As I Said...Moving Right Along

Well, I guess I moved a long alright! Right into 2016! Happy New Year! Thankfully there are no "blog police" to give me a ticket for not posting or I would have been gone long ago.

Life has moved along, we did get a week away to Maine to visit with our dear friend Jo Diggs, her daughter and friends. We always love going to Maine and taking the time on our way back to drive along the coast and stop at a few of the small towns along the way. Perhaps it is because it all feels so familiar, just like Nova Scotia's coastline.

Nick, Kate, Evan and Ben

After that we did go with our daughter and her boys to cut down our Christmas tree, my quilt guild had our second annual Christmas Quilt Show in conjunction with the Mahone Bay Father Christmas Festival. It was a huge success with over 700 visitors! I was thrilled to show my new Christmas quilt "Merry Christmas From Lunenburg County", it was beautifully quilted by Lynn Jones. I also showed another new Christmas wallhanging "Deck the Halls".

"Merry Christmas From Lunenburg County, Christmas Tree Capital of the World!", machine pieced, machine quilted by Lynn Jones

"Deck the Halls' is machine pieced, machine appliqued and hand quilted.

Lots of exciting things happening here and out west. Our granddaughter, Molly was skiing with her Dad at Nakiska and who should be there but the one and only Lindsey Vonn. Lindsey had all the time in the world for Molly and made quite an impression. Reminded me of meeting Nancy Greene back in the late '60's.

Lindsey Vonn and Molly

Molly on the Nakiska Women's Downhill podium, practising for about 12 years down the road!

And in other happy news, we are delighted to announce the engagement of our amazing daughter Kate to the amazing Nick! Wedding date and plans are in the works!!

We will have a busy few months ahead, I will do my best to keep up. Meanwhile, back to quilting. My sewing room is all cleaned up and I have several new projects in my head and several others that are in various stages of completion. Lots to do!

Moving Right Along

Well, September and so far October have been busy, busy! I am ready for a vacation!

The view from the deck at Pictou Lodge

Our teachers this year were Laurie Swim, Ana Buzzalino and Karen Kay Buckley

This was our 15th Retreat, which happens every two years. We have been doing this for 30 years. After being at the helm for 13 of the 15 Retreats I am officially retiring! I am so proud of the Retreat and what we have accomplished.

And in Mahone Bay it is scarecrow season! Time for the annual Scarecrow Festival and Dolly Quilter is back on duty!

Here she is on loan to the Mahone Bay Quilters Guild, we had a "Pop-Up" quilt show on Friday for some quilters who were on a "Fall Colours Quilt Cruise". She is back now on Orchard St looking gorgeous!

A few of our quilts as seen from the balcony.

I love the colour in Mahone Bay! This is the Fisherman's Daughter B&B.

Our scarecrows will be up around town, close to 150 I think, for another couple of weeks. Do come and see them!

Another New Year

September always feels like a new year to me with school back and routines beginning. I know my kids are going to be thrilled with this...

Too cute - back to Tower Rd School 1978! Kate was going in to primary and Andrew into grade 2! We had just come back from a sabbatical year in England and they were excited to be back with their friends. We had a wonderful year in England, both kids were in a great school and we had lots of interesting adventures. Now their own kids are going back to school! We have Evan in grade 5, Ben in grade 3 and in Calgary, Molly is in grade 4 and Marcus has another year before he goes in to primary.

Back here, work is progressing well on the exterior of the house. Peter has finished the Orchard St side (and the back) and is now on the front of the house. It is very time consuming and fiddly with all the decorative trim around the windows and the door. He has a fan club who drive or walk by everyday to check on his progress and comment, all very encouraging! We are hoping the front will be finished this fall and he will wait till the spring to do the garden side.

Orchard St. side all done except for the basement window.

Starting the front, the right hand side is all striped now , priming starts tomorrow. The weather is co-operating for a change!

I have had a busy summer in my sewing room. Two baby quilts are done and have been sent off to a new great nephew in Toronto and a new soon-to-be-born "great" in October in Calgary. I finished two Hallowe'en tops and they are ready to be quilted. And I have a Christmas quilt at Lynn's waiting to be quilted on her long arm.

This pattern is called "Pinetop", the colours are rather odd, it isn't as creamy yellow as it looks! The pattern was a real challenge, it was a first-time pattern and had not been pattern tested! I was glad I hadn't cut it all out beforehand! Hopefully I will have the "after" picture soon!

I am anxious to get back to some hand work now. I have two projects to finish up with the hand quilting, one hand piecing project and one hand applique project. There is always something!

Our bi-annual Quilter's Retreat at Pictou Lodge is coming up again on September 23-27th. Can't wait to be back at Pictou Lodge and gather with 64 other quilters and 3 teachers. This is our 15th Retreat, we started it after we hosted Quilt Canada in 1984. I am so pleased it is still going strong!