Sew Sisters Quilt Shop is hosting a Blog-a-thon. Each day between now and Nov 24th, bloggers across Canada are participating. Yesterday we visited BC; today we are in the Maritimes. If you are like me and still relatively a baby in the blogging world and would like to meet fellow Canadian Blogging Quilters or are simply in need of some awesome inspiration, then you should definitely check out these posts. The host blogger lists other blogs from their home province in their post. Visit Sew Sisters at the link provided to see their list of host bloggers (pssstttt...there are also give-aways).
If you are stopping by for the first time via the Blog-a-thon then welcome to my relatively new blog. I in definitely in learning mode! Stop by frequently as I add and update.
A little about me...I moved to NS almost 2 1/2 yrs ago from Ottawa. My two kids (very soon to be 10 & 12) have forgiven me for all the Ottawa and area shop hops that I regularly took them out on and now willingly head to the Annapolis Valley with me to purchase fabric and fibre. They have caught their own little bug...they have become avid knitters and love fabric. I started quilting in '93 then took a break to go back to school, get married and started up again when I had my children. After another brief hiatus I am happily picking up my needle again! When I don't have fabric in my hand I can be found behind my spinning wheel....or waiting, waiting, waiting at various activities with my drop spindle.
What's new in my little corner of the world??? We survived Annie weekend. Both my girls performed in the musical Annie. It was a blast; it was a lot of work...it is over. Now we are all trying to re-energize and get back in to routine. I had big plans for yesterday! Lots of the list involved catching up on laundry, cleaning, tidying another corner in the sewing room and SEWING!!!!! Reality...I curled up on the couch, read a book, and slept!
Today....trying again. I went down and sat in my sewing room for inspiration. My goal is to not start anything new until I weed through my pile of UFOs. However, this little stack of fabric keeps calling me...
My 9 yr old aspiring quilter (she has a little tutorial here showing how she designed and made a pillow for her cousin a couple of Christmases ago)picked these bundles up for me at CQA in Halifax. We arrived just moments before the vendors mall closed. She ran in and surveyed the shelves and came back with these treats. The bundle on the left was from Mad About Patchwork. Their booth was stunning and deliciously colourful. There is no way you could walk past without your eyes pulling you back in! The star shaped bundle and larger piece was from The Running Stitch. It was so wonderful to see them there. I frequented The Running Stitch when we lived in Ottawa. We spent our last milliseconds in their stall wishing we had more time to check out all their lovely fabrics. I have a Christmas gift to make for my father (and am still mentally stuck on what to do) but I have a couple other little ones that I adore and if there is time they might just get a little something using these fabrics. Too many thoughts....so little time!!!
I was also perusing my fabric stash now that it is all tidied up and pretty much unpacked.
It is pretty small compared to other stashes that I have seen. I gave away A LOT of fabric prior to our move to groups making quilts for charity. I didn't relish the idea of slugging everything from Ontario to Nova Scotia. My cousin in Saskatchewan warned me that I would regret it and...well...I do in a way but then I don't. Looking at this photo I see a lot of earth tones...that is where my head used to be. Then I had children and things got a bit more colourful but now all I can think about is bright, vibrant, and WOW! I have colour holes that need to be filled. I really must discuss this with Santa. He has often been such a great enabler of my habit...fabric, thread, notions, etc...He knows it brings me joy and when I have joy then the whole family is happy!
I would LOVE to meet fellow quilters in NS! It would definitely make it feel a little more like home for me. Let me know if there is a quilt show (or shop) in your area, what craft shows are going on or what you are working on. Is there a Modern Quilt Guild in the area? Come along for the ride and follow me.
It's always fun to clean out the stash .. then there's room for the new stuff :) I'd love to come back to Halifax sometime!
ReplyDeleteLet us know when!! In the meantime I will continue to visit your website =D
DeleteHello from Halifax! Nice to meet you. I went a little crazy at QuiltCanada Merchants Mall (Ok a lot crazy). Nice to have your girls interested. I am a new follower.
ReplyDeleteHello Linda! Really?! Halifax...woohoo! I'm in the Halifax suburbia of Hammonds Plains. I wish I had the time to go a tad crazy at the mall. I did have the wonderful opportunity to volunteer in Kathy Tidswell's thread painting workshop and then my dear husband picked up one of the class machines at half price for me so that rather made up for not getting in to the merchant mall! It is so nice to be sewing on a machine that works again! Thanks for following and keep in touch.
DeleteHello! Your stash looks lovely in the cabinet! Nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteYou too Cathy. Thanks...it has special meaning to me. Years ago my grandfather found it, refinished it and gave it to me. For years it has housed bits and pieces of china that never was used . This year I came to my senses and put my fabric in it so instead of looking at it and seeing clutter, I get to see colour =D
DeleteHi there, I don't know how I stumbled upon your blog just now but I did! I live just down the road from you off Bedford Highway. I moved here this spring from Maine. I haven't found a guild yet but I've been looking. Nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteHi Sara! Welcome to NS!! I am a new member of the Sackville Threaders and the current VP. http://sackvillethreaders.weebly.com/
DeleteWe meet the 1st Monday for Business/Speaker and the 3rd Monday for Social/Hands on. Come out and join us sometime. I believe they reached their membership limit this year due to space however we love visitors. I recently met members of the Mayflower Guild and they are quite active as well.
Hello from Hammonds Plains. I just joined the Mayflower Guild. They have bees that you join as well and the cost is not prohibative - $25. Go to their next meeting in December 6th - it is a dessert meeting and bring a fat quarter. Meetings are held usually on the third Thursday of the month. And you can pay your membership there.
ReplyDeleteI also came through Ottawa and I spent money at Quilt Canada at Moda and a quilt store I frequented when I lived in Belleville. And the Running Stitch - the name just makes me drool. I knew every quilt store in Ottawa and so did my kids.
Hello Nancy! I would love to but Thursdays are a challenge for me. Music lesson night and that's the same evening as spinning guild. If only I could get the guilds to coordinate with my schedule ;)
DeleteOur paths had to have crossed at some point. If not, we have been tripping over each other. I grew up in Campbellford then Warkworth. My mother's family is all through Belleville, Consecon, and Prince Edward County.
Interesting - I was born in TO (yes that is like admitting I think I am the centre of the universe). Went to Dal and took Nursing. My husband is in the army so we have wandered through the metropolis of Petawawa (x2), Ottawa (x2), Trenton (x1) and Halifax (x2). I am a nurse managing Public Health in East Hants (we are in a big brick building on the other side of the road from Its Sew Time). We have been in Hammonds Plains for 7 years. I have 3 daughters - 22, 19 and 16. Trenton was one of my favourite postings. And I love Prince Edward County. Ottawa was another - we lived near IKEA the first time and in Kanata the second time. I think we will have to meet at Timmy's one of these days to figure out how we crossed paths. I am just getting back into quilting - I broke my wrist this summer playing soccer.
Deletehahaha...you're a brave woman! We lived in Greenboro before moving here. I should have stopped in today when I got totally lost...actually I wasn't lost just thinking to much while driving then wishing to go to PEI and behold I suddenly realized that I was at the turn for PEI/Caribou instead of Avonport. It turned into a cross country tour of NS today. lol I think a meeting is in order. Also thinking there may be enough of us out here to start a little group to get us through the winter.
DeleteLikewise - how lucky to find you in the 5,000 plus quilt blogs. I literally just stumbled on you. I often look at the more esoteric ones - in Australia or Botswana! If I can't afford to travel with two kids in university then I will travel in my mind. Oh that didn't sound good. But I agree - a group meeting is in order.
DeleteWell I'm happy mine was worth stopping by. We travel via postcards being sent to my girls for their collection. lol
Deletelovely post glad to find you on the blog hop :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Mrs. Pickles. I do love the name. I'm a keen preserver myself that longs for a garden. Still trying to figure out a) how to get it to grow in our bedrock and b) deer-proofing. lol
DeleteA quick post before I head to work. It's Sew time | 166 Hwy 214 Unit 2 | Elmsdale | Nova Scotia | B2S 1H7 | Canada is having a sale 30% off on all fabric. I don't work for them but I do work in the area and I went into the store yesterday to find this sale. It is at Exit 8 on the 102 just past the airport. Go right when you go off the highway and it is just past the bank and Cup of Soul (a great place to eat). I like to support the independant places that are trying to survive in a tough market.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy! That is the name of the shop I was trying to think of for Sara! I'm heading to Avonport and Gaspereau Fibres today so perhaps I should pop in.
DeleteI am in Halifax as well. I see all the other local comments so will need to go back and see their blogs.
ReplyDeleteHey Natasha...definitely check out the other blogs. So much inspiration! Thanks for stopping by =D If you have any fabric store suggestions for those of us new to the area please feel free to share.
DeleteI love your stash cupobard!! Its lovely with the glass doors to keep everything in and all the dust out! So much prettier than my rubbermaids.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kari. Would you believe my grandfather found it in the dump and refinished it for me. For years it had china and knick knacks in it and it brought me no joy...just lots to dust. So after repainting I emptied the cabinet and took it to my sewing room. Now I get to see my fabrics and think of grandpa.
DeleteHave just had a look around your blog. Some lovely work! Love the spinning. I'm tempted but as I quilt, knit and stitch I really can't add another hobby. I don't have time to do all I want to already. Do you knit with your spun yarn or does one of your daughters?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have such a lovely and supportive family. It's nice to have people that understand us and just want us to be happy - sounds like you hit the jackpot.
I look forward to visiting again and seeing what you make
I completely understand. There are not enough hours in the day! I learned how to spin before I learned how to knit. I took a spinning course and we had to make items with our spun yarn so as I was learning how to spin I had my Learn to Knit book beside me. I have rughooked with my yarn, made bobbin lace, and have woven a small item but mostly I spin for the relaxation. I would love to learn how to become a better knitter. I recently made a shawl and loved that. Right now I am spinning on my drop spindle and hope to knit a shawl with it. My husband and girls are extremely supportive which means the world to me. Thanks for stopping by and definitely come back soon.
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