June 27, 2012

Piecing Again

Finally after 10 weeks I got my piecing fix. Oh hearing the hum of my sewing machine makes my heart flutter.

These are 2 of the 12" blocks for a sampler by Traditional Pastimes. They took forever with all the mini pieces. Our leader is trying to improve our piecing. Yup Okay!

The flying geese were easy. Make them larger and trim to size. The Tucker Trimmer and the Quilt In A Day Flying Geese Mini rulers work so well. The whirlygig block is another story. It is suppose to have points. Paper pieced it this time. Cannot decide which is the worse of two evils.  At least this whirlygig has points.

June 23, 2012

Two + Months of Rain & Quilt Shows

Oh Look It's Raining! That's what I've been saying for the last, well, 7 weeks. Been on the road to Quilt Market in Kansas City, Missouri and Quilt Canada 2012 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. One very sunny happening, was able to acquire in a silent auction, this original 22" x 30" wall hanging from the Trend-Tex Challenge show at Quilt Canada 2012, "Homage To Cougar Annie" by Patti Dance from Port Alberni, BC (British Columbia). Can you see the cougar eyes?


Story:
This stamp was created to honour 'Cougar Annie' who carved out her home and garden by the sea on the untamed coast of Vancouver Island. Annie ran a general store and post office from her home as well as a thriving nursery garden from which she sold plants by mail-order. To protect her birds and animals, Annie was known to have 'dispatched' 72 cougars, thus earning her nickname.

Design:
Layered waves, origami folded flowers, raw edge applique, fabric paint.





Check out the fun that was had by all.
The next conference is in Penticton BC May 16-18, 2013. Come one come all!

After Quilt Canada 2012, did a whirlwind road trip around Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. And guess what it rained and rained and rained.
South Shore between Shelburne and Barrington NS
Ferried across the Bay of Fundy from Digby NS to Saint John NB (New Brunswick) that night.





Have you ever had deja vue? Next day driving along the south end of New Brunswick along the shoreline, east of Alma, I came upon this house. Not just another worn building but a house, 4 feet off the highway. Slam on the brakes.





Back up into a driveway beside this familiar stream/spring coming out of the ground and flowing down the ditch.

Had to get out and take a picture of the house's east side. Didn't get the south side because of the tall wet grass. I seemed to know what it was like. A basement walkout. To this day I love basement walkouts. My childhood house and all but one of my houses have been basement walkouts. Interesting. Tried to peer into the windows, by the white door, interested to see if anything had changed. Bells or chimes rang. I stood at attention, looked around, and wondered if lunch was ready.


Next day. Off to Prince Edward Island, PEI. Across the Confederation Bridge. Oh look it's raining. 

Circle tour of PEI.
Had to take a pic of this as we have a company JAFCO, Just Another ____ Company




Camouflaged power pole.
Ferry back across the Northumberland Strait from Wood Island to Caribou, NS. One of the oldest and last lighthouses in operation on the island.















Next day around island of Cape Breton on the Cabot Trail NS (Nova Scotia).

Around Belle Cote - Lobster traps anyone? My friend, Jo, says that many many years ago, to purchase a lobster trap is extremely inexpensive compared to FedEx'ing it back to Alberta. They saw her coming.







30 feet somewhat clear ahead.











Englishtown Ferry. Haven't been on a ferry like this, it wasn't as technologically advanced, ie a raft with rope railings, ok not as primitive as that, I was a teenager, since they closed the ferry crossing the North Saskatchewan river, on the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan, north of Lloydminster.

Saint Anns Bay where the ferry crosses. The road comes out to the last group of trees.












Going my way to Glace Bay NS via Sydney NS.
Whew! Did you get all that?