For My Precious Mommy

The Best Christmas Present ever

Thanks be to God for granting my mom her ultimate Christmas wish...she is resting in the arms of Jesus!
For He giveth and He taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

November 28, 1929 - December 24, 2011

2012 in French

My 'designing' sister gave me a special calendar for 2012 for Christmas this year, complete with some quilt designs, published in France by Born to Quilt shop owner, Veronique Requena in Fontangy, France.

I really like this one, the fabric is very Provencale...

Except the instructions are all in French!

My sister is Miss Octobre!

...and this is one of her patterns!

What a special gift...thank you Cheryl!

For the Love of Prims...and 'print'

The first magazine I ever bought was an issue of Ingenue when I was in grade 7 and I have had a weakness for them ever since. My older sister received Co-ed magazine thru school but she wouldn't share because (her words) "You're not mature enough" Sigh!
As far back as I can remember, I have LOVED the 'new' smell of magazines and books. Something to do with the ink maybe? Its the first thing I do when I bring one home, open it somewhere in the middle and bury my nose in it. My kids can attest to this and I am quite used to the odd looks in my direction... ;) (Am I the only weird one out there who does this?)

This issue appeared in stores several weeks back and once again I am intrigued by all the unique ideas for inspiration for dolls. I just wish the magazine included more than just a single pattern because the price for 1 issue is very dear.

But I will add this one also to my mile-high stack of magazines, inspiration for creations yet to be.

For all the knitters out there, I came across this wonderful website with tons of beautiful projects for sweaters and socks and baby clothing and the patterns are all included. Check it out...

Source: garnstudio.com via Terry on Pinterest

(not sure if I copied this link correctly, but you'll get there eventually) :)
So many patterns but not enough time in my day or money in my wallet!

Primitive Cat

Now that I'm somewhat comfortable with needlepunch, I pulled out a pattern I love by Primitive Gatherings.

I'm loving the almost completed product except I'm struggling with getting the cat's whiskers and eye pupils how they should be.

So until I figure it out, this cat will be blind and whisker-less.
...and THIS is my current favorite toy...

Now I can label everything and find it easily instead of relying on my memory (which isn't what it used to be!)

I am going to be SO organized! Look out...

Oh oh...

Oh dear, I have discovered a new craft that I am loving...needlepunch! I've bought a bunch of patterns that I love but thought I would 'practice' first on something. Cringe! Way too cute for my taste but still enjoyed the process...you start with one of these...

...and a pattern or kit...

...you punch over and over on the wrong side of the pattern...

...turn it over and it looks like this!...

Now it's hard to stop...nobody really needs me to make supper, do they?

Raynold, Ben & Lloyd

Several years ago at Quilt Market in Houston,Texas, we 3 sisters met Jackie and Kathy from Lakeview Primitives and spent some time chatting with them, admiring their designs. Upon hearing our husbands names (or middle name) and finding these names humorous, they declared they would create a design 'in honour' of them...this was the result...(true story!)

I started with this 'find' from MCC...

I painted and distressed...

...then added the finished creatures...

Introducing Lloyd, Raynold and Ben! (Gord/Lloyd doesn't understand the need for a tree to be sticking out of his head)

Bowled Over...

I can't remember where this came from but I put my handy-dandy little mouse sander to it today to get the shine and varnish off..

...painted it a cheery celery green, sanded some more and 'primitivized' it...

What an easy fix for what was a very ugly bowl :) and now I can add it to my collection in my laundry room.

Autumn's Glory

Last weekend our fall weather was still holding and the colours were glorious so we headed up McKee "Mountain" to enjoy...

I happily carried Jackson to the top...good workout carrying an extra 17 pounds...

...and wow!! We were rewarded with a view all the way to the Gulf Islands!

Before and After

This was another find at the 2nd hand store...don't you love the strawberries?

...so I worked some magic with paint and sandpaper...

Now it works for me :-)

Why didn't I try this sooner??

I bought some of those stackable cardboard boxes, oh, maybe 6 or 7 years ago with the intention of painting them in primitive style but the olde procrastination gene kicked in until yesterday when I decided, enough is enough! I can do this and if I mess it up, its not the end of the world...so I painted them all black first, made up some stencils I liked...

...painted on the stencil, rubbed candle wax all over, wiped gel stain over that and what do you know...

They actually turned out far better than I had even expected! Procrastination, out the window!
(the red isn't at all accurate...I think its because of the flash)

What did I do?

I have NO idea how it happened but I was experimenting on Sunday and somehow my original design disappeared...my primitive stars template that I was so very proud of, that I had done all by myself...GONE...and only a blank background remained, staring back at me. I am quite devastated and even after hours of searching, I am unable to find it.
But I will persevere until I can restore it to its original glory. Wow, do I wax eloquent or what?

It's Coming Up Tulips!

One of my 'finds' at Value Village about a year ago was a quilt top of 20 squares of hand-appliqued tulips on a white background, all sewn into 1 piece, no sashings or borders. I think I paid $4 for it. I cut it up into 20 separate squares, added my own sashings, backing and binding and machine-quilted it, finished only 10 minutes ago.

It's not my usual 'primitive' style but I love the cheerfulness of it. It reminds me of a quilt I received from my maternal grandma when I was in my teens.
I quilted little crooked stars into each of the squares.

Not bad for my $4...

pumpkin pumpkin

We made our traditional family visit to Willow View Farm again to search out the perfect pumpkins...

I found mine...

fini!...almost

this is Jakob...

and this is Jakob's stocking...

Now just to sew it together and it's ready to hang by the chimney.