Blog Testing

January 2023 was the last time I blogged. In fact it took me a few hours to figure out how to get to this point. Plus, I do not remember how the blog posts are sent to you.

Because Blogging has become a thing of the past and Email newsletters are the thing now, I am testing to see who gets this actual blog post. If you received a notification about or an email with this post PLEASE send and email to ask@quiltnasium.com.

Winter Wedge Kaleido

     Our Wednesday walk along the Bow River started out foggy and nippy leaving behind beautiful frosted shrubs. In the past, I would say hoar frost but was corrected on a trip to Lake Louise to call it rime ice. Never heard of rime ice. Since I wasn't up at night by the river to actually say which one is correct, I'm going with frosted ice.

Between Calgary and Canmore the amount of ground snow varies from almost nil to one foot. But, at beautiful Lake Louise it is definitely winter. The day felt like shorts and t-shirt weather, spring skiing weather. 

Hiking the hike out down to the Village we go along a gurgling creek. Hard walking on soft packed snow.

One side of the Great Divide Trail is Alberta, the other side is BC, British Columbia. There were groomed x-country ski trails and another trail that I thought was for skidooing. 

Nope, it was for dog sledding. When we had lunch here, the sleds and dogs were just getting set up. Once the riders got into the sleds, ear piercing cacophony took over the silence.

   When I'm hiking/walking many ideas come to mind. You may have seen the Alaska quilt kit that I pieced for our guild raffle. It was challenging. But, once I got the hang of it, no problem. Really the quilt has only 3 blocks. It's the fabric placement that changes the look of the block.

The Deb Tucker Studio 180 Wedge ruler and Marti Michel's Kaleido ruler both work well when making this quilt. Because I like to cut larger pieces then trim down the Wedge ruler works better for me. To make only the kaleido block, the Kaleido ruler was better for me. Using these rulers gave me the idea to make a sampler of various wedge and kaleido blocks. So stay tuned for the first block and follow along. Until next time, 

Enjoy!

It's been such a busy morning telling mom to feed me NOW. And I'd really
like to get up and tell you all about it, but it's nap time.

Meyawn,

One Word 2023 Resolution

WITH a New Year comes people talking about making Resolutions. Putooey! to that I say. Myself, I do not remember making any resolutions, ever. Well definitely not out loud or written down for all the world to see. Maybe in my head, and that didn't get too far.

But, after finishing a romance mystery last week, where four women, of various ages and stages in their lives, had made a ONE WORD resolution, I thought, easy peasey. Pick the One Word, any word. How hard can that be! There are lots of words. Hmmm. 

My first choice was BEGIN. Yes. I am a fantastic beginner. I love to begin anything and everything. To finish is another story, unless on a deadline. Okay, then choose FINISH. Oops, maybe not because that means I have to finish anything and everything started. No way. I get bored or stop at a certain point because I don't like doing the next step or I don't want to finish at all. Instead, maybe throw away or give away. Hmmm. That sounds like CLEARING. Yes, I can clear away.

Examples - suggestions:

Clear the mind - go for a walk/drive/sew.

Clear the body - eat, ugh, more fruit less junk.

Clear the closet - give away clothes, shoes.

Clear the garage - recycle empty, saved, just in case boxes.

Clear the cubby hole and junk drawer - dried up pens, solidified erasers, scrap paper that has old notes.

Clear the room - donate supplies, furniture, recycle electronics.

Clear the quilts - finish or give to someone else to finish (I have a great group of gals that will finish the quilts I do not want to finish and then give away to someone).

Clear the soul - reenergize YOU.

What is your One Word resolution?

YOU humans and the new year resolutions. Okay, if I must, my resolution is to sleep more, ignore more, order you more than I did last year. That makes my One Word, MORE. Seems like more fun is to be had in 2023.

 

Inventory Clearing

    We have decided to only carry a very minor fabric inventory. Everything has been greatly reduced. We want to concentrate on having retreats in 2023. 

Check out our website, quiltnasium.com. For those of you who like to touch an feel the fabric, there will also be periodic in-house sales on certain Saturdays throughout the summer. Please go to the website and follow us on facebook for updates.

Another Day in Paradise - PalmeroBOGO $3

    Another day in paradise. It's a balmy Chinook day. Almost t-shirts and shorts weather. Yesterday me and my walking buddy went from the Bow Habitat and Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery to the Peace Bridge, which from a distance looks more like a high speed train. It started out very sunny then the chinook blew over, hiding the sun but bringing another warm almost Spring day.

Bow Habitat and Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery

Peace Bridge

   Nine, yes 9, quilts waiting for binding. They may be waiting a while as binding is my least favourite thing to do. It's right up there with dusting and vacuuming. What does that say. Why so many you ask. That's what happens when the quilter says prices are going up next year. You get all the finished tops and partly finished tops finished and ready for quilting because, heaven forbid, you have to pay an extra couple $ per top. You laugh!? That's a couple $ less for new fabric.

9 quilts

Here is one that I was experimenting to see what the background and certain kind of stripe fabric would look like. It turned out great. Lots of movement.

Outside the Box by Quilt and Needle

Double Down Deal

While quantities last or until Feb 4, 2022, all the Palermo fabric is Buy 1meter get 2nd meter for $3. Prices will be adjusted for fabric and shipping at our end. 

150 Cdn Women-Madam of the Maritimes

    Those of you that participated in the 150 Canadian Women quilt do you remember  #148 Ada Jane McCallum. Blain Henshaw has written Madam of the Maritimes, The Life and Times of Ada McCallum. 

In 2019, Blain called me regarding the research on the 150 Canadian Women quilt and why I had chosen Ada. 'I thought she was interesting.' As usual when reading a book I read the first chapter then go immediately to the last 5-6 pages to see what happens, ie who ends up with whom. Much to my surprise, the 150 quilt program is featured in the last pages. 

Although I'm presently in the middle of a steamy romance novel, my next read will be Madam of the Maritimes by Blain Henshaw. Haven't you been curious about the red light districts, the saloons of yesteryear? You know that they've been around since the beginning of time.

Happy Quilting!

 

 

Clearout revised additional dates

    Please help! We have to clearout almost everything as there is more fabric coming in. Shopping online is your best bet. Prices for 2+ m of the same fabric adjustments will be made at our end.

If you come to the home studio, please be patient as we are doing the best we can.

Thank you to one and all.

 

Labour Day Clearout at Quiltnasium.com

    Quiltnasium.com    72 Chaparral Cove SE, Calgary AB

    We are clearing out almost everything so that we can concentrate on in-house classes, 1-day sew days and 3-day retreats. We will continue carry certain fabrics and some notions for your convenience but not the full range that we have today.

    Therefore, we ask your help at finding new homes for what we have. If you come to the Home Studio, please wear a mask and use the hand sanitizer provided at the door because we want everyone to be safe.

Thank You to all,

Testing Blog to Email Feed

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

   

   Another day, another change.  So many website and information changes not because of covid but definitely since covid started. The service used for you receive the blog post by email is discontinuing July 1. So we are moving from FeedBurner to the Bloglovin feed. 

Now we are directing you to Bloglovin ( click link above). 

To re-subscribe enter your email address in the Bloglovin widget on the right hand side at the top.

Thank you for your continued patronage,

Paper Sky Final Block

  Whoa, Block 9 for Paper Sky is on Quiltnasium.com. See video on Quiltnasium Quilt Along by Kat facebook page.

   We have been working on resizing the 150 Canadian blocks from 6" to 3" and adding more blocks. If you are interested in creating a smaller replica with more blocks email us at ask at quiltnasium dot com. This program is blocks only, no women biographies. I'm making mine in the range of bright lime greens, ie yellow green to blue green, on a mottled gray background. Too Cute! I'm liking these even more at 3".

    It's a very early Spring for Calgary. The chickadees tried making a nest inside the window batten. The squirrel is shredding cardboard for its nest.

Even the rabbits are turning colour. Let's hope we rain. The snow was so dry this year we maybe got a couple inches of water out of it which ran off the frozen ground and into the gutter. Dry snow, powdery, 10-12" equals 1" rain. 

   First mouse of the season. I'm such a fabulous hunter. Didn't loose my touch over the winter. (ha onto the nails and sizzle on butt) Just had to give mom her first present of the year. Now let me in for my treat.

M I A Rejuvenate

      Wow, many moons ago was the first step to upgrade myself and Quiltnasium. With no chance of getting together in retreats and classes, because of you know what, we had to give ourselves a kick in the butt.

A plaque I found years ago.

New web host, new website, new quilt along programs, new videos for quilt alongs. The video learning curve has been straight up and I swear that there is no excuse for senior's moments because so many more brain circuits have been created. 

   Paper Sky free block 8 was just posted. The video is on fb page quiltnasium quilt along by kat. Only one more block and the finishing remain.

   For those of you in the Gypsy Wife program, the next blocks will be sent to you next week. It's never too late to join Gypsy Wife quilt along. You must have a pattern. If the pattern is purchased from Quiltnasium the videos are included. Otherwise you can join for $20. 

   Do making 3"squares float your boat? Because we had nothing better to do, or we lost some marbles, we are in the process of resizing the 150 Canadian blocks down to 3" from 6". This time only the block instructions will be available with video. The quilt is going to run in the colour gamut of lime green on a gray background.

Meow to everyone. It's been a very long slug with the human at home. It's been almost one year of long hard retraining. There are still times when I have to jump up on her, on the computer desk or on the sewing table to get into her face and meow at the top of my lungs so she will STOP everything and either feed me or let me out. What a chore at times! 

I know I'm still lovable because after all I'm now Sweet Sixteen and how can I be missed.

150 Quilt Rerun Block 1

    Block 1 and the explanation for 150 Rerun cutting instructions are on the group page. To join you must have or can purchase the CD.

I still haven't figured out zoom through OBS yet so it is just a recording. Any questions, then email us, ask @ quiltnasium dot com.

Winter is staying at in the mountains so far and that it is where it should be. 

MIA Zoom

   
   So this was all weekend in the far south of Alberta, Lethbridge.

And all this weekend not so far south in Alberta, Calgary. Ol' Father Winter let us know he was coming on winds of 85kg/hr = 55mph. Almost all the leaves are gone and the lake has a thin ice covering. As my dad used to say, 'Better put rocks in your pockets.'

   Sometimes, it is bad getting old. Sometimes, it is hard to believe I worked in IT and knew all the latest technology. When the phones became smart phones, I didn't care and didn't want one. Since getting back into business in early 2000s, I've been playing catchup ever since. The ol' brain is slower and sometimes it likes to run backwards. 

But thanks to a young whippersnapper teaching an old fuddy duddy, we've finally kind of got the hang of 3 cameras, OBS and Zoom. So, for those of you that are registered on facebook with your pattern for the 150 Canadian quilt rerun we will be taking the first kick at a zoom meeting for cutting out the background and Block 1. 

For those of you waiting for the gypsy wife program to start it will happen in a couple of weeks.

We are almost finished with the roll over of Quiltnasium.com to another webhost and updating the blog look and getting the email operating again.

I'd like to thank all you for being extremely patient in waiting for these programs to happen.

150 Rerun Computers Ack!

   Did everyone have a full feeling Thanksgiving? The turkey was not the only creature that was stuffed.
 

   There was a time many decades a decade ago I actually loved computers. The internet, blogs, Facebook. I was even a programmer and beta tester at one time. The smarter the phone, tablets, ieverything becomes the more I want to go back to analog flip phones. The more the platforms grow the more they change. What I once followed is now almost impossible. Even the platforms are making it so that it is a problem to follow my favourite people and animals. They have even limited my favourite see firsts or all posts. 

I've been working on getting set up for online tutorials and classes. Unfortunately, the new laptop is not cooperating. Just when I've become comfortable being on camera, none of the cameras will work through the new laptop. Does the laptop camera know something I don't? It's probably one little box to check. What I learned as a programmer, the computer is only as good as the operator and the programmer who programmed it. What I learned as a beta tester, I can always screw up the program and the more it is to be foolproof the worse I manage to mess it up. They finally had to add something to follow my keystrokes to figure out what went wrong. 

  To join the 150 quilt rerun you MUST have the pattern. Many of you downloaded it a couple years ago. That's excellent. If not, then it is available in CD or PDF format on quiltnasium.com. Only if you have the pattern and answer the questions, can you join the facebook group, 150 Cdn Quilt Rerun.