quick trip to the island

Went with my husband for a quick trip to MAnitoulin on Thurs. Saw a few friends and wish I had more time, next time. Found a great B&B in Little Current that is very heplful and understanding about my severe sensitivities, yahoo. Howard will be staying there now and not coming home smelly.  I didn't realize it was since Jan that I hadn't been there .Had a wonderful short visit with our old neighbours, sure miss Ivan and Jean. Had quite the drive to Sudbury ,so stayed till Sat .with friend Kathie as the drive south was even to be worse. We had fun looking at quilt stuff and visiting. Our drive was beautiful as the sun was shing the whole way and the snow made everything shine and sparkle.
 Busy working on a few Christmas projects that have to get sent out west real soon. Going to surprise my daughter and have her parcel there before Christmas. Well done Diane.
 Our house is shaking today as the tank range is having their  bombing exercises . You get a very little feel of what the countries experience in war. My heart feels for them.
 Well, off to the sewing room.

It is getting to that time of year that winter is soon upon us. I was making potatoe leek soup and my husband was out chopping wood for our wood stove. He loves to still use the axe. We were down on our property a few weeks back cutting up trees and loading them up for cutting. With the snow on the ground and the warm soup and a fire burning ,these surely are signs of the winter season.
 I have been busy writing up the two newsletters for the December issues. I found this wonderful little verse for them as we are all thinkingof Christmas the is not far off.
There's more, much more, to Christmas than candlelight and cheer; it’s the spirit of sweet friendship that brightens all year. It's thoughtfulness and kindness, it’s hope reborn again, for peace, for understanding, And for goodwill to all!"
 I have been reacting again big time ,so have been a hermit in my own home for the last few weeks.  One thing you do accomplish is  much inside and out. I love the cold weather,it is so fresh and clean feeling. I could walk all day in it breathing in the cool air and having  the cool breeze blowing on my face.It is so invigorating. Can you tell I love winter!!!
  We are having coupon capers this year for our Christmas  guild party,idea taken from Manitoulin. Hope it goes over as well as it did there. So ,I am busy making a few things, have the tickets all ready and still have to decorate the bags.
  Husband off to the hockey game and my time to have a relaxing bath with a cup of hot chocolate. Catch you later.

Things on the go!

One of the wallhangings I am working  on, I bought this fabric on the shop hop and love it. The fabric takes me back to my childhood.

This is the other wallhanging I am doing ,called fractured block and I have two more cut our. We had a great time on the shop hop Strafford,Shakespeare, Kitchener and St.Jacobs. So many new fabrics and ideas. Had a trunk show with Kay Hannah and showed us many ideas for scrappy quilts. Many were using her way of stack-n-wack squares, triangles rectangles etc. and what wonderful results  she gets. Looking forward to her workshop in the spring.

This is what we woke up to this morning and still have it tonight. It makes things look so clean and bright. I have my ski pass ,so I am ready and waiting.

My Christmas quilt is finished. This was a disappearing nine patch . It was our project as the Durham Quilt retrerat in 2008. I t had flannel on the back and was hand quilted  by the Amish. Now on to my next partially finsihed quilt.

where did October go

Our guild have just set up a quilt show in Thornbury in their library that will run the month. We have lots and lots of articles for the boutique. Our open house is Sat. with nibblies  and hoping for a sucessful month of viewing and buying. A fun raiser for the library and guild.  This is one of three fairy wall hangings I am doing.

This is a Helen Fujuki worshop wall hanging that I am working on from July.Lots of pieces to applique and thread painting.