For Aunt L.: Making an appliquéd sweater

I picked up an inexpensive plain-coloured wool sweater and found some co-ordinating floral fabric.
In this case, it was a gorgeous (but way too tiny to wear) cheongsam that my Aunt G. gave me to recycle. It felt awful pulling apart the amazing handiwork. I cut out some shapes and laid them on the chest of the sweater to decide on arrangement. When satisfied with my cuttings, I sealed the raw edges with some fray check and then pinned the pieces to the sweater. In the meantime I found some embroidery floss that went well with the floral pattern.

With a large-eyed needle, I hand stitched the fabric flowers to the sweater. I wasn't terribly careful and I think that's part of the charm. In some areas, I followed the shapes of flowers and stems and in some areas I made sure to tack down loose edges of the fabric.

Et voilà! A lovely appliquéd sweater! One last finishing touch to be done -- I am going to change the buttons and then it will be complete! I am excited to give it to Aunt L. on the weekend. I was behind and did not have it completed on Christmas. What a bad niece!

Anyhow, I was so pleased with how it turned out that I chased all over town to look for the same sweater for me. I'm going to make myself one!

Thanksgiving weekend

I had a really nice Thanksgiving weekend and I hope you did too!

On Saturday I enjoyed a nice evening in Oakville with the family at my Aunt I. and Uncle E.'s house. They always put out a huge and delicious feast. Aunt I. makes the best chicken wings ever! I am still savouring them! It was great to see my Dad's three sisters together. And it was probably my last chance to see Aunts G. and E. before they head off again.

(These fruits were merely the toppings for the scrumptious post-feast Belgian waffles. So good...)

Then on Sunday I hitched a ride with A. up to G. and A.'s Mom and Stepdad's house in Collingwood for a true Thanksgiving turkey bonanza complete with all the trimmings including two types of stuffing.

My Friend was still in my bag from weeks ago when the Sis returned him to me, so he had a gander at the Village at Blue Mountain. Really could not resist.

Then today we headed home again. It was a quick visit! We picked up some honey crisp apples along the way. I am addicted to them... but one cannot OD on apples, right?
We also managed to track down the best tomatoes ever from this man that also sells the wood pictured above.

We drove through the scenic rolling hills of Airport Road as we headed back to the city to enjoy some good ol' Swiss Chalet dirty bird with G. and A.'s Dad and Stepmom. G. was also just back from Dublin, so it was a nice ending to a charming weekend full of good cheer, good company and thanks!

Oh yeah! I am convinced that my foot is half healed. I have been feeling better day by day and the road-rash on my knee seems to finally be improving. I have never needed so much sleep as I have of late, but perhaps this is because I am expending so much energy on the healing process.

I'm looking forward to a busy work week ahead and an appointment at the fracture clinic so I can find out what the heck is up with this foot!

A day with family

Aunt G. and Aunt E. came by this morning to scoop me up so I could join them for lunch with Mah Mah (my grandmother). We went to a place called Wok on Yonge. They serve a hybrid East/West version of high tea. We had our choice of several Japanese, Chinese, Fruity or English teas served with an assortment of dim sum and traditional high tea options. Little bit random, but was a rather enjoyable and very civilized way to have dim sum.
We pumped my Grandmother for stories from back in the day and even my aunts learned things that they had not known before.

In the evening, Aunt L. from the other side of the family took me to the opera! I had never been before. We saw Madama Butterfly. The Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts was an fantastic theatre and the show was excellent. Aunt L. picked up last minute tickets this morning. I had no idea you could see such amazing things for 20 bucks. It was definitely worth the hobble up to the 5th ring! Now I have to try to catch a ballet there one day soon.




Then we went for a snack in Chinatown. I felt just like my Gung Gung (Grandpa) walking around there with the cane that Aunt G. loaned me to assist in the hop-a-long. Know when something you do or say just feels like the motions or words of someone else? He used to fling his cane around to point at things and to stop traffic when jay-walking and not actually use it for it's supportive purpose.

Now I am beat. I've become a napper in the past few days. I have never been one to nap. My fractured foot is still really swollen but not nearly as sore. I think I have figured out the best way to stand on it. What's worrying me now is the wound on my knee that is not healing and just seems to get worse. Gonna google that problem right now!