Odds and Ends

Last November I had a total knee replacement, I have healed well and went to physio for 10 weeks. I am so much better now thanks to the great staff at the Fisherman’s Memorial Hospital.

Big news from our family in Calgary! They have moved to the Cayman Islands! Calgary is having the coldest winter in 40 years, perfect time for a move! It has been a crazy time for them, packing up their entire house took 400 boxes! A container was loaded and shipped by train to Halifax, then ship to Miami, then smaller ship to Georgetown where it sat till it was processed through customs and then delivered to their new home! We Facetimed (is that a verb?) last night and they are slowly getting sorted out and settled. Andrew will be traveling a lot throughout the Caribbean.

A regular visitor to their 2nd floor balcony much to the delight of Marcus!

Meanwhile back on the quilting front I am slowly getting back to finishing up some UFO’s. Our “Slow Quilting” group continues to meet bi-weekly at a local cafe. We take over their “Library” and really enjoy the time together sharing and stitching. We are in the process of making our own banner for the room! It just needs to be quilted and bound then we can hang it.

More adventures to come, I am determined to be here more frequently!

A Little Marie Kondo Going On...or Not!

The time had come to finally tackle my messy sewing room, perhaps I have been slightly influenced by all the Marie Kondo talk on social media these days. I didn’t quite ask each item if it “sparked joy”, I just knew what had to stay and what had to go! I have a lot still to do but I am still trying to find a happy medium of being on my feet or sitting. I feel fine then it hits me, sit down!

That looks a bit better but I still have a way to go. I did get three pillowcases cut out for my 2 grandkids who have just moved from Calgary to Grand Cayman in the Caribbean! And one pillowcase for my Harry Potter loving great nephew. I still have three more to cut out and then I’ll get busy sewing.

I do like lots of “stuff around me! Time to really tackle my sewing table, there isnt much room there. I need a good way/place to hold my “WIPs” instead of in piles on the table.

I taught a Stab Stitch quilting workshop last weekend and I needed something to quilt so I quickly basted this top. I hand sewed all the Nine Patch blocks when my Dad was in the hospital and then at Camp Hill Veterans Hospital about 15 years ago. He never wanted me visiting and just sitting, he wanted me to do something, he was quite pleased when I brought in this project to work on. I had sewn the top together years ago. I must say I am enjoying the simplicity of this quilt. I think I will call it “Pat’s Pieces”. My Dad’s last name was Paterson and as a young man during the war he was always known as Pat. Seems fitting.

Waste Not Want Not

This little block has been sitting on my dresser for ages. I was cleaning yesterday and when I picked it up I realized it had been a while since I really looked at it. It is 8 3/4” x 9”, there is no batting, the centre 4 triangles and the green strip in the upper middle left were originally a much darker green. I could tell when I pushed back a bit on the seam. There are 49 pieces in the top.

Detail of the left corner.

Detail of the centre

As much as I love the front of this block, the back is truly wonderful! There are 23 pieces of fabric and I just love the bits of red! As i said “waste not want not”!

Detail of the back right hand corner.

I bought this little block from a dealer in the Merchant Mall at the Continental Quilting Congress in Washington, DC back in the early 80's. I have no idea who I bought it from. I have often wondered about it, who made it, where did they live, why so many pieces on the back, when was it made? The fabrics are a little “coarse” compared to quilting cottons of today. The piecing stitches are quite fine, the quilting is done “in the ditch”. It must have been much brighter when it was made, some of the fabrics look like they are a solid and not a print but on closer examination you can see faint prints. I am not going to frame it, I like looking at the back and think it is a true testament to the patience of all quilters who make their quilts by hand.