Steps Challenge

This is a small quilt that I made as part of the challenge for the 12bythedozen blog.  The theme was steps and I thought that this salmon ladder would be a good idea.  I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

The blue base is indigo dyed fabric that was done at a Text'art session at the cottage a few summers ago. Then lots of fusible web to iron down the design, some stitching and painting and appliqué.  I had fun playing with an art app on my ipad.  I imported the half finished piece, played with composition, and then finished it up with the new design ideas.  Move over David Hockney!!

 Below is the original photo.

If you have any comments I'd love to hear from you.  Thanks for looking.

Winter's antidote

There are just sometimes when colour is needed!  We had a lovely cross-country ski yesterday after a heavy wet snowfall and the trees looked lovely.  Even the bark was covered in snow.  But it was all grays, whites and almost blacks with no sunlight getting in.  

To make up for it I made some cushions for my daughter's couch.  The outside green is the same fabric as her curtains, but the colours were chosen to complement.  I stacked the 3 fabrics, made a cut, rearranged and sewed.  Then did it a few more times.  They really are a lot brighter than it appears in the picture.

 This pillow cushion is the result of a course on colour study that my Text'Art group did with Karen Goetzinger.  This was an attempt to mix colours to see how the effect of one on another made the size of the squares look different.

Thanks for looking at my blog and I wish you colour in your life.  

More Winter

One of the reasons we don't head south is that winter can be so beautiful.  The first two photos were taken fairly early in the morning recently,  at a nearby park where we walk the dog.   

 If you look at the spec on the ice carefully you will see that it's a fox.  We often see him leaving the park and heading out along the ice.  It was a very cold morning and the water is still open, hence the mist rising in the distance

 Some old snowshoe trails in the park on Ile Bizard.  Steps?  Our challenge for the 12 by the Dozen blog is to do something with steps.  In any sense of the word.

 more steps.  I understand now, why in her later years, Grandma Moses would sprinkle glitter on her paintings.  The sparkle just doesn't show up in a photo.

 This is our cottage taken from out on the lake.  I think the pine tree in the middle is not very happy.

 And the dog!  He loves it out here.  And I love the way winter shadows can be so blue.  And the sparkle - wish you could see it.

Guild Retreat

Our guild has retreats twice a year at a convent nearby.  We have simple rooms with a sink, desk and rocking chair (and bed) and a lovely room to work in.  This is the view above my sewing machine.

Everything was covered in frost - quite the winter wonderland

Ice fishing

Making our way through the snow as the ice on the roads was so bad.

Below are some of the results of my weekend.  iPad cases!  The top blue one is for my 90 year old  mother-in-law who got an ipad for her birthday last year and has become quite proficient on it.  It's made of a an old Pringle sweater that went through the wrong wash, but has now been nicely felted.  Warm and cozy to touch.