Happy New Year 2014

The year of the horse...


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Christmas finish.

Here is my Frosty Mugs hanging on Christmas Day. You can see a tapestry snowman pillow given to me by a friend and another snowman tree on the table to the left.

A it closer look at the whole piece.

I hand quilted this piece.

 I don't like to use fusible products so I decided to add a bit of embroidery to the snow balls. Here is a bit of a closer look. I quilted the faces on the diagonal.

 First one way...

 Then the other. I let the fabric help me choose. I used a creamy white YLI quilt thread for the faces and did the embroidery of the snowflakes with a perle cotton thread

 Each snowflake is different from the last.

 I outlined the shape of the embroidery.

I then did diagonal quilting lines on the dark background in black.  I think they turned out rather nicely.







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Merry Christmas to all....

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Christmas Lights, Crafts and Decorating.

Sunday Evening I took my mom out for a drive to look at some Christmas Lights.  Along Columbia Street in New Westminster were some lovely white lights and snowflakes hung in deciduous trees.

 In Burnaby we wandered around our old neighbourhood and checked out some lovely lights.

 This home owner has several trees decked out in colourful lights along the driveway.

 This house along with the two adjacent to it have always had some lovely displays.

 I like how they wrap the trunks with lights and then the branches and then weave from large branch to branch higher up.

 This one has some large stars in the carport, I like how the lights seem to spiral up amongst the branches.

 We drove by Burnaby Village Museum, it houses several old houses, businesses, a stable and an old wood carved Merry-go-round that I used to ride as a child.  Each Christmas they light up the venue.

 It was raining, so we chose not to go in, my first paying job was working in the Ice Cream Parlor.

 Back into New Westminster and the Royal City Centre has a lovely snowflake display.

 A look at just the left side.

 Looking farther up 6th Street at the shooting star lights.

 This is a music box I bought my mom several years ago.

 A Willy Ray Santa Claus riding a reindeer cow.

 Stars, Christmas Tree and Snowman.

 One year I made a Welcome Santa for the boys in my family and an Angel and Snowman for the girls.  The stitching on her dress says My Snowman and Me Welcome Thee.  I cut the wings out of metal and then attempted to make them rusty.

 Last Friday I finished hand quilting and binding my little Linda Hall snowman runner.

 I still have to add an eye to the bird.

 I also realized I had put X highlights in two of the five snowmen and had to add them after I had finished quilting.

Have yourself a Merry Christmas.

Winter Solstice

Early yesterday morning I took a picture of our Christmas tree in the courtyard gazebo.


Looking towards the centre elevator lobbies and the four Christmas trees on each floor.


A closer look at the top three levels.


Early morning dog walkers along the quay.


I love the look of blurred lights in the snow.


On the last day of Autumn the snow was falling. How different the lights look with snow on them.


Hard to see but there is a polar bear partially hidden by the snow on the left.


Love these guys posing with the snowman that various people helped to construct.


Snow covering the Palm Trees.


Snowy path, the city plowed part of the walkway early but it soon was covered again.


My girlfriend made this cute winter front door quilt.


Love the tartan covers on the skates.


Snow barely hanging onto the branch.


Maple tree looking like lace by my condo.


Footsteps in fresh snow...


Heading back inside to warm up after a chilly walk.

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Starting to look like Christmas...snow day

Yesterday afternoon I took coffee over to my friend's place and saw her small live Christmas tree all decked out.


Same photo, but not focused.


Walking back in the early twilight some of the condos had their lights on.


The rose hips are still hanging about.


Pretty stars and red lights.


This is a lovely display.


Looking at our central lobbies with a Christmas tree on each floor and one in the courtyard.


My Christmas wreath, until a few months ago my door was white, now the berries don't stand out as much but it still is pretty.


Late last night around midnight the snow started to fall.


Looking out towards the Fraser River the mist is actually snow.


Another look around 0230 this morning.


The trees are starting to look pretty with their snowy lace.


Again towards the Fraser, I love this view.


This morning about 0700, even more snow.


More snow on the branches.


A couple of early morning dog walkers.


I like the effect of blurred lights in the snow.


I'm so glad I don't have to drive to work in this snow, Vancouver has lots of hills and the first 2 Kms. Of my daily drive to work was up a fairly steep hill. Snow Day! I'll go for a walk later when it is a bit lighter.

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