A Fine Seam

A Valentine For You

2012-02-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day was always one of my favourites

from cinnamon heart candies that always came in the little red heart-shaped plastic container, to the paper valenitines you punched out of an activity book (remember making the envelopes?)

heart shaped cookies, and heart shaped cakes

heart shaped ornaments and sachets

pretty in pale colours with a little stitching

a grown-up valentine

a special heart for all you lovers of anything and everything French

the pattern I used calls them pincushions...

I made them smaller, and I think they are the perfect size to fill with lavender and tuck in a drawer

or add a loop and hang on a tree

or a drawer knob

the beauty of the pattern is that you start with a square of fabric

and at the end, you have two hearts

maybe one for you and one for a friend?

I kept it simple - all light fabrics and threads; cream and ivory coupled with icy palest blue

(i never seem to tire of this combination!)

a little woven ribbon bow and two heart charms

these are addictive little creations

if you would like to try your hand you can find the pattern here

I made mine smaller - I think I started with an 8" square, and did crazy quilting, but any technique would be wonderful...and instead of sewing ties I just used ribbon

and a Happy Valentine's day wish for all of you...

"My love for you is immortal

as the rocks upon the hill

And though the winds may blow

My love is steadfast still."

I wrote that when I was 13, probably having read far too much English Literature centered around struggling love in stormy mansions... I never added to it although at one time I thought it could perhaps be an epic love poem and my life's masterwork

(don't you just love the grand illusions and ideas of youth?!)

the older I get the more I like it just as it is... the stormy part is there, as is the concept of endurance

and the ideal that true love can go on forever

Oh, Not Again!

2012-02-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

I love trying new techniques... it's that old curiosity thing again...

and I love it even more when I after trying something new, I realize that although it's cool to know how to do it, I don't really want it for a hobby... soap and paper making were like that, as was basket weaving and needle felting...

not the case with my latest endeavour

a week or so ago I took a beginner course on making jewelery

and since then I have been in hot pursuit of beads, baubles and trinkets and anything that says "bling"

so much fun

now my work table looks like this

and I am trying to figure out storage for all this "stuff"

working with wire like this was not part of the course but I wanted to fiddle with it

I do love stacking up beads and caps and such on head pins and eye pins

and playing with different combinations

the whole thing seemed completely peculiar to me at first as I really wear very little jewelery... I love it, but every time I put it on I think I look ridiculous...

like I've been mucking about in my mother's jewelry box again

and then I realized beads and baubles on wires and things could decorate lots of things besides myself

this looks kind of goofy in the picture but in real life it looks quite pretty... strange how the camera does that...

anyhow, it seems I have a new hobby,

and I'm looking at beads and baubles everywhere, and books and magazines...

Going's On

2012-02-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

going's on...

that was always a favourite expression of my Grandmother's and it stuck with me...whenever I have lots of things happening in my sewing room it comes to mind

and there is lots going on these days - at least, there are lots of things started!

remember a few posts back - the evolution of an idea?

you were all so intrigued so I thought I should show you where I'm at now....

the inspiration fabric made me think of writing, which made me think of writing letters, which made me think of how I didn't write as many as I would have liked, which made me think of how I sent some postcards from France when we were there (but they don't really count as a letter), which made me think of the postcard graphic from the Graphics Fairy

which made me think of a set of stamps I bought from Etsy a long time ago that had a Paris postmark stamp and a cancelled one

which made me think of making postcards from Paris, which made me want to send some (but as I won't be back there for a long time, it makes that idea a wee bit difficult)

which made me think I could make some anyway, but what to do with them?,

which made me think wouldn't they be a fun invitation for my sale this year?

a postcard collage with images of Paris, painted and stamped to look old and shabby, with a heart made of little knots of fabric

I still need to put the eyelet in the corner so I can string through a ribbon ... and then figure out what I will write on the back, but that will be a whole 'nother thought process!

thanks to everyone who commented for the fabric giveaway...

the winner is commenter #3

Suzy of Suziqu's Threadworks

send me your address Suzy and I will mail it off to you!

and speaking of mail - I have three Wishing Stars left to finish and then I will be sending them out to all of you who gave me a word last year.

I'll be emailing you in the next few days to get your address info.

your words were all beautiful and stitching them gave me time to think about each one and what it means to me - I'd say it's a fair exchange.

and speaking of words, I have finally chosen my word for February... there couldn't be a word in the whole of the English language more appropriate for me right now than

prudence

stay tuned

Have You Ever...?

2012-01-29T19:44:00.000-08:00

So I'm taking this online course... well, truthfully, I'm taking a few

it's an addiction, apparently...

I signed up for Stephanie Lee's Handbook of Elements class last Fall, even though I knew I had no time for it when the class was actually happening... but the beauty of online classes is that they are usually available for a a three month or more time period

so I knew I could get to it, eventually

and eventually is now

it's a course on making books, with covers of metal and the pages of plaster

and the button string you see above and below is just one of the things Stephanie showed us how to do

I'd never made one before - never even heard of them but now I think I'm addicted...

I've made 6 so far and had to force myself to stop
have you ever made a button strung?

Stephanie said it was the first craft she learned, other than finger painting...
the first craft I learned other than finger painting was to knit

I would have liked this much better!

I added a charm to to one and love it

and so I am looking at everything with fresh eyes now, wondering how it could be worked into a chain - so addictive!

the plaster gauze arrived this week and as the class expires on the 31, I have been busy making plaster pages and getting things ready so I can bind at least one book before the video is gone

I didn't make the metal covers - I'm brave enough to attempt it but my DH is a tad nervous of some of my artistic escapades (he warn't all that impressed when I wanted to burn canvas with a heat gun - although in his defence, it was only two days after our house fire - he relegated me to the fire-pit with a 60 foot extension cord )

we'll leave soldering for another day....

and for those of you that were asking...

the above fabric is called "Communique" and is by Graphics 45 for Wilmington prints.

If you can't find it where you are, the shop I work at will mail order to anywhere in the world; you just pay for the fabric (15.95 per meter) plus postage (they will only charge you the exact cost of the postage - nothing extra). The shops blog with contact info is here, and you can email your request to them.

and, just for fun - how about a giveaway, from me to one of my Followers?

1/2 metre of the Communique fabric shown above,

just leave a comment here and I will draw a name on Wednesday at 6:00 pm Pacific time

Good luck everyone!

Evolution of An Idea

2012-01-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

mind's a-whirr again

this cloth came in the other day and it was love at first sight

words and hands, fountain pens and postmarks

and my brain started buzzing - thoughts and ideas tumbling one after another but none forming to completion

ideas of random creations, in various stages

and then one started to take more shape

so far I've cut strips of fabric 1/4" wide and started tying little knots, cutting them apart with pinking shears

palest pink tinged with gold and cream

aqua with hits of the palest green and grey

a beautiful Christmas toile that is pure inspiration

like an ink sketch with palest sepia and washes of light pink

a post card image from the Graphics Fairy and a picture copied from a book about the history of Paris

all of these and more are coming together, both in my mind

and on 140 lb watercolour paper

I have an idea for the invitations for this year's Sale...yes, yes, it's early, but when ideas come, you just have to run with them....

come Sunday I'll be up to my elbows in paint and glue!

It's All In the Details

2012-01-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

Still quilting... still loving it...

this is one of the other ones I started last week

sewing strips

cutting triangles

cutting them some more

the pieces coming together like little hearts

soft pink, red and dusty blue

the colours of France

most of the fabrics are from the Rouenneries collection by French General

not all though - I do like to mix it up a bit

beige, taupe and cream are the neutrals

and the borders pull them all together so they make sense

it's about 42" square and will be a table topper for my kitchen table

once I get the painting and flooring done that is

and the lights and the sink

faucet and curtains

borders laid out but not sewn

last night we watched Midnight in Paris.

have you seen it?

if not, I do recommend it

it's definitely a Woody Allen movie with it's fair share of distracting dialogue that is more thinking out loud than sharing a conversation - you have to be quick to catch a lot of the innuendos tossed back and forth.

and the scenery...

there were more than a few "we were right there" moments but what I really loved about it was the way he wove some of the famous artists of Paris into the story

to see them brought to life, nonchalant in their ignorance of their later fame was wonderful

as was the idea of them all together like that... sharing...

kind of like what we do here

except of course they get to do it in Paris.. tiny little detail....

Fabric & Thread

2012-01-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

Off today, and into the sewing room I went...

coffee in hand while the snow whirled and swirled outside

My fabric piles have been distracting me of late, and I waffle between groaning over how much there is and being entranced by all the colour, pattern and texture calling out...

there is an oriental print at the shop that has been there for a couple of years - black with little pink and white cherry blossoms interspersed with circles filled with oriental motifs...

a very interesting piece of cloth

every time someone brought it to the counter I would wish I could think of something to do with it

finally one day I put myself out of my misery and bought some

and today I started a little quilt with it

the blocks are all finished and laid out on the floor so I can think about a border... so far I'm lovin' it

and I've been meaning to tell you -

remember last summer I told you about our little Miss Josie cat and how the vet had diagnosed her with acute renal failure?

she weighed about 2.2 kilos (under 5 lbs) was desperately thin, and while her blood work showed the kidneys weren't functioning properly, it seems renal failure wasn't the problem.

We have no idea what was wrong with her (worms or some kind of bird flu have both been tossed around) but with a huge effort of feeding and hydrating her, I am pleased to say Mistress Josy-phine is now weighing in at a healthy 3.9 kilos and has a lovely round belly!

and has taken to playing in the bathtub at all hours of the night!

she takes her little cat toys in and tosses them all about and wakes up the whole house

the other night Bozzy went in and howled something fierce at her...

and I bet it wasn't "hush"!

Hush A Bye Trees

2012-01-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

gesso on my fingers

there's nothing like paint on your fingers to make you feel like an artist

I grabbed the camera to preserve that moment, that thought for myself

and I giggled because that first thought that had popped into my head was of Florence and the artist's guilds, the masters and then I said "hush girl" - that's a place to be revered...

this book I'm preparing, gessoing it's pages, is for my year long foray into the study of words

I'm only preparing a few pages now - it feels more fluid that way, not preparing them all

I can decide as I go what I want to do on the page without feeling I've er - painted myself into a corner

I love the front cover, with it's soft grey colours; hush is grey and pale, silvery with the first light of dawn, when the world around you is sleeping

or dark like a whisper in the night

hush is your mother's hand smoothing your hair after you fall

hush a bye baby

I just read North American Indians placed babies in the tree branches to rock them to sleep on the wind

I love that

It reminds me that when I was little I thought the trees were dancing - I didn't know it was the wind that was making them sway to and fro

I think I'm ready to believe it again...

Easy On Me

2012-01-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

Finishing up some obligations before I can get to the fun stuff...

fun stuff being new stuff

this year, to make it easy on myself, I am teaching one class per month and calling the series

"The Twelve Months of Christmas"

each project is something with a winter or Christmas theme

and it's easy on me because come November, that will be 11 more things for the Sale

January starts with this wall hanging I designed, "Frosty's Fence"

each fence post has a decoration and as frosty is looking for a snowball fight, three posts have button snowballs perched on top, as well as one in his hand

choosing the fabrics is the most fun part and my reward after the strains of trying to draw what I am thinking (to whoever invented erasers - a big thank you!)

some of you might know my penchant for using the wrong side of fabric as the right side - the sky above is an example of that... well, the buttons on the snowman are wrong side up as well. So often the design qualities from the front come through but the end result is more subdued...

and a stack of snowballs at the ready!

I think I was half-way through and found myself wishing I hadn't made it so "cute" - I had something much grimier in mind, kind of like a Pigpen Snowman if you get my drift...

so I think I will give this another go, and change it up here and there to make something a little rougher around the edges - a little more me...

There's A Kind Of Hush

2012-01-01T17:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

My glass is filled, my pipe is lit,

My den is all a-cozy glow:

And snug before the fire I sit,

And wait to feel the old year go.

I dedicate to solemn thought

Amid my too-unthinking days,

This sober moment, sadly fraught

With much of blame, with little praise.

This is the first verse of a New Year's poem by Robert Service, which goes on to address all the emotions one might have as one faces the end of a year... happy, sad, grateful, remorseful...

And that pretty much describes me last night... I think I felt all of those emotions and then some, but I think of them all, grateful was the best. How lucky we are to have lived another year in good health, with everything we need and then some. How lucky we are to live where we do, where people are safe and secure; a land of opportunity.

I was going to beat myself up a little today about not being a high achiever with my New Year's Aspirations for 2011 but then I remembered my word for last year was "content". And I realized then, that regardless of everything else on the list of what I believed I should do or try to do, I had achieved that.

I am content.

And so my first word for 2012, to focus on for the month of January is "hush".

Hush is one of those words that can be soft and soothing, bossy, or sharp, lullabies and lilting songs...

I chose it first to remind me for the rest of the year, the rest of the words, to hush, and listen and see what comes...

Words for Thought

2011-12-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

I received a splendid gift from a kindred spirit this holiday season;

this beautiful crazy quilted needle book, and what a treasure it is

beautifully monogrammed on the front with my initial; meticulous stitching with charming bits and pieces of old linens and lace

the back cover as lovely as the front

inside, pretty pink wool felt for the needles and a beautiful pin for decoration

gorgeous!

I am going to enjoy using this every single day!

as we opened our gifts, sipping tea and exclaiming over every little thing, we got to chatting about my recent post on words for the New Year... trying to articulate what I am hoping to gain from my desire to focus on one word each month and really explore the layers of meaning to be found within it through art and writings

and she shared with me her word for the New Year, to be focused on for the entire twelve months, again through art and writing, but with a wonderful twist...

her word is "Gratitude" and each month she will place a different adjective with it, for example "Joyful Gratitude" and so on... I think it's brilliant...

I am so excited for the New Year!

Gifting

2011-12-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

Last week I decided I needed a change - tired of fabric, tired of sewing...

a quilting overload in the past few months, and while I do love it, I need a break

we have a gift exchange at work and our gifts are always handmade and while we usually have a special evening in January when the dust has settled, this year the decision was made to have it in December

ouch!!

no time to do what I had in my mind since the summer so I went to Plan B

Plan B started with a project in Christy's 12 Artsy Ornaments for Christmas but evolved a little, from using book paper to using fabric... and from something small to something much bigger

I was up to my elbows in paper, paint and glue making the backgrounds and then decided to cut green fabric into thin little strips, tie knots an inch apart and then cut them. The little knots of fabric with small tails at each end were glued to the tree shape I had glued onto my completed background - so cute!

Burlap for the trunk, some doodles etc. and they were done.

Into a box with a small bottle of beautiful sparkling white wine, some home-made cookies and rum sauce and they were ready for the party!

Not having had a haircut in five months, I was another story....

A Reckoning

2011-12-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

I remember that line, or at least, that portion of a line, from Tombstone. The movie about Wyatt Earp starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton.

Men in long black coats.

big guns...

but I digress...

A reckoning... a time to answer for what you've done and what you've not done...

remember last year when all over blog-land we were all choosing words?

words to inspire, to remind, words to live by?

I had one - Content

"Cheers" looks better to me now though....

but thankfully most days were happy days

however content I've not been

i feel like i lost my way

forgot who i am

and last night I knew I had to figure it out

and in the quiet darkness between dusk and dawn an idea came, slowly at first, but as I thought about it and "knew" the rightness of it, it burst forth and unfurled like a flower of the desert after the one rainstorm of the year...

one word for one whole year is too limiting... I need action... snap, snap, snap

and so I will choose one word each month and then explore it in paint, and paper and fabric and words

really think on it

both what it does mean, and what it could mean

maybe even what it should mean....

words where the meaning seems clear,

but then we find a murky overlay

i love the idea of this - the concentration of it, and have been mulling over all sorts of possibilities

the words that are coming to mind are a little odd though, even for me

hush

haunted

bewitched

remember

but oh, the possibilities

A Special Project

2011-12-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

In recent years my son has taken up a new sport - Triathlon.

I remember the day he told me he had entered into the Salmon Arm "Beat the Train Triathlon"....

I looked up at him (waaayyy up), frowned and said,

"You can run?"

Well, apparently he can. And very well, might I add.

The long story short is that thanks to winning 1st place in his age group at the Alberta Provincials this past July, he has been invited to represent Canada at the World Triathlon Race in New Zealand in October 2012.

Wow!

So proud, but now we have to get him there....

his sister, who has dreams of her own that involve cookies and a bakery, decided to make cookies for my Sale and donate the proceeds to getting him there....

and did she bake!

36 dozen cookies, and may I say, the most beautifully packaged cookies ever!

(no one could say enough about how fabulous they looked, until they got to taste them that is... buttery, deliciousness in every bite...)

and these chocolate-covered orange-flavoured pretzels were a huge hit

with a ten pound bag of flour, a dozen pounds of butter and mountains of chocolate, nuts and cranberries, she raised over $300.00 toward his trip!

And me? Well, aren't I just the proudest MamaBear ever?

Helloooo?

2011-11-30T21:43:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I have posted I wonder...

Are you still there?

I'm still here...

"Balance" may have been a better word choice for me last January but when I think about it, I'm feelin' a little content right now anyhow.

Sale's over, room's almost clean and tidy, fabric pile is marginally lower.... and my pile of unfinished projects actually went down instead of up - a pretty good fiscal report I'd say

these are a few pics from the main event

I didn't design these guys but had more fun than you can imagine making them. I think I laughed out loud as each face was completed... so much character in their little faces...

lots of stockings- I used that stretchy gathered lace on the one below

the best suggestion for the cone hangers was wire but I didn't have time to go looking for some

woven ribbon seemed like a reasonable alternative and then I remembered a bracelet of my Grandmother's that I had taken apart

back-view

it was made of ivory-like squares that are carved like a rose and they were linked together with elastic... I cut the elastic and used some of the squares to help attach the ribbons

We had far too much fun but oh, I'm glad it's over.

and now I have a lot of catching up to do with you

what's been keeping you up at night?

Jingle On

2011-11-15T00:19:00.000-08:00

Seems "Jingle" might be a recurring theme for me for this holiday season...

I love the connotations of it; it just sounds happy and bright, and I am finding it creeping into my thoughts more and more.

And it's creeping into my designs too, at least, my design ideas - the brain is working far faster than the fingers these days!

This is the start of a cone I am making that will eventually hold some greenery. The lace is from our trip to France, and in keeping with my new-found theme, I've added an old brass jingle bell to the tip. I just have to decide on what to use for a hanger.

The linen is a beautiful dove-grey, which matches the lace perfectly - oh how I wish I had bought more of that lace... it's the most beautiful taupey-grey (spell check is insisting that taupey isn't a word, and that grey is spelled wrong - spell check just can't deal with creative people!)

The stocking above is made with a deeper taupe linen, accented with a torn ruffle and a silver button.

I have several different stocking, in various sizes and stages of completion. I tried taking pictures of them today but the light was terrible and the angle was wrong - they looked completely out of proportion and sickly - delete, delete, delete. I'm thinking I'm just going to have to give up and go outside to take them, and as there is snow that doesn't seem to want to melt, the pictures might even look festive.

It's two weeks now to my Sale and I am in high gear - late nights, and piles and heaps everywhere. Blurry eyes and sore fingers, fabric everywhere... I'm in heaven!

Printworks

2011-11-12T00:52:00.000-08:00

Printworks.

What a great word, full of all sorts of connotations. For a word junkie like me, it simply spells heaven...

I finally got myself an ink-jet printer and have been playing around a bit with image transfers.

The deer above and below is courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.

I love that it gives a sense of winter even though there is nothing wintry about it,

I paired it with a black and tan check fabric and added some fragments of antique lace - the bag is made of a linen/cotton blend. The black squares in the corners are actually brads and are way easier to add than buttons.

Continuing on with the "Printworks" theme, the above stocking features stamped fabric on the back

and a stamped word on the front.

I have a full set of the alphabet in stamps - seemed like a good idea at the time, but lining up the letters is not as easy as I thought it would be! I think I stamped "joy" about 10 times before I finally figured it all out. By that time, I was getting pretty cranky and thinking I needed a new word.... but four letters would likely be even more challenging.... joy it was...

black ribbon and a little sparkly bling finish it off.

I thought that the stamped script side would be the front but when I tried attaching the bow etc., I didn't like how it looked. So the backside became the front side....fluid designing I guess...

I read something the other day that seemed as though it was written just for me.

"As an artist, I am 'imagination led' rather than 'design led'. Invariably I make no formal plans identifying a finished piece; my work evolves rather than resolving to a plan."

-Jan Hall, Fibre Artist

I felt so much better about how I work after reading this. I have always thought true artists have a vision and work toward it, and that they always achieve that vision perfectly. That has not happened for me - at least not often, and consequently I have never thought of myself as an artist. I think now I might have some re-thinking to do...

And No Drums Beat

2011-11-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

Remembrance Day

A day originally created to remember the "War To End All Wars".

Seems we've had a few of those kind of wars.

History 12 spewed all sorts of and dates and names and numbers pertaining to offensives and battles and casualties. Numbers meant nothing really - when you live in a territory of less than 25,000 people how do you quantify 6,000,000 people? Or 20,000,000? Even the best imagination can't take you there.

But there we went in June of 2011. Some of you may remember this post I wrote of our visit to Omaha Beach...

We went to many war cemeteries on our trip, but when we went to Omaha we were overwhelmed.

As we walked through the parking lot toward the Visitor Centre we passed a man and a woman who looked to be in their 60s - she was crying and he was trying to console her. Marc and I looked at each other and realized the images we had seen of Omaha on television over the years might just have been pretty accurate - a place for tears.

And it was.

I said it was the saddest place I had ever been and up until a few days later, that was the truth.

Then I went to a place sadder still.

This is a German cemetery, Neuville-St Vaast, near Arras, France.

This cemetery has more than 44,000 graves, four men per cross, their names etched on each side, back and front. The crosses are dark grey in colour, simple in design and the grass grows long and shaggy underfoot.

A stark contrast to the bright white of the crosses at Omaha, where the brilliant blue of the sea is a backdrop, and the whole of it is so meticulously maintained.

Neuville-St Vaast is a cemetery of World War 1, and is only tended by volunteers, of which there are not many.

It is truly a grave yard.

As far as we could see, the grey crosses marched across the landscape, seemingly unending, in all directions.

We didn't arrive there purposefully; we came upon it by happenstance and once realizing what it was, we stopped.

We were the only people there and judging by appearances, it was not a place often visited.

Some would say it fitting, given they were the aggressors, and ultimately, the defeated.

I saw it differently.

When I was young I was full of righteous thoughts about wars; winners, and losers, about people thinking for themselves, and what it means to blindly follow ideals and beliefs without question.

The older me wonders about a world that existed before my time. When WW1 happened, WW2 hadn't yet. Duh.

But what I mean is, it's easy for us to look back, with all of history's experience, to say this was right, or that was wrong. It must have been a different thing to live it, without foreshadow's knowledge.

I can't imagine what it would be like to send a child to war.

Or a husband, or father, or wife or mother. I can't imagine what it would be like if they didn't come home, if their resting place was half a world away.

This post isn't about whether or not a war should have been fought, but rather, what it means when a country sends it's people to fight.

As a nation, and as people, we decide what we believe in, what we stand for, what we fight for and what we would die for. And that is true for all nations, and all people the world over. And we can decide that better for ourselves now, than any of our predecessors could - they were often bound up by duty and honour...

What I am struggling with is that the men that lie in this cemetery fought on behalf of their country, rightly, or wrongly, doing their duty as good citizens did.

And no drums beat for them.

And the flowers are all gone.

I'm Amazed By You

2011-11-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

Busy days.

Haven't you all heard that before, especially at this time of year? Seems everywhere you look, it's a common refrain; we're all busy, busy, busy with holiday creativity...

Many weeks ago I did a post about something or other and happened to mention darning eggs and the fact that I had been on the look out for one for years.

Over the next few weeks, two beautiful specimens landed in my Inbox, real mail that is.

the first was from Diane, of Diane Knott's Musings,

Diane also tucked in some wonderful photo transfers, along with a beautiful art card of her own work - can't wait to play with these!

and then a treasure box from Deb of Mosaic Magpie, with the little beauty above and all the fun below

more ephemera than I've ever seen in my life!

all packed up in a little box that exudes creativity

Deb said in her email, "No need for thanks, we share out of love."

So true, and yet so not true.

My face to face friends and I share with each other all the time. We talk and laugh and share, tangibles and intangibles, all the while in the comfort of knowing who we are with; an honesty that comes with face to face conversations and the nuances of body language. We know implicitly that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and we like nothing better to aid and abet a kindred spirit.

Why then, does it seem that the same should not necessarily true with our online friends?

Is it because we have heard so many stories of awful deceptions?

It seems it should be harder to forge those same bonds with people we haven't met face to face, that connections made on line shouldn't be as deep and trusting. Logic would have us believe we can't know the truth of someone if we haven't seen them.

Logic?

I have been accused of being logical my whole life, by teachers, supervisors, friends, and relatives and I can tell you logic has nothing at all to do with blogging. In blogging, logic takes a back seat to trust, and I am so grateful to know there is way more trust in me than anything else.

I am constantly amazed by all of the people I have met through blogging. You show yourselves, you share yourselves and you enrich my life with what you share, what you say and who you are.

You have opened my eyes to new pathways and brought things to my life that have helped me to figure who I really am.

And Deb is right, you do it for love.

But thanks are most definitely necessary.

Thank you to everyone!

And on another note, I am still having issues with commenting on certain blogs. If you have formatted your blog so comments come up in a separate dialogue box, it's all good. If you have it set so the comment box is embedded in the post itself, I can't comment no matter what I try, and believe me, I have tried it all! Blogger is saying the same thing - pop up comment boxes are fine, but the others are problematic. I try to email my comments but that isn't always easy, and somehow when the relevant post isn't right there, it seems kind of weird. Don't know why, but it's weird anyway.

So if you're a new Follower, I am popping by, and loving what you do but can't always tell you!

"Can We Talk?"

2011-10-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

It seems everywhere, quilts are talking.

Words are being incorporated either in the fabric designs, or in the quilt pattern itself: words of family, words of joy, French words, baby talk, and on and on it goes....

I was thinking it would be fun to come up with my own wordy quilt, and I tried to think of a word I would like to immortalize in fabric.... "Family", "Love", "Simplicity", "Joy"...all great words that I have seen on quilts lately but not for me. Well, not that I don't "get" them, they just weren't me.

But I think this one is...

This will be a fun little wall-hanging for the holidays - plain and simple.

And to satisfy everyone's taste, I'm making another version in bright and cheery red, green, blue and gold Christmas fabrics

this brown/taupe version says "me" better

and yes, the fabric in the "e" is upside down.... whoopsidoodle!

Whimsicals has a book out called "If Quilts Could Talk" and some of the letters above came from Teri's designs but not all ('cause Jingle's my word). To fill in the gaps, I turned once again to my dear daughter, who although she believes she isn't crafty, can do lettering like nobody's business.

I'll do a nice dark brown blanket stitch around the letters and then figure out something interesting for the border.

I can just hear those bells a-ring-jing-jingling now...

We Played

2011-10-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my daughter asked me if I needed help with anything for my upcoming Sale; if so, she would come up from Kelowna, and stay overnight, helping me with whatever I needed done.

Of course I took her up on it - there's always lots to do and she is pretty capable at a lot of things.

She looked at me a little funny when I told her I wanted to make some of these...

little clay tags cut out with snowflake cookie cutters and stamped with snowflake stamps

a star tied up with icy blue seam binding

a trio

I love how the snowflakes look stamped in to the clay

we rolled them on linen, but I'd love to try it on the burlap shown above

we'll tie some on to the cookie packages she is going to do, using this cute red & white twine (although I do plan to look for red seambinding)

this little deer stamp makes a cute tag or ornament with a woodland feel, tied up with hand-dyed silk bias ribbon in shades of brown and green

Laura was a little skeptical at first - I have a lot of hair-brained ideas, which she has been subjected to now and again, but this quickly became a grown up version of making sugar cookies.

And so we played...

Decisions

2011-10-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

My head is swimming these days, with one decision after another.

One thing I have learned though, is that with all of that, comes clarity.... that figuring out of what you really want, and what you don't, that helps make all the rest fall by the wayside....

I almost have my work-life sorted out, I do have my sewing room sorted out, my closet is almost there, jewelery box is done - so many decisions .... maybe you can help with this latest one....

I'm making a runner, and in my mind's eye so far, is a base of taupe linen, sewn into a simple rectangle. The ends will have a short, hemmed ruffle and the runner will be embellished with either rosettes as shown above, or

gathered ruffles stretching from side to side, spaced about 10 " apart

Part of me thinks the straight across the width idea is the best as you can still place things on the runner easily enough, whereas if I do the rosettes, they could be in the way of candlesticks and centerpieces and such. I could strategically place the rosettes but then they wouldn't look random, which is what I wanted ... and so it goes.... a day in the life of my head...

tell me what you think?

I've updated my sidebar a bit with some new blogs etc. and I want to do a new header but haven't been able to decide on that either. Getting ready for the Sale has made it hard to keep track of projects and fabric etc. and what with all the company we've had, Yoga has gone out the window. I need to be home alone for that, which rarely happens anymore so I have taken to walking again. I go after it gets dark, when the world becomes much smaller and the sky grows bigger and my thoughts flow freely with the rhythm of my footsteps.

and I think decisions come easier then too!

My New Mantra

2011-09-29T23:57:00.000-07:00

If working out complex problems helps keep your brain young, would you get the same benefits if you just take a simple problem and make it hard?

If so, I am on my way to brilliancy....

I decided I was tired of having bare windows in my sewing room; in actual fact I decided that a long time ago but only last week did I figure out what to do about it. I am blessed with a large corner window which lets in a ton of fabulous light. In the summer it can get pretty hot, and in the winter I was in a fishbowl if I wanted to work at night.

I wanted something that could let light in a little, a lot, or none at all... and I like things that are different.... so I decided to double the fun and put rods up at the top and bottom of the windows and have curtains that are "attached" at both ends.

To let in the light I would cinch them in the center, and to block it, I would leave them flat....great idea - now to figure it out....

"Measure twice, cut once" blah, blah, bleah

I measured from the top rod to the bottom rod, added 1 1/2" for the rod pocket, 1 1/2" for the ruffly part, doubled it for the top and bottom, doubled that for the fold-over, and added 1/2" twice for turning under the raw edges....checked my figures twice... and cut one piece of fabric to test it.

I know me, and I know me and math.

Sewed one end - lovely! Slid on the rod in a perfect fit.

Measured to ensure the same numbers would work at the other end - nope. Three inches short...

Apparently my cutting board is 36", not 39"....

I finally got one done, put it on the rods, up on the brackets and it was perfect fit. Whew!

I tested the cinching with a piece of twine to make sure it would work and it was then I realized they were going to need to be scrinched together a lot more at the top and bottom in order to cinch them in the middle. So, I went from thinking I would make five to knowing I would have to make seven...

Three hours later, they were done and hung, and all I have to do now is make the fabric bands that I'll use to cinch them around the middle. I'll use velcro for fasteners, but I'm truly not up to figuring out how big they need to be until next week sometime.....

The only downside is I've lost the use of the windowsill for storage and display so I spent a few happy hours this afternoon reorganizing things.... I found these pretty magnetic stars and while I was wondering where I should put them, I saw my lamp... and well, I wondered...

They were meant to be used in some collage or other but now I'm thinking I like them right where they are....

Even though I had all sorts of fun with the math for this project, I can't say I really learned a lot... it was frustrating, but I stuck with it... I just found myself muttering a line from one of Clint Eastwood's movies, over and over,

"A man's got to know his limitations!"

That might just prove to be a better mantra for me than "Measure twice, cut once".

Piece By Piece

2011-09-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl I loved to read.

I read anything, from Old English literature to Early American... I even read milk cartons if they stood still long enough...

I loved stories like Blue Willow, Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, and of course, all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books.

I traipsed alongside all of them, through the prairies and the shanty towns and when the girls pulled out their piecing bags to work on their patchwork or handmade lace, I was wishing I could sew too...

i wanted a piecework bag in the worst way, even though I had no idea what one looked like. Or a work basket; I could just see it filled with bits of thread wound round wooden spools, silver bird scissors, a thimble, wooden darning eggs and scraps of flannel and plaid... I still want one.... still have to find a darning egg...

Today I was tidying in my sewing room after finishing up the invitations for November's Sale.

I wanted to keep everything for making the Wishing Stars together so it would be at hand to make the Stars for all of you who so kindly left me a word that you thought signified something worthy of wishing for...

lots of bits and pieces and much easier to keep together than to try to remember everything I used, never mind trying to remember where the heck I put it all!

I found some plain muslin (in keeping with history) and sewed a simple bag; no casing for the ribbon, it's just tacked on at the seam with a very old button

did a bit of decorative machine stitching at the top edge

found some of my very favourite decorative cord to tie the tag on with

and it's all done!

Labeled simply with a tea-dyed manila tag, everything I need to make my little stars is all there in that bag. I will make a proper place to hang it from as I can see several more of these in my future, but for now, the dresser drawer knob works just fine. As they are only labeled with removable tags, it will be easy to change the contents as projects come and go...

These little stars are just so darn cute though, I think they may be on my stitching list for a long time to come....

I am only to up to about 11, so if you would like one, and haven't left me a word, please do so...

In the meanwhile, I 'm thinking up new projects, and of course, piecing bags to corral them all in...

Seeing Stars

2011-09-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how far between my posts have gotten to be - work really does cut into a person's day!

And it has been a busy summer on the work front.... since getting home from my trip way back in mid-June I have only had two weeks where I did not work a full five days, and a few where I worked six!

One more to go and then I am back to working "jobette" hours and you'll see me posting again about all my doings in the sewing room.

In the meanwhile, in the evenings, when I am too tired for most anything else, I have been making these....

fourty little stars for my Sale invitations!

now all I have to do is finish coffee-dying and stamping the tags

They look so cute all jumbled together, and now I am thinking I will make some for the little tree...tiny stitched ornaments with a heartfelt sentiment on the back - things you might wish on a star for.

Love, Peace, Joy, etc. are the obvious ones, but what would you want on your Wishing Star?

If you're a Follower of my blog and care to leave me a comment, give me your word and when the craziness settles I'll make a star for each of you and send it to you by Christmas.

Have a lovely weekend!

PS: Contrary to popular opinion in the comments I won't have to make a hundred as I don't really have that many Followers - so please, leave a word and let me share!

Still

2011-09-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

Still...

still feeling a little overdone, a little stretched, but now finally, on the home stretch....

Thanks to all of you for your kind words

Making time, finding time, taking time - it's always all about time, and I have never pretended to be good at time management

I think sometimes part of my problem is an insatiable, incurable desire to try so many different things- it would be so easy if I was passionate about only one craft

But I have been blessed (cursed??) with a curious mind and all the creative world's my oyster....

but all these crafts take a lot of time

and just when I think I have given myself a good talking to, I go and get inspired all over again... and find new things that whisper all manner of creative seductions in my ear

stretchy lace is just such a thing... oohhh the things I could make...

add to that a fine brass chain and a drapery hanger and off I go again

more supplies, more ideas, more of everything except for time to execute all these great ideas that rattle around my head

on the upside - I did a little drawing the other day and this fun fellow is the centrepiece of a wallhanging I am working on

I am loving it, but most of all, I am loving that I am doing something!

other than housework that is... dusting chairs, mopping floors....

Overwhelmed

2011-09-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Overwhelmed....

A good word for today as that's how I'm feeling right about now.... and not just in a bad way either...

A few months back I posted about our little girl-cat, Miss Josie, and how she was suffering from renal failure... today I am happy to say that diagnosis just may have been wrong. The blood work certainly showed her kidneys weren't working properly but two months later, after a whole lot of pampering, she is a completely different cat.

Miss Josy-phine has gained almost a whole pound! And judging by the photo below, doing so seems to have worn her out...

Thank you to all of you who wished her well - so far so good!

A month or so ago Angela from The English Romantic did a post about some little pouches she was making for an upcoming workshop. I thought they were adorable and told her so and she generously offered to send me one.... and this is what she sent me!

A bundle of little packages, all tied up with pretty blue lace and flowers....

and inside one was this...

this is the inside of the flap - the most charming couched flower, all a-sparkle with hints of gold metallic thread... simple beautiful, in all it's simplicity....

and she also included some of her hand-dyed, hand-cut silk ribbons

adorned on the front of the card with a beautiful flower and beads

a lavender scented silk hear, complete with a velvet rose

and a package of these velvety hydrangea blossoms, perfect for my own crafting pleasure

If you've never been to Angela's blog, you must visit soon!

And finally, I am feeling overwhelmed because once again, yet again, as usual, I have taken on far too much. I don't seem to ever learn, not even the hard way... and as a result of my own folly, I have had almost no creative time in the past two months - I hardly know what the inside of my sewing room looks like anymore and have no idea where anything is as it's been so long since I looked. But out of every bad thing, comes something good - and this is no exception...

at least it's neat!

Beauty and the Beholder

2011-08-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

I found this amongst the drafts of posts I wrote while touring France this summer.

I never did finish it - I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted that depict the true shabbiness you can find there at every turn.... but the photos below have a little of it...

So as we drove and saw a little of this

and a little of that
patchy grass, empty flower pots, old buildings that were long past their prime,

I found myself wondering…,

How do we decide how we feel about what we see?

How do we decide what is charming,

and what is rundown?

Is it context?

Are we more forgiving in our judgments if a building is 200 years old? Does that it wasn't built to our modern specifications or sensibilities make us enjoy it more; perhaps it's the quirkiness of it that draws both eye and heart?

Or is it geography? Do we have an expectation of finding rust and chippy perfection in the shutters and doors in France and so when we do, they are as they should be? What we hoped for?

Would we like them as much if they were around every corner in our own hometown?

And then I wondered how ownership might affect that...

Would I like this crumbling, faded, rambling house with it's mossy covered pots carelessly discarded next to the climbing rose, covered with faded blooms - would I like it as much if it was my yard?

Or would I feel an urge to grab my pruning shears and start trimming back the parts that are past their prime, and leave behind only what was green and fresh, poised to bloom?

Would a tiny, cluttered balcony perched in an odd alcove, high above the ground, lure me to linger if it was attached to my own home? Or would I feel an insatiable need to tidy it?

I never did figure out the answers to this multiple choice question...

perhaps it's all of the above

A New Day?

2011-08-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy days, filled with family and fun.

And pride....

Last weekend we were in Kelowna, cheering our son on as he ran a great race in what is considered to be Canada's National Triathlon.

The story really begins here though, a few years back, right here in Salmon Arm when he raced in his very first triathlon.

The photo below is him coming in to the bay to the finish line (it's a bike, run, kayak triathlon), and he was the only person that raced that was not part of a team; he did all three legs himself.

So proud...

We had no idea then that this thing would get a hold of him, fascinate him and propel him into a new world, but it has.

And it has taken all of us along with him.

Somewhere in that group he is waiting for the start...

here he is just coming out of the water...

(you really need to click on the pictures to see them better, but here is again, running up for his bike

coming in to the corner on the first bike

and running to the finish!

What a great day, to see your child do something that matters so very much to them, to be a part of that which grabs them...

When he came out of the water there was a girl standing not far from me cheering him on - and I had no idea who she was. She was talking excitedly to a man near her and I asked if they knew Doug.

"We're his coaches!" they said at once, "and he shaved two minutes off his swim time!"

And I got to say "I'm his mom!"

So proud...

In early July his dad and sister went to see him race the Alberta Provincial Triathlon in Canmore, where he won 1st Place for his age group! You can see pics and read all about here on my daughter's blog, where she writes beautifully of that day.

And in June, he and his sister ran a 10k run in Penticton that she blogged about here.

If you read nothing else, read that - it's the most amazing tribute from a sister to her brother and yes indeed, as she said, we had many, many tears.

These two amaze me, more and more every day, love without end...

And so I decided my kids should have a day, like Mother's Day and Father's Day... where they are honoured for what they bring to my life.

I think the last Sunday of August will be a perfect choice for the new "Day" in our family story.

And I think since they will be both be home this weekend, I may just start their "Day" with serving them breakfast in bed!

43 Years In The Making

2011-08-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

Well sort of, but not quite... not really, but kind of...

When I was 7 years old I learned my first grown-up craft - my Mom taught me to knit. I remember it well, the needles were green and the yarn was a deep plum. Quite the visual combination.

I decided I was going to make a scarf for Santa Claus; it was early September and I would have lots of time to get it done. I think I got thirteen rows finished before I dropped my first stitch and took it all apart in frustration. Shortly past that point on the second go-round I realized my scarf was getting narrower; that was when I learned about "knit two together". Out it came again.

I kept trying but after many holes and widenings and narrowings I finally gave up - it was mid November and I knew I wouldn't finish it in time for Christmas Eve. Over the next few years I would come across that ball of yarn and the green needles and give it another go, but it always ended in failure.

One day, when I was about fifteen, I realized that yarn was so frazzled it wasn't good for anything so I pitched it.

I have knitted a few sweaters over the years but never a scarf.

Last week I decided it was time...

And two nights ago I finished it.

This one isn't for Santa, it's all mine and now I'm kind of excited for Fall.

It's fun and bright,

and I couldn't help but add the saucy little ruffle to the ends.

it will go with all my coats and jackets...

and there's no fear of losing me in a crowd!

So while it isn't the same purple scarf I attempted all those years ago, and I made it with lovely, smooth bamboo needles instead of the bilious green ones, I finally did knit a scarf!

"It's Only Words"

2011-08-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

"and words are all I have..."

another song from my youth with lines that have stayed with me all these years

the rhythm of the lyrics, the haunting melody - it was the perfect writing song.

Writing is as important for me as any other craft I take on - perhaps more so if I really think about it

and so it makes sense to me that bookbinding is something that brings me much happiness - I had forgotten how much I like making books

folding signatures

preparing covers

creating tapes

I've made many over the past decade but all but one were for gifts so today I gifted myself

upholstery grade burlap, with vintage lace for detail, both from my Gilded Girls Stash Society Box

the little wooden butterflies stamped with script were tied to small pieces of driftwood wrapped in lace, sent all the way from Dorthe in Denmark

perfect imagery for words flying freely

all my favourite scraps of cardstock and papers, some vintage, some handmade

all bound together, waiting to inspire

I was sad when I heard there is a likelihood that books as we know them will be a thing of the past, what with computers and Kindle and e-books and such

and in one of the articles I read recently they made reference to how the scribes must have felt when the printing press was invented - I must admit I had never really thought of it quite like that

for every gain there is a loss, but then sometimes for every loss there is a gain

I wonder if that is the true circle of life?

Boogie On

2011-08-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

This journal making adventure of mine is such fun...

Full tilt, full steam ahead, in every spare minute.

here is the latest...

hand-dyed fabric from Alaska, vintage lace from France, hand-dyed silk ribbon from an artisan on Granville Island in Vancouver

a sparkly vintage brooch from Salmon Arm, B.C.

this time I used natural linen thread in size 35/2 for sewing the signatures...

this is my preferred thread for book binding - it's actually for doing Pulled Thread Embroidery, or even Drawn Thread, neither of which have I done in more than a decade...

the shield-shaped lace is also from France, and the metal letters below are from a craft store

"true"

what a great word for the cover of a journal; both as an indicator of what may be found inside and a gentle guide for the writer, to always be true in your words and your thoughts

this is my new favourite-so-far!

Summer School

2011-08-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite inspiration bloggers is Alisa at Life Is A Beautiful Place To Be.

She writes beautifully and creates amazing things which she blogs about - thank goodness!

Seeing her inspiring work always makes me want to get busy.

Lately Alisa has been blogging about Full Tilt Boogie, a book binding course she has been taking for the past few weeks.

I have taken a couple of bookbinding courses myself, but they weren't as free-wheelin' as Full Tilt Boogie seemed to be. So, I checked it out, signed up and am having a blast!

My sewing room, which I completely re-arranged after Where Bloggers Create is now a disaster...

Full Tilt Boogie teaches three different journals - I am on the first one...except I am making four.

Yep, four. Maybe more.

I can't get on to the Week 2 Journal unless I quit making the journal from Week 1 ..... but they're just so doggone much fun!

I have signatures all over the place, some clamped, others glued and sewn, some just put together but not attached, and a great, heapin' pile of cut of card stock and paper just waiting...

This is the first one-almost-finished... pink linen, vintage lace from France and a button from my favourite antique store that-used-to-be-in-Enderby, B.C.

I love the open spine detail - I used waxed pink linen to stitch the signatures - not my favourite thread but love the look!

The tapes are heavy satin with lace on top and I machine stitched them all together

I have no ephemera at all so used card stock and watercolour paper to make the signatures - I am bound, bent and determined not to buy anything!!

I did have one old music book so I photocopied some pages on to card stock - love that!

and to primp up the inside I glued lace and trims from my trip to France on the inside covers - something old, something new...

I also used some wallpaper samples fro the inside cover as they had such beautiful texture (and I'm not a fan of wallpaper!)

So I still have a blue one and a Christmas one that together with this pink one will be for my Sale, a retro one with a burlap cover I'm making for myself and then another one for my five year old niece who is coming to visit. She loves to paint and is awfully good at it so I'm thinking a journal of her own, all bound, and primed with gesso might be just the thing...

I'm a little hesitant to look at the videos for Week 2 - after seeing what I got into after Week 1.

No wonder the class is called "Full Tilt Boogie"!

Monday's 'Musement - Ticking Away

2011-07-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Busy days of summer are here and time is ticking away...

Pie cherries are ripening in the tree and I have several bags in the freezer already, and more still to do, the garden needs weeding, tomatoes are growing...happy days of puttering outside - when it hasn't been raining of course. (I think we have passed the 36-hours-without-rain mark!)

And now that most of my chores are done, today I got to play.

I got this charming French ticking wired ribbon in my July Gilded Girl's Stash Society Box (yep, I signed up and wouldn't you know it, my first one is French-themed. Yippee!)

I decided to start small so my first project is a gift bag, just the right size for a petit cadeau...

although the ruffle at the top gave me a bit of grief,

First I thought it should be a folded ruffle but that turned out to be way too heavy - I had wondered if it might be when I picked the fabric, but I seem to be an eternal optimist, hoping it would work...

then I decided a single layer with a simple hem would do the trick,

ick

as I flung it aside in disgust, it landed wrong side up... as I was giving it a sidelong dirty look, I realized this way was none so bad...

a little lace, a dried heart decoration,

some beads and twisted cord made out of embroidery floss and it was all done

for me, this is kind of like a warm-up,

Now I feel ready to delve into the rest of the goodies!

And thanks to everyone for the suggestions for seam binding sources. I did go to Zipperstop and they had everything I wanted - I picked out four rolls and went to check out - then the shocker.

$44.95 to ship to Canada!

So, I followed the other suggestions and went to Etsy and found just what I wanted at Fini Ribbon. Now I just have to hurry up and make 50 of the little Wish Stars!!

Where Bloggers Create 2011 - A Dissertation on Portability

2011-07-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

When I read that Karen was hosting another "Where Bloggers Create" party I knew I wanted to participate but I wasn't quite sure if I should - not much has changed in my workroom in the past year, and I didn't think I would have much to share that hadn't been shared before...

I've added a few storage items like this old banker's stamp caddy (which is perfect because I'm an old banker!)

and some bling to my fabric pail

I've even been lucky enough to lay my hands on an old printer's tray that still has all it's dividers

took my suitcase back from the cat and filled it with linen

little changes that really don't amount to much...

and as I thought about what to do, I realized that I am the kind of Blogger that creates in many places, not just my sewing room...

as I am sure, are you.

Which led me to think about this...

A year and a half ago I spied this little antique table in The Old Curiosity Shop and have gone back to look at it many times, humming and hawing endlessly over it. I loved the size (27" square) and the simple styling, but wasn't sure exactly where I would put it and so in the shop it remained.

and then it came to me - this little table, perfect in it's small size, could be moved around quite easily, a portable workspace if you will...

I brought it home and set to work re-finishing it and as I was sanding it I thought of all the things I could use it for...

I have wanted to paint en plein air for years but our patio table is just not conducive to that sort of activity

this little table is the perfect size to tuck under the trees or move around the yard with the sun

I made a cover for it, which is really a table cloth - two layers of heavy duty canvas for the top which will be perfect for soaking up paint spills, and for inspiration, a beautiful Bali hand-painted batik for the sides

just enough room for an easel, brushes, pencils, watercolour paper

and wine, of course

with a lovely peek-view of the lake through the trees

and then girly thoughts tumbled through my head...

another thing I love to make is pretty picnics for outside

so I gathered up my all my pretty in pink fabrics and made a cloth edged with lace, complete with a ruffled underskirt

and created a tablescape that spells summer

summer lunch outside, by the flowers

just the right size for one, or two

napkins swirled around to resemble roses make it even more summery

it's also the just the right size to rest my little Singer Featherweight, perfect for patchwork

with enough room for all my favourite notions

or an ideal space for writing

laptop, journals, note cards etc., everything I need to fulfill my passion for writing

I can picture it pulled in front of the fireplace for a cozy winter afternoon of sewing or writing

and finally, it's a beautiful backdrop for my little shadow...

So there it is.. this Blogger can now create anywhere.

Thank you so much for stopping by and a huge thank you to Karen Valentine for hosting this event -

I don't know how you do it Karen, but it's much appreciated!

Please click on Karen's name to head over to her blog and check out all the fabulous studios bloggers all over the world are sharing - I promise you'll be inspired!

Patience

2011-07-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever need to make something but you're not sure how you want it to be?

I am in that design pickle more often than not; although ideas flow through my head constantly, they don't always pertain to what is needed at that precise moment.

That's how it's been for me for a few weeks... I needed to get started on the invitations for my annual Christmas Sale but no idea of what to do - and I like them to be different every year.

I read somewhere a long time ago that suggested if you have a problem to solve, you should just forget about it rather than stewing - your brain will whirr away, then it will come to you and you'll say "Aha!"...

Uh-huh.... I'd been waiting two whole weeks and not a single image, thought, word, design or anything at all had come to mind.

Well, last night it worked. Or should I say, in the wee small hours of today.

I had an idea last night and made templates, gathered fabric and thread and went to bed thinking I could finally make a start today.

Woke up this morning with the uneasy feeling that something was wrong and realized what I was thinking of doing wasn't what I wanted at all - I had hearts and cute fabric but what I wanted was more ragged and sparkly, and not another heart!

And in a split second, what you see above is what popped in to my head.

Out of bed, into my sewing room and in no time at all, this was what I came up with.

I love it!

All I need to do now is print out the details, pretty it up, and glue it to the back.

I love "Wish" for the word.

My sale is all about wishes...

I wish everyone will have a good time

I wish that I will have enough things for the number of people that come

I wish they all find something they adore

They wish they will find something they adore and no one else has beat them to it...

One big Wish List

Wishing for a divine design idea does seem to pay off, but only if you're patient!

And if any of you know of a source for light blueish-grey seam binding, please let me know. What you see above is all I have and if I can't get any more, I guess it's back to waiting for another brainwave... patiently of course!

Better All Around

2011-07-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

After posting about my first attempt at an angel wing ornament, I mulled over how it was I missed the mark - if I wanted it shabby, why didn't I make it shabby?

Seems like a simple question but the design path I trod is a bumpy one, full of forks and branches and one wrong turn only leads to more.

Today I stuck to my plan, always keeping my mind's eye on the final destination.

And that extra little bit of focus made all the difference!

This version is much, much closer to what I had in mind - a little glimmer from the beads, combined with some feathery stitches

raggedy edges and simple quilting

a cluster of roses fashioned from torn muslin

tiny stitched stars

a little detail, but not too much

But since I seem to live a little bit in The Land of Never Quite Satisfied, I'm thinking they're a bit big - I want something a little smaller, a little fuller... it seems there will always be something!

And speaking of better, thank you all so very much for your well wishes for Josie.

We have a new vet helping us out and they have put her on a course of IV therapy which has helped immensely. She is getting back to her old self, and yesterday I caught her making off with one of my quilted yoyos; they're her favourite toy, and it's wonderful to see her playing again. We know it's not a cure, but for now, she's happy and so are we!

Pretty Little Things

2011-07-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I really can't decide what I like best...

vintage lace

a pretty floral print fabric

striped ticking

a fluffy, downy pillow to lay my head

well... they almost all came together...

this little gem has all of the above except a place for my head - it's only about 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" in size!

I saw this pillow pin cushion in a quilting book and couldn't resist

found some vintage eyelet from France

rustled up my most favourite striped fabric

and literally five minutes of time was all it took!

What a perfect, fun little project to while away a few spare minutes before work this morning

and speaking of pretty little things...

Miss Josie-phine is not well. We came home to her suffering from the early stages of renal failure and so I have been spending much of my time cuddling and coaxing her to eat and drink. Today she was curled up in her perch looking pretty content and I couldn't resist flipping up her little blanket to tuck in under her chin.

I haven't tended a sick child for many years but it all comes back pretty quickly.

Kitties or kiddies, the goal is the same - comfort.

Clearing My Head

2011-07-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

When I get an idea, it tends to swiftly be followed by several more; thoughts tumbling, images flashing through my mind, all happening faster than my fingers can stitch or write.

That certainly happened last week after posting the angel postcard and today I finished the first of what I hope will be many variations on a theme...

I thought of angel wing ornaments: beaded, embroidered, lacey, and all manner of finery, tiny details.

This first one is simple; beaded and embroidered, with a rolled fabric rose.

I tried beading the rose - too much bead work... rip...

a roundel with a bead, in the centre - too small...rip...

a heart shaped button - again, too small...rip...

a gold button - wrong colour...rip...

and finally, this pin - just right...

Now that the first one is out of my head I think I have a clearer picture of what I want them to look like, or maybe, it's really a clearer picture of what I don't want them to look like. This one is fine, but not exactly the look I was going for - not quite "me".

I want them to be a little rougher around the edges (they are wings after all), a little less bling, a little more natural; wings that could carry away all manner of sorrow and wings that would cradle softly...

Monday's "Musement - Adrift

2011-06-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

When I'm focused, I can move mountains and when I'm not.... I drift.

Drifting from task to task, room to room, flitting like a butterfly in summer garden.

Today I ventured into my studio. I wanted to make something but didn't know what. Picked up this and that only to put them down again, the urge to create strong, but nothing compelling enough to spur me on.

As I cast a glance 'round the room I spied a little bundle of inspiration I picked up along our travels in France.

I've had a thing for driftwood since I was a toddler and everywhere I go I can't resist adding to my pile, and this trip was no exception. (When I was filling out my Customs Declaration on the plane there was no where to declare my driftwood, rocks, beach glass and seedpods - I was like a little kid with their pockets jammed full after a day outside!).

I saw a driftwood heart in a small shop and was completely enchanted with it but it was too big and too fragile to get back home. But the wheels were turning and I knew if I gathered enough, I could make my own when we got home...

It was a little fiddly and as I had a limited supply (I am definitely buying a bigger suitcase before I go on any more trips!) I had to break bigger pieces into littler ones but I am thrilled with it.

I had one flat piece that I thought I would paint something on but then these carved stone flowers called out to me...

I just have to decide if I want to add a hanger or just display it propped on a shelf - propping is winning right now...

One of my favourite things about being away is the stack of mail waiting for me when I get back home, and if there's a parcel or two in the mix, even better!

I saw these beautiful napkins on Dorthe's blog where she used them in one of her delightful projects, and she spent me a small packet of them - every side is different and I am so excited to play with these - lots of inspiration!

She also included one of her beautiful tags...

There was also this beautiful greeting card from Susan at Suztats. Susan does the most amazing painting, and she also does a weekly challenge in which she stretches her painting skills. I love reading all about them and every once in a while she cuts up a canvas and makes note cards for readers.

Gorgeous!!

And this little sweetie landed right before I left - Sherry from Creatology sent me this adorable little bird! Cheery and sweet, and a pretty yellow - a perfect little bird to perch right beside my work table and remind me summer is indeed here!

Thank you ladies. I am so grateful you were kind enough to send me these treasures!

And finally, I've caught up my tally for May just in time to say goodbye to June as well - neither month is going to be good for my goals but vacations and gardens get in the way of things sometimes!

That Time Already!?!

2011-06-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend it was brought to my attention that it was that time already...

Time to start thinking about my Sale - November really isn't that far away and the "To Do List" gets longer every year.

My ever so helpful mother and daughter suggested this year I have a theme; it would give me something to focus on design-wise and might be a fun way to keep me inspired...

So here she is!

I found this vintage postcard in the town of St. Mere Eglise and I think she's perfect.

I can see all manner and styles of angels interpreted in many ways.

And to round things out, and play with the part of my mind that always thought I should study architecture...

The images above and below will help with the finer details and embellishments.

I must admit Mom and Laura, you were right!

The ideas are rolling faster than I can jot them down - everything from the invitations to the food to the packaging to the thank yous.

And to my manager, Glenda - yes I know...

things to sell as well!

High Ideals

2011-06-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

And so we are home.

Home from our great adventure and so very happy to be here, where we belong.

Home is where the heart is?

You bet, but if I am truthful, I have left a good part of my heart over there.

I read once that one of the great sorrows of life is that we have but one life to live.

In so many of the places we were, it was easy to sit a weave a tale of a different life, lived there: which house would be my house, my cafe, the boulanger that would bake my daily baguette to perfection, what would be the perfect bench on the river, creek, or stream for sketching, writing or just sitting and building another perfect daydream...

But this is a good place to be, and in it's own perfection, requires no daydreaming at all.

The past few days have been busy with all the joys of coming home.

Unpacking small treasures, reacquainting myself with my garden and my sewing room - happy puttering.

I realize I never did post about any of my finds along the way (except of course, The Scarf), but I certainly found a few. And I made it to a real life French Brocante and managed to get through all the tables before the torrential rain started - so I consoled myself at a lovely cafe with a carafe of wine though…

I found this piece of lace in a Brocante-Antiquities store in Brittany,

along with this map

I swear we drove on every road!

the perfect cafe au lait bowl, showing just enough wear to give it character

a perfectly shaped, perfectly grey pottery heart from Lourmarin, where I left my own

and the jackpot was in Dieppe, when I got to spend half an hour and some saved up Euro on these

I am so in love with the laces and trims I found there; they are everything I hoped for, steeped in the colours and styles I dreamt of.

Now I am home with them, all safe and sound, and I realize just how very little there is; I am afraid to begin - anxious to create with them but afraid of messing up, wanting to make something beautiful but the knowledge there is no more is weighing heavy on me as I wait for the ideas to flow.
After all, I can't just run down the street and get more.

High ideals waiting for the perfect idea...

And I am so very glad to be back - I have missed all of you!

Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments that you have left while I was on my journey. I will be spending the next month catching up with all of you, to see what adventures you yourselves have been on.

As my grandmother used to say, "Isn't life just grand!?"

A Special Day

2011-06-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

Thirty-seven years ago the man pictured below came into my life..

Please meet Harold, my Mom's husband. I should also probably say "My Step-Father" but I hesitate to call him that as he has truly been a father to me.

He is one of the most caring and considerate people you could ever hope to know and generous to a fault.

I've always loved posts that begin "10 Random Things I Love About..." and I think that might be a fun way of celebrating some of that which is Harold....

so here we go, in no particular order:

1. He grows the best tomatoes in the world and gives both plants and tomatoes themselves to everyone, and I mean everyone.

2. He is the only person I know that has ever grown a yellow tomato that looked exactly like a rubber duck - it was hilarious!

3. He loves to buy lottery tickets and plan how he will share with all seven of the kids in our family if he wins the big one.

4. He loves to meet new people and is the first one to offer them a beer - always.

5. He will help anybody do anything, and even then, he's the first to offer the beer!

6. He's handy with a hammer and can build just about anything my Mom can dream up, as long as she stays out of the way and lets him do it the way he wants. (sorry Mom, but it's true!)

7. He's willing to have His and Her's gardens to keep the peace and tranquility of the neighbourhood intact!

8. He loved my kids from the first day and is The Best Grandpa Ever.

9. He can polish your car to perfect shine.

10. He makes my Mom happy.

Happy 81st birthday Harold!!

Love and Hugs, Jill

Flunch

2011-06-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever Flunched?

If you've ever come to France,
I have a hunch you may have Flunched.
I think you may have Flunched a bunch,
If you like to munch on lunch..

In the early days of our visit to France we stumbled upon Flunch and I have to say, it's pretty darn good.

Flunch is a French cafeteria, but one with a lot of French style - you can get wine!

You can order hot "plats" or main dishes,

there is a salad bar, various cheese plates, charcuterie (preserved meats), mini baguettes,

dessert bar, fruit bar,

and a beverage bar, complete with beer and wine!

We went about four times, throughout the course of our trip; it was easy when you're travelling as you know what you're getting and can get back on the road quickly (eating in France's cafes and restaurants can be a slow process!).

In Dieppe, we went to Flunch for lunch and it was a most entertaining one at that.

Halfway through my own "Flunch" I noticed some interesting activity at a table close by….

In France, Sunday lunch with family is the most important meal of the week and is a full blown "affaire", sometimes enjoyed at home, sometimes in a restaurant, and sometimes, it seems, at Flunch.

An older family of four had come to Flunch for lunch and although they were in a cafeteria-style restaurant, there are some things about the French family meal that are de rigeur and not to be given up…

The four of them were busy foraging through the cafeteria for the meal; they were doing it separately, each with their own set of responsibilities. I know this because out of the corner of my eye I saw them each going to and fro bringing various components of the meal:

Maman was in charge of dessert and I watched her bring the tray and carefully place each one just to the side of each place setting, (I never did see which member of the family set the table)

Papa brought the cheese plate and several small baguettes to be shared

The son carefully arranged the required coffee cups in stacks in the centre - small handleless ones for espresso, cups and saucers for Grand Creme, as well as the carafes of water

Wine and the appropriate glasses appeared while I wasn't watching, and as we were leaving the "plats" began to arrive.

I'm not normally snoopy but I couldn't help myself; every component was carefully arranged with absolutely no discussion - they'd done this before. And while they might have been in a serve-yourself cafeteria, they were not sacrificing any of their requirements of a lovely family Sunday lunch together.

There was something oddly touching about it; perhaps it was the seriousness with which they attended to each task, or perhaps it was how they ensured they had a complete meal assembled before they sat down. The behaviour seemed so quintessentially French to me; the whole meal and nothing less would do.

In many ways, it was the most wonderful thing I saw on this journey of ours; family and food and ritual, all intertwined.

Giverny and the Tale of the Scarf Stalker

2011-06-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't yet picked up a paintbrush on this trip - we haven't landed in one place long enough for creative pursuits, but I have certainly been inspired.

One of the highlights of this Tour de France of ours was a visit to Giverny, home of Claude Monet.

As we walked the street of this small village just north of Paris it was easy to see how he was inspired; the hills and trees and grasses are varying shades of green while the haze from the sun works it's magic, blending and softening until the separate become whole. The green is punctuated here and there with colour, sometimes soft, sometimes vivid and everywhere you look becomes a painting.

There were scores of people in line for tickets to tour his house and gardens so we took the road less traveled and found a shady cafe for our morning cafe grand creme, all the while taking in the surrounding charm. Everywhere you look there are flowers, and although it truly is that way everywhere in France, all the vistas here just seem to become a work of art.

a white gate, with the requisite rose bush climbing up one side

the cutest art gallery ever

another white gate, with red roses this time

poppies in the grass at the museum, in front of the hill Monet and others often painted

a cafe, ready for dejeuner

Walking the streets of the village, being where he had been, having cafe at the hotel he made famous in a painting, seeing the hills and gardens he saw were more than enough. I would very much have liked to see his garden but not when I am vying for a spot with literally hundreds of people, and besides, I had another mission...

Yes, I am the Scarf Stalker.

It went like this:

Sitting in the cafe, contentedly sipping my coffee while watching the world go by, when a couple came walking down the street. I say couple because I know there were two people and they were walking arm in arm but I have no idea if the second person was a he or a she - never looked at him at all.

She however, was lovely, dressed in white: trim white pants with a simple white t-shirt, lovely bag over her shoulder (no clue on the shoes), it was all a perfect foil for her scarf - ooh la la what a scarf!

it was an Impressionist painting interpreted in fabric. Stunning.

I thought it was so perfect considering where we were and admired the freshness of it, popping off her white attire, loosely tied, just so.

A short time later, the same couple came strolling back and there was that scarf again, looking more perfect than before.

As I sat there wishing on a star that I had one just like it I realized there was a possibility that she had found it here, in Giverny, a village devoted to Impressionism.... the village had several little galleries and ateliers, but not too many... it wouldn't take long to peek in and see if by chance, they had scarves just like hers...

I never said a word about it but started peeking in here and there, quickly scanning for a display of soft materials...

A gift shop here, a boutique there...

Et voila!

It didn't take long and there it was, in the museum gift shop.

Now to find something white... I just need to find a cafe to park myself in and wait to see what I can see....

Memory Lane Monday

2011-06-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

Bonjour!

Donna at Brynwood Needleworks said we have until Monday June 6 to link up for Memory Lane Mondays and that's when I decided to do this post after all.

I say after all, because I had thought perhaps I was posting about war too much - but, after reading her post, I thought perhaps I should - especially because her Memory post references Memorial Day...

June 6 is an important day in world history - June 6, 1944.

D Day

We have spent the last few days reflecting heavily on Operation Overlord, the "Debarquement" and it has been a sad reflection indeed. But also a proud one.

We have seen Juno Beach, Utah and Pointe du Hoc...

Today we went to Omaha.

A diplomat from the British Foreign Office once told me Juno Beach (the Canadian landing site in Normandy) was a peaceful place, where the memorial and the beach connect, and the town of Courseilles-Sur-Mer is steps away.

An unassuming place, where the way to the beach is as you would have found it even before the war, and the museum rises out of the dunes just behind it, respectful, very Canadian. He was right.

He said Omaha is sad.

The cemetery is on the beachhead, high above the sand and crashing surf.

It is the most meticulously cared for cemetery and memorial I have ever seen, and it is by far the saddest.

We came up the stairs from the Information Centre, turned the corner and stopped - everyone did. That first sight of the crosses is overwhelming, staggering.

You've just spent the past sixty minutes reading plaques and watching movies, all telling tales of heroism and sacrifice, brotherhood and patriotism, and you are feeling full of pride and glory and victory.

And reality comes at you swiftly, cutting you down, you fall to your knees and suddenly you can't catch your breath.

So many.

Row upon row upon row of white crosses, and when you think you must surely be coming to the end you realize you are but half way.

The rows of white crosses continue still.

I'm not sure how long we walked among the rows, looking at the names here and there, turning at this point, walking that way, in a daze, with no rhyme or reason to our meandering.

But then Omaha defies rhyme and reason.

He was right again.

Sorrow and pride are big emotions, the biggest really. And they fill that cemetery to bursting, all 172 acres of it.

The cemetery at Omaha Beach is among the most beautiful; the men and women that were laid to rest there fought for freedom, certainly, but they also fought for more than that.

They fought for a world where people could live without fear, and in their fight they showed us that great things can be achieved by many,

by a few,

and sometimes even by one.

We Will Remember.

Walking in Our Own Footsteps

2011-06-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

As much as this has been a trip about food and wine, and scenery and souvenirs, it has also been about history.
A small taste of the history of man…

We have been to the caves of Neolithic Man in Peche Merles and stared in awe at cave paintings that were done 25,000 years ago

Walked among the standing stones of the Megalithic Period in Brittany

Traipsed through the ruins of a Roman town in Vaisons Romaines

Climbed the battlements of a Chateau of the 13th century

Touched the timbers of a medieval village

Sat quietly in a church of the ages

Stood in awed silence at a monument of The Great War

and sat in saddened silence on the beaches of WWII

We have seen art and architecture; creations of man through time and been awed and inspired at every turn; I have the seen the best of man, and I have seen the worst.

When I read history books or walk through interpretive centres and museums I listen and read with interest the information that is presented. Archaeologists and scholars put much effort into deciphering the things of the past, interpreting and assigning meaning, endeavouring to give us insight into past lives and previous cultures. I listen with interest and am enthralled with what I see but I take it sometimes with a grain a salt.

I do that because all we really know of the past is what it chose to leave behind.

How Do We Get There?

2011-05-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

When we travel together, Marc and I, we quickly fall into a routine:
how we pack the car is figured out and then done the same each day - him
a snack bag is established - him
who will carry the cork screw and open the wine - me and me
who drives - him
and who navigates - me

It all works really well, with the exception, sometimes, of the navigating...

I am usually working from at least one map, but sometimes two while he likes to drive by the sun.
None of which always work, especially when you throw in French traffic circles.
I can't quite figure out the signage for them either… sometimes it all works lickety-split, map and signs in tandem and we zip along at great speed, chatting and enjoying the countryside.

But every once in awhile it all goes awry…

Today presented a totally new scenario, which we are still puzzling over…

We were making our way to Locoronan in Brittany

a particularly lovely medieval village, preceded by Douarnenez on Highway D7. As we approached Douarnenez, the first circle presented no options that were obvious, and by default we always then choose "Direction Centre Ville", believing the signs will lead us in and then right back out again.
Thanks to a great deal of road work, we were taken off the beaten path and landed in a maze of narrow, cobbled streets, seemingly going nowhere. Out of the corner of my eye I spied the water (it's at the seaside) so I suggested we head in that direction - most cities on water have a lovely road that wends it's way along the water's edge that will usually provide directions at some point.
No go, we landed at the port.

We did eventually find the lovely road but it was one way and not ours.
We turned right and then left, thinking we would work our way in the direction we wanted to go but the road kept getting narrower and narrower. I was no longer watching for signs as we were now driving down a street that had high buildings on each side and barely a foot of clearance on each side of the car, with a brick wall at the end. Nowhere to go but forward and hope for a turn - which thankfully there was - a perfect right angle. A slow careful turn later, and we were about to sigh with relief when we saw a lady seated on a chair, her back to us. As Marc tried to avoid her I saw the steps of a building to the left, "You've got stairs!" I shouted.

We managed to avoid both and finally came to an intersection… where all three of the other streets had "Do Not Enter" signs!

We sat there for almost a full minute trying to take in what we were seeing.
We had just run the gauntlet of driving in France and it's all "Do Not Enter"???

We did eventually get out of there, and laughed for quite a time about how three steps in front of a building can become an obstacle.

I'm not feeling so bad about it all though -

I am thinking Douarnenez could even confound GPS!

Time

2011-05-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Time passes, leaving it's patina on all it touches.

I notice that here more than at home, perhaps because at home, we tend to pitch things in the nearest garbage can as soon as they are of a certain age, or if something brighter and shinier comes along. But here, it's a different story...

Peeking through a garden gate, I saw this tableau... the table is beautifully weathered, charming in it's rusticity, contrasting perfectly with the lush greenery

Six centuries worth of time have passed, and this village has seen it all, the stones of the buildings as hard and strong as the day they were fitted together, still sheltering

Time for ivy to grow over anything that will stand still long enough, lending it's softness to buildings and trees alike

Time that turned rocks to sand and weathered green wood to grey/brown

I was born and raised in a place where the oldest buildings are from about 1898 - I grew up with a narrow view of old. And there is very little left in the city I grew up in that dates back beyond 1950; as buildings crumbled they were torn down.

The '60s and 70's were fraught with getting the latest and greatest of every new invention known to man - we wanted to be hip and modern, and K-Tel made it easy.

There is no doubt you can find lots of great new things here in France, and there are mega stores that would rival Wal-Mart but there is also a history of hanging on to what you have, if for no other reason but that you just do. All of the private hotels we have stayed in so far have been filled with old furniture and it isn't because they are creating a setting, it's because it's been there, likely for as long as the hotel itself.

Wardrobes, bureaus with marble tops, rustic tables and nightstands, the list goes on and on - adding a character you just can't buy.

So while I very much like chippy, rusty, rickety and raggedy things, I like them best when they got that way over a period of time.

Time, during which the dings and dents and footsteps made by people long ago become a gift to the future.

Somethings Special

2011-05-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

Vacations for me have never been of the tick-box variety. You know, the kind where people have an agenda, a list of things to see and when they get home they rattle them off like this, as if they were trophies:

The Louvre - yep saw the Mona Lisa ✓

The Eiffel Tower - to the top ✓

Tower Big Ben ✓

Crown Jewels ✓

5 countries in 7 days ✓

and so on…

There's nothing wrong with that, if it's what you want, but it isn't for me. For sure there are some monuments and landmarks that I have seen and been so grateful for the chance.

I think what I look for more are experiences rather than sightings, but don't get me wrong - you'll never catch me bungee jumping into a gorge!
Nope, what I look for in a great vacation is much simpler:

Cafe Grande Creme on shore of the Mediterranean

and then walking along the beach with the beautiful clear water play around my feet, coupled with the pure joy of finding a stick of driftwood that is perfect for the arm of an elf

Driving a narrow twisty road as it winds it's way along the river, the stone guardrail covered in moss on one side and the rock wall on the other covered with ivy, while the trees from above and below provide a canopy of green

Opening the windows in and flinging the shutters wide as I look out into a courtyard filled with trees and flowers and stone cherubs

Seeing every colour of rose imaginable climbing the sides of buildings and fences and breathing in their heady scent as I walk by

These are some of my favourites so far!

Bonne Anniversaire Ma Petite!

2011-05-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

Twenty-six years ago she danced into our lives and changed us forever.

A little baby girl with blue eyes, blonde hair and ideas of her own.

When she was small, her Dad would sometimes bring her a pink rose on her birthday and the other day we saw these growing on a bush and it all came rushing back...

The day she was born, her cheeks were just this pink, as was the little cotton blanket they wrapped her in, with "Princess" written all over it. Pretty and perfect in pink.

"Do not ask that your kids live up to your expectations. Let your kids be who they are, and your expectations will be in breathless pursuit." ~ Robert Brault

This quote says it all Laura - you take our breath away!

Since I first wrote this post last night I read Laura's blog, Never Not Beautiful where she wrote about a race she and her brother ran yesterday. A perfect example of why the quote above is so perfect.

Happy Birthday Laura!

My New Home

2011-05-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

It had to happen sooner or later..

I would stumble across a place in France that would have that pull, the one that makes you want to put your everyday life aside and run off to something new.

Lourmarin is just such a place.
We were there three years ago and loved it, and we just had to go back…

And sometimes, you can go back again.
The stars and planets align, and you are as delighted as you once were. Not many changes, at least none for the worse, and you settle yourself and say "Yes, here I am, where I ought to be."

As we wandered the streets of the old town I felt the tug to stay at every corner and as I delighted over each new view, I also imagined what living there would be like.

Did you know that the nervous system can't tell the difference between a real experience and one that is vividly imagined?
If that is indeed true, then I should be happy because I would know that I have lived a lifetime in this small village of charm and grace.

So I would like to show you around, if you have time…

This is my front door, shadowed in the late morning,

The street is very narrow, but it has an amazing sightline,

The garage door is just the right shade of grey.

And here is the patio where we can enjoy a glass of rose.

My favourite cafe makes the best Cafe Grand Creme in France, in my humble opinion, and the Petit Dejeuner is not to be missed…

And when you come to visit, I have the perfect room for you, high up where you can fling the shutters wide.

And we will live la bon vie!

Highs and Lows

2011-05-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been full of driving and sightseeing - spectacular roads that have made M. giggle with delight and me reaching for that special bag I swiped from the airplane!

Below is a picture taken from high in the French Alps, early in the morning on a beautiful day. If you click on the picture and look in the center portion you will see some people standing in the lookout, looking over a gorge. (It isn't me - no way!)

The drop off on the other side of this guard rail is immediate and deep (and I am using that term loosely as it's barely 18" high and in my opinion, wouldn't stop a car for nothing! M. says they're just guidelines for drivers!).

Farther along we came upon this tunnel with a hole in the mountain beside it - when I got out to take the picture I suffered a serious case of vertigo and had to hold on to the car for a minute to get my bearings. Again, steep drop off does not even begin to describe it - at least here the guard rails came up waist high but I never got closer than ten feet to it regardless.

The night before we stayed in a hotel high in the alps that had been in business, and in the same family, since 1737. It was a charming place, complete with the requisite blue shutters of Provence and we loved it.

That night as I leaned out the window, with the shutters banging in the wind (loved that too!) I saw the Abby, high on the hill, all lit up - Beautiful. Magical. Old.

Today we drove up to Vaison La Romaines and spent the day wandering the Roman ruins.

It was something, to stroll along walkways that were built over 2000 years before, to peer into what was a kitchen, complete with a stone sink, the hole for the pipe to bring hot water clearly visible.

How long would that sink have taken to chip out?

As I walked these ruins, time stood still for me.

A connection to people was what I felt strongest - so much of what we have was developed by the Romans so in a sense, this was a coming home - a time to think about those who really came before, who figured out things we have never had to wonder about except "Why are twelve inches called a foot? And why is it an inch anyway?"

And so on...

And I also thought about the value of taking the time to do something well.

2000 years later, our words, our deeds and our ideas may mean much to someone.

Battle of the Somme

2011-05-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a little out of order here but there it is - I am on vacation after all.

After Vimy Ridge we headed down to Beaumont-Hamel to see the site of the Battle of the Somme.

This was a markedly different battle than Vimy and Passchendaele; the Somme was originally lost, and lost badly.

And call me crazy, but you can feel it there, as palpably as you can feel it and see it too, in the roughness of the grass.

This is a battlefield that draws you in, you can walk through the trenches, and there is a path around the perimeter that takes you in turn, to the Newfoundland Monument,

Here the messengers ran from Officer to men and back again, reporting positions and relaying orders. The trenches zigzag to keep the enemy from determining the actual location and direction and there are trenches themselves zig-zagged all across the battlefield.

A messenger in WW1 had a life-span of 3-5 days.

It was a volunteer position, but the soldiers were unaware of the of the statistics - they volunteered because Messengers were permitted to sleep in the tunnels, away from the mud and the artillery.
But Messengers had to wear white arm bands so they were easily identified and given right of passage - but it was those white arm bands that also made them easily identifiable to enemy scouts and they were a primary target.
Knowing the odds, Officers often dispatched four Messengers with the same message, in the hopes that one would get through.
I saw where they slept in the tunnels and believe me it was no place of comfort. All I could think of was if this was better, how bad was worse?

Messenger Trench

1st Commonwealth Cemetery

Scot's Monument

2nd Commonwealth Cemetery

You see all this and more, all the while walking amidst the pockmarked battlefield, scarred by artillery and mortar shells.

Sheep are used to keep the grass short; the undulations of the land remove all possibility of using any kind of lawn mower but it is more important to leave the landscape intact with it's scars than to ease the maintenance of it. The sheep are also used at Vimy; the difference is that there they add a sense of peace of tranquility, but in the Somme it is different. Here they are noisier, head-butting for space, as if they too feel the malaise in the air.

As we walked the trails I couldn't help but also notice the crows. They too were loud and angry, calling fiercely to each other across the tree tops and created the worst din I have ever heard from birds. I raised my head and yelled at them - did they not know where they were? What it meant?

There was silence but only for a short time and then they started again...

The Somme does not sleep, not yet...

How Low Can You Go?

2011-05-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

Blogger's acting up so my original post along this vein has disappeared and I can't remember exactly how it all went, but as it's an idea with merit, here's the repeat...

I love a good challenge and I love a good bottle of wine so here's the thing,

We are on a quest while on our own Tour de France to find the cheapest bottle of good wine.

Yesterday I blogged about one that cost 2.29 E and it was pretty darn good. There was another on the shelf that was only 1.35 E but after closer inspection today I realized it was actually a smaller bottle - hence the price difference... this is an accurate scientific experiment after all... and all protocols must be followed.

Today we found one for 2.01 E and it was great! Why the .01 I have no idea but you can never argue with mark-ups... A little sharp but wonderful with cheese and certainly well worth the price.

So the question is "When traveling in France, how low will you go?"

We shall see.

This morning there was a Marche in the little parking lot next to our hotel - vegetables, fruit, olives, cheese, charcuterie (preserved meats) and clothes... I so badly wanted to take pictures but it was a small market and we were obviously not local and I didn't want to stand out more than we already did - I'll save the photo op for a larger market when I can be a little bit incognito... like Peter Sellers.

All I can say is, with all this fabulous food, where's a kitchen when you really want one!??!

I am having piles of trouble with Blogger and internet connections, have tried to leave comments and send emails all to no avail - so please be patient with me - as soon as I can get a reliable connection I will catch up with all of you!

Pardon Monsieur!

2011-05-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Every country has it's little quirks…

Well, I guess it's really every country's people have their little quirks…

I have heard about an issue with the men of France - not all the men, but enough that in some areas of discussion, it's enough to have started a stereotype…

I have read over the years that Frenchmen have no issues with unzipping whenever nature calls but never experienced the phenomenon on our last trip - well, gentle reader, I have now!

We were driving down a lovely country road and in the distance I saw a white delivery van pilled off to our side of the road, a man standing off to the side…. he couldn't be I thought, especially as I saw him turn his head to look at our car approaching…

Oh yes, he was! He was most definitely…

Of course I don't know the protocol… do you wave, smile discreetly, raise your eyebrows and say "Oh La La", or look anywhere else as you drive by?

My eyes were squeezed shut - at least as we zipped by!

The next day we stopped for lunch in an amazing hotel in a quaint village; a stunning lunch even by French standards.

Duck thighs in a brown-tarragon sauce, roasted potatoes with tarragon seasoning, a vegetable vaguely resembling baby asparagus, fresh baguette and to finish, a rhubarb-custard tart. Sublime.

As we were getting ready to leave I asked for la toilettes…. and upon passing through the door pointed to by the wait-staff, I was presented with a small room with double sinks set into a lovely marble, with a large mirror above; to the right were two narrow doors, side by side.
Mickey Mouse adorned the front of one, Minnie was on the other….

Hmmm - well, side by side with the boys, sharing a communal washing up space but still with our own WCs….alrighty then - I can do this.
Whilst I was in Minnie's space I heard the door beside me open….

But it didn't close again…what could that mean.. then I heard the evidence...

I came out and what to my wondering eyes did I see?

NOTHING!

I kept my head down and eyes left, because some man had gone in to the WC, was doing his thing and hadn't bothered to close the door. Knowing a little bit about men, I figured his back would be to me but even so!

When I came out Marc asked me how the washroom was - we always decide how bad our own need is based on the other's opinion of the facilities - and I said,

Well… since you ask….

I was trying to figure out what to use for photos for this post and asked him to step over toward some bushes with his back to me but he's far too cagey for this girl - no way was he going on Blogger TV - he knew what I was up to right away!

I always thought people watching was a fun spectator sport but now I know you have to be very careful where you do it!

How Low Can You Go?

2011-05-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

Europe is full of wonderful things...

Amazing architecture....

Roof lines that make you want to climb out the nearest window...

and scenery beyond compare...

But one of the things we are having the most fun with is how cheap of a bottle of wine can you find?

I stumbled out of the Marche the other night with a darn fine one for 2.29 Euro and today we discovered one for 1.35...

We didn't buy it as it wasn't from the Bourgogne and we are trying to buy local after all (the 100 mile diet would be an absolute cinch here!).

But I think tomorrow, just for posterity, I'll slip back to the Marche and buy myself a bottle of the cheap stuff - it's a comforting fact here in France that cheap does not always connote awful, and I'm trying to see just how low a girl can go in this country!

Pure Unadulterated Pride

2011-05-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

Two days ago we were driving across the fields of northern France, when there on the right, a ridge rose high above the surrounding plain.

On the edge of the ridge, rising higher still, were two pillars, shining white in the late day sun.

They were visible from many miles away, and shone like a beacon, as if a lighthouse...

...and perhaps in some ways it is...

The Canadian monument on Vimy Ridge is a thing to behold.

Carved from Croatian stone, it is a tribute to the Canadian soldiers of the first Great War, and is a fitting tribute indeed.

The land is a free gift to the people of Canada from France, for their efforts on Vimy Ridge, and for their sacrifice; war never comes cheaply and many were lost in the taking of the Ridge.

To get a sense of perspective, the dark speck on the bottom left of the photo is a Canadian tour guide; miniscule against the rising stone.

Vimy Ridge is a place of peace, born of war.

Both are felt in great quantity as you walk the trails and hear the birds; the uneven forest floor tells the story of artillery fire and mortar shells and even though the humps and craters are covered now with green grass, the stories are still there.

We studied the war in high school and heard stories from grandparents that were a medic and a nurse but there is nothing quite like walking there - the sounds of the shells come easier on the winds of Flanders.

And at every corner, around every bend, there is another Commonwealth Cemetery. The numbers are staggering and they look mighty different when represented by white headstones as opposed to numbers in a history book.

And I understand one more thing much better now:

Lest We Forget

Ma Mere

2011-05-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

"A Soldier of the Great War"

"Known Only To God"

Mother's day is a day I always think of my Mother and of my children.

A special day filled with blessed memories and hopes for more.

And I am also thinking of mothers for whom this special day is filled with only memories.

The caption at the top is something carved in to far too many grave stones here in Belgium; these soldiers' deaths did not allow for a proper burial.

But of course, there were many more that did.

These men blessed their mothers with their deeds.

Today we visited our first cemetery in Belgium and there will be many more in the days to come.

And today I am thinking of what it means to be a mother.

We think of our children as our gift to the world, believing in their ability to contribute to it being a better place.

And as a mother's child, I am thinking of how all of us at some time or another have wished to make our mother proud.

There was much sorrow in my heart today as we visited this place, but there was far, far more pride.

And no one has ever been prouder of their children than my Mother...

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

On Learning and Doing - Art Journey #3

2011-05-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

I was doing the monthly tally up of my New Year's Aspirations and wasn't terribly happy with some of the results...

Actually it's the yoga results I wasn't happy with, and was kind of wondering what was going on in my head.

I love doing it, love how it makes me feel during and after, but many days it's a struggle to hit the mat and I couldn't think why.

And then I remembered this...

When I was about 14 my best friend had a piano in her home and I loved it, loved the idea of it.

Pianos are interesting; they give a home soul.

And I wanted to play.

So I told my friend I wanted to learn and she offered to teach me what she knew and very generously suggested I could practice on theirs.

Practice? You have to practice?
Scales and notes and things? Bleah.

I tried it, for about half an hour, maybe two times in all.
It was interminable.

It was then we realized I didn't want to learn - I simply wanted to play. A song - just one; not a repertoire, not a recital - nothing ambitious, just a song...

And so I learned to play "If", a song sung by Barbra Streisand in A Star Is Born.
I think I actually got pretty good at it too.

You can learn pretty well if all your concentration is on only one thing...

My husband has never found this story amusing.

He was an accomplished pianist at a very young age and suffered endless lessons and practice at the insistence of his parents. He even played in a recital at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa where he grew up.

So when I told him I too could play, he was most impressed. A girl in the wilds of the Yukon that knew her way around the piano? Then I had to clarify things a wee bit and it was downhill from there. He just didn't like the idea that one could parse out one song from a score of musical works (pun intended) and learn it well, with no knowledge of anything else musical.

And I said why not?

What I learned through this is: there are things you only want to know how to do, and things you want to spend lots of time doing. Things that you like the idea of doing and things you like to roll your sleeves up and actually do.

I have realized that I liked the idea of doing yoga every day far more than actually doing it... I am hoping with time that will change because I feel so unbelievably good after the past four months of Yoga ~~Everyday~~ A Lot.

So here's how April washed out:

Yoga Everyday 23/30
Fabric In 3.40m
Fabric Out 2.70m

1 Letter Written
3 Projects Started
3 New Projects Finished
4 Old Projects Finished

Can't say I'm thrilled with it, but I'm not terribly disappointed either..

But I like the idea of it.

Project Genesis - Our Four Legged Friends

2011-05-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Among many other things, I am a quilter and we quilters generate a myriad of scraps; scraps of fabric, scraps of batting, scraps of all sizes, shapes and colours. Here a scrap, there a scrap...

We also generate a great deal of trimmings, bits of fabric and batting that are so small they are defined as useless and pitched into the nearest garbage can.

Yesterday a lady called the quilt shop asking what we did with those trimmings - not the scraps that may have value, but the littlest bits...

"Pitch 'em" I said, "into the garbage".

"Well", she said- "well, that's great news!"

????????

She went on to explain that herself and a group of quilters were looking for just those very things - trimmings that were too small to be of use.

You see, they use them to make dog beds for the local SPCA.

They take donated pillowcases and stuff them chock-a-block full of these bits of fabrics and batting, so small they need no further chopping up, and thereby aren't at all lumpy.

They make perfect dog beds, and as our SPCA has a policy of no euthanizing, they have a lot of dogs and they live there for a long time.

And a soft cuddly bed is in great need when you don't have a person to love, who loves you back.

I'm not sure what the shop will do, but I am saving all of my trimmings from now on. And every once in a while I just might sneak in some extra soft wool batting, just to increase the creature comfort factor. I love that the bits we throw away as useless are recycled into something of comfort for an animal in need.
I just might even take some of the scraps and slice and dice into them smaller bits and add them to the pile - goodness knows I have more than I want or need and this project has really pulled at my heart...

Perhaps your local SPCA has a similar Pillow Program.

Or perhaps they need one????

I am linking up to Project Genesis over at Suzan's blog, The Old Grey Mare. Please head over to check out some of the other great ideas for effecting change.

This post is in memory of a darling furry, four-legged friend.

Fezzik.

A beloved pet of a dear friend who is lost without him.

He was a sweetie!

Monday's "Musement - Ring Around the Rosie

2011-04-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it didn't finish quite as planned but I am pleased none the less...

this is the Dresden Plate mini tree skirt from a few posts ago...

Thank heavens it's a perfect fit.

Which is awfully stunning as I hadn't taken any measurements; this didn't start out intended for a tree skirt but I got the idea shortly into the project. I had thought if it didn't fit the tree we had, I would just have to get another.... I wasn't going to go back and re-cut and rework everything

It perfectly covers the tree supports, by about an inch - whew!

The little ring of roses around the centre wasn't intended either but came about because I wasn't happy with the binding.

I tried two different techniques, both of which were not great so finally I decided I would make little fabric roses out of various muslins, linens and silk ribbons and sew them all around the centre.

I love how it looks!

I didn't like the way all the seams looked, so I hand-embroidered a feather stitch along every second one - none was too bare while every seam seemed too much - every other one might be just right (it was a Goldilocks moment).

If you think I should do them all, let me know as I am still undecided...

Before I did that I appliqued the Dresden onto a piece of wool, did the embroidery and then, because the background was wool fabric and not wool felt, I added a backing using a quick-turn method.

It's finished off with a blanket stitch all around the outer edge, done with a slightly darker embroidery thread than that which I used on the seams.

I tried taking some better close ups but nothing turned out - if you click on the pictures you'll see the details better.

So this year, we'll only have to "shop" my fabric cupboard for one tree skirt instead of two!