Friday, October 16, 2009

Christmas Bargello

Another quilt finish! I took the last few stitches in the binding on this one just before I had to leave to deliver this quilt to the quilt show for this weekend's quilt show.

My quilt was inspired by a pattern on Bonnie Hunter's website called, Scrappy Bargello. http://www.quiltville.com/scrapbargello.shtml

My version of this quilt continues the same fabric across the quilt from left to right, unlike Bonnie's scrappier version where the fabric choices change for each block across the quilt. Since my quilt is made from Christmas fabrics, I am calling my version Christmas Bargello.

I started this quilt on Feb 3, 2008 - Super Bowl weekend. I joined my good friend Linda that weekend in making this quilt. Several other quilters on the Internet were making the same quilt and we started calling the event, Bargellobowl. http://silverthimblequilting.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html


Linda and I finished our quilts to the flimsy stage early this year and I quilted mine on March 15 and Linda's on March 22. Linda was faster to finish off her binding. http://catsnqlts2.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html I guess I needed a deadline like the show to prompt me to finish off the last few feet of binding.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Rooster Twist

I finished up my quilt that was started at our FAB retreat in August. This quilt was a finished flimsy on August 16 http://silverthimblequilting.blogspot.com/2009/08/rooster-strip-twist-flimsy.html. Now this quilt is quilted and bound. That must be a record for me--2 months to quilt and bind.

Cher kept me company while I put the binding on this one. There is nothing like a friend to keep you focused on the task at hand. Cher has finished her Strip Twist as well and I believe she has already gifted her quilt to the lucky recipient. http://cherzoe.blogspot.com/


The pattern is called, Strip Twist and is by G.E. Designs. http://www.connectingthreads.com/patterns/Strip_Twist_Pattern__D55391.html

I am calling my quilt Rooster Twist, named for the fabulous rooster fabric that I used on the borders that I just could not bear to cut up into smaller pieces. I love this fabric just as much now as I did the day I spied it in the fabric shop.

I used to use muslin to back my quilts. I have now decided that the backs need to be darker in colour than beige or white. Now I look for fabric for backing my quilts that will not show the tell tale signs of wear that quilts get with loving use over time.

I love the colour of the fabric on the back of this quilt--I am calling it Carmel. The picture doesn't do it justice as it has a wonderful swirl pattern to it.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

The Weather is Changing

Our weather is changing. The sun is shining these days, but it is noticeably cooler.

Look at all that fresh snow on top of our mountain.


You can see that the trees have started to change colour.
......................fall is here.

Congratulations Steve and Karen

This is my Fall Warm Wishes quilt. I just finished the last of the binding stitches on this quilt on yesterday morning--just in time to be given as a wedding gift that same day. Later in the afternoon on Saturday we attended the wedding of my husband's cousin, Steve. Steve and Karen had a fall themed wedding and this quilt turned out to be the most appropriately coloured quilt to commemorate the occasion.

I used this photo to make a card to go with the quilt.

This is how Steve and Karen entered the hall where the reception was held. Karen was not letting go of Steve!


Congratulations Karen and Steve!

This is a picture of the two good looking men in my life, taken at the wedding reception: DS on the left and DH on the right.

Friday, October 02, 2009

Do you remember my post regarding the post card from England? http://silverthimblequilting.blogspot.com/2009/09/post-card-from-england.html

Our Tuesday Quilter Group met last Thursday (October 1) night for coffee where the mystery of who sent the post cards to us here in Canada was revealed.

My post card was from Chris. This is a picture of Chris. Chris wasn't at the coffee shop but one of the quilters from the England group who is a sister to a member of our group was there. She had brought along photos of all the gals in England along with addresses so we can start to correspond with our new quilting friends across the ocean in England. The following pictures are our Tuesday Quilting Group here in Canada. These photos were taken at the coffee shop on last Thursday evening.







The room was buzzing with the conversation and suggestions for where we go from here--two groups of women who share a common interest in quilting separated by a large country and an ocean. There is a lot of excitement ahead........

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Fish On!

This was tonight's catch.

DH went fishing after work tonight and brought home these two beauties.

Prior to this year, I was a "fish snob" of sorts. My favorite salmon is Sockeye. Sadly, these fish are not Sockeye, these are Pink salmon--specifically females.

This year there are no Sockeye salmon to be had. I find myself excited now that we have any fish at all--even if they are Pinks! My how things have changed. Earlier this month we were in Skagway, Alaska and enjoyed a Sockeye Salmon barbecue. This is our chef serving up this yummy salmon.
This fellow had a wonderful sauce that we added to our salmon on the plate. It was delicious. When asked, he was able to produce a copy of the recipe from his pocket.

In double boiler melt 1/2 lb butter
stir in well 2-3 cups brown sugar
add 1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
Note: For pork chops or ham, add: 1/4 cup soy sauce and garlic salt


I am sure this sauce won't make our Pink salmon taste like Sockeye. However, this is the first fresh salmon of the season and I am sure it will be enjoyed just the same when we cook it up for supper.

What has happened to the Sockeye? Read the following borrowed from the CBC News site, published on August 13, 2009.



Scientists and others are scrambling to determine what happened to millions of sockeye salmon that defied their predictions and failed to return to the Fraser River this summer, leading to the closure of all the sockeye fishing on the river for the third year in a row.


After two of the leanest years on record, scientists had predicted a healthy return of sockeye in 2009. But the most recent numbers show this years' Fraser River is only expected to be 600,000 fish, about seven percent of the original prediction of 8.7 million, making it perhaps the worst return on record.


The original prediction was largely based on the strong spawning year in 2005 and the salmon's 4 year life cycle, but was considered to be accurate only 50 percent of the time.


...the cause of what is now three years of low returns is unclear.

Some experts blame warmer ocean and river temperatures, and declining food supplies in the open oceans for failing salmon runs.
But warmer temperatures can not fully explain the demise of so many fish.


Scientists, environmentalists, politicians, and fish farmers have been arguing for years about the impact salmon farms are having on young salmon fry, with many opponents of fish farms predicting sea lice from the industrial operations would decimate wild salmon stocks.


One thing is for sure, you can always count on the optimism of a fisherman. My DH is hopeful that next summer will yield the return of the elusive Sockeye.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Quilt Guild Show and Tell

Last Wednesday night was the first meeting of our Quilt Guild for the 2009-2010 year. We were treated to two small quilt shows that night. The first, presentation was "A" is for Applique by Judith. Judith has been nominated for CQA (Canadian Quilters' Association) Teacher of the Year. Judith's presentation was part slide show and part trunk show with the actual quilts.
The second treat for the evening was a show and tell of projects made by some of the members through the summer. Someone commented that we had enough quilts in our show and tell portion of the evening to hold a quilt show. I was sitting in the second row of the audience so some of my pictures are partially obstructed. Sit back and enjoy the show, just as I did on Wednesday night.


















And of course, the best part of show and tell is the "train" of donaiton We Care quilts that forms around the room at the end of the presentation.