Is spring just around the corner....

Some years by the time February arrives, I am wishing that the dark of winter is over(though, so far this year, we have had mild temperatures for Western Canada). Winter is not my favorite season and often, I long to see the sun and the new buds arriving. February is too soon for either here in Alberta. Recently, Bruce brought home these purple tulips to brighten our table.

Don't you just love the first signs of spring ? I love it when the first buds appear, the ground has some dry spots and I can see the tulips and forget me nots poke their heads through the soil. I am told that the groundhog did not see his shadow here in Canada, so that would mean spring is just around the corner???

I have finally finished Elizabeth's quilt, complete with the label. Somehow the label takes me longer than it should. I hope that I will get this quilt to the E. girl soon-
To make the label, I use a permanent fabric marker to write the information. I always include the date, the owner's name, the occasion in which it was given, my name and where it was made. I usually add that the fabric content is 100 percent cotton. The label is fused on, as well as sewn on the quilt.

Last weekend I had the privilege of meeting up with a local quilter, Burtine that I met through the Connecting threads quilt forum " quilt with us". Burtine and I had only met one other time, but this time we came away with a plan to meet much sooner. It was grand to meet with a new friend and share our passion for quilting. I highly recommend getting together with other quilters - I have met a few new quilt friends through blogging and the quilt forums. Burtine is a talented lady- she knits, makes dolls and quilts-- We found lots of interesting things to talk about and share.

Here she is with Raggedy Anne and Andy - these two friends came home with me- I have a special purpose for them. They are really beautiful dolls and I hope that they will be well loved. Thank you for sharing them Burtine!

Not long ago, I took this tessellation quilt to school to spray baste- I wish that the colors on the camera were more true but it is the best that I can do..

I managed to get the tessellation quilt quilted a couple of weekends ago and have now got it bound as well. In retrospect, I am wishing that I used a black tone on tone as an outside border to the quilt. The black that was showing in the first photograph is the batting. The last border is a busy one and suits the central body of the quilt but may have been a little too busy without the extra black..

Does that ever happen to you- you get the quilt finished and then wish that you had done something differently? I could take the binding off and add another border but I don't have enough time to do so .... Decisions... decisions...


Today is my sister Denise's birthday.. My sister is one talented lady who has a couple of fur babies as well as two grown daughters and two granddaughters. She and Ron are particularly fond of this fur baby in the photo whose name is Buddha. Happy Birthday Sis- I hope you have had a fabulous day...
I wrote a piece a couple of years ago in celebration of my sister's birthday. The link will take you to the post and you can see the two quilts that were made for her and Ron.
Denise loves flowers and is a terrific photographer.

In the meantime, the first month of the year has flown by. It soon will be time to do more assessment and write report cards at school. We have had some professional development time to explore some new ideas and revisit some old ones too. I am looking forward to the annual teacher's convention that will be held at the very beginning of March. It is a chance to reconnect with old friends and take in some interesting sessions.
We attended our great niece's baptism a couple of weekends ago. It was a lovely afternoon and we are thrilled to have her and her parents living close by. Babies grow so quickly..

Valentine's Day is just around the corner- the classroom has valentines to make and stories of friendship tell.. 'Tis the season of friendship indeed..

Warmest regards,
Anna