It's still November

I haven't blogged for a bit but it hasn't been a month yet so it's not too bad,right?
About this time last year, I made a "resolution" about doing more sewing-wise, exhibiting, etc.
So I haven't kept all components of the resolution but certainly have some others.
Considering that three years ago I didn't know how to quilt at all, having shown my quilts in a quilt show is somewhat of an accomplishment. Most of the quilts were traditional patterns and techniques. I am drawn to the more modern and have made progress in using colours I normally wouldn't have considered.
I have finished my second piece for the library exhibit. After failing to get the variegated thread to stop breaking, I simply flipped the piece over and used the thread in the bobbin, used one of my machine's embroidery stitches and it worked out well. I hope to post pieces 1 & 2 as soon as the camera's juiced up. I haven't jumped right into my third piece because I'm not sure what I'm going to do in it yet.
In the meantime, I made up a small project for Tu b'Shvat for the Pomegramme ( POM guild's newsletter). And from the samples I made for the project, I may make a bigger hanging. And post a tutorial.
This week I made a baby blanket for Judith's new grandson. It's a preprinted panel and I just sewed lines in diagonal to make diamonds, but it's cute.
Last night there was a "retirement" party for Menachem from camp. It was a lovely evening.
We had asked that no gifts be given to us but that donations could be made the the Shomria scholarship fund. And people have been making donations so that's encouraging. Nevertheless, we did receive gifts. Menachem got a bouquet of orchids (he loves orchids) and a box of chocolate tools. We're going to photograph them before we eat them... And I received a beautiful purse made by Edna Sandler (PTF) with a gift card for Michael's. I was actually there today but was so overwhelmed by all the Christmas decorations that I couldn't decide what I wanted. I'll go back after the holidays.
Next weekend is Johanna and Warren's engagement party. And I want to make them something and hope it will be ready on time.

Disappointed?

Thursday morning, I dropped off my quilts at the Japanese Cultural Centre for the YHQG show. I was sooooo excited. In the evening, I went back for a "hostess orientation". All the quilts were hung. I was not enamoured of the way they looked hanging with all the others. Perhaps because of their size (one a baby quilt, the other a lap quilt) they were so dwarfed by the all the doubles, queens and even kings. And as I have previously mentioned, my quilting skills are not amazing. So I was disappointed.
But then I started thinking, yeah, but who else used vintage 36 year old family fabric with a story? And who else made a baby quilt and then found out she was going to be a grandmother?
So there.
And everyone has to start somewhere. I'm not kidding myself that I'll ever be known for my exquisite quilt artistry. But I do hope to hear, yeah, my mother, grandmother, friend, or someone made it herself.
I am hostessing today at the show and hope while eavesdropping to hear favourable comments. And if not, what do they know anyways?

In other news, I am just about finished ripping out stitching on my "Autumn Wrote". My free motion stitching with the variegated threads sucked big-time. Even after I bought the topstitch needle, changed the tension and used a lighter weight bobbin thread. So once I finish ripping, I will hand stitch rain in the variegated thread. Of course the back of the piece now looks eh, butI just want to finish it and get started on my next piece.

Field Trip

This past weekend was great. Saturday, the weather was decent and we managed to rake and bag all of the leaves which had already fallen from the trees. (They're still coming down...) Then Menachem helped Rachel with a leaky tap problem. In the afternoon, we went for our flu shots and then a quick visit to my mother. So, not terribly exciting but practical.
Sunday was quite blustery but couldn't dampen my enthusiasm for FAT's field trip to Oshawa. Laura was kind enough to offer me a ride and we made arrangements to meet at Yonge and Lawrence at 11 a.m. Menachem dropped me off at 10:15-ish and I spent a leisurely 45 minutes sipping hot chocolate and reading old newspapers at Coffeetime until I met Laura.
Our field trip started at the Station Gallery. There was an exhibit of Threadworks called "Passion". I believe it's sponsored by the Ontario Network of Needleworkers so there were many types of needlwork from fine embroidery, needlepoint, quilting and anything and everything in between. Since we're doing our own exhibit in March, we were very attentive to the way pieces were mounted and they way they hung in the gallery. From there, we headed out to lunch at a cafe Maggie found. The food was delish and the atmosphere lovely. We ended our trip with a visit to an exhibit of a group (whose name escapes me at the moment) of fabric artists. I thoroughly enjoyed myself -- lots of visual stimulation, lots of ideas, good company -- what more can one ask for?
Did I mention my frustration about my variegated thread breaking on the Autumn wrote piece? One of the FAT girls suggested I call the vendor and ask if I'm doing something wrong i.e. tension, needle, etc. I did call and was told that for the 12 wt. I'm using, I should: a) use a topstitch needle; b) use a lighter weight bobbin thread; c) loosen the tension. So I'm going to buy the topstitch needle this week.
In the meantime, I scribbled around the perimeter of the clouds and they got a nice puffy texture. And I started quilting lines in the flowers.
Tomorrow, Thursday, morning, Menachem will take me to the Japanese Cultural Centre so I can drop off my quilts for the YHQG show. And then in the evening there is an orientation for the YHQG show volunteer hostesses so I have to figure out how to get back there by TTC from work. And then I'm doing hostess shifts on both Saturday and Sunday. So it should be a busy weekend.
And I want to get an outline started for my third library piece.
Focus.