An Alberta Heat Wave.... There are lots of beautiful flowers blooming around the neighborhood- though its hard to keep them from drying out, in the heat wave that has hit the prairies. We are in the 30's C(90's F) which is pretty hot for here and it appears that the weather is to stay that way for the rest of the week. With the humidity, it feels like over 40 degrees C- very hot. We had a rolling power outage this afternoon - something that has never happened before. You realize how dependent one is on electricity. Every technological connection relies on power!!!! The Alstroemeria ..are looking pretty nice- they stay fresh for a nice long time as long as you change the water regularly..

I thought I might post a photo of the individual blocks in the lattice quilt. My blog friend Sio from Scraps and Thread tales posted a basket weave quilt that she had made, on her facebook page not long ago. It got me to thinking about the construction of the lattice quilt's individual blocks. Her quilt reminded me of the lattice quilts, but she pointed out a couple of differences- like she had 3 strips rather than two, and the weave was continual, whereas mine formed squares that intersect across the quilt.

Here is the second lattice quilt all quilted up- I am glad that I quilted it last week, instead of trying to quilt it in this heat wave. My quilting machine is upstairs in the gables of the house, so even with the overhead fans, it would be quite hot up there. It makes such a difference to a quilt when one gets the edges squared. This one has been squared now.

I finally got some of my spring bunnies put to bed, and decided to leave the buffet fairly plain. It has a Monet pattern on the tea set - the one with the red poppies in the fields. I love the Impressionists, and thought this set looked like summer. My mother gave me the lovely Battenburg lace runner to me a couple of years ago.. It has a wonderful elegance about it!

You have probably figured out that I don't do things in half measures- I have been busy knitting some more of the frilly scarves- They are so easy, and great fun to do, while I am watching a movie or a favorite TV show. Like all knitted things, the yarn makes the difference between them being more lacy, or having a thicker texture. They do have some gorgeous yarns out there to choose from with some stunning color combinations.

From the vaults: Not long ago, someone asked me when I started quilting, and how many quilts have I made? Do you know when you made your first quilts? What keeps you quilting? I don't actually know how many bed sized quilts that I have completed, but I am thinking that I am somewhere between 75 and 100 bed sized quilts. I tried quilting a few times - the first when I was a teenager before the time of rotary cutters and acrylic templates. I have one Dresden plate pillow block from that era. It didn't stick- The second time I tried quilting, I made a queen sized log cabin in a day quilt(Eleanor Burns pattern) in 1987. It took me over a year to get that quilt made- I used a double layer of polyester batting in it, because I wanted it to be warm LOL. In 1996, I moved to the school that I am currently working. I also took up quilting seriously. This sampler quilt was the result. I chose all the blocks from books like Quilts, Quilts by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes and Ruby McKim's 101 blocks. I took a beginning quilting course that summer from a lady named Pat, who happened to be a kindergarten teacher. Not just any kindergarten teacher either- She moved into my old classroom as the new kindergarten teacher, when I moved on to my new school. Talk about one of life's six degrees of separation!!!! The following summer, I finished this sampler quilt and met a mentor teacher named Linda. I have made quilts ever since. I have appreciated Linda's ongoing support and guidance over the years, especially when I would get stuck. Thank you, Linda for being a great mentor and friend. We all need other quilters who inspire us and teach us some of the techniques. I continue to be connected to a group of ladies that love to make quilts. I don't know how many I will actually get completed this summer, but I hope to get 3 made- we shall see.. It will depend on how long this heat wave lasts...

In the next couple of weeks, our two good friends will celebrate a special birthday- This quilt was made for them a couple of years ago. We just wanted to wish Happy Birthday To Valerie and Alister. We hope that you enjoy some great times with loved ones to mark your special birthdays. You are most treasured friends!

Darlene is a quilting friend from the Connecting Threads quilt forum. She decided that she would like to try her hand at blogging. She is off to a grand start- Do go and visit her- perhaps leave a comment. It is always nice to meet bloggers from different parts of the globe. Darlene comes from a farming community in the province that we both call home. Jane has a master schedule for a Red White and Blue blog hop that is going on right now. On some of the posts, there are giveaways and on all of them, there are some fabulous blocks/projects to view. I have seen a reference or two, to a Think Christmas blog hop, that is going to start soon too. One of the things I love best about the blog hops, is that I get to meet some new to me bloggers. They, too, provide some new ideas that act as inspiration for me... Enjoy your summer days if you are living in the Northern Hemisphere. Stay warm, if you are living in the lands down Under. Warmest regards, Anna

April Celebrations Continue.....

This photo of my parents was taken last June as we celebrated my niece's wedding.
In my family, April is a month of celebrations with birthdays and Easter. Last weekend we went to visit my folks. We had a lovely time together sharing a beautiful turkey dinner and celebrating my dad's birthday. As well, I enjoyed catching up with my sister and her family.

Today is my beautiful Mama's birthday. My mother is the most generous,caring person I have ever known. I want to celebrate the gifts she has given me.
My mother comes from a long line of strong loving women- women who lived their lives with purpose and caring for others. She taught me to celebrate each person's gifts. Here a few pieces of wisdom that my mother has shared with me.
My mother gave me the gift of life- to remember to rejoice the opportunities that each new day brings.

Some other values she taught me were:
.to see the cup as half full rather than half empty
.to treat others with respect and kindness
.to live from one's heart
.to take care of others less fortunate
.to contribute to the greater good of the world in which we live
.to see the good in others, for there is always something good
.to enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us
.to take care of the little things
.to live life with hope and joy
My mom is not a quilter but she has always had a number of wonderful hobbies. She is cardmaker these days and continues to explore her love of family's roots through genealogy. She has crocheted afghans(we have two) and embroidered pillowcases and tablecloths for many years. Mom once collected stamps( her grandmother started that collection) and continues to write thoughtful letters and cards to loved ones. She welcomes all who come to her house with coffee and baked treats. I used to tease her that there was a sign on the highway advertising her cooking prowess. She can be counted on to contribute wonderful dishes to any potluck or family events. The connections she has made through her family tree searches has brought new ties to family roots in the United States(my father's side) and England and Sweden( my mother's side). Mom continues to can and freeze all the bounty from my father's garden and apple trees. Music fills her kitchen and a wonderful sense of fun fills her home. She continues to take care of her home and hearth and is well loved by all of us- my father, my siblings and our children.
Mom you are the best mum a girl could wish for- I hope that you have a marvellous birthday. May the next year bring you all things that are beautiful..

I do have some new quilts to show you soon, but have not yet downloaded the photos on to the computer. Today's quilt was the second queen sized bed quilt that I ever made. It is a sampler quilt- I chose the individual blocks from various pattern books.This quilt has a pieced flying geese border. The colors are soft and done with medium tones. Today I would have chosen bolder colors with more contrast. This quilt lives in my house and was made in 1996- 97.
I quilted this quilt in the traditional way - after the flimsy top was completed. Some of my friends have created sampler quilts and quilted those blocks individually using a quilt as you go method. Isn't it interesting, all the different sequences one can follow to complete quilts.
On the homefront this week, we bought a newer car for me. My old Honda car met with a sad end - our son is a new driver and got into a fender bender with it. Fortunately he was not hurt but my car was too old to be worthy of a costly repair.
After looking for a short time, I have some fairly new wheels- A Ford Focus - it is a lovely moss green color, has a CD player in it and air conditioning... It feels pretty posh to me. Hopefully it will last for many years to come.

I will leave you with some questions to ponder- What kind of patterns do you choose?
Do you like to try new techniques each time you make a quilt?
Do you like hand work or only machine work?
Do you like to do applique or like only piecing? How about working with templates or prefer to strip piece?
Next week I will let you know about my preferences..

I hope that you have a wonderful week...Spring has finally arrived Wah hoooh!

Regards,
Anna