Grumpy

And perhaps also Dopey and Sleepy.

Today is my first full day home since Friday.  The days in between have been full and rich with work, friends, travel and good food...but short on quiet time, exercise, and -- to some extent -- sleep.   In other words, I've been operating outside my routine and though I have a long list of 'to do's' for today, I can already tell that very few of them will be crossed off that list by this evening.

For example, I wanted to rake the front lawn today so I could apply "Turf Builder" -- with a view to restoring some of the damage done by last year's dew worms.  However, it's far too windy, so that will have to wait.

I have a mini and some fabric post cards to finish for the Lacombe Show, though, and those will probably get done:

That one you see on the bottom?  I finished it on Saturday morning...

Blue Moon (C) 2016

And realized that while at the Central Alberta Quilters' Guild show that afternoon, I'd need to track down at least one more piece of dark blue fabric that would take deColorant well, if I were going to make any more "moon" pieces.  I did find it, as well as a couple meters of wonderful batik for landscapes (Hamel's Fabrics, a long-time favourite), and some fat quarters (yarn-dyed from A Threaded Needle) and single meter cuts ('regular' cotton, in the Japanese taupes from Quilter's Dream, Vancouver) for the Japanese Taupe Quilt (aka the JTQ or the Wedding Quilt).  The Superior Threads distributor (Cotton Mill Threadworks) was there, too, so I bought another spool of King Tut (in whites) and several packs of needles -- 90/14 for 'regular' use and 60/8 for tiny, fine work.

My friend C and I had a great time at the show, especially enjoying demos (she went to one on rulers for Dresden designs, while I went to one on working with kimono silks), and the wonderful work of my friend, Annette Johnstone of Red Deer who was the Featured Artist for this 25th Anniversary edition of the show.  I didn't take photos of her collection this year -- you'll have to take my word that each piece is fabulous! -- but here she is with one of her needle-turned, hand-quilted beauties, when it won Best Of Show in 2014.  (I think it's title is "Friends of Baltimore", but don't quote me on that!)

So...while I go off and work on the last of my minis and cards, how about you pour a cuppa and enjoy a few of the photos I did take...mainly SAQA members (there are 4 of us in Central Alberta and 3 of us had pieces in this show), and a few others that really caught my eye.

First, a collection from Patti Morris, SAQA JAM (Juried Artist Member) and former SAQA Western Canada Co-Rep (Alberta):

Blue Heron for Mom

Alberta Turbines

Alberta Dinosaurs Rock!

Lazy M Sweat Lodge

As you can probably tell, Patti is known for her large, colourful pieces -- but not all are pictorial.  She enjoys creating abstract too:

City from the Air

Red, White, Black and Dots

And these from Wendy Greber, a SAQA Artist Member:

Galaxy - juried into the
National Juried Show,
Quilt Canada, 2015

Love of Fall

"Z" is for Zebra - Pattern by Susan Filer

Wendy and me, side-by-side
(L) Edging into Spring (mine)
(R) Alberta Trees #2 (Wendy)

Then there are a few special ones I had to photograph...the first being from a multi-talented needle-woman and crafter, Mary Vanson of Red Deer, to whom I was recently introduced.  She does delightful figurative work, as well as piecing:

Once Upon a Summer

Goodie and Peter: 1910

And these pieces, incorporating vintage fabric and/or linens...

Stitches of My Heritage
Shirley Cullum
includes hand-embroidered dresser scarves
from her mother and grandmother,
as well as vintage fabric from her mother-in-law

Then and Now
Candace Cullum

Vintage Love
Terry Rowland
A Battenburg table-topper
used at her daughter's wedding and
lovingly preserved in a quilt

Linking up to WIP Wednesday over at The Needle and Thread Network...and hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

Seduced by Colour - Part I

As my head-cold worsened, my ability to think clearly about colour declined...hence several days' delay between my last post and this one.

The afternoon of that last post, I drove in to Red Deer for the Annual Central Alberta Quilters' Guild Show -- one of the largest in these parts.  This year, I was going on a mission...mainly to do with the merchants at the show.  

On arrival, I was greeted by my friend Briony, who is in charge of the Exhibits this year.  She's also a collector of antique and vintage sewing machines.  This year she collaborated with other collectors to create a special exhibit:

Log Cabin quilt - date unknown - on loan
from the Innisfail & District Historical Village

My favourite machine was this one, owned by M. Wagner:

1911 Singer Fiddle Back with inlaid mother of pearl

From there, I made my way around the circumference of the main room and down the hall, then back to take in the quilts on display.  I confess that this year there weren't many traditional quilts that took my attention.  There was one that showed a wonderful use of fabric, though, and reminded me of Bonnie Hunter's adage that no fabric is so challenging that it can't be used if cut small enough.  Once it's cut small enough, a print "just becomes another colour" -- in this case, shades of blue and turquoise.  Wonderful!

"Eureka!" - Donna Parsons, Red Deer

"Eureka!" detail 

Then there was the collection of wildly coloured pieces by my friend and colleague, Patti Morris.  Two I particularly liked:

"Bubbles #2" - Patti Morris
Made for a class she taught at Quilt Canada 2013
"Colour Play and Experiment"

and her prize-winner at the show -- Best of Show, 'Innovative Art':

"Art Camp @ Lazy M"
From an art workshop at Lazy M Lodge

Demonstrating the use of colour in a different way...my friend and SAQA colleague, Wendy Greber, who made a sample for the Guild's "candy bar challenge".  The concept?  Take the colours from a candy bar wrapper and use them in a quilt.  Made to inspire her fellow guild members, Wendy's was a show winner too:

Here's the wrapper...

And here's the quilt:

"Chocolate Bar" - Wendy Greber, 2014

My adventure with colour didn't stop at the exhibits, though.  I moved from there back to the designated shopping area.   Hamel's Fabrics was having their regular show special: 1/2 metre cuts of batiks at $4.99 each.  I bought six...in the palette I plan to use for EB's MC topic this month...

And then it was suggested I visit one of the vendors 'down the hall' -- Quilters Dream Fabrics of Vancouver (not to be confused with Quilter's Dream in Edmonton) where, apparently, there was a wonderful collection of 1 metre cuts -- more batiks...and I bought 4 more...

Here's the collection:

To go with, I treated myself to one of Jerry's books at Copperfield's Books:

Ms. Issett is someone I couldn't afford to see when she taught (teaches?) at Gail Harker's Creative Studios in La Conner, WA...now I have her in my library...another book to inspire play...

And I visited the Superior Threads vendor, Cotton Mills Threadworks, where I bought a couple of spools of King Tut (my fave for my landscapes) and a package of needles...

I left around 3 p.m., completely satisfied with my afternoon.  :-)

To find out what happens to the fabric, stay tuned for Part II...

You Do What You Can

This week I've been blooming where I was planted.  That included taking a dear friend for her second cataract surgery, and the follow-up doctor's appointment for check-up.  What that means for those of us living in "The Boonies" is the better part of two days away from the stewdio...and then...I worked yesterday per usual.  :-)

Today has been spent catching up at home: a stack of dirty dishes (no dish-washing machine); travelling to the pharmacy in Alix for a prescription -- and stopping in at the library to score 2 good books; garbage pick-up; correspondence, etc.  At last, late afternoon, I am out at my table under the largest of my ornamental fruit trees (Nancy C. - you have photos from me of the produce of this tree!) typing away to report my humble progress...

In my last post, I solicited advice about "Waiting for the Train" -- and I thank all of you who responded!  Here's what the piece looks like now:

See that bare spot -- including the water?  Soon to be re-covered with yarn and freshly-dyed silk ribbon.

Yes, I spent most of Monday with the acid dye pot:

I used one (of 2) spool of silk ribbon (which I buy at Dharma Trading, if you're curious)  and came up with 3 shades of "gold" for the rushes:

Light, lighter, lightest

Next up: re-create the rushes using irregular lengths of ribbon in various shades, combined with yarns and floss for texture.  Space it out; alter the angles so not everything is straight up-and-down like little soldiers...

And that may -- or may not -- begin tomorrow morning!

This is "what I know for sure" (to quote Ms. Winfrey):

• tomorrow afternoon I have an Artist's Date with my friend C.  We are participating in the Heritage House Tour 2013 in /Lacombe, which begins at 1 p.m. at the Michener House (birthplace of Roland Michener, one of Canada's Governors General) and ends with tea at Morrison House -- yum!!);
• Sunday means Sabbath here at the 3F Creations Stewdio, so there's church (a.m.) and rest (p.m.); and
• MONDAY means Back to Work in the Stewdio --  and miniatures (to show off to a gallery in Olds, Alberta) are on the top of the list.

I end this post with the note that the SAQA 2013 Benefit Auction is just over 2 weeks away!!  You can see wonderful work by clicking the previous link.  If you are particularly interested in the Aussies (i.e. Oceania Region), check out their "Blog Hop" HERE.   I had the privilege of hanging this exhibit for a short run at the SAQA Conference in Santa Fe.  It's wonderful -- and I encourage you to take a good, long look at these pieces.  I have to give a BIG Shout Out to the two -- count 'em -- women who are the co-reps for the entire region -- Ali George and Lisa Walton.  Their territory makes SAQA Western Canada's look small...

And on that note... SAQA WC's next Parlour Meeting is in Red Deer at the home of out-going Rep, Patti Morris, on Monday, September 16th...By which time the Burgess Shale Project will have begun its TREX into Alberta elementary schools...

"Rock" on!

And...maybe it's till okay to link to Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday...