Spring Thyme Blog Hop Wool Projects

Back at the beginning of March Stacy West from Buttermilk Basin put together a group of designers for her Spring Thyme Blog Hop.

On March 17 I shared this picture of a design from Debbie St. Germain from Woolen Sails of a needle punch design she shared that I stitched in wool.

Well I've been playing around with some of the other designers' projects along with another one from Debbie which I incorporated into a coordinated sewing case.

This black and white bunny is courtesy of Stacy West's post that you can find if you click here, she used hers on a dish towel.

Here is a picture of the front and back of the sewing case.

Tucked inside you can see some of the other things I made with more of the freebie designs.

The forget me knot design Kathy from The Cottage At Cardiff Farms, Here is a link to her pincushion pattern.  Unfortunately right now I can't load her blog.  The pansy is courtesy Meg from Crabapple Hill Studio, Here is a link to the page if you would like to see the needle case she designed.

Ali Strebel designed a felted party chick for her day that I adapted to wool applique.  Her post and pattern can be found here.  The flower on the scissor case was also designed by Debbie St. Germain and be found here.

I put some white acrylic felt inside my needle book and have a pocket so I can store some extra new needles.

Here is a closer look at the front and back of the needle case.  In hindsight I guess I should have cut it a bit bigger.

I added the bullion bee to the picture and changed up the flower centres.

Here is a closer look at my chick, her beak is almost duck not chick!

I also adjusted the placement of my white part of the pansy from what the pattern suggests.

Love Debbie's flower.

A closer look at her flower and bunny that was originally presented as a needle punch design.

I love doing those pistil stitches.

Stacy's bunny is so sweet.

I had fun adapting the mini scissor case pattern from Reets of Reets' Rags to Stitches pattern I won in November.  I traced a larger pair of scissors and used her shape so my medium Karen Kay Buckley scissors will fit inside.

I'm also very pleased with the turquoise floral and linear print I used for the inside of the cases, I'm planning on getting some good use from this project.  I still have some other pieces which will work with these but they are not quite finished yet.  Designing as you go can be fun!

Bras, Blocks, and Bionic Gear Bag

The online yahoo group I belong to is making Bra Blocks for Mary Lou Weidman.  On Easter Monday she shared a blog post about Easter, French Toast, her upcoming trip to speak at 4 guilds in southern California and being diagnosed with breast cancer.  You can read her post if you click here.

She also shared the news to us online and one of the gals; Carol Haueter suggested we make her bra blocks for a quilt.  Very quickly we had people signing up to make blocks and Tami Levin from the group offered to do the machine quilting for us.  Tami has a wonderful blog called Lemon Tree Tales, click here to check it out.                                                                                                                         

I made this fun cupcake bra and pinned a Daffodil pin from the Canadian Cancer Society that they sell each April to raise funds.

My neighbour and friend Rita kept hers patriotic.  You may know that Mary Lou's maternal grandparents were Canadian.

Another dear friend Ethel made this lovely rainbow beauty.

To finish up the local friends Tricia used this great floral print.  We all used polka dot fabrics for background.  They are all on their way for Carol to sew together along with my online friends.

On Facebook and her blog Michele Bilyeu is encouraging people to make Cross Blocks in different sizes in some of Mary Lou's favourite colours.  If you are interested check out her instructions about sizes, colours and address here on this blog post.

I decided to make mine in the mini size.  Cheddar and red are two favourite colours of Mary Lou along with turquoise...right down my alley.

The top left cross is a turquoise print on white.

Here are they all together getting ready to head to Oregon.

Actually that print is the one I used on my Bionic Gear Bag.  I made three other pieces for it.              

I love my Karen Kay Buckley scissors so I made holders for the two sizes I use most often along with a little needle book.  I can't believe how many things I'm getting inside the bag and it still has room for more.  I will definitely be making another in different fabrics soon.                                                  

Project revealed! A Bionic Gear Bag..

Remember this group of fabrics I posted last month asking what to choose for a binding?  

 Well I decided on using a dimples turquoise fabric for the project.

 A Bionic Gear Bag!  I love how it looks closed.  I machine quilted my outside fabric in straight line quilting.

 Here it is opened showing four zipper compartments inside along with some other goodies.

 A little squared bowl to use for a thread catcher and a dumpling zipper bag are included in the pattern.

 Here are the two mini projects in front of the larger bag.  When I first got my pattern the little dumpling bag wasn't part of it and she used the little bowl to hold wonder clips.  As you can see I've got some in the dumpling bag.

 I've opened up the zippers so you  can see that they form pouches between the zipper pockets.  Now to fill up this lovely bag.  Rip Stitcher the designer has a picture of it closed and then emptied of all the goodies she keeps in hers that you can see by clicking here.  She also has a video and how to order the bag if you click here.

Here is the link to a images on yahoo to inspire you to make one yourself.

Easter Sunday drive to Purdy's Chocolates!

Most Sundays I like to take my mom for a drive; she has never driven and either walks or takes the bus to most destinations.  This drive took us to our old neighbourhood.  Just east a few blocks my grandparents build a home.  North a few blocks were two houses I lived in first when I was born, the second until I was 14.  Several blocks south my mom's sister and family also had a home.

This building used to house the Canada Dry bottling plant and was the start of the bus we regularly took to go downtown shopping with mom.  We used to wait for the bus and watch the bottles fill through the window.  Then it was sold and became Purdy's Chocolates.

Purdy's is a Vancouver based business that was started in 1907 and has expanded into Alberta and Ontario.  It has been voted top 50 Best Employers several times and the same family has owned it since 1963.  The current CEO Karen Flavelle has twice been voted into the top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada!

 For Easter they set up some whimsical displays at their main entrance.

 This is the one over the Factory Shop.

 Love that wind vane!

 Ogopogo is a legendary Sea Monster that lives in Okanagan Lake, here is a old tire version of him.

 Bright Easter coloured ornaments hanging in a Magnolia Tree.

 Inside the shop Easter goodies are on display.  As it was late on Sunday afternoon most of them have been sold out.

 Love the Turquoise packaging for Easter.

 Their signature purple boxes.

 Back outside is the whimsical water fountain.

 Seen from the other side.

If you ever come to Vancouver, stop by the factory and check out the store on Kingsway.  You leave with a smile on your face and a treat in your pocket.  They even have sugar free chocolates!  Check them out here http://www.purdys.com/

March 31st photos to celebrate Spring on the West Coast

Grape Hyacinth blossoms are abound along the Quay.

 I think this is an anemone blossom, love the bottle brush centre.

 Lovely checkerboard flowers.

 This is a witch hazel plant with white bottlebrush blooms.

 Tulips, forget me not and pansies along this stretch.

 Love this traditional tulip shape bloom.

 Is this not beautiful?

 Some of the trees are yet to burst into leaf.

 More lovely tulips.

 Grape Hyacinths below the rose bushes.

 Lovely delicate mauve/pink accents on this bloom.

 Orange/red and yellow blossoms.

 A centre flower bed crammed with Hyacinths.

This blossom has already gone to seed!

Crowding each other for space.

Check out the busy bee inside the blossom.

Love mix of colours.

Today is April 1st and we have more gorgeous sunshine to enjoy the blossoms.  Enjoy your day!