www.chayaerez.blogspot.com

Oops. No not between chaya & erez.

End of an era

This is my last post at daveha.
I have moved to chaya.erez.blogspot.com.

Productive weekend?

Well it depends how you look at it.
Yesterday was Joy's Bat Mitzvah and it was a lovely service. A little unorthodox (pun if you are familiar with the various Jewish religious streams). I am not sure but I think it is a reform egalitarian synagogue. Very participatory. The rabbi and cantor both strummed guitars and sang throughout the service and the choir, of which Joy is, among other things, the conductor sang as well. And well!
The service was followed by a kiddush luncheon and unlike the Shabbat kiddush luncheon at one shul I have attended on several occasions, the congregation did not descend on the food like a swarm of locusts and the food was quite good!
I took Joy the gift I made her (since it was a reform shul with a very relaxed attitude) and I hope she liked it. I suppose I shall hear about at the office on Tuesday when she returns to work.
I came home from the affair all tuckered out. I haven't recovered from my cold/flu and it seems to be getting worse. And today I didn't much feel like doing anything. I spent about an hour in my studio and finished unpicking the quilting stitches on one of the challah covers. I didn't like the way they turned out. And then I unpicked the embroidered "lichvod Shabbat veYom Tov" which was wrong in scale to the piece. I think I will type in "Shabbat Shalom" in my Hebrew word, enlarge it at the office, wonder under the letters onto fabric pieces and then wonder under it onto the cover.
I'll see how that turns out.
I also made a paper coffee cup cuff (for insulation). It turned out nicely. I gave it away and am waiting for feedback to see if it fits Tim Horton cups. The template was from Second Cup...
Off to bed.

Previous post -- the photos

This is my Pomegranate monochromatic challenge. It's 10" x10", obviously white, but using as many textures and embellishments as I could think of. You can't really see the depth from this photo. I now have to decide how to finish it. I have some lovely white ribbon and I think I'll give it a 3" border. The question is white or colourful?

This is the piece (14" x 14") I made for Joy's Bat-Mitzvah. Her parasha is "Vayeshev" (embroidered in the Hebrew lettering). For those who know the Torah portion, perhaps you can recognize allusions to Joseph's coat of many colours and his pre-slavery dreams. One of Joy's Jewish names means gold so I tried to use gold fabrics, trims, threads and embellishments. And Joy love singing hence the (barely visible at the top) golden bird and musical notes. I hope she likes it.

And this is the pot holder I made for Silka. I am hoping to make more like it. Perhaps not pieced. I thought of using Judaic fabrics (as yet I have none in my stash, but that can be remedied...) The back is pieced from scraps from Menachem's quilt and other scraps which I can't remember where they came from but the colours fit in

Countdown to the end of the year

I haven't blogged for a month. My excuse is a bad case of the flu. I'm still coughing my guts out, steroid puffer and all.
I also missed both of my guild meetings. I especially wanted to be at the Pomegranate Guild meeting to show my monochromatic 10" challenge piece and see what the others came up with. Oh well. (photo to follow).
I've also been sort of busy creatively. I made a small embellished quilted wallhanging for a friend's bat-mitzvah. (photo to follow)
I made a potholder, one piece two hands. (photo to follow)
I have been working on two challah covers. Neverending. Just can't seem to get them right. (photos to follow)
And I've been thinking. They say that a large part of creativity is in the thinking process.
I'm reviewing what I've done this past year and pondering what and how I want to create in the coming year.
Not ready to share yet but will get there before the year's end.
In preparation for the new year, I've made some changes.
I signed up for a new email account because I was discouraged with the amount of spam we were receiving and I wanted to keep my incoming emails (quilting/needlework lists, Shomernet, etc.) separate from the basketball, gadget, camp, jokes, etc. emails.
So far no spam and I'm trying to be selective what I send out and sign up for.
I registered on facebook. I'm not really sure why but I figured it couldn't hurt.
I opened an etsy account with the thought of actually selling something.
So I guess December should be a busy month if I'm planning to get everything I want to do before the year end done.

New sewing machine

Just in case you were wondering why I'm not blogging in rapture over my new Brother, it was a lemon. I started sewing gingerly, afraid I'm hit the wrong buttons on the computer screen and somehow screw it up. So when the needle shaft when down into the fabric and I was only able to lift it with great difficulty, I was very upset with myself. I managed to dislodge it, do a little more sewing (and I really like the speed, ease, embroidery features) until it went down again and refused totally to come out. Menachem took it into the shop where they determined it was nothing I had done but a faulty part. They have ordered me a new machine which will hopefully arrive any day now. And I fully intend to check it out at the shop before I bring it home.

In the meantime, I pieced another challah cover from the scraps of my colourful quilt. And embroidered the centre panel with variegated green thread. On the previous challah cover, I embroidered the centre panel first and then attached the bottom, top and sides. On this one, I put it together and then embroidered the centre panel. Embroidering first is the better way to go.

I also "made" myself a light box -- I took 4 shadow boxes, stacked 2 high on either side and put my long long 6" wide omniruler on top of them with a strong table lamp lying on its side under it. I traced onto the white fabric with an air soluble pen. I got about half of the embroidery done yesterday morning. This morning, the markings for the second half had disappeared... So I marked again and finished embroidering. Now I just have to wait for my machine to quilt it.

Tomorrow, Inbal and I are going to the Creativ Festival to check out what's new in sewing/quilting and scrapbooking/collage. I usually enjoy the Festival -- I hope Inbal will too.

New Brother

So I've been trying out sewing machines and went with Menachem to Newmarket to Evelyn's Sewing Centre in Newmarket to test drive the Brothers. I had been told that Babylock, which I liked, and Brother were the same machine. And indeed, they are identical. I tried the Brother 450X and liked it and it was on sale $500 less than the list price and $300 less than I had seen in Markham. Menachem kept saying "buy it, buy it!". I'm not so sure it wasn't because I was sitting beside a machine which was also on sale: $7000 marked down from $10,000.... lol
Anyways, the salesperson told us that the machine wasn't in stock and that it didn't include several of the feet (walking foot, freemotion foot, 1/4" foot) but that we could buy anything, including fabric and sewing machines accessories, for 15% off for the next year.
Friday we got the call that the machine had come in and yesterday we went to pick it up. And it did include the walking foot and free motion foot! So all I want now is a 1/4" foot which I'm hoping to pick up at the Creativ (needlework and sewing) Show this coming weekend.
The purchase includes free lessons but I want to get a basic understanding of the machine before I take the classes. And since I have an aversion to reading manuals, it should be interesting...
Right now, I am busy trying to reconfigure my sewing room to accommodate all of my stuff... I think I am going back to the previous configuration.
Inbal came on Thursday and is wedding occuppied until this afternoon. We drove her down to the Hyatt at Bloor and Avenue Road where the wedding took place yesterday afternoon/evening. She looked beautiful. She had this lovely emerald green dress with gold accents and gold shoes. Friday, she came to the office for lunch and bought a gold pashmina at Winners. On the way home, I bought some gold fabrics and trims and yesterday morning sewed her up a little gold purse. I hope she had a good time. Today she has a brunch so she stayed at my mother's last night (subway convenience) and will go down to the Hyatt for the brunch from there. We will probably pick her up this afternoon, after Menachem gets off work.
So I'm off to play with my new Brother...

Sold!

So a while back, I wrote that I had sold a piece of my work which was exhibited at the Pomegranate Guild's 25th anniversary exhibit at both the Toronto JCC and Baycrest museum. Although the piece had verbally sold the day after the exhibit opened, I just got paid for it on Thursday evening. It's not the purchaser's fault that payment took so long. Rikki, who served as the intermediary between the buyer and me, was ready to write the cheque several times but whenever our paths crossed, either she was in a hurry or I was, and I knew (hoped) she was good for the payment. The exhibit ended at the Baycrest on September 30th and when I went to pick up my two pieces (the third, a shadowbox, is now going touring cross-Canada...), there was only one there. The "sold" item had been picked up by Rikki so I knew it was a done deal. Thursday evening, both Rikki and I attended the same lecture/event (an evening with tallit maker extraordinaire, Shirley Waxman) and I received the cheque.
And not a moment too soon. My trusty Singer is dying and I fear it is terminal -- the motor. The machine originally (18 year ago...) cost me under $200. To spend any money repairing it seems a waste. So I'm looking for a new machine, with more quilting/free motion capabilities. Thursday after work, I went down to a sewing machine store at Yonge and Eglinton to test drive some machines and figure out what I want. It was a waste of time. The woman selling (perhaps a new owner of the store?) wasn't terribly knowledgable and didn't go out of her way to show me the models in the store.
Yesterday after work, we went to another store in Markville Mall and saw a few machines. Here, the salesperson was certainly more knowledgable and it appeared they really wanted to sell.
Sewing machines with quilting capabilities can run up to $10,000. I don't want to spend anything near that much since it is still a hobby for me and I can't justify such an expense. I test drove a basic Pfaff with which I was not enamoured. Then I test drove a Babylock Decorator's Choice which I liked. As I said, the needlecraft and sewing festival is in two weeks and I will be able to test drive all the machines at the same time and hopefully make a more informed decision. And then see if there are sale deals, floor model promos, or if it's worth taking a trip to Buffalo...
At any rate, in the interim I am giving my machine a rest after ekeing (sp?) out the last drops of juice on Ezra's quilt. I am now binding it by hand.
Back to Shirley Waxman's trunk show/talk, although I don't think I'll be making any tallitot in the near future, I was inspired by her embroidery and it gave me some ideas for doing some handwork. The ideas are bubbling as I speak.
Today, Menachem is working and I am going to meet Devora downtown at the CBC building at 1:30 p.m. for lunch and to see a glass and pottery exhibit. Later this afternoon, I'm not quite sure what I'll be doing. Menachem finishes work at 3:00 p.m. Perhaps we'll hook up and do some visiting or something.
Inbal is coming for a visit this Thursday and I am so looking forward to it.

Blogging

I haven't been blogging as religiously as I had hoped but I'm either tired, busy or lazy.
This past long weekend, I spent three days at Casa Loma as docent for "The Quilt" exhibit. In case you don't know what it is, please visit their website www.thequilt.com.
Some of the quilts were breathtaking, in particular "Circle of Caring" (can be seen on the website). It's a bargello in the round and I have an itch to try one of those... The quilts are all manner of design, some traditional, some modern, some playful, using so many techniques and colours.
And I had the chance to sit with women from other quilting guilds and pick their brains about sewing machines. (Still not totally edified, but on the way) In the meantime, my Singer has gotten a second wind and I'm hoping to at least finish quilting Ezra's baby quilt this week. I got the quilting gloves I ordered and boy, do they ever make a difference!
Menachem has started working at Longo's so we're going to have to do some creative scheduling in order to spend time together.
I'm hoping to stitch after work today so I'll keep you posted if I get the quilting finished on the baby quilt.

News?

Not much really. It's 3:06 a.m. Insomnia.
Have I already mentioned that my sewing machine is on its last leg? Bummer because I have four or five quilts to quilt. The walking foot from my Singer is compatible with my no-name backup machine but the threads, bother upper and bobbin, keep taking turns breaking. So I'm pretty much machineless as far as free-motion quilting goes.
I have started researching new machines and am more confused the more I read. Also, I'm not sure I want to remortgage the house to finance a fancy shmancy machine for what I still consider to be a hobby. Maybe I should go the route of an industrial -- I understand they can be considerably less expensive and have much stronger motors.
At the end of the month, I will attend the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival, test drive their machines and try to make a decision.
I was hoping to take Menachem with me since he's much more technically inclined than me and I hope to get him hooked on the quilting part... but Menachem has landed a part time job at Longos, the local grocery store, doing front store customer service (can I help you put your groceries in the car? that's in aisle number 6, etc.). It's something to keep him busy from September to May until his summer camp job. His hours are, at the moment, unpredictable. This week he's working Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10-2. So if he works every weekend, I guess I'll be going to the Festival alone.
This week, the Pomegranate Guild exhibit at Baycrest ended so we went Monday to pick up my pieces. Actually only one because one was picked up by the purchaser's "agent". Yay me. First piece I've ever sold. My second piece is a gift for Yunkie. Maybe we'll find some time over the weekend to go there to give it to him.
So I guess I'll be doing handwork for the next while... I really must straighten up my studio -- it's a bit of a mess at the moment.

First quilt -- finished

This is the first quilt I made which I just finished. The piecing of the top didn't take too long but I was afraid to ruin it by free-motioning it myself. My friend, Dee, graciously offered to do it and I just finished sewing on the binding. The back is done in the black and gold leaves fabric. The whole thing is IMHO stunning!!

Another week gone by

Shabbes yontif shabbes yontif. With all the holidays, it's hard to keep track. Especially since we don't have small children and aren't overly observant.
Stitch-wise, I've been busy. For the Pomegranate's 10" monochromatic challenge, I've done a white landscape -- quilted, embroidered, beaded and embellished. I am pleased with the result. I am making it into a small quilted wallhanging. In the meantime, my sewing machine has decided to slow down terribly so my attempts to free-motion have not gone well. I think I might try hand-quilting instead, the aim being more to get the stitches through the layers than small even stitches. If I can do both, great!! My border panels are white as well but I am planning to do the stitching in variegated rainbow coloured thread...
I am also working on the binding of Menachem's quilt. I took it to work yesterday but didn't get much done. I've done a little today, maybe some more this evening, a little tomorrow. It will be finished by the weekend.
I also want to finish Ezra'a quilt. I have to quilt the borders. Maybe I'll try that by hand too. But I'll probably do the binding by machine.
And now that there's a new addition to our extended family in Israel, I want to make a baby quilt for her.
And a scarf using 1" squares, solvy and variegated threads.
Hmmm, so many projects, so little time.
And tomorrow, we get our new car!!

Erev-erev continued

So we got home from Perth Saturday evening. Sunday, I got an early start on quilting. I have quilted the middle of Ezra's quilt but have yet to successfully finish the borders (I've done them twice and unstitched them twice...they just don't sit the way I want).
Then we had to go to Cock-a-doodle quilts -- it seems I didn't have fabric for binding Menachem's quilt. I've cut the fabric and made the binding strip. Now I just have to find some uninterrupted time to sew it. Then at noon, Mintzy called and asked if I wanted to go with her and Silke and Al to St. Jacobs. I did, Menachem didn't. It was a lovely day so I went but I was exhausted when I returned.
Monday, Ruthie had a stopover in Toronto on her way back to Israel from Winnipeg. We picked up my mother, went to meet Ruthie at the airport and went out for lunch at the Pickle Barrel at Yorkdale. Also, a very pleasant few hours.
Tuesday, back to work. In the evening I had my first meeting at the York Heritage (Toronto) Quilters Guild. Meetings are held at Edwards Gardens. The speaker was Pamela Allen who does art quilts with an attitude. Very enjoyable.
Yesterday, Wednesday evening was the first Pomegranate Guild meeting of the season. The speaker talked about colour theory, in advance of our guild challenge for the November meeting. We have to make a 10" by 10" monochromatic block. It can be any textile media as long as it's one colour and the required size. I am thinking multiple techniques in white but haven't finalized my decision yet. I have to think on this one a little.
Today, no evening plans (thank goodness). Maybe a little sewing. Mel had his foot surgery today and hopefully it went well. Tomorrow is Erev and Saturday Yom Kippur. We may take our annual ride in the country...
Other than that, no news.
So for those who fast and observe, gmar chatima tova.

Erev erev Yom Kippur

Since my last post was erev erev Rosh Hashana (shana tova to all) and we're now erev erev Yom Kippur (gmar chatima tova to all), it's time to post.
The chagim were very nice. We had two small gatherings. The first night, we had Mom, Bat & Sandy, Devora & Noam, and Shaked. As usual, Menachem outdid himself. Since carp was not to be found, we had mock chopped liver, chummus, baba ganoush and sweet and sour vegetarian "meat" balls instead. This in addition, of course, to soup with lokshen, honey chicken, my mother's veal roast, Devora's pasta prima vera, rice, salads and dessert of Menachem's honey cake and a fruit platter provided by Bat & Sandy. And Menachem baked a tasty and lovely round challah. So it was very nice.
The second night, the menu was the same, the guests different. Ethel came, as did Yunkie, Mindy, Alana, Jeremy & Michelle. Bat & Sandy were at Heather & Maurie's.
Also a very pleasant evening.
We return to camp each fall to paint the kitchen floor. When we told Dee that we were coming up, she invited us the the Brooke Valley Jewish community's Rosh Hashana potluck get-together on Friday night. So we packed up our leftovers and headed out to Perth. The get-together was lovely. They're such a nice group of people. Menachem's meatless balls went over big, especially since most of the participants are vegetarians.
Saturday morning, we painted the floor and then Dee invited us for lunch. After lunch, Menachem and David went to the marina to see a man about a boat. Dee and I stayed to stitch. Well actually Dee stitched, I watched. Except for tucking in a few threads and sewing on the binding, Menachem's quilt is finished. I hope to finish it this weekend.
Got to run to work. Will continue later.

Erev erev Rosh Hashana

Boy, the past few days have been busy. Saturday, we went to Cock-a-doodle Quilts and bought some fabric, which I have already washed and will prepare for Inbal's quilts' backings.
I sandwiched the baby quilt and also sandwiched the swirly quilt. Now I just need courage to quilt them...
It is the day before erev Rosh Hashana and we're getting ready for two family gatherings -- the first tomorrow night with Mom, Bat & Sandy, Devora & Noam, and maybe Shaked. We invited Shloimeh and Zena but not sure they'll attend. They are religious and the walk from their house to ours may be a little too much for them.
Then Thursday night, we're having, Mom, Ethel, Yunkie & Mindy, Alana, Jeremy and Michelle.
Sunday we went shopping for fish (and quilting safety-pins). No carp to be found, neither at the supermarkets nor the fish stores. So our menu has changed.
We'll be starting with roasted vegetable soup with lokshen (noodles). Instead of gefilte fish, we'll be having chopped liver from mock (i.e eggplant), dips -- hummus and baba ganoush, corn salad, green and red pepper salad, and sweet potato salad. (All very very labour intensive).
For the main course, we're having veal roast (my mother's delicious specialty), honey chicken, maybe sweet and sour tofu balls, rice, bean salad, pasta salad and a green salad.
And for dessert, Bat-Sheva's bringing a fruit platter and Menachem's making a honey cake. And of course, Menachem is making round challahs in honour of Rosh Hashana.
We will be repeating menu 1 on night 2. Those who are coming both nights may have complaints but too bad.
Tomorrow, I will be speed cleaning the house.
Thursday and Friday, we will rest, or maybe take a ride in the country.
Saturday, we're going to camp to paint the kitchen floor. We have a car rental for three days so hopefully we'll have a nice weekend. Maybe visit with Dee to show her my quilting efforts. At any rate, I need to buy some quilting thread and am not sure what colour to go with so I'm hoping to confer with Dee and purchase the threads in Perth.
And Monday, Ruthie will be passing through Toronto on her way home from Winnipeg so we'll be going out to the airport to visit with her.
And that's all the news that's fit to print.
So if anyone is reading, have a happy and healthy Shana Tova.

Baby Quilt Top Finished

This is the finished top. I had to ditch my idea to use the curly turquoise fabric -- it was too slippery to work with. So I bought a light green marbled fabric. There are two reasons I put the green squares in the corners a) I didn't like the way it looked when the fish prints met side by side and b) the top and bottom borders were each about 2 cm. short and I didn't want to have a seam where the fish may not line up between the two pieces.

I think it looks OK.

This morning, Shaked came over and we went to Cock-a-doodle Quilts to buy backing fabric for the two versions of Inbal's quilt. I bought two very different backings. We'll see what happens. I had previously bought backing for the swirly quilt and the baby quilt at Fabricland but just didn't see anything remotely suitable for backing Inbal's quilts.

We also popped into AM Studio, an Israeli glass studio which imports art glass items from the Galil. And also does some custom glass work. I thought Shaked, herself a ceramics sculptor, might enjoy it. And she did.

Baby quilt

And this is the beginnings of the baby quilt made by sewing eight long strips, turning 90 degrees and cutting eight tubes, then rearranging. So easy!! I was going to make a border using the blue fuzzy fabric but it didn't handle well. So I'll just have to buy some yellow fabric for the inner border and then use the fishies for the outer border.

And I have other fabrics I thought might be fun piecing in this way. Of course I'll have to buy fabrics to match...

Inbal's Quilt - Photo finish

Et voila! The pieced parts are identical in colour, even if the photos don't show it. See how different they look?

I am halfway through the quilt top for Ezra. I tried a new technique for making squares and it really does make the quilting go quickly.

New Quilt

This is the little quilt that grew. The Israeli Quilter's Association, of which I am a member, is having a juried exhibition. The rules were small wall quilts, no side to exceed 22" and if pieced, no block to exceed 4" square. So I started making 4" squares. And enjoyed what I saw so I made some more. And I so liked what I saw that I said, forget the exhibit. I'm making a quilt! So I did. Now what I'll do with this quilt is another matter...

I actually have a four day weekend. We didn't have any closings on Friday so the office was closed. I worked on this quilt on Friday and finished it this morning.

Then I finished Version B of Inbal's quilt this evening. (Tomorrow I'll post pictures of both versions.)

Tomorrow, I want to start a quilt for Ezra, Mintzy's grandson. It won't be elaborate but it's with that nice flourescent fish fabric so it should be fun. Also the backing fabric is soft and cuddly. One of the fabrics is not that stable so I'm going to use interfacing before I cut it and hopefully that will help.

While I've been quilting, Menachem's been painting. We decided to finally paint the "new" door -- it's already four years old... So we chose some lovely colours -- an off-white for the trim, a tan colour for the side panel and for the door itself, a burgundy. Well, the burgundy isn't. It's more red than burgundy. And after three coats of paint, it's blotchy and awful. So this afternoon, Menachem put on a new coat of primer and we're going to paint the door tan as well.

Tomorrow, we're invited to Yunkie and Mindy's for lunch. And then Menachem has to pick up Itai and Inbal from the airport in the evening. And that's about it, other than painting and quilting.

Inbal's quilt top version A -- finished!!

Dee, my quilt "guru" came to visit yesterday. Hannah had an anime convention in Toronto and Dee brought her in for the weekend. We had previously planned to quilt last week up at her place in Perth, but she was pooped from her busy schedule and Menachem was itching to come home, so we postponed to yesterday. She was only at my place for a few hours, but boy, did I learn in those few hours!!
I had made two identical pieced lap-size quilt tops, sans borders. I had purchased fabric in Perth for the borders. Dee wasn't crazy about my fabric choices. I brought the fabrics home, put fabrics up on the design wall -- on one side, Dee's preference, on the other, mine. The more I looked the more I liked mine. So I decided to do one of each. In Dee's version, the borders are a continuation of the centre -- very busy, dynamic. In mine, the borders are very subdued.
Dee showed me how to do the borders and explained that part of my "wonky" results are due to some of the fabrics I'm using (not stable), my sewing machine (the foot moves around producing an uneven seam), the way I sew (I apparently push with my left hand and pull with my right causing distortion). Nevertheless, she got me started on the borders and today I finished Version A.
Next weekend, perhaps I'll tackle version B.
I will try to post photos in due course.
In the meantime, tomorrow I return to work after a week of being off. I am looking forward to it because my routine will be returning to "normal". I will have a definite time of leaving the house, definite plans during the day, and will be able to plan activities, including my quilting/embroidering/etc. accordingly.
I don't know if I already mentioned this, but I had started making blocks for a miniature quilt for the Israeli Quilters Association exhibit, but like the results so much that I am going to make more blocks and make a lap size quilt for myself/donation/gift, or something. I will probably work on cutting and sewing the blocks this week. It's a project I can do in small increments.
Anyways, Menachem shampooed the car upholstery in anticipation of returning the car at the end of the lease and I'd better go close the windows.