Wednesday 19 December 2012

Loose Ends

I am an ISTJ - the duty fulfiller. Described as loyal, dependable, honest, and quiet. However, under stress, ISTJ's fall into "catastrophe mode". If any of you know me well, you will have been party to one of my dramatic scenes. Anyway, by nature, I am an organizer and a planner. If I have started a task or project I am highly motivated to work on it to completion.

When I start planning a new quilt in my mind, I mull over it for some time. I think about the fabrics that I have and how they would compliment and highlight the pattern that I have chosen. I also ponder over who each quilt will be going to and take great delight designing and creating it. Generally speaking, if you give me a week to work on a quilt, I will have it done. I become the mad quilter, obsessed!

However, this was not the case for this quilt. I started it in May, as seen in my first blog posting, but summer came and went and the quilt sat in my fabric box waiting to be finished. It nagged at me until one weekend in September, I became inspired again and I finished quilting it. Tying up loose ends is always so satisfying.

In quilting and in life, I strive to do my best and work diligently until the desired outcome is achieved. When that desired outcome falls short or changes in some way, I agonize and struggle until a new normal and order are established. I have learned that it is in the struggle that many beautiful things emerge.

What's next? I need to finish a baby quilt for a friend before I head off to Montreal!

Wednesday 7 November 2012

Popsicle Toes

What do you give a friend who has everything? I suppose I need to explain a little here. This friend does not live excessively, but she has been able to streamline what comes into her house and what is taking up precious space. Organizing and purging are as innate to her as breathing. After 7 babies you become somewhat of an expert. Shall I rephrase the question? What do you give a friend that is well equipped with toys, crayons, clothes, books. . .? Why not another quilt? Although this friend is also a quilter, admittedly, she does not have the time, energy, or space to create right now. I thought these cheery colors would brighten up her day.

I found this pattern on Moda Fabrics called "Mind the Gap". I love the illusion of the strips overlapping each other. Cutting the strips was a bit tedious, but putting it all together went quite smoothly. I debated over several days how I was going to quilt this one. I like the crisp lines in the pattern, but I thought that if I quilted vertical or horizontal lines, they would somehow get lost or look off. I decided to quilt horizontal stripes with free form quilting in between. In the end, I am very happy with how it turned out.

I'm not sure if using a white background fabric was wise in a houseful of sticky fingers. Oh well, the colors pop and that's what I like.

Popsicle Toes quilt


Popsicle Toes backing

Friday 2 November 2012

Rubber gloves

Why haven't any other quilters told me about the wonders of rubber gloves?

When I quilt, typically my forearms and shoulders get all tense and sore from directing the fabric. One evening I got thinking, if rubber gloves are useful for putting on my compression stockings, would they not also be useful for quilting. Voila! Rubber gloves have opened up my world of quilting. Who knew? They provide great traction and are oh so stylish. I casually mentioned the idea to a colleague and she told me that some company actually makes gloves for quilting. Crazy, right? Anyway, I feel like an enlightened quilter now. In fact, I was so inspired that I finished 2 quilts in one week.

This quilt is my first attempt at a "modern quilt" design. I'm not quite sure what that means exactly, but it seems to be a move away from the traditional block quilting and patterns. I have noticed the increased use of negative space, solids instead of prints, asymmetry, and random piecing of fabrics. What I love about modern quilting is having the freedom to piece together fabric for the backing. I think it creates a new dimension for a quilt. Quilting all the "straight" lines as opposed to my typical free motion quilting was challenging, however the rubber gloves made the job a whole lot easier. Next task is to find a suitable recipient for this quilt.

Posted from Paris

Posted from Paris quilt backing

Monday 8 October 2012

Camo

October brings beautiful fall colors, the unmistakable colors and patterns of camouflage. It's hunting season.

It is interesting to me how a pattern becomes en vogue. How Burberry is now synonymous with plaid. How camo went from military dress to everyday wear. My 5 minute google search revealed  that camouflage was "created by artists at the military’s request, dating from the early 20th century. It was first used for concealment of equipment, and then for uniforms" (The Warhol, Camouflage, retrieved from http://edu.warhol.org/aract_camo.html, October 7, 2012). In 1986, Andy Warhol painted Camouflage. Unlike military motifs, Warhol’s camouflage paintings reflect bright synthetic and inorganic colors, which would not provide a veil or disguise in any landscape." Camo entered pop culture fashion in a similar way to the fashionable pea coat from the Navy.  

October is also my eldest nephew's birthday month (now 16 years old!), which brings me back to camo pattern. What type of quilt do you make for a 10 yr old who loves playing with plastic army men play sets? An army inspired quilt! I had some left over fabric from making my mom some camo patterned aprons for the goose hunting camp she was a cook for and voila, a quilt fit for a boy. The fascination with the military has not yet left him. Halo is played with such fervor that every now and again the boys convince Auntie to play.

If you're interested Fashion Beans goes into full detail on how to wear camo. 

Saturday 29 September 2012

en route

My friend and I are on our way to Montreal. We should have arrived by now, however the travel gods had a different plan for today. Anna has the theme song from the amazing race playing through her head. We may not be at a "road block" but it sure seems like we have hit one.

Started the day at 4am. Arrived at XYE one hour ahead of flight thinking we would have lots of time. Nope. The lines were ridiculously long. We had 5 minutes to spare. Upon arrival in YYZ we thought our connection would be tight to YUL, but there was a 2 hour delay. Not awesome but not too inconvenient. Then an Announcement over the PA. YUL flight canceled. Plan B. Take the Westjet voucher and catch the train to Montreal. As providence would have it  we were able to purchase 2 of the last 3 remaining seats.

Next stop, hotel, hot tub, sleep.

Saturday 22 September 2012

Vintage

Inspirational closet in Gas Town
Since we moved into our loft, nearly 4 years ago, I have hated the back space of our loft. It is dark and uninspiring. Daryl has created an editing suite with IKEA book shelves, which defined the space somewhat, but still left me with a "ho hum" feeling. I have always wanted to create some sort of storage back there, but I wanted something that was visually interesting.

Back in April I was flipping through a magazine at Indigo and was inspired by pictures of a featured loft in Gas Town. The owners had converted some vintage luggage to create their closet, using the suitcases as the drawers. Brilliant!



I sent out a plea to friends and family to search their basements and garages for suitcases circa 1930's - 40's. We were able to acquire several pieces that way as well as purchasing some. The next step was coming up with a design. Daryl & I have not tackled too many building projects, so we consulted both of our fathers and a few friends. We thought about building a dresser where the suitcases pull out but ultimately cast that design aside because we needed a simpler design if we wanted to do this ourselves. Daryl tackled the design project on SketchUp whereas I pulled out my graph paper, pencil, and ruler. As the months passed I did not think that we would ever actually get the project built. We finalized our plans in August and then in September went to Rona to purchase the supplies and  to have our wood cut. Within a week our shelves where built, stained, varathaned and set up. Totally happy with the end result. Since the project did not put a kink in our marriage, I think we may be tempted to try another building project together.





Monday 17 September 2012

West Coast Trail

Back from hiking the WCT. A truly spectacular hike. My husband described it as an epic journey. I would say that it is a once in a lifetime hike.

For a prairie girl, my one wish that would complete my WCT experience was to see a whale. Day 3 we were hiking along a shelf around Dare Point and one of the guys in our group saw an Orca, pointed it out and kept hiking. Daryl and I were a few meters behind and did not see the sight. I was so disappointed. The tide was rising and we knew we could not linger long on the shelf, but I needed to stand and look out into the ocean and just wait and see. A few minutes later, the Orca came up for air and we saw the dorsal fin. We watched the whales for several more minutes and then were forced to move on before we got stranded and wet. What a thrill. The whale watching was not over for us though. Day 5, Daryl convinced me to hike along the beach. I found the beach hiking the most strenuous on my hips. Anyway, we were taking a break, laying back on the sand with our feet propped up on some driftwood. Daryl chants, "Here whale, whale, whale", then states, "You never know if you are watching a whale or a rock." Then all of a sudden he sees the whale exhale from the blowhole. Both of us were amazed as we giggled and watched with glee. We hiked the next 2 kms not paying attention to our footing and the path, but instead on the ocean hoping for another glance of the gray whales. They did not disappoint.

Things I saw that were impressive : a lookout from the top of a cliff that plummeted 30-40 m, tidal pools, the constant motion of the ocean.

Things I saw that were shocking: people hiking in sneakers, a young man carrying an 80 lbs pack (it looked like he was carrying a refrigerator), watching the crab legs (for my lunch at Nitnat Narrows) being torn off the body of the crab while still alive.

The one thing I saw that was depressing: watching our jambalaya supper topple off a log into the sand.

At the mandatory orientation session before the hike, we were told that there were 82 evacuations to date from the beginning of the hiking season in May. My prayer throughout our 6 days on the trail was to be sure footed. I was excited to start the backpacking journey, yet a little nervous. During our time out on the trail 11 more people were evacuated. I was somewhat surprised and I wondered who the individuals were. What circumstances brought them to end their journey. I was thankful for God's protection over us when we finished the hike The trail did not brutalize my feet and body too badly. No significant amount of rain to soak through boots and cause foot rot and blisters. Sore muscles, at least until I took my ibuprofen and extra strength Tylenol, sore feet, and numb big toes. That is  the strangest "injury" that persists 2 weeks after finishing. A quick Google search seems to suggest that we are experiencing a common tree planters injury called "Christmas toe", meaning I will gain feeling back by Christmas.
tasty crab
Alive crab

I guess I will have until Christmas to fondly remember my journey on the WCT. Epic, breathtaking, challenging, adrenaline pumping, exhausting, rejuvenating, awe-inspiring.

Thursday 16 August 2012

Orange

Orange adds a fabulous punch of color to almost any room or design.

I was at a friend's recently renovated cabin where she kept the orange pendant light from the original decor. It stands out against the white and pale blue walls, so retro.

Another friend's house is mostly white; walls, furniture, accents, but she has a great orange library chair from Pottery Barn.

I too have embraced the orange. Bathroom and storage benches add interest in our otherwise white environment. When we were in Paris we went to Musee D'Orsay and bought a couple of postcards. This one by Meijer de Haan has the exact same color of orange that is in our bathroom. Love the coincidence.

Meijer de Haan
I think of how my dad's orange snowboarding coat stands out against the powdery slopes.




Mes parents et leur quilt

When I was making a quilt for my parent's 60th birthdays, I had to throw in a punch of color, orange of course, to offset the earthy blues, greens, and browns. Just like the lichen on the rocks in the valley.




Nature & Fashion

This summer Daryl & I went hiking with my dad in the Frenchman River Valley close to where I grew up. I was struck by the starkness and beauty of the hills, rocks, and foliage. The thorns on the Russian olive trees, the brightly colored lichen clinging to the rocks, the smell of sage bushes as we brushed past transported me to another time and place; the wild frontier or even the days of the dinosaurs.

It was the lichen though that twigged my memory to furniture and house decor from the '60's & '70's. The use of brown, orange, yellow, and green, sometimes to excess, enveloped a room. I came across a blog posting that sums up the 1960's design quite nicely, Retro Planet.



It is interesting to me how nature gets it right. The elements & principles of design, such as color, line, shape, texture, contrast, harmony, & dominance are inherent to nature or rather God, who is the masterful designer of it all. When I go to a lake, I don't think to myself, "A taller and bushier tree on the right shore line would balance out the picture" or "The birch tree trunks are too white and they don't compliment the coniferous trees." The delicate and intricate design of a butterfly or the flower clinging to life in the crevasse of a rock cause me to stand in awe of the Creator.









Wednesday 1 August 2012

Ocean waves

This has been a camping summer so far. D & I are preparing to hike the West Coast Trail which has compelled us to be active. Neither of us have done multi-day hiking trips, so we have been doing our best to get in shape and test all the gear before hand. Our outings have taken us mainly to northern Saskatchewan and the 10  flights of stairs in our building. Several sections of the WCT takes you along the beach looking out at the Pacific Ocean. I am looking forward to the challenge and beauty of hiking 75 Kms of the WCT. More to come...

Thinking of the ocean and the water reminds me of the quilt that I made for my in-laws 40th wedding anniversary. The bargello pattern creates fluid waves that tempt me to sail away on the ocean.


Coral sea quilt 2010

Saturday 21 July 2012

Trains

One of my nephews turned 11 this month and he is the reason that I decided to make a quilt for each of my nephews and niece. When he was in preschool, my brother or sister-in-law would drop him off at our place before they headed off to teach. He would hang out at our house for an hour or so before Daryl or myself would drop him off and pick him up at school. I often had a quilt project on the go and he would want to help me with the sewing. He was most interested in the "gas pedal", so I would let him control the foot pedal.

One morning he asked me if I would make him a quilt, of course I said yes. At the time he was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine. I found a paper piecing train pattern on the internet and designed a quilt that he could curl up in.

Each quilt I made for the kids has given me such joy. I have tried to think about each of their interests and create a quilt that reflects them. In the future I will feature the other quilts for my nephews and niece in their birth month.

 Train quilt 2006

Suspended train track built 2004 at Michael & Megan's King St. house
by Daryl, Papa Don & me

Saturday 14 July 2012

Family time

This morning Daryl and I wandered down to Souleio for an iced beverage (I had the strawberry & basil iced tea, yum) and a pastry. While we waited for our order, we sat outside on the bistro chairs (reminiscent of France) and watched the comings and goings of the people around us.

One family in particular grabbed my attention. A white mini van with Alberta plates parked across the street and a young couple emerged from it. The side doors were opened and closed many times, the trunk was opened and they brought out a Chariot. The Tulle roof rack was opened and more pieces to the puzzle were added. The presumed "mom", I only say this because at this point there was no other evidence of kids besides the look of a post pregnancy tummy on her slender body & the Chariot, grabbed her suitcase and a change of clothes, then she disappears. The man keeps circling the van opening and closing doors, the whole while, Daryl and I are wondering what they are up to. After 5 minutes or so, dad pulls out a little girl about 18 months old. He walks around the van with her a couple of times and then puts her back in the van. I think this is strange, because it would appear that they are getting ready to go out for a walk. After another 5 minutes, mom appears again with a new outfit on. By this time I am thinking that they are ready for their walk. Nope. Doors open and close again and baby is changed. A time later, another kid emerges, approx 7 years old. OK, now their ready to go. Nope. I then see in the reflection of a store window a smaller version of the 7 year old emerge from the van. Now we have 3 cute brown haired girls, but that's not all. I see the smaller one check out herself in the reflective window, do a little twirl and then start pushing the Chariot. No surprise really, there is one more little girl sitting in the Chariot. This family spent nearly 30 minutes getting ready for their little walk. I felt exhausted for them. I wonder what brought them into town and where their little adventure was going to take them.

Kudos to my friends and family that have children. I no longer have to wonder why it takes them so long to get ready or why they are late arriving for events.

multiple strollers :: double, triple, quad & jogging
Perhaps the family could have used something like this. 

Thursday 5 July 2012

My patriotic duty

Spending time out in the summer sun is keeping me from my quilting these days. I love the long warm summer days and nights. I often joke that if I were a pagan, I would worship the sun.

From the heat of summer to the dead cold of winter I bring you a project that kept my husband Daryl and our neighbor Christoph busy for a few hours. We live in a loft with 18' ceilings, which means loads of wall space to display art, pictures, and quilts. When we moved in to our loft, I wanted to hang a quilt on the wall above our downstairs bathroom, but I did not want to use a ladder or scaffolding every time to change it. Christoph and Daryl created an ingenious way for me to display my quilts. The used a drapery rod and clips, nylon rope, pex tubing and a few other gadgets to assemble the pulley. I am able to access the pulley design above the ceiling tiles in the upstairs bathroom to lower and raise the quilt as I desire. Whenever I change out the quilt, I think that I should have some triumphant music playing. It's like our own private flag raising ceremony. With that said, I have my Christmas quilt Holly Ribbons still hanging. I guess I better do something about that.




The change has been made, my Paris quilt is now on the wall. "I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles."

Sunday 24 June 2012

Jazz

In Grade 11 I fell in love with Harry Connick Jr. & Billie Holiday. At the time, "Swing Kids" were the cat's meow and from there my fondness for Big Band music, Glenn Miller, and Django Reinhardt grew.

Last night we went to the Wayne Shorter Quartet performance at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. Although each individual musician was remarkable in their own right, I realized throughout the performance that I just don't get jazz. The improv and experimentation gets entirely too complex for me. I had difficulty following the melody and the structure, or lack there of, in the music. My husband, who is a musician, asked the question, "Does it matter if you understand it?" One can still appreciate the music and the creative process behind it without connecting with the music. Listening to unfamiliar music is like being in a foreign land. You hear "jibber jabber" and you feel clueless, yet there is something there that seems familiar and you know enough that you can appreciate the conversation or the activities happening around you.

Despite my lack of jazz insight, I am drawn to the the Jazz Age and the cultural revolution that it brought. The 1920's fashions were chic. The women of that era became more empowered. It brought us the Charleston, Billie Holiday, Art Deco, and fabulous hats.

A friend of mine shares my fondness of hats. In 2006 we decided to take VIA rail from Saskatoon to Jasper  decked out in our new fab hats and dress coats (fabrique par moi). Where ever I travel, I keep my eye out for a new hat.

Anna's gorgeous wool hat.
We each purchased a hat at Hats & That on Broadway (Saskatoon).
Our men look dapper.

I bought this hat along with a pair of circa 1930's shoes
 at a vintage store in Montana,
Virgelle Merchantile
I bought this one at McNally Robinson.
Who knew a bookstore would have such
great hats.

Monday 18 June 2012

Paris

2 years ago Daryl & I went to Paris for our 10th anniversary. We fell in love with the city and the French language and France. I cannot get Paris out of my brain. The flavors, the architecture, the gardens all are inspiring.

3 Sisters Etchings designed for Moda Fabrics transported me back to the streets of gay Paris. When I saw this pattern hullabaloo by Moda, I knew the 2 would work perfectly together.


Enjoying a Nutella & banana crepe at Jardin du Luxembourg.

Wine, bread, cheese. 

The carousels of Paris.



I will return to Paris one day and wander the streets, walk around Jardin du Luxembourg, stroll the fabric district, and just sit drinking my tea as I watch the action around me.

Thursday 31 May 2012

Gilbertson Guest House Quilts

There was a time in my past that I made a small business sewing kids clothes and bridesmaid dresses and doing alterations, but that time has come and gone. The time and financial pressure became unapealing by taking away the enjoyment that I got out of sewing. Now a days, I do not typically take on commissioned projects, but how could I resist my mom's request.

Recently my parents opened a B&B, Gilbertson Guest House, and asked me to make a quilt for each of the beds. Over the course of a year I sewed 4 quilts and free motion quilted each. My mom & I went to the local quilt store several times and picked out fabrics that would suit each room. It was an opportunity for me to try out new patterns and colour combinations. The Bargello quilt was the most challenging at first, but the most satisfying in the end.

Turning 20 & Power of 3
I wanted the busy pattern of power of 3 to be offset with the simplicity of turning 20.

Bargello
Loved how the colours flowed on this one.

Nana's Quilt
I made this one a duvet cover. The fabric is very French Provincial and brightens the room.

Saturday 26 May 2012

Perhaps it is social pressure, perhaps it is intrigue, but mostly it is inspiration from "The Modern Quilting Bee Block Party" that I feel compelled to share my quilting creations and stories. Where does one start? At the beginning I suppose.
About 8 years ago, my friend and neighbor, Sarah, decided that she wanted to learn how to quilt and since I was a Home Economics teacher at the time, I was willing to learn with her and teach her the basics of sewing. Little did I know, that I would love the creative art and I would look forward to our evenings quilting. Laughing, swearing, comparing irons, clearing floor space, re-threading, swearing, and laughing.


Here is my first project, a crib quilt  30"X44". I cannot remember how many weeks it took me to finish, but I remember being quite pleased.



Here is what I am currently working on, a lap quilt 60"X60"