Editing Photos

I dedicated today to editing photos. What a job. It's actually something I generally enjoy, but I found this to be a mind bending experience. As I sorted and edited, I was adding and subtracting from three "albums" as I chose which photos would be used for what purpose. It was a long, eye twitching process but fortunately I was fuelled by a lovely tropical flavoured smoothie and medjool dates. Oh, and an egg. There is an egg in almost every one of my days. 

I tried to remind myself to get up and move at intervals, but wasn't terribly successful until some hours into my task. Actually it was my daughter's text during her lunch break at work that embarrassed me sufficiently to make that first move and to go change out of my pj's. And rebel that I am, I simply moved up the wardrobe chain to yoga pants and a hoodie, all somehow more presentable than fleece jammies. Well, sort of. And no, I don't "do" yoga, but yes, like everyone else, I wear the pants. And at this time of year, in layers.

It's still stinking cold here in New Brunswick. The snow is not disappearing and the small amount that has melted is forming a layer of ice anywhere the snow isn't. Our walkway is a skating rink. I still recall with great clarity the winter I slipped on our cement steps and landed on an already damaged tailbone. I was much younger and put on a brave face for my kids, but it sure hurt for a very long time. I am not looking to repeat that performance so I take great pains to walk around the ice. That takes me into the 6 foot cliffs of snow lining the walk. It is simpler to just not go out.

It is not an easy task being a Maritimer in March.

The Festival of Broken Needles, GMQG Retreat 2015

Whew..Well, it's over..There is still a mountain of paperwork, finances, thank you's, photo editing, a post-mortem meeting to be completed, but the actual physical retreat is over and done with. 

A puzzle table in the sun

I belong to the Greater Moncton Quilt Guild, a guild currently in its' 29th year. Each year a retreat is held and this year we were able to accommodate 40 participants. Last year I was one of two "assistant planners" and this year I was Co-Chair and next year I go back to being a registered participant.

Our block challenge was a spool block and the lucky winner went home with enough blocks for a very large quilt top!

 
We open the doors to our weekend retreat on Friday at noon and close up shop at noon on Sunday. What happens between these hours is pretty amazing whether you are considering what the collective group manages to produce, or whether you are considering the sheer dynamics of 40 women talking, laughing, joking, eating, and drinking, with a few tears mixed in, some from joy and a few less joyful, but all therapeutic none the less. 

I love to plan and execute events. And I feel establishing a theme helps create a cohesive event and makes it easier for the organizing committee. Last year our theme was "Quilters Love to Strip" and all the projects, games, prizes, decorations focused around strips. This year we based our retreat on the Japanese Festival of Broken Needles, an annual ceremony where Japanese seamstresses honour their broken tools by laying them to rest and giving thanks for their service. With this focus on gratitude, we also wanted to educate and were able to include valuable information on needles, pins and thread as part of the handouts. 

Juanita made herself and Shirley oriental mug rugs for the occasion!

We contacted sponsors, both local and online and were absolutely astounded by the support we received. In addition to the small budget we had from our retreat fees, we raised funds by selling tickets on a basket of quilting goodies. Combining what we raised and what was donated, we were able to provide each of our participants with a wonderful goody bag and a door prize! 

The last two years we have included a banquet on Saturday evening as part of the price of admission. This year after the meal, we also held a small ceremony conducted by our own Geisha who gave us much food for thought with her reading of Emily Dickinson's poem, "Don't Put Up My Needle and Thread". She invited each of us to consider the importance of these simple tools as we placed our broken needles and pins in a bed of tofu, just as they do in Japan. 

Our altar

Our broken needled and pins were laid to rest in a bed of tofu

Afterwards we invited everyone to come and have their photos taken in the photo booth we had set up, complete with costumes and props. To say we laughed is an understatement! What a wonderful group of women! Everyone participated and we have some gems of photos as they shared this fun activity with their quilting friends. 

The planning committee 

Co-Chair Nancy and I hammed it up

You might guess I am weary now. I had a full three weeks with a week long trip to Toronto, a three day seminar here, and then this retreat. Today I stayed in bed a bit longer, wore my fleece pyjamas longer than I stayed in bed and I enjoyed endless cups of coffee while I readjusted to the inside of my house. 

The Calm Before the Storm - Shediac, New Brunswick

Whenever snow, storms, blizzards are coming our way, the media is all over it. Conversations are dominated by the topic of what is expected. Comparisons are made to storms of the past and predictions are made for the one coming.

Right now the first blizzard of 2015 is brewing outside my windows. At 8 am, the air was still, no snow fell. Within a half hour the view out my living room window had changed considerably. The snow had begun and the wind had picked up. 

We have electric heat, so the most that can be done to prepare is to run off some extra water and bring in the camp stove. I don't react well to a loss of power, but a cup of hot tea or coffee can go along way to a better attitude. After all these years together, my husband knows this well. 

Our antidote to an impending storm is to head to the beach. Saturday was spent exploring the sands and wharf of the Shediac - Pointe du Chene area. As always, I took my camera and my husband exhibited extreme patience as I stopped and clicked and oohed and oohed more. He carried driftwood and feathers after my pockets were full and helped me push huge chucks of ice into the current and we watched as they floated and crashed and broke up into smaller pieces.

Shediac Beach

Looking toward Pointe du Chene

We met some other like minded folk walking and biking and even had a gentleman in an ultra lite fly just over our heads and wave! My photos don’t convey it well, so you will have to believe me that by times the sun was glorious. 

It was an incredibly restful and fun day.

off the Pointe du Chene wharf

Pointe du Chene Wharf

Shediac Beach

Time well spent!

The south western shores of Nova Scotia are breathtakingly beautiful, especially at this time of year.

I recently had the pleasure of taking in a few sights along the shore with my daughter as I begin to learn the ways and habits of not working every day. Mind you, I did have my chores that kept me busy enough while visiting! I had a quilt to bind, and blocks to make, and some piecing to plan. And on what would have been my Mom’s 79th birthday, I tried 4 new recipes and each one was a success! 

One of my daughter’s co-workers gifted us with a huge bag full of fresh rhubarb, all in exchange for tips on picking and caring for his patch. Then came the big decision as to what to make! Rhubarb muffins, rhubarb crisp, cobbler, stewed rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb pie, oh my! A chance trip to the grocery store where ceramic loaf pans were on sale for what we felt was a dirt cheap price, made us decide loaves would be a good idea. I started flipping through recipes online and having faith in Canadian Living Magazine recipes, chose Rhubarb Loaf which conveniently makes two loaves, so one for us and one for the kind owner of the rhubarb patch. Be aware though, this recipe has soooo much sugar in it, it is not the healthiest choice, though most definitely a very tasty treat!

With still more rhubarb chopped, it was on to another Canadian Living recipe, Rhubarb Almond Crumble Squares...oh dear. If you like date squares, this is a must try! Again, lots of sugar, but all we rhubarb lovers know that is the price you pay for cooking with this fruit. This recipe is actually a bit more labour intensive than I am used to making in the past while, but again, I was trying to embrace the idea of being on my own schedule. When Simone walked in the door after work, the look on her face as she smelled the sweet aroma was well worth all my efforts. 

We also had an idea that a strawberry rhubarb combination needed to be included, so I made Rhubarb Strawberry Scones, but I used milk instead of heavy cream. Another delicious choice!

The fourth recipe tried that day was Kale and Quinoa Patties. We fell in love with these yummy burgers! So delicious and so worth making again and again! We did discover later that they are best reheated in the frying pan and not the oven, as they tend to dry out and become too crispy in the oven.

The sun was shining and though we had plans for a bike ride, the wind was just too wild for us that day. So, off we went to find a beach for a walk, with a pan of hot crumble and two forks, knowing that Mom would find this a perfectly suitable way to celebrate her birthday.

As is the norm in this area, the fog started to roll and when it rolls, it comes quickly, but we still managed a walk before we had to give in and get out of the damp wind. Besides, we did have that hot crumble in the car!

On Saturday we headed to the local Farmer’s Market where we tried even more scones - can you tell there is weakness here? And then we found me some more of this delicious coffee at the Natural Food Market.

Another great pastime is “antiquing” and I am one who loves to put all good things to use over and over! We visited four stories of antiques, 90% of which I could identify, own, or have seen in my family’s homes. Simone also tends to love the workmanship and intrigue of antiques and uses her Great Aunt’s dishes and her Grandmother’s silver daily, has her Great Grandmother’s table and chairs as her kitchen set and regularly collects new to her items for her home (Especially hats! Grandma June's granddaughter for sure!). One lovely purchase Simone made recently was with me in mind and I was the lucky one who came home with these beauties to use in my kitchen!

Colors of Cozumel

Spring is slowly making its way back into our lives, although as I drove through the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia this week, I saw evidence that New Brunswick is still slightly behind on the calendar. Even though I attended Acadia University way back when, I had never witnessed the apple blossoms in all their glory! So, I was actually momentarily puzzled when I saw the rows of trees laden with their ethereal whitish pink flowers. I remember the thought crossing my mind that it seemed like an awful lot of ornamental cherry trees off the highway with no houses in sight. Yes, I have days like that where the obvious is just not obvious...

Had I not been so focused on making my way to my destination, I might have stopped and taken a photo or two to share. But, I also remembered one night, those many years ago, when a group of fellow students and I made our way into the apple orchard, bags in hand, with plans to help ourselves to some deliciously juicy pickings. The details are now vague, but I do recall a couple of twisted ankles and scraped knees as we breathlessly raced out of the field when we were spotted and told on no uncertain terms to beat it!! Still embarrassed by this escapade all these years later and not willing to twist my aging bones and joints, I simply stayed out of the field and enjoyed the view from afar. You will have to trust me that it was a glorious sight with a very festive feel as the laden branches delicately danced in the breeze.

After that long winter we all persevered, I am visually hungry for new growth this spring and am anxiously waiting for my magnolia tree to bloom, for flowers to begin popping up, and for the greens of summer to grow strong and true. Nova Scotia is weeks ahead with magnolias beginning to drop their blossoms, ornamental cherries and dogwoods in full bloom, wild flowers and tulips in abundance and trees full and green. 

So, to appease my senses, I have been looking at some photos I took while in Cozumel. Until I get some more local color photographed, I am sharing these..

Family Time in Cozumel

This has been my view for the last 9 days...

Our little family had a wonderfully relaxed vacation in Cozumel, Mexico and we spent so much time in the water! We snorkelled and snorkelled some more. We swam in the big waves off the west coast.

We snorkelled off a dock, off a boat, along a shore, and over coral reefs. We snorkelled in shallow water and in water 50 to 60 feet deep. We swam in the fresh water pool.

After diving for 25 years along the Atlantic Canadian shores, my husband did his first tropical water dives and I think he kind of liked it.

Cozumel is a scuba diving and snorkelling destination, and really suited us, a family of water babes.

We saw sea turtles, a live conch, schools of tangs of all colors, clown fish, schools of triggerfish, stingrays, lobster, and so many barracudas. The waters there are so warm and so clear, it was simply wonderful.

So wonderful.

A comfort quilt

This is a lovely quilt, as well as a lovely gesture. A member of my quilt guild pieced the top with this myriad of plaids, all from clothing gathered from her former boss’s grandfather who had recently passed. She took all the shirts that had been saved, opened then up to get the fabric she needed and then pieced the top. I used an open quilting design to enhance the well worn softness of the cottons and brushed cottons. Wrapping up in the quilt is like getting a big soft hug.

And because I am so, so tired of snow, here are some photos I took at the Joshua Tree National Park on our recent trip to California..

Joshua Tree National Park

Now that is a sunset..

Baby, it’s cold outside.....

Winter has arrived and has come with more weather patterns than we have experienced for many years previous to this one. Along with the snow, rain, freezing rain, sleet and bitter temperatures, we sometimes get sunshine that warms the soul. So many of our trees are covered in ice and laden down with snow; we have lost several already and I am sure more with break under the weight as the days pass. This week we have intermittent sun with very cold temperatures leading into the weekend. Not a time to forget your hat and mitts.....

Christmas..mushrooms??

I know Christmas is coming. I know people might assume someone like myself would be spending time creating gifts for my loved ones. Perhaps sewing up bits and pieces, knitting things, wrapping my hand crafted items. Maybe baking Christmas treats. Well, no.  

Right now I am kind of focused on..

I took these photos lying on a rug on my front lawn around the last of October. I am fixated with these mushrooms, toadstools, whatever they are. Actually, at the SAQA Atlantic retreat, Anne Morrell told me what they were called and in my usual way, I have completely forgotten already. They have a funny name, and they certainly are a weird fungus. Their life span is short; within days they had “melted” and the smell emanating from them grew stronger and definitely less pleasant.

I love how the blades of grass grew right through the lips and how their sweat forms in that beautiful fall shade of orangey gold.

I love how they showed up around Halloween, my most favorite, fun celebration.

I understand how having these randomly popping up could be construed as a sign of witches and goblins and such things misunderstood in the days when it was easy to do just that.

It was sort of creepy how we could see the bright outline of them at night when we looked out our hall window. They grew in a small patch by our front door where they had never grown before and I will be curious to see if they grow there again.

I have printed some of the photos on fabric and matched them up with some hand dyed..I have no idea where I am going with this, but I know I will eventually develop something..no rush.

As for Christmas gifts? I handle Christmas with lists. Tell me what you want, I order it, it shows up at my door, I wrap it, you open it and are happy because it is exactly what you needed, wanted, asked for. I like it because I have given you something useful and because that leaves me time to ponder my mushrooms and tomatoes and beaches and flowers when I have some spare minutes..

Sunday in November along PEI’s South Shore

This past weekend, we made a little trip to visit my Dad and family on Prince Edward Island. It was windy and cold and I am so glad I wasn’t driving when we crossed the Confederation Bridge. I am not fond of bridges and when the wind is strong, I like them even less. I counted my knitting stitches very loudly, outloud all the way across. 

We took Dad’s dog, Jake for a walk and raced at high speed in an effort to keep from freezing completely. It was so chilly, my husband wasn’t interested in jumping on the frozen furrows with me although I did convince him to stomp on some ice covered puddles along the road! So much fun!

Here are some glimpses of my island, the south shore of beautiful PEI on a crisp, sunny Sunday in November.....

Longarm Design

I have learned that the most comfortable way for me to quilt on my longarm is best represented in the photo below. I have my design nearby where I can refer to it as needed and I use one of a selection of chalk pencils to mark my design onto the top. I find chalk wipes away fairly easily with a cloth (or the corner of your sweater..) and I am still not completely won over by the idea of using a marker on my quilts, even if they do disappear with water or heat, depending on the brand and style of marker. 

Generally if I am stitching the same design repeatedly across the surface of the quilt, I might sketch in the first few and after that, I eyeball the balance. This gives me control of the surface design, yet freedom to use the space as I quilt. I can alter the size, the direction and extend my design to fill in the odd spaces that might occur and be awkward if I left them unstitched. And I have to admit, I love using what I call my “cabbage rose" design. I have quilted several quilts using variations of my pattern and all have been well received. 

I also keep a whiteboard near by so I can play with directions and thread paths.  If I happen to create a design I think I would use again, or that I might want to develop further, I take a photo or two of it for future reference. No wonder I have almost 20,000 photos on my hard drive. I take soooo many photos..

I do enjoy the ease and speed of using pantographs, and I also enjoy ruler work. Feathers are the bane of my existence right now, but some upcoming amazing classes with some incredible teachers will hopefully cure me of my hesitation. I quilt feathers. I just don’t love my feathers. I plan to fix that for good!