When I was a kid, my mother told me that one of her father's favourite expressions (he died when she was in her early teens) was "Six of a dozen assorted". That's sort of what I have to share this go 'round.
The Madman to the South continues his threats on my country's very existence, so I continue to make, make, make in order to bring a modicum of order to the chaos swirling around us.
Blessedly, I have enough materials and ideas to keep that process going!
On Wednesday, I attende the Opening Reception for the "Piece by Piece" fund-raising exhibit at the Lacombe Performing Arts Centre (fondly referred to as LPAC). My piece was one of two distinctly textile-genre pieces; there was also a piece that was mixed media (including found objects) and a variety of paintings, both in oil and in acrylic -- landscapes, portraiture and so forth. Twenty-two artists in all.
This is a silent auction and runs through May 2nd, so I hope my local friends will get over to the LPAC to see it -- and maybe place a bid!
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"Prairie Gold" 12" x12" on canvas |
I recently got word that I've been accepted for a booth at the 2025 Encore! Lacombe Art Show and Sale. I was Featured Artist in 2023, but took the year off last year and will be returning this year with both quilted and hooked pieces. Four of the quilted pieces will be the ones that have just come "home" from B.C. -- the ones I made for the 2022-2024 "Art in the Park" residency and touring exhibit. Here's a shot of them hanging in the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre gallery:
I'm very excited to present them to a new audience in Lacombe!
With them, there will be several new hooked pieces, including smalls that can be taken home for very little expense.
But besides that, I continue to work on the usual...knitting...quilting (piecing) and cross-stitch.
Last going first, the cross-stitch. I've been a bit all over the place but still focusing (a bit) on what is (mostly) Canadian.
I've made more progress on "Anne Perrin 1841", a reproduction sampler from Jeannette Douglas Designs, and made my way over to the "berry bowl" in the centre:
I've also made some progress on "'S' is for Stitcher" from Thea Dueck at The Victoria Sampler:
I also started Thea's 2025 BOM -- a floral 'Block of the Month' in stitches. I've done the first two months and, having the pattern for March, will do that one soon:
And I've made my way to what is essentially the centre of the piece, but there it sits for now -- along with the "Quilters' Dream" from Modern Folk Embroidery, because, of course, there are other things...
Such as the "HOPE" sampler -- a section from a stitch-along created some years ago by Modern Folk Embroidery. I mean, after all, we could all use a bit of hope these days, right? For this one, I'm using a single strand of a WonderFil #8 Perle cotton in Sue Spargo's line, colour #EZM89 on 32-count Thornfield linen from Needle & Flax, from my stash since 2023.
And for now, another project that I want to give to a friend is a biscornu. Some months (maybe over a year) ago, that friend gave me a pattern and flosses for this pattern. Her birthday is coming up and I've decided I want to finish it for her:
Pattern: Flanders Fields Biscornu Designer: Heartstring Samplery Fabric: 36-ct Grey (Weeks) Floss: Weeks Dye Works |
My quilting has been focused on the Old Town Mystery from Bonnie Hunter. I've finished all 25 blocks and, lacking fabric for the called-for pieced sashing, decided to put the blocks together as a top:
Then I added a narrow inner border (blue-green to match the centres of each block) and pieced outer borders. The latter consist of 4-patches that I made from what I had for the four corners of each block and for what might end up in a border; and from a series of hour-glass blocks made out of 'bonus triangles' from the flying geese in this project.
Pieced borders: 4-patches on two sides, and hour-glass units on the other two. |
There will now be a wider (3" finished, I think) cream-coloured outer border all around, taken from the wide backing bought for this piece (the only fabric I've bought for this quilt). Then...off to the long-armer to be quilted and eventually given to my son for his up-coming 40th birthday.
As for the "Easy Breezy" throw, that top is finished but not quilted yet. That will come.
Finally, some knitting. I'm trying to finish 2 pair of socks -- one cast on at the beginning of this month, and another from the formerly-ignored WIPs.
The "Twizzler Socks" that I mentioned in my last post have been finished. I'm keeping them for now...they'll be more suitable for wearing when the weather warms up a bit.
I've finally reached the foot on the first of a pair of "Cornflower Socks" I cast on a couple of years ago, and am approaching the toe:
At the beginning of this month I decided I also wanted to join the "Socks from Stash" Ravelry group's March Challenge -- and I needed a pattern that reminded me of nature. So...I found the "Wandering Rose" pattern and a ball of Lana Grossa Meillenweit sock yarn in a stunning shade of red and cast on:
As of this morning, I've fully finished the first sock of the pair:
None of this has stopped me from being smitten by a renewed case of "startitis", though. I signed up -- and even paid for a pattern (!) -- for a Lenten Mystery Knit Along (MKAL) from Joy Jannotti of "Quail's Knitting Nest" on YouTube. The first clue dropped on Ash Wednesday and clues drop every Sunday thereafter. It's for a shawlette in mosaic knitting, but that's all I can tell you. You can find the pattern on Ravelry, and there's a community on both Joy's YouTube channel and on (I believe) Instagram (I'm not on IG). Sorry -- no photos at present. No spoilers!
I also stumbled on another shawl pattern -- another freebie -- can't recall where now -- and cast it on at the beginning of this week, using luxury stash yarn I bought a good 20 years or so ago: the Freesia from Annie Baker Designs on Ravelry. I'm making it with Peruvian Baby Silk yarn from elann.com, in the Raspberry colour-way (#2010) -- but sorry, no progress photos yet. It's early days!
I've not paid much attention to the "Lake Reed" toque I mentioned in my last post, but I'm making steady progress on the "Missoni Accomplished" pullover. I'm within 4 rounds of splitting for the sleeves, so stay tuned for more on that.
And so it goes. I watch the news, I pray, I knit/quilt/stitch/hook/repeat. I go for walks or shovel walks, as the weather dictates. I rally online with my Canadian compatriots and hug my American friends and family across cyberspace, as we all try to figure out how to deal with what's going on. Canada has been attacked and pushed into a non-violent war that is designed to weaken us so badly we'll capitulate and become part of the US...which is simply Not On. And so it goes.
For all of you, I leave you with a wish and a hope that you can find some time in the midst of this mess to create beauty. That you are still able to be kind to strangers and known loved ones alike. That you can get out into nature and do what you need to do to restore your soul.
I leave you with my usual link to dear, persistent, consistent Nina-Marie Sayre and her Off the Wall Friday sharing platform...and with this, written by a Canadian, for Canadians, but also, I hope, for those from outside Canada who seek to understand us better:
Until next time, a bientot!