Off again.....

I am off again to my other June retreat.... this will be the last until winter time.... I did manage to get a small quilt done in between. This is a commissioned baby quilt that will be quilted when I return.... I just love the fabrics.

I have been extremely busy this Spring with customer quilts.... which is a good thing, I guess - LOL

Thought for the Day

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Albert Einstein

Home from Retreat........

I had a lovely weekend and got lots accomplished.... AND I have finished my Baltimore Bunnies. Finally, this quilt can be crossed off my UFO list.

I finished a bag, a bright pink and green quilt and a horse quilt for my sister. The bag and two quilts WERE NOT on my UFO list - LOL. I just can't keep up with everything that I want to do!

There was a great Mystery Quilt provided at the retreat - I didn't do it... but I want to, so I have the instructions.... each one looked so different.

We all signed signature blocks for the coordinator of the retreat - a couple of the ladies whipped it together one evening and we presented it to her yesterday evening. It's home with me now, as I will quilt it and send it back to her. We left a few blank squares so she can bring it back next year and have the new ladies sign it.

This is a shot of our sewing area - we have a huge gym and it's great to have "sew" much space. I had a great time.... My next retreat is in two weeks!

Thought for the Day

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you will land among the stars.

Les Brown

Off....

Well, I am off to the first of my June retreats.... lots of UFO's to be accomplished.... AND seeing some great friends - who I haven't seen since last year when we moved. I CANNOT believe it has been a year since we moved North.....
Please stop by the Wacky Pack Quilters blog and see a couple of my vintage quilts that I have quilted. I just love quilting old tops - I figure that since they have been lying around for years in boxes (usually) - it is great to quilt them up and use them.

Thought for the Day
And finally, I want to acknowledge that making changes in your life is never an easy task. The key, however, is not to get caught up in the distance you have to go to get to where you want to be. Nor should you despair over the amount of control you have over your circumstances. Progress is made in the small, intentional steps, and chances are, you have more power than you think. By focusing on little steps you can take every day, the progress you make will motivate you to continue your journey, and eventually, you can go wherever you want to go. The important thing is simply to begin.
Stephen Cherniske, M.S

Where did May go???

I have no idea where May went - and now it's June... and I can see a busy month ahead so I won't know where June is going to go, either.... this month I have two quilt retreats to attend (one this coming weekend), a quilt show at work, and a few customer quilts to get done before the end of the month!

My first quilt retreat is being held at Olds College and there are about 35 ladies atttending. These ladies are from all over North America and we enjoy getting together each year to renew friendships and of course, sew, sew, sew. I am just about finished my Baltimore Bunnies quilt - it will be done this weekend!!!! You can see my efforts from last year here. So.... think good thoughts... I MUST get this quilt done - LOL. This year it's all about finishing up - and these are quilts I haven't even put on my UFO list... these are new UFO's.

Thought for the Day
Words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.
Ingrid Bengis

Well, Spring has finally come.....

and I have managed to plant a few flowers and my Saskatoon berry bush on the side of my house. I was going to plant a Blueberry bush but the greenhouse didn't have any... so Saskatoon's it is! We are supposed to be getting some very warm weather in the next few days so hopefully the plants will grow and I can plant my large planters.

I have received a couple of cute blocks in two swaps I am in. The star block is so cute - it is strawberry and broccoli fabric..... I had requested that my star blocks be "scrappy" so I am going to have quite a collection when the swap is done.

The pink and brown block will be added to my collection and I should be able to make a pink and brown quilt by fall.

Thought for the Day

Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.

William James

The picture says it all....

This picture was taken on Tuesday morning...... the day after I came home from Quilt Market in Pittsburgh...... where the weather was in the high 70's (F)...... will we ever have Spring - LOL...

I had a great time at my first Quilt Market. The professional development classes were just exceptional. I learned so much and met so many wonderful quilters, authors, and designers. For me, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I really appreciated being able to go. I have a few samples to make for the shop I work at and lots of new ideas for classes..... lots to do and I am excited to get started. I also did some shopping for myself and got some great deals.

Pittsburgh has the most amazing architecture - many old buildings, and churches. I spent a good deal of time walking around the city and I really enjoyed that. My pictures of the City of Pittsburgh are in my webshots album.

My other pictures of market are in this album - these include quilts that were on display. I am finished my University class and can now concentrate on my quilting and classes over the summer.... which I look forward to at some point!! (since we didn't seem to have a Spring).

Thought for the Day
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

A block......

I finished a block today for a swap I am in ..... I really like it - found it in my EQ6 (Ohio Star Variation); I had to use templates for two of the pieces, but that wasn't a problem. Hope my swappee likes it!

I think I could make an entire quilt of this block.

I did some gardening and have decided to plant a Blueberry bush on the side of the house - it faces west and gets afternoon sun, so hopefully it will grow!

Thought for the Day

It is no disgrace to start all over. It is usually an opportunity.

George Matthew Adams

Spring.........

Today we got out the chairs and sat out by the lake..... and set out the patio furniture on the deck. As you can see... we still have a small "glacier" on the lawn - LOL...... shouldn't be there for long. I cleaned up my sewing room today, studying for an exam, took Magpie for a long walk......... AND made a quilt back..... sheesh (as a dear friend on mine says - LOL)..... it is spring....

Thought for the Day

There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving and that's your own self.

Aldous Huxley

Yes...

it is Spring!! The loons have returned to the lake - I heard them for the first time this morning... and they were swimming by the dock this afternoon - will keep an eye out for the baby! You can still see some ice behind this little guy - hopefully by the end of the weekend the ice will be all gone.

Thought for the Day

I'll not divulge the secret song

Of this remote lagoon.

I'd rather hearken years along

The laughter of the loon.

Nancy Ness

Spring.....

has finally come to my part of the world...... but the lake is still frozen...... not warm enough to plant any flowers yet.... but there is hope.
I made another bag to go with my tote bag - these will be great to take on retreat!

Thought for the Day

If someone listens, or stretches out a hand, or whispers a word of encouragement, or attempts to understand a lonely person, extraordinary things begin to happen.

Loretta Girzartis

It's Snowing....

today (will we ever see Spring ???) .... and a great day to finish off some projects. I made two bags - a tote bag and a smaller bag with wool applique. I also completed a couple of customer quilts and am now caught up with those.

The wool applique bag pattern is by a favorite designer, Sue Spargo.

Check out Shirley's blog - she has pictures up of the class she taught at our LQS last weekend.

Thought for the Day
There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.
Orison Marden

Busy Month....

April has been a busy, busy month.... lots of quilting. This past weekend my friend, Shirley, hosted a landscape workshop at the LQS in town and was a great success. Check out her blog in the next few days and there should be some pics. I also got a few private lessons - lucky me, on how to paint trees and other fine points of landscapes.

I received a great block in my montly blockswap - another to add to my collection of pinks and browns. This should make a great quilt when I get all the blocks.

Thought for the Day
Of all the judgments we pass in life, none is more important than the judgment we pass on ourselves.
Nathaniel Branden

Look what came

in the mail today!!!! My parcel from the Secret Easter Swap hosted by Julie at Bush Baby Jag. The parcel was wrapped in the prettiest pink Spring fabric - tied with Ric Rac..

Opening it up I found the most wonderful surprises...... my alltime favorite quilting magazine is Patchwork and Stitching, and the little Easter Egg ornaments are just sooo cute. I am a lucky swapper, that's for sure!!! and want to thank Nicole H. from Seton Pk, SA, Australia.... I don't have a blog address for Nicole - but hopefully she will see this and provide me one!! AND thanks Julie for being a great hostess.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
It's never too late to have a happy childhood. Walk in the rain, collect rainbows, smell flowers, stop along the way, build sand castles, watch the moon and stars come out, say hello to everyone, make up new rules, go on adventures, act silly, take bubble baths, hold hands and hug and kiss, dance, laugh and cry for the health of it, feel happy, say the magic words, and trust the universe.
Bruce Williamson

April...

just snuck right up on me. I have been working on a variety of things.... quilting mostly and some piecing and applique. My never ending quest to complete my Baltimore Bunnies is humming right along - I have the borders almost complete, just appliquing the final bunnies and flowers on the borders. I wished I could have completed this for this Easter... but, it will be done THIS YEAR at least, LOL. I am also preparing to teach some classes at the LQS and finishing my University course, which I will take a break from over the summer to get a bunch of UFO's done.

I have completed two more blocks in my wool applique "Chestermere" quilt. This quilt was designed by Laurel Frances Everett of Shaggy Dog Designs - formerly of Calgary, now of Pincher Creek, Alberta. I hand appliqued this quilt in homespuns about two years ago (it is the picture in my blogger profile) ... and I wanted a project to work on in wool and thought this would be great. These two blocks are number 4 and 5, so now I have to decide if I want to do another six for a complete large quilt or just one more for a smaller wall hanging. The other blocks are here and here.

Thought for the Day

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

Jimmy Dean

Mountains......

I really miss seeing the Mountains when I drive anywhere!! I guess I just took them for granted when I lived in Calgary - since I lived there my whole life. I took this picture last weekend when I was in Calgary - just a gentle reminder..... I think I would like to to a landscape of just the mountains...

I picked up some new fabric at one of my favorite quilt stores, Traditional Pastimes, and decided that I would make my mom a new table runner for her coffee table for Easter.... I cut out the blocks at my retreat and finished them up yesterday.... I think she will really like it. The blocks are churn dash and it really didn't take that much fabric to make this quilt.

My retreat....

came to an end last Sunday...... this is what it looked like when we woke up on Sunday morning....It was a good thing that our hosts drove our cars to the top of the hill - they then took us up in their 4 wheel drive - my little car would never have made it up the hill. Even tho' this is what it looked like at 9 am, I was in Calgary by noon and the snow had stopped and it was just horribly messy.

The above quilt is a finished "retreat project" that Julie had been working on for the past two retreats - it was so great to see it finished.... we all felt like it was our project being finished!!!

I completed a small baby quilt top and put together my borders for Baltimore Bunnies. I just have the bunnies to applique, then I have to put it together... so there are no photos yet of this Baltimore Bunny project - that is being worked on in its second year.




Thought for the Day
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Melody Beattie