HAPPY HOGMANAY and HAPPY NEW YEAR.........

I found this cartoon on Facebook. I wish I could give credit to the artist but there was nothing to indicate the source.  

Take care 😀

Merry Christmas.........

 

CQJP 2021........

I did make up four blocks to finish the year out and I did make a start on all of them but then I had the issue with my glasses so....

Now I'm sorta having second thoughts about my original idea too. Also, I think I've lost my CQJP 2021 incentive so I'll put them aside til later.

Here is one partly finished. I don't know whether to fill in the middle or leave it blank?

Take care and keep safe 😀

Technical Difficulties Part Deux.....

 Well!!

My tech support (the son) suggested that I download Google Chrome and use that for Blogger. Lo and behold it worked. I now have an acceptable (to Blogger) "Google" profile so that I can leave comments on other blogs as well as reply to comments on this blog.  It's the same profile I had before but because I'm using a Mac with Safari as my platform there is a disconnect. 

On another technical front. I now have a smart phone. I've never owned a cell phone in my life. I'm not sure I really want one but it's become a necessity with the lack of public phones available these Covid days. 

Take care :) 

Technical Difficulties.......

Hello:) I have been away from blogging for a bit doing other stuff as you do :)

I wasn't doing much sewing anyway because the lens fell out of my good glasses. I did have an old pair from eons ago which I could use and I did for awhile and then guess what? The bridge bit split right in half while I was cleaning the lenses. Drat. Luckily I had another ratty old pair that I could use but threading a needle was not happening. Finally I am getting a brand new pair on Monday. Can't wait.

On another matter.  I'm having trouble with Blogger. I don't seem to be able to leave comments on some blogs. I just changed from a PC to a Mac.  I don't know if that is the source of the problem or not? 

Is anyone else having problems recently?

Take care :)

AT THE PRESENT TIME I CAN'T REPLY TO COMMENTS ON MY BLOG. ONLY IF I GET AN EMAIL NOTIFICATION OF A COMMENT AND THEN BY EMAIL ONLY. 

Stuff.....

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Go get a mammogram. It's worth it .

Made with a design by Jenny of Elefantz for Breast Cancer Awareness

As someone who has had cancer twice...uterine and breast.... I am more than aware that you should get a mammogram at least once a year. In my case twice a year.  

So far no issues in years.....:)

I didn't get tested last year because of Covid but I did finally get a call on August 19th this year to go to a new clinic that they had just opened. In a very weird building. Like a huge factory and absolutely no one about. Kinda spooky. I had my test and went home.

Then I waited. And waited. Covid has delayed a lot of things I guess. Then I got a call to go into the breast clinic at the hospital on September 14th......oh oh. The last time I was there it meant surgery. So with a bit of trepidation I went. 

I was there for three hours. After three mammograms...ouch.... and an ultrasound they sent me home. Usually you get a to see a doctor to give you the results but not this time?

And....I waited to hear the outcome. Nothing. No calls. No letter. I finally had to call my family doctor to get the results. Because he isn't seeing patients in person I had to make a "telephone" appointment for the next week. More waiting.

My poor doctor was upset. He didn't realize that I hadn't heard anything back from the clinic.

So the outcome...two months later....is that I have a benign cyst. The reason for the multiple tests was because they just couldn't get a good enough picture.  The wait was because everyone/someone assumed I had my results.

I feel like I've been holding my breath. Needless to say the stress on me and my family wasn't fair but Covid has changed a lot of how things are dealt with these days I guess. The hospitals are dealing with bigger issues. I know I should have called earlier but the system has always worked in the past and I waited. It took a month to get back to me with my first test results right? No news is good news maybe?

I get to go back in February...lucky me :)

Take care and keep safe.

 

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving.......

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving again. I'll be cooking a turkey as usual with sausage and onion stuffing.This year I'll be using my favourite stuffing bread crumb mix called Paxo. It's so hard to find here and it's been years since I've used it. 

I'm also making a Halloween costume for my granddaughter. Dorothy of Oz. I don't have a pattern so I'm winging it. Hopefully it will turn out okay. 

Take care and keep safe :)

So true.........

 

CQJP 2021......

Here is my block for August and the last of a set of four. I have run out of stuff and out of ideas. 

Once again not a great day to take a picture. 

Here are the four together. I'm not sure what I'll do with them. Uncomfortable cushion covers :)

My next four and final blocks will be saner crazy quilting.

Take care :)

CQJP 2021......

Here is my block for July. Once again I'm using odd stuff to decorate my block. 

Today wasn't a great day to take a pic. We are having a wet cool summer so far. As I sit here thunder is rolling in the background. I used dark turquoise metallic beads but that doesn't show up. 

The pictures down below shows what the centre "flower" originally was in it's past life. It was some type of closure. For what? Not a clue.

In the early 1980's a coworker and good friend was retiring and down sizing. She gave me her button box and a ton a fabric ends and bits and pieces.  Over the years they have all been used for various projects. 

This thing still remains. It's a bit beat up so it was on something used for awhile. The coil piece is broken where it was originally soldered.

The knobby bit is sewn to a surface and then inserted into the ring I think. Makes sense to me. I'd ask my friend but she passed away in 1992.

Any ideas as to what it's for?

Take care 😀

CQJP 2021........

Continuing my theme of Steampunk/Recycled crazy quilting. My June block.

Metal hook fasteners that I no longer have eyes for came in handy. I don't remember why I had the need for such huge hooks. 

The centre piece is made up of toggle closures for bead jewellery such as necklaces and bracelets without the bars.

The shiny gold "rivets" are round head paper fasteners. I finally found a use for three long dark ugly plastic beads. The four silver rings are the tops of some broken plastic buttons.

I am a bit of a hoarder of bits and pieces but as a doll maker and a miniature doll house enthusiast they come in very handy sometimes. 

Take care😀

CQJP 2021.........

I'm still working on the Crazy Quilting Journal Project for 2021. Except I took a wee bit of a detour from my original plan. I realized that I hadn't seen a lot Steampunk themed crazy quilt blocks. I love Steampunk so I thought I'd give it try. I have a lot of cogs and watch pieces and metal stuff that I can use. Luckily I also have some fat quarters that I think suit the theme.

So....here is my CQJP block for May 2021. 

Recycled bits and pieces.

I see I should have used a lint brush to remove the fluff ...ah well.

Take care and keep safe 😃
 

April Block for the 2021 Crazy Quilt Journal Project.........

 Here is my fourth block. I'm way ahead of schedule but I figure that's a good thing.

And tada..... the project completed.  

Take care and keep safe :)

March Block for the 2021 Crazy Quilt Journal Project.....

I may have lost the plot with this block....that's if there ever was one....but I did learn a few things in the process. One more corner block to go and then I'll put them together.

This is the three I've done so far.

 Take care and keep safe :)

February Block For 2021 Crazy Quilt Journal Project.......

Here is my fan block for February. I added a heart for Valentines though originally I didn't intend to do one but ya know. It's been a great exercise in doing seam treatments. On to the next block.

Take care and keep safe :)

January Block for the 2021 Crazy Quilt Journal Project......

Here is my January block. I have only done one fan block before in a class I took with Kathy Shaw. I wasn't a fan then (of fan blocks not Kathy) and I'm still not. It's all about seams and trying to harmonize them I guess. I found this really hard to do. So I just did my own thing.

 Take care:)

 

 

Crazy Quilting.........

I was given a gift card at Christmas for Indigo-Chapters which was burning a hole in my pocket...as the saying goes. Unfortunately the stores are closed here as we are in lock down again so I looked at their online store.

I bought Kathy Shaw's book "Stunning Stitches for Crazy Quilts". Perfect as I had bought her templates a few years ago and this book shows you how to create seams using templates. Here are the templates I mean.

I love CQ but I haven't really done a lot. I took Kathy Shaw's free beginners class in 2015 and messed about a bit but then my efforts fizzled out.

So I decided to join in the 2021 Crazy Quilt Journal challenge. You are permitted to work on small projects instead of one large project. That seemed doable. I made up three groups of four blocks. Four fans, four hexagons and four with "silkies". So a variety to work on. The challenge began right away with trying to find fabric in my very limited stash. I managed though the colours I used for the fans are a bit unconventional for CQ...to me anyway... and in a different circumstance (sans Covid) I would never have used them.

The bits of embroidery in the centre of each fan are from an older project that I recycled. They are Buttonhole Stitch Leaves. You can find the tutorial here. The templates I used for my hexagons came from the 2020 Crazy Quilt challenge on Pintangle.

Take care and keep safe:)

A New Year.......

I've been in creative slump lately and I'm trying to drag myself out by doing something...anything...other than genealogy. 

This is as simple as it gets...scissors, needle, thread, beads, felt. 

An eyeglass case.  

I used a pattern I found here at Wee Folk Art. I changed the shape a bit by curving the straight corner as I thought it looked nicer. I've used this pattern before. The top one is polyester felt and the bottom wool felt. The new one is still a bit twisty and stiff but with use it will straighten out.

Take care and keep safe :)

I'm linking to:

Kathy's Quilts 

Creations by Nina Marie