Rocks

I like rocks.  I like the big, granite sturdy ones, the small, colourful sparkly ones and all those in between.  When we lived in Edmonton, I was always on the look out for a nice rock to add to my garden and my husband would always bring back one or two when he went hunting.
Now we live in Ontario on part of the Cambrian shield and I have my very own home grown rocks-thousands of them in every shape and size.  I have a rock garden, rock borders and rock backdrops.
Roger has learnt that if he wants me to go slower when we are out for a walk, all he has to do is point out a piece of quartz.  It is hard to move very quickly when you are scanning the ground for something else that is special.

Once our garage is up, I am going to start making concrete paving stones studded with my favourite sparklies.

I would also like to have a water feature somewhere.  This photo shows the view from our living room window.  These rocks are about a quarter of the ones that were removed when the hole was dug for the foundation.  Can't you visualize a nice stream of water flowing down these and into a pool. 
Have a great weekend.
blessings,

Frost on the Pumpkin?

Our lovely early spring seems to be undecided as to whether (pardon the unintentional pun) it wll continue.  Our temperatures dropped a bit last night and I woke this morning to see some frost on the ground.  I had planted some flowers yesterday and transplanted a few more trilliums but they all seem to be okay. 
Of course, those of you in the west have had some worse weather with the snow.
We need rain here and it is predicted for the weekend so I am hoping we do get it.  My brother and his wife are moving on Friday but sunshine is predicted for that day.
Have you ever noticed how we want a certain type of weather but only when it is convenient for us?  Scientists are always trying to figure out how to control the weather.  Can you imagine what would happen if they were successful and you could purchase 'sunshine or rain for a day'.  You think noisy children and barking dogs make for problems amonst neighbours?  What if I want rain for my garden the same day you were planning to sun tan?  Would someone have to set up a priority list?  Is an outdoor wedding more important than moisture for crops?  I am glad that we don't have the choice.
I am making a vegetable stew in the slow cooker today to take for my brother and SIL's supper tomorrow.  I am making good progress on the wedding quilt and may get the top done before leaving for our holidays the middle of May.
Have you planted your vegetables yet?  I will be getting some in next week.
blessings

Do You EQ?

I believe I have mentioned in past blogs that I use computer software programs to help in my designing of quilt patterns, colour choices and layouts.  My favourite of the two programs  I have is EQ6.  It is wonderful for manipulating shapes, deciding on the best colours and  type of sashing and border.  My favourite feature is that it it tells me how much fabric I need.  Math is a necessary part of quilting but if I can avoid it, I will. I would sooner spend my time quilting than trying to figure out how much fabric I need to buy for 78 triangles that are 3 1/2" on the long side.

Another example of why I like this program:  when I was hired to do a wedding quilt, a lady showed me a quilt block and said she would like me to use it.  I was able to reproduce it on EQ, put it in the appropriate sized layout and, using her colour choices, printed a few options.  She chose one, I bought the fabric and am now making the quilt.

This is a quilt design I did just for the pleasure of seeing the colours.

I am mentioning all this because EQ is in the processing of releasing a new version of EQ and you may have a chance to win it.  Stay tuned for further information.
blessings

Changes

This is a photo of the quilt that was given to our pastor and his wife as they left for their move back to Nova Scotia.  The flowers are embroidered, the basket and squares hand pieced.  I machine quilted the top.
I am really sorry to see them go as I  got to be good friends with Glenda.  Life brings so many changes and accepting them isn't always easy.
We are starting to see a few blackflies now although, thankfully, they aren't biting.  The daffodils are still nodding their bright yellow heads and have now been joined by the tulips.  The sweet williams are adding their delicate colour.
The trilliums and other wildflowers are contributing their beauty to the woods.  We transplanted a few to see if they would take.  They were just moved closer to the house but still in a wooded area and, so far, they don't seem to have rejected their new location.
Roger has completed his work on the mud room and it just has to be painted.  We need to wait for the weather to warm up again before we can do that.  Also want to get our veggies planted so the next week should consist of a lot our outdoor stuff.
Today, we are doing one of our regular trips to Huntsville to get supplies.  I need a bit more lemon yellow for one of the wedding quilts.  I am making good progress on them now that I am not watching television in the evening.
Blessings

Busy Day

Yesterday was a busy one.  When my husband is working on a ladder, he likes to have me nearby to hand him things so he doesn't have to keep climbing up and down.  I decided to put shelves in a small desk-bedside table really,  that I have beside my computer.  I like working with wood and as I recently became the owner of a recipricating saw, I thought I should start using it.  It took a bit of working getting the shelves even but I got it done.  Now I can keep my machine manuals, and various printer papers seperate.  Bird houses are next on my wood making list as well as a drawer to go under my sewing table.  I need somewhere to put bobbins etc for my long arm.  I will put the drawer on sliders so it can be pushed out of the way.
Today, I am finishing up the embroidered quilt.  I decided to do a bit more top stitching on it as it was bare in some places.  Then I can wash it and give it to the person who ordered it.  This one has been going on for a while so am glad to get it done.
We are still waiting for rain.  The long range forecasts keep calling for it but, as the day gets closer, it changes to sunshine.  It will be nice for tourists and those who work if we have drier weekends this summer but we do need the rain for the plant life.  I like the pre-Noah days when everything was watered by the dew.
Blessings

Catching Up

The wedding quilts are going together much quicker than I thought they would so I think I am getting caught up on my schedule.  I have two non-quilting related events to finish up and, once they are out of the way, I can relax a bit. 
The news report says our annual blackfly plague is supposed to start early-this weekend-so I need to get outside this afternoon and finish the windows and some yard work.  This morning-quilting.
My husband has been working on getting the mud room finished.  He built it last year but it still needed the siding and some prettying up.  He has covered it in pine boards which will be painted the same colour as the house.  We would both prefer wood stain but our place is small so would look better if everything blended.
Yesterday, I dyed some fabric to try and get it closer to the colour I wanted.  I had bought some green thinking it was close to the shade I needed but, when I got it home, I found it was too bright.  So, I put it in some black dye.  It was the only colour I had and, if worse came to worse, I could always use some more black fabric.  I also tossed in some bits of white fabric as I needed grey for my paper pieced birds.  It does appear that I might have acheived the result I wanted.
I used to do a lot of fabric dyeing in my washing machine but, with a front loader, that isn't possible.  I did this lot on the stove in a big pot which seems to have worked.
Blessings

More Quilts and Gadgets

Here are two more photos of the quilts that were at the Orillia quilt Show.  The first picture is of the flowers of the provinces and the final is Canadian scenes.  You can see prairie gran elevators, rodeos, the covered bridge in Burk's Falls (acutally in the Maritimes but there is one here).

As you can tell, I will be remembering this show for a long time.

Yesterday, I had to go for a doctor's appointment in North Bay which is a largish community about an hour's north of us.  Of course, I took the opportunity to do quilt shopping and I bought a bobbin winder among other things.  This little gadget will wind your bobbins seperate from your sewing machine so you don't have to interrupt your work when you run out.  I usually do 10 bobbins of white thread for each of my machines.  This is nice when you are doing a lot of sewing (and who isn't) but takes time to refill them all.  Now I can refill and sew at the same time.  Addicted!  Not me!

Blessings