Had a great time with the little guy

 So Xmas day came and the little guy requested 2 cakes and a present from Santa

 We got to see his cake but not taste it of course~

 He liked his fire truck and took a break out to watch a cartoon show while his parents were out

His parents got him a " Shamu" toy which is a Whale  and a dolphin and of course a driver for the Whale.

A good time was had by all there was a lot of entertainment for the little guy at the resort from crafts to playground, pools and splash pad of sorts. The highlight is that he found out in short order a golf cart would bring him back and forth

Low Cal Gingerbread house

I made this on my embroidery machine, I stitched it on a washable stabilizer when rinsed it disappears and I try to leave some of the stabilizer in to make it stiff. I have left it to dry and tomorrow am I will glue on the roof, as you can see it looks a little loose! I put a tea light in it so that you can see how it looks lighted and the detail of the little house. If you click on the photo is will enlarge . This type of embroidery is called free standing lace.

more machine embroidery

This is what I made with my embroidery machine last night.
Aren't they cute, they are called free standing lace and look as if they were tatted

Just because I can

Have you ever been a disturber in a group?
Well I joined a group and was snubbed because I work with older technology.
However they did not realize I can be creative..
So last meeting I knocked it out of the park with my inferior equipment.
I am preparing for the next meeting. Stand back people. I have some great ideas and gaggs.

I took this wire dress form mini that is for decorating purposes.
Our theme is to be snow- which in interpreted as snowflakes
You can't probably see it but the fabric is all snow flakes every piece of it!

In the second picture you can see the wire frame. Now look up way up. The picture at the top the blouse is fitted with split sides. I strung a necklace on blue fabric salvage that I had and the beads were from another project that I needed just one.  So the top is done, then I carefully stripped a piece of fabric, seemed it at the sides. hemmed it and put a draw string through the top.  The skirt is done. By the way I did this with hand stitches because I would not want to use inferior equipment. Not to forget I used a soft robin egg blue pipe cleaner for a belt.

Oh I am not done yet. I have another week before I take in what I decided to make and then this " snow " project which is full of snowflakes. I want to add, some glitter to the hem line of the blouse. Have to snazz it up a bit more. Oh how I wish I could take a pic of the look on their faces.

Chirp Chirp

Making my way through lace ornaments. I just have to wait for these pieces to dry and then assemble into the gilded birdhouse. I had this thread for my longarming and it kept breaking. I saved it for this project, that darn thread twisted and turned and snapped but I got the better of it!

One more craft bites the dust

I spent a few hours making this I got the trim all embroidered and made the " sausage style pillowcase. They are so easy to do and neat with their french seems, everything is encased. Soon I will have to look for a mate! Maybe on Thursday when I am not so busy. We will see!

Green Thumb>

I can hardly get into my shed as the Bougainvillea is a blooming, I hate to trim it back. It seems as if the growth takes place on the older shoots, I will have to do some research. It is looking mighty pretty

Look who came for a walk with us

We were walking Brandy and look who we found, minding it's own business merrily eating grass. The turtle seemed to be close to a size of 12" across, we looked and flicked a picture but I did not bring it home!

just because i can

Here is my latest gag gift, a roll of embroidered toilet paper, The good news is that it is either on display or you remove the first sheet!

Surprise

Yes I am here, I have been doing a little embroidery and now have this bowl, I am debating on how I should finish the top to secure it onto the bowl. Should it open or not-- so many ideas

TA DAH we are hinged

Lets shed a little light on things

I made this with my embroidery machine

How many curved seams do you see?

So it is way too hot to craft and we look for airconditioned digs in the heat of the day, We are getting very familiar with all the shops! And of course don't let me forget the great library in Leesburg.

Quite often in the after diner hours I do a little crafting , I have just completed this top for Victoria Quilts of Canada, once home it will hit the long arm to get completed. The design is called apple core and there are a ton of seams as you can see!

I don't know what they are feeding them!

My little palm was less then 2 feet 5 years ago now look at it!

At the Movies

I broke down I only go to the movies in Florida!
The cost of the movie had soared from $3.99 to $5.50 in one season - the shock of it all, but wait until I tell you... the theatre was at 1/2 capacity as last year. Why you ask? Well they had full recliners, switch buttons to make your feet greet your nose, or a total recline so that now you are parallel to the floor, drinking holders , nice comfy stressless recliners.

I first had to find the toggle and as I shot backwards I wondered if I would be thrown into the upper balcony , which there was none by the way.Now relaxed I peeked around to see if those that were early for the movie were now fast asleep. No snoring was heard

The movie was pretty good and the price was right! And yes I vacated my comfy chair at the end of the movie. LOL

One week and counting

We have been in Florida for one week. The temperatures run between 75-81 and hot and very sunny. My freckle count has soared. We have for the most part settled in , the RV scoured both inside and outside, the garden pruned. the groceries bought and replenished, even the car's tent has been erected and the bike tires pumped. We continue to do our daily routine of my back exercises and stretches, long walks and because we are at a hot spot we are computering in frequently until our neighbor appears to rescue us, this is why I have so little communication these days.

It is a wonder how I keep so busy when I am not sure what I have accomplished

I absolutely hate to get my picture taken but this weekend we spent time with the Grand Son all of 2 years old. He cautioned us to not touch anything that he thought was on display. He would not let us eat our food until he was satisfied it was cool enough, to the point of putting his hand up over our food and said " Hot". He even caught me trying to eat my soup but first he said " I blow NANNY". I was then allowed to eat. Yes he is quite verbal, athletic and can outrun 4 adults. At the old age of 2 we are spelling out things as he is too smart for his own good. I wonder if this counts as payback

Over here!

We arrived in Florida on the afternoon of Tuesday safe and sound. The drive was great and starting off at the border saved us 2 hours in time. More rest for my back.

We saw some evidence of the Hurricane with branches and flood waters along the 95 especially from Lumberton NC right through to Jacksonville, FL. Our RV was fine but one looks a little weather as it might have had some circulating winds, enough to knock off the AC. rip off part of a roof and then twisted the outer entry into their unit, We had not a scratch.

There was obviously enough rain as the grass is lush, and not for long

My Palm Tree has risen as well as the weeds and the flowering plants are doing just that,

It appears as if my orchids got knocked off this summer. My friend Rufus has some bananas but too green for me to ear, so they are safe until she gets here.  My yardman trapped and disposed of a armadillo that he trapped and took out yonder.

The park is quiet , there is evidence of Renovations with most of the bathrooms in my area tapped off and large dumpsters are full They must be waiting for new fixtures as there is no moise or obvious work being done

I walked through our " boutique" you go it the garbage dump and took a little that I found when cleaning out my shed. I was very restrained and did not pinch that lovely wooden 5' ladder that would make a great prop.

I have not made it to Joann's maybe next week. On day one I washed the RV with Ben's help which really helped my back out , day two more groceries and then we scoured the awning and I attended to the welcome area and half of my garden, Oh and yes the welcome area is my RV matt and chairs. LOL I sprayed some killer on ant hills and still managed to get bitten, I look so cute with my curly white hair my yardman came and gave our lawn a second cut in 2 days. I tried to pay him extra but he refused.

So the highlight today is to see if the old washer we snaffooed from the garbage 6 years ago still works. I think that the laundry is multiplying and after daylight strikes Ben will hook it up , We need to hook up the water output hose into the sewer system and that requires some old fellow to crawl under the RV to find the hose . I am glad that is not my job. - I can't bend that well!!

Until nex

Sometimes you just throw up your hands

And play

At least when you make lace angels it is easier then laying in a snow bank to create them. I am playing with colors and noticed that the dark coloured wings / face and hands do not come out as nicely as if they were lighter in color. Experiment #1

I missed my opportunity but........... I was holding the ladder

I noticed a patch 4 X4 at the top of the solarium just above the eaves trough. You know how I hate heights and often fall from ladders.. SO I had the stain in the bucket, a little foam brush , ladder and one hubby. I pointed out that he needed to give that bare wood a swipe or in a year of too he would be tearing off the eavestrough and replacing that head board.

The job was easy enough and Mr. Eagle Eyes noted another spot for touch up before we put all the equipment away. I held the ladder and dare not whip out my camera to snap a pick of him balancing on the ladder, stain in one hand and brush in the other..

But you get the idea....

Two guesses what this is?

 You got it an industrial wood splitter, you should see this thing chomp. It has jumped a few times with some of that iron wood that is terribly twisted and doesn't want to give. Starting up the rig is no problem pretty simple like your lawn mower but you have to pay attention. The gear is sloppy and you want to push the shift in the opposite direction from where you want to have the split action. So far so good Ben still has all 10 fingers. He has only jumped a few times... the pile to be cut is getting smaller, it is the large pieces that we have left for tomorrow.Two and a half hours in and the same for tomorrow. I have so many things on the go I want to make sure I stay on track according to plan- Mine not Ben's

Watch where you walk

One deck stained and drying one more to go, I was lucky to just get the whole thing done with a lick left over. It took a whole 2 hours out of my day yesterday. The only thing is that the clean up takes oh so much longer .

The forecast is for rain from Thursday to Monday so I decided that is a good time to go through my sewing stuff and I have a quilt on the frame that I need to purchase thread for... I have my entertainment all aligned. Sewing detail this week and one more staining job next week.


Oh and then the real stuff begins, I need to dig up the septic lid so we can get our liquid gold begone

Jane's new B & B

The unit comes home - a free to me fishing shed soon to be room on the go

It took a few hours to winch the shed from the center of the yard to between the trees and on the property line, there are all sorts of stuff inside it takes a little while to clean out

This is the only entrance I have a sign " stay on trail" that covers a previous oops on the door. Notice the little table that is all set up for Tea?

Here is the front of the unit, notice it is on a trailer frame and then blocked up on cinder blocks. Next project is to sand down the metal frame and paint. This is a lovely window, they all work and better yet this has a nice blind in it!

Here is the side view there are windows on both sides. I have a planter at one end and another Bo Peep planter holder that is calling for a plant.

OOPS I forgot to take inside pics, oh well another day , I have indoor outdoor carpet installed by Moi- of course- there are two full length benches that will hold me gardening tools and a great table that I need to cover but will double as a potters table,

In a pinch I can rent it out as a B&B

Something other than quilting - who would have thought?

SO the garage saga.. I priced the siding and stopped when I hit $3k and no door or fascia or soffitt , I have decided it is more than the garage is worth. SO yesterday I bought some stain and swung my roller at the building soon to find out that the one side that held all the vines and lattice work was quite bleached. I bet I had not stained that side of the garage in over 20 years. Things look cleaner now and since taking the pics early this am I have dragged all the garbage and recycle containers to a new nest at the back side of the garage.

Tomorrow I address the lighting fixtures and then they will soon be brown too!
I do have more stain and sadly will have to purchase more for my decks as I know that will be my next job after Ben levels them which is no small feat on a 16 x 30 deck

Come on over!

Let meet up at the local Textile Museum see details below

Fibrefest Marks 21 Years

Mark the weekend of September 10th (10 am to 5 pm) and 11th (10 am to 4 pm), 2016 on your calendars because you won’t want to miss the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum’s 21st annual Fibrefest. At two locations—the Museum and the Almonte Arena—visitors will find demonstrations, vendors, and exhibits—a full two-day festival of fibre arts! Local guilds will demonstrate spinning, knitting, weaving, rug hooking, lacemaking, smocking, felting and quilting. Vendors include spinners, weavers, and fibre artists from across the province, as well as quilt shops and alpaca farms.

The Friends of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum will offer their popular tea room services, featuring homemade goodies, beverages and sandwiches at very reasonable prices.

While visiting the Museum, explore the permanent history exhibit “Fabric of a Small Town,” which interprets how a piece of wool becomes a piece of finished cloth and includes industrial machines used throughout the process.

Featured Artists Grace Noël & Diane Lemire

Grace Noël
Grace is the surface pattern designer behind her company Creatively Graceful. After recently earning a diploma in Interior Decorating from Algonquin College, she is transitioning from Ottawa to Almonte, Ontario. Her hand-drawn designs are best described as whimsical. They are largely inspired by nature and vintage items, and are layered with detail. She loves to convey a story through her art. Grace's designs are currently available for sale as fabric, wallpaper, and gift wrap through her shop on Spoonflower. Her Scallop fabric was used on a collection of shoes by Milk and Honey (Now Shoes of Prey) in Fall 2013, and her Cirque fabric was used in an exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Spring 2014. Grace has also designed a collection of quilting fabrics for Moda Fabrics called With Glowing Hearts in celebration of Canada's upcoming 150th Anniversary. She loves to make people's days, and offers a Custom Design Service. Her ultimate goal is to Make Everything Beautiful through her work. 

Diane Lemire
Diane draws inspiration from the world around her to create mixed-media sculptures, textile art, and paintings that subtly evoke a sense of memory, time, and place. For the past 15 years she has been discovering and experimenting with the numerous techniques of felting, allowing herself to be seduced by this ancient craft of working with raw wool, incessantly exploring the fusion of natural fibers with recycled materials.

PARADOX is a show about embracing the bitter-sweet truth of nurturing, through installation, sculpture, and art work. What challenges transpire when you are one of 12 or 14 children? Or, on the other hand, are the hard-working Mother?

In her unique style, Diane will be honoring a period of time when women gave birth to many children. Being one of 11 children herself, she will share her memories and stories based on her perspective of nurturing. Story-telling is central to each and every piece in the gallery. Her mother’s left-behind materials are part of the core of this work. Beautiful patterned and printed textiles, her mother’s clothes, and discarded found objects of no great importance. Like a chameleon they undergo a transformation, becoming part of a narrative of the senses: emotion and tactile beauty welcome everyone who wishes to enter this journey.
Diane Lemire was born in Val D’Or, Quebec (Canada). She has spent her formative years traveling and working abroad, and consequently studied Fine Art at the University of Ottawa. In 2010 and 2014 Diane was awarded the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum Award.
She has exhibited in Canada and Europe, and her work can be found in private and public collections.

Don’t miss the Lamb Race!
At 4 pm on September 11th, hundreds of wooden lambs will be thrown over the main falls in downtown Almonte, and the owners of the first three lambs to reach the finish line will win fabulous prizes. Tickets for the race will be on sale at the Museum well ahead of the event.

Whether you are interested in art, history, clothing, or textiles or want to get a head start on your Christmas shopping or are just looking for a great day out and about, Fibrefest will have something for you.

Admission to Fibrefest is $5.00 per day, which includes access to all sites. Admission tickets available at the door only at both locations.
 

One big stink

First there was a stink of diesel and Ben found one more hose to change of course it intertwined in the others and of course the washer fell into the motor. I could see it and Ben used his special grabbers to get that little devil and reinstall them. The money we save on this home mechanic and the local mechanic sold me the hose. The last I saw of Sir Ben he was going to wash the engine one more time, degreaser in hand

fancy Shmancy

This is the end result and I made the pillow cases a few weeks ago desperate for some that were not so thin that they would wear out next week, almost works. LOL I noticed that the last border was one that matched the appliques

30 years and counting

Over worked and under appreciated. My wheelbarrow frame snapped and Ben laughed as I walked down the street, wheel in one hand and barrow in the other. Who needs weight lifting exercises? Now it has a completely rebuilt undercarriage and all back together so I can keep working

And this is why I was never allowed at the easel

Apparently I was not so good at coloring, artwork or working with scissors. Everyone was crowded at the easel. Mom was quite talented with the potter's wheel all of which I did not persue but went into textiles. Oddly there was no lineup at the sewing machine

Just one more piece

I have not lost any toes in this job I am expecting a wood splitter and this is the side view I have 22 of these huge pieces and then separated the already split wood and sorted it to stabilize the pile, next I am starting a pile of those pieces that are round - good sized branches that I do not need to split at all. I get out at 5 every am and work for about 45 minutes, dripping away. Hope I can finish the job by tomorrow before I get the heavy duty splitter, BOY am I praying for cool weather

This is called a care seat tent

It is to be secured to the baby carrier with the little blue velcro straps I made. It protects the baby from noise, weather and snoopy people. There are a few hundred hezagons as you can see