Scrappy Raven's Nest

2011-03-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

My new kitchen- thank you Jesus. I've had the flat boxes of cupboards in my basement for two years. There are still some finishing touches to add but I'm pretty happy with it. I've been working away on quilt tops but my camera is nowhere to be found. I won't post unless I have photos. I'm like a small child that way. I must have pictures to look at while reading even if it's my own writing. This pictures was taken at Christmas 2010. I am dedicating the next week to locating my camera so I can show updated photos of what I'm working on. Happy quilting.

Why I Love Folk Art?

2010-12-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

Embroidery detail of my guinea pig Bea on an unfinished crazy aquilt.

Folk art is a joy to behold. It reaches right down into me and tells me who a person really is or who a group of people are. "Folk Art", whatever that means, takes guts. It takes guts to put your insides on the outside of a cloth, wood or paper.  After a while you loose this sense of putting yourself on the line. The process of creating art takes central stage. The story in all it's beauty and flaws takes on a life of it's own.

To me the process of making any piece of expressive art becomes my dialogue with God.  A quilt that I make should say, "Here it is God. Here is my life, nothing more and nothing less. This is where I am".  The making of a quilt should be a Psalm in fabric; sometimes thankful, sometimes joyful, sometimes solemn, sometimes complaining (I'm big on complaining) and desperate, but always addressed to God.

"Folk art" is often made in the creation of a useful, humble everyday object. To me it is important that I be able to use a piece of art. In this way I am reminded on a daily basis of the realness of God in my life.   A quilt created, whether on a bed or decorating a wall says, "Look you, this is where you were on your inner journey with God. It's time to move on and declare your feelings to God honestly, and better, by using new techniques, different colors etc. It's time to thank God for being alive in the creation of a new object"

Liberated Baskets

2010-10-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

This is a quilt I'm piecing together for one of my daughter's good friends. It might be a little too liberated but I'm letting myself go with this one. P.S. Those are my new kitchen tiles in the background.

The quilt on the floor is a liberated nine patchy sampler that I've finished for my daughter. Unfortunately my daughter whisked the bound quilt away before I could photograph it. Here are a couple of details.

I love making the liberated stars from the books by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran. The entire quilt was tied with yellow Euroflax sport weight linen.

I'm still quilting my "Butterfly Garden" quilt for my daughter's other close friend.

I gave up quilting a number of years ago because it bored me. I only discovered "liberated quilting" about a year ago. I always secretly preferred what I called naive quilts or utility quilts but kept this passion a secret. I thought people would laugh at me or think that I didn't have pride in my work if I made quilts in such a free way. I recently found an old book published in the eighties called "Masterpiece Quilts" which has many "utility quilts" pictured along with more traditional quilts. I admire perfectly executed traditional quilts but they don't speak to me the same way as quilts in which the maker has had to make design choices based on what was available to her at the time.

Anywho, I'm having fun which is what it's all about.

Quilt it Freehand - Threads

2010-10-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

Quilt it Freehand - Threads This link (also at side bar) is a great tutorial on freehand quilting and shows how to make a great quilt frame that you don't have to baste your layers together for.

MIA

2010-10-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

I've done a fair amount in the last year but haven't been blogging very much. Summer was all about my daughter being home from boarding school. We had a great time the three of us (husband, daughter and I) at the family cottage in Ontario. She decided to go back to boarding school despite my diabolical plan to show her how wonderful life could be at home : friends, mom doing her laundry, mom baking for her, Sunday dinner, mom helping her clean her room, mom basically being her slave etc.. All to no avail; we took her back in September. Don't get me wrong. I'm really proud of her independant spirit, and her brains. A big part of me, most of me is happy if she's happy, wherever that is. I just miss her so damn much. Empty nest syndrome is happening to me about 4 years earlier than I expected and it's the pits.

If that weren't enough my doctor informed me that menopause was upon me. She is not my usual doctor. Just a young thing with the world by the tail. Thanks for informing me that my ovaries are "frying up". Just wait till yours fry dearie.

Sorry about the whining. Hope to have some pictures as soon as I find either my cell phone or my digital camera which have been lost in our home renovations. Kitchen is almost done. It is the one thing making me giddy with delight. Life could be worse. That's something I have to remember. I'm a lucky women "frying ovaries and all. PS vitaming D and Calcium and Magnesium supplements have stopped wild menopausal mood swings. The nurse told me to take them when the doctor was out of the room for a minute. Thank God for nurses with experience.

Changing Direction

2010-02-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

Looking at my new knitting needle holder is as close to knitting or in fact doing anything for at least two weeks. I exhausted myself so much during the last few months that I got Bronchitis and can't seem to get rid of it. When I try to knit just moving my arms makes me cough.

After receiving a prayer shawl at my mom's funeral I have decided to dedicate most of my time to knitting, crocheting or quilting Prayer Shawls. I want to pass the comfort along.

I'd like to knit with a group of people whether that is over the internet or where I live or both. I'd like to knit for a Canadian organization for which people and their families really sacrifice a lot. I'm working on that end of things to distribute them. I'm going to need help so I hope any knitters out there (even one person) will help me by knitting a prayer shawl. I hope to have more details soon.

For information on the Prayer Shawl Ministry go to http://www.shawlministry.com/. Knit a prayer shawl for anyone in need it's a great gift to receive.

New Old Stuff

2010-01-30T17:56:00.000-08:00

These baskets were my great grandmother's. They are from western Canada and might have been made by Native artists. I love this kind of folk art which is really so highly sophisticated and honest. The top one is hand painted and served as my grandmother's sewing basket. Inside the big one I found this sweater almost complete made by my mother. Coincidentally it is the same color as the sweater I started while she was dying. It is also a cardigan and someday I will finish knitting the last piece and sew it together.

It is interesting how we decide what pieces of the past we allow into our present lives. Maybe I will never finish the sweater. Perhaps it would be better to rip it and knit something new with the old yarn. If there is one thing I've learned it's to acknowledge the past but to move on with today and the future.

New Stuff For A New Year

2010-01-29T13:53:00.001-08:00

Well it's about time I took stock of what's been accomplished in the last few months. My first ever hooked rug is moving along although I don't know if others can tell that the main figure is a cat. I think the sweater is going to be allright. It's my own pattern knit entirely in the round (yeah, no seams). Since my body curves outward wherever it is possible to be curvey I've been experimenting with short rows. This actually quite terrified me at first but it is actually fairly easy to tell where to add short rows (my curves are not subtle). Notice I'm trying not to mention anything about weight. My new resolution is to not say the F word (the three letter word )in conjunction with myself in order to be a better role model to my daughter. The great thing about knitting top down is that you can adjust the fit as you go.

Prayer Shawl

2010-01-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

This has been a difficult year. My daughter went to boarding school (her choice) so I've been having empty nest syndrome. Then about 10 days before Christmas my mother passed away. We've been on the road back and forth, doing the 9 hour drive, to the big city since September. I'm going to whine a bit here, but I am so tired that I decided to give myself permission to take a week off at home and just rest.

Thank goodness for all of my hobbies or I would have gone round the bend. What do people who don't knit or quilt or hook rugs do when they're stressed out. I have slept a lot and been very lazy but without my projects I would have been taken over by depression and a sense of purposelessness.

One thing that was absolutely wonderful was a present I received from a wonderful friend of my mother's after her funeral. She and her group had knit me a prayer shawl. When I feel sad I just wrap that around myself for comfort. In fact over Christmas the whole family took to wrapping it around themselves for comfort.

I have heard of the Prayer Shawl Ministry but to be quite honest I didn't really understand it. I mean how comforting could a piece of cloth be. I thought maybe those people should be knitting other things for their families that would be more appreciated.

How wrong I was. The Prayer Shawl I received has been invaluable in helping me through the grieving process. The colors remind me of my mother and when I wrap up in it in a way I feel I am wrapping a little of herself around me. Knowing that the lovely women of her church knit it is a wonderful bonus. Her community of women are also wrapping around me with loving support. What a great gift that it should be prayed over and blessed turning a piece of cloth (albeit a lovely hand knit one) into a garment of spiritual protection.

Having received one I know I must cast on and prayerfully knit a shawl for someone in need.

Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year

2009-12-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late with finishing this project (on December 24th). The good/bad news is that we all know Christmas will be rolling around again and once again I will have a use for this Advent Calander. Not that I dislike Christmas; I'm just a little tired. We lost my Mom a couple of weeks before Christmas. However we tried to have a good but quiet Christmas to cheer up my Daughter. This weekend we have to take Daughter back south to school and I'm not looking forward to that. When I get back to the cold and blustery north, I'm going to lock myself in a room, and cry while I finish a crazy quilt pillow that has been languishing for several years. Creativity is the best antidote for languishing. Happy New Year (it can only get better ).

2009-11-17T19:33:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite knitting books is "Mother-Daughter Knits". Sorry about the horrible photo of it nestled amongst the clean laundry pile I am trying to ignore. The Buttoned Muffler pattern is excellent. Here it is in Patons Shetland Chunky. Misty cat is not impressed so I tried it on myself as well.

As well I am working on this hooked rug. This is my first try at rug hooking and it seems to be going all right (I hope). As you can see Misty is one of my favorite models.

2009-10-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for a long time. It's been a little stressful. My daughter left for school in early September. She is only 14 and attending a boarding school. She researched the whole thing last year and initiated the whole endeavor. She was so gung -ho and being our only child we decided to make her dream come true. We're very proud of her for coping with the move so well but of course we miss her terribly. We are able to see her every other week or so as business often takes us to the city where she is. The school is fantastic and the staff are so professional and take great care of the kids.

Then I was phoned at work and an emergency doctor in Winnipeg told me my mother was dying of cancer. My mother and I have been estranged but I was devastated and went immediately to see her. She has Alzheimers as well so although she recognizes me she isn't aware of what is going on.

Through all of this knitting has been my salvation. Knitting for my daughter gives me a feeling that at least I am able to provide some motherly care for her. Knitting also keeps my nervous energy under control. Knitting is a blessing from God. I am next going to knit for charity as a way of giving back all of the blessings I have received from God. I used to knit preemie caps for the local hospital so I think I'll start there.

The last entry from Anne Shayne on the Mason Dixon knitting blog answers a fundamental question of why we knit. By knitting we create a problem solving situation. I can mostly solve knitting problems (mostly might be stretching it-throwing knitting across the room can be cathartic if nothing else) but I can't solve my mother's cancer. I can't repair our past relationship but I can knit something for her comfort. Or I can realize that there is nothing more that I can do and move on to knitting for the new baby at our church. Knitting is all about the future. It's all about moving along to the next little problem such as learning a new technique or pattern. Sometimes the solution is to rip back the knitting and pretend like the problem knitting never happened. That's the only area of my life in which I can undo a mistake and turn the stuff of life into something completely different.

My best knitting is done in silence to the rhythm of my own thoughts and feelings with the cat curled up next to me and a cup of coffee within reach. Knitting is something I do mainly for myself so that I may produce something positive out of the stress in my life. Hopefully I can pass the item on to a loved one or a stranger and let them know that someone took time to make sure they are buffered from the harsh reality of life.

Summer Chevron

2009-07-30T08:59:00.001-07:00

This sweater pattern has been driving me around the bend (Summer Chevron from "More Big Girl Knits"). I'm not sure whether to keep ripping out and restarting or whether to give up on the whole thing. I am a bit obssesive compulsive and sometimes I just don't know when to call it a day.

The problem is with the row guage. The chevron pattern knits up too short if I follow directions even with a size 10 US needle (pattern calls for 8US). Looking on Ravelry, other people seem to have had this problem too. When I alter the pattern by knitting more rows, then the underarms are too low when you knit the sides on argghhh...

I think I need to step away from it and pick up my quilt. At least there are no fitting issues with quilts. When you work on a quilt it gets done.

The sun is shining again after days of rain. My lovely teenage daughter is at home doing laundry (I hope). I'm at work, obviously not working, as I'm writing this. Life is good.

Finally Some Color

2009-07-14T11:57:00.001-07:00

My little salute to Canada Day and the Fourth of July; red and white for Canada and a blue pot added for America.

My peonies have still not bloomed and here we are into July. All I've got are daisies and petunias for my gardening efforts. The summer is unusually late even for northern Canada.

Here is my daughter in the finished Daily Sweater from Knitting Outside the Lines. There are a rather alarming number of stitch increases in the pattern when beginning the cuff and hem ribbing. Even on smaller needles both edges ended up wavy. I'm thinking they might shrink in the wash and the increases will keep the cuffs from stretching from wear. My daughter thinks its nice and comfortable so I might knit one for myself (1824 cotton, color 404).

Still Waiting For Summer

2009-06-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

The grass is finally starting to turn green and the fruit trees are finally flowering in northern Canada. I'm still waiting on my peonies to mature enough to bloom however and the water is still too cold to swim in at the lake. I know this because I almost froze my ankles and feet off trying to help husband launch the fishing boat on the weekend. I think kids would chance it. They don't seem to feel the cold water at all.

Here is the second quilt I ever made (13 years ago). I had no money so used whatever fabric I had on hand. It is machine quilted but now that I've rescued it from the linen closet I think I'll add a little more hand quilting.

These are our new deck chair cushions which husband picked out. At first I was a little annoyed that I hadn't been consulted but I think he picked the right ones. Quite nice for Canadian Tire merchandise.

UFO's

2009-06-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

My next quilting project is a medallion quilt that I'm designing as I go (on the left). The sweater is from the book "Mason Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines". I am knitting it with 1824 Cotton. The pattern is knit from the top down making fitting (and finishing) a snap.

First Entry

2009-06-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

This is the beginning of my knitting, quilting, sewing blog. I love things that are folky, primitive old fashioned or rustic. I'm on a mission to "feather my nest" with hand-made items. Our home is quite the hodge podge of antiques, modern furniture, and modern art.

The irony is that all this "feathering" is happening at a very odd time in my life. My daughter is ironically going to boarding school just as I am having more time to create the kinds of things we both love. She also loves old fashioned, rustic things and is quite a good little knitter and sewer (just finished her first sock, and it fits!). Our dream is to live in a house filled with home made items.

I'm hoping that she'll check out my creative diary every once in a while so she can see what Mom is up to. With this hope, I will be addressing my blog entries to Dear Lyndy starting in September. Even if she doesn't visit very often it will make me feel more connected with her and I'd love others to visit as well. Hopefully I'll have something worthwhile to share.