Take a Stitch Tuesday!!

I know it is Thursday but I just joined the TAST 2012 group for next year.  I am interested in making a crazy quilt and I thought this would be a great way to brush up on my embroidery stitches and make some new friends.
I still have to finish my bead journal projects for 2011 but that will have to wait until after the holidays as I still have some presents to finish. 
I am starting to think about some resolutions for next year already and hopefully I can keep them this year.  I am trying to be positive and 2012 will be a better year!!

I thought you might like this  photo of my baby under the tree.  He is a little put out that the tree is in his favourite sleeping place.

Have a great day!!

Black Friday Sale!!

Hi all,

Just wanted to let you know that I will be having a Sale this weekend for Black Friday - Cyber Monday.
Check out my shop on Friday.  I will be having 2 for 1 sale on my  PDF patterns and commercial patterns.  I will also be having specials on the beaded ornaments and stockings.

Unfortunately I haven't done any work on the dress renovation because I have been getting ready for this sale.  Hopefully I will be able to get to it this week.

I went to a "Festival of Trees" event in our town that is a fundraiser for the Canadian Lung Association.I took some pictures and thought you may be interested in seeing them. I got some good ideas for my trees and it was nice just wandering around and getting into the Holiday spirit.

 check out the chandeliers!!

This one is my favourite!!

Have a great day!

Elaine

Snowy Friday

Good morning,

Yesterday the sun didn't last long and it snowed all afternoon and evening and it is snowing again!!
The roads are quite slippery already.

view from my back door

I decided this morning that my feet are cold and I need a new pair slipper socks.  I have lots of leftover yarns and I found this pattern and tutorial for Norwegian House Slippers.  They looks really easy and cozy and there are no heels to turn!!  They look like they will be addictive - maybe everyone will get a pair for Christmas.

Is everyone looking forward to Black Friday and Cyber Monday??  I will be having some special offers in my Etsy shop for the weekend.  I will let you know all about it early next week!!

Have a great day!

Elaine

Reno Thursday!!

Hello all,

We have a beautiful, cold, sunny day today.  Better than yesterday when it snowed off and on and we had a little storm that didn't last long.

Today I have finally got my camera working and have got pictures of my next reno project.  I have had this dress for a while and it just does not fit right.  It is crepe and has a bias lining and it alway seems to pull in the wrong places so I have decided to cut it up.  As I have been looking at it on the manequin I realize the colour is a little drab and the style a little dated but it has beautiful beading  and a nice neckline so I cannot get rid of it.
I have decided to try and make a skirt and hopefully a top out of it.  Because I am not so tall I think it will be possible.  The dress was too long anyway but I couldn't hem it because of the beading.  If I cut it to the length I need for a skirt and add an elastic waist I think there will be enough fabric left to make the top long enough.  Here's hoping.

 

I was thinking I would wear them separately and I am unsure of what colours to wear with the two pieces to brighten them up a bit.    If anyone has any ideas of what to wear with this colour  I would love to hear from you.

I have listed a couple of new items in my shop this week.  I have a hand monogramed pet ornament and a baby's first christmas rattle ornament - as always I love to get custom orders.

Wish me luck on the dress reno - I will have some pictures next week wether it works out or not!! 

Have a great day!

Elaine

Sunday morning

Good morning,

Today is a dismal day.  A great day for staying in and sewing.

I finished fixing the white leather coat and wore it on Friday but I didn't post a picture becasue I didn't really do much to the thing.  I opened up the shoulder seam of the lining and took out the shoulder pads (big improvement) and I found the missing button so I didn't need to replace the  buttons - all in all it was a lack lustre. project.

I have been working on some knitted cowls (with beads of course) for my shop.  I have one buttercotch wool one listed and another white one is almost done. 

Other than that this week has been fairly uneventful.

I have a project picked out for tomorrow's "Upcycle Monday".  This one will have some actual sewing in it I promise.

Have a great restful Sunday!



Good morning all,

Today is a drab cloudy day with a forcast of snow for tomorrow.  I must get my yardwork done today I am running out of time.

Did anyone watch Project Runway last night.  We are only just at the begining of Season 9 (episode 8) in our area.  I believe it is over in other viewing areas-please don't tell me who won- I want to be surprised.  I think this is the most boring season yet.  There are no flamboyant personalities and no drama, it is a bit boring in that respect so far.  From what I have seen I think the clothing designs are much better than last season. I particularly liked the winning dress last night.  The little black dress with the lace details, it would be perfect for the upcoming holiday party season.  I also loved the mustard coloured clutch that one of the guys made.

 
I have been working on more beaded ornaments for my etsy shop and I have started working on some knitted outerwear - maybe the threat of snow has got me going.  I have just listed the first piece - a cowl in 100%wool with beads of course.:)  Let me know what you think??  Any comments on Project Runway.

Have a great day!!

Elaine

Welcome Back

Good morning,

Today is a lovely sunny morning in Northern Ontario but the forcast is snow for the end of the week.

I have been blog absent for a while now and am finally organized, I hope.  I am trying to make my blogs meaningful and informative and have come up with some new ideas for my blogs.  Since I have varied interests in the sewing, quilting, beading, home design and travel areas I have decided to try and include a little of each in my blog posts.  I hope you will like it and if not "please" let me know.

So starting off a new day I will be renovating a leather coat that I found while cleaning out my closet and getting the winter clothes ready.  I am not in my 20's or a size 2  so my clothing renovations (I hope) will resonate with the "mature" average women out there.  I bought this coat in the 90's.  I didn't wear it too much because it is a winter white colour and it didn't really go with small children. It does not need much in the way of renovations.  My plan is to remove the large shoulder pads and replace the buttons but you never know what will happen when I get started.  If you have any ideas please leave me a comment.

Check back in on Friday for the "weekly round-up" to see the my finished coat.

Also  for my design wall Monday I have started my second block from the Celebrate Christmas quilt along.  I am doing it in button hole stitch rather than needle turn applique.

Let me know what you think of my new format??

Have a great day!!

Elaine

Design wall Monday!!

Yes, I know it is Tuesday, but Monday was a little hectic for me.
On my wall you will see that I finally got one of the Christmas quilt-a-long blocks Ryan Walsh block done(black and red- not exactly christmas colours but I think it works).
There is also a rogue applique flower block that I don't know what to do with - maybe I will make it into a small wall hanging - how a bout a tutorial??
Two christmas stockings ready to go and a glimpse of another block that is a mystery - more about that later - and  a few leftover blocks from an airplane baby quilt.

Would love to hear from you.

Have a great day!

Elaine

Happy Sunday!

This past week or two has been busy.  I have been working on custom Christmas stocking orders for my etsy shop and working on opening another etsy shop for my beaded creations.  I will let you know when it is open.  The weather around here has been great for a while so I have got lots of yard work done preparing for winter.  Since Friday it has not stopped raining do I have found lots of time to stay in and do some hand work.  So I started working on some new beaded ornaments for the shop.  Here are a couple of them with more in the works.  I looks like rain for the the next week so I guess I will be getting more done. 

Hope you have a great relaxing Sunday!

Elaine



Friday

I have my Bootcamp buddy for the Etsy Holiday Bootcamp.  She is a fellow Canadian.  We will be helping each other through the Bootcamp exerecises.  We will be working on new products for this years holiday season.  Hope you will drop by and have a look.
The Celebrate Christmas quilt-along is in full swing and I haven't got any of the blocks done yet.  My "plan" is to get together my christmas fabrics and get some blocks started this weekend and post what I have done on Monday.
I have finished something. I finished two of my Bead Journal project pieces and posted them and in the process realized that I forgot July and August so now I have some catching up to do.  Oh well, that's the story of my life.

 September

June



Off to the fabric store today  to collect some new Christmas prints.

Have a great day!!

Elaine

Etsy Holiday Boot Camp

Last week the Etsy Holiday Boot Camp started.  I have almost completed the week 1 tasks - just the buget to go.  I hope this will help with my holiday sales this year.  Every little bit of information helps.
What have you been up to this week??
When I was in England I didn't get much time to shop but I did find these mugs. Aren't they the cutest mugs.  I love shoes and bags!!!!

Have a great day!!

Elaine

Ginger bread men

Happy Saturday everyone,

I have just listed my Gingerbread men in my Etsy shop.
Off to do my errands but just wanted to share this photo.  Unfortunately the photo does not do the colour justice.  It was like a neon pink and then it faded fast.  This was taken outside my  house last night.

Have a great day!!

Elaine

Yah!!!

Finally my sewing machine is fixed - I can pick it up today!!!!

This week I have been working on new ornaments for my Etsy shop.  What do you think??
I will be listing them soon. 

I have also been decorating for my kitchen for fall.  Just a few small changes - fresh flowers in fall colours and my fall leaves table topper.  If anyone is interested in the pattern let me know and I will post it.  I is quite simple.

Here is my 'baby'.

Hope everyone has a great day!

 Life is starting to get back to normal.  My dad was in the hospital having surgery but is home and doing well.

My projects have been put on hold because there is only so much crafty stuff you can do in a hospital room.  The nurses really don't like it when you show up with a sewing machine. lol  Talking about sewing machines I took mine in for a tune up before we went on holidays and it is still not  ready.  I have been trying to do hand work in my "spare" time but have not accomplished much.  I should be getting my holiday items finished to put in my Etsy shop.  I will be working on  them diligently now that I have bit more time and I will let you know when I post some new item.

This is all that I have got done in the last week - here is a picture of my Bead Journal piece "in progress".  Let me know what you think??

Have a great day!!

Elaine

Just Thursday

I joined the Bead Journal Project in January and was doing really well until summer and holidays hit.  I am a little behind but I thought I would post the first 5 pieces I have done.  I intend to make the hexagons into a "Grandmothers Flower Garden" type piece when they are done.  (I love hexagons).

Also this month I am designing a Mystery Quilt project for my local quilt quild.  It will be a busy month.
Anyone interested in following along with my guild Mystery quilt let me know and I can send you the pdf's each month - it is only 5 months.

Have you seen the Celebrate Christmas-quilt-along - it looks like great fun.  You can find out all about it here. 

Have a great day!!
Elaine

Hardwick Hall

Although our trip to England was mainly to see relatives we did manage to get to Hardwick Hall.  There is a rhyme associated with the hall "Hardwick Hall more glass than wall" because it has a lot of windows for a home of its time period. It is the home of the largest collection of 16th and 17th century needlework in the world. One thing that impressed me was the amount of tapestries - they were on every wall in every staircase - everywhere you looked there was some type of embroidery or tapestry.  There were too many to take in in one visit.

 Hardwick Hall front door

The walls of this room are covered from floor to ceiling with tapestries.

I thought this was cute - small tapestry stool in the house.

I apologize for the pictures I could not use a flash and the photos did not turn out the greatest.

Have a great day.

Elaine

Back home in Canada

We arrived back late monday and slept most of yesterday.  I didn't manage to find a fabric store where we were but I did find out where it was the morning that we left. That didn't do me much good.
Will post a few photos of my trip in the next couple of days.  But I did manage to get some more hexies done.

Now that I am home and things are settling down I will be working on holiday items for my Etsy shop Due North Designs.  I will be making some new beaded holiday ornaments and stockings and anything else I can think of.  I got some inspirations for some new quilt patterns on my travels as well.

Have a great day! 

Elaine

Hello from England!!

Sorry for the delay in a new post.  I am currently in England on vacation and have had a little trouble with finding wi-fi.
I have been doing my hexies while I have been travelling and hope to have some more done on the way home.
This will be a scrap quilt and I am trying to use up all the scraps that I have (lol).  This is the perfect travelling project.

I haven't found any quilt shops (patchwork shops) yet.  It is not as popular here or in Europe as it is in North America.  But I am hopeful that I will find at least one before I come home.

Cheers

Elaine

Welcome!!

This is my first blog post ever!!

I have been thinking about writing a blog for some time and have finally decided to jump in with both feet.
I plan to blog regularly but as we all know "life happens".  I love to quilt, bead, sew, knit & travel to new and far away places.  I find inspiration for designing needlework projects everywhere.  I have an etsy shop - Due North Designs where I am attempting to sell my original quilting patterns some of them inspired by my travels and also some ready-made holiday items.
For my first post I will leave you with a picture of my 'baby'. 

We are leaving today for vacation and I will be leaving my 'baby' for two weeks.

Tomorrow we will be in another country and I will post a photo - see if you can guess where we are??

So long for now!!