Saturday, September 28, 2013

NEW ALBUM

When looking for something I came across the stash of 50th wedding anniversery cards.  I did not want to throw them out as they are so beautiful and so meaning full from our friends and relatives.

I decided to make an album with them that I can leave for my grandchildren to see some day. I know how much I have always loved looking at old cards from the past and with all the Ecards we use these days they may be a good record of the past.

I cut a heavy card stock 7 x 11" and covered each side with pretty stampbooking paper.  Then I put a card on each side.  I covered very heavy paper board with fabric that I glued down and over the outside covers.  Inside I turned down the edges and machine stitched the edges of the 2 linings to make a good clean edge that I cut after that so it would not be too thick.  I then glued them down to the covers.

The little window on the front was purchased in the black velvet from an old picture frame.  It has the bubble glass on it.  I removed the old pic from it and cut with that pattern one of the pictures of Harv. and I.  This was glued down to the cover and then a piece of trim glued around the edges.  I was a bit disappointed with this trim.  I wanted just black gimp and wouldn't you know it JoAnnes was completely out of black so I settled for this. It seems to have more of a frayed edge.

I had purchased an old album page with inserts for pictures and made copies of some of the old black and white ones and filled them with our pictures.  This is a nice memory of some of the people who have since passed away in the little pics.  My Mother, her brother My Uncle Tom (who gave me away) and our best man Donald McKenzie has also passed away.  My MOH is still with us as are Harv and I.

My daughter Sue made the 50th. invitation to the party and printed it on vellum and used a pic of Harv and I from the wedding underneath it.  Great idea.  I have included a couple of pics of cards we received.

I should also say that I made my own wedding gown.  We were on a tight budget and the ballerina length was very popular in the late 50's.  I borrowed a dress form from a friend and took off.  It is hard to see in the small pics but the main dress was covered in silk organza and I embroidered over the skirt area.  A couple of years later my SILBeth liked it so well she had me make hers for her wedding. 










 
After looking at the last pic I see that I forgot to put ribbon on the binding clips.  I will remedy that now.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

SIMPLY STITCH 2

I started SS2 a little late and am just catching up.  The beauty of this type of non class is you watch what you want to watch and stitch whatever takes your fancy.  This time around it includes smocking/manipulating fabrics and Karen stitching on her own projects.  One of which is a wedding purse for her daughter who is getting married in Vegas in mid Oct. I must tell you a little funny that happened connected to this.  I was at my laptop at the kitchen desk and Harv was reading the paper with his coffee at the table.  Karen said the purse should be big enough for a hankie and her phone.  I said out loud "what would she want with a phone at her wedding" and a voice answered "in case she gets a better offer".  It just broke me up - thats my guy and his wonderful humor.

Karen  is also working on what she calls her body bag and includes all the various types of stitching she does plus fabric she has manipulated and stitched on.  She is very innovative. 
 
 
 
 
Here is a sample I made using  eyelet trim..  The top piece was pleated at the bottom and stitched down at the sides them embellished with French knots. The next piece shows the eyelet with enough plain fabric on the bottom that I ran it through the pleater and then embellished it.  I also did embellishing coming out of the bottom piece on up to the top piece.
 

Monday, September 16, 2013

WEEK CONT'd.

No pics today but did want to tell you about Wednesday.  Well Tuesday with all the goodies to eat I could not have a thing except black coffee because that afternoon I had to do the prep for a colonoscopy,  If you have had one you know what that is like.  That is all I will say about Tues.  Wed. morning we trot off to Alexian Bros. Hospital for Dr. Sales to do his thing.  This is the easy part of the whole thing.  All went well and the results were perfect, - no polyps and I can now go 3 years until the next one.  Due to the early cancer 3 years ago I had one after 1 year, then after 2 years from then and now 3.  We left and drove home and I felt fine until I started to eat lunch.  Then I started to sneeze and my nose started to run.  This kept on all afternoon and all evening.  One of the last things when we were leaving the nurse said no antihistamines at all for 24 hours.  Okay.
Well I woke up thurs. and finally took a Claritin-D and that helped except I still kept  sneezing and blowing.  The nurse called from the hospital and said did I feel okay and had I any problems.  Well no physical except for the S & B.  She said it sounded like a severe allergic reaction to something.  Not the meds or it would be different.  She thought it might have been from the sheets, blankets, etc. and the laundry detergent they used.  She said she would make a note of and see if anyone else had the same problem.  I have kept taking Claritin D and it kept S & B until today it seems to have subsided.  Very strange.  Next time maybe I should bring my own sheets.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

PRETTY CARD

I have had a busy and strange  week.  I had volunteered to give a program for my Questers group and it was scheduled for last Tuesday (Sept.11) and my daughter volunteered her beautiful home for us to meet.  Sept. is the first meeting of the year so we usually have a good crowd and so I knew we would need room.  We had 27 people come including 2 of my daughters friends.

I took all my stuff over Monday afternoon and we laid out what we could then Sue did the rest Tues morning before it started at 10.  The committee for the meeting consisted of 3 gals and they brought all the morning pastries, fruit, etc.  Sue made coffee and iced tea to go with it.

I put my talk together on Monday evening and it was 3 pages long.  Some gals knew what crazy quilts were and some did not.  I had my collection of old ones plus some of the new ones I have made including my kimona, my butterfly items, purses, etc.  I was a bit nervous but I have known most of these gals for years.  It went very well and seemed to be well received.

Would you believe we did not take one picture.  I don't know where my mind was that I did not have my daughter snapping pictures.  One gal bought her camera and asked if she could take some pictures of my work.  I told her certainly.

A long story short I received this lovely card in the mail on Friday thanking me for my program.  We have a end of the year potluck luncheon in May and we also bring plants to swap if you want to.
This card was made from the home where this years lunch was held.  I thought it was such a great idea to make cards from your own pictures.  I assume she had it copied maybe from Snapfish because it had a border around it.  A packet of paper and envelopes which are very inexpensive at Michaels and you have a great card.  A picture of our own work could be used and would make a very inexpensive all purpose card.  Just an idea.
 
 
 

 
I will continue on with the rest of the week tomorrow.
 


Sunday, September 8, 2013

POINTS ON

 
I am not the best photographer in the world but laid this on our king size bed and stood on a step stool to try and get this all in.  The points went on very well with a wee bit of fudging when I was near the corner.  I just undid a couple and moved then up or done as was needed.  Worked well.

 
Here is a pic of one of the corners.  All it needs now is a backing and then some type of quilting or maybe tying will be the way to go.  Stay in with the old look maybe?
 
Any suggestions on backing it would be appreciated.  I thought if it is going to be a throw maybe a nice soft backing like a flannel would work.  Has anyone used flannel for a backing?
 
I think I will pack it away for now and add the backing and finishing in Florida.  We are hopefully leaving October 19th. for the winter.  I am going to try and keep my packing light this year so have to decide what I will want to work on and what to take.  As my husband says there are always stores to buy what you need.  Nice guy.  Also I have a winter of the flea markets coming up so they are like stores for me.
 
I have decided to keep this after all my work on it.  After looking at it on the large bed I thought that it would look good on a young girls bed.  Maybe someday.  When finished I will take a picture in Florida wherever I decide to throw it.


Friday, September 6, 2013

PRAIRIE POINT CORNERS

Well I took myself off to the quilt store today plus about 6 other places (busy day) and talked to the lady in the quilt shop who said she had used this type of border many times.  She said that the traditional way to do it is to just go across the top and end at the corner then start down from the corner.  She also said it is up to you if you want to play around and try and add extras but after talking to her I am going to go with the simple way.  Enough is enough.  Thanks for you all who commented and gave suggestions.  I just laid the points behind the quilt to get an idea and to take a picture.  Here it is:

Thursday, September 5, 2013

WORKING, WORKING

I am busily working away at my old linens project.  It is finally all sewn together and today I sat and tied down with their threads the yo-yos I made for the middle around the picture of the lady.  I made all the prairie points on the weekend and have them sewn together ready to attach.
 
Here are some pics I took today.
 
 
If I had thought I would not have had the pink hexagon flower on the top left of this square.  I am going to have to look at removing it and think of something else to put there.

 
The yo-yos are all sewn down except for the few in the upper left corner.  Now that I look at them I am not sure about putting them there.  They are only pinned.  Maybe once the large pink flower comes out it will be better.


I will sew the points all around it this weekend.
 
I haven't figured out how to do the points at the corners.  I just found out we have a fairly large new quilt store over in Arlington Hts. (new to me at least) and they are doing well.  Went from one store front to 3.  So many needlework shops are closing these days it is good to know there are some surviving and doing well.  I have to go over there tomorrow so will pop in and see if they can help me with the corners.  Also give me a chance to see what all they carry.
 
I have one concern and that is with the size of the quilt.  It may have turned out too large for my wall in Florida.  If that is the case I have to rethink what I will do with it.  Give it to some woman's shelter or have someone auction it off and give the funds to some good cause.  We will wait and see. I did have a lot of fun doing it.  I have enjoyed it all until the final stage of adding a backing to it.  I do not have a large enough table to lay it out so will just have to measure and cut and hope for the best.


Sunday, September 1, 2013

WE HAVE A WINNER

 
Harv did his job and picked a name.  The winner was Deb Spincic from Debra Designs.  The bag full of goodies shown above will be wending its way to Houston, TX once Deb. sends me her address.
 
Thank you all for participating and please keep on reading and I will have another giveaway one of these days.