Regina Legislative Building

The Regina Legislative Building is very similar to the Manitoba Legislative Buildings. We were toured through the legislature and told about the 32 different kinds of marble decorating the interior. The dome in the centre is similar to Manitoba's as well, but no Golden Boy. Right now the building is having some reconstruction and there is a crane and scaffold set up outside.

Inside there is some interesting art work. A bust of Tommy Douglas a previous Premier of Saskatchewan and father of Canadian Medicare. Thank you Tommy!!

I really enjoyed seeing 15 oil pastel on fine sandpaper portraits of various Indian Chiefs of the early 1900s. A rarity to be sure. In all of the portraits the chiefs look very somber. Perhaps their faces reflect the resignation they felt towards Europeans and the ultimate destruction of the native way of life?

One piece of current artwork that caught my eye as we were walking the halls of the legislature was a lone star quilt made out of circuit boards. Interesting!!

Exterior of the Regina Legislative Building

New piece of artwork added in 2005.  Notice the green marble pillars on the floor below.

Bust of Tommy Douglas.

Star Blanket by Wally Dion, 2006.
Made of printed circuit boards, brass wire, acrylic paint, and copper tubing.

Notice the up close photos showing the circuit boards.

Overall, very effective!!

Government House Regina

We took a tour to Regina's government house which is now a museum. It was originally constructed at the turn of the twentieth century as the home of the Lieutenant Governor of the province, but was turned into a convalescent home after the Second World War. A couple of decades later it was restored to its original glory to be a museum depicting the 1910s.

The front of the original Lieutenant Governors house in Regina.

This gorgeous table setting is original glassware, china and cutlery.
 Notice the number of wine glasses, butter knife rest and salt cellar.  

The treadle sewing machine was in the nanny's room.

Original crib quilt used the traditional tumbling blocks pattern.

This original quilt uses the dresden block pattern.

My favorite of the dresses on display is actually a 1940's dress.

Mike Takes Me to Fibre Store

Mike picked Don and I up this morning and toured us around Regina. Mike has an apartment on 14th street near funky stores and the government building where he now works. Mike and Don dropped me off at a fibre store while they had coffee/tea. 

Golden Willow Natural Fibre is a wonderful fibre store. Lots of gorgeous wool yarns, rovings, knitting and spinning equipment. I had a long chat with the owner, Sharon Ottenbreit. We shared dyeing advice. Then in came another fibre customer and I heard her talking to the owner about spinning strips of quilting fabric in with yarn. Interesting?!  My fibre 'senses' were tingling. I ended up having a great chat with her too and now I have some interesting ideas for creating yarn from fabric and wool!!

Old door at store entrance with felted tiger lilies on it.

Sharon has knitting and spinning enthusiasts come to share their craft in the store.

Lots of gorgeous natural fibres!

Interesting felted creatures!

Executive CSGA Spouse Trip to Moose Jaw

A group of 13 women, all spouses of executive members of the Canadian Seed Growers Association, had a day trip to Moose Jaw. We got a ride in a limo bus. Very fancy. While in Moose Jaw we toured the Tunnels, had lunch at the Art Cafe and then toured the city highlights in a trolley car. A great way to be introduced to the city.

In the limo bus.

Delicious lunch at Yvette Moore Gallery Cafe.

I think this was my favourite Yvette Moore painting.  Glorious prairie skies!

The Yvette Moore Gallery is in the old Land Titles Building that the Moore family has renovated.
 It is very beautiful inside. 

Seeing the Moose Jaw city sights via Trolley.

Our Trolley and driver.

That evening we met up with our husbands and had supper at The Willows at Waskana. It was probably the best meal I have ever had in my life!  All delicious foods from Saskatchewan. A five course meal with each course paired with the appropriate wine. Unbelievable tastes!!  Wow!

Five course meal accompanied with a different wine with every course.
Note all the wine glasses in the background!

Quilt Shops with Mary

Don and I drove to Regina in time for his afternoon meeting. Mary, a friend of Marj's, whom I met at Quilt Canada this June, picked me up at the hotel and we toured some quilting shops. We went to Astrid's  Attic in Regina, but two other shops were closed on Mondays. Darn.

After lunch at a bistro, we drove to Moose Jaw. We went to The Quilt Patch.  This was my first visit to the shop that Marj was the original owner of.  Great to see!  Very interesting store inside, with nooks and crannies. Nicely decorated and arranged. 

We also stopped at Quilters Haven. Saw some nice 3D flower quilts designed by ChiChi. Bought some very light iron on interfacing that they use for turned appliqué. So many different ways to appliqué!!

Then we went to Karen's house. (Karen, Mary, and Marj were three of nine Moose Jaw ladies that formed the Nine Patches quilting group.). Karen showed us the quilting pieces she created while taking a design course from Anna Hergert. 

It was great to spend the afternoon with Mary. I got to visit different quilting stores and see Karens work. Things I never would have done without her chauffeuring me around. Thanks Mary!!

The Quilt Patch was originally owned by my good friend Marj.

Cute nooks and crannies to display items.

Upstairs there is room for classes.

Next stop - Quilters Haven.

Mary in front of ChiChi's latest flower patterns.

Lesli serving us at the counter of Quilters Haven.

Visiting Marj's friend Karen, in front of her samples from a design class with Anna Hergert.

All season tree fibre art quilt by Karen.

Book shelf quilt.

Note that the book spines on the book shelf quilt are actually fabric selvedges!

A Common Thread

Three friends got their art work together for a display at the Tiger Hills Arts Association. The exhibit called, A Common Thread is on display for the month of July. The three friends are Susan Rex, Bruce Bullied and Robert LeSage.

Robert moved north to the Flin Flon area in 1981 and fell in love with the rugged Canadian Shield.  "Trees, rock and water" in every direction one looks.  It's a view that he wishes to share with all of you.  For those who have never experienced the natural beauty of our Canadian Shield, his fusion of stained glass and stone is a good place to start.  Robert is self-taught and is constantly refining his craft as he journeys on seeking new inspirations.

Here is Bruce and his wife Jane, along with Don in front of some of his work.

Bruce is primarily a self-taught photographer whose influences were Ansel Adams, Pete Turner, and Galen Rowell.  Bruce sees the world a little differently than most.  Lines, colours and shapes will capture his attention.  His abstracts show the viewer a perspective that perhaps they would have never previously considered.  Personal work will often be framed or bordered by elements contained within the image.  Portraits capture the essence of his subject in an unguarded moment.  Bruce currently works in colour and black and white.

Susan was unable to attend the opening.  Here are her brothers, Dick (left) and Wil (right) stand in front of her photo-paintings.  The brothers are holding a photograph of Susan composed by Bruce.

Claudia Lanouette was Susan's first influence.  Having spent a week with Claudia one summer, her message was that finding your own creative path was okay.  Claudia's positive influence has stayed with Susan since those summer days long ago.

Through the years, as the mediums changed, the desire to create remained...drawing and painting made room for fiber, knitting, weaving, spinning and dyeing.  With the arrival of digital photography Susan found a new way to express herself once again.  Digital opened up a new world for Susan, being able to manipulate an image in any way imaginable was 'like being a kid in a candy store".    Susan's imagination is her only limit.

Wind and Rain

Crazy weather the last few days!!  The wind was so string that it knocked down three trees in our house yard and one big spruce in the seed plant yard. 

I was shocked and very sad to see that our silver maple tree was broken in half. Connie and Marvin gave us the silver maple for our 25th anniversary. Just last weekend we were exclaiming at how gorgeous it was looking. Sigh. 

We also lost two large willows from the yard bluff. One of them crushed our trampoline. Had that for 24 years. No more, I guess. 

All and all, lots to clean up.