Library Exhibit -- The End

Yesterday was the last day of the library exhibit and we ended it with a small closing reception. Most of the visitors were my family and friends. Still, the day started out with stormy weather but by the afternoon the sun had come out and it was a lovely day. After the reception, we took down the pieces. It took us several hours to hang the exhibit and maybe 20 minutes to dismantle it.
The experience was good. I can see how much my work has evolved since I started a few years ago. It would have been nice if I had sold something but this too shall come.
And then next Sunday we're getting together at Laura's to discuss our next project -- probably slice quilts.
I did get four flannel receiving blankets made on Saturday morning.
And found a missing piece of fabric for Stephen and Dori's chuppah.
So I will now try to make progress on the chuppah, buy some batting for the baby quilts and finish them. I don't lack for projects.

Daily blogs, eh?

It seems silly to sit down to blog daily when there really isn't that much to say. Perhaps I should consider it like twitter and if I only have one sentence to say, then write one sentence.

I had a busy week.

Monday I had to stay late at work to witness a document which in the end the clients didn't sign.

Tuesday, Johanna met me after work and we went to the shul to measure the chuppah frame. It is huge! 95" square. I discussed with Johanna the idea of making a central panel for the chuppah which can be attached to something sheer, organza-like for the wedding and then detached afterwards for use as a wall hanging. She brought me a magazine photo of colours she likes -- blues, very rich. I'll have to think about that one. Then in the evening, I had my YHQG meeting. I debated whether or not to go and in the end went because the speaker was a well-known beader. Unfortunately, most of her presentation was slides which don't do justice to the beading. And turn off the lights and I'm out like a light.

Wednesday, I had lunch with one of the lawyers from the office who I helped out when his secretary was on vacation. We went to the Novotel restaurant (new restaurant, not bad but don't know if I need to go again) and then I took him up to see my exhibit. I think he was duly impressed. Wednesday evening was the POM meeting which was a hands on Pesach pillow making affair. Unfortunately, at that hour I am usually brain-dead and not ready to start being creative. I brought the fixin's home. Maybe I'll make it some day... I did hand in my mezuzah for the exhibit, so that's another project completed.

Thursday, I didn't have to go out after work so I worked on cutting out the letters for Stephen & Di's chuppah. I had to send Menachem to buy some more tartan as there wasn't enough. Friday, I took Roz to the exhibit. After work, Menachem picked me up and we went to Fortino's to buy carp for the Pesach gefilte fish. Then a short visit with my mother and back home to continue on the letters. Yesterday, I finished the letters. Now I have tartan rectangles with white dupionni silk pinned on my design wall and it doesn't seem to be calling to me yet.

Today I am, so far, doing nothing. I think I will go shortly to my studio and stare at the design wall. Maybe move the rectangle around a bit. There are very strong horizontal lines and I'm thinking of countering with vertical elements.

Inbal is planning to use cloth diapers which cost a fortune. I hope to minimize the cost my making them myself. But there's so much information out there and I'm not sure yet which pattern to use. Fortunately, there's a diaper fabric store in Markham and a members' sale at Fabricland next weekend 50% off. Guess where I'm going...

Field Trip to Hamilton

Yesterday was my annual field trip to Hamilton to meet up with the IJQers from Rochester, Buffalo, Hamilton and Toronto. Nancy and Karen came from Rochester, Karen from Buffalo and we all met up with Marilyn who lives in Hamilton at Fabricland. Menachem had the day off so we drove in together. We have two Fabricland stores in Toronto but the fabrics in Hamilton are different. We bought enough fabric for three complete baby quilts, front and back, and another baby quilt top. Marilyn told us that there's another members' 50% on March 28th so I'll wait for it to buy any batting I may need.
From there we went up and down Ottawa Street, peeking into stores. We wanted to take a photo in European Fabrics of the lovely way the fabric is displayed and asked the owner's permission who said no. Not sure why. I think free advertising on the internet is a good thing but her store, her rules. In the Discount Fabric Store, I did buy fabric for the 4th baby quilt backing, and some flannel for receiving blankets for Inbal and Rachel. I was seriously trying to keep to my diet and in fact I only purchased fabric for the baby quilts for the three grand nieces and nephew who we're expecting soon after our own grandbaby. The extra baby quilt fabric isn't really for playing because there's sure to another baby born somewhere, sometime, no? These baby quilts will be wholecloth because I'm not sure the recipients will appreciate piecing and I have two chuppot to make in the next six weeks so my creative time is limited. After traipsing up and down Ottawa Street, we went for lunch at Lemoncello's and had a leisurely and delicious lunch. After lunch, the New Yorker's headed back for home and Marilyn and we headed for the Burlington Arts Centre. Threadworks 2007's travelling exhibit was on display. I had already seen it out in Whitby but some of the pieces were different and I enjoyed revisiting the ones I had previously enjoyed and the new ones. It's also interesting to see how differently the two shows were hung. There was also a display of basketry and sculpture in twigs which was amazing. The shapes of the sculptures and then the shadows they cast on the wall -- breathtaking.

And speaking of the chuppot, I am working on Stephen and Dee's and my ideas about how to do it are evolving. I was influenced by some of the sheer fabrics I saw yesterday and am now leaning toward using a transparent/organza type fabric as the background, and using the tartan and suede in rectangle and squares on top of it. I also saw a lovely gigantic tassle and gorgeous trims which gave me some ideas about how to embellish it with ribbon, yarns beading, and maybe buttons. I may or may not do the organza in waves. I will be going into my studio in a bit and see what I have and how it goes. I have no size limit on the chuppah as they are probably getting married in a non-synagogue venue.

I had printed out the lettering from Word at 72 but wanted it larger and thought I'd have to enlarge on the photocopier but while in the car with Menachem who is, among other things, my computer guru, I asked him if there was a program to enlarge the letters and he suggested googling "how to enlarge Word letters". When we got home, I did and it turns out when you choose the letter size, after you've highlighted the text, you just type into the size box the number you want and it will print it out that size. So I did 100 and I think that's the size I need. I want to make some letters in different fabrics and check them out against the tartan to see how they look.

I am meeting with Johanna after work on Tuesday at the shul where she is getting married to measure the chuppah frame which will determine the size of her and Warren's chuppah. She also has some ideas about her colours so then I'll be able to get a start on that one as well. After we meet, I have my YHQG meeting and on Wednesday my POM meeting.
So it should be another hectic week. But hectic good.

A little of this, a little of that

Just came back from the library with two friends, one who had already seen the exhibit, one who hadn't. The one who hadn't gushed about how I'm an artist and this on top of a phone call from another friend on Sunday who had seen the exhibit, is very encouraging and affirming.

So I've started working on Stephen & Dee's chuppah. They asked me to use some tartan from Dee's clan (Chisholm). On Saturday I went fabric shopping with Mintzy. She brought with her a 9" by WOF and I admit I was relieved by the colours. I was afraid it might be a combination I would have difficulty working with.

My original plan was to make vertical stripes of colours with appliqued words from the "sheva brachot" (seven wedding blessings). So I bought six colours of polyester suede which "go" with the tartan's colours, though on second thought, I purchased a blue I'm not so sure about.

In the meantime, I've decided not to go so much with vertical stripes but rather do a wavy horizontal thing with five of the six colours, with a vertical stripe of tartan on both sides. And then add in other stuff. How to incorporate the lettering I haven't decided yet.

The hardest part is actually cutting into the fabric and making the "canvas" upon which I shall play. Maybe when I get home after work today.

Where now?

I finished the mezuzah casing today. So I've finished all of my outstanding obligations (except for Marty's tie quilt which is on hold until the Daddy's Ties book arrives from Amazon). I've finished most of my UFO's. I have two chuppot to make, but I am using the same design for both and don't anticipate too many snags there.
So where do I go now? I think I'll probably do some "sewing" -- potholders, placemats, cheater baby quilts, etc. because I don't know yet where I want to go art-quilt-wise.
I took the day off today because Menachem returned from Israel this morning, but other than having lunch together, he's been snoozing on and off in front of the TV. And I didn't get a start on any sewing this morning because I started out this morning with a sinus headache including shooting pain in my eye.
So today, I will also snooze, putter about and do nothing much.

Library Exhibit -- Ta Da!!

Today I am exhausted. Three "late" nights in a row.
Yesterday the FAT ladies met at the library at 5 p.m. and we hung the exhibit. The hanging was quite frustrating -- the hanging system the library provided is not well (or at all) maintained so we had to improvise. We hung with wires and with fishing line. The end product is fine. It is actually quite impressive. Needless to say, I forgot my camera... But I will go back soon, camera in hand, and post photos. Or else one of the other women will post her photos.
I feel a real sense of accomplishment -- to have improved so much in my fibre art and to be able to share it in an exhibit.
Yay me!!

Embellishing -- when is enough enough?

I am almost finished the final piece for the library exhibit. There are still two places where I think it needs a bit more embellishing. I am giving myself a deadline of 11 a.m. to finish that. Then I quilt a few lines, put on the backing and hanging corners and am done. Enough is enough!
Yesterday Alissa called and asked me to join them for lunch and a trip to Fabricland. They picked me up and instead of going out for lunch, we went to their place. And it was much nicer than going out would have been. A simple lunch of delicious soup, put together your own salad, a cup of coffee and pastry. Lovely. Then Alissa and I went to Fabricland. She was looking for a fabric to make a cover for a night table for Ora's room. She found this lovely polyester suede. They have a range of colours which got me thinking about the two chuppot I am going to be making.
She made her purchase and then brought me home and we cut the fabric using my rotary cutter. The fabric has quite a bit of stretch in it so it was a little stressful trying to get the measurements done. Which got me thinking that maybe I should rethink using it for the chuppah. Dupionni has a tendency to fray quite easily but at least it stays put. And if I immediately zigzag the cut edges, dupionni will be fine. On the other hand, if I iron interfacing to the suede...
After Alissa left, I called Shaked who had called me earlier for some help with a translation. We translated, ate pizza, and talked well beyond my bedtime (8:30...) That makes two "late" nights in a row because I was at Yunkie and Mindy's Friday night. (I whipped up oven mitts for them.)
So this morning I am finishing the embellished piece, then consulting with Stephen and Di about their chuppah. I will probably leave for the library at about 3:30 and who knows what time we'll finish hanging if we're only starting at 5? I hope not too late. Three late nights in a row is a bit much for me. I'm such an old lady.