It's a WIPGO Weekend PUSH!

 I can't believe it's almost been a month since my last post.  That Polar Vortex is long gone -- and we've had wintry but moderate temps since then, thank goodness!  I've just gotten into a great daily routine, and while I've taken photos along the way and often thought of posting, well, I wasn't always sure I had enough to say!

Let's begin with a bit of a catch-up on the Art Quilt front, okay?  

In my last post, I mentioned that I was taking 3 art pieces in to the Viewpoint Gallery in Red Deer, well in advance of the hanging of the up-coming exhibit, "Craft & Care"  -- and that's now 'mission accomplished'.  That said, while the Vortex had left us, the streets in Red Deer were so slick -- especially at those intersections conveniently placed at the bottom of a hill just past a curve -- well, let's just say that while I arrived safely at my destination, I did so with several more grey hairs! 😆

(Photo above: "Frayed" (2020) -- one of three of my pieces that will be in that exhibit.)

The installation of the exhibit is scheduled for next week -- Feb. 15 -- and I only hope the weather will be good enough (and the roads dry enough!) for me to go and help out.  Aside from helping, it'll be an opportunity to meet the other artists in the exhibit.  I've met a couple of them, but there are at least eight others I don't know at all.)  Stay tuned for info about the opening, etc.!

I've also managed to make a wee piece of Original Art -- my first in several months.  The SAQA Conference is coming up, and every year they hold a fund-raising auction -- sometimes only online and sometimes in person as well: the SAQA Spotlight Auction.  This year the conference is online, highlighting the Europe & Middle East Region -- from April 12-20.  The Auction will be online during the conference.  Right now, members are frantically making their pieces (only one per member!) to get them in before the March 1 deadline.

I confess I wasn't sure I had anything to offer this year -- my artistic mojo was at an all-time LOW -- but inspiration struck and here's the little piece I submitted last week (I know, eh?!  Well ahead of deadline!)

"Ring Around the Moon" - 2024
6" x 8" - will be matted by SAQA
with a 1/2" x 6 1/2" opening
Commercial fabrics, fused applique,
thread painting, fabric painting

I wasn't sure of its quality but have been reassured by the positive response from my colleagues on Facebook.  Phew!

Now then...what's all this about a WIPGO Weekend PUSH?!

I belong to two cross-stitch-related Facebook Groups: "WIPGO2024" and "Alberta Cross Stitchers".  The former was created by the wonderful young stitcher, Jessie Marie of "Jessie Marie Does Stuff" fame on YouTube, and the creator of the "WIPGO" game -- modelled after BINGO -- designed for stitchers, but adapted in various ways, shapes and forms by makers of all stripes and genres.   I talked about it at length in an earlier post, which you can see HERE.

First, to WIPGO:

For every month, Jessie Marie has assigned a "WIPGO Weekend" -- and Feb. 9-11, 2024 is this month's event.  It's on in the FB group and it's a weekend to inspire participants to work on the called-for blocks for the particular month -- or whatever else you want!  Just plan some crafting time, folks!

The February "calls" were #3 and #24.  For me, #3 meant "MFE" (Modern Folk Embroidery) and  #24 meant "Newest Knitting WIP" -- the socks I cast on Jan. 14 for my daughter -- her choice for her January birthday.

As of yesterday, I'd finished my assigned "calls" -- 7 'days' (meaning anything from 15 minutes to several hours' work) on each.  

My "MFE" piece was my attempt at the Evertotes Holiday Countdown 2022 -- pattern only.  I decided to do a deep stash dive for thread and fabric, and do the pattern in a single colour.

Here's were I left it in 2022:

LOL!  Not really.  I did have some of it started, but I never took a photo.  Go figure!

Anyway, here's where it was as of the "7th day" on my WIPGO "call":

I'm doing this on a mystery fabric that feels like it's a wool-linen blend, about 28 count, and rather slubby.  I'm using 1 strand of Waterlilies by Caron, colour 078 - "Pearl", over 2 fabric threads.  Because it's a mystery, there are gaps here and there -- you can see some spaces in the 2nd and 3rd bands (above) -- that will be filled in.  It's a Frisian band sampler done in two side-by-side sections, and I'm currently working on the first section.  It was meant to be done in several colours but I chose to use what I had and go monochromatic.  You can purchase the pattern here, though...and create your own.  No longer a mystery, but just as lovely!

As for those socks -- the first one is finished and the second one is past the cuff and onto the leg pattern:

Pattern: "Vestigial" 
Designer:Beata Jezek 
Yarn: Pro Lana Golden Socks 4-fach
Colour-way:"Fashion R"

Now to the Weekend PUSH!

Alberta Cross-stitchers is a Facebook Group of stitchers in Alberta, Canada (where I live).  We share what we're stitching, and our finishes and new starts.  We share resources and help newbies learn the craft.  Every once in a awhile the Moderator calls for a Weekend PUSH.  This means you decide to work on one piece (at least) and PUSH towards a finish (not required) by the end of the weekend.

Having finished my WIPGO2024 assignments, then, I've decided on a single item for both the WIPGO Weekend and the Alberta Weekend PUSH: the lovely sampler I started for my birthday last fall: "Memories of the Past" from Hands Across the Sea.  Here's the only photo I have -- of my very earliest progress:

I've done more since then, but never took a photo, and am not going to bother now.  That will make whatever progress I have to show for this weekend look exceptional! LOL!

And yes, of course, since my last post there's been knitting and quilting.

1. I finished my friend's "Woodpile Socks", mailed them off and she's thrilled:

2. I finished the little top for my friends' granddaughter:

Pattern: Wee Lima 
Designer: Taiga Hilliard
Yarn: Berroco Vintage - Colour 5181 - "Black Cherry"

3. I quilted up the one baby quilt top I had for her new baby sister:

Pattern: "Chandelier"
Designer: Vanessa Goertzen

4. And this week I've been working on a couple of patterns from the latest issue of "QuiltMaker", which I found at my "local" (43 km away) drugstore's magazine rack (thank you Rexall of Lacombe, Alberta!)

In this issue I found 3 patterns I want to work on.  First up is the "Scrappy Starburst" pattern because -- lo and behold! -- its centre block was straight out of all those 'postage stamp' blocks I've been making (at last count I had 83!!)  Sure...the pattern used 2 1/2" squares and mine were made of 2" x 7" strips sewn together and cross-cut, but what did I have to lose?  I mean, I could adjust the sizes, and wasn't it all about using stash and keeping it out of the landfill?  

Here's what the first few units looked like on my off-the-wall design board:

Next, there were 4 smaller corner units created, and all were assembled together with grey sashing (polycotton, of which I had an abundance inherited from an elderly friend's estate).  This was followed by borders of 2" squares -- barely made a dent in my supply, but...

Yes, after this photo, another patchwork border was added!

Then I added plain blue borders -- more of my inherited polycotton.  The day was sunny so I took the photo out on my back stoop:

The pattern calls for yet another border -- a combination of rectangles and two-patches.  But not likely today or tomorrow -- I've got other fish to fry!

The second pattern is from Bonnie Hunter's regular "Addicted to Scraps" column in the same magazine.  It's called "Four-Patch Fun" and will (I hope!) use up more of those 2" squares plus some 2" x 3 1/2" rectangles  So far I've made only four, shown here on my ironing board:

The corners of each block are supposed to be...um...unified -- like the green one on the right -- but I'm working with what I have, so mine will usually have a scrappier look!

That's all the news that's fit to print for this post, Gentle Readers.  Once again, thanks for following along when so many others are opting for Instagram's quick visuals, and other ways to share our creativity.  

I'll leave you, as usual, with a link to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday. This week she and her hubby are planning a holiday at a 'folk school', where she's taking a class in improv piecing.  Not being anywhere near such a place in Canada, I've been thankful for SAQA's annual "Seminar" series -- because this week I watched videos from Jean Wells, Sherry Lynn Wood and one of my faves -- Joe Cunningham -- on their respective improvisational techniques, all while I was cutting and piecing in the comfort of my own studio!

You have to be a SAQA member to participate in the Seminar series -- which is all online -- but it (among other benefits) is one of my favourite reasons why I've been one since 2008 -- 16 years this May!

Speaking of anniversaries -- well -- a few days ago this very blog and I marked 21 years together.  As my kids would say, "Now it's Legal Everywhere".  Time for a toast!

Until we meet again, friends, may you be warm (or cool), well, safe and creative.  A bientot!