Catching Up ... and a Giveaway!!!!

I've been away from my computer for most of the summer.  Quality time with my daughters and visiting with my parents for the month of August was #1 on my To Do list.  I have to say ... mission accomplished.  We had a lovely summer together.  It included trips to the beach, PEI, staycationing around Nova Scotia, and games.  Did I have time for anything creative? ... nope!

Gabrielle is here now and the rain is coming down so a good time to catch up with things.

Here are some highlights of our holidays....with a giveaway at the very end of the post...

Step one...visit Cow's Ice Cream down by the harbour...

http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mmanew/en/home/default.aspx
We have been to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic quite a few times; however, this is the first time that the the chandlery of William Robertson and Sons has been open.  I discovered a love of knots and bumpers this trip and had a wonderful conversation with the interpreter about oakum.

We also discovered the Days of Sail room ... how have we constantly missed this room??

The Oven Natural Park
http://www.ovenspark.com/
This was a first time visit for all of us and we LOVED it.  The scenery and hike is beautiful ... and the railings helped me get over the fear of falling from a cliff!

One of my first loves....old cemeteries (my poor girl's have been dragged through more cemeteries than I can count.  Their first playground was a cemetery next door to our first house.  It has paid off ...we could have spent hours here!)

The Old Burying Ground

http://oldburyingground.ca/

I'm so happy that I finally had time to actually stop and look.  My dad is a cemetery lover too so I think this was a highlight of his trip to Nova Scotia. 

The Halifax Citadel
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/halifax/index.aspx

Another first ... My girls love this sort of stuff.  They love history and historic architecture.  They were so involved in their visit that my daughter asked to skip dance so we could stay longer and that NEVER happens!

First...a little view of the fog rolling in

Ummm....where are all my photos for the Citadel????  eek

Moving on and hopefully I will find them....

After a quick trip to PEI (photos to follow on another day...)

A day trip up to the valley to visit the Tangled Garden...

On the way, we came across this beautiful sight in Falmouth, NS

The Sunflower Maze

http://www.dakeynefarm.com/html/sunflower-maze-b0.html

https://www.facebook.com/DakeyneFarm

This is the only sunflower maze in Nova Scotia.  Located between exit 7 & 8, Dakeyne Farm is operated by Don and Annie Wilson.  The maze is family operated over 5 acres of their property.  According to the website, they operate until the last petal falls (the girl that I was speaking with said they would be open until mid-late September).  According to yesterdays Facebook post, Gabrielle may put a quick end to the season.  If you miss it this year then watch for it next year!!

(my daddy)

 When you finish your stroll through the maze grab a kite and head out to their open field to enjoy the stunning views.  After this little adventure, the girls were a bit more receptive to our desire to move to the country.  Suddenly Christmas wish lists changed and we now see "horse" and "cow" added.

Tangled Garden
http://www.tangledgardenherbs.ca/

My friend suggested this little trip to Wolfville.  I really wanted to take my parents to places that weren't the typical tourist stops and places to indulge mom in her love of gardens and food.  This definitely met those requirements.  If you stop in make sure to try the ice cream.  The girls loved the chocolate mint; I loved the lemon thyme.

I could go on and on; it was such a beautiful visit with my parents and now they are back in British Columbia and school is back in ... it is so quiet!  I've done a little sewing and made some blocks for We Bee Learning and We Bee Canadian.

On Wednesday, I started out for the grocery store but it was so beautiful out and after a really rough weekend and start to this week, my car decided to take me back to the valley and my car decided to pull into the parking lot at Avonport Discount Fabrics.

This little selection of fabrics decided to come home with me ... I'll link up to the designer where I have the information (I am in no way affiliated with any of the companies or designers listed below)

From left to right

1. The black and white ... I wish I could tell you the collection.  Its beautiful.  
2. The Blue Skies Collection by Sharon Holland Designs for Paintbrush Studio
3. Owls and Presents from the Owl Hoot and Loot Collection by Alexander Henry
4. Not sure of the collection ... I picked this up for my selection for this month's We Bee Learning block
5. Blitzen by Basicgrey for Moda
6. oh deer! by MoMo for Moda
7. Nancy's Holiday Favorites by Nancy Halvorsen for Bernatex, LLC
8. ladybug garden by doodlebug designs for Riley Blake Designs C3252
9. Beatrice Weave by Michael Miller Fabrics LLC
10. ladybug garden by doodlebug designs for Riley Blake Designs C3251
11. Adventures With Alice from Robert Kaufman
12. Rhyme Time by Annabelle Rose for Wilmington Prints
13. Rooftop Garden for Moda
14. "sebastian ghastly" by Alexander Henry
15. White Kona Solid by Robert Kaufman
16. In Front ... 8 cuts from the Happier Collection by Deena Rutter for Riley Blake Designs (and after the week that I have had, it really did make me happier!)
17. Aurifil Mako'ne 50/2 2260

After a successful trip to the fabric store, my car decided to take me over to Gaspereau Valley Fibres (really...if you are in the area, you cannot go to one and not the other)

A set of Clover bamboo circular needles and a couple of skeins of Big Blue Hand Dyed 100% Blue Face Leicester Wool by Fleece Artist, decided to jump into my shopping bag.  I had stopped in just for the eye candy and inspiration but the sample for this cowl pattern jumped out at me.  I don't do a lot of knitting but when I do I really enjoy it.  The stitch used was something I had not seen before.  It is called a Linen Stitch and made the cowl look almost woven and it gave the cowl a beautiful soft hand.

The giveaway.....

Sooooo.....I never have giveaways ... I've thought about it but it just hasn't happened.  Today, with all the rain and dreary overcast skies I feel that today is the day that I need to share a little joy (because really...we all love a giveaway).  I don't have the fancy bells and whistles found on other blogs.  For this, we will be using the high tech "hat" and one of my daughters picking a name.  Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you to get your mailing info.

When I was on my little feel better road trip to the valley, these also came home with me for my stash but today, I would like to share a little.  (again, I am in no way affiliated with either company).  Today, I am giving away this lovely "Beach Blanket" pattern from Lucy's Crab Shack collection as we say goodbye to summer.(be sure to check out the Sweetwater blog) Finished size 48" x 65" AND 6 fat quarters from the beautiful Michael Miller Bella Butterflies and Blossoms collection.

What to do...

You have 3 chances...

1. Leave a comment ... I love comments and meeting other people around the world.  Tell me what your favourite part of summer was.
2. Follow me ... if you already follow me just tell me so
3. Share on your blog/facebook ... I love finding new blogs and typically I have found them when someone else has shared. If you share, remember to tell me.

This giveaway will be open until Thursday, September 19th, 2013 (11:59 p.m.)

The winner will be contacted via email. I will mail outside of Canada.

Have a wonderful week!

On My Needles

I have been knitting.  My parents came for a two week visit from British Columbia.  Mom brought me yarn.  It may seem like an odd gift for someone that spins their own yarn but I love yarn.  The brand...Sirri Yarn.  The colours are rich and beautiful.  I questioned the coarse hand of the yarn but mom assured me that the girl (sadly I don't know her name) at electrictree yarns said that it was beautiful to knit with.  Okay then, I'll listen to someone that actually knows how to knit (in truth I spin because I love the process of making yarn...knitting was rather forced upon me because I needed to have a finished project for a spinning course.  A How to Knit book soon became my constant companion and I loved every moment of it sweat out every stitch and cursed every Tink.  Now I actually enjoy knitting!)  I just finished a fairly intense spinning Design Challenge and I needed something that I could just relax with.  I pulled out a shawl pattern (Old Shale Shawl pg. 28) that I found in Jan/Feb 2005 Piecework and have carried around since then dreaming that one day I might be skilled enough to make it.  Actually it is a rather simple pattern once my brain got out of the way and just let my hands and needles do what needed to be done.  I've been working on it hit and miss for the past few days (while helping my husband navigate around the province taking my parents on sightseeing trips).  All that I can say is that she was right!  It is a beautiful yarn to knit with.  I sent mom home to BC with a request for more.  Wow!  I never thought that I would ever use the words KNIT, SHAWL & RELAX! all in the same thought.

My daughters have been knitting.  I believe my husband thinks that there is a fibre conspiracy going on in the house.  As he watched his youngest daughter walk through Gaspereau Valley Fibres rubbing skeins next to her face a couple of days ago, I heard him say to me "I am witnessing a mini-you".  This week, my oldest daughter sat down long enough to learn how to knit and has suddenly become a knitting machine.  She has carried her knitting bag everywhere that we have gone this week and pretty much has a scarf done.  I love looking in the back seat of the car and seeing the girls creating beautiful things with their hands rather than getting annoyed with each other because one won't let the other play a DSI  game.  It is nice to see them getting back to creating rather than destroying Zombies (not that that is a horrible thing).  

Tell us...What's on your needles?  The three of us are now officially hooked so any patterns or yarns that you love and think we might love...let us know.  We'd love to give it a try!

Strawberries!!!!!

I love strawberries and it is strawberry season in the maritimes.  So good; so sweet; so many berries!  I have busy making jam and freezing berries.  If I had been thinking, I should have dried some too.  Maybe I can get some more!

I have joined this 30 day Challenge...I need to do something creative everyday for 30 days.  Since the girls are home for the summer, they are going to take part with me.  Our theme today....Strawberries!  I have been told that making jam IS creative.  The girls have their ideas; they just need to do it!  It involved a trip to Gaspereau Valley Fibres AND Avonport Discount Fabrics.  To be 100% honest, I wasn't too sure about what I would find there.  Let's just say that it has been added to my list of favourite places to go in Nova Scotia.  It was the first time that I have entered a quilt shop in over a year and dare I say, I felt a tear form when I saw all the fabric AND the prices!!  I had to buy some fabric...fabric and thread make me happy...it is for my strawberry theme so I could justify the purchase (and it made me happy).  I bought a little extra so maybe I might make two and give one away. 

My friend emailed me to let me know that Quilt Canada 2012 is in Halifax next year.  I am pumped.  I will be heading back to Avonport for sure (and any of my friends from Ontario that will be heading to Quilt Canada next year...you definitely need to schedule a stop in Avonport.  You won't be disappointed!)

Welcome To Fibre Heaven

Last weekend I was feeling a bit blue.  There has been a lot going on this summer; the biggest of all was our move from Ontario to Nova Scotia.  There have been a lot of changes for my whole family.  Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE it here.  It feels like home and we have made many amazing friends this summer.  We did, however, give up on unpacking early in the summer so it is still lingering, festering, driving me crazy.  The whole moving experience was not one that we care to remember.  Many of you have heard my rant.  I thought it would get the frustration out of my system and yet, I am still amazed that packing liquids with art books and antique quilts would be considered okay; I am still picking oatmeal out of quilting fabric and spinning fleece.  I decided that I would enjoy the summer with my family then finish the unpacking once the girls went back to school.  I have made progress...very slow progress.  However, even with all that going on I have been riding the wave of our new move and discovering all the beautiful areas around us.  Our home is like a cottage in the middle of the woods (complete with bears, coyotes, deer, and a dwindling bunny population....due to the increasing coyote population)....we are permanent staycationers!!! 

As I wandered around the house I noticed that I was constantly drawn to my “Studio”.  I use the term Studio quite loosely at this stage...it is a work in progress.  As I dug through a box I discovered some felting needles and soon after some of my spinning fibres.  Soon I was in heaven.  Discovery....I have done absolutely nothing all summer that keeps me grounded; no spinning, no quilting....NOTHING!  This is not a healthy thing for me obviously!!!  A dear friend of mine gave me a quick tutorial in needle felting years ago....then life got in the way and I never had a chance to give it a go on my own.  As I felted, I thought of my friends and all their talents that they have shared with me over the years then, when my daughters got home, I sat and taught my children how to felt.  (My thumb was grazed only once by an errant needle strike...not bad!)  Things didn’t look so blue anymore...it was more orange and green!



Peanut's pumpkin on the lt; Rosie's pumpkin rt front.



Then my DH walked in the door and stated, “You know how we keep talking about one day building an addition for a garage....when have we ever used a garage for our car?!?  We should build an addition with a wet studio downstairs where you can paint, dye, felt...whatever you and the girls want and a loft upstairs for your spinning wheels, looms, and quilting stuff!”  After 12 yrs of marriage we are finally figuring it out!!

Today, he took us on a road trip to Wolfville.  I absolutely love the drive there.  The colours are beautiful (and make me want to take up painting again).  We visited a shop called Gaspereau Valley Fibres.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect as I knew that they were at a spinning retreat in PEI with the bulk of their inventory, but let me tell you I was not disappointed.  Just pulling up to the shop brought me joy; stepping through the door was entering fibre heaven.  Thank goodness I have been blessed with a patient and loving (tolerant) family!  They curled up by the wood stove as I wandered and touched (and yes, occasionally hugged then rubbed a roving against my cheek).  I think I am going to be spending a lot of time in Wolfville.  Thank you Gaspereau Valley Fibres!!!!  If you have never been, then it must be added to your "To Visit" list...the inventory is amazing, the staff wonderful, and don't forget to say Hi to Kitty (the resident cat).

Just a few new friends that just had to come home with me! 
Beautiful 100% Merino (and a little tuft of Mohair)