I had some time to kill today after work, while my youngest had her hair done so I did a little shopping…and what did I come across? I couldn’t believe that I’d actually forgotten all about them, I enjoyed them so much last year! Christmas really is coming!

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I added an extra little project last week for a co worker, she needed a baby quilt, and I am in the mood to make baby quilts

I just know I’ll be making up a few more quilts like this, what a great way to use up odds and ends and I always have tons of 4 patches from using them as leaders and enders, something I learnt years ago from Bonnie Hunter.

One last picture that my youngest took the other night…

Summer Wind (Miss Rosies Quilt Company) is among my top favorite patterns, I made it about 5 years ago using the Seaside Rose collection. When I saw Nicoles version in Wuthering Heights, I knew I needed to make it again. I’m making it using the Gypsy Rose Collection as a Christmas gift. The extra challenge I’ve given myself is that I’m using precuts to make it, so far so good.

I have several quilts in mind that I want to get working on, but with my day job and quilt jobs my time is limited so I’ll see how far I can get.

Fall is truly here, I took these pictures a couple weeks ago (our Thanksgiving weekend) when we tucked the flower beds in for the winter. (I’m hoping that the spruce boughs will discourage the cat and other critters from their activities)

I’m including this pic just because I like it

this is what I learnt how to drive today

The weather has definitely shifted jackets are out and the summer fun is put away for another year.

the garden is covered up waiting for spring, hopefully next year will give us a better growing season

One more picture from Thanksgiving weekend, Katie sure loves to drive!

I’ve been watching for a new collection for a while now, patiently waiting for the fat quarter bundle to become available, which it did this week. Did I order it right away, no instead I just kept it in an online shopping cart. For 3 or 4 days. Today was the day I had decided on everything I was adding to the cart and then guess what? yep they sold out of it and apparently Moda is totally sold out.
I searched for awhile and luck was on my side Fabric.com had some and they still had 20 left last time I checked.
This collection is so beautiful and inspiring. I’m planning to redo my bedroom based on the colours in this collection……lesson learnt (I hope) so which collection? Rouenneries by French General

Life is so hectic at times its hard to just relax and not feel stressed about the things that I should be doing. I know that for my personal well being I need to allow myself down time but still there are always so many things calling me. My day job takes a huge chunk of my life and then I have quilts at home waiting to be finished up so they can return to their owners. Then of course there are the quilts that I want to make or that are in the process of being made. This house is always needing attention. Most importantly I want time with my loved ones! It seems like yesterday there were 4 little girls living with me, this house at times felt very overcrowded, it wasn’t really just abit overflowing at times, esp when they all had friends over. I remember how I used to wish for even just a snippet of peace and quiet, these days that’s more the norm than not when I’m at home except for the voice in my mind that reminds me of all the things that need to be done.
and then there is our short summer that I try not to miss any of, one thing that makes me feel like a little kid are the fridays when I know that after work Erik and I are getting into the motor home and heading out for the weekend. It usually hits me after lunch…..the excitement!
Labour Day we decided to head to one of our favorite spots that we always visit each summer, last weekends weather was incredible! I was so excited to camp at our favorite spot…..but then when we got out there…..other people had the same idea!!! Turns out there are other campsites that we hadn’t discovered yet and now we have some new ones to visit. Life does have a way of working out.

our morning view

I’m ready to head out for the day!!

The walleye weren’t biting but we (Erik) did manage to catch a couple. We did catch a lot of perch and they were very yummy!
We discovered this next camp site from the lake so went to shore to explore and decided that we will probably camp here another time. (Erik just had to climb up this rock for a picture)

This lake and most others we visit are on whats called Crown Land, meaning it belongs to the Government anyone can camp on it. I love the feeling of being in the wilderness and having space. No close by neighbors unless its by our choosing.

This brings me back to what I was trying to say at the begining of this post..I think that one of the reasons that I get so excited about heading out camping and spending the weekend fishing, is that its one of the few times in life when that voice in my head telling me I need to get busy is actually quiet and I let myself guiltlessly relax.
So guess where I’m heading shortly!!!!
We have Monday and Tuesday off and the weather is looking great too! As much as I love summer, fall has so much to offer too!
Have a great weekend!
and hopefully I’ll have more quilting to show soon.

This little lap quilt is finished and delivered, what a happy little project to work on. I have a picture of it with it’s new owner but its at work so I’ll have to post it another time, for now though

Its backed with Minkie and quilted using the Daisy Swirl Panto by Jodi Beamish

We try to get out fishing as much as we can, what can I say its a passion of mine and we live amongst such beauty.

I had really hoped to catch my first lake trout but I’ll have to keep trying, thankfully Erik had more luck than I did

I think the highlight of this fishing trip for us was that Erik’s Parents were there

We made a little pit stop on an island. Turns out it was mine..Wendy’s Island Erik has heard that a finnish woman in her 40’s likes to spend extended time on this Island. She has a cooking area set up, as well as a sleeping area and a potty area as well.

I also found a few lovely blueberry bushes, and for those of you who don’t know, Northern Ontario wild blueberries are the best!!

We have often visited the Heritage Site in Finland MN and have heard about the festival they hold every August called Tori. This year we decided to make a day trip down and see it.

There was a market with different crafts for sale, beautiful woven rugs which are a favorite of mine, though I’m not sure why I didn’t get better pictures.

The food was yummy even though it wasn’t really the Finnish food we’d expected. There was entertainment, but we had hoped for some Finnish flavor, it was enjoyable though.

The booth that caught our attention the most though was the black smith. He and his wife were in costume and so informative.

Summer that is, even though August wasn’t much better than July we were able to make the most of it anyways.
I left off with fishing…
well August did see some quilting, some piecing this is the quilt in progress for a coworkers sister. Using the Clementine collection from Moda.

I’ve also been working on my Block of the Months from Fat Quarter Shop, I do have to get busy with August’s block though before Septembers finds it’s way here.

I’m really loving this quilt, though I have to admit it’s awfully hard for me to work inside during the summer. My day job is at a desk and when I can I much prefer to be outside in the summer.
One night we did a little target practice..a first for me and I somehow managed to hit 2 cans at once, twice!

One weekend we drove down to the states and finally toured The Split Rock Lighthouse, it was spectacular. This picture is taken of Lake Superior from the Lighthouse.



a few shots in the Lighthouse keepers house:

We are still waiting for the real summer weather to arrive, and now Environment Canada is telling us that we’ll have to wait until next summer for seasonal temps. I think we might have had 3 or 4 days where the temps have been over 26C. I know to people in the south that sounds great but our summers are so short and winters so long here that we really do treasure a few weeks of toasty weather.
We were really fortunate that during our holidays we were able to get out fishing a couple of times, not alot of fish caught but good times non the less. One of Eriks daughters was home for a visit and joined us

Sarah had announced their wedding plans a week before my holidays so a visit to Fabric Land was called for for the finishing items needed for her dress. Katie and her friend came along and I couldn’t resist a picture of her buying fabric for a dress she had in mind. I’ll share pics of the dress in a future post.

The last week of holidays were spent in Wisconsin Dells, thankfully the temps there cooperated and we had a great time, camping and playing. What a very interesting a fun place.
Katie had a little fun the night before we left.

We had a little visit at Cracker Barrel, I’ve always loved their chairs.

The boat tour was so interesting, I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Dells.




I was also able to conker some major fears of mine and can’t wait to go back and do it again!! Funny how you can be so afraid to try some things….myself I’ve asked Erik to make me try these things just in case I might like them. He tells me that if I want to go again I have to go on the:

I’d better not wait too long on that one.

I have been on holidays for the last 2 weeks, I took a total break and I’ll post about our adventures abit later.
First though the big news.
My eldest daughter Sarah and her Texan sweetheart were married on Saturday. It was a nice family and close friends wedding and will be followed next fall (once the immigration process is complete) by a larger wedding in Texas.

The kids! Emily,Sarah, Jeremy, Katie and Mary

Jeremys mom (who also quilts!) and I

Erik and I and family

Carrie over at La Vie en Rosie and Camille at Simplify have challenged us to share our first quilts.
I still remember buying the pattern and fabric and floss for my first quilt about 24 years ago, I was expecting Sarah and I wanted to make a blanket I didn’t realize what I was making. I was so excited, I was 23 and I was going to be a mom! I bought the supplies from Zellers (Canadian Readers might remember when they used to have a fabric department) The fabric was all poly cotton and I bought enough to make bumper pads as well.
I couldn’t figure out how to sew the corners down on the binding and I always meant to finish the binding but Sarah came along and then I thought I’d finish it but before I knew it I had all 4 girls. They all used and loved my unbound quilt.

When I was a teenager I wanted to make “blankets” like the ones on Little House on the Prairie. When I told my mom that she replied oh you don’t want to make those they are called quilts and only poor people make quilts. But she was wrong (she’s now a quilter too by the way), I wanted to make them and eventually I found Eleanor Burns on PBS and watched her show and took notes. After watching her show the first time and taking notes I quickly went to work and my first deliberate quilt project was made.

I was so proud of my little quilt, its hand quilted and I still love it. Money was very tight when I was a young mom and I treasured every little piece of quilt fabric I could find.
My first bigger quilt was made before I really knew what I was doing you can read it’s story here

and my most recent quilt
this little schnibble its quilted and bound.

and my latest top