Another week gone by

I don't know where the week went. Well, actually I do but... I worked Monday then came home and stitched on Alana's kippa. I took one from her which fit her well but was torn, when I was over on Sunday, and took it apart so I could use the pieces to make a pattern. Sunday evening, I made the kippa from the mauve duppioni silk. I then embroidered and beaded the seams a la crazy quilt mode. I made a lining from the patterned fabric I used for the tallit bag. Tuesday after work, Mintzy came to pick me up and we went with her cousin, Silka, to see the Pom exhibit. Afterwards, we went for dinner at Me Va'me, and then I had a Pom executive meeting at the JCC. Wednesday evening was our regular Pom meeting. It was on knitting with beads. I don't knit so it really didn't do much for me but you never know when an idea will come in handy. Thursday after work, I went with Rafi and Mintzy to pay a shiva call for a friend from the tnua whose wife passed away. A few years older than me. When it's one of my friends' parents, it's sad but they're in their eighties or ninties. When it's someone may age or a little older, it's really sad. Friday afternoon, Menachem bought me a new sewing machine at Costco. It's a simple machine with several stitches, but a no-name type brand. I don't have great expectations. I really just wanted an extra machine so I can take it up to camp so I have one there and one at home. And then during the year, I will have two machines -- one to do piecing and the other to do free-motion quilting. I tried it out -- it seems fine. For $100 CDN, it's more than fine. We went out Friday night for dinner to a new restaurant up on Beaver Creek -- the Vegetarian Gourmet. The food was quite good and I didn't have to worry about which dishes may have meat. We ordered way too much food but that was OK too because we took it home and rewarmed it for lunch.
Saturday morning we went up to camp to clean and organize our room so it will be ready no matter how late we arrive on June 1st. And to make sure the hot water heater in our room is working! It didn't take too long and the weather was gorgeous. We finished early, walked around in Perth (they opened a new fabric/quilting/craft store on Gore. I was very good and other than fabric glitter paint/glue, didn't buy anything. But am waiting anxiously for the summer...
I never sleep well the first few nights at camp because the bed is unfamiliar, the cabin creaks as it contracts and expands, the outdoor noises of animals, etc. keep me awake. I fell asleep instantly and what woke me up in the middle of the night? Menachem's cell phone beeping that it's battery was low... Oy.
Anyways, we decided to come home early. On the way, we stopped in at the Wesport area studio tour. Saw an interesting exhibit of photgraphy on canvas. And some lovely collage which I am trying to figure out how to translate in fabric. I think I have it. I just have to buy some puzzle pieces...
And now, off to some neglected grooming in anticipation of wearing a skirt. Last time skirt was worn? Two years ago at Rafi's Bar Mitzvah. Nuff said.

Sunday's events

Yesterday was a lovely day. We went to Aleph Bet Judaica to buy the tzitziot (threads/strings) for Alana's Bat-Mitzvah. Then I went to the JCC for the Pomegranate Exhibit to do my docent stint. There was a constant stream of people which was good because I had failed to bring anything with me to do. At 3, Menachem picked me up and we went to Yunkie and Mindy's for a tzitzit tying ceremony. When we got there, one of Mindy's friends was there to help her make the centrepieces. I really like the shape the Bar-Mitzvah is taking. Instead of flowers, they're putting "mitzvah" baskets -- boxes filled with stuff which will later be donated to a shelter. The place cards are donation cards for Sick Kids Hospital where Alana started out her life. Their lifestyle isn't ostentatious and their Bat-Mitzvah won't be either.
Back to the "ceremony". Menachem did most of the tying but each of the kids and Mindy did at least a knot or two. Yunkie almost completed a whole corner himself but found it frustrating so Menachem finished it off for him. We came home after dinner.
I started working this morning on a kippa for Alana. I cut it out and sewed it together this morning from the mauve duppioni. Duppioni frays like mad so I zigzagged the edges. After work, I think I will embroider and embellish the seams. And sew in a lining. Maybe I'll print a little label in it to commemorate the occasion.
And then, on to other projects.

Tallit details and tallit bag (please read previous post first)

If you click on the photo of the tallit, you can see the details up close of the flowers and beading. This is the bag. It's actually a quilted rectangle with snaps and the folded tallit is folded with the bag into thirds.

Anyways it's finished. We're off to the Judaica store to buy the tzitziot [strings]and this afternoon, after I finish my noon to 3 p.m. stint at the Pomegranate exhibit, we are going over to Alana's to have a tzitzit tying ceremony of sorts.

And now I can proceed to my next project which will hopefully turn into wedding gifts. Or not.

Tallit Finished!!

I've been working against a deadline to finish Alana's tallit [prayer shawl]. Her Bat Mitzvah is next weekend and I didn't want to leave it until then. So after much angst about the pinot [corners] , Menachem reminded me that I had a buttonhole setting for my sewing machine and that made things easier. I, of course, see all the little defects but in the big picture, it turned out quite nicely. I will try to make a matching kippa [skullcap] this week. If it looks small, it's because Alana is quite petite.

Next post details and the tallit bag.

Gardening, beading, etc.

It's been a busy weekend. The weather was beautiful and we tried to take advantage of it to get stuff done around the house and in the garden. Menachem is off to camp for three months come June 1st and whatever doesn't get done before then doesn't get done.
It's also free garbage day this week and we wanted to clean out the garage.
We started with the garage and it wasn't that bad. We had actually cleaned it up in the fall but during the winter we tend to throw stuff in there -- the metal shelving we took out of the bedroom closet, the boxes we bring the groceries home in, excess plastic bags, etc. So we moved the shelves to one side, broke down all the boxes for recycling day, and then took all of the plastic bags and styrofoam containers which don't go in the regular recycling box to the recycling depot. We also took some paints and a printer to the hazardous waste depot.
Then Menachem tackled the maple trees in the front yard. Some of the branches were brushing against the house and on a windy day they can cause real damage. So he cut those down. And then he had to cut them into smaller pieces and bundle them -- our garbage collection guys are quite particular. I did some raking of leaves, last years dead stems on the hostas and pulled the maple seedlings which had started sprouting.
Yesterday, we tackled the back yard. Menachem took down branches of a tree which was growing through our fence with the (not pleasant) neighbours. And cut them up -- the branches, not the neighbours... I continued to gather last year's dead plants and leaves...
Now all that's left to do is mow the lawn and some cutting back of overgrown shrubs.

On the creativity side, I did some beading on Alana's tallit. Yesterday afternoon was my turn as docent at the Pomegranate Guild's exhibit. I took two shifts -- 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and then 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. There was a flurry of visitors from 3 to 4:30 and then no one until 9... But anticipating this, I took the tallit with me and got all of my embroidery stitching done. It wasn't so much embroidery stitching as it was using embroidery floss to tack down the lacey flowers I had wonder-undered and some weren't so wonderful... The stitches are added protection to make sure the flowers won't fall off. This morning I started beading between the flowers I stitched down and I hope to finish that this evening or in the next few days. I still need to sew the lining, attach the corner pieces, make the buttonholes for the tzitziot and then make the tallit roll (instead of a bag). It really is just a quilted rectangle with buttons and loops, so it shouldn't be that difficult.
Photos to follow, I promise.

Sold!

For as long as I've been stitching, I've only ever made things for friends or for fundraisers.
Yesterday, I sold my first piece! It's one of the pieces I made (finished) for the Pomegranate Guild's 25th Anniversary Exhibit. Of course, it's the one piece I don't have a photo of yet...
I am on duty as docent on Sunday so I will photograph it them.

Excited by the prospects of fame and prosperity (cough cough), I went to check out my stash to see what else I could whip up. Now if only I can stay awake long enough to actually stitch. And I must finish Alana's tallit asap. I actually started the embroidery this morning. I'lll work on it at home on Sunday morning and then take it with me on Sunday afternoon, just in case there's a lull in visitors at the exhibit.

Yay me!!

Pomegranate Guild 25th Anniversary Exhibition

On Sunday, I was at the opening of the Guild's exhibition and if I was proud to be a member of the Guild before the exhibit, I was more so afterwards. To have so much creative energy concentrated in one location was amazing.
The large wallhanging is "Kohen Hagadol's Vestments", designed by our Guild member, Haya Nativ, based on references in the bible to the high priest's vestments.
The shadow boxes are some of the members' interpretation of the theme "Threads of Identity". It was difficult to photograph the entire exhibit as many people were milling around. We will try to return to do some more photography on a quieter day and will post more photos if successful.
I strongly recommend to anyone in the Toronto area who has a chance to see the exhibit to do so. The group wallhanging is truly breathtaking. The photos don't begin to show the piece's sparkle.