My Art at SaskMade Marketplace!

I was invited to bring in some art to display for sale at SaskMade Marketplace on 8th Street in Saskatoon.  How cool is that!?  I have only brought in one piece so far, since my solo show at the Centre Galleries is just 4 weeks away.  I decided to 'let go' of the piece that won second place in the Fine Arts category this past summer.  I'm not sure what the store will price it at, but I thought I would let you know!  By the way, they are having a grand opening on Saturday, November 5th.  Boy, it's looking good in there!  I took these with my cell phone the night I dropped off my prairie art.

That place sells soooo much, from soaps to syrups. mustards to gift baskets, artwork to local grains... and more.  There's pottery and meats, perogies and books, pies and chocolates... I could go on.  It's all local.

It's impressive!   I hadn't been in there before.  I thought it was just a 'gifts, trinkets, & road maps' kind of place.  I was wrong.  It is actually a locally stocked grocery store featuring prairie artists!  Wow.  And they do gift baskets.  Did I mention that?  Awesome.

Thank you SaskMade Marketplace for sponsoring my work!  : )  I really appreciate your support.  If you would like to learn more about them, their facebook page is here and their website with listings of their food products can be found here.

Sunday Snapshots

Oooh it's getting colder out!  It's below freezing each night, and we had our first snow!!!  (I love the first flakes!)  I have no photos - there were only a few flakes and now they are gone.

I think it's time for these guys to fly south!  

They've just fenced off the water in anticipation of it freezing over.  That's to remind kids to stay off until the ice is thick enough and the rink is ready.  I'm spending the day inside sewing up constumes and doing some embroidery.

Have a Happy Halloween!  : )

Autumn Fire postcard, 2010

- - - Saturday Stitches - - -

Hi!  It feels like a long time since missing Saturday Stitches last weekend.  If you are new to this, welcome.  I'm trying to learn as many formal embroidery stitches as I can.  I post them every Saturday for you to see.  I like to also show variations of tried and true stitches that everyone probably already knows... so I hope you learn something too.

click to copy & paste photo, click HERE to copy and paste URL.

FYI - the URL link will bring up all Saturday Stitches posts on this blog.

Since I'm working on a winter embroidery piece, I wanted to learn some stitches that would resemble sparkles or twinkles or snow flakes.  Here are a couple - and remember you can get great effects by varying the sizes.

I like the plus signs.  They are a great twist to the standard "x" stitch for me.  With Halloween right around the corner, I figured I would try the spider web too.  You can use any number of stitches when you make your star shape.  The trick is to weave under 2 webs, in the same direction each time.  As you work your way around, you slip back under the last stitch you wove, plus the next one.  Make sense?  It's like 'one step back, two steps forward'.  This is how the cross stitch threads get wrapped as you go.  Mine is very crude... but remember, I'm learning! ; )

Perhaps I can use the 6 pointed webs as snowflakes.  hmm...  I find that I really enjoy weaving the stitches.  It's such an interesting process.  Check out this last one I'll show you.  You begin with 2 rows of backstitching.  I used curves.  In retrospect, I wish the first backstiched rows were a little tighter.  They need to hold the next thread that you will be weaving though, back and forth across from row to row.  Check it out.

You end up with the Herringbone Ladder Stitch.  I love it.  It looks like a lovely stitch that you could connect 2 pieces of cloth with.

Intricate, but easy to do.  Happy Stitching everyone!

Halloween Fibre Arts & Crafts

Remember this ghostly no-sew tutorial from one year ago!?  I'm making more!  : )  

The link to the post is HERE.

wooooooooooooooooooooh!!!

<|: )

Show Shopping & A Draw

Everyone keeps asking: what did you buy!!??  I was so excited to go through all the vendors' shops that came to town for our show.  You should know me by now.  I bought thread.  I spent $60.  Fortunately, I made $60 selling things at the show, so that's perfect!  Unfortunately, the thread I want & use is expensive... like $10 a spool.  That's not a lot of thread spools for $60.  I did get some little rayons for $2 a piece, but they won't last long!  So here is what I came home with.

pretty fibres from Chicas in Saskatoon 

gorgeous Sulky blendables from Veronica's in Kindersley

Do you see all the soft autumn landscape colors?  aaaaaaaaah...  I do.

WonderFil rayons, and a variegated cotton from Quilt Paradise in Maidstone

Look!  More sparkly, soft winter fibres.  Oooh they make me sew happy!!

more winter landscape fibres from Heather's in Moose Jaw

King Tut Variegated new at Periwinkle's in Saskatoon!

I'm using this one in my fall grasses for sure!  It's perfect, AND can you believe it?  I have two thread paintings nearly done!  I sewed a lot in the days during and after the show.  So far, so gorgeous!

Speaking of gorgeous... have you seen Feltastic Fibre's scarves?  I heard that Heike Fink (the proprietor) is giving away one of her handmade Nuno felted scarves once her Facebook page hits 100 likes!  You even get to pick the one you want if you win.  Here's the link if you are interested!

Things I Love Thursdays

Aah Thursday.  I love these Things I Love days.  I also love the long continuation of Autumn weather.  Nearly November!?  No way!  : )

Everything is all AGLOW.  I love these fluffs!

I love looking up.  : ) 

I love this pretty little composition,.  The leaves are being given SO much time this year.

I love when the leaves turn orange and the berries turn black.  Woooo - Halloween soon!

I also really, really love all the great comments on that dress.  Thank you so much!!  : )

have a great Thursday!

I'm linking this to A Prairie Sunrise blog's "For the love of Home", here.  : )

Shoes at a Quilt Show

My face STILL hurts from smiling.  This weekend was just fabulous.  Here is some background of my entries and how it all came together.  As I worked on the dress, I quickly realized they would require matching shoes.  So I went to the thrift store and picked up these navy ones.  They were the right design, but the wrong color, so I painted them!

I cut off the tags and the top foot strap too.  My plan was to re-make one and re-attach it.  This was the 'quilted' part of the entry.  I made some folded fabric.  I made new quilted straps with angelina fibres and some decorative stitches.

I glues then and stitched them on and there they were!  I was so impressed that by heating the fibres... they turned just the right color to match the dress.  (yesss!)

...and that is how you get shoes into a quilt show!  : )  I named this entry, "Knock Your Socks Off!".

The dress... ooh that was a big one.  It began with an idea to incorporate my landscapes onto a dress, which evolved to a few sketches, and then at one point I finally strip-pieced some jelly roll batiks. This became the fabric base from which I cut a corset-style pattern.  The pattern was heavily altered - used as a template.  I edited out a sleeve.  I added hip width, took the gaping neckline and ungaped it.  I added 2 inches to the length of the top and had to reformat the positioning of the loops on the back.  I also added internal hooks & eyes and got rid of the side zipper.  lol  Oh - and then I did it again for the lining, and then again for the batting.  So here are my 'quilt sandwiches' ready to be put together.

Next, I began the initial quilting.  Once this was done, I did some free motion cloud quilting, and lots of thread painting on the bottom.  Here's the backside.

that smudge is gunk from my iron.  Glad it's on the back!!

After adding the back panels, the insert, and all the little loops, I began hand embroidery: french knots and free-form grasses.

There were hundreds of yellow french knots put on this.  After, I added yet another liner, boning, the one sleeve, and I flipped the whole thing right-side out.  WOW.  Then I had to finish the edges.  The single sleeve was heavily embellished with blue lace, sequins, and beads.

work in progress

This blue fabric was hand dyed by Corinne Appleton by the way.  She passed away this past year and an estate sale was put on.  That's how I ended up with it.  After quilting it, I shaded with white and darkened with blue-grey pencil.  The iridescent brown bow helped balance the earthiness of the lower part of the dress.

When I though I was done, I realized that the body of the dress lacked sparkle.  So I hand stitched a lot of gold into the green grasses.  I also couched on some brown & gold yarns by hand.  It was all coming together!!

The last thing to do was lace it up!  I'm not sure where this blue ribbon came from, but it is very old.  It may have been from my friend Irene's grandmother's stash.  This blue was just perfect!!

And that skirt was quick to make.  Flo discovered that fabric and it was PERFECT!  My job was done.  This fabric required no extra anything.

So there you go!  It took weeks and weeks and my brain hurt much of the time... but I did it!  ; )

I'm linking to lots this time around!

The Needle and Thread Network

 Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

Esther's Blog 

Show Me What Ya Got

Rachel's Celebrate Color Event

(I linked the dress, now I'm linking the shoes)

My Commute

There's this little thing started by Kit Lang to post a photo of your daily commute.  Like my friend Becky, I work from home.  I do however play in the park across the street, walk my kids to school in that park, and run in that park in the morning.  Last night I went for a run down some paths I hadn't before in that park.  (It's a big park with a hill, a lake, 2 schools, three playgrounds... you get the idea.)  I DIDN'T have my camera and thought I had stepped suddenly into wonderland!  I was in awe of the color and life in this tiny little walkway.  This afternoon, I set out to find that spot again and snap a photo.  Here is one of my favorite shots.  I'm in this park ALL the time and had never spied this until now.  I feel VERY fortunate.  Thanks for making us look Kit!

You Want Talent? We Got It!

I wanted to show off a whole bunch of of things from the show, with permission from the makers.  I started snapping some photos and when I mentioned I was taking them for my blog, I got some some looks.  You know, the look of shock and disapproval.  I know this is a touchy subject, and I got completely embarrassed and put my camera away.  The first few pics I did take were the products of a few quilters I have talked to a lot, so when I asked them, they happily consented.  I apologize that I didn't take photos of EVERYTHING, because truly, EVERYTHING was incredible.  Here are some of my friends' exhibits that did make it onto my camera.  They are on this blog with permission.

"Roberto Ferrari" with "Rudy", by Cindy Ganes.  Original pattern is Chicken Shaman by Eleanor Peace Bailey.

THE CHICKENS!  Okay - hands down, this was my favorite.  I couldn't help but go right up to them and burst out laughing!  Look at their poses!  Look at the knee joints!  On closer inspection, they also happen to be incredibly gorgeous.   Look at those tail feathers!  Cindy, I love these guys.  : )

Here is my friend Kerrie's quilt.

The Monster by Kerrie Serben

This batik beauty is gorgeous.  I think the word 'monster' has to do with her process of putting it all together.  It's a BIG quilt.  I never did find her other entry which was floral with gold on it!  (She showed me after the show).  Lovely! : )

Nintendo Game Quilt by Sheila Clark

This is the quilt all the kids were raving about.  We got a lot of whiny, "mooooommmm, can you make meeee one?".  lol  Awesome!  ; )  Sheila told me it was designed by her daughter.  Sheila happens to be a landscape artist as well.  I did not know that!

Check out this next one...

Selvedge Log Cabin quilt by Diane Leontowicz

I donated to that quilt!  Diane was asking some time ago if people could bring their selvedges to her.  Now we know what she was up to!  She is a fan of the Selvedge Blog.  This quilt if BIG.  Isn't that cool!?  Great job Dianne! 

There was a long, long wall full of art quilts.  Here is one of Sharron Shoenfeld's.  It's so elegant!

Focus by Sharron Shoenfeld

I love the feel of this one - the lines and the edges.  It's so full of spirit.  She is so good at painting on her quilts.  She also uses pencil crayon, which is where I got the idea to add white to the clouds on my dress.  (Thank you Sharron!  Brilliant.)

This next one is by Leona Larson.

Dreaming in Purple by Leona Larson

As I was whipping past this wall to go shopping in the market place, I couldn't help but stop in my tracks to get a photo of this.  It just glows!  There was just something so incredibly beautiful and luscious about this one.  The purple is magic, isn't it!?  Leona teaches and is well known for her landscape quilts.  She incorporates a lot of cutting, layering, and yarns. 

Bladworth Elevator (left), Pelicans at the Weir Waves (right) by Elizabeth M. Cuming

Last but certainly not least are two entries by my friend Elizabeth.  Stunning!  Let it be known that she never, ever photo-prints her work.  This is all done by hand, eye, needle, thread, and paint.  I particularly love the grain elevator on the left.  Elizabeth is well known for stitching up many actual elevators and historical buildings in our province.  The pelicans on the right got a big red first place ribbon for the 'Making Waves' show theme.  The pelicans are famous here.  They migrate to Saskatoon's weir on the South Saskatchewan river each spring.  CONGRATULATIONS ELIZABETH!

I have some more photos of some beautiful bed quilts, but now I cannot recall who made what.  I started reading through the program guide to match them by name, but with 500 entries, it just got more confusing.  I really loved the quilts done by hand, the cross stitched & redwork quilts, the appliqued prairie scenes, and pretty much every floral appliqued quilt there was.  Beautiful work ladies!  I am one proud quilter to be in such a marvelously talented guild.