Challenge

Due to some redecorating the Atkin's bead journal project has been on hold and will be caught up before the middle of December..........I have the August, September and October in progress, and know exactly what I want to do with November and December and will make an honest effort to keep this committment. I thoroughly enjoy artistic beading and want to get back into this art form soon.

For our local hospital

These are hand knit charity blankets and caps for preemies that will be going to the local regional hospital. Dh particularly loves the neon green glow in the dark one.......I love the pink set.........and there is also neon pink, a little red, hat, a pumpkin hat and a gorgeous eyelet with ribbons blanket. Makes me feel warm all over...........The power of giving.

Patterns for the blankets will be posted soon.

Memory Block for a Quilt

I have delved deeply into this block as it will be going to an auction in memory of a very special friend who was and still is through the spirit of her beautiful dil a member of " Chatty's Angels ". Her love of life and sewing have brought great joy to all of us over the years and will never be forgotten. Our special Angel Rita will put this one together and the beauty of an angel will live forever in stitches and be auctioned off at Omaha next year.

I am working with a lot of different techniques, adding and removing as I go with this block. I am trying to use a vast variety of threads as well as incorporating my love of beads, and sequins into the work. Barbee actually made the angel that is in the lower right hand corner and I will add a cross to her hand. There is so much more to be added to this block but I promised to share my progress so far.

Prayer Block

A prayer block for a special friend that I met on a silkribbon list some years ago who has not had the best year yet. I totally enjoyed working this block from adding the rusched ribbons around the prayer given to me by my special friend Carolyn, to the fimo face that represents an angel with one wing.........when one person need a little lift, you loan them one of yours, just until they can fly on their own. Thanks for the challenge Vicki.

New doll on the horizon

Today I was determined to learn to do peyote stitch around those precious little fimo heads in size 11 beads rather than the monster ones that I was using. I also decided that these ladies needed a change in body and shape and more detail to them so I spent the afternoon beading my first small bead fimo face and she is a keeper. She has a gentile look and will have to have a silk shantung body to meet it and not sure if she will be beaded, embroidered or silk ribboned to pieces, but can hardly wait to work on this one hopefully tomorrow.

I must admit that I get such a feeling of love in my heart as I work on these little dolls of dreams and cannot imagine how it must feel to know that this little character will soon change the frown to a smile on the face of someone not as lucky as I am to be on the creative side of the fence.

Always remember an angel never flies alone...............now you must make her one...........

Pics to follow............

Comfort Doll

Having finished my work early yesterday I decided to try a pattern that I had sketched out the day before. It was a simple doll with arms and an elongated heart shaped body. I had seen a video on line for working with dolls and must admit it is a real life saver. I wish I would have bookmarked the site as the lady shared her instructions freely. I had a gorgeous piece of fabric that I had done an overlay of antique lace on to make into a prayer pouch. Well, needless to say there was enough to make two pouches so I got brave and decided to start the doll instead. I cut one the size that I would need and the other one larger. I put a seam into the back and left an opening for turning. I then placed the fabric right sides together and centred the doll over the seam and traced around. I then stitched and started to turn......oh my, I envy people who like working with small turns and little hands but must admit that it worked.

I am not the greatest at peyote stitch with beads. I would rather embroider with them anytime, but I did peyote around a fimo face that was coloured with nail polish and added some swags of beads for hair.

I then took a disappearing marker and put some long swirls around the doll and onto the arms and then started the procedure of hand beading two beads at a time the swirls in a cluster. I was impressed as to how fast this went using the long skinny beading needles rather than the shorter ones, bear in mind the doll is stuffed and closed so we are beading on a firm surface and that means long needles.

When I finished beading the swirls I then went and added a little pink vintage flower that I had and hid a dangling bead cut from one of the trims by the yard. I cut close to the ribbon and used that to anchor it down. I was pleased with my first comfort doll and will post pictures later today before I mail them off to Pat.

I also have another half dozen comfort kitties ready to stuff, embroider and brush tails for and they will go in the mail next week. I just love the feeling of passing on and on and one.

Comfort Kitties

This afternoon the sun was shining and it was a most beautiful day. A perfect day to sit back and reflect on how lucky I am, and most of us are not to be burden with the fear of anger, abuse and lack of love. Be it the love of a child, a mate, a parent or a friend everyone needs someone to be a part of their lives.

I decided that rather than going outside to enjoy the weather that I would finish two more comfort kitties and get them in the mail to Pat Winters. She is one motivatinal lady, she has brought forth an inner peace in me that I just want to wrap my arms around the whole world and make them feel just as safe as I do, but seeing as I can't, I finished two more little kitties. I will take some pics of them in a bit and put them on the site with hope that it will encourage you to do something to make a difference in someone else's life, the way that Pat has made a difference in not only our lives, but in the lives of those who have no one to hug, no one to hold, and no one to tell their worst fears to, except these little comfort dolls of love. They do keep secrets and right now they are probably the one person these people trust. If you have love in your heart " Pay It Forward ", make a doll to comfot someone who does not have that love and before you send one out say a little prayer that maybe someday they will be on this end of line making comfort dolls for some one else, knowing what it must mean to them. We are blessed.

Comfort Dolls/ Kitties

After spending more time than usual trying to think of the perfect, but simple little doll that I could make to send to Pat Winters of " Gatherings " " Comfort Doll Project ", I found that I was being called to finish these two little kitties and send them along.

As a kitten has nine lives so must those who have to deal with abuse in order to live their daily lives. I am truly blessed that I have never had this fear, but my thoughts, and my prayers go to those who do. If these little dolls give one moment of love and peace to a battered or abused person they have accomplished their mission. I will now make angels and kitties for our local abuse shelter and make sure that I make a difference in someone else's life the way that Pat Winters has made in mine in just making these two simple little kitties.

Fall Inspirations

Fall is one of my favourite times of the year and it reminds me of the beauty of summer left behind. It also lends me to want to re-organize my priorities and sewing room at the same time, and as there are some minor painting of rooms to be done, a complete move was necessary.

Yesterday I spent the day organizing some of my precious whites and fancies and lace so that I can tackle a few more "overdue in my eyes " prayer pouches for special people in my life that are having problems. It is amazing what we find when we start cleaning and re-organizing, and what really becomes part of your future or a figment of your past. I toss lovingly to those who need to be kept busy and feel no guilt as I know they will be used.

I hope to be back on line with new finishes within a week and will share all with you as well as directions. I will share my way of designing what I call a " Prayer Pouch ", a special little fancy pouch that is made and can hold prayers. When I send mine out, they have a prayer, a motivational message, a specialty tea, and sometimes a little special charm or item that I know will make the persons day. Some are already shown on my site and have taken wing and arrived around the continent.

Hugs and pleasant fall changes to all

July

This is my July project, which I am proud to say is an original, and it is shown in sketch form further along in the blog.

I wanted this to represent the beautiful lilies that grow down the outside ramp that leads from our patio deck. All that was left to do were the few leaves at the bottom to be filled in. This is stitched within the constraints of a cd rom pattern. It also has the bottom left so that this portion can have an adorment of a tassell, beaded, or charm at some time.

I just started to work on August's " A Daisy A Day " yesterday and will keep posting as time permits.

June Project

This is a Ruth Wilson design that was destined for a bookcover, but as I have learned so many new techniques and added a few of my own along the way have decided to include this as my first piece of work in the Challenge. All I had to do was the leaves yesterday and now it is done.

Crochet from Past Challenges

This little Irish doll was crocheted and given to a young lady who is dealing with cancer treatment and was a true labour of love. It was my first Annie's Attic Bed Doll. More pictures below.







After many years of not crocheting I chose to tackle this doily designed on line as a mystery and a challenge and it opened a new world of crochet for me. This one is in the home of my mother-in-law in Cape Breton.






This was the second doily that was started as a mystery and
completed and taken to my daughter's home in New Brunswick.









These are more photos of the doll as well as a small pineapple sachet, that I did keep for myself.

- Tulips Too Late

As you can tell this is a new adventure for me both in sketching and in creating with beads and fabrics.\\This will be the September challenge and will work on this as I go along and have to yet select the silk fabric, back it, and pick out some unusual beads and techniques to embellish with.

A Daisy A Day

I have sketched out the August flower of the month, being a daisy in memory of my mom, and one of her favourite songs " A Daisy A Day .' I am not sure if there will be little faces in them or rose centres and or what, but will work it as I go along. These are all sized as in the last two, same as a cd circle. Not sure what I am going to do with these when they are done, but that will come before I cut them out.

Sunbonnet Sue joins the Red Hat Society

First of all I had some of these little seven inch blocks ironed and ready to stitch on a recent week visit and did not get a thing done on them because of the heat.

I started one on the weekend and used dmc 75 verigated reds and not sure of the number off hand of the deep purple but it is equivalent to a dmc 550 in verigated's.

When I finished I went in with a good name brand coloured pencil and shaed close to the stitching lines on both sides. I also did a swirling circular motion on the arms and added some fleshtone, I left the rest as is. I then, without heat setting, went to the sink and scrubbed roughly with hand soap and then rinsed in warm water. I ironed this dry, and then added some spray starch. Very little colour was lost.

This is stitched on tone on tone beige and if I were to use this technique again would preset the colours to be sure as this was an experiment. It can always be added to with colour as you are only shading next to the lines, similar to crayon tinting without the wax. It does look like an antique block and it highlighted well.

Off to find some more ufo's.

Organize or Agonize

These are little angels that I make and place on my windowsill until I see someone who needs one for a special reason.

This one went home along with a hand crocheted afghan to a great lady who is fighting another battle with cancer, her disease is out of remission and I know this little angel will watch over her and take care of her while she is going through new rounds of chemo.









This little angel went to a special little sister on her birthday. She treasures anything that I make for her and she will treasure this as well I am sure.

I can hardly wait to start making more of them.

This is a section between blocks where a rosette and pearl cluster were added to seperate theblocks.











This is another corner that is following the above design and falling gently into the sashing.

The rich colours in the sre on the block to the right is a pillow gone bad, proving it does pay to save all remants and scraps as they can working into anothe project very easily., not wasting precious silkribbon.






This is simple embellishment on one other of the blocks. I knew my friend was very religious and she had just finished a tea cozy so therefore parted with the precious tea pot in this block. Always there will be an angel hidden somewhere in the block.











Another vision of the blocks being seperated by antique looking roses with rose leaves all done in antique white satin and edged with beads and pearls.

This is the top left hand side of the quilt with some fancy ribbon rusching and pearl work. I also created the first block. The beautiful rusched fan in the block was a piece of rusched fabric sent by a friend ( Barbee ) to be used with a block and now I would love to use this type of rusching to add dimension at any time. I the key with the symbols above symbolize key to our heart and love.

Attached is a finished prayer quilt that was completed for a cyber sister. These prayer quilts are a pleasure to make as you think of the person the whole time you are doing a block. I had the pleasure of putting more than one of these together and will start and share some so that perhaps it might encourage you to do one of your own or to just do a small quilt.

This is the prayer pocket on the back of the quilt. It is a spare block that I made and attached with some fancy ribbons and it is open at the top. It is bound by the same fabrics that were used in the original quilt sashing and lined with peach/pink linen.

Finished Linen Purse

A while ago I shared a picture of the actual work on the purse and found in my files the finished purse. On the reverse it has a pocket that is opened and is lined with linen and worked in linen and eyelet linen. This was also given to a friend. She was kind enough to send me the book for my birthday and a request for a purse, so I adapted this from emrboidery to embroidery and silkribbon and love the adventure it created.

Destiny the Angel Bear

This special little bear called " Destiny " was designed while watching my daughter recuperate from an automobile accident.

She is made of fine red velvet and is heavily embroidered with silkribbon . She has an angel in her palm and beads embedded in the tummy and wear a proud bow tie and has wings of gold attached.

This little bear is jointed and was truly a pleasure to work. It is an original pattern designed for my daughter Sher.




Tummp and paw pads with bow tie.




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