Maria's Surprise Bridal Shower

Last night I had such a good time. I had been invited to a Bridal shower for Maria, the Sunday school teacher,  last Sunday at church. Maria who was not at the service last Sunday, is to be married July 6th in her garden in Bay Du Vin.

Well I decided to go last night as the clock chimed 7pm oh no! I was in kyrotime painting the red stars on the hangers bright yellow & realized I was late, late for a very important date...
Off I left to have a truck pull out from a side street but sped up to the 80km speed, & it too was turning into the church parking lot. I saw that it was Jill, a woman I had meet last year & she was dropping someone off at the door with goodies in hand. Jill & I parked our vehicles & she looked at me  & said "I really don't like lies but I had too" what?
Well to get Maria to the church for what was to be a real surprise shower, Jill had asked her to come have tea with another girlfriend but she had a cake that was to be delivered to the church for a funeral ceremony tomorrow. And not to worry that there was a Thursday night choir practice going on too. After hereing this 'lie' I got the giggles, how funny was this!
Jill & I followed in behind Maria  & was she surprised!!

 Maria & Jill, the look of delight! Fun evening had by all.

The room of woman were divided into three groups - then given a roll of toilet paper to 'make a wedding dress on a model'. Here is our model, she was such a good sport!

 Amazing what 3 minutes & a roll of toilet paper can create!

 Here are the 'three brides'

 The real bride then chose her dress...yes! it was our creative team.

 

Jill with her bride models, the blonde on the left is her daughter. A good time was had by all!

I still chuckle about her thinking she was delivering a cake for a funeral, while a choir practice was on! Jill, your good! The lie covered all bases, Maria was oblivious! :-)

Boris' Bed

Boris needed a new cushion cover in his wicker bed. I used the striped outdoor fabric & thought it would look better personalized. Then I remembered the stencil pack that I had purchased at the Dollar Store in Chatham last year.

 With permanent black Sharpie markers, I outlined then coloured in the stencil of each letter.

 What fun it was working with a stencil again, it brought back memories of 'cover pages' for school projects.

 And Boris has a new cushion in his bed. It looks like a Restoration Hardware stylized cushion, I love it when things just come together & your able to make something from just an idea!


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There's a Acadian Festival going on this weekend in Baie-Sainte-Anne at the community center. I register to be in it on Sunday as one of the local artists. The committee has asked each artist to donate something that they've made. I had a Connecting Threads banner that I started in 2010 & have finally finished. I made it with the french welcome 'bienvenue' & added the gold star from the blue, white, & red flag.
I'm going to get metal paint at Canadian Tire & paint the star a bright yellow on the top of metal hanger tomorrow. It's my rug hooking day with the Miramichi Rug Hookers & the list of things that are needed in town will be filled.

 A lot of quilting was done on each piece,  & using the 'quilt as you go' technique, vertically adding the pieces where the seam lines were.

 The door handles are metal & black glass beads.

 The gold star that would guide the sailors home to their families.

 Here's the second one that I'm making for the cottage, the quilting hasn't started on the flying geese or cottages yet.

Here's a side view with the bottom half quilted & three sections joined with the 'quilt as you go'.

I'm hoping to have it done by the time the eldest son, Donald & family arrive next month.

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My girlfriend Ursula & I had a sewing workshop day together yesterday. She'd always wanted to do this sewing bag RJR Fabrics - Sumptuous sewing bag - Robyn Pandolph - it's a free download!

 I always had trouble getting the applique right side up! even with the hindsight of making other bags.

 The other side of the bag.

The bag below is all closed up & ready to travel.

Ursula & I had a fun sewing day together & plan on doing it again soon! It was sew much fun. :-) 

This week has been such a busy sewing fun one & keeping up with the weather has been all over the map! So hot you need air conditioning one day & the next day your wearing a sweater!

And the grass keeps growing! :-( 

Procrastination To Productivity

I spent the day & I mean the day, sewing & unsewing these great room drapes. I had three pieces of the same fabric for over ten years. I had at the time of this fabric purchase every intention to make drapes in our motor-home.
 Oh yes the days of the motor-home & racing our Mustangs all through the USA. Bill knew that I didn't camp well & the traveling would be extensive so he surprised me one day with a used Land Yacht   Airstream motor-home.  I call it 'The SS Minnow', as there was always something breaking down & it was never a 'Three Hour Tour!' in that motor-home. The stories & fun we had those days still bring laughter however at the time, it brought near tears to me as I was always the one waiting for the part while they hunted down the parts needed, in the nearest city. Once, on a very raining day, the motor-home broke down. So off to the side it was left & the guys placed the jacks up on it to stabilize it & the gravel washed away & there was quiet the movement to that motor-home, I swear I aged ten years that trip! Scarred the living bejeebers out of me!! Anyway the motor-home has been long gone but the fabric remained.
So here's what was made with the Airsteam's fabric. Drapes just for a more stable vacation location.

 Yes there was pattern matching to be done & the basting glue was used again to hold everything in place.

 The rod was installed by me & my thumb was hurt in the process as the drill I was using will work straight or in an L shape. Well I pushed too hard on it - I later found out it was because the battery was low  that's why it never had the tork I was use to it having when I used it back in 2009.

 I thought it was going to be a blood blister but it just turned my finger blue & very sore.

 See the bend in the screw driver, well that's where my thumb was when it straighten out. Now what would WCB ask - 'How could this been avoided?' Simple it should have been on my husbands list to install before leaving! I can nail anything down but I'm no good at screwing! Yes I know how that sounds. LOL

 Voila seams are matched!

 Now I have no weighted interfacing for the heading...hmmmmm let's improvise with using the outdoor fabric in the heading. Yes it works beautifully.

 The heading is now complete.

 Now a new challenge, I need 95" of length. I had this green fabric that had pineapples embroidered on it & it would do the trick with the colours so similar in hue.

 It did help weigh it down physically & the balance of it. Also it will not show the dirt/dust that will be near the floor as it's opened & closed. There was way too much fabric to interline with lining or blackout. I'm thinking of using the left over green pineapple fabric on the side windows in roman shades. However this window is the first to be replaced next year so i don't want to invest too much in it, just keep that west setting sun out of the room!

 This is the overall look & I'm quiet pleased, it was a long day of sewing big pieces of fabric!

 In the morning I did laundry & the old cat Bose threw up on this rug & I knew it was more than a 'spot clean' so I through it into the front loader & oh my! It came out clean...and shredded.

 I'll be able to fix it somewhat with some hand sewing - it was a store bought rug I purchased years ago before my rug hooking days. It's hooked not in yarn but some kind of cotton string? I'll make it right again, it'll just take some time & patience.

 On a more postive note, the Stoneware Horse just has some background time needed before it's steaming to mat it down.

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Property excitement this week.
We need more electric energy for the new house that's being build two doors east. The main PCB bucket is on this property, they reassured me it would last a long time...unless it blows up! OK?

This pole is at the laneway opening. Watch how the beautiful blue sky changes in such a short time.

 It was two fellows from NB Power working.

 New bucket going up...

 See the sky changing

 This is the view from the house.

 PCB Bucket of energy being recieved

 And now..

 Hooked up & I have power again!

 Yes the kettle is on!

Boris supervised the whole process, then he came in for his afternoon nap.
Well that was another week at the cottage. And summer arrived yesterday & did we ever have a thunderstorm. Yes my studio is still leaking in two spots but I was there all day to keep up with it.
I can hear the grass growing again! 'Ode To Deet' is working for me though, when I'm on my big green tractor!

Mow & Sew

Yesterday was just that kind of day, a mow & sew...just  not in that order.

As I procrastinated about all that mowing ahead, I thought I'd add & sew the last pieces of the eagles wing. I went into Kyrotime & it was noon before I knew it. Wow I love this piece, just not all 124 pieces that I sewed on with the buttonhole stitch. It will last for years to come, I made it for my youngest son Nicholas. Since he was a young boy he's always loved the eagle.
Just the border to stitch around & the binding to put on & it will be ready for the quilt show in Hardwicke next month & Nick's wall when it returns to Ontario.

I'm going to echo stitch around the wings in the border

I love the richness of texture in the wings & body with all the brown batiks.

Well playtime has now turned into worktime & wow that grass sure did grow this week.
I would mow for a spell then get off the tractor & rake my cut grass & dispose of it in the woods.
For hours that was the ritual & here is the result.

Looking out to the waters edge from the side porch - thanks Mitchell for making the porch.

Another porch view looking to the woods.

Side view with the birch trees.

Water view with the evergreen trees

The laneway edges were even mowed & it's as long as three city blocks!

Moving this round table & four benches is part of my workout too!

Lane to the waters edge, Diesel (the

neighbours dog) thinks I'm going to the waters edge, he loves walks on the beach.

The grass is lumpy from the big equipment installing the breaker wall, that's a job for Bill when he arrives in a couple weeks.

Diesel wanting my attention to play, he's such a teddy bear dog.

View looking up from the waters edge.

There are so many robins around, I'm delighted as they're one of my favourite birds. Once you see a robin in the spring you know that winter is over!

Loads of grass freshly cut looks so good, now if we could get rid of at least 1/2 dozen of those tree stumps that are in the grass. That's a job for Mitch!

The porch sure has a lot of activity around it. I'll be happy when we have a shed/garage to put things. All in good time. :-)

Look at his little green feet, he is such a companion dog & follows me wherever I go. He sure sleeps well the next day after following the riding lawnmower around for hours on end. He's snoring as I blog!