BlueJay TV.

In our house, as soon as the sky outside turns light, even before the sun greets us, Good Morning, we get a wake-up call.  It could be a landing on the gutter, or it is the flap of a wing.  Sometimes it is a crooning sound, other times it is a loud squawk or just a bird call.  It is breakfast call from the Blue Jays, wild birds, which have taken a liking to us.  Up, one of us will get to go outside no matter the weather, even in the snow, to put out some food for them.  In the early spring and autumn we feed them.  They come back every year, since we moved we have a new flock, in the past we had less than seventeen come for food.  Now it is almost double that.  Our new neighbours have never seen such an influx of Blue Jays.  It is called Kitty TV in our household.  Our cat loves to watch the birds and talks to them!

A friend showed me some of her embroidery from Hungary, beautiful.

Saw this dress, while travelling, the embroidery on top was done by hand.

Many items can be embroidered to create unique gifts.

For a while we did not see the bunny, then he popped up unexpectedly on one of our walks.

Beatrix Potter books, with Benjamin Bunny is a well loved tail.  

A Baby quilt inspired by the fabrics.

Then their is the stuffed bunnies...

Today, it is a winters day outside, we have had a fair bit of snow, so a little bit of whimsy is just what is needed, to add a dash of colour.

Time is of the essence

Before Christmas a few projects was put on hold, I hit a speed bump!  When one get sick and have to rest and recuperate, everything gets put on the back burner. It was a spanner in the wheel, something unplanned.  Once I could carry on, time to do things the way it is normally done, was gone.  Time to create innovative ways to do the same thing, in a lot less time!  Not possible? Thinking outside the box, remarkably it is.

Two new ways to do something old,  was created:

 How to make a casing and insert the elastic at the same time.  The second how to make a tube to turn inside out, while sewing around the safety pin pinned to the fabric.

The Casing.

 Fold fabric in half, wrong sides together, stitch a line of top stitching close to the folded edge, then open.

 Place elastic flush to the line of stitching between the two layers of fabric, making sure it sticks out on both sides.

Now fold the fabric over the elastic, make sure it is all flat.  Attach a zipper foot, stitch close to the elastic, making sure not to stitch the elastic.

 Once the casing is stitched, sew the elastic and the casing together at one end. Trim excess elastic at this end only.   Now it is ready to be pulled to the require width.  Then stitch this side down, trim.  Attach to the Mani-Pedi Pouch.  This is the casing for the nail varnish.

 The zipper pocket contain the rest of the tools for the job.

 The closed pouch.

 Magnetic fasteners is used to close the pouch.

The Quick Ties and Tubes.

 Place two strips right sides together.  Pin a safety pin close to the edge that will be sewn closed, making sure it is not to closed to the edge, as one will be sewing around it.

 Cover the safety pin, it is now sandwiched between the two layers of fabric.

Next stitch the two layers together, leaving one end open.

Using the pin to guide the fabric through the tube. Then remove the pin once it is turned inside, out.

Iron flat.

Then top stitch, close to edge around the tube.  This will prevent it creasing badly once it is washed.  Making it a breeze to iron.

Ties ready to be attached to a project.

The Mani-Pedi Pouch pattern can be found here.  It has been requested as the Birthday Gift of choice by the ladies in the family, young and old.  As for the nail varnish, the sparkly colours is best.  Thanks to Kate from artsandsocks.blogspot.ca for this great gift idea!

A New Beginning.

A Happy New Year!

It is always a special way to start the New Year.  Many doing it in style, having a party and letting their hair down and have fun.

It is also a chance to start everyday new and fresh again.

Then there is the best way to start the year with weddings!

This was my big secret Santa project which I worked on.  It was started almost ten years ago, it is a nickel quilt, made with the leftovers from my charm quilt (which is still not done yet)!  The happy couple has known each other for 18 years and decided to tie the knot recently.

With all the kids grown up, the invitations for weddings is growing.  Then there is the milestones, eighty year old  Birthday Party for one very special family member.  Getting everyone in one place when they are as wide spread across the globe is an interesting venture.

May 2016 bring health, happiness and all the joys for each and everyone!

A Special Day!

Merry Christmas to everyone, wishing each and every person Peace, Love, Health and Happiness in the world we live!

                                The reason we celebrate Christmas the world over.

24th of December

Christmas Eve!

A new tradition we started,  no matter the weather, even if it is -35C?   Is to cook boerewors, traditional sausage from South Africa, on Christmas Eve.  We bake the rolls fresh and then create "hot dogs" with them.  The grill is fired up, the cooking happens in the back garden, sometimes in knee deep snow.

Our neighbours in the past,  has been known to shake their heads at us.  Who cooks a barbeque in winter? Usually the smell gets to them and they pop their heads over the fence, asking us what it is. So over time we have shared boerewors and many has had a taste of it over the years.  It is made with roasted corriander seeds as part of the seasoning inside.

This North American tradition was tried out by the kids, they had great fun creating this masterpiece, the best part?  They got to snack on it. A bite was taken out the side of the chimney.  Never found out who took a nibble on it.  Every time we walk by the Gingerbread house, it would be missing a piece of candy here and there!

 

Adult candy, chocolate.  Amazing how the kids get into it, before you know it, it is all gone.  At Christmas time there is no calories.....

                                                   
                                                            

23rd of December

Dressing the Tree!

This job is just perfect for the children.  When they were little, we helped.  Now they do it all.  Many of the decorations was crafted at school and still grace the tree to this day.  Our Angel is a paper plate, painted blue with gold sticker stars, others are made from felt, glitter glue (Christmas is the perfect time to add sparkle).  The silky balls, in all the colours of the rainbow.  Last but not least the shop bought ones. We add one a year, unless we find something truely unique.  

This is the one from last Christmas,  ours we only put up on the 24th of December.

Currently the sewing room is a beehive of activity.  Busy with a few last  minute requests that
needs to be done.  Then it is relax and spend time with all our loved ones.

22nd of December

The Joy of the Season.

The gifts we make to give, is often inspired by the interests of the one's we give to. They can be the start of great and very interesting conversations.  Think outside the box!

A friend asked me to make a Kitty in my pocket for a loved one, whose pet, with no pedigree was voted the winner at a cat show.

 The test sample, to try and get the cats colour's just right.

 The second attempt, it might not come out right, the first time.

 Then playing a bit more....

 Here it is.

A kitty in my pocket.

Today is another Birthday and until the 28th of December there is one or two every day.  Until the first week of January.  Our families got the celebrations all timed perfectly.