I was completely awestruck with this beautiful machine. My mom bought it as a piece of furniture but I see it as so much more.

When I actually looked at this gorgeous singer sewing machine I had ask why don't modern machines look like this?
I don't mean the heavy metal and simple design but the etched detail in the metal, the beautiful golden sphinx, the designs outlining the base.
How inspiring to have this decorated machine to create with.
It definitely inspired me to decorate my sewing machine. Now I just have to think of the  style that best suits me.

I just thought I would share my latest sewing project. I made some pillows for my great friends Chris and Carrie.

They are both uber-talented and their yard is amazing. Carrie is the fantastic gardener responsible for the rich with colour and  vibrant with life garden. As a wonderful compliment, Chris builds amazing decks, pergolas, and hobbit sheds. 
 
Last year one of his projects was the pergola in the front yard complete with a wonderful and extremely hard core swing.
Carrie has named this lovely little place Cafe la CareBear. I often make reservations their for drinks at dusk. Lovely.

I was honored when they asked me to make them cushions to complete the swing. Chris's dream was to make this a perfect place to take an afternoon nap. 

Carrie and I hit the fabric store in May when all of the outdoor fabric went on sale and picked out the fabric for some luscious pillows. 
It was so much fun. Carrie has such an eye for design and it was great to see how her ideas and vision came together with the choice of fabric.

A couple weeks later the cushions were completed. I was so excited to bring them over to see how they looked. I was so pleased that it all came together. Chris' amazing pergola and swing with my comfy pillows  surrounded by the beauty of Carrie's Garden.

See what Carrie said about the swing and more pictures on her blog,
The Bead Tree. 
 

A few days ago I caught a great documentary on Feist,
called Look At What The Light Did Now.
It has been playing on HBO Canada for a few weeks now
and I finally watched it all.

The trailer is below.....

What I loved so much about this film and what inspired me is seeing all these different artists come together to create something that becomes bigger then all of them yet, they are all very present in the work that is produced.
It is beautiful to see all the working parts behind what we all know as Feist.

I started to think what else brings so many different artists together to create in the same light, sewn by the same thread so to speak......hmmmmm 

I also thought of how many other artists inspire me everyday, I see the influences come to life in my art. It is very clear to me that the inspiration I draw from other artist allow me to thrive and grow in my own directions but also allow me to contribute to something that is bigger than me. Something that does not dis-count what I see as beauty in art.

As I sew today I am listening to Feist to remind myself of what filled my head with ideas, thoughts and wonder, presently, this film.

Watching this also maybe me fall in love with Feist all over again.

the video above was featured in the film, love this song.

I left Prince George, BC on Sunday but, I had one more stop before I headed home. I went to Grand Prairie, Alberta to visit my good friend Darcie. She has been working there for a while now so I haven't been able to see her as much as I like so I decided I must make the trip.
Not only was I looking forward to see her but I was excited to give her the quilt I made her.

Dear sweet Darcie let me borrow her fancy-dancy sewing and embroidery machine while she has been working in Grand Prairie, what a gift. It was a dream to work with this machine and to thank her I really wanted to make a quilt.

Garry also wanted to contribute to a gift for Darcie. He bought the fabric and he also came up with the idea for the quilt. He thought it would be perfect if the quilt was camouflage on one side and pretty and pink on the other. It very much reflects Darcie, she is a fun, beautiful, girly, caring woman that loves to get dirty working on her truck, running crane, and hunting in camo. So, here it is.

I am calling it Pretty in Camo. It was made with cotton and flannel mostly pink prints with splashes of blue and yellow here and there. I made it with random sizes of squares just pieced together in groups then brought together for the big piece. There are a few parts that kinda have a traditional feel with a spin, like bargello and log cabin. There could be more that resemble traditional blocks but I have no idea what they are or their names. I have never really dove into traditional blocks and patterns, they're just to constricting for this free spirit.
I enjoyed playing with pink and it was great to put my love into it for someone who is close to my heart. It will be perfect for a good cuddle on the couch.
I am pretty sure Darcie really liked it. I think she thanked us a couple hundred times, so sweet.

I have been visiting my beautiful niece Sydney and her loving and amazing parents, my sister, Stephanie and bro-in-law, Levi for the last few days in Prince George, BC.
I have been spending my days looking after this darling and sometimes devilish child while her parents work and her babysitter is on holiday and what an experience it has been.
This visit has deepened my appreciation for all the parents of the world, well especially my sister and Levi. I have also enjoyed the childlike wonderment that Syd has shown me, it has been truly inspiring to see her learn and play and laugh. 3 is a crazy and magical age.

I am so proud of my niece, she is so smart, caring and truly funny. I know that this has everything to do with her family that loves her.

I snapped this pic (below) when she had dressed up in just one of her many princess dresses and of course her tiara. When she puts on these shiny, satiny, rufflely, bedazzled dresses she turns into a dancing queen. I barely managed to get a picture that wasn't blurred with her quick dance moves.
She agreed to pose in front of her wall hanging only if I promised to dance with her. I did, and it was fun. :)

So, I have a few more days with my family and I am just soaking it up like a sponge. I am so happy I made the trip out here and am already planning another trip this summer out here.
Tomorrow we will be going to the pool. Swimming was a huge part of my sister and my up- bringing. It's going to be great having all us water babies in the pool.
I'll leave you with this fun pic of last night's performance of a rocked out twinkle-twinkle lil' star by Syd. Guitar back up was performed by Steph.
So much fun!!

I loved making this delightful quiet book for my 3 year old niece Sydney.

I hope that she will have tons o' fun with this book. I also hope that it will keep her busy (and quiet) for hours as she learns and develops skills for years to come.

I am also relieved that it is finally completed. It was so much work! I wasn't working from any patterns (which is just how I roll). I just used examples that I found for inspiration and let my original evolve.

I had so much fun diving into the land of cartoony things- full off bright colors, bold shapes and fun, interactive scenes.
The pages are made with bright solid flannel, lined with fusible interfacing to give structure and strength. I used recycled plastic craft felt for most of the bits, usually they are double layered with interfacing as well. The lettering is all 3D fabric paint which is washable.
The whole book can be washed but I think spot cleaning should be done for as long as possible before a good wash.

So being as crazy- or smart (can't decide) as I am, I made 2 of these books. The other I am offering to sell.
There are a few differences (the personalized pages are not finished- I will customize for your child). I have also left the cover decorations as well so they can be customized for a boy or girl. 
If you are interested please contact me and I will send you pics of the pages and we can discuss the custom pages.
This will be a very special gift and heirloom piece for any child in your life.

My mom left yesterday to be with my darling niece on her 3rd birthday (Happy bday Syd!!) and to spend time with my sister's family of course in Prince George, BC. She was staying with me and Garry (my boyfriend) for the last 5 days and it was a great visit. We had a perfect balance of rest and recreation. She will be in PG, BC for another 5 days, then back home to Nova Scotia.

So, yesterday on my way home from the airport I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish yesterday but, after the errands were run and I put away the groceries I was exhausted.
I didn't want to do much of anything. The one thing I have really learned about my self and sewing is that it can be the biggest mistake to sew when I am tired. I make crazy silly mistakes that triple the work,

As I was pondering "what shall I do with this need to get my butt in gear to finish my project and my obvious tiredness" I came to a solution and declared to Garry....
"I think I will just cut out some hearts, that always relaxes me."
Garry turned to me with a grin and said. "I am so happy I know what you are talking about"
We laughed. I guess it could have sounded like a serial killer's confession. To funny.
Here are the hearts I cut out while watching some tv. A perfect job for the night.

I will be using these for my Heart page. The plan is to print on Fabric paper the pictures of Sydney's family and fuse them to each heart. Then when she unzips the heart her family will be inside.