Trapunto

I did it!

 tried several techniques but Karen Neary saved the day. I found some of the instructions tidiest and not very much fun. The instructions I got from Karen make trapunto fun and not so challenging or time consuming. Thanks Karen...
Now off to do a bigger piece...as I always say and
 Kelly  knows me to use this phrase!
 "Go big or stay home" ..

La Guilde Acadienne de Clare is one year old! It is hard to believe ! So many wonderful things have happened with so many beautiful women. As I said at the meeting Wednesday ... "our hearts were filled with warmth every Wednesday as we gathered to exchange ideas on the wonderful art of quilting .
Quilting is the miracle of giving new life and purpose to fabric scraps. It can rejuvenate one's spiritual life, too, so you can imagine the spirituality that came through with the gathering of 76 women.




Now the guild is  preparing  to journey to:

http://quiltcanada2012.ca/

the Quilt Canada 2012 in Halifax NS
in May on a bus tour... Fun!


May all your ups and downs in life be with a needle and thread.



All Done

The quilt for the church lottery is all done and the tickets are ready to go on sale.

I signed up for ;

and I made a few pot holders for hostess gifts ...A Moda Bake Shop pattern

This was the one my friend Elaine thought at the Guild this week-end

The Fancy Folded Star......This pattern you will also find on Moda Bake Shop

and I made an embroidery one with my daughter Liette in mind as she collects birdhouses.. Perfect to put in her stocking...

I am now getting ready for a new project and I am going to try a new technique...

Trapunto.

It is bugging me to try this and now is the time. If anyone has any tips I would love to hear from you. Do you always use water soluble thread? I would like to skip the step where you wash your quilt to dissolve the thread. I am thinking I could stipple over the threads that outlines the "motif" (pattern) as I did in Karen's class of free motion. ???

A new challenge... How exciting!

The Bishop is Coming!

I love to loose myself in an Amish book, and enjoy the simplicity of their lives. There are a lot of references to the Bishop in most of the stories and when I titled this post that is what came to mind.

Yes, the Bishop is coming..... to my church next Sunday to say mass and I thought it would be a good idea to spruce up the alter. There were table covers which needed to be replaced and so I made a couple of table runners. The embroidery design turned out very nicely.

and I must say they look very nice on the alter.

:)

New Year's Resolutions.. NOT!

I never make New Year's Resolutions and I have yet to look back and be glad the year is finished. That is not to say I did not have to face some challenges during past years but I never felt I wanted to wish time away. Sometimes I had to stop and go to my quiet place to reflect on a situation, only to discover what I knew all along. ---I was where I was suppose to be at that time and if things seemed unbearable I always remembered If He brought me to it He will bring me through it ... " Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted" .


Having said that I do like to brain storm as to what I would like to do in the New Year so I can have a plan of sorts. ( nothing concrete but a few directions)


Every first of the year my #1 goal on my agenda is to make a quilt to donate to my Parish for the yearly lottery. This is a donation I make in my father's memory and I love working on this project as I connect with my Hero, every stitch.


And Voilà here is the 2012 quilt.


The pattern is the Prairie Star; fabric, Garden Party by Blackbird. And now it is off to Agnes to be quilted.



On the new year's agenda is the Saulnierville Quilt Show. As I am responsible in organizing this event I have been listing the tasks which need to be done and when during the year they need to be done.

Check out the website to see the beautiful quilts from our region displayed at the 2011 quilt show. http://www.quilt-expo-couvertes.com/ ( leave a comment.. would love to hear from you)
Every year I think they will not be any more beautiful than the last year and every year the quilters come through with their magic and produce another aura of splendor. That is why I am so looking forward to the Quilt Show which will take place from July 30 to August 3rd/2012 at our beautiful church in Saulnierville NS. If you have plans to visit our region during the summer mark those dates... I will be there and would love to meet you!

I read on some blogs the "Word Up" for 2012 and they are all so exciting. Last year my word was "Lessen" and I think I really honored it. I was not overwhelmed with projects, and I have been using my stash and not buying new stock just because it is a new line that is out. I finished my term on a council and did not replace that task with another. I take time for "ME", which brings me to my focus for 2012... It is not so much a word but a sentence I want to live by ...

"I am the one in charge of my day" ...

Here's hoping you choose your days to be the brightest, the most peaceful and the happiest everyday..
Hugs♥♥♥

Christmas Through the Year

Darlene from http://quiltingdaze.blogspot.com/ and Cheryl from http://polkadotsandrickrack.blogspot.com/ are hosting theLast year when Allie hosted this, I was tempted to join but I looked at what I had on my plate and felt I should refrain from adding on more. In the end I did work on projects all year. So this year I signed up in hopes it will keep me more committed to my blog. I miss connecting with everyone .
How much will I get done? ?? Now off to the planning of what I would like to make for my first project.
Happy Sewing.

Happy New Year....

Wow! 2012 is here! It seems it was yesterday that we were warned the end was here at year 2000.

Looking back on 2011 I have had a good year. Nothing magical just a very good year; "contentment" is the word I would use to describe it. My mom of 91 is well as are my children and 4 grand-daughters and of course my husband of 42 years, Gerald.



Christmas was fantastic with the whole family together..Here you see me opening a Kobo reader from my grand-daughters. They think it's cool to have grand-mama interested in new gadgets...They know how much I like to read and also that I am de-cluthering ( Carol's word) as I am finding good homes for all my "already" read books. The Kobo reader will clean up my book shelves. ( Next to me, the new papa-to-be trying to hide from the camera)

I enjoyed making each of the girls cushions in their Movie night stocking.. Here is Laurène's who specifically hinted to everyone that Blue and Bright green are her favourite colors.

I made a special after Christmas gift for my sister, Simone who came to visit for three days after Christmas. She is into shoes.. She loves shoes and she has a lot of shoes so I could not resist making her an apron ( which she also loves) reflecting her love of shoes. When Simone left we visited her and her husband Phillip ( a six hour drive) to celebrate New Year's with them. Simone quilts and makes cards. She gave me a workshop on card making and here is my first card. Elaine my friend from the Guild came one day while Simone was here and we made this pot holder called the "Folded Star" . I absolutely love it and want to make another one but I think I will make it into a cushion.

So now it is back to a routine and enjoying the best life can bring.

Bonne et heureuse année 2012!