It's almost Thanksgiving. We have had great weather since spring time here! Its a little cooler in the evening, but most days are still really ncie and sunny and warm.
We built a new sauna bath at my camp this year. My brother Raymond, sister inlaw Michele, and my nefews and neice, brother in law and friends all chiped in and shared in the work. Its kind of fun to build something from scratch. Although Raymond and his boys did most of the work! The old sauna was in really bad shape. It was originally a wood-cutters shack that my dad moved there about 40 yrs. ago and transformed it into a sauna. We were able to use the original stove with a little bit (or alot of welding!) and one of the benches and everything else went into the burn pile.
Had the first sauna the second week of August, and I don't think it cooled off until September!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Loose Threads quilting retreat
The next dates we have available for the Loose Threads quilting retreat are February, Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th. The price per day has been raised to $15.00 per day. The Church has raised our rent, and we have to pass it on. I feel bad about having to put it up, but that's the way it goes! My partner in the retreat, Karen and I try to keep the cost at a minimum, but even our coffee, tea and water supplies have gone up. We still think its a good deal, as the church gives us full use of the kitchen facilities. And when we put on our Christmas dinner for the quilting ladies, the church lets us set up the tables on the second floor so that we can have a formal sit down dinner. It's perfect for us.
Quilting Retreat
Last weekend five friends and myself travelled to Ignace for their 3rd annual retreat. As usual it was a wonderful weekend. We went on Thursday to get a headstart on our vacation! Got to put our machines into the sewing room and set up our sewing stations. I always bring so much stuff, but you never know what you might need. I even bring my sewing chair. I finished two quilt tops, one for Lily, for her second birthday in May and one for a new nephew, Michael. Have a look at the pictures. (Oh, I guess I had better post them!) The last morning I made 4 little purses for the waitresses and hotel owner. The service is always so great there. We gathered up tips and I thought it would be nice to put the money into the little clutches. We had worked on these the day before to give to the local library for fundraising. Most of us made one for ourselves after we made the donation one. They are very addicting and you just can't make one!
The ladies of the Ignace quilting group always run around and get donations and give everyone a nice bag full of goodies! They also have a penny auction and this year had a seperate draw for an EQ7. Guess who won. Me!! It was my birthday, so maybe I was a little lucky. I sure was thrilled. And thank you to Claire who donated it in the first place!
Our group of ladies brought things for the donation table as well. And I made up little kits for everyone to make a little snap-type bag. I used up some of my sewing motif fabrics. They are also very fun to make. I used pieces of metal tape measure in the closure, but I have heard that you can also use pieces of the metal venetian blinds. Will have to try that.
The ladies of the Ignace quilting group always run around and get donations and give everyone a nice bag full of goodies! They also have a penny auction and this year had a seperate draw for an EQ7. Guess who won. Me!! It was my birthday, so maybe I was a little lucky. I sure was thrilled. And thank you to Claire who donated it in the first place!
Our group of ladies brought things for the donation table as well. And I made up little kits for everyone to make a little snap-type bag. I used up some of my sewing motif fabrics. They are also very fun to make. I used pieces of metal tape measure in the closure, but I have heard that you can also use pieces of the metal venetian blinds. Will have to try that.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Aunt Pitty Pats swap
I've joined a swap put on by Marcel at http://auntpittypats.blogspot.com/.
It's a combined group of 3 nicely sewn projects: A sewing machine cover, a sewing machine mat with apron to hold all your tools, and a pincusion with a thread catcher. Should be fun, and she still has room for any of you advanced sewers out there looking for a winter project. Sign up closes on January 22nd.
It's a combined group of 3 nicely sewn projects: A sewing machine cover, a sewing machine mat with apron to hold all your tools, and a pincusion with a thread catcher. Should be fun, and she still has room for any of you advanced sewers out there looking for a winter project. Sign up closes on January 22nd.
My Christmas holidays
I had intentions of being diligent and adding to my blog regularly. But my excuse is that I misplaced my camera so can’t add any photos of my Christmas and New Year. So I’m going to blog now and add pictures later. I think I brought my camera to my workshop and it got buried somewhere. I’m going to take before and after pictures and amaze you all with my organizing skills in the workshop! But what an organizer, I can’t even find my camera. But I have to say that I just found the charger (in the camera bag!!!—go figure!!)
Christmas was great as usual. But extra special this year. My oldest daughter Susy and her husband and my granddaughter Lily came for 10 days. Plus my other daughter Billie and her son, Levi (my favourite grandson). Because it was my parents 60th Anniversary my sisters Louise and Janie travelled from Alberta, brother Raymond from B.C. brother David and wife Louise from White River, and their daughter, my niece Liisa from Northern Manitoba. So we had lots of company coming and going and staying for a night here and there.
Of course Christmas morning was great. Levi always gets so excited, that he doesn’t sleep well, then sleeps in and needs to be woken up. He was really happy with his West 49 designer duds and 2 of the big Lego Star wars ships he asked for. (Had to draw the line at the big one for $599.99!!) Even Santa’s not that rich. Lily was 18 months in December, so wasn’t sure what it was all about. And was just happy to play with the first toy she opened. We saved the little electric ATV until the last. She figured that out pretty quick, but still needs some practise in steering, and slowing down before the wall, or dog, or Christmas tree gets in her way.
I’ll show pictures of all of the stockings later. Over the years I have made everyone a felt stocking from Merry Maxim with all the beads and sequins. About 15 yrs. ago during the mad rush Christmas Eve to fill all the stockings and realizing that was one of the tasks that hadn’t gotten done. So the next year I asked everyone, including DH to buy or make something for each of our stockings for about $5.00 ea. This has turned out really fun, and is a challenge to find something really cool and not go over the budget. Of course not all the gifts fit in the stockings, so I have made “over-flow bags”. Just fabric bags about 15” square with a loop on one corner to hang behind the stocking. Nothing fancy, just a bit of left over Christmas fabric.
I received some really nice gifts, a homemade rag rug from a local crafter, a poodle pin for my collection, doggy salt and peppers for another doggy collection and an iPod to work out with. Some gifts from my quilty friends included, charm packs, a beautiful sewn apron, and high heel cake server, baking and tea in a collector tin. So thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the thought and effort put into these special gifts. But the best gift of all is having my family here!
We usually spend New Year’s Eve with my friends Janice and Alan, Janice and Wayne, and Karen and Peter at their home. We have pot luck for supper or order Chinese, or anything that makes it easy and fast for us. This year Karen did most of the work, and just asked us to bring a little portion. My share was desert from M&M’s. Us girls all agreed that she should share the load more, but that didn’t go over well! There always seems to be a hockey game on that night, so DH and Clint stayed home and watched TV while Susy, Lily and I went to join the festivities. Once supper was over Susy had to leave to put Lily to bed, but we all got to enjoy her. I don’t mean to brag, but I have the cutest granddaughter, and they were all jealous! Ha Ha, I can say that because she is the youngest. Janice and Alan have just welcomed two little girls into their family, but are past the baby stage. Once the food was all gobbled down the wine was opened and the dimes pulled out and we started our traditional card game. (31, who wants to think too much when there is so much talking to do!) We are such party people, I brought a 375 ml. bottle of wine, and when I left at 2am I had drank half of it!
On January 2nd everyone went home and my house was empty again. Then I got the flu for a few days. Happy New Year!!
Christmas was great as usual. But extra special this year. My oldest daughter Susy and her husband and my granddaughter Lily came for 10 days. Plus my other daughter Billie and her son, Levi (my favourite grandson). Because it was my parents 60th Anniversary my sisters Louise and Janie travelled from Alberta, brother Raymond from B.C. brother David and wife Louise from White River, and their daughter, my niece Liisa from Northern Manitoba. So we had lots of company coming and going and staying for a night here and there.
Of course Christmas morning was great. Levi always gets so excited, that he doesn’t sleep well, then sleeps in and needs to be woken up. He was really happy with his West 49 designer duds and 2 of the big Lego Star wars ships he asked for. (Had to draw the line at the big one for $599.99!!) Even Santa’s not that rich. Lily was 18 months in December, so wasn’t sure what it was all about. And was just happy to play with the first toy she opened. We saved the little electric ATV until the last. She figured that out pretty quick, but still needs some practise in steering, and slowing down before the wall, or dog, or Christmas tree gets in her way.
I’ll show pictures of all of the stockings later. Over the years I have made everyone a felt stocking from Merry Maxim with all the beads and sequins. About 15 yrs. ago during the mad rush Christmas Eve to fill all the stockings and realizing that was one of the tasks that hadn’t gotten done. So the next year I asked everyone, including DH to buy or make something for each of our stockings for about $5.00 ea. This has turned out really fun, and is a challenge to find something really cool and not go over the budget. Of course not all the gifts fit in the stockings, so I have made “over-flow bags”. Just fabric bags about 15” square with a loop on one corner to hang behind the stocking. Nothing fancy, just a bit of left over Christmas fabric.
I received some really nice gifts, a homemade rag rug from a local crafter, a poodle pin for my collection, doggy salt and peppers for another doggy collection and an iPod to work out with. Some gifts from my quilty friends included, charm packs, a beautiful sewn apron, and high heel cake server, baking and tea in a collector tin. So thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the thought and effort put into these special gifts. But the best gift of all is having my family here!
We usually spend New Year’s Eve with my friends Janice and Alan, Janice and Wayne, and Karen and Peter at their home. We have pot luck for supper or order Chinese, or anything that makes it easy and fast for us. This year Karen did most of the work, and just asked us to bring a little portion. My share was desert from M&M’s. Us girls all agreed that she should share the load more, but that didn’t go over well! There always seems to be a hockey game on that night, so DH and Clint stayed home and watched TV while Susy, Lily and I went to join the festivities. Once supper was over Susy had to leave to put Lily to bed, but we all got to enjoy her. I don’t mean to brag, but I have the cutest granddaughter, and they were all jealous! Ha Ha, I can say that because she is the youngest. Janice and Alan have just welcomed two little girls into their family, but are past the baby stage. Once the food was all gobbled down the wine was opened and the dimes pulled out and we started our traditional card game. (31, who wants to think too much when there is so much talking to do!) We are such party people, I brought a 375 ml. bottle of wine, and when I left at 2am I had drank half of it!
On January 2nd everyone went home and my house was empty again. Then I got the flu for a few days. Happy New Year!!
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