Lucy's Bumble Bee Outfit

This week was my mom's 80th birthday & I took her to one of her favourite spots, Mary Maxim in Paris ON. It was there that I found a crochet book of outfits for the goose, I saw the bumble bee outfit & had to do it.
Too cute, she really stands out in her bright yellow & black outfit. The wings are not done yet as I'm more of a knitter than a crocheter & have a girlfriend coming over this week to help teach me how to read the pattern  to make the bumble bee wings. With wings that should complete Lucy's outfit. Summer...bring it on!

Hugs & Kisses - Block Five

Block five of the Hugs & Kisses quilt is now complete, I've started working on block 6 then realized....WOW this is going to be a lot of work. Still 7 more blocks to do for the center, then---14 swags, 4 corner swags, 20 flower cornerstones, 20 flower swag holders, all to be hand appliqued. Oh my! what was I thinking when I started this. It is said that quilting is made up of emotional choices & I wanted this for our 25th wedding anniversary, at this rate I'll be lucky to have it done for our 30th. Must stay focused to work more diligently on this project, daily picking it up & putting in a few stitches when the time permits. I am one to get side tracked on other projects. Sew much to done---sew little time.

Earth Day 2012

Yesterday was Earth Day & the Upper Thames Conservation planted trees on the south side of the Thames River. I did not go down to the park for the event but did go for a walk in Watson Park this morning with Boris, the Boston Terrier.

Good morning Boris...walk time!
After going the distance we usually travel in the park, I see a girlfriend with her dog & she asks me what I think of the Earth Day symbol left from yesterdays event. What symbol, I saw no symbol from yesterday, just the Johnny On The Spot toilets & sinks that would be picked up later today.
After walking by the site for the 2nd time, this is why you could not make it out, you needed an aerial view!! I went home & got my camera to document this work of art, done in the natural beauty available to those who made it. The circle measures approx 12 feet around, how could I have missed it!

Do you see it?

Coming into view...

Pine cones are the dark interior of the 2012 with sticks outlining it

Earth Day is done the same way as 2012, the peace sign was identifiable to me, I had it all over my school books in the 60's. Yes I flipped the photo around to make the Earth Day more readable, that's why the trees are hanging upside down!

Symbols are all around the circumference, made in many found natural materials 

Outer symbols

How awesome was my morning with this view of Earth Day ! Make My Day!! 

Hope you enjoyed this awe moment and you too plant something that will grow this year. My English grandfather always warned me not to plant any flowers before May 24th weekend as frost would kill these plants. Spring & fall are tree planting times, grow strong little trees.

Today & tomorrow the weather forecasters are calling for snow.  Oh Canada, how Canadian!!

Hummel Pillow - Up Cycling

As you know I love a good find at the second hand stores & during one of my adventures, I found this crewel embroidery of a Hummel figurine that was completed in 1976. I just loved the work that someone had spent many hours doing & knew I could recycle it into something else. I removed it from the plastic frame & gently washed it in Greenworks (that's the sudsiest soap I've ever use, use just a bit) The picture came from a home that had smokers, which was so common in the 70's. I too was one of those people, I quit smoking in 1992 after 22 years of smoking, not an easy task!  The piece was cleaned, air dried, & pressed, I made piping to go around the frame line /wear line, then lined it with some scrap broadcloth & a piece of batting for the piece to rest on. Once sewn I turned it right side out & made a quilted front for the new cameo medallion, to be hand sewn to the grid pillow.  The grid on the pillow was done using 2" painters tape, it's a fast easy, reusable accurate line to follow. Piping was made again in the same fabric, which is left over drapery fabric from the drapes a made a couple of years ago. And Voila! Up-cycling is done, now I've just the back to make. 

  I love the work that HB did back in '76 & now enjoy it as stylish cameo pillow in my living room.  Next time you see a cross stitch or crewel work, think of it in another form,  a pillow, purse, bag, in a quilt & more ideas will come. I'm working on a bag with a cross stitch piece of three polar bears, photos upon completion of that  sweet project. So many ideas...

Here are one of three drapes I made & lined with blackout liner, southwestern Ontario is a cooker in the summer & this 1918 house still has drafty areas when the north winds blow through the winter. These were the 1st painted rods that I did, some were mahogany, some silver in colour,  now all white  & look like they were purchased that way. 

Happy Easter!

Bill's Easter decor, he filled the cart with Nick's favourite eggs!

Happy Easter, it was a lovely dinner with most of my family. My 80 year old mom, June joined us for the dinner & I set the table with her 'good dishes & glasses' which were given to me by her, several years ago. I asked her how she liked the table but she did not recognize her dishes. She commented that the table looked nice. Her memory is not what it use to be & I treasure my time with her these days. It was a very enjoyable supper filled with laughter of good times & memories, mom knows hers is dimming, I just said, "don't forget me mom" she replied "I'll try not to".

Beautiful table setting, mom made me the circular knitted placemats many years ago, wow how they now compliment her dishes! Now the placemats she must have remembered because she said she was going to start to knit that pattern again! She knits everyday, my grandpa use to say "she's knitting for Britain", as a child I never understood what he was saying, I'd just smile.

Mom & I