Final Cleaning of the Farm House

Phew. I am finally done cleaning out the farm house!!!  It looks very bare. Sure can tell that it needs a paint job!  Shawn takes possession on June first. He plans to paint before he moves in. 

It sure would be a lot harder to leave the farm house if I didn't know Shawn was moving in. Each renovation, three major ones, left our ideas and creativity on every wall.  It is nice to know that someone else will be able to enjoy it. 

New Flower Bed

What gorgeous days we have been having!  Yahoo!  I got out and made a flower bed in the west side of the house. This direction is the front of the house. I made a small bed in which I can have a few annuals and vines to decorate the entranceway. 

I had to remove some grass. First I made an edge with a spade to create an outline for the flower bed. Then I cut out chunks of sod. On my hands and knees I removed as much dirt from the did as possible. Once the bed was cleared of grass I planted bedding plants - small mums, pansies, a vine plant and morning glories from seed. 

The big challenge now will be to keep it water and free of weeds. Don promises to put in the Lee Valley irrigation system in for watering. I suspect the worst weed will be grass. It is so hard to kill!!

Caveman and Convergence

As soon as I got home from the Ricky Tims Super Seminar I had to make some samples of ideas he taught us. I didn't want to forget them!!

First I made a Caveman piece. Here you do not use a ruler. Pieces are cut with slight curves. No quarter inch seams are needed!  Just use scant seams and persuasively press after each seam to ensure that the piecing is flat. 

Then I made a Convergence piece. This is where you take four different fabrics, and through slicing the fabrics and sewing them back together you creat an entire new converged fabric. Interesting. On a Convergence piece accurate measuring and precise seams are a must. 

On the Convergence piece I put two set-in and two mitred borders. The method Ricky taught us for set-in borders worked like a charm. 

International Peace Gardens

One evening during the three day Ricky Tims' Super Seminar, Yvonne Phyllis and I took a tour through the Peace Gardens. I hadn't been there for years. 

First stop was the cactus conservatory. The new building also houses a restaurant and gift shop. I was surprised by the number and variety of cacti!!

The site of the Peace Gardens is very large. It houses two large camps - one for music (where we stayed) and one for athletics. The garden area is also large. We drove to the peace towers, Bell chapel and 911 memorial. 

The Peace Towers, large cement columns, built when the Peace Gardens first opened, are now structurally unsound and will be demolished this fall. They will erect something in its place. Not sure if it will be as impressive!? 

The 911 site has a number of girders from the Twin Towers in a sculpture formation. It gives pause to imagine the destructive force of the blaze to collapse those buildings as these metal beams are massive. A very reflective spot. 

Ricky Tims Super Seminar

Three days of listening about quilting. No actual sewing?  I couldn't imagine how anyone could keep my interest for that long?  But he did!!

Ricky Tims is amazingly talented. He began his career as a professional pianist, composer and conductor. He began quilting in 1991 and after only a few years was winning USA national quilt shows. He then retired from music and began quilting full time. His quilts are stunning. You can see his musical talent come through!

I learned a bunch of new techniques from the seminar. Ricky encouraged using your own ideas and creativity. Just what I like!  But he also taught sewing tricks that will help keep the process manageable. 

Aside from being a very knowledgeable quilter, he is also an amazing storyteller. He could actually be a stand up comic.  Then after a full day of lectures, he gave us a musical performance. Awesome!!

Alyssa's Recital

A large audience listened with awe as Alyssa performed on the grand piano at the Holland Hall. She played Beethoven, Chopin, etc. A wonderful accomplishment and cap off to her degree from Brandon University. 

Camp Assiniboia Quilt Gathering

Seven quilters/friends had a pleasant couple of days at Camp Assiniboia. We rent a gorgeous cabin, move all the living and dining room furniture around to accommodate tables, and sew to our hearts content!  Each of us takes a turn making a meal. Yummy. 

 

Marj had a great show and tell for us. She is a prolific sewer and always has lots to show us. This year she worked on a Lego quilt she is making for her grandson, Lucas', birthday - tomorrow. We think she likes to work under pressure!!

Yvonne had quite a few quilts to show us too. With her new Pfaff Embroidery sewing machine she now is embellishing all kinds of things, including quilts. Look closely for dragonflies. 

Faye showed us a couple of pieces she had completed. She also got the top of a quilt done for a friends anniversary for next year. She doesn't like to work under pressure!!

Zandra made a youth commission quilt with very cute fox material. Here it is on the design wall. (I missed getting other photos of the gorgeous quarter triangle patches she was working on.)

Cynthia, trucking for a living friend, sewed up a storm. She doesn't get to sew often as they live out of their semi. She made a bunch of placemats (sorry no photo) and worked at finishing herOne  Block Wonder quilt that she had begun last year at Camp Assiniboia. 

I worked on a Southwest Table runner for my aunt Connie, an abstract art quilt made of squares of various sizes, and a triangle quilt called Toes in the Sand by Jaybird Quilts. Lots of fun. 

I can't believe I never even got one photo of Beth working on her hexagons. She is doing this project all by hand. She started it in Mesa this winter. I think it is very relaxing to do. The best thing is that she didn't have to lug in a sewing machine!!