Monday, January 27, 2014

Snow/Sew... Much Winter!

I'm really trying to amuse myself through this winter but there is so much snow! Here are some of my amusements...

 Feeding the birds & enjoying the cardinal visits, that shock of red when you look out into the aviary, I just love it. The sparrows, chickadees, juncos, & the occasional blue jay, are putting in an appearance too. Squirrels swing from the bird feeder daily & I've not seen the rabbit...maybe the fox got it.
Those darn squirrels have chewed the pine silhouette off,  trying to get the birds goodies. I feed the birds/critters, loads before the weekend storms that went through here & with so much snow no one is out & about, the 60km winds may have something to do with that too!

 
 I'm still working on the border of my hooked rug. I think I'll have enough Briggs & Little wool in red to finish it, so far that was two skeins & I've three skeins left. I'm doing the binding in a whip stitch, over nylon cord, in black. I still have the crewel rug runner to do too! Oh the fun of UFO's. lol

 Mr. Squirrel is really getting snowed in. I gave him a load more batting & flannel scraps for his nest. I'm thawing his drink water daily & he's got quiet the appetite for my dried grainy toast that I save for him, with a spread of crunchy peanut butter.

 I'm procrastinating about doing more shoveling, those are the steps buried under all that snow. I've shoveled for 2 hours already today & the back of the house is all that's left to do.

 I've dug my studio out, you can see me in the window all bundled up, it's a chill factor of -23C today. The sun is really nice though, but my legs are cold, even wearing flannel lined Eddie Bauer pants! I go out for one hour, then come in to thaw my legs out.
 My Guardian Gargoyle looks like he has had enough snow too! lol

 I faced my Escape to the south thinking that the snow would blow over it! Thought that one wrong.
 I can barely reach the shovel over the banks, as I shoveled the laneway out.
 I've already shoveled this laneway & front deck off, that was the other hour of my workout today.
I was talking to my Alberta Bound son, Mitch & he reassured me that if I move out to Alberta, he'll keep me shoveled out...sounding pretty good Mitchell!

 Oh the snow this winter.
 I found my laneway.
 As I was taking these photos my thumb was going numb from the cold.

 Looking at the pics now...there's really more snow than it looks here.

 My neighbour Peter, does a great job shoveling, the ice damning is starting on my roof again.Grrrrrrr
You can see just how close our homes are here, just a car fits between them. Next year they'll all be 'Century Homes', circa 1916.

Enough cold, let's go inside to sew!

I've been busy with my Vintage Tin quilt. These blocks finish at 9" x 9".




 This was a difficult block, so much embroidery work. I finished it last fall when I was taking Nicholas to his daily intravenous antibiotics in Miramichi NB, for his cellulitis  infection.
After returning to London in the late fall & talking to others about this, I've found that it is a very common type of infection that is happening. So common that the out patient hospital at St. Joesph's has opened up a clinic to treat just that! What is happening, why are we becoming so immured to oral antibiotics, that we need higher doses done through intravenous.

There's still a lot of embroidery work to be done on this project. I love the look of it, it reminds me of the "Over The River" quilt that I did a few years back. I enjoy having stitch work to pick up & do if I'm watching TV or waiting at appointments.

 I've been spending time cleaning & organizing my studio. I came across this pattern that I wanted to do years back. Yes Elizabeth the 'Scottie' when finished will be for you & Boris for me. lol

 Tom Cat has the right idea all cuddled up in Namama's velvet antique chair.
 Boris just keeps following me around, trying to get me to turn the fireplace on but I'm still warm from all that shoveling. Soon Boris, you can have your way.

This is The StormAt Sea wallhanging that now has been attached to the batting & is waiting to have the back added then be quilted together. The binding, in the same fabric as the border, has been cut & pressed & will be added after the quilting is done.

The wind is picking up & we've an Alberta Clipper coming our way. At that time the wind will make it bitter cold, so I'm off to finish the last of my shoveling then I'm back in the house to work on one of my many projects that I've got on the go. Some house keeping is in order too as Bill will be leaving Taiwan & heading home to Canada in a couple of days. And oh my...Creative Minds Are Seldom Tidy!

Stay warm & thanks for stopping by for a visit. :-) 


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Antique Finds

It has been so cold here this winter but I'm having a fun time with my girlfriends. Yesterday I spent the morning with Bev & Lynn stitching & laughing & having such a good time. Then in the afternoon I met with Sandy, had lunch & went antique shopping.
Oh the fun of looking at things from days gone by! Speaking of days gone by...remember the 1881 Singer sewing machine Bill bought me for Christmas? Well the needles ordered from eBay have arrived. They're in the original wooden case, two cases with three needles in each case.




 I thought it funny that your instructed to buy a new 'shuttle' if the stitches skip...today the first thing you do is check your upper & lower tension.
Bill is cleaning the machine very carefully removing & cleaning all the parts. I can't wait to have the machine back together to give it a try.
I was at the London Friendship Quilting Guild this month with Paulette & the show & share time was stimulating & informative. Linda showed a paper pieced quilt that she did with her hand cranked antique machine & made comment on how easy it was to control her stitching with the crank...I'm going to give that technique a try in the future.

Back to my antique finds...

I've been looking for this doorstop for a long time! I first saw it at the Christie Antique Show in Dundas ON but it was way too expensive. I've been watching it on eBay too...again way too expensive. Yesterday was a great day, I found it just less than 1/3rd the price & it has its original paint too!!

 Here is the Boston Terrier door-stopper I now have. :-)

 His face & body do have a few chips of character on them.

 I also found a lone egg cup that has now joined several more to the Friendly Village collection. I enjoy that set of dishes & built on it when I can. I smile to think that I started out with only three dinner plates that I found in the basement of this 1916 house, back in 1985.


And a ceramic Boston Terrier.

It was oh so shiny after being washed & dried! Just like Boris after his bath. lol

 And... this bird that you place in the middle of a pie to release the stream from within. I had a white one that I purchased at Regal years ago. It broke after falling on the kitchen stone floor. So this find was one that put a smile on my face & I'll be making Bill a yummy apple/cranberry pie when he returns home from China next week.

 See the hole in the center of the beak, that's where the steam releases,  how cool is that!

 Oh but this, heavy cast iron, door-stop made my day!

 I just love it!   There was another one too, it had been painted  a bright white...it was more expensive. I really like the look of this one with its original paint!

It will be one of my treasures for years to come & Sandy thanks for your keen eye! Friends, they're so much fun because unlike family...you get to pick them!!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit & have yourself a great day!

Monday, January 13, 2014

Special Day XO

 Boris Loree is staying warm these damp days in his basket.
 This breed of dog has to sleep beneath covers, every Boston Terrier owner I know has this trait too!
 I laugh when I think of what my grandson Emerson would say "Look Grammy, Boris is asleep in his nest." Yes it is his 'nest', life through the eyes of a child!

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Yesterday was a very special day, my Father-in-law celebrated his 80th birthday!
Happy Birthday John!

 Eva, my Mother-in-law with her cousin Mary Ann.

 The room was a buzz with best wishes. Scott, his daughter Sidney, & Odette.
 John's daughter Maura & her husband Scott organized this special event, good times were had by all.


 John with Sydney, her eldest sister Olivia was unable to attend due to an overload of work at Sheridan College as she works towards her BA. The twin boys Lucas & Daniel are adorable, I finally got them straight after being with them for a while.

 Grandpa with his special girl, Sidney.


 Dave & Mary Ann drove up from Windsor to surprise John & it was a surprise!

 Me with the kids, Daniel & Sidney...someone is missing (yes your thinking Bill but he flew out that morning to Arizona USA, for the elevator code meeting)
 Here he is...  it's Lucas, the social butterfly, always a smile on that sweet face!

 The cake has arrived...
 Thinking of the wish...
Oh that cake looks good!

 Can you tell that chocolate cake is the boys favourite?

 Make the wish Grandpa so we can eat your cake. lol
 Happy Birthday Grandpa! Can I touch your badge?
Grandpa,  Sidney & her cousins...can you tell those boys apart? I think their mom Odette dresses them alike just to mess us up. lol
 Daniel is so serious, Lucas always smiling or is that Daniel?! lol

Brian, John's son, & the proud father of the 5 year old, twin boys.

 The kids want to taste that cake.

 Enough pictures Grandpa, cut your cake!
 Mary Ann helps with the serving, notice how the kids have disappeared...they're eating cake!
I've put my fork down to get these pictures. lol

 John watches as the cake is served. And yum! what a great chocolate cake it was!

 Good times were had by all!
Happy 80th  Birthday John, many more! XO