Embroiderer's Jackpot!

I did my first embroidery when I was in Grade 6. It was an introduction to the sewing we would be doing in grades 7 and 8. I actually have that first embroidery. It's a laundry bag with two southern ladies in big skirts and bonnets. I have to tell you that because, although I do have it, I came up with the bright idea a few years ago that we all needed to have "memory boxes"... big Rubbermaid bins filled with things that were precious.

Now this is a good idea... what's not a good idea is to store them under the stairs behind the empty luggage, sleeping bags and similar boxes of Christmas decorations. I can't get at them without emptying the cupboard almost to the very back. Since I don't feel like doing that this morning you'll just have to believe that I actually do have it.

Why I bring this up is because I've been enjoying Embroidery for the last while and have even joined a Sitchery group. I was working on a project that just wasn't turning out right. I thought maybe it needed more than just your regular backstitching. So I went looking for some different techniques. And boy did I find them!

Mary Corbet's Needle 'N Thread has video's demonstrating almost any stitch you can imagine. I'm in heaven. Of course now I'll be sitting in front of my computer trying to learn all the stitches. Where's the take out dinner menus? *LOL*

Enjoy!

Autism Awareness

Do any of you watch The Amazing Race? It's on tonight. It just started last Sunday. For the last couple of years they've had special needs people racing. One girl was a little person, last year there was a 20's something who is deaf. He was amazing. He made it all the way to the final three.

This year I was surprised and excited to hear that one of the racers has Aspergers. Aspergers Syndrome is what my son Michael has. It's on the Autism Spectrum of disorders. I had never heard of it before Michael was diagnosed. All I knew about was Autism - non verbal, rocking, head banging, violent at times. Asperger's Syndrome has been around for a very long time but no one knew it was there until the late 1980's. A man and his brother were shot and killed by police in San Francisco in the early 1920's because the police wanted to talk to them (they were innocent bystanders when an incident occurred) and they didn't understand what the police wanted so they tried to run away. No blame to the police officers of course. All they saw was 2 men trying to run away from the scene of an incident.

There have been one or two TV shows, series, where they've had actors playing the part of someone with Aspergers. But no, they didn't get it right. I'd comment that someone with Aspergers wouldn't do this or that or act this way or that way. To see an actual Aspergers individual showing the world who he is, what he can do is beyond awesome.

And this fellow is very brave to try this at all. He said he had difficulty with changes to his surroundings.. understatement. I don't believe anyone knows just how hard it is for them. I want to change from my summer red impatiens on the steps leading up to the front door to winter pansies. I got maroon coloured ones, closest I could get to red. But Michael keeps telling me the impatiens look fine, he likes the red ones. Something that small, when the time comes to change them, will bother him. He'll pace, he'll be anxious because they aren't the same plants. And change is too hard. So you can imagine what happens when we put a Christmas Tree in the livingroom and start decorating and putting things where they "don't belong."

Last week in the race they were in Vietnam. It was raining.. like monsoon weather. There must have been 3 feet of water on the roads and pouring rain. A young man got onto the bus that the racers were on. He wasn't wearing a coat and so the fellow with Aspergers gave him his coat. He said he looked like he needed it more than he did. That is the beautiful side of Aspergers. They are so giving and so compassionate. Socialization is a major hurdle for them and yet if they see someone they don't even know that they perceive is in need they will give them the shirt off their back.. literally.

Their challenge on this leg of the race was to "herd" ducks. The Vietnamese use them in the rice paddies to keep down algae, etc. that can ruin their crops. This one was a no brainer. If you have a room full of people and one of them is autistic and then you let in 3 dogs all 3 dogs will gravitate to the person with Autism. There is some connection with all animals. The fellow that is racing with him called him the Duck Whisperer.

I see Michael in the field out back with the horses.. there's about 20 of them. They all crowd around him. Maybe they think he is one of them I don't know. He went to his uncle's house where there were 5 cats. All 5 cats, including one who always hides if strangers are around, ended up vying for space on his lap.

Anway, this is my long round about way of saying that I hope lots of people are watching this show, watching this fellow, at least until he is disqualified by coming in last at a checkpoint. I want so badly for the world to understand my son.

Crazy Zuchinni

I decided today I'd show one of my favorite quilts. I put it out the other day in celebration of Fall. This was a class I took in 2006 but you know some classes just stick in your head cause they were so much fun. There was maybe 6 of us. We each had to bring a bunch of different fabrics cut into various size pumpkin shapes the instructor had given us ahead of time. It was to save time, sure, but it was also so we could share. We cut each of our shapes into 4 sections. Then each section was put in a bag and we all reached in and pulled out 3 from each of the four bags. We sewed as we went. The idea being that our pumpkins would end up really scrappy.. like a Buggy Barn pattern but without the obvious same fabrics. We also had leaf shapes and stem shapes that we did the same with.

This pattern is all raw edge applique so went together very quickly. I can't remember the name of the background fabric.. it's almost like prequilted - in kind of a small grid. So all that was left to do once our pumpkins were finished was to embroider the tendrils and then do a stipple to quilt it to the backing. I didn't even remember doing a stipple cause it doesn't really show.

Here's a close up of one of the pumpkins, sorry it's so blurry.



But it shows the different fabrics that went into making it. We don't use it as a lap quilt. I have it out just for Fall ambiance.

I'm working on UFO's at the moment too, a bit each day. I have one quilt ready to hand quilt and the other ready to figure out borders on. So here it is October.. so the calendar says... and I'm working on Christmas quilts.

It's hard to believe this really is October. Our temperature is supposed to go up to 20C (70F) next week. Interesting climate changes we're having. I went out and bought winter pansies yesterday but then realized my impatiens are still doing fine so why pull them out? Hope the pansies don't mind sitting in their little containers until it decides to get cold around here.

I really shouldn't complain. This sunny weather is a real treat around here where Fall/Winter are usually gloomy and raining.

Have a great Saturday (or Sunday if you're in Australia).

Blogtoberfest

Lane always has such neat ideas. So I've decided to sign up for Blogtoberfest, which means I will blog every day for the month of October. Of course it's already the 2nd so I'm behind before I start but that's nothing new *LOL*

You can sign up too at tinniegirls blog. There's a whole slew of people signed up which is kind of neat. Over the month I'm going to travel around and I just might learn something or find something interesting I haven't see before. There will also be giveaway's on some of the blogs.

Seeing as it's already Oct 2nd and what I have to give away is a Hallowe'en theme I'm going to post mine today. I'll be doing the draw on October 10 so that I can get these mailed out in time for someone to use them for this year.

The package will include 2 panels. One for a wallhanging



and one of 12" squares that would be great appliqued on a childs trick or treat bag or made into a special Halloween quilt:



I'll also be including some smaller applique sized images that came with the panel.



I've never done a giveaway before so I'm not sure of the rules. Just leave a comment and let me know that you want to be included in the draw. I'll be putting up reminders leading back to this post every few days.

Guess I should have pressed everything before I took the photos but I'm allergic to ironing *LOL* They do press up nice though, promise.

New Sewing Table

I got it! I got the Janome table for my machine! I've been spending cash at the shop instead of using my earnings from the website and I finally had enough to buy the table I've wanted for awhile. It's meant for my Janome machine. It sits right down in the hole, you don't have to take the bottom off like you used to have to do with machine tables. It has a long bed for supporting quilts while you quilt and I've hooked up the knee control (okay, not hooked up, pushed it in the hole *LOL*). My ankle gets sore sometimes if I have to sew continuously so I hope the knee control will make that easier. I've always had the control but was afraid to put the machine that close to the edge of the table. I was using a 15 year old IKEA kitchen table and it was okay except it was really deep and took up a lot of room. This is nice and narrow.

It's metal so it's sturdy and it has a 39" rule in inches and cm along the front of the table for measuring. Between the ruler Angela sent me and this ruler I better stay on my toes measuring wise!


Now I'm working on bunging out and organzing my room.

Quilty Stuff for a Change

Yes, you read right, I actually quilted! Our weather is so nice it's hard to get motivated but the nights are getting colder and I needed a nice warm quilt to snuggle under. I sure picked the right one. I haven't slept so well in weeks! It's sooo cozy. But two things have happened. I've lost my quilty train of thought and I've gotten too sure of myself. I put the rows together for this quilt just fine. But instead of numbering them with little pieces of paper like I normally do I decided I'd just put one on top of the other in order. Bad idea. I wondered why it looked funny... once it had been pieced, sandwiched, quilted AND bound. They aren't in the right order! Oh well, thank goodness it's a utility quilt and warm which is all I wanted. It's called a Flannel Squirrel quilt for lack of a better name. It was the cute squirrel fabric in the border that got me. We don't have problems with squirrels so I still think they're cute. We have 2 nieghbourhood squirrels and much to my sister's horror (she lives back east where squirrels are pests) I leave peanuts out for them in the winter.

The other thing I did I absolutely adore! It's a sample for the shop but I told her she couldn't have it unless she promised once the patterns are sold out that I can have it back. She promised. The only thing I don't like is that it didn't tea dye properly. I guess I need to get a stronger tea, or leave the tea bag on longer. I need to practise cause I'm afraid I'll leave it on too long and ruin it.

Now aside from embroidery my piecing has to focus on my daughter's wedding quilt. Our weather is still beautiful although there is a stong wind from the West today. For once I'm glad our neighbour to our West has a 30 foot cedar hedge for privacy, it blocks the wind.

Mail Call

I am SO spoiled. I signed up for Angela's PIF and look what she sent me!



Sorry it's so blurry, or maybe it isn't. I just got new glasses so I can't tell *LOL* I especially love the shopping bag cause it's soft so I can fold it up and keep it in my purse. I'm always running small errands and I refuse to use plastic bags if I don't have to so it's very handy. I already used it yesterday picking up some pre-cut veggies for stir fry. They come wrapped on a tray.

Angela sells the bags too on her website Country Scraps Quilts

My other favorite thing is the little heart. Isn't it sweet? And there was also some fabric, a pattern and the neatest ruler for measuring seams. Now I'll have no excuse to have larger than 1/4" seams *LOL*

And while I'm on the subject of mail Molly sent me something too last week. Two of her gorgeous snowflake tree ornaments. She does amazing work.