Explore Fibre

Whimsical Name Tag

2012-01-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick look at the latest few name tags I've made for the local guilds and fibre art groups that I belong to. The first one was so fun that I've posted a tutorial below in case you are inspired to try one yourself.

The quilting guilds and fibre art groups in my local area require members to wear a name tag. (thank my lucky stars!) One guild has members make a name tag from a small kit of the materials they provide and you must wear it for fear of being caught and owing 50 cents. (I haven't been caught yet, but have been known to protect others by sitting between them and the name tag police) A clever idea was that the colour of the blue/green binding denotes the year I joined the guild.

The fibre art guild challenge was anything fibrous of my own design. For this one I played with hand dyed gauze, some fluffy embellishments and buttons. Now that I have captured it forever in iPhoto I see that it looks much like one of my bad hair days and I must have stitched my name after a full glass of wine. (Yep, for me it only takes one.) It makes a good story every time someone turns their head sideways to try and read it.

The larger quilting guild I belong to suggested I either make my own, or buy the official name tag of the guild, so I decided to do both. I was very pleased to discover that the name tag attaches to my shirt with an industrial strength magnet. This gave me the option to add a fabric element between the magnets for a unique design.

WHIMSICAL NAME TAG TUTORIAL:

The guild has a standing order so I picked up my name tag for $11.00 at the local trophy shop. (You could also use any pin type name tag, or design a fabric centre of your own with a stitched or printed name). I simply traced the rectangle for its size and drew a scribbly design around it and cut it out.

The next step is to find fabric and I wanted a punch of colour so I thought of a piece that my son had painted thickly with acrylic (he took it outside and threw pennies on it for a sun print). I numbered the shapes in the sketch and traced them on fabric with pencil. You can just eyeball it and cut them out to fit behind the rectangle.

Then I arranged the pieces on (any type of) fusible interface and pressed it in place. I used an ironing sheet (wax paper will do) to just press the whole design at once so the sheet just peels off protecting the iron from gunk.

Once I set my design in place I chose some wool to compliment the fabric (or you can use any embellishments) I cut snips of wool and stitched them on with a simple zig zag. I used a light colour of thread so you could see the detail, but you can match your thread to the wool.

Then you simply cut away the remaining fusible and snip the ends of the wool for a finished design. There you have it! A beautiful name tag. And if you want it to look less whimsical as my friend noted "it's like a jester's hat - perfect for you!" then simply use some deep rich batiks or any fabric scraps that inspire you in that moment.

'Tis the season to get your quilting groove on. Be happy!

Holiday treasures from afar...

2011-12-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

Moving across the country, embarking on new, exciting careers and getting involved in this wonderful community have all been a part of our dreams coming true. The one thing, of course, that we miss dearly this holiday season is the closeness of our family and friends from afar. But true to their wonderful selves we have been showered with gifts in the mail. Many of them are safely tucked around the tree still in the brown postage stamped wrap waiting for Christmas morning. But here is one, perhaps less of a strict holiday gift, and more of a friendly thought (so I was convinced to open it!) from my dear Rochelle in the UK. If you'd seen my response, you'd think she'd hit my sweet tooth! They are gorgeous vintage style cotton fabrics from The Cotton Spool and a felt mini roll from the The Button Company as well as some other ravingly cute embellishments. Thank you love! (in my best London accent...) You are pure sweetness! Happy Holidays while you are back home visiting the prairies! Brandy Lynn

Getting my waxy groove on

2011-11-20T23:04:00.000-08:00

I took a creative encaustic class on Saturday by a famous Okanagan artist named Thea Haubrich. Her work is amazing and often featured in local shows. Her instruction was detailed, fun and furious. We created a few samples each with techniques ranging from tried and true to innovative and even flammable! Here are the samples I came up with.

This was a great escape from daily life and it was nice to just relax with friends. Stay tuned for some great news about my upcoming business adventures! I love you all for tagging along even though my blogging has been few and far between lately.

An Old Fashioned Fall Fair - How Refreshing!

2011-09-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

So happy to be crashing back into the blogging scene with some wonderful news. I have been focussing primarily on my writing over the summer in an attempt to finish my poetry manuscript, but the return of the local quilting guild meetings has me all in a buzz over fibre art again. Being one of the newest members of my local quilting guild I was encouraged to enter a few things in the town's Fall Fair. I was pleasantly surprised to find out I won a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finish for 3 different quilts. Here they are....

3rd Place - Damsel Fly. I entered this in the applique category and it was a bit of a misfit being more of an art quilt with fibre, paint and foil. They are considering an art quilt category for next year.

2nd Place - Nana's Christmas Quilt. This was the first traditional quilt that I completed from start to finish while taking a beginner sampler class with Wanda Steiner in Winnipeg. The best thing about gifting this quilt to my mom is that she lives with us in an in-law suite, so I get to enjoy it as much as she does.

1st Place - Group Quilt - Gavin's Froggy Quilt. I made this quilt last year and I'll tell you there is no better way to make 20 tiny paper pieced frogs than to do it as a round robin. So thank you to all of my wonderful quilting friends who each made a block. We won!

Soul Searching

2011-07-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a wonderful run with Brandy Lynn Designs, but alas, the singular business of art will be no longer. I am now looking into a new avenue for business that will be much more lucrative and allow me the pleasure of fibre art on the side. The time has come to make a business for myself that is viable, refreshing and works well in our new community. Keep a watchful eye on this blog post over the summer because I'll be keeping my followers involved every step of the way with blog posts and a brand new website and business launch in the fall. Take care everyone, thanks for following! Brandy Lynn

A friendship - with benefits

2011-04-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

I guess that cliche can sound a bit tawdry, but in my case I am blessed with friendships that benefit me greatly in so many good ways. My friends support me when I am struggling, they laugh when it's not that funny, they set me right when I am being a nuisance and most of all, they think of me, no matter where they are in the world whenever they ever see any kind of fabric or fibre art.

I love my friends! Here is a beautiful piece of hand painted fibre art given to me by my friend Lori recently. She found this treasure on her latest hot holiday and thought of me. So very sweet!

Dr. Seuss

2011-04-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

I realized recently that my son has the impression that I can create anything with fabric like magic. I'd like to think I could agree with him, but not every project turns out as lovely as expected. The good side though, is that some of my most prized creations came about from a fabric that was an up-cycled disaster. Anyways, I was tucking him in after his story that day and he said, "Oh yah Mom, I have to wear a hat tomorrow that is from a character in a book."

I grumbled a bit about the last minute request and suggested a baseball cap or something and he said, "No, that's like Caillou and that's a baby show. I have decided I'm going to wear a Dr. Seuss hat."

I said, "where are you going to get a Dr. Seuss hat at this time of night?"

He said, "I know you can make me one. You made Oliver a dog halloween costume."

Needless to say, if my heart really does have strings, he was tugging at them and I was up until 2:00 a.m. fumbling together a fanciful hat.

The Crocus Award

2011-03-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is a gracious thank you to the Manitoba Prairie Quilters Guild for honouring me with the Crocus Award last night. I have day dreamed about what I would ever say or do if I won such an award and always thought I would jump up and down yelling, "You like me," similar to Sally Fields as she won her Emmy award, but instead I am feeling rather humbled.

I thank my friends and mentors for the majestic spider web of support they have built for me. It is strong and purposeful, yet gorgeous and shimmering with dew. I have always felt a personal success in my work for the guild as it creates a peace and inner balance through giving back to the community, but it is sincerely heartwarming to be recognized for my contributions.

The greatest efforts I have made in volunteering for this guild would have never come to pass if it hadn't been for my friends and partners in misadventure. Last year's June picnic proved popular with members and it was a pleasure to share the planning of that event with Tannis Dawson who put in countless hours as my partner.

I have always been happy to offer a hand at events and quilt shows over the years often receiving more value than I ever felt I contributed, but I was thrilled when the opportunity to run the ABC Quilts Program presented itself. I have blinked and it's been a year since I took on the challenge, but it has been a passion for me. The support of mentors and ABC volunteers such as Vivian Cameron, Sue Bruning, Kenna Ann Shipp and Helen Maslowski, as well as countless guild members giving their time, efforts and stash to donate quilts has been constant and comforting.

I would like to acknowledge the values and goals of the Manitoba Prairie Quilters Guild and stress the importance of how this organization has influenced my life. I have gained knowledge, skills and most importantly, good, kind-hearted friends.

Thank you sincerely for granting me the honour of the Crocus Award.

Fibre Break!

2011-03-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I've had to take a break from fibre creations since I completed the New Zealand project because the time has come to get into spring cleaning. But I have discovered a new type of sewing project that I now have to endure and that is mending my son's jeans. We sort through his clothes about every 6 months to weed out the ones that don't fit him because he is growing like a weed. For some reason this time there are at least 6 pairs of jeans that have a worn thin spot that has turned into a wide slit on the knee. I have a feeling his busy fingers have helped those holes grow, but he's not quite admitting to anything yet. So if anyone out there has a great tip on a "kid cool" way to mend the jeans so that he'll still wear them, please drop me a comment. Meanwhile, I'll be checking out the net to find a cool looking solution.

I heard a saying once that goes something like this...Asking a quilter (fibre artist) to hem your pants is like asking a fine artist to paint your house. I have to agree with that because I'd rather visit a tailor to mend my clothes and spend studio time creating art.

Remarkable Symposium - New Zealand

2011-02-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to say that I have sent off my latest fibre art piece to be displayed in a collection of works by 36 brilliant Canadian Fibre Artists. The event is Remarkable Symposium 2011 from April 18th to 23rd in Queenstown, New Zealand. It is the 14th National Patchwork and Quilting Symposium. The travelling show consists of 36 quilts made by the members of the Fibre Art Network and the theme of the 36 pieces is "Canadian Content." Although the art quilts may not be in our web gallery until the dates of the show, you can click on FAN to check out our fantastic website and see what we are all about. I'll be sure to post my entry here once the show has begun, but for now, here is a sneak peek at an extreme detail shot.

Studios Magazine - published!

2011-01-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

I just got the news from the editor of Studios magazine that the spring issue goes live on their website this Thursday for pre-order. You may have seen my previous post about putting yourself out there and going for your dreams. Well, my cozy studio will be featured in the magazine! Hooray! I was so happy in November when they gave me the call back to submit professional photos, so I went for it. I called up a highly skilled photographer and here we have it. Success! Thank you Lori! Fabulous job! I am so thrilled and I can't wait to see how they've chosen to use my space saving tips and photos. Here is a snapshot of me and my pup Oliver hanging out in studio.

This calls for a toast. Cheers! You must put it out there if you want to succeed.

Painted Fabric Into Art

2011-01-27T15:52:00.000-08:00

Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I love to create my own fabric, by painting, dyeing and all sorts of other fun techniques. But the last thing I want is a huge stash of crazy to amazing coloured pieces that I am not putting to good use.

So here is the latest piece I was inspired to use. First I made an acrylic gel mono print that I absolutely loved. Then I did some machine and hand stitching. I added beading in a wave across the centre and then I couched on some fancy yarns and floss. It turned out to be a beautiful winter snowscape perfectly indicative of the winter storm approaching my home town as I write this. We'll see if we are snowed in tomorrow.

Brrr! Love my warm cup of tea.

The fibre artist goes traditional!

2011-01-23T07:03:00.000-08:00

As immersed as I am in fibre art, I have been pondering what I should make for my new baby niece. Usually my head is so overflowing with ideas that I simply have to get them all down on paper and then choose one, but for tiny Makayla I was stumped. In fact, she has just arrived and I still have nothing with only 4 weeks until the baby shower. But I have just realized that I have the perfect quilt that's been waiting in the sidelines and I couldn't think of a better gift. It is time to go back to the roots of my quilting.

When I began to quilt before my son was born, I signed up for my first hand quilting class through the local leisure guide. It was a wonderful class and I was always motivated to finish the homework and more before the next week's class. I really loved it. But when the last class was approaching I decided to skip ahead and really start getting this baby sampler quilted. So I quilted a few blocks without much direction. When I brought it to the class. The instructor said, "Oh, this is so over quilted that you'll never finish it." I was very surprised and secretly devastated. Rather than doing one line of quilting on each piece of each block, I had completely quilted every square inch to the point that there was barely a quarter inch space without stitch. After the lesson, with me used as the bad example, she discussed ways of removing the stitches which sounded quite time consuming and difficult. I left the class and put the quilt away for quite some time. I even justified not getting it done because I had given birth to a boy and the quilt was in blues, but floral.

Now if that sounds like a sad story, no worries. I still dove deep into the world of quilting making several quilts for my son and have never looked back. But this project has been hidden away as my one major UFO. I have pulled it once in a while and added a few lines of stitching, but it has always seemed so daunting. Lately I have realized that for years I was letting the teacher's comments diffuse the joy I had in the process and I was focussed on the incorrect end product.

So here I am with a beautiful baby niece. I have decided to pull out this quilt and have fallen in love with it all over again. The simple act of unfolding it and laying it across the table to look closely at it again gave me a huge rush. I am poised to finish it in plenty of time for the baby shower. I have accepted that the overstitching is beautiful because it taught me a lesson. I have learned to love the process of creation no matter what the outcome. And besides, I believe it is true that every quilt should have a mistake or even a bunch. It adds to the charm, the tradition and shows the heart that you have put into it.

Welcome to the world little one!

Double the Pleasure!

2010-12-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone - I'm pleased to announce that I have a new name for my blog! In fact I now have 2 blogs. I've been blogging with both of my passions of writing and fibre art in what turned out to be a jack of all trades looking blog, so I've split them in two and now I'm having twice the fun. My fibre art blog is now called Fibre Works and my writing and poetry blog is called Write Hearted. So please grab a cup of tea and follow along with my writing and fibre art adventures.

Cheers! Brandy Lynn!

Gel monoprints

2010-12-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

The holidays have been so nice this year as we have decided to spend as much time as possible relaxing at home. We've chosen just a few family dinners and events and nothing else. So yesterday after the rush of Christmas was over, the boys were totally involved with their new toys and games and I found myself perusing an invitation to play with paint and fabric. There are few things as healing and calming for me lately as spending few hours playing with my passion, especially in the company of a friend. So, I said yes and I had so much fun yesterday doing gel monoprints. Pat is such a good teacher because she gives you the tools you need and then the freedom to do your own thing. So here are 10 photos of my new monoprint stash. I can't wait to play with them over the next few months.

Artful Clay

2010-12-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

I just went to the most fabulous ceramic art sale over the weekend. Crystal Nykoluk is a fresh new ceramic artist stretching the boundaries of functional clay. Her pieces are stunning, textured and one of a kind. They provoke thought and inspiration. It makes you want to use those good dishes for every day.

These first 2 mugs are wood fired in a kiln for 24 hrs. I love the gorgeous crème caramel colour and how they fit so nicely in my hand.

These next 2 mugs are a gorgeous dripping shade of blue. They make me think of washing away the day's worries with a soothing cup of tea. I love the natural wood grained wrap like they are being hugged by nature.

And last, we have this very classy spoon rest. I absolutely love this piece. It's just so gorgeous! The green plastic tupperware spoon rest is a thing of the past.

All of the mugs posted here are gifts for my mom's birthday and christmas, but don't worry that I'm spoiling the surprise. She was at the show and picked them out herself.

Now that's holiday shopping in style.

Studio Magazine

2010-11-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

I think if you believe in yourself and you just try something new no matter how far fetched it may seem, you just might have your wish come true. So I responded to a magazine query about small spaces and unique storage solutions for your studio. They called me back and said they would love to see what I have to offer for a photo shoot. So I had some professional photos done and entered my submission. It's pretty exciting if you think about it because just that small space in a magazine with my website attached is more advertising than I could ever afford. Here's to hoping they like my ideas...

Cheers!

You can view their website here...Studio Magazine

Pinewood Show and Tell

2010-11-22T09:48:00.001-08:00

Every year at the annual Pinewood Lodge Quilting Retreat, there is a wonderful show and tell and this year was no exception. Once I overcame my sudden camera battery issues for the first half of show and tell, I was still able to snap a few photos of quilts that I love to feature on the blog.

This first photo is of Kristy's quilts. The left one was her very first quilt she did last year and the right larger one she finished this year. This child is an amazing quilter for just the 2 weekends that she has joined us. She has a great attitude and spunky spirit that just keeps her going. She told us that she had gone to a fashion design camp since the last retreat and one evening she even stayed up with the ladies into the wee hours mastering her hand binding. She's a real trooper.

This next photo is Nesta. Although she sees herself as an emerging quilter, her color choices are brilliant and she pulled this beautiful wall hanging off in just one day. Way to go girl!

This fabulous quilt below was made by Pat. She challenged her fellow quilters to step outside the box with this round robin quilt asking them to mix and match with a sweet vintage style and a raw edge pattern. It turned out sooo nicely.

This great quilt was made by Joy who took, but likely could have taught, a class called "Buzz Saw" at our In Stitches fall luncheon. As an art quilter I'd rather cut my arm off with a buzz saw than try to make a buzz saw quilt, but Joy's corners are perfect and her colour choices are lovely.

This last quilt by Deb reminds us that Christmas is coming. It's a lovely snowflake modestly shown as her intricate buzz saw quilt is also hanging over her arm. These ladies are what quilt retreats are all about. Good friends and good times.

A big thank you goes out to Raquel and her team at the Pinewood Lodge for hosting us so well year after year. Cheers!

5th Annual Pinewood Lodge Retreat 2010

2010-11-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

Here I sit in front of my Bernina in a grand room of quilters on the second floor of Pinewood Lodge - my pile of cottons momentarily pushed aside. The breathtaking view of Dorothy Lake is surreal at this time of year because we are usually deep in snow by now. It's hard to believe this is the 5th annual retreat and I have been to every single one. I have done so well this weekend and have a wonderful tip for all of you avid quilt retreaters out there. Bring several exciting projects that are most prevalent on your list of things to do, but start with the most difficult the first day and move on in order of hardest to easiest as the retreat goes on. I can't tell you the countless sighs of disdain I've heard from quilters trying difficult seams and points in the wee hours. Those late evening hours are best saved for the mindless tasks of simple piecing or hand sewn binding while we chat into the night.
I have 2 projects complete so far and a few others in the works. The first was an extremely detailed landscape. It is a private commission of a photo of the clients lake from their dock and boat house. Here you see the original photo and then the finished art piece. Secondly I finally completely my tumbling blocks from a class I took months ago. It is so gratifying to complete the last few inches of binding. Now I'm off to muddle together a whole bunch of my favourite Amy Butler fabrics to make some altogether secret things. I'll never tell because Christmas is just around the corner.

Pass the sugar, Sugar!

2010-11-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you seem to be working so hard, things are flowing just fine, and then suddenly it all comes tumbling down and all you can do is break into a fit of laughter? Well today was one of those days for me. I got up nice and early to make healthy lunches and even packaged up a snack of toast, peanut butter, jam and tea for my husband so he could bring his own and not pay for toast and tea at work every morning on his break. All good intentions. I even gave him a tiny container of sugar for his tea which I pinched from our camping supplies.

He phoned me after his coffee break and said, "Are you trying to kill your wonderful husband, or what?" I had no idea what I could have done. It turns out I gave him bread to make toast which was mouldy, and not just the white fuzzy beginnings of mould, but the green blue variety. This also meant his lunch sandwich could be mouldy, which also meant my son's sandwich at school would be suspect. So he tossed the bread and proceeded to make himself a nice cup of tea with his tea bag and sugar from home. Luckily he was sitting alone at the break this morning because he took one sip of his tea with 2 teaspoons of - wait for it - SALT and gagged. Not only was his morning less pleasant due to my irresponsible family care, but I broke into an unstoppable fit of laughter on the phone when he told me all of this. Then, realizing the time, I quickly snapped out of it and whipped together a bologna wrap for my son and slipped over to his school to make the switch before lunch time.

Sometimes I think I'm really putting 'for better or for worse' to the test!!

Creative Child

2010-11-08T06:12:00.000-08:00

I love how children can be so uninhibited and limitless. They just explore and have fun and try things without deciding that they "can't" or "shouldn't" try something new. I was sorting through some old photos of our summer holiday and realized that Gavin had grabbed our camera and taken a bunch of photos while we were golfing. The photos were fantastic including this interesting one of his shadow. Children can be very creative.

O Happy Day!

2010-11-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

We are having a very uncharacteristically gorgeous fall in Winnipeg. The temperature hit 12 degrees today and normally we have had our first snow by Halloween. I have vivid memories as a child donning my full snow suit and boots and being stuffed into a Halloween costume. Never very fairy-like in the end. The unnecessary kindness of Mother Nature has thrown me off kilter slightly because I already made the closet switch from summer to winter clothes.

So with this great weather today we embarked on a family bike ride. My notion of a great ride is a little jaunt around the block. My husband's notion of a great ride had us collapsing with exhaustion in the front yard 3 hours after we had set out. I have to admit it was one the best family days we've had in weeks.

Art Opening Success

2010-11-05T08:35:00.001-07:00

Everyone has a different definition for success. Mine has everything to do with family, friends and just surrounding myself with good good people. I was overwhelmed by the show of support last night at the Woodlands gallery for my very first Art Opening! I was thrilled to share my passion with so many people. Friends, family, classmates and even strangers made a special effort to attend and they expressed a genuine interest in my art. The owner, Jenny Tasker and her team, did a fabulous job with display, advertising and welcoming everyone to the gallery. Thank you to everyone involved for showing your support.

What is a typewriter?

2010-11-03T21:14:00.001-07:00

Growing up with a love of writing, my first typewriter was really a big deal for me. I practically wore it out through university. The other day my son and I had a conversation that somehow led to the word typewriter. It dawned on me that he may have never even seen one. I asked him if he knew what a typewriter was. This was his answer...

"Yep, I know what that is. It's like a cash register mixed with a computer but it doesn't have a screen and it makes paper with letters all over it."

Being in this world with a child is so refreshing.

Quote - Minister Theresa Oswald

2010-11-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

I've come across many people in my life who aim to do the right things for the right reasons, but few have been so inspiring to me as the Honourable Minister Theresa Oswald. She has heart, she has vigour, she has compassion and she works hard. I admire her sense of family and community and her vision for a better tomorrow. Here is her quote for an 8 year old kid:

"There is no such thing as a dumb question. If you want to know something, dig down to find the courage to be the only one in the group that asks. Be polite, enthusiastic and interested and almost EVERYBODY will appreciate it and take the time to answer. Do this, and you'll be closer and closer to being as smart as you can be...but here's the trick: you'll never actually get to that destination. The journey just continues, as long as you have curiosity and wonder." - Minister Theresa Oswald

Lovely quote - I find when I am brave enough to ask what might seem a silly or obvious question, it was often on everyone's mind and it might even spark the best conversation of the day! Thank you Theresa!

Happy Birthday Gavin!

2010-10-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, ten kids with bows and arrows. Sounds like a recipe for eerie bloodshed fitting the night before Halloween. But it was a bunch of rambunctious boys with a great archery leader and they were safe and had loads of fun. Gavin turned 8 years old this week and the kids were quite impressive hitting the targets and balloons at the archery range for his birthday party. A real highlight of the party was the fabulous hockey cake. It was 24 cupcakes gathered together and iced as a cake with root beer icing. It was so delicious! The boys had 2 cupcakes each and were still asking for more. If you need a fabulous cake for your event check out Rhonda's Cakes. She does everything from fun delicious kids cakes to elaborate designs for any occasion.

Quote - Heather Bishop

2010-10-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

When I started thinking about famous Manitobans a few popped into my head immediately. The usual writers, actors, singers, athletes and politicians. Of course the mayoral candidates were first on my mind with the pending election and Mayor Sam Katz came through with the first quote. That was wonderful.

Most recently I started thinking about famous people who have made a difference in my life personally and Heather Bishop is one of those good, good people. She is an independent Canadian folk singer/songwriter based in Manitoba, as well as a feminist movement leader, an artist and a teacher. She is just a solid, grounded, nice person through and through. Here is her quote for an 8 year old kid.

"Always stop in life and listen to what's in your heart and then follow it. Never fear telling your own truth, for it is your truth and will be yours for your entire life. Remember that you are perfect just as you are. And when you grow up, keep that part of you that is still a little kid very close to you and let that kid out to play as often as you can. Love others but most importantly, love yourself - gently and fully." - Heather Bishop

Thanks Heather...you are pure sweetness.

The Silk Giraffe for Baby Declan

2010-10-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

This adorable baby quilt is one of my favourite private commissions that I have created to date. I made it for a good friend to give as a shower gift and it was such a fun idea. We focussed on the colour scheme and style of the layette that the couple had already purchased for the baby's room and made a quilt that would fit right in. Not only was it fun to make, but it turned out quite nicely and the couple have been giving me rave reviews. They immediately tucked it away to avoid damage or baby goo of any kind and soon decided they wanted it on display on the wall. I added a quick hanging sleeve and now they are all set. They sent me this adorable photo of baby Declan lying on the quilt. Congratulations to Daniel and Leslie and welcome to the world little one!

Sock Puppet!

2010-10-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, I love those wonderful ladies of the Fibre Art Network. I just returned from the most inspiring retreat. I'll be posting thoughts and a few photos over the next few days. When I come back from a wonderful Fibre Art retreat, I've missed my family so much that we often jump deep into a fun project together. Today it was a sock puppet. He is fun, silly and very talkative. Hmmm, sounds just like Gavin. So we had to name Gavin's new sock puppet! I suggested Stinker, but Gavin promised that he wouldn't be a stinky sock because he'd give him a shower every day. He named him Charlie Sock.

Mayor Sam Katz!

2010-10-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Like a hot cup of my favourite mango tea from Organza Market my mind has been brewing with all kinds of fun ideas lately. So getting back to the famous Manitobans giving "Advice for An 8 Year Old Kid," I have received my first response!

I am thrilled to announce that Mayor Sam Katz has submitted his quote, so here it is:

"All of my life my mother showed me that no matter how good I was at something, there was always room for improvement. If I came home with a 90% grade on a test, she'd ask what happened to the other 10%?"
-Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz

I was hopeful, but wondering if I would get any response from famous Manitobans, so this just goes to show me and everyone out there....if you have the courage to put your idea out to the universe, it just may happen!

Thanks Sam!

Amazing Art Quilters for such a good cause

2010-10-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

I just spent the evening at a wonderful quilt exhibition. The art quilts in this exhibit have been created by Canadian fibre artists on the theme of “Turning the Tide. . . One Ripple at a Time”. The art quilts will be auctioned in Victoria in March 2011 and, through the Stephen Lewis Foundation, the proceeds will assist in supporting grandmothers in Africa caring for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The speaker Maria Box has a heartwarming story and some amazing talent. She uses second hand clothing to make everything from flowers to whales and people. She shared many of her interesting techniques and inspired us all. Here's a photo of one of the amazing pieces of art in the show.

Manitoban famous athletes

2010-10-12T21:03:00.001-07:00

I just received 2 entries for famous Manitobans... Jonathan Toews and John Montgomery. Excellent choices!

I checked out Jonathan Toews on wikipedia and his hockey career is most impressive. I'd love to see what bit of advice he has for an 8 year old.

Jon Montgomery is of course the Manitoban skeleton racer winning gold at the 2010 Olympics. A hard-core Canadian for sure.

Send me more....

Famous Manitobans!

2010-10-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I have sent out my first 2 queries to the top 2 mayoral candidates. I am very hopeful that they will consider this a positive, lighthearted challenge to come up with a great quote. I have received a "we got your message" reply from the Wasylycia-Leis team saying they have sent the message to her, so that sounds positive.

I have also received a few suggestions of famous Manitobans to try. Among them are Lynn Johnston the cartoonist (For Better or Worse) but it turns out she is from BC and then Ontario, so not a Manitoban. I've also decided to contact Theresa Oswald the Minister of Health because she is brilliant and wonderful, and Heather Bishop, the singer/songwriter and fabulous Manitoba artist.

I can't wait to hear all of your suggestions. Don't be shy! I want your vote for a famous Manitoban. It doesn't have to be all dignified and wonderful. I'm talking famous, not favourite. Perhaps someone who is infamous would contribute a very compelling quote.

Inspiration

2010-10-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking again about that fun idea of accumulating advice for an 8 year old kid. I truly believe people should follow their dreams and live the life they've imagined and I think it would be fun to gather ideas and share them with my son. I gathered quotes from neighbors on my street and got a few good ones. And then I put it out to my friends and family and got a few more. But I'm just not satisfied. Maybe it's too personal for everyone. Maybe these people are feeling too known to me. I've surprised them into silence with my unusual request. Now is the time to go out on a limb and hit the people who have a voice in the community. So, here it is folks...I am now collecting quotes from famous Manitobans on "Advice For an 8 Year Old Kid."

So drop me a comment! I would love to know who is your favorite Manitoban. I have friends in the arts, in music, in education, in politics and more. So please let me know who you'd love to hear a quote from and I'll do my best to track them down and see what they have to say.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stuff my son says!

2010-10-04T22:01:00.000-07:00

I always think I'm so young until my son reminds me otherwise. Today Gavin called his friend but had to leave a message. He told us his friend said he would be home. My husband said, "maybe he's playing outside and they can't hear the phone." Gavin said, "why don't they have the phone with them?" My husband said, "maybe they don't have a portable phone." My son said, "you mean they have the phone with the numbers and the circles that you spin around?" We laughed and explained that it probably wasn't a rotary phone, but that phones used to be attached to the walls and you couldn't walk around with them. He said, "you mean you just stood there?" He thought that was so funny.

Whoa, its been a while!

2010-10-04T21:36:00.001-07:00

Once in a while you come across a person who just does what they love and does it well. Today I saw a hip young singer and pianist perform. Her name is Amber Epp. I only caught a few songs, but she was fabulous. Her voice was sweet and smoky and she really had a fresh new sound swinging from jazz to latin with ease. She has the attitude, the talent and and the happy demeanor that audiences love. If you love jazz, or even if you don't, you should check her out at the Park Theatre in Winnipeg on Oct. 24th. To find out more about Amber Epp check her out online.

'Tis the season for Quilting!

2010-09-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

Acck! Summer is over and its back to school time, but as the leaves fly and winter slowly settles in, there is a warm feeling in a quilter's heart. Quilting season is upon us. Although I've really branched out into the world of fibre art, I still consider myself a quilter at heart. Here's one of my latest creations.
This Damsel Fly is machine quilted over paint and foil. I loved the idea of the detailed wings and body against the out of focus background. It took me months to find the right background fabric, but it worked out perfectly. It is inspired by a beautiful photograph that I found online titled: Male Northern damselfly Coenagrion hastulatum © D.Goddard

Back in action

2010-08-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

I finally have a chance to start blogging again. Summer can get so crazy. Lately, if I've had some extra time, I've been cleaning or organizing for a quiet weekend away with the family. I've been stuck at home (a bit under the weather) so I have done a bit of writing and, of course, played with some fibre arts techniques. I made this floral piece for a good friend's birthday. I tried to follow a store bought pattern, but the leaves and stems were so awkward and contrived looking that I did my own thing. She's just one of those really good people, so she deserved it. She always tells me that if someone dishes you out some SH*%! you just pretend its fluff on the end of your fingers and blow it right back in their face. Ha ha ha! Gotta love her because she is right.

Final quote for an 8 year old kid!

2010-07-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally have to admit to myself that I was more interested in giving my son the gift of interesting quotes than anyone else. It was a fun little ride though. Thank you to the few who did stick their necks out and participate. Some very good quotes came out.

The last quote will be one from me. Good old Mom gets in the last word. I guess its fair since I do love him so!

"If you ever find yourself saying those ever so common words - I'M BORED! just clean up your toys. You'll find you suddenly have oodles to do!" - Mom

I'm serious! When the toy mountain gets out of control in our house we have a giant clean up day. First we set the ground rules:

1. We need a full day because we have to have time to play. You want cleaning up to be fun so leave time to play and give gentle reminders for another round of sorting.
2. Anything that is broken gets tossed.
3. Baby toys are set aside for little cousins.
4. If we can fill a full rubbermaid bin with "no longer my favorite" toys for charity, then we can go to the store to buy one new toy of $25 value.

If you have all of the storage bins labelled "balls, lego, puzzles, cars etc," then you can encourage your child to put one toy away before taking out others. Another fool proof method is our dog who thinks every toy is his chew toy so no toys can ever be left on the floor.

This clean up day ends up being a fun challenge to get rid of the old, clear the clutter and have fun playing with toys that have been buried unseen for ages! My son has learned to deal with broken toys with no tears and he doesn't cling to oldies (except Boomer the gigantic frog of course!) He can let go of a full bin of old toys because it is his choice and it opens the door to one new cool toy. Give it a try. Your kids will love it!

A fibre artist's dream store

2010-07-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

I have taken so many great art classes in surface design, painting and most recently, dyeing fabric. At every class I seem to find some new product that I learn to use and love so I am constantly asking teachers, "where did you order that?" They tell me it's from this distributor, or that website, but one name that stuck out in my head was MAIWA. This was a website that I was going to visit to order some Setacolor paints, some cottons, and some natural dyes.
Today, I was wandering through the shops of Granville Island and came across their shop! I stopped in my tracks. I didn't even know it was a physical store and I had no idea it was there! I was thrilled. I spent an hour perusing through the paints, dyes, wools and fabric and left with my arms full and my pockets empty. I even found some wax to try my hand at batiking. The staff were very friendly and helpful and the store was gorgeously colorful as you can see. If you are ever in the Vancouver area, this store is a must see!

Take a moment

2010-07-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a quote submitted by my dad. It sounds like a famous quote but it may just be because my dad feels famous to me. Or it may be an unknown quote. If you know who wrote it, send me a comment to post. Here it is...
"Don't measure life by the breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away."
It's nice to write this while sitting on a lounge chair on a cool sunny morning looking at the lake and the mountains.

The "SEND" button is so final!

2010-06-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a great quote for me as a quilter, fibre artist and writer. I use this often in my every day life.

"Always check twice before clicking on the SEND button." - Jocelyn

I love this quote because it means so many things to me. If I have a high importance email I may choose to leave it in my drafts overnight. The next day when I reread it, I can tone it down or clear up mistakes before sending. This is sooo important if you are trying to get published.

I also use the similar "measure twice, cut once" adage in quilting. Fabric can be so expensive nowadays, you just can't take a chance. If you do screw up, there are times when you've had the fabric in your stash for so long you can no longer find it.

This quote is also a good reminder for youth lost in the world of spell check and instant messaging. There is almost no need for full words anymore. Once you get into homework assignments and even resumés, you have to be sure your spelling and grammar are spot on. First impressions can get a resumé tossed in the pile.

The cookies in the picture I measured once and cut 120 last year for our Quilting Guild's June Picnic. I didn't have to measure twice because if I made a mistake I could just put it back into a lump of dough and start again. I actually used my long omnigrid quilting ruler to measure before cutting. It worked like a charm!

Thanks Jocé

Quotes, quotes, quotes

2010-06-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

The quotes are coming in! This is such a fun experiment. I love to see which quotes come from which friends or family members and how they relate to our lives. The closest person possible to my life and my son's life of course is my husband Bob. How fitting and caring that he instantly submitted the first quote.

“Dads are always right......unless Mom is around.” – Robert

Thanks handsome! So true. Love that guy!

Guidelines - Advice for An 8 Year Old Kid

2010-06-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Submission guidelines:

1. Please write and send me an original quote of your own that you feel would be useful advice for an 8 year old boy. Here are some samples:

- When it comes to garbage, just take it out. In Haiti volunteers can come in, clear the garbage, build a house for a widow and the next day her tiny yard is filled with garbage again. There isn’t even a garbage service there, or even a single garbage can. – Mom

- Take responsibility for every single toot and say “excuse me!” Moms can tell the difference between a Dad toot, a dog toot and your toot. And it’s not OK to blame a toot on a baby cousin. Trust me on that one. – Mom

2. Please make it your own words. I am not looking for famous quotes or quotes from scripture. And we must be very careful about plagiarism, even if it is accidental. Be sure it is your own words.

3. Your quote can be humorous, silly, serious or a life lesson, but an 8 year old should be able to grasp it. The blog is intended to be a heart-warming and funny blog that an adult or an 8 year old would like to read.

4. I would love to hear from every member of your family including kids. Even quotes from pets would be fun.

5. Your quote can be anywhere from a few words to 200 words, and please know that if the blog is considered for publishing in book form an editor will be involved and there may be word changes.

6. No private information will be written on my blog or in book form except the name that you give to go with your quote. Be sure to attach your pen name to the quote, or it will read – anonymous. If it is a quote from a child please add their age. (eg. Elliot, 9 yrs.)

Be sure to check back to see all of the quote postings and updates. Be sure to sign up to be a follower on my blog so you never miss a quote.

***All quotes should be emailed to brandylynn@shaw.ca and must be given voluntarily and with no expectation of remuneration. There is no obligation to participate. There is no guarantee that I will be able to use every quote, but I’ll try my best. I certainly hope that you all think it is a fun idea and you send me a quote or two. ***

Quote # 8

2010-06-24T10:44:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm sorry to say this is the 8th and final quote from my neighbors. It seems they are a bit shy or reserved to write a quote for Gavin, and the last quote kind of relates to that;

"If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nothin' at all." - Thumper from Bambi

It always surprises me when people say they can't write, or they don't have anything inspiring to say. I truly believe that there is a secret writer hiding inside of everyone just waiting to come out and say what they mean. There were a few brave ones, and I thank them for that! But I've realized over the last few weeks that if I really want to have some fun with this, I have to open it up to a bigger audience. So this week the invitation to submit quotes goes out to my facebook friends and all of cyberspace who are willing to participate. It should be fun! We'll see what happens.

Today I'll finish with my own quote to an 8 year old kid;

"Remember, don't eat food that is blue and fuzzy." - me as I do a green clean of my fridge.

Quote # 7

2010-06-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

This next quote is an excellent one for Gavin because he does so many hilarious little things and we love, love, love to laugh. Note to parent: Do not continue to laugh at your child if he is slightly embarrassed. Sometimes I am laughing so hard that I am squeaking and can't breathe when I realize he is completely silent with a huge frown.

Here is the 3rd and final quote from the wonderful Crow family:

"Laugh and the world laughs with you; frown and you frown alone." - Crow Nesters

I think this is a fresh twist on a familiar quote from E. W. Wilcox if I've searched that out correctly. "Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone. For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth, But has trouble enough of its own."
1883 E. W. Wilcox

Happy Father's Day weekend everyone!

Quote # 6

2010-06-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice dinner yesterday and then we all sat down to try to catch up on some "So You Think You Can Dance." It's the only reality show we are hooked on because it is OK for kids and it is amazingly athletic. Watching the incredible bodies, moves and stamina I start to think I should add an extra day of exercise to my regime each week. My husband and son start talking about having ice cream. I am leaning towards "no" and they are leaning towards "yes." Then comes the clincher. My son offers to make dessert for everyone, by himself. We won't even have to get up. He's so cute, but a smart cookie because he knows he'll get the treat for sure if he makes it. He pulls out the stool, gets the bowls and spoons, pulls out the ice cream and the chocolate chips and sprinkles and scoops it all by himself and puts everything away. As he brings our bowls down one by one he seems to have the 3 bears portions completely opposite. My husband gets one tiny scoop. I get two decent scoops and Gavin's bowl is overflowing. We all have a good laugh and we start to talk about only taking what you can eat and my husband says, "I think there was a quote from Mr. and Mrs. Crow about that very thing!" So here it is:

Take what you want, but eat what you take (from a buffet table.) Eat to live, not live to eat. Balance in eating, sleeping, exercise, studying, socializing and recreation is the key to a healthy life. - Crow Nesters

Quote # 5

2010-06-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

We are on a roller coaster ride. Just when you think it might be over, there's another thrill around the corner. It is so exciting to see the quotes come in. The next one is fitting because my son has gorgeous curly hair, but wants to get it all cut off for the summer. I don't blame him because he is adorably cute with the curls and he looks like a cool little man after every hair cut. Cool is better according to a 7 year old. Here is quote # 5:

"If you get a "buzz cut" be prepared for people to pat the peach fuzz left on your head. - Crow Nesters

Quote # 4

2010-06-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

I am just a big kid. There is no question about that. The reason I say that is because every once in a while, my son has a reaction or exclamation and my husband looks directly at me and says, "I wonder where he gets that from?" I have the same silly expressions, exaggerations and defiant looks as my son. Exactly. We even react to injury or defeat in the same way. I was reminded of this after reading the 4th quote from my neighbor Mary. I am saddened to say this is her last quote and I haven't received a single other quote from the neighbors, but I'm still clinging to the hope that I'll have a stuffed mailbox tomorrow.

"The only difference between you and an adult is experience - and size!" Mary @ 59

Thanks Mary! Your quotes were wonderful!

Quote # 3

2010-06-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

One of the most wonderful things I have experienced as a parent is to see my son succeed at a task when I was tempted to walk him through it or hold his hand. I wrap myself in a huge blanket of patience and just peek out to see how he's doing. On his own he is perfectly capable of trying, failing, learning and then - success! The satisfaction is much deeper and clearer for him when he figures it out for himself. Here is Mary's 3rd quote of 4.

"Never fear a mistake. If it teaches a lesson, the mistake will go away." - Mary @ 59

Come on neighbors! If you are checking out my blog to see whether you want to participate, just do it! I am having so much fun and it is such a lighthearted project with really no risk at all. I would love to hear the whimsical, serious and soft side of everyone on the street. How often have you ever felt the need to dole out unsolicited advice? Well, here's your chance because I'm asking for it. I'm hoping for a mailbox stuffed with inspirations.

Quote #2

2010-06-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

This next quote really hits home for me and those of you who have been following my blog will see that instantly. It is about following your dreams. Practically everything I blog about is following my dreams. It's about surrounding yourself with people and things that inspire you and following your passion. The amazing thing is that this neighbor has no computer, hasn't read my blog, and I think we've only met once about 6 years ago. So that just shows that following your dreams is a universal bit of advice.
"Dreams have no boundaries. Whatever you really love to do - follow it thru, the outcome may amaze you." - Mary @ 59

Thank you neighbors. Keep those quotes coming!

Advice for an 8 Year Old Kid

2010-06-09T19:16:00.001-07:00

I have never been so eager to receive mail in my life! I guess it's partly because my son is involved and I want this little project to be successful for him. Every day since we delivered the letters we have eagerly checked the mailbox and today was the day!
My plan is to spread words of inspiration out my door, down my street, into cyberspace, and to also be inspiring to my son because he inspires me so. So I came up with an idea. I sent out letters to all of my neighbors asking them to send me their own original quotes from any members of their family for me to display on my blog. The blog is called:
Advice for an 8 Year Old Kid: The Neighbors of Royal Salinger Road
Today I was thrilled to slowly pull the mail from the mailbox and see one of the envelopes I had sent out politely re-stuffed with a response. Hooray! This is so exciting! I am grinning ear to ear. Not only was she the first neighbor to step up to the plate, but she commented on how "novel" my idea was and she submitted 4 wonderful quotes. I will blog about one quote per day. So today I officially launch the first neighborly quote.

"The best way to feel better when you're sad is to help someone, start with your mom or dad." - Mary @ 59

Now, my son is sound asleep of course. But this one single sentence tells me that Mary is pure sweetness and I can't wait to share this quote with Gavin tomorrow. Thank you Mary!

The most thougthful gift

2010-06-05T22:56:00.000-07:00

Well it is 1:00 a.m. and I am just about to finally crawl into bed. My entire family is sound asleep. I realized today that I have not sewn a thing since Mother's Day! This was the first time I got to enjoy my new chair which was a Mother's Day gift. It is a very snazzy looking chair as you can see from the photo, and it is also extremely comfortable. I usually realize it's time for bed when my neck or back get tired, but with this chair I could sew all night. I can't believe I used to sit for hours on that hard wooden kitchen chair. What was I thinking? I actually stopped sewing today because the buzzer went on the clothes dryer and scared the pants off me. But I did manage to whip up a quick sample pillow for the kids' class I'll be teaching this summer. And I also did a quick mini landscape featuring a few different types of stitches. I'll be teaching that to kids too. It should be so much fun! I'll post some photos of those samples tomorrow. Night night.

New idea!

2010-06-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed the movie Julie and Julia which was all about self exploration, food and some life changing blogging and I have also been hooked lately on a great blog called Things My Dad Said. You have to check it out to see what I mean. It is hilarious.
So I got to thinking about the reasons I love to blog. I determined that I love to blog because it allows me to write about the big things and the little things that inspire me every day. It also puts me to bed each night on a good note. I realized that the person that tends to inspire me most is my son. And the thing that inspires me most is that he lives in the moment. So I started to contemplate how I can blog in a way that spreads words of inspiration out my door, down my street, into cyberspace, and that could also be inspiring to my son because he inspires me so.
I came up with a brilliant plan (moo haa haa) that includes the 61 neighbors on my street. My fingers are littered with paper cuts and my printer ran out of ink, but Gavin and I had a whole bunch of fun hauling the wagon and the dog today going door to door delivering letters.
Keep watching my blog! I'll tell you more about it when I get the first response from a neighbor. I can't wait!

You are absolutely invited!

2010-06-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

The show is open! I announced on my blog 2 weeks ago that I now have representation for my fibre art landscape series in the Woodlands gallery. To get a preview of all 17 pieces check out the gallery's website and click on Gallery Artists. You can also view her blog for the announcement on May 27th. For a live viewing, stop by the Woodlands Gallery at 535 Academy Road in Winnipeg.
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday to Friday 10:00 am – 5:30 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday & Monday – Closed
Your only limits are the ones you choose!

Before and After

2010-05-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

Once in a while as a parent I find myself getting into the habit of saying "no" before I even understand what my son is asking for. But it's really not that important that his clothes stay clean or his feet stay dry. Sometimes you just have to have fun and explore the world. These photos are the before and after of a 90 minute adventure scrambling over rocks along the shore of very shallow, but very cool lake water. At first I warned him not to step in water deeper than the top of his boots, but once he did the fun factor skyrocketed by 100%. Love that kid!

May Long Weekend Camping

2010-05-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better for this writer's heart than to toss herself into a world of pure family secondment. An escape from reality. A way to live in the now. For my family that is camping. And I don't mean car camping or campground camping. I mean deep woods canoeing and camping. Everywhere we look, there is something new and wonderful to just feel and see. Ten different bugs, the colors of rocks, the leaves and pine needles, a water filled boot, a fish hooked in the eye, the dog's bug bit lip, our first wood tick, the comfy down sleeping bag, a lightning storm at night, the burnt lost marshmallow, and a cool piece of driftwood. Even though we've seen it all before, it's like a brand new experience every summer. The highlights of this trip were:
# 1 Gavin having to wear the same clothes for 2 days because only his bag got soaked in the overnight thunderstorm. He was just thrilled to be his filthy little self but he never did stay too dirty because he actually swam both days in the freezing lake. Brrrr!
# 2 Cooking corn on the cob over an open fire for the first time. Maybe because it took 20 min. to cook, but it was the best corn we've ever tasted.
# 3 Forgetting the big marshmallows and watching the boys try to roast the mini hot chocolate marshmallows. Gavin called it the Harry Potter technique because Daddy was dipping the marshmallow and stick like a wand into the fire for one second at a time. After about 6 dips it was perfectly magically browned.
Happiness is camping!

2010-05-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I think it is time for a bit of an overhaul of my website. I've had it up and running since September of 2009 and I've only made a few small changes here and there. So now I'm going to take the next week to review every aspect of it and spiff it up a bit. I can't wait to add the new info about the Woodlands Gallery. I'm also going to organize my web gallery into works for sale, and an archive of sold pieces, private commissions and family collection. I'll also remove the patterns. I had such high hopes of creating all kinds of patterns, but I've found that every time I make something I just move on to the next piece instead of making patterns. If you have any comments or suggestions about my website and its navigation or flow, please send me a note through the blog comments. I'm always open to new ideas. This fibre art landscape brings a smile to my face because I was just inspired by buttons that day and it worked so well with the frayed linen behind it. It is also the first fibre art piece I ever sold. I think I hugged that poor fella. He never saw it coming.

Tracking Triple Seven - A Novel

2010-05-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic book! I read this young adult novel by Jamie Bastedo over the last few days on a recommendation from a YA Fiction teacher named Anita Daher whom I met last week at the School of Writing at the CMU. She also has her own book that I love for teens called Spider's Song. We had a discussion about writing a book with two protagonists, one a human and the other an animal. She recommended Tracking Triple Seven and it was a lightning fast read. I was so pulled by the adventure that I could hardly put it down. It followed a tale of a young boy, the son of a diamond mine owner and a grizzly bear mother fiercely protecting her tiny cubs. Keep in mind it is a fiction for teens, but it was very engaging, especially if you want to write in that genre.

Woodlands Gallery!

2010-05-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Wish it, dream it, do it.
This saying is on the wall in my studio.
Your only limits are the ones you choose.
This saying is on my business card.
I truly believe that you need to surround yourself with good people in order to be a good person yourself. I spent some time with one of those good people today at the Woodlands Gallery. I am so excited to announce that today I signed the papers with Gallery Owner Jenny Tasker to have my fibre art displayed in her gallery. A real gallery. A major gallery. For me, this is a dream come true.

Poetry Writing Workshop

2010-05-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well, my wonderful week of learning and writing is over and although the term "life changing" is grossly overused, I have to say that I savored every moment and my writing will never be the same. I am about to start the journey of my book. And even though I am excited, inspired and brimming with ideas, I will never speak of the genre or content of this book on my blog until it is firmly in the hands of some unknown but brilliant publisher because they chose me. To all of my classmates, it's been a wonderful experience! And to Barbara Nickel, you are pure sweetness!

Quote of the day

2010-05-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

I have the most brilliant poetry teacher for this weeklong workshop. Today she gave me some one on one advice on a poem I wrote. She said the imagery and line breaks were there, but it left her wanting so much more. She was not getting enough info to clearly get my message. She wanted to know what I was hiding and who I was hiding it from. The quote of the day from her is "Write what you know. Be completely honest. Write as if the person you are writing about is never going to read it." This was the best day of class yet.

Poetry - Show Don't Tell

2010-05-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a little piece that I wrote for an exercise from yesterday. We were challenged to write a poem comprised of a list of things.

OFFICE SPACE

A painted stone,
a watercolor print,
a pin up sign
bought in a vengeful moment.

Listen beneath the surface,
peace and quiet,
what goes around comes around...
fleeting moments
of self assuredness.

This poem went over quite well in class, but the teacher felt perhaps the first stanza could stand alone. Classmates offered that the sayings in the 2nd stanza may be too much and I could show what the items were rather than tell. The teacher said the reader is left wanting with only the first stanza so showing more could work. I love this class.

1st place!

2010-05-10T20:39:00.001-07:00

Although I was planning to take a brief break from blogging for this week long writing course, I received some wonderful news yesterday. I won First Place in the art challenge for the Beausejour Quilt Show. I was thrilled. It's hard to believe that something you love and are so passionate about can appeal to other people. It's a bit surreal. So here's another picture of the quilt that won (I've posted the photo to sketch to quilt before) and here is a link to the Common Threads website with the announcement. By the way, the first day of my poetry writing course has been amazing. The teacher/poet Barbara Nickel and the students in the class are so inspiring. There is a lot of talent there. I wrote 3 full poems in 2 hours during an afternoon break. It was fabulous!

Day 42 of 42

2010-05-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

It is unbelievable that 42 days of blogging are over. Just like that. Wow. It went so fast! No worries though, I am still going to write often. I've really become accustomed to it. I have really enjoyed the challenge of writing every day until my writing course. It starts tomorrow. Blogging every day has inspired me to get things done and also to end the day on a good note. I thought at the beginning that I would run out of ideas to write about, but what really happened was that I had too many ideas and had to choose my favorites. And what a great day to end on because it is Mother's Day. I had a wonderful day today! My boys are so sweet. Gavin and Bob surprised me this morning with a lovely breakfast of waffles with berries and whipped cream. It was delicious. Then they took me down to my studio where they gave me a beautiful new chair for my sewing desk and a cycling back pack as well as garden gloves and a hard case for my sewing machine. I am so spoiled! Later, we hosted a wonderful dinner for our 2 moms and everyone had a really nice time. In the photo my mom-in-law Helen is on the left, my mom, Barbara is on the right, and that is Gavin peeking in from behind. They both loved their gifts and of course I loved mine too! Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful moms who actually take the time to check out my blog and thanks to my dad, brother, grandpa, and Geoffrey who also wished me a happy Mother's Day. Cheers!

Day 41 of 42

2010-05-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today I went to a lovely little quilt show in Beausejour with my mother-in-law Helen. I love this show for its variety. There were art quilts, decorative quilts, bed quilts and challenge quilts ranging from machine stitched to entirely hand pieced and quilted. It was a great show with tea and brunch and fabulous prize draws. My friend Melissa Marginet, in the photo on the right, runs that show as well as the local quilt group. She also works, runs her new website, which is an excellent resource for quilters, is the photographer for the Manitoba Prairie Quilters and an has an art quilt group. It's mind boggling how she gets it all done. On top of that she has an adorable little grandson. I am part of her art group, but I am not usually able to drive an hour to Beausejour for the meetings, so she gladly sends me the challenges. I completed 7 mini challenges for this show which were sew fun! They were on display with all of the other fantastic challenges. There is a lot of wonderful talent in Beausejour. What a great way to spend a Saturday on the Mother's Day weekend. I can't wait to host a special Mother's Day dinner tomorrow.

Day 40 of 42

2010-05-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hooray! I am officially on holidays for a week. Although, I am taking a one week course, which will be pure pleasure because I love writing and reading poetry and that is what it's all about. The best part about my Mother's Day weekend so far... my son just handed me a penguin that he made just for me moment's ago. Man, I love that kid!
Here's a poem about clay...

Work it, squish it roll it
what will I make today?
I can build a sail boat
drifting through the bay.

Mixing all the colors
piece by little piece.
I can build a skyline
filled with flying geese.

My imagination
is growing every day.
The greatest part of building
is giving it away!

Day 39 of 42

2010-05-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Hooray! I have completed all of the challenges for the Beausejour quilt show and they are registered and hung for display. I think it will be a very nice show. The group out there hosts a bunch of wonderful quilters.

I just got home from a marathon of sewing. My friend Meredith is in the picture with me holding up one of many rag quilts that we quilted tonight from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. If you are interested in hosting a quilting for charity evening in your community, feel free to contact me and I'll give you some tips on how to get started. These twin sized scrappy flannel quilts are perfect for teenagers who are sick or need an extended stay in the hospital.

Day 38 of 42

2010-05-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

I tried the coolest new product today called Texture Magic. I am just finishing up the last of the small fibre art challenges for the Beausejour show this weekend and I was just missing the texture challenge. You basically place the Texture Magic on the wrong side of the fabric and sew them together. You can quilt squiggly lines or whatever. The tighter the sewing, the more textured it becomes. Then you steam without touching the Texture Magic and it shrinks pulling the fabric for a cool effect. Also, notice the small line of glue. That will be for a touch of copper foil which will draw out the copper color in the textured fabric. If I can bind this tonight, I'll be done!

Day 37 of 42

2010-05-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

OK, no new fibre art to speak of today except I am madly beading to get ready for the show this weekend in Beausejour. So I'll post a little poem from random words. I am going to ask my husband for 5 random words...I should have known he'd try to stump me with awkward man words.
FISH CATCH GRIND HOSE TRACTOR

first CATCH
thin shimmering scales
tiny and delicate
drying to a thin clear cement
where the HOSE missed

it would take a TRACTOR
to pull that pup all paws in the lake
from his frozen stance
glare towering over
the chain latched FISH

the stone GROUND knife glistens
a light handsome whistle drifts
on a breeze to the cottage
to the crumbs and spice
and softened garlic butter

I love you honey! Thanks for the 5 words. I can't wait for the first fresh catch of the season!

Day 36 of 42

2010-05-03T20:31:00.001-07:00

I had such a great time at the Artisan Market at Fort Whyte Alive this weekend. I saw some of my favorite fibre artists including, Heidi Hunter with her gorgeous sun printed silk scarves and pillows, Pat Findlay with her beautiful beading and embellishments on quilts, and an incredible needle felter named Linda Glowacki. There were beads, buttons, pottery, glass art and more. It was a feast for a fibre artist. One highlight was meeting an artist named Karen Fuhr. I purchased one of her rocks that I cherish back in 2007 from a little shop in The Forks Market. It says "Listen beneath the surface." I have it on my desk at work in front of my computer. To me this means sit, calm myself, decide that other people's problems are not my emergency, think about my goals and what means a lot to me, and then get on with the day. I move the rock aside for the day and then clean my desk and set it back in place at the end of each day. I'm not sure how I got into that habit or why I fell in love with this "calming" rock, but it adds a wonderful little moment to my day. Thanks Karen! It was so nice to meet you.

Day 35 of 42

2010-05-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

Our house sounds like the deep dark spooky woods tonight. We have this adorable little lizard in an aquarium that we got our son for his 5th birthday. His name is Bowser and he is an Australian Bearded Dragon. My son loves him and feeds him and helps out where he can to make sure he is taken care of. I don't mind cutting up lettuce and veggies for him every day, but I'm not too fond of the worms and crickets. We have discovered a few things about crickets. If you buy them at 4 weeks old, they are nice and quiet. If you buy them at 5 weeks old, they can chirp. Chirping is not good. The problem is, the older ones are easier to catch than the young ones. So if we buy the young ones and Bowser can't catch them all, they hide and grow and then chirp. Hence the forest sounds tonight as we try to fall asleep.

Day 34 of 42

2010-05-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is the first lined, pocketed bag I've every made and I love it! It was a challenge from the Manitoba Prairie Quilter's President. The former President brought home loads of gorgeous fabrics from her trip to Africa. They cut them all up into kits and challenged members to make any kind of bag. They were then donated and sold at the Quilt Show Boutique to raise money for the guild. I was thrilled during the show to hear from quilt friends that there was quite a buzz about my bag. Several people were asking about purchasing the bag I made. Then later I found out it was my mother, my mother-in-law, and also my cousin Laura! I laughed out loud. They really love me. It finally went to my cousin Laura. Thanks Laura! You are a sweetie!

Day 33 of 42

2010-04-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to do another little writing exercise. This one is for my friend Josie who has started following my blog and she is a fellow writer. We had a nice dinner together last week and she reminded me of this fun little exercise. You take some random words and use them in a poem or write some quick flash fiction. It's very fun.
CLOUDS COLORFUL STUBBORN RECALL CRUST
If I close my eyes my dreams come true. I can see the last thread pulling through the fabric or the glory of a new found color scheme. I can feel my face cheek to cheek with a true friend at my solo art show. I can touch the pages of my manuscript in a rush of negotiation with a brilliant editor. Simply put, eyes closed, I can see my life in perfect detail. I can even RECALL what life was like before I broke away. I look back and see a thick CRUST of weary people with STUBBORN rules and CLOUDS of misinformation. With my eyes closed, they are gone to me like a nudge of the central vacuum lever and the kitchen dust is sucked away. But for now, eyes open, no matter how COLORFUL I paint the handcuffs, they are still golden handcuffs.

Day 32 of 42

2010-04-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, it seems like I just started this 42 day writing spree a few days ago and here I am with just over a week left! Today I got the notion that I should review why I started all of this. Once I got accepted into the poetry course I decided that I should write every day up until the course starts because a writer should write every day. Whether its 20 words or 200, I wanted to write about something that inspires me. I also wanted to do one fibre art technique or project each week and I've overdone that because of the quilt show and the little challenges I've been doing. So I am feeling quite accomplished at the moment. But there is a little something missing. Rather than just blogging today I think I'll write a little poem because, after all, the course is a poetry course. The poem will be inspired by the book club book I chose for today because I was the host. (the last straggler just left) The book is called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon. The book was fantastic. Everyone should read it.

There's no rhetoric, no sarcasm, no joking
in my life
except for those around me.
I see you laughing.
The dead air squeezes my throat
and I moan loudly,
so you stop.
I don't understand.
I don't give you what you need.
You have blinked 7 times in 2 seconds.

Everyone really should read this book. It is a light, refreshing, easy read and it gives you a perspective on life that makes you appreciate your own existence right down to the core.

Day 31 of 42

2010-04-28T18:33:00.001-07:00

Yikes, my attempts at beading have been a disaster. I keep pulling them all out because it just looks like I've spilled beads all over the art piece. I thought a sporadic pattern might be funky but there's no rhyme or reason. Who knew that just buying an immense amount of beads and building up an awesome collection didn't automatically make you an expert beader? Helen Keller said "We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough," so I'm going to try, try again and also get some help from some friends who are brilliant beaders. My first lesson will be on Monday. Here are a few of the latest beads that have been inspiring me.

Day 30 of 42

2010-04-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

This piece was a very liberating experience. You just play with the colors and design and then fuse fuse fuse, which I love to do. It was so fun. My friend Anne Marie taught this technique on how to use Lutrador to make a forest landscape quilt. The Lutrador is kind of a thick stabilizer that you can fuse and sew the fabric onto. But you can also paint it, stitch it, and cut it into applique pieces. It's very slick and easy. I had so much fun crazy stitching all over this thing. I think it turned out to be very proportional and it was nice to try the organza for the path because I often avoid that fabric. It adds a great visual texture to the piece. I'm still planning to fill in all of the lower brush, ground cover and flowers.

Day 29 of 42

2010-04-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

I just heard about a wonderful Mom named Kathy who received a quilt in the hospital for her tiny preemie son 9 months ago and was inspired to make quilts for other children in the same situation. As the coordinator of the ABC Quilts program for my local quilt guild, I find these stories so heartwarming. There is nothing so rewarding in life as to provide comfort to a child. If you would like to help out Kathy in her project, you can email her at magnoliadesigns@shaw.ca. She is hoping to accumulate enough fabric and batting to make 12 quilts.
If you love how it feels to donate a quilt and you want to continue to make donations in the future, you can send an email to brandylynn@shaw.ca. The ABC Quilt program in Manitoba aims to provide a sense of comfort and community to adults, babies and children in hospitals, shelters, and other social service agencies. Our program provides a rewarding volunteer opportunity for quilters which clearly benefits those in need. ABC quilts represent the caring, generous spirit of the members of the Manitoba Prairie Quilters. We donate up to 800 quilts per year to those in need and we welcome support from generous quilters worldwide. If you need support on opening a Quilt donation program in your local area, send me an email. I'd love to chat. I applaud the generosity of quilters like Kathy who are so busy with young children at home and still take the time to give back to the community.

Day 28 of 42

2010-04-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

I did a lot of work on my bead challenge today, although there is not a single bead on it yet. I am posting that instead of my forest landscape because the base quilted piece is finished and ready for beaded embellishments and I wanted to show you the before and after. So this is the before of the bead challenge. I'll post the forest landscape after I stitch it a bit more and finish the edges. I basically sketched the design, picked a fabulous batik fabric and then stitched away. I thought it was a bit thin after the first line of design was stitched so I stitched the entire thing again and with the circles I stitched a few layers to make it look thicker and the effect was great.

Day 27 of 42

2010-04-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

I am blogging for the first time from my iPhone so this will be short and sweet. I took a fantastic class this morning on how to use lutrador to make a forest landscape. It turned out quite nicely. I'll post a picture tomorrow. Sometimes life is sew nice!

Day 26 of 42

2010-04-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ha ha ha, this picture is so funny! I was totally caught sluffing off! My father in law snapped this shot at the MPQ Quilt Reflections show during the Thursday night set up. We were all working our buns off and there was a small break while the ladies in charge sorted out where the last few quilts were going to hang. He laughed so hard when he came around the corner and saw me resting my duff on step ladder. He pulled out his camera but I was too lazy to move, plus my butt was wedged in the ladder. So I knew this picture was coming, and here it is! The next day I could barely move my fingers from pinning quilts. Thanks Geoffrey!

Day 25 of 42

2010-04-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Near the beginning of these 42 days I said I wanted to do one little art quilt or technique each week. I have been doing tons of sewing, but not necessarily posting one challenge per week. It's mostly been for the quilt show and private commissions. I have done all of the little art challenges for the May show except for texture and beads. I made a little quilt last October called "Berry Bliss." I'll submit that one for the texture quilt to save a bit of time and hunker down to make a nice little bead challenge quilt for the last one. Here's a reminder of Berry Bliss. also, this weekend I'll be taking a forest landscape art class which should be very fun. It includes a lot of organza which I haven't worked with much.

Day 24 of 42

2010-04-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

As a member of my local quilting guild, I am now the Coordinator of a program called ABC Quilts. I was so inspired by Vivian who has been running it for over 20 years that I offered to take it over when she was done. I know it will be a lot of work. I view this new challenge as something that is bigger than me but it just suits me perfectly. I have my own line of baby blankets that I sell on my website. They were inspired by my great grandmother who made blankets for me and my brother which I still cherish. I have always wanted to do that in a big enough way that part of the proceeds would go to charity. Now that I am running the ABC Quilts, I am able to be a part of something that I really believe in and that is to provide comfort for those in need. This is a photo of my son about 5 years ago wrapped in the baby blanket that my great grandmother made for me. It's pretty much my favorite picture on earth.

Day 23 of 42

2010-04-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today I had no time to sew unfortunately because I had to work so late. But on the bright side, because that is what this blog is about, on my way home I saw the largest Jack Rabbit I have ever seen in my life. He had to be over 2 feet tall with huge back legs and huge ears. I also saw the largest double semi trailer I have ever seen in my life, which is only a thrill if you have a 7 year old boy to report that too. Other than that, today was rather uneventful. I had one interesting conversation about the new chips in credit cards for protection. I think that chip would be better if it was embedded in my arm just above my bicep so that every time I overspend I get the excruciating sensation that someone just gave me a charlie horse. That would work for me.

Day 22 of 42

2010-04-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

Hey, I have crossed the halfway mark of 42 days of blogging. It has been very rewarding because I have been so motivated to complete tasks, and I've ended every single day with a positive thought. Today I'll share a fun idea I've been fooling around with. I call it From Photo to Sketch to Quilt. I have taken so many wonderful photos in our years of deep woods camping ranging from northern lights, to dew dripping spider webs and everything in between. So I've taken some of my favorite shots and figured out some processes to turn them in to art quilts. One such process is turning the photo into a cutout sketch and then cutting it out of fabric. The three photos are the sequence of actual photo, sketch pencil drawing and then quilted piece. Can you believe I found that background fabric!? It is very fun to do and very rewarding as you can see.

Day 21 of 42

2010-04-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

This is the first day that Gavin finally gets to sleep with his froggy quilt! He has been waiting so patiently for soooo long. So he's just loving it! He saw it all through the stages of the paper pieced frogs, the blocks, the pieced top, and then finally the quilted frogs. Then he had to wait to use it until after the quilt show. He was cute at the show because he found all of my quilts and all of Babcia's and we had to vote for viewer's choice. We walked through the entire show and he picked an adorable little Halloween quilt. I jokingly asked him "Why didn't you pick your froggy quilt that I made especially for you to go with Boomer?"(that's a gigantic frog that he sleeps with) and he said, "Why would I vote for that quilt? It's already mine." Then of course, I had to go on and explain to him that voting for something doesn't mean you get to keep it. I think he thought it was kind of like an auction. Well, here's a quick snapshot of Gavin with Boomer and the first night sleeping with the Froggy quilt.

Day 20 of 42

2010-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well, we pulled it off! I did not breathe a word of my dad's 60th birthday bash on my blog for the last month that we have been planning it! He had no idea! He was invited to golf this beautiful morning as usual and we all came out to set up in the hall near his house. We had a delicious catered meal, games for kids and adults, a silent auction and plenty of friends and family. Around sixty people actually. It was so nice to see his face come around the corner. All of his grandchildren raced over to him and nearly knocked him over. We are so happy to have such a wonderful Dad and he truly looked surprised and immensely touched. The funniest plan of the evening was the silent auction, because he has this silly knack for winning something at every auction he puts tickets in. So we rigged it up so anyone could win the first two prizes, but then Dad wins the next 4 in a row. So he wins the 3rd prize and everyone cheers because the birthday boy won. Then he wins the 4th prize and he is almost embarrassed and says to draw again, but we insist he takes it. Then he wins the 5th prize and he starts to realize that it is rigged. Finally he wins the last prize which was a box for small donations from the guests to go towards golf clubs to keep down south. Everyone was in on it and we really got him good. Thanks to all of our wonderful friends and family who came out in droves to have some fun and wish him a happy 60th. Cheers! I love you Dad!

Day 19 of 42

2010-04-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

I just got home from my monthly quilt guild meeting which was a buzz of excitement still left over from our big quilt show this past weekend. They announced who had won the viewer's choice and the vendor's choice etc. which we had all heard at the show. But then they announced a few other awards that hadn't been decided at the show. I was completely surprised and thrilled to receive a rosette for the Quilt Reflections 2010 Quilt Challenge Award. My auction piece won for Best Contemporary Work. I am so honored and flattered. I was speechless. Thank goodness they just invited me up to accept it and smile and I didn't have to speak. It is a wonderful feeling. Maybe I really am pursuing my dream of being a writer and fibre artist...for real.

Day 18 of 42

2010-04-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

This evening was so fun! My son and I went on a special date night, just the 2 of us. We got all dressed nice and went to a fantastic art opening at the Woodlands Gallery. Gavin even put some product in his hair. He's so adorable. We strolled through the gallery, enjoyed dainties and wine (or juice) and chose our favorites. I absolutely love the style and colour. Although there are many artists represented, the work just seems to flow through the gallery. Gavin loved the shiny glazed parts of Melan's work. I am head over heels for Angela Morgan and I was gushing to Jenny, the gallery owner how, as a quilter, I would just love it if Angela would transform the colors and patterns in her art into a line of fabric. She would rock the quilting world. Gavin also loved the dog in Robert Roy's hockey piece. If you want to check out some of the fantastic artists I just mentioned, check out the gallery's website at www.woodlandsgallery.com

Day 17 of 42

2010-04-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

What has inspired me today? Sometimes you just have that slow crummy day. But then I think about anything cute that my son may have done and I'm all good again. Today we played soccer in the backyard from right after supper until his bedtime. He can just play soccer for hours. Sometimes he has a swing and a miss when he's shooting the ball and he just collapses into a pile of giggles. That's my boy! Just enjoying life. After one such fit of giggles, we were lying there on the grass looking at the sky and we could not believe how fast the clouds were moving. It was a hot sunny day today, but later in the evening the storm clouds were rolling in. In my son's words, "Whoa, that was wicked!"

Day 16 of 42

2010-04-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hooray, I worked my butt off and finished a private commission baby quilt for a good friend. I can't post the actual photo of the entire design because it is a gift for her friend, but this is a sly little side shot of one part of it before it was quilted. It turned out very nicely. Now I'm off to do a bit of research on prospective publishers for my picture book. It may be a long shot, but it's worth a shot.

Day 15 of 42

2010-04-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

That whirlwind weekend is over. I just love, love, love the quilt show weekends. Now I am left so inspired. I met so many wonderful people and saw so many amazing quilts. I am so pleased and honored that my charity quilt garnished a sweet $150 for charity. Thank you to everyone who placed a bid. I am so touched. I am thrilled to be hooked up with a new art quilt group called Ravenesque. They get together monthly and share ideas, try new techniques and show and tell. It'll be so much fun. For now I have 3 challenges left for the Beausejour Show coming up in May. They are all 12" x 12" mini quilts depicting a different idea or technique. So far I have completed the button, the lines, the shapes, and the tree. The next three challenges are visual texture, actual texture, and anything beads! Those will be fun and I'll post them as I go along. For now here's my little tree.

Days 13 and 14 of 42

2010-04-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

Aaaaccck! I missed Saturday. No excuses. I just came home and went to bed. But I did have such a fun day at the quilt show. I was there volunteering and enjoying the show from 9am to 9pm and then a group of us finally went for dinner. We were so hungry and had a fabulous late-night meal and chatted for over an hour. By the time I got home, I just forgot. So, back to the plan... That was day 13 and now it's day 14. It was the last day of the quilt show today so I checked out the vendors one last time, saying goodbye to some friends. There were some great vendors there, but this year my favorite pick goes to THE QUILT PATCH from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. They always have friendly staff, fun in-house designs, immaculate displays and perfect packaging. I bought a little wooden block sign from them that says "Sew far, sew good." It'll be perfect in my studio. I stopped in their quilt shop once driving through Moose Jaw and my son sat and played with the buttons in an old tin tub for 2 hours while I shopped. It was heaven. The picture is Shelley, myself, and Jeanne, the owners. Just good people. I laughed a bit at how shy and modest they were about having their picture taken when I saw the butt shot that my son took of me. Good grief, it looks like I've tried to shove a few bums into those jeans! I am never eating chocolate again!

Day 12 of 42

2010-04-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

There's something that happens inside you when you are inspired. It can be a second take, a moment of disbelief, a feeling of guilt or even just a whimsical feeling that lasts all day. But today I had a feeling that what I do, that is, what I am passionate about, can be more than a hobby. More than a side line to my regular job. It can be more than just a long-lived hope that one day I'll do what I love. Today I was inspired by the trunk show of Pippa Moore and her African quilts. Her amazing story was a heartwarming and very humble account of how to the world she is only one woman, but to those few African women, she is the world. It reminded me of a brief email acquaintance I had last year in quiltmaker and teacher Sharon Pederson. She told me that I should assume that I am a quilt artist and then act as if I already am one. Then I told her she was pure sweetness.

Day 11 of 42

2010-04-08T21:00:00.001-07:00

Phew, that was a long day. Quilt reflections 2010 starts tomorrow and the quilts are hung! My entire body is exhausted right down to the tendons in my fingers from pinning quilts. But the show is going to be fabulous! I cannot believe the variety and beauty of the quilts. And the vendors! I'm gonna be broke. Here's the show info if you happen to be anywhere near Winnipeg:
Quilt Reflections 2010
Friday, April 9th 1:00 - 9:00
Saturday, April 10th 9:00 - 8:00
Sunday, April 11th 9:00 - 5:00

$5 Daily admission or $12/3 day pass
Kids under 12 free

Here's the silly write up of one of the small art quilts I have in the show.

This art quilt piece was inspired by the “Challenge Quilts for Charity.” I enjoyed the curved piecing with black and white and a splash of color so much that I made this second one to complement the color scheme in my guest washroom. I bet my friends and family will love it so much they’ll come running out of the washroom “looking like a fool with their pants on the ground!”

Day 10 of 42

2010-04-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

Kids say the darndest things! My son has reached the age of spelling everything. No longer can we, as adults, secretly spell something in a conversation so that he doesn't catch on. Now rather, we'll be having a heated debate about something adult and Gavin will interrupt and say, "Mom, Dad, stop it! You are scaring the D-O-G! (Its true that our great big dog gets worried when we argue, horse around or if anyone gets hurt and cries. He normally rings a bell to go outside, but he also rings the bell when he's stressed out. It's hilarious.) But back to spelling, Gavin also tries to impress us with spelling rather large words. He will study the milk carton carefully and then announce, "I know how to spell homogenized!" Then he'll read it out loud right off the carton. But we are no fools. The other day Gavin announced at breakfast, "I know how to spell Tropicana!" My husband launched at the orange juice carton and tucked it under his arm and said, "OK, spell it." Gav looked shocked and covered his mouth with his hand as if he was caught. Then he smiled his mischievous little smile and spelled it no problem. We were impressed and praised him, to which he replied, "Aw, it was nothing. I just rememberized it." Love that kid.

Day 9 of 42

2010-04-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

One thing I do really well is have a good laugh at myself. Uncontrollably. Sometimes I laugh so hard that I start squeaking and can't breathe. My husband looks at me with a hint of concern and says, "You just crack yourself up sometimes, don't you?" Well, I had some fun with the Gavin Cityscape art project, but I think it's turned out to be one of those things you just love because your child made it. Except his crayon work is the best part of the piece. I fused and stitched a background to match the crayon skyline which was fun, but there is definitely a reason why I have a professional framer for my quilt art shows. I don't think in the history of the earth that anyone has accidentally made a 1/4 inch matte except for me. I was trying to maximize the art space of the piece and just didn't consider how small I should really go. So now I'm laughing out loud all the way to the fart sack.

Day 8 of 42

2010-04-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

Quick! Take a photo! My studio is momentarily spotless and perfectly organized until 5 minutes from now when I start sewing for the rest of the day. I had one more task which was to label my drawers. My husband pointed out (months ago) that I have green tape on all of my drawers with scribbled letters when I have a perfectly good labeller. But it has been sitting so long that the batteries need charging, so another day (or another month). Finally, all of the cleaning is done and now its time to play. I wanted to challenge myself to a little art quilt once a week and this week's idea was a piece inspired by my son's art. So I'm off to work on that and I'll also try to finish up a friend's baby quilt. Not sure if I could have gotten all of that accomplished today if I wasn't 100% fueled by chocolate, Happy Easter everyone.

Day 7 of 42

2010-04-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well, back on day 3 of this 42 day blogfest I promised myself (and all of cyberspace I guess) that I would have my studio cleared of clutter. That was optimistic. I think I'm only about halfway done but I still have one day left because I get Easter Monday off. I am going to work so hard to finish it tomorrow. So far I have cleared all of the scrappy stuff that was just garbage, and organized my fabric and my thread. I got these great new fat quarter bags that you store on a shelf and then just grab and go when you have a quilting retreat. They are fabulous! I also had an old thread holder that was sitting idle so I filled it up and mounted it on the wall. It looks great! I can't believe how many great colors I have. (I actually have about 3 times that much thread which is a bit ridiculous). I also organized my ABC quilts in bins and caught up on a bit of paperwork. I just started running a program for my local quilting guild called ABC Quilts. The guild members donate their time and fabric by making up to 1000 quilts per year for charity. Its unbelievable actually. The quilts go to local hospitals and organizations to provide comfort for those in need. Well, back to the basement! If I can actually get everything done by lunch tomorrow I'll have a few hours to sew one of my weekly art quilts!

Day 6 of 42

2010-04-03T20:24:00.001-07:00

Again I had a pretty lazy morning. But I'm still feeling inspired lately in general. I made some fresh corn bread with breakfast, but otherwise just puttered around trying to get some things done. My son and I went to a local art studio at noon for an Easter event and had so much fun. We did Pysanka which means we wrote with wax on eggs and dipped them in dye between layers of writing with the wax. It was very cool. The video they showed was very traditional Ukrainian methods and designs. But working with a 7 year old and an open flame, we had fun with circles, squiggles, scribbles and it turned out very nicely. It was very satisfying to warm the final wax coat and rub it off to see how the colors turned out. After that we went to a delicious family dinner and now it's time to prepare for the crazy Easter egg scavenger hunt tomorrow morning. I mean, by going to bed early of course! The Easter Bunny will do the rest!