Auf Simchas Revisited

When I went through my "Auf Simchas" phase (a series of crazy quilts inspired by Simcha (Joyous Occasion) fabrics, jewellry and stuff) I had several leftover pieced blocks which I have not as yet finished. I am now rushing to finish one for the library exhibit. I should be able to complete it by Sunday, maybe...
Anyways, my pile of UFOs, WIPs, and WISPs is diminishing so that's a good thing, no?

Library Exhibit -- Almost There

Yesterday afternoon my FAT ladies met at the library to show each other our pieces and talk a little about how we would hang, what signage we would use, etc. It looks like it will be quite interesting since our pieces are quite diverse. I may try to finish another one of my cq pieces.

I had spent the better part of Saturday doing absolutely nothing but towards the late afternoon, I started cutting up my batting scraps and Sunday morning sewing them together to make more oven mitts. I now have enough for six pairs. While at the library outing, I went to Fabricland to buy some more of the aluminum oven mitt lining. Couldn't resist an African cotton print on sale for $3 a metre so I now have 1.5 meters (end of bolt) of that. Don't ask me why.

Field trips

Tuesday evening was my YHQG meeting but between work and the meeting, I had time to kill. I wanted to pop down to the Spadina library branch to see the fibre art exhibit of Monica Bodirsky. I ran across her name and work on the internet and wanted to see it up close and personal. The works I liked on her website are not being shown at the branch because their exhibit space is quite small. It's an glass enclosed case about four feet wide by two feet deep by two feet high so the pieces displayed were small -- I'd say postcard size mounted on canvas about an inch perimeter larger than the art work itself. The pieces were fabric and paper collages, if I remember correctly, mostly black, white and grey, incorporating many textures and text. Very nicely displayed. Remind me to visit her website again and see where else her work can be seen.
I also popped into the Native Arts Centre to see if I could buy some beading thread. That's where I bought my original spool of thread when I learned beading in my U of T Native Arts & Crafts class. And since I was down to my last few feet of thread, it's a good thing I popped in and purchased some.

I still had time to kill so I went to the Miles Nadal JCC to look around and there was an exhibit of Myriam Nafte primarily of Judaic art. She does painting incorporating text. The blurbs beside the works said that she works on canvas, linen and silk but the predominant medium is paint. The colours were striking.

Then I headed off to the YHQG meeting. The speaker was a guild member, Kathy Wylie, with a computer background who relies heavily on the computer to plan and execute her quilts. It was an informative session. The quilter of the month is an art quilter so I was more drawn to her work. Bright colours.

Yesterday was my POM guild meeting and again, I utilized the time between work and the meeting, this time for a visit with Sari and Ora. I went down after work. It had started snowing so it was quite slippery. Her apartment is very nice and we had a lovely visit and dinner. I brought back to her the family wall hanging to which I had added another hanging sleeve.
We talked diapers, Ora cooed. David got home just as I was leaving.

The POM meeting was at the Baycrest museum. There is an exhibit of Sephardi culture, many items of which are textile related. Not that many people showed up because of the weather. I am looking forward to the spring when the weather is more conducive to going out. Melanie talked a little about the mezuzah exhibit.

I took my mezuzah apart and reconnected it so it leans in the right direction (see my previous post). Hopefully this afternoon/evening, I will finish it. I need something to stiffen the back, maybe a tongue depresser.

Off to work.

Oops!!

Just realized that my mezuzah is leaning in the wrong direction! It should lean into the room when hung on the right side of the door. Maybe I should just take the approach that I am leftist in leanings so if it hangs on the left side of the door, it will be fine... Or maybe I'll just fix it. Good thing I didn't leave it to the last moment.

I now have hangers for all of my wall hangings, those for the exhibit and also all of my assorted completed pieces I hope to sell. Depending on what we actually hang at the library, I may just make a mini exhibit at my office.

Menachem left last night for Israel with two suitcases, one and a half of which were filled with stuff for the kids and gifts. As he was walking out the door, he said "maybe you'll buy a ticket and join me?". As much as I'd dearly love to, I have the exhibit to hang on March 1st, and a FAT meeting to finalize the details thereof on February 22nd. So I guess the answer is no. Darn.

Today is Family Day, a statutory holiday on Ontario. I am spending family day alone -- ha, ha. I have finished ironing and folding my fabrics, organized most everything and am going to get started on the Marty's ties quilt. Once I figure out the mathematics of putting the ties in a circle, or fan shapes, I can decide on tie placement and get cracking. I have an idea to use a light batik as the backdrop for the ties. Not sure yet. Off to math class...

Mezuzah Challenge

Our Pomegranate Guild had a challenge to make a mezuzah which will be part of a travelling exhibit. The challenge was announced ages ago, but I didn't know how I would make mine. Because the POM is a guild of Judaic textiles, the mezuzah could be made from any medium, as long as it had some thread. So it could be woven, beaded, quilted, collaged, etc. I finally figured out how to make it and here it is.

Irony

I have a small drawer unit just beside the doorway inside my studio. Its top is a catch-all for things which belong in the studio but don't have a regular place. Yesterday, I worked my way through the "stuff", putting away what needs to be put away and throwing out what I don't need. At the bottom of the pile (yes, I did get to the bottom) was a photocopy of an essay by Paul Graham called "Stuff". It speaks about how accumulating "stuff" is counter-productive. That I kept it was ironic. I reread it and shredded it. So there.

Oven Mitts -- Proof

They're not in order but the red and green is for Inbal, the multi-coloured for Rotem, and the not pieced one, for not sure yet.

Oven Mitts Done--Again

So I sat down today and made three sets of oven mitts. I had previously pieced batting scraps. Today, I finished Inbal's oven mitts, then made Rotem's. Both are made with pieced strips of fabric. I had enough pieced batting to make one one set but didn't want to piece it, so I used two fabrics I had purchased several years ago and put one on the bottom, one on top. It was less time consuming than the pieced ones, but it still took about an hour and a quarter. I'm going to try to piece batting scraps as they occur and once I have enough for oven mitts, to make another pair. I will post photos soon.

I also put hanging rings on two small wall quilts. Only three more wall quilts to put rings on. I am moving right along on my "to do" list, but more stuff still keeps popping up.

I MUST make my mezuzah for the exhibit. I believe it's due at the next POM meeting.

Well on my Way

It's almost 1 p.m. and I'm still in my PJ's, a rare occurrence. I have finished Inbal's oven mitts -- jury's out over the colour choice. I'm not enamoured but I hope Inbal will be. I am almost finished Rotem's oven mitts. Just need to do the binding.
And, I am baking brownies. Now anyone who knows me knows that I haven't baked anything since a birthday cake (aka "the Volcano) which I made once when Inbal was very small. So today is truly a momentous day.

Disclaimer

For those who read yesterday's blog entry: Any perceived ideas about being forced to go out and buy fabric for my beloved firstborn are entirely unfounded. No fabric has been hurt in the making of oven mitts and any left over will join their brethren in my fabric stash, to be used for joyful purposes.

Piece by Piece

Today was a busy errand day. After seeing the oven mitts I made for Carmit, Inbal and Rotem both requested a pair. Inbal, however, asked for a colour combination I didn't have in my stash. So against my no more stash rule, we went to Fabricland at Doncaster and I purchased several greens to go with the reds in my stash. And I have a few black and whites which will balance our the green and red, I hope. Rotem is happy with stuff from my stash.
We also popped into Cayne's to buy Rotem a microplane. They were out. So we went to Yorkdale. Actually, first we went to my mother's to say hello. Then we went to Yorkdale and bought Rotem a book at Chapter's and the microplane at Williams Sonoma (I'm not even sure that's the name of the store -- last of the power shoppers here...)
And home, to wash the new fabrics (so they don't run and shrink after sewing). In recycling mode, I sewed together all of my batting strips from previous projects and have enough for three sets of oven mitts -- Inbal's, Rotem's and one more which I will make and then decide for whom. The mitts are actually a good idea for using up scraps from quilt projects.

So now I'm waiting for the fabrics to dry and tomorrow I will start and hopefully finish the mitts. I bought netting for a teddy bear hammock for Inbal and will hopefully figure out how to make it and then make it tomorrow.

I started this week on the mezuzah but don't like the results so I'm scrapping that one and will design another. I also started putting hanging corners on one of my smaller pieces but putting the corners on after the piece is finished is the pits. The corners kept getting caught in the sewing machine plate so I'm going to have to rethink that one as well. Life doesn't always flow smoothly.

And I know I said I was going to work on Marty's tie quilt (and I will) but I have an itch to make another small piece, similar to my father's kippah and tie piece, using browns and gold and textures. Perhaps it will turn into a series...

OK. It's Saturday afternoon and the movies I like (chick flicks) usually start at 4 so I'm off.

Wedding Gift Finished

I haven't photographed it yet (but will), but it's done. It's a collage of white ribbons and trims with a little silver threads, a little embroidery, a little silver embellishment, a duppioni border and satin binding. I printed on the ribbon this Ogden Nash poem "To keep your marriage brimming with love in the loving cup, Whenever you're wrong -- admit it, Whenever you're right -- shut up!"
I must stop obsessing over the imperfections of the not quite straight stitching, wonky binding corners, piece not quite laying flat, etc. because I'm pleased with the results. Each imperfect piece I make improves my output.

Last night, I decided to take advantage of the AGO (Art Gallery Ontario)'s free Wednesday evening admission. I met Devora there after work. We had a bite in the cafeteria (where they had high chairs which looked very much like the Tripp Trapp...) and then walked around. The place is somewhat overwhelming but for a first visit, it was fine. I think next time, I'll concentrate on one gallery. At any rate, what I did see which was quite amazing was a "quilt" made of flattened metallic bottle caps and metal wine bottle wrappings, wired together. The piece is called "Zebra Crossing" by Ghanian artist, El Anatsui. Quite amazing!

I was just at Brad Carlton's (quasi Jewish) funeral. Talk about dysfunctional families... Anyways, the shiva will be over in a few minutes at 5:30 (unless it carries over to tomorrow...) and I'm off to sew my next project.

Oven Mitts Done

Started on them after work yesterday. Did the piecing and quilting. This morning I did the binding. They're a little loud for me -- colouring outside the lines...
Onto next project.

Ready for Library Exhibit

Today I put the finishing touches on my three pieces. I put the binding on the kippah piece -- I used instructions from the Quilt Art list for a "bumpless" seam. It worked out O.K. but I guess I'll get better with practice. And I sewed on triangular hanging corners for the previous two pieces (which I finished before I discovered the triangular hanging corner thing).
So as far as the pieces go, I'm ready. I'm debating whether to make postcards to hang as labels beside the pieces.


I also started on a wedding gift for a friend. It's a piece made of white ribbon with silver accent ribbons/trims and silver metallic stitching.

Stitching plans for this week:

1. Finish wedding gift -- a little beading and embroidery should do the trick. Then a binding and backing.
2. Make Carmit's oven mitts -- I've really been procrastinating on this one.
3. Teddy bear hammock for Inbal.
4. Work on embellishing UFOs.
5. Put hanging sleeves/corners on everything pinned to the design wall.
6. Clear design wall and finish designing Marty's tie quilt.

I think that's a plan. I wonder how much I will actually get done since I have a POM executive meeting on Tuesday night and am meeting Devora at the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) Wednesday evening, unless the snow storm forecast actually hits. Did I mention I'm tired of shovelling...

And then plans without a fixed start or finish time: make receiving blankets and quilts for all the Erez babies (4!!) due in the spring. Good times!