A Potpourri of News - now just where I have I been lately?

 I don't even know where to begin, as the past 6 weeks have flown by. These last weeks have been filled with many things - some which were tied to the end of the school year.
 Here are the current flowers on our dining room table -some pretty pink and white carnations.
This lovely lady is my friend Brenda, who started her official retirement from our school district after over 35 years of teaching yesterday. Our friendship goes back to when I was a relatively new teacher ( my second school) We have maintained a friendship for over 30 years and I was delighted to be invited to her retirement. I am sure she is going to enjoy some great times with family and friends as well as exploring her passion for cooking, gardening and scrapbooking. Happy Retirement, my friend!
Here is a photograph of the lovely wallhanging that I received from Sharon (Vrooman's quilts) in the post awhile back. The photos do not do this beautiful wall hanging justice. There is some fabulous bead work on the crossstitched feathers. It is a really beautiful gift that I am honored to be its caretaker.

In the early part of June ( right in the middle of report card writing LOL) my local guild held their biannual quilt show. It was held in a seniors center that has some spectacular glass works hanging from the ceiling. I have included a smattering of the quilts that we saw-( we only had a couple of hours at the show so we missed some of the quilts, but what we did see was a wonderful collection of local talent) I loved this collection of musical notes - I think that they must play some beautiful melody - they sure look pretty together don't you think. Music of the heart  could be their title..




This Judy Niemeyer pattern is stunning and the young woman that made the quilt did a spectacular job of it. I believe that it was long arm quilted by one of our local long arm quilters named Matt Sparrow.

 He and his wife Bradie have a long arm quilting studio here in Edmonton, and do fantastic work. Perhaps one day I might try out long arm quilting but for now I am content to quilt on my Babylock quilting machine.
The Sparrow family are also very generous people- Tomorrow, they have invited quilters to come and use the long arm machines at the studio to make quilts for our friends who have been wiped out by the floods  in Southern Alberta.

 Recently our sister city of Calgary  and the surrounding areas ( High River, Canmore, Bragg Creek and Siksika Indian Nation) experienced some horrendous flooding.The central core of the city of Calgary was immersed in water in the as well as many housing districts along the Bow river. They evacuated many areas  of the city. The big hockey arena ( the Saddledome) and home to the Calgary Stampede grounds were saturated with flooding. There is also a wonderful Zoo there, that faced many challenges trying to keep all the animals safe. At one point, there was some concerns that the hippos might end up swimming down the river. Back to the quilt show...

I found this very fun quilting lady wall hanging utterly charming. I loved the details the quilter added to her quilt. I especially loved her red boa and the cat lying at her feet. She also has a fabulous earring in her ear.  
 Here are some very special men in my life- One of the things I did for Father's Day, was make a small collection of family photos in an album on my facebook page. The one on the left is our son, Kevin, when he was about 3 months old. The other one was taken this spring when he was home visiting. The photos were taken 25 years apart. I have always loved this baby photo- it always brings me joy looking at the two of them together.
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June has been a particularly rainy month here in Edmonton. We recently had lunch with some friends in a wonderful restaurant, Le Ronde, that rotates and gives some spectacular views of our fair city. You can see that the North Saskatchewan River is pretty high as well. It recently crested and the levels have now dropped. You can see on the right hand side that there are four pyramids that are a local plant conservatory.
In case you are wondering whether I  have abandoned quilting , I did finish these two sideline quilts.( I also got 9 baby wraps bound so they are ready for the next babies.
 This Pueblo pots quilt was given to this wonderful couple Ian and Charlotte to celebrate their relatively recently acquired home. ( it is only about a year late - LOL)
 I hope that they enjoy many happy years together in their lovely home.

 One of the fun things we brought to our school grounds was this bouncing castle, as part of our year end fun day . My school kids loved bouncing and crawling through the obstacle course.
We had a couple of heavy rains and a severe thunderstorm the night before my school kids were finished. One thunderstorm knocked out a transformer and left us without power for part of the last day of school.

I also finished the other Sideliner quilt that I called Floral Retreat. It was made for my friend, Deloris, who also retired. I know that she is going to enjoy lots of time travelling to visit her family in Louisana, Michigan and California. She is passionate about books and I will miss her friendship and our conversations about children's literature.

So there you have it - Life has indeed been full- I am looking forward to summer vacation- it is such a change of pace after the busyness of school. I plan to get some things done around the house ( I began cleaning the stove today-) As well I have some quilts to create. I will begin working on the signature block quilt tomorrow.
 We had intended to go to Banff later in the summer but with the flooding in that area of the Rockies, it may make road travel a little complicated. We think instead we will head to Jasper for a few days, which is another beautiful part of the Canadian Rockies but is farther north. I love the mountains- there is something very restful about going to stay there...

 Today was a lovely day- a visit to a couple of my favorite quilt shops and a wonderful second hand shop.(Needless to say, my fabric stash didn't get any smaller LOL... One of the things I love about summer, is the opportunity to connect and reconnect with my friends and family.
 My dear friend, Lou, came in from her lake cottage for the day. We had such a nice time together exploring our favorite haunts as well as having lunch together. I also spend some time on the phone with my dear friend, Val just catching up with one another. I even had some time with my spouse watching some of the tennis at Wimbledon.
Bruce began his summertime shifts as a public interpreter at the local observatory today.
 This evening I managed to finally put all the spring bunnies away and will take out some summer decor for the sideboard..
And so the summer begins- Hopefully I will return sooner and more regularly to any of you who are my blog friends. I have been quite neglectful of my blog this year. Thanks to you all, who continue to visit.  I have added a bloglovin link should you wish to follow my ramblings :O)
 Until next time, be well,
 Warmest regards,
 Anna

My dear friends, I can not believe that all of June has passed without a post... June is always a full month and this June has been particularly hectic. I feel like we have been on the dead run for the last two weeks. Friday was our last day of school. We had our year end celebration the previous Friday where my students danced and sang for their parents followed by cake and juice. The report cards are done- the classroom is cleaned out and summer vacation has begun. This beautiful bundle of flowers contains some of my very favorite ones- My husband brought home spider mums, tiger lilies and sunflowers - at one point there were even irises in it. It was a spectacular bouquet filled with color that kept me going while I was writing year end reports..

Bruce has loved science and astronomy since he was a boy. Earlier this month, he was honored by the Telus world of Science for having doing volunteer work them every year for the past 25 years. He and Peter began volunteering at the Science Center 25 years ago. Bruce shares his passion for the night sky ( day sky too) with the public on Saturday afternoons during the school year. He is a public interpreter and enjoys sharing his knowledge with others. Recently, he and another fellow went up north to Yellowknife to view the Transit of Venus. The transit is sort of like a mini solar eclipse with Venus passing in front of the sun. It had four contact points that they hoped would be visible from their vantage point. Fortunately they were able to see it as it an will not happen again for 117 years.

A dear friend gave me these beautiful Raggedy Anne and Andy dolls for Annabelle. Unfortunately I was ill with a head cold when she celebrated her birthday. You can see that she is enjoying playing with them with her aunt. Sometimes it is hard for us to get together, so Annabelle received them in an unusual place - The Winspear Theatre where we went to see her dad and Granny had come to sing with their choir. Bruce was a grand sport to carry them down one of the main streets of Edmonton into the theater without a child in tow. I am sure he got some funny looks!

I was recently given this lovely purse as a Thank you gift from a family whose children I had taught. It has been a while since I have had this family's children in my class, so I was very touched by their caring and thoughtfulness. If you look around my neck, you will see the lovely Transit of Venus stone necklace that Bruce brought me back from the north.

June is not an easy time for me to get quilting done, but I wanted to honor a woman on our staff who was retiring from our school this year. She was my student's Cree teacher and enjoyed sharing the language and culture of her people with my kids.

The quilt pattern is called Sunset and I hope that she will enjoy many beautiful sunsets during her retirement. Happy Retirement, Mrs. C.

Like many of my quilts, Mrs. C's quilt does have a mate. This one is not yet quilted but we did manage to get is spray basted, so that it can be quilted one day soon. I love the richness of the colors against the chocolate background of the quilt.

It was a bit challenging to find a border that would work with the quilt- I tried many shades of brown before I found something that was dark enough but not too busy to clash with all the central color. The original pattern did not have an outside border but I prefer to have borders on my quilts, so that the quilt has a frame much like a picture.

Summertime has officially arrived for me. I am looking forward to some time to devote to quilting as well as some good Rest and relaxation. I do not remember being as tired as I am this year. I plan to sort out some of my fabrics upstairs in my sewing room as well as get a new quilt top or two completed. I also want to read a few good books. Does anyone have a suggestion that is this year's hot summer reads? Liebster award On my last post I was honored by another blogger named Brenda. Brenda I am honored that you enjoy my blog. One of the things that it asked me to do was tell you 5 things about myself that you might not know. 1. I am left handed- though I can write a few things with my right hand. 2. I am not good with heights and do not enjoy going on rides at fairs and carnivals. 3. I have two brothers and one sister. I am the oldest sister - can you tell? 4. I love dishes and glass. My grandmother loved dishes and glass and I share her love of baubles bangles and beads. 5. I do not pudding or cake. I much prefer savoury flavors. I am suppose to name 5 blogs that I love that do not have 200 followers. If you are looking for some new blogs to read you may want to check out these ladies or others that are on my blog list. Lots of great ones to read... I am going recommend that you check out some of these Canadian ladies: Cathy of Cathy Tomm's quilts- She is a local blogging friend and is a very talented quilter. I have admired her work for many years when I have had the opportunity to see it up close and personal. Michele is another local quilting friend who enjoys creating her own designs. She is a mom with young children and still manages to find time to quilt. Joyce hails from the beautiful western province of Manitoba and has just had her first show. She also creates her own designs. Pam and I have been friends before I ever became a blogger. We had the opportunity to meet a few summers ago and had a very nice day together. She is a nurse and lives on the Canadian west coast near the city of Vancouver. Carolyn is a dear friend that also lives locally. I love that I have had the opportunity to meet and become friends with people who love to quilt. She is a talented young woman who is busy these days with renovations of their house. Tomorrow is Canada Day. Hope you can spend it having a great time with family and friends. We will go to a banquet that is part of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's annual general meeting that is being held here. It will be a lovely dinner held on the University campus followed by a speaker named Chris Herd who will share some great pictures and talk about meteorites. I promise to come back with some new projects and fresh energy soon. Thanks for dropping in for a visit. Warmest regards, Anna

August has flown by...

This summer has been one full summer ..The end of July was so hectic with our travels to British Columbia followed by our son and his girlfriend getting moved across country. Once they were on their way, I was sure things would slow down but that has not been true at all.
I went to visit my parents for a week and we had a busy time together. When I returned, Bruce brought home these red gladiolis. They are such an interesting flower and start opening from the lower part of the stem. We had some white with pink tipped ones earlier- They often are available in August and September and you grow them from a bulb. One of the things that I got accomplished while at my parents, was to square up these blocks that are a tesselating block.More about that later...
During my visit to my parents,my mother, a good friend named Sherry, and myself, went off to a little town in central Alberta called Olds.

This quilt pattern came from a general store called "Craigs". It reminded me of the old Kresge's or Fields Store, with a little bit of this and that, including fabric and patterns. I really liked this quilt pattern - especially because it has directions for more than one bed size in it. Craigs had the whole line of the Stonehenge fabrics that have recently come out. Stonehenge fabrics would look lovely made up into this quilt. However, I would like to make it out of batiks.

Olds also has a lovely quilt store called "The Quilting Bee". The staff were warm and welcoming. They had some lovely fabrics too. It is one of those places, that if you lived in the area, you would frequent it often.

I rarely buy pre cut fabrics, but I loved the color combo of these Tonga coffee cake. I have an idea in mind for them and found the two of them for a good price, on line early in the summer.I had hoped to use the star pattern but found that the strips are not large enough(they are jelly roll width) so I will have to find a different pattern to use with them.
You may remember seeing the 10 minute block pattern-( if not google it and there is a great "you tube" video produced by Missouri Star Quilt Co)
I thought I might try this multicolored batik fabric with the different batik layer cake squares. I am not sure if I am going to like the 10 inch squares, or would be happier using 5 inch charm squares with it. As I have yardage of the black multicolored fabric, I have only cut a few black squares to test it out. This is not my usual way- more often, I just start cutting blocks and then sew stacks of blocks together....

We live in a city that has a great number of festivals over the summer.
There are a variety of music festivals including a terrific folk festival.
For the past 10 days the 30th annual Fringe theatre festival was happening. This year, they had the best attendance ever. We had not been to Fringe for a number of years, but we saw a review of an Emily Carr one woman play and decided to take it in.

Part of the festival grounds, has a number of local artisans selling their work. I bought this beautiful bracelet from a young woman who happens to be a teacher as well. She makes all her own glass beads and uses pewter, silver and crystals between them. This one has gorgeous neutrals in it and it was a special treat for me. It is always nice to be able to support local artisans.

Here a couple of play bills of the shows that we attended. We enjoyed both of the plays- the weather was warm and the venues inviting- There is lots of outdoor shows that pass the hat after the performance. We saw a guy get himself in and out of a straight jacket and chains..

So here you can see what the tesselating block looks like put together- I made exactly 72 blocks and arranged it 8X9.Once together, I went looking for border fabrics. My first instinct was to use a plain black, but I didn't like how I looked.

I have not yet added this border but I think this will be the border fabrics for the quilt.
Bruce and I have had a number of opportunities to get out together. We went to a professional soccer game and had lunch out with my aunt and uncle last week. On Sunday, we visited the art gallery to see the closing of a large Andy Warhol exhibit. The exhibit had many of warhol's film clips as well as some of his famous hair pieces. I particularly liked the screen print images of Jacqueline Kennedy. He is not my favorite artist, but it was fun to broaden my horizons too. One of my quilting friends Carolyn joined us, and we were pleased to have her with us.
This last week of holidays, I have a few social engagements as well as some time at school. Today was spent beginning to set up the classroom for September. A big Thank you goes to my partner in the classroom, Peggy, for all her assistance today. Tomorrow some time with my dear friend Lou- we will try not to get into too much trouble in the quilt shops.
Wednesday I am off to see "The Help" with another good friend Val.(I loved the book so I am looking forward to seeing the movie.) Thursday I have an all day seminar and Friday is another opportunity to connect with a friend at lunch followed by visiting a new baby. Life is full and rich.... It is not always easy to get quilting/ blogging done but this summer I have done both while enjoying some great times with family and friends.
Next week I return to the classroom...I best start changing my bedtime ..
Hope you are enjoying the last days of summer..
Regards,
Anna

Summer Plans... or ....

School is out for the summer and I have just begun to switch gears.. The last couple of weeks of school is full of finishing things up. The kids are excited and ready to be done and one races around getting this and that completed for the deadlines. Then you stop - suddenly it is over and the summer begins.

My husband is an amateur astronomer and he loves to watch all sorts of sky phenomena. These noctilucent clouds(commonly referred to as NLC) occur near the summer solstice or the early part of our summer. They make the coolest designs in the night sky and can only be seen at more northly latitudes.
So what does a girl do when she first begins summer break- first she sleeps a little, and reads and ponders what to do to get some things done in her time off. This pile of patterns were only a fraction of ones that I have gone through lately in search of the new project. I have fabrics chosen but not the pattern- My usual process is the opposite.. It has a bit of a time crunch so I better pick something soon and get making it..

Here in Canada, our postal workers were on strike recently but have now returned to work. On the first day we received mail, this great envelope of scraps came from Kate Spain who had hosted a giveaway of some of her latest cutoffs. I was one of the lucky ten who won a large envelope of strips. These are all from her line called Terrain. Thanks so much Kate for sharing your talents and your scraps.

Not long ago I went shopping on line- not intentionally but I saw the New Very Series of Eric Carle fabrics and it was a very good price - too good to pass up. I love his books and want to make the quilts for my classroom. His classic is "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". The shop- The Fat Quarter Shop is in Texas. Their prices are good and the fabric always comes protected and wrapped up so nicely. Their blog is the Jolly Jabber and often offers a giveaway of some sort. While I was there I added a few more Kaffe Fabrics to my collection and another piece of Sock Monkey fabric because it is perfect for a baby wrap. Do you have a favorite on line shop that you buy fabrics or do you just buy fabric locally? I have to say my preference is to buy locally for lots of reasons but I do buy some on line because of the prices and the variety that is available that I can't find locally.

A very kind lady Terry from her blog Aviya Glass sent me note and awarding me this Versatile blogger award.


Thank you Terry for your kind gesture and thoughtfulness. I am not very good at awards and I read so many fantastic blogs so I can not choose 7 bloggers. There are just too many deserving blogs that I enjoy reading.

However I will tell you 7 random things about me:
I am left handed and do not like left handed scissors- I can't make them work.
I have no middle name- my proper name is Anna Marie but rarely use it.
I am a prairie girl through and through and sometimes wish I could live in the country.
I hate making lists and do so only when I am feeling like I need to remember all the things I need to get done.
I have pockets of things that I organize but my filing system would be confusing to others.
I love children's books, soft toys like bears and jewelery.
My mother is a fabulous cook - she bakes, cans, makes jam and once upon a time made homemade fudge and donuts. I can cook but I am hopeless at most baked things and I long ago gave up on canning- I did not get her cooking gene. I would rather be quilting. LOL

Last week, before I finished school, I laid out my dad's quilt to spray baste it. See how it filled all my kids tables! I had a pair of great assistants(aka as fellow teachers) who helped me, and together, we got it and another quilt spray basted.

Now I best get to work on some other projects today..
I want to cut some charm squares to experiment with two block possibilities for my next project and finish my current book and..... do some laundry...
What about you - what are your summer plans?
Happy Fourth of July to my American friends and family,
Warmest regards,
Anna

How about a cup of tea ?

Summer holidays have arrived and I have spent the last couple of days hanging out at home- doing things like watching some movies, reading Mark Lipinski's magazine " Quilter's Home" and picking up here and there. My very good friend Val and I had lunch today and began to catch up with one another after the busy school year. We visited the bead section of Michael's and I bought a new Dr.Suess welcome sign for my classroom door. Even though school is just over, it seems like I am still planning ahead a little bit for September.
The last days of school were busy with tidying up, emptying some boxes from our earlier move and attending some social events at night. During that week I had 5 days where I was out to dinner with friends- both old friends and new as well as attending a nice barbecue with my husband.
My friend Lou and I went out to our favorite local quilt stores and stopped for an enjoyable lunch. Life was particularly full that last week of school so I was certainly ready to stop when we left school at 4:30 on Wednesday afternoon.

The beginning of summer is always a time to catch my breath. Do you have a time where you pause to reflect on life and just enjoy the that particular day? I found this tea set while out shopping last weekend. Most days Bruce and I have tea when I come home from school. I love pottery and this one just called my name. This sign "You Sew Girl" from Connecting Threads made me laugh when I saw it " It is beckoning me to get started quilting... I have been thinking about what projects that I might like to complete this summer. ( a couple of convergences? two BQ quilts? my cube quilt? get my wheel of mystery quilt quilted? two optical illusion quilt tops to finish piecing? this is the start of the list ?)
Naomi of Bee she bags blog sent me these lovely thimbles a couple of weeks ago. Aren't they pretty - I especially like the rose colored one in the middle of the plate. By the way, I made that pottery plate a few years ago when I was playing with clay. Over the years, I have experimented with clay, knit, crocheted, made candles, done embroidery and sewn clothing. Some hobbies have stayed for a good length of time and others it became clear that they were not for me. Quilting is the one that has endured since 1996.
Susanof blackberry creek chose my name when she was giving away this gorgeous tapestry hanging by Susan Winget. I am still deciding where I am going to hang it Susan but it sure is a beauty. Thank you so much for choosing my name. Do stop and visit these two ladies blogs- They are lovely people who enjoy sharing their lives and love of quilting.

You may remember that I was busily working on this Life is a trip quilt. Here was the reason: My friend Clementine was retiring. She seems very happy with her quilt, doesn't she? She is a dear friend who is retiring after 32 years of teaching and moving back home to the province of Manitoba. I will miss her zest and enthusiasm for life. Her laugh is as beautiful as the smile on her face. Safe journeys dear friend!
Clementine's photo was taken in my renovated classroom- You can see we are still in the process of sorting. They are continuing to renovate over the summer- It is like moving into a new school- Everything is fresh and clean...

The rest of the weekend I plan to finish making my quilting list, do some seasonal changes of our decor and take a look at some of the books I have taken out from our local library. I have begun to catch up to some of my friends both in my regular life as well as in blogland.
Perhaps you have some great summer plans or maybe they are like mine- you are stopping to smell the roses too... trying some new recipes and enjoying living a little simpler pace...

Here are a few giveaways for you to check out too.
If you have time, go and visit these lovely ladies-

Lori from Bee in my bonnet who is having a fun pincushion giveaway. The garden chairs are so very cute...She even shows you how to make one of your own..
Khris has a fun turnover giveaway going on her blog - She will draw on the 8th of July ( Aussie time)
Michelle is sharing her love of white and bunnies- I have followed her blog for a long time and always enjoy reading what is happening at raspberry rabbits.

On Thursday we celebrated Canada Day with Red Maple Leaves flying. Hope my American friends enjoy a very Happy Fourth of July.
And now I am off to add to my quilting plan list....and start my summer reading.

What book is on your night table just now ?

Regards,
Anna

Summer is coming....

C and E's paperweight wedding quilt was a quilt that I made for a friend's niece, a couple of summers ago. It was an interesting experience to be asked to make a quilt on commission but I don't think that I would like to do it again. I found it complicated to place a monetary number on a quilt. You can put a replacement value on the fabric, but it was difficult for me, to find a fair price for the time spent creating a quilt. Personally, it is simpler,and I am happier making quilts and giving them away to my loved ones..

What to do first? At the beginning of the summer vacation (well nearly summer vacation because I am not officially finished until Tuesday afternoon) there is always the anticipation of where to begin and what I should get done first.

Sometimes I have immediate plans, and other times, I have some time just to hang out, relax and catch up to myself after the busyness of the school year. This year I have a quilt to finish by the end of the week, but I will also have some time to just read and relax. I do have the quilt put together, borders on and spray basted together. It is a large twin sized Trip Around the World quilt so it shouldn't take too long to quilt(I hope). I also have the binding made...

This weekend has been lovely. I have had two outings with friends -one Friday evening and one on Saturday lunch. On Saturday, a friend was in town from Thunder Bay ( a city in Ontario about 1100 miles east from here)It was lovely to see her. My dear friend V.( who is a good friend of the friend from Thunder Bay) arranged lunch in a Thai restuarant. V and I, then went off to a bead shop and I found some lovely beads for today's beading projects.

Since then I have enjoyed reading and catching up on my favorite blogs- there are some wonderful blog writers on my list. They share their stories, offer tutorials on techniques: for example making scrap bindings(cutting 21 inch strips of various fabrics and piecing them together instead of using all one color). Some other offerings were some ways to make wool pictures or use stitcheries in quilts or make a quilt using one color( blue or red the most popular). I find the blogs inspiring and interesting to see what others are creating. Perhaps you do too!!!

Some other 'bloggers share their life experiences. One of my favorites is Postcards from Cairo by Jenny Bowker . She was recently in India and posted some magnificent photos of the Taj Mahal. It made me go and check out WikiPedia for some information about that beautiful tomb. I don't remember having seen any close ups of the inside wall decorations. There are beautiful carvings, scrollwork and floral patterns that are absolutely stunning.. Jenny has also done some spectacular portrait quilts that she has written about in her earlier posts. I do encourage you to go and have a look.

Another blogger Corey Amaro shares her life in France. She writes poignantly about the loss of her father and about a wonderful elderly woman named Annie. Her photograph reflect the beauty of the part of the world in which she lives.

On the last day of school for my students, I asked some of my little ones at school what they were going to do over the summer- Some said going camping or swimming or playing in the park but I thought that the cutest answer was " I am going to have a lemonade stand". This little boy is a real character. He loved the house center where he would pretend to be a "Spanish cooker" or sell me paper french fries from McDonalds. He even made me the pretend money so I could buy them from him. I am looking forward to the break but I will miss my 5 year olds" stories and jokes. They do make me laugh regularly.

I received a lovely giveaway package from Angela at Yellowbird Art this week. There were two patterns - One by Anne of Bunny Hill Patterns and the other by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts as well as two fat quarters that are very pretty. Thank you Angela- I shall have fun with your prize.
There are some lovely giveaways going on various blogs- One is a Minnesota Shop hop that you can find by going to Gudrun's Quilting on the blog list. Quilters really are generous people- there are many examples of quilters making quilts for Charity or people in need around the globe.

I am almost through all my older quilts in my quilt journal - I am down to the last dozen or so. I guess I better be productive this summer or I won't have much interesting to show you soon:O)

Hope that you are enjoying some good weather and sharing some fun times with loved ones.
Time to bead and make a quilt label.

Warmest Regards,
Anna

Fathers and Sons...

I have made quilts for many of my loved ones- This brick quilt belongs to our son Kevin. It was the result of an experimental border that did not work as a border for another quilt. It is a strip quilt and has a fleece backing-It is a scrap quilt and makes up quickly. It has many of Kevin's favorite things: hockey, golf and star fabrics. The border is also pieced.

Its Father's Day ....I want to honor the many contributions the men in my life make on a daily basis. Most of them are fathers (except our son)and without exception they are all wonderful men. Both my of my fathers- my own father and my father in law are devoted to their wives. They worked hard in their chosen professions and made contributions to the bigger world around them. This is a photograph of my husband Bruce and his parents taken during his last visit with both of his parents. His father S.,passed away in November of 2007, not long after this picture. My father in law was a great lover of life- he lived his life with zest and joy. Dad loved baseball, hockey,classical music, history, teaching, people, his family and most devotedly my mother in law B.(B. lives in a nursing facility where she is well cared for as she has developed Alzheimers in the last few years.) We miss Dad's energy and passion for life.
My father R., is a brilliant gardener, a fisherman and a man who enjoys tinkering in his garage. He is meticulous about anything in his care- his tools, his vehicles, his home, his animals and anything that is related to his family. My Dad, R. always says that a job worth doing was worth doing well. Buy the best that you can afford is another of the beliefs that he has shared. He and my mother, D. enjoy many wonderful times visiting with their friends, having coffee at Tim Horton's, and going to Bluegrass concerts together.
My dad is a person of few words, preferring to show his care and devotion to his loved ones. His wants are small- a few nice plants, the occasional opportunity to catch a fish, a good cup of coffee, and his family coming to spend time regularly. How many Dad's do you know will sit and wait patiently while you go and do your thing in a quilt shop.
Thank you Dad for your wisdom and unwavering support- it is a most treasured gift.
These are my boys- my beloved Husband, Bruce and our cherished son, Kevin. I am the short stuff in the middle- I am really not that short(perhaps a little vertically challenged) but they are also both tall(over 6 feet). I celebrate their bright minds and their love of life.
Bruce is a passionate astronomer, huge hockey fan and the constant in my life. I know that I can count on him to help and support me through good times and bad. He has been my friend and the love of my life for thirty years. While life is not always easy together, we find a way to traverse the challenges and still have fun together.
As for Kevin, he is becoming his own person- we are proud of the way he is beginning to find his way as an adult. Someday perhaps he will be a father- He has had many wonderful role models to show him what it means to be a Dad. K has experienced the richness of having the love of fathers and two very special grandfathers. I celebrate you all.


Hey Dad- Your favorite modern baseball player Albert Pujols tied Stan Musial's nine grand slam record today...We can hear you cheering and celebrating !!

My house mailbox is a fun place to go these days- or least on the days when it is something other than the requisite monthly bills. I received a lovely package from Christine this week that was a giveaway that I won a few weeks ago. The fat quarters are really lovely- purple and gold - such royal colors. I am not sure yet how I will use them but I hope that I will find something special in which to use them. Thank you for your generous gift- it will be treasured!

Summertime is fast approaching - or maybe it is here, if you think of summer beginning with the summer solstice. We had our first significant rainstorm last evening.
My School vacation will begin on June 30th. The school year has been very full so I am looking forward to getting some things done around the house as well as beading and quilting.. I will, of course, take some time to visit my parents and relax. I have a number of projects that I want to finish-
This week I completed the body of the second of two twin sized "Trip around the world" quilts. The borders are yet to be decided but I have a good idea for at least one of them.
I want to get the borders on the" Winding Ways" and the "Wonky Tiles" so that I can finish them up too. Bruce has asked me to come up with an" Astronomy Themed Quilt" so I have a few projects to keep me busy. And there is always the "Tumbling blocks" quilt in a bag waiting to be finished.. In between times,I want to devote some time to finding my way through the boxes in our basement and catching up on some novels that have been sitting languishing on the shelf..
Summer plans ...Lots of ideas ...I wonder how much I will actually finish... Hopefully lots..I know from experience that the time will go all too quickly..
Have a great week.
Regards,
Anna