Sewing - adhesive business cards holder for better documentation of my fabrics

I have been using sticky notes to identify the contents of my boxes of fabric.  I have had to cross off and redo so many of them as items are shifted from one to another.  After a bit of brainstorming I decided to buy some adhesive business card holders in clear plastic.  I have adhered them to the front of my boxes and will now be able to change up the content list or simply rewrite it when necessary.  I have paper cut offs by my paper cutter so I have just cut them to size so I can easily remove them.  I will store them in one of the boxes so I can change them.  I found a lot of projects which I had lost track of because the post its were too small.  I am happy to be able to find what I am looking for and am planning to finish off projects this winter.  

Therese


 

Happy Hallowe'en!!

  Wishing everyone a Happy Hallowe'en!!  Enjoy the Trick or Treaters and their wonderful costumes!!  We are handing out individual packages of hot chocolate this year.

We have been doing it for several years and the kids are always excited to get them in their bags.  

A good treat for sorting the bags when they get back home!!

I have added an electric light to my Jack O Lantern this year due to the rot around the stem. I have used a small clip on light and it is BRIGHT!!!!!!  No missing it this year!!  It is in the front window ready for the kids start coming around.

Therese

All occasion cards featuring watercoloured images, decorative paper strips over decorative paper backgrounds

I am finally getting to making up the last of the card kits I prepared for my last cardmaking session in September.  You can check the first few here.  I added the decorative paper to my card front, layered the coordinating paper scraps to a strip of cardstock to use as an embellishment and then watercoloured my image.  I added paper piercing (PTW) to my images, layered them onto the coordinating squares and then mounted them to my card fronts.  I mounted the strips over the images using 3D foam tape.  I made up two kits with a Christmas theme so I now have two more to add to the box.  I am way behind in making the cards I am glad to have a couple more.  Therese

All occasion cards featuring metal dragonflies, die cut frames and embossed vellum

 I made up the last of the card kits I created for my last card making session.  You can check then here.  I see from checking out the link that I did not embellish my cardstock with a Versamark image before proceeding!  So many options when a person is creating!!   I added the embossed vellum strip using double sided tape on the back where it is hidden by the frame or the center element.  Added the frame and the embossed square over the vellum inside the frame.  Finished all the cards off by adding the metal dragonflies using 3D foam tape. These are off to my stash for later use!!  Therese

Christmas cards featuring colourful napkins and layered greetings

I made these Christmas cards for my sister.  She owns a daycare and wanted some nice cards for her employees.  I used these beautiful napkins and added layered greetings.  The cards and envelopes were in the stash she left here a few years ago and so I dug through my Christmas napkin stash to see what would work with the 5" x 6.5" card fronts.  These ones worked perfectly!!  I used 3 napkins that featured the gift and the ornaments - one in each corner.  And 1 napkin that featured 4 different scenes with snowmen!!  I separated the layers to leave only the top imaged layer of the napkins. 

 I cut white papers that allowed enough room all the way around the images so I had a bit to fold over.  I trimmed the images to size and then glued the images to my papers folding the edges to the backs.  I trimmed coordinating cardstock layers and then glued my images to them and pressed them to keep them nice and flat. 

When I started gluing my large focal elements to my cards I found that the ones with gifts and ornaments needed card fronts that were less than stark white so I just added some diluted grayish watercolour to the outside edges of those cards and I ironed them flat once they were dry.   They worked out really well.  I added inserts with a Christmas greeting and they were ready to go!!  Therese

 

Crafting - a beautiful butterfly magnet made out of blue mussel shells from PEI

It is hard not to collect blue mussel shells when you see them on the beach in PEI!!  My sister and I collected more than we anticipated but when it came time to head home we culled the collection to enough to create a few butterflies and put the others back on the beach for someone else's collection!!  I made this butterfly magnet for my sister with four shells and a small piece of drift wood for its body.  I love how it turned out!!!  She is going to display it on the walls of her home where there is corner bead so they can go anywhere along the corners or where there is a screw (those are harder to find).  I used a wooden fork to make the substrate and hot glued the shells in place and then added a bit of glue in the center to glue the drift wood to.  I added two rare earth magnets to the back using hot glue as well.  Love how it turned out and makes a very unique souvenir of our trip!!  Therese
 

Chili for a Cause - Gramma Link Africa Fundraising Event - October 23, 2024

 

Cardmaking - watercoloured ornaments layered with metallic cardstock on coordinating cards

I made these Christmas cards to be included in a prize for a fundraising event in October.  I have been researching watercoloured Christmas cards and ornaments is a recurring theme.  There are a wide range of tutorials on how to make them and finish them off!!  Somewhere along the way I either read or deduced that I could use a glass to create a perfect circle for my ornament which would be easily be filled in with watercolour and a steady hand.  I cut my watercolour paper to 3.5" x 5" and then made all my ornaments.  I added some splatter to some of them in colour and also in gold and silver.  I need to practice because it is not really as good as my sister does on hers.  After they pressed for a day I trimmed the sheets to 3.5" x 4.75 inches so they would work centered on an A2 card.  I added a ribbon and an ornament cap at the top using a fine tip black Sharpie and then coloured the cap with silver or gold watercolour.  I added four lines of paper piercing using my pattern tracing wheel and mounted them to metallic cardstock and then onto coordinating card fronts.  Really happy with these!!!!!  I have blogged the process I used to make these ornaments here.  Therese

 

Sewing - fabric basket to hold cards for a fundraising event

I committed to making a prize for our October fundraising event.  It is a fabric basket which you can see below holds a variety of handmade cards.  I made up 10 watercoloured ornament Christmas cards and added 14 all occasion cards.  I packaged them same as I did last time - folded cellophane pockets kept together with a strip of lettered tape which looks like a book.  Works really well!!  They stand on their own and can be laid flat which allows visual access to all the cards without actually touching them.  Great for storing them until you need them as well.  

I cut the outer fabric and then the lining (11" x 8") and then cut out the corners (2.5").  I stitched the fronts to the linings and then added some polyester batting to the outer.  To stitch the basket together you place the two pieces over each other and stitch the ends and the sides.  You need to leave an opening on the lining end to be able to turn it inside out  I forgot so unstitched a bit of my seam.  I had never made boxed corners like this before.  Works well!!  Once turned inside out I added four rows of top stitching to firm up the top portion of the basket.  The batting was a little fluffy but for my first try I think it worked out well enough.  I perfectly holds the three packages of cards I put together.   I see that I have made an error in the number of cards - it is a total of 24 cards  - not 30!!  I will have to print another one with the right numbers and my prize will be ready to go!!!   Therese

Grandma to Grandma Campaign quilt at the library in Red Deer

The Grandma to Grandma groups across Canada cooperated last year to create an art quilt to celebrate the transformative support provided to our partners - Grandmothers in Africa.  It is titled The Sheltering Tree and visually represents the support of the grandmothers and the initiative they have taken to create a protected place for themselves and their grand children to grow and become their best selves.  The supplies were gathered from the groups including fabric and embellishments.  Our Gramma Link Africa group provided leaves for the tree.  It is very beautiful!!!  It is touring the country and being hosted by Grandma groups across the country.   These ladies did a splendid job of organizing our turn of hosting the quilt.  There was a reception on October 5th and it will be at the library until the end of the month when it will be sent along to the Canmore group.  Therese 

Cardmaking - how to make perfect watercoloured circle ornaments for Christmas cards

After cutting your watercolour paper to size you need to gather watercolour paints, a large round brush, wipeable surface and a glass that has a thin rim the size appropriate for the size of ornament you want to make.  I chose a glass that was 1 7/8" to be created on a piece of watercolour paper 3.5" x 5".  You need to wet the pan of watercolour you want to use a bit and let it sit a bit.  You want your watercolour to be a bit on the thick side.  If it is too runny it runs down the sides of the glass and messes the perfect circle you are trying to create when you turn it over!!  Add watercolour to the rim of the glass. 

Don't leave it too long or the watercolour will dry on the rim.  If so, no loss just reapply another layer of paint and then turn it over and place it on your watercolour paper leaving room at the top for the cap and ribbon or string.  Press a little and then lift up.  

It leaves a perfect circle of colour which will become the outside edge of your watercoloured ornament.  

Load your round brush with paint and slowly start drawing the brush's tip along the edge of the circle going slowly and smoothly.  Keep loading your brush and continue to add colour to the ornament until  you have been all the way around. Touch up any places where you have left a gap between your strokes and the circle.  That will leave your center clear.  Load a little bit of water to your brush and tap it around in a circle with the tip touching the ring of colour and the fat part of your brush on the white area.  This will give you a lighter area and create a bit of a highlight to give your ornament some dimension.  

There you are with a perfectly circular watercoloured ornament without a black outline!!!  

I added stippling by banging my brush onto my finger over the paper.  Splattering this way if very unpredictable and adds directional marks.  It also can make stipples in areas well outside of your piece of watercolour so I will have to do some research on how to best to that.  I did you an old toothbrush for the metallic splatter which worked better.  I would have preferred larger drops and less of them.  I will ask my sister.  She does a much better job at stippling!!!  You can check out the cards I made with these little works of art here!!  Therese
 

Slow Stitching - a few more squares for my pink and green quilt

 I am back to exercising in the house as the weather outside is cooler and is it darker in the morning!!

I have set aside some time each morning to work on my slow stitching project which is to create some embroidered appliques for a quilt I would like to make for my spare room bed.  I have the squares ready to go with the "flowers" stitched in place and I simply need to add embroidery as I see fit when I am working on these squares.  It is good to be back to this project!!  Therese

Sewing - potholders with different fabrics

The image above is of the backs of the potholders.  For this set I stitched and cut a similar set of half square triangles and sewed them back together.  I added a green strip, batting and a brown patterned backing.  I added little diagonal hangers and then stitched the backing to the front to finish off the potholders.  I added quilting lines in the dark triangles this time.  One more set ready for Christmas.  

Therese

Sewing - another set of potholders with points and borders

Another set of potholders for Christmas!!  I layered the two large half square triangles, pinned them, drew a line from corner to corner across the two colours, stitched a quarter inch from the line on both sides and then cut them apart on the line.  I stitched them to each other to create points.  I did the same for this set.   I added strips of red all the way around and then added batting.  I cut backers from some vintage cotton fabric which worked quite well colour wise.  I stitched two little hangers, stitched them to my top layer and then bound the potholders by folding the backing to the front and stitching it into place.  I added quilting lines in the light triangles.  The colours of the fronts are a little off - they are like the last set which I linked to.  Another set to add to the ones I will be bringing for our Christmas celebration this year.  Therese

 

Sewing - Quilted potholders for Christmas

Another set of potholders for Christmas.  This pair were made up from a set of half square triangles which I cut in half and then sewed back together.  I added a dark red band all the way around to have enough fabric to turn over to the other side.  I added some green leafy cotton on the other side along with a little hanger across the corner and then folded the red over and sewed the binding in place all the way around.  I quilted a square in the center of each - one square, the other on point.  I like the one on point better.  There will be more potholders from these squares so I will change up the format so make them a bit different.  Therese

 

All occasion card featuring a pieced background in browns and yellows, a torn vellum piece with faux stitching, an embossed strip and a fussy cut bird

 I was on a roll with this concept and have made quite a few cards featuring the little birds I laser printed.  I have a few more cut out ready for future cards!!  This card features a pieced background where I embossed the top section with polka dots (SU) and highlighted them with ink.  I added a piece of vellum to where they join which has several lines of faux stitching.  I overlaid a strip of brown cardstock which was also embossed with polka dots (CB).  I added this large layer to a kraft card.  I watercoloured the little bird to coordinate with my card!!  It has been fun using these fussy cut birds!!!

Therese

Quilting - potholder quilt from scraps

I just finished a project that I prepped earlier this year for the quilting retreat.  It is a potholder quilt (45" 57") that my Mom started when she moved to the lodge and in the end was having trouble quilting the images in the middles so when she passed I inherited it.  She had wanted it to go to a great grandchild and so I will now see about getting it to its new home.  

This is a quilt as you go technique where you cut a front, batting and then a larger backing.  You layer the front and batting centered on the backing and quilt a design to secure all the layers.  Once your pieces are all ready to go you sew two pieces to each other by layering the backings to each other and sew a line near the edge of the front/batting layer.  Then, you iron the large allowances flat, fold them in half and sew them down to the fronts.  You can stitch together as many in a row as you wish and then as many rows as you wish.  The rows are connected in the same manner as the individual squares.  Finally, you fold over the edges and sew them to the quilt and you are finished!!  I stitched a variety of images usually with one line though a few have overlaps or backstitching to line up the piece.  It was fun to stitch stars, butterflies, balloons, houses, flowers, trees, kites, boats, muffins, light house, drum, swirly heart, leaf, bonnet, etc.  

It is a great technique for building a quilt a few squares/rectangles at a time.  This quilt is made from polyester cotton fabrics and flannel squares as batting.  Therese