Let it snow

Hard to believe it's already December 21st and the beginning of winter. Friday we had a big snowstorm. I didn't get home until late afternoon and went immediately to shovel. It was already dark and a little hard to see where the driveway ended and road began but I got most of it done. Yesterday we just stayed in which was nice. I spent all day sewing coasters and bookmarks from scraps from my first quilt. I am trying to use up anything which I can't deem "shipping-worthy".

I'm off to sew a few more bookmarks, then shovel and head out to the family Chanuka party at Alissa's. There's not much of my immediate family coming -- three of my siblings and my mother are off on vacation. But it's always nice to get together with family so I'll brave the snow and cold and bus it to the party. I made the newest family member, Ora, a Chanuka bib from flannel with colourful dreidls. Hopefully I'll get a photo of the baby wearing it.

Gifts for Jojo and Warren

Today is an engagement party for J&W. I did the regular registry gift thing but wanted to add a little something personal.
Warren asked Jojo to marry him in New York where they had gone for her birthday and among other things, to a performance of La Traviatta at the Met.
I just happen to have an historical record of same, conducted by Toscanini with Licia Albanese, Jan Peerce and Robert Merrill. J's parents, my beloved Aunt Elsie and Uncle Chaim z"l, loved the opera. So I hope that's meaningful. (I also hope they have a record player...)
When Jojo's sister got married, I made her chuppah. I had originally planned to make a chuppah using what I call "family fabrics" -- the dress Elsie wore to Alissa's wedding, Alissa's Sweet 16 dress, my sister's and my wedding dress, etc. For reasons better left unsaid, the plans changed, after I had made a great number of pieced blocks. The chuppah turned out great and from the pieced blocks, I made a quilt for Sari, embellished with jewellry and mementos from Elsie, Chaim and Mel's mother, Bea. This quilt is now in Sari's baby daughter's room. Long story but I had several blocks left over and made a small wall-hanging for Jojo and Warren. The purple lace fabric is from Elsie's dress, and the beaded heart is from Bea's beads. I was at a loss for what to do for Chaim. For Sari's quilt, I had used a "semel tnua" (scout pin) of Chaim's. In the middle of the night I remembered that Chaim had given me a book in Yiddish of Jewish history. The book had no cover and the pages are crumbling. So I (sacreligiously) tore out the foreward page, rolled it into a scroll and inserted it into a plastic beading tube, much like a mezuzah.
This is the finished product, with a batik border. I hope they like it. If I can find it, I will also post Sari's quilt.

Photos

If I could figure out how to put the photos where I want them, I'd be happy. These are two art quilts for the textile art exhibit I will be participating in at the North York Public Library with the FAT (Fibre Art Toronto) group I belong to. To get the creative juices started, we chose the theme of "Travel".
I was having difficulty getting started and I had my Pomegranate Guild challenge of "Eyshet Chayil" to do in the meantime. Once I got started on it, the ideas just started flowing. And I decided to fit my "Eyshet Chayil" into the "travel" theme by travelling back in time using Jewish texts and the printed word, which I believe is apt for a library exhibit. Just in case it's not clear, the lady in red is my "Eyshet Chayil" and her body parts are the actual text of Eshet Chayil. The other quilt is based on a poem by Ibn Gvirol, the text of which is printed on ribbon in the clouds. The clouds, btw, are from fabric samples Marilyn gave me.
I had fun making these pieces and hope the coming works will be equally as challenging and fun.