cash, but you know me.  I'd get distracted and take photos instead.  Maybe something in the gallery will sell soon.

The ice fog was gorgeous.  I could smell coffee brewing and sausages sizzling from the kitchen, but I couldn't leave the upstairs windows!  The morning air was so mesmerizing.  It's interesting that I have recently added all this muslin, greys, and soft yellows.  Those colors are all here in the photos.  And it's the first time I noticed that most of my neighbors have yellow chimneys.  Look how that color stands out in the fog!

This next one has the contrast tweaked a bit.  It's all so droopy isn't it!?  It's the neighbor's tree.   They are moving today.  The big truck is parked out front.  We'll miss them. 

It's truly magical to watch one season transition into the next.  People get all down when summer ends, but winter brings many joys.  Endings always make way for new, don't they?  Maybe I'll drive out to the country today and get some good icy prairie photos. 

And then I went to check my email with morning coffee in hand.  And can you believe it!?  One of my higher priced fibre art pieces have sold!  I priced it higher, assuming no one would touch it.  I secretly wanted to keep it.   I'm not done loving it.  Now it's gone.  I cried!  I was in shock and tears were streaming down my face.  I hardly had time to be with it and enjoy it.  I really loved that piece.  

The Moon One Morning (Flickr link)

Has that ever happened to you?

I told myself to smarten up.  I mean really.  I made it to sell to make money to buy more supplies to make more stuff to sell... and on and on.  So with joyful tears in my eyes, I wrote a note of gratitude to the couple purchasing it, and then clicked 'send'.  It means so much to me that they admire the piece too.  : )  It's all so good.

~Monika

beginning and ending and beginning again

Mama Got Out of the House Today!

The greatest thing happened this morning.  All my plans/appointments fell through!  So I sat in the van with the heat running, wondering what to do after dropping my youngest off to preschool.  Quilt shop?  HECK YEAH!  I checked my cash situation and there was the funds from the flea market.  EVEN BETTER - it's the last Friday of the month and our local quilt shop shop has 40% off when you buy the bolt.  Too good to be true isn't it?  But wait - it gets better...  there was a notice of public space available for quilting get togethers!  

Pinch me.  Did I die and go to quilters' heaven?  Must have.  Here's what I bought there:  some fat quarters on a bolt of muslin.

I'm so excited to get modern fabrics in my favorite colors!! Here's some more arrangements.  These are Canadian fat quarters - so it's several inches bigger (1/4 meter instead of a 1/4 yard).

I know exactly what I'm going to do with them too!  And I can hardly wait.  I got more browns and antique yellows to go with the pretty gardening fabric I bought at guild night.  I'm even going to try incorporating grey into a quilt. 

And even splurged and bought a template.  Imagine that.  They are so inexpensive, but I always think, "I can make these myself".  Truth is, I never get around to it.  Too busy blogging.  haha

 

The only thing I regretted was not bringing a camera with me.  Periwinkle Quilting is so darn pretty inside!!  (Love the opened back space!)  

Now for more planning and dreaming while I wash up all this fabric.  In the mean time, CALL ME or email me or leave a post below if you are interested in a quilting bee / mom's night out / teaching & sharing evenings.  Apparently the new space has Friday nights available in the Saskatoon / Broadway area for a $5 drop in fee.  : ) 

~Monika

Fibre Arts (and Crafts!!)

This is not original, but with Halloween in just a few days (yippeeee!!) I had to share this super easy craft I discovered while shopping.  Sweet fibre ghosts!!

All you need is this:

And this:

Set up some 'molds'.  

You are supposed to set up your sculpture first and then spray it.  I found it easier to do it the other way around.  The cheesecloth is so light that the force of the spray pushes your design around!  So, cut your cheesecloth to the size you want, lay it on a surface and spray it all over until thoroughly moist.  Square pieces are great because they make long raggy points.  Then you pick it up and set it onto the mold.  While wet with the spray, it's really easy to manipulate.  And then it stays put!  

This takes an hour to dry.  I tied threads around the necks to help shape it.  Just pulling the string sets the cheesecloth into position and it stays.  (I find this so remarkable!) 

It's apparently non-toxic.  My hands feel all powerdery now, so I'm sure it's just starch & water.  You could do this on a towel, or wipe up the floor after like I did.

FUN!!  Once dry, string them up and let them float in the wind!  wooooooooooooooooooooooo!

~Monika

stitchin' & witchin'

This is a Hoot!

I love this owl quilt SO much.  It really makes me giggle.  I pinned it.  I stitched in the ditch.   And then I began the visual quilting.  This is the thread I chose.

Sulky thread

 I did some echo quilting with white first.  And then this is what I stitched with the variegated thread...

Little asterix!  And the go on...

looks like our highways!

and on...

Isn't that crazy?  I love it though.  I still need to decide on a binding color.  And I will most likely do more horizontal stitching in the white boxes.  Then I'll prewash it to pucker it all up, and put in in my ETSY store.

And oh!  Look!  The sun is out!  : )

the path to our backyard

~Monika

sewing in Saskatoon

* * *  ps - check the last posts - there's Angelina hot-fix fibres up for grabs!  You have until midnight on Monday to leave a comment to qualify.  * * *

 

The Morning After

Last night's guild meeting was lots of fun.  It's so nice to have all these smiley women come up to my table and say, "Hi!! I read your blog!".  (Thanks each and every one of you!).  And let me tell you, you all sure do eat a lot of cookies.  ; )  I made cute ghostie cookies and when I went to take a photo for this blog, they were gone!  lol  Not a crumb left.

I sold a lot of fabric at my flea market table, but here's what was left over...

Something tells me those FQs would make a great scrappy quilt full of triangles!   : )  Yes it would.  And of course, with coins in hand, I drift over to the other tables and spend my money while it's still warm.  lol  I could not stop oogling over this huge piece of cloth.  Home it came...

Dorothy's charity sale cloth 

It just did something to my soul!  I don't even really like tie dye or batik, or blue for that matter.  But this cloth - over 2 meters of it -  is so succulent!  It has a lovely pattern of greys, and then there is this subtle stamped imptint of pretty celtic looking designs.  It just amazed me so much!  I think I'll hang it on the wall and just meditate in front of it.  That is some serious cloth-worshipping isn't it!?  hehe 

There was a magazine swap too.  Here's one I came home with.  I have always thought those braids look like wheat, and so it was my plan to some day incorporate yellow braids into a prairie quilt.  Isn't this cover quilt  stunning!?  It makes me want to redo my brown-eyed susans quilt...

quilt by Bea Mansanerez, 2004

I just love yellow and white and oranges and greens and browns and reds so much.  lol  As we all packed up our tables at the end of the night, I had to buy these fat quarters quickly before they were gone.  They are so cute...

It's so fun to get new inspiration.  And to top it all off - (YAY!!) the first snow came overnight!!  

the front street

the snow drift hanging over my kitchen window

FUN!  My daughter was so excited she started crying.  Really - she's been waiting for this!  She was actually up for 2 hrs before she realized what the outside world looked like.

Arwen, waiting to go outside

  Her tracks are all over the yard.  I really look forward to new landscapes and photography.  Bring it on!

~Monika

sewing in Saskatoon

snowing in Saskatoon

Give Away # 2 - for fibre artists

I had such fun with the last give-away that I decided to do another! This one is for a pack of 2 colors of sparkly Angelina Fibres.  They fit nicely into a ziploc sandwich bag for me to mail to you.  That's about all I can tell you to describe how much is there.  A little goes a long way.  

No sure what they are?  You can heat them between sheets of parchment paper and they will fuse to themselves to create a sparkly holographic piece that you can cut shapes out of or make imprints onto.  You can also stitch them down loose under tulle or sheers for added sparkle.  I've used them in winter fibre art landscapes and on postcards too.  Click here to learn more:

About Angelina Hot-fix Fibres

I would have made a riddle but I can't decide on a word that rhymes with "fibre" or "angelina".  Maybe that's it - YOU tell me a rhyming word.  : ) That's your entry for the draw when you post below.  Option # 2 is to tell me what you'll do with the fibres!  The winner will be chosen by my 'random number generator' on the morning of November 2, 2010.  You have until midnight(ish) of November1st to get your name down.  : ) 

good luck!

~Monika

And the Winner Is...

Thank you to all the wonderful women that left beautiful little stories in response to the riddle/contest.  Gee - some of you made me cry!  There are some touching experiences in there.  Take a peek at all the comments if you need some moon-inspiration in your life : )

* * * "What does the Moon mean to you?" * * *

I consulted my random number generator.  My random number generator happens to be my oldest boy.  And the winner is #12, "pinkgecco"Tara!!  YAY Tara!

playdo ghost courtesy of my girl

Email me your snail mail address Tara, and I'll pop something in the mail as soon as I can.  Halloween is coming soon!  I think you are in Manitoba, so that shouldn't take too long.  Here are some of the cards I mailed out in the Halloween swap.  They've all received them so I can post it now.  : )

 Have a great day - and enjoy all the parties this week!  funfunfun.

~Monika

off to mail Tara her postcard...

Pinning vs Seam Ripping - Which Takes Longer?

This is my second Sunday post - but it's all about the quilts.  I cut up one choir gown into many 2 1/2 inch strips and started putting the top for this cute owl quilt together.  Then I realized - OOPS.  I don't pin.  My machine seems to take care for me.  But the rows of little boxes didn't line up, so... out came the seam ripper again!!  The birds don't look too impressed.  

One is in shock.  One is in disbelief.

: )  I'm funny hey?  lol  Yeah.  I"m funny.  Maybe I should have been a comedian instead of a quilter.  Needless to say, I learned my lesson.  Shortcuts in quilting often are not.  So I vow now to pin my rows from here on.  And WOW was that fast and easy.  Silly me.

Here are some more owls, checking out the new top.

It's raining today, so I put the top up in the window.  Pretty how it glows!

 

I can't wait to quilt it!  The quilting always changes the look of the top.  I'm not entirely sure how I'll do this up.  Those owl boxes make me happy.  They remind me of a computer game called Chuzzle. 

I think I'll chose red for the binding.  Prairie points would really rock this quilt!  hmmm

I will need to put it on hold for a couple days.  I need to gather all my wares to sell at the quilter's flea market tomorrow night!  YAY.  I look forward to getting out of the house and being with other quilters.

~Monika

Sunday Snapshops #9 and CBC Ramblings...

We went moon hunting the other day.  I always take my kids to see the harvest moon rise, and the winter solstice sun rise as well.  At dusk on Friday, I drove out east of the city for about 30 seconds.  It turns into a gravel farm road right away.  Unfortunately, it was thick with clouds at the horizon so we were unable to see her come up.  But when we looked to the west, this was magnificent enough!  Sun down.

I haven't been nervous about any deadlines lately, so I haven't been out running in the mornings.  All I have to share are these quiet evening photos of the prairie. 

I particularly like that one.  It's so quiet.  I really really like quiet.  My kids are asleep right now, and my husband has been out of town for a few days.  After the kids are in bed, there's no TV on  (hubby loves movies and video games until the wee hours).  This alone time is rejuvenating for me.   I create and create and create into the night.

The rare moments I am alone on weekends, I love to put on CBC radio and listen to Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap show while I work.  He has this relaxing voice and he and his partner Denise have story after story to tell about people he's met and the stories behind these old old songs.  The music is such an mix.  Listening to all this is pretty dreamy and nostalgic for me (was an aspiring electric guitar player in highschool).  Now I'm a mom who sews.

Here you can listen to past shows by these.  He has funny themes sometimes.

CBC Radio Vinyl Tap

 Anyhow - I wrote this thank you letter & sent it in to their show:

Hi!  I moved back to Saskatoon four years ago and started quilting!  The problem is, I have three young children.  The only time I can really get to my craft is at night after they all fall asleep.  So I stay up late designing and sewing quilts - with you to keep me company!  (Take a look if you like.)  You always get me in a good mood with such an energetic and creative atmosphere.  And your voice and stories are so great to listen to.  I really enjoy your company.  Thank you for such a colorful, eclectic show!

And his partner Denise wrote back:

Wow, wow, wow, Monika! We are so honoured to be some small part in helping you create such beauty!! Those are really astonishingly beautiful, such care and detail and such an artist's eye you have! Bravo!!! Thank you for writing and sending us the link to your beautiful quilts!

~ Denise McCann Bachman for Randy’s Vinyl Tap CBC Radio One.  Saturdays 7 – 9 pm, (8-10 pm in Atlantic Canada), Friday repeat 11 pm – 1 am, and on CBC Radio Two Sundays at 6 pm [all times ½ hour later in Newfoundland] 

Isn't that S W E E T ! ?   Boy, did that ever put a spring into my step all weekend!  PS - Giveaway winner will be announced tomorrow!  Blog contest ends at midnight.  ; )

I caught this one lastnight!

 ~Monika (what do you listen to when you sew?)

Listen to the shows live in any Canadian time zone at http://www.cbc.ca/listen