Saturday, March 10, 2012

hello, hello...

Just wanted to pop on to make a really quick post. James and I are officially two weeks away from our trip to PARIS! I am very excited and nervous all at the same time, and in a crazy way I am the most worried about what I am going to wear. Crazy right. Anyway, i stumbled upon this lovely spot and thought I would share it with you, http://www.griottes.fr. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have, the images are lovely and inspiring. At some point there will be an English version, in the meantime I am using this as a sort of crash course on reading French. I am better at understanding written French than when it is spoken it seems. Really all I need to know is how to order a croissant or macaroon right?

On a crafty note, I am farming again and hope to have some pictures to show you in the coming days. I also tried my hand at sharpie tie dye. It was very easy and I am looking forward to more experimenting.

Sorry for the lack of pictures today, hope you enjoy your weekend.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Two in one day!


Can you believe two posts in just one day, it's just unheard of! Just wanted to post a group shot of all my farmers wife quilt blocks. I am trying to get back into the swing of two blocks a week, and have a new stack of fabrics waiting to be cut into.



So as usual it has been a really long time since my last post, I think that is just the way I do things, or I am just lazy! I have been up to a lot of things since the start of the new year. One of these things is taking Fergus to his weekly swim time.

My poor old dog, he will be 13 this year, has trouble walking around the block now. He really was getting depressed, lots of big sighs could be heard throughout the house. The sad part was that because of the arthritis in his front leg, walking on the concrete was just not possible. We found that when we would go to PEI in the summers he could swim for hours with very little limping and that he was just that much more happy. Luckily our vet told us about this swimming pool for dogs called "Fit Dogs" here in Toronto, so we gave it a shot. My old guys gets so excited now he is up and in the pool before we have a chance to throw the tennis ball. He is so happy and having dreams where his legs twitch like he is swimming.

It makes me so happy to see him swim in this indoor pool, it really is ridiculous!! So to try out my new toy with it's "super8" app here is my boy having a swim. Oh and the pool is heated and salt water, and way more clean than a lot of hotel pools we have been in.

Hope you enjoy this video as much as I do!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

another year

Wow, I really can not believe the start of a new year is on our doorstep. So many good things this year to think about, and even more things to reflect upon and learn from. I am probably going to enter 2012 with many projects started with only a handful finished, and I am pretty okay with that. My fabric collection has grown, more than a little bit, and I have adopted some new things to obsess about. So I leave 2011 with this final blog post, and wish everyone a very Happy New Year, cheers to the past twelve months and welcome to the next twelve.

Just a few of my favourite images from 2011.

I tried out making a few mini quilts toward the end of the year, and loved it! Just used all sorts of scraps and went with it, no plan, just a bit of an idea, lots of fun.


Nuit Blanche, Canada Day and Christmas cookies....




The island, my island if you will allow me to say that. Part of me did stay there this year and I am counting the days until we pack of the car for next years drive home. With it's sandy beaches, where there is always something to discover or collect. Tasty carrots and the most amazing colours at sunset.





Goodnight, take care.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

more than kinda SCARED!

Well, that's it then, I'm in and I think I may be sick. This is a little nerve racking for me but my stitched items, "textile art" if you want to be fancy pants about it, has been accepted in this show. It's exciting, but a bit scary. I am pretty insecure about my stuff going into a gallery with really talented people, I am just hoping I can stand beside them and not look foolish. Fingers crossed.

The Collective is a gathering of creative artists and artisans for 12 days in December, from December 8 to December 19, 2011 at Triangle Gallery, 38 Abell St., Toronto, Ontario. Gallery hours 11a.m. - 6 p.m. daily. So there are the particulars, I hope some of you might be able to pop by and have a peep at all the creative things this show will have to offer. Maybe even find some Christmas gifts.


Friday, November 4, 2011

more farmer's blocks...and a new obsession.

So, I am again a bit behind on my farmer's blocks quilt thingy that just seems to be the way it is. I am trying not to stress it, but man I am stressed. On a happy note we are closer to CHRISTMAS, and it's true what they say, "it's the most wonderful time of the year!" I am rambling so here are my blocks, for weeks #21 and #22...

week #21 : blocks #10 & #74


So, I am really in love with these blocks, mind I seem to say that after I make every set of blocks. So, I just have sort of jumped into this quilt without a clear sense of colour, theme, or feeling. My only goal was to learn how to do some more complicated piecing and use some of those fabrics in the stash, that just sit and look pretty. It is just great using a whack of different fabrics that so far seem to all be working together. All the blocks stay up on the quilt board thingy and week to week I decide what is lacking in terms of colour and go at it.

week #22 : blocks #31 & #47


The way I am picking out my blocks for the week is just randomly flicking through the book and stopping on a page. Whatever is on those two pages are that weeks blocks. So block #31 was a piece of cake, block #47 not so much. In the pic it doesn't look that bad but in person it's not quite there. The seams just don't match up, and it really bugs me, so I may have to stitch rip this one and try again. If anyone has any tips on getting this one done, it would be much appreciated!

On to the second part of my post, my new obsession. Well, it seems crazy but it's old paint by numbers paintings. James and I found some old paint by numbers pics at a junk shop and well they had to come home with us. It is to late tonight to share pics of them, but when I post again I will try and show you. I have a picture in my head of collecting a whole whack of them in different sizes and doing an entire wall in them, I just think they are so charming. I love the idea that someone put a lot of time into getting them done and that they sort of have become artists. SO....I challenge you to go to your local art store and buy the most kitchy paint by numbers you can find, I swear you will love it!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

playing catch up...

So, I have been a bit lax in blog posting so this is going to be another marathon farmers wife post...hope you enjoy, sorry in advance!!

week 16 : blocks #24 & #79



I have trouble using the warm colour palette so I have been trying to use the fall colour change for some inspiration. Funny thing, I didn't realize until after I made the blocks that I used the Heather Ross "matryoshka" fabric in both blocks.

week 17 : blocks #53 and #64



week 18 : blocks #34 and #46



week 19 : blocks #71 and #90



I am in love a little with these two blocks...I have a mental list going of the ones I like the best and these guys are creeping to the top. It's funny how you can love some more than others, I wonder why? hm. So after this one I am all caught up!!! yeah me!

week 20 : blocks #18 and #51



Phew, that's better now I am all caught up! I told you it would be a marathon. For week #20 I was up for a bit of a challenge so block #18 fit the bill. I have never worked with shapes other than squares or triangles so this was cool to see how different shapes came together to create triangles that could then be pieced into block and so on.

Hope everyone enjoys there weekend, James and I are off to Niagara on the Lake for a cocktail party...doesn't that sound grown up!! Oh what to wear? I always feel so uncomfortable in big girl clothes, I really just love my jeans and sweaters and scarves!! sigh, pointy uncomfortable shoes here I come...

Enjoy the blustery day everyone.