Needlework Tuesday -Updating your Toys

Every so often, it`s important to update your toys, oops, I mean tools of your trade.

Usually, it`s little stuff such as marking pencils and temporary markers.  yippee, Clover now makes a pink maker, great for when working on a blue quilt.

I still get excited by new circular knitting needles with supple wires instead of those old ones that you had to soak in boiling water to attempt to get them to uncurl.

Occasionally, it`s the big stuff.  I`ve reached that expensive point, new machines.  This was my first major purchase when I started working again in August.  I put it on layaway the same day, and picked it up at the beginning of the month.  I`ve been so busy at work, i haven`t even taken it out of the box.  Once things calm down, I have lots of plans for it starting with some turbans for chemo patients who have lost their hair due to treatment.

Now to start saving for a new sewing machine with the giant opening to facilitate machine quilting.  I have a huge backlog of quilt tops that need some loving and finishing.   I keep saying that I need to dedicate an entire year solely to machine quilting...

I am still stitching away on the blue quilt shown as a background to the marking instruments.  I am almost finished quilting the blocks, then on to the sashing and borders.  So far i have been following templates for the quilting, though for the sashing, I am planning to go free form with some nice loops to compliment the template, I think.  Though I might change my mind.  I don`t think it will show too much anyway since I am using a variegated blue thread on a medium and dark blue sashing fabrics.

Back to the equipment or toy upgrades, have you planned any for yourself as a Christmas gift or for the new year.

 Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you. I hope that you are having fun and making progress on whatever project is dear to your heart at this moment. 

Mister Linky is waiting below for a link to your needlework post.

Needlework Tuesday - An Advent Calendar for my Godson

 Advent, or count down, calendars were present every December 1 in my house growing up.  I kept up the tradition with my children.  This year I decided to send one to my godson for his daughters.  Sure, the youngest is too small to understand, though I'm sure her big sister will explain it to her.

I found this colourful panel titled "Dear Santa" by Sarah Frederking from Studio E Fabrics.

 My local shop had kits cut and ready to go.  Instead of following the instructions to cut apart all the pockets, I left them intact, layers them right sides together with backing fabric and sewed around three sides, leaving the bottoms open for turning.  I sewed 1/4 inch seams, then cut them apart and sewed more seams until they were all done. It would have been better for the turning, if I had pivoted at each corner instead of sewing straight across.  Oh well, live and learn.

 Twenty-five pockets ready to go.

 I drew a line 1/4 inch away from the bottom of the pocket and lined that up with the bottom of the image on the panel piece, then sewed a seam across, back stitching at the beginning and end.

 All twenty-five pocket flaps attached and ready for the flip up.  I decided to change the thread colours to match the pockets.  A bit more work that using one colour such as beige, but it made more sense to me.  Less change of seeming an mis-placed stitches.

Finally, I added binding and a hanging sleeve and it's ready to go in the mail for my nephew.  It's a wee bit late, but I'm sure they'll forgive me.

For more images of Advent Calendars, visit my post from 2014, The Great Advent Calendar Hunt.

Sorry to have missed you all last week.  My work schedule has gotten more hectic as we move closer to December 25.  I was so exhausted last week that Tuesday slipped right on past me.  Feel free to add links for any needlework posts that you've made in the past two weeks.

Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you. I hope that you are having fun and making progress on whatever project is dear to your heart at this moment. 

Mister Linky is waiting below for a link to your needlework post.

Neil Flambe and the Marco Polo Murders by Kevin Sylvester

The premise of a child prodigy chef who solves mysteries in his spare time sounded good and by the time I finished the first chapter I was hooked.  Author Kevin Sylvester has created a complex, yet easily likable character in Neil Flambe. 

From his earliest years, young Neil showed an affinity for food and for it preparations.  Now, at the age of fourteen, he owns a renown restaurant that is in high demand.  On a contingency basis, he also helps the local police to solve various crimes where an acute sense of smell is an asset. 

When someone starts killing the top chefs in Vancouver, Detective Nakamura calls in Neil to sniff out the murderer.  Not only does he sniff out a seemingly new scent at the scenes of the crimes, but the notes left on the victims lead him to research the Italian explorer Marco Polo.

Neil is a complex character.  At times he is definitely a fourteen year old, with limited social skills  and big on self worth.  Admittedly, he is a great chef and he doesn't let anyone forget it. 

I would recommend this book for any young reader who has an interest in food preparation.  It would be a good selection for parents to read with their children.  The author has a good sense of humour and has included lots of details to amuse adults such as the food related names of most of the characters.  Yes, several people are murdered in this book, but the story does not linger on the bodies, rather it moves quickly to the food and spice scents that linger behind.

I listened to the audio book as read by the author.  6 hours 17 minutes.

Also by Kevin Sylvester:

Splinters - a very cool hockey story

Cover image courtesy Simon & Schuster Canada

#IndigoEmployee