Quilt Cruise a Success

What a great way to spend a week with like minded people who share the love of quilting.  It also helps if someone else prepares delicious meals, does the clean-up, makes your bed in the morning and straightens it before you go to bed at night.  Plus a chocolate on the pillow doesn't hurt either right.  Just a few pictures of a great week and can't wait until the next time I can say Bon Voyage!

Our quilt teacher Natasha made the cruise a great success!

Oh yes and by the way, the next time you want a great trip use this character in black from West Shore Flight Centre, Miriam will make it happen!

Waiting for the van to take us to a local quilt shop and yes, it's serious business.

Some great finds at the quilt shop Rain Tree Quilting.

There is another fabulous quilt shop and it's just up those stairs and I brought home more goodies.

It was called Changing Tides and I could of spent a good couple of hours in there.

Here is a purchase from a yarn shop and don't you just love the colors, well...I do!

 A view of Juneau from the tram we took and though I don't like heights I forced myself to do this and the view didn't disappoint.

 Leaving Juneau just as the rains came,  our timing was perfect.

I so enjoyed the Coffee Bar on board and got my moneys worth for sure.

I did actually work on the project but the visiting was wonderful too, thanks Della. 

Pulling into Ketchican 

The Ketchican excursion  on The Aleutian Ballad was a highlight, they took us crab fishing, bait fishing  and the tale of their lives at sea was as entertaining as it was sad. 

The owners and crew of the crab boat.

 Our waiter Ivan made our Dining experience an Experience and of course Cruiser got in on the action.

In fact Cruiser quite enjoyed his first cruise...there was a lot of monkeying going on.

And this how you look at the end of a fabulous quilt cruise thanks to Miriam and Natasha.

Bon Voyage until next time dear friends!

My Head Is Swimming

July has been one of the busiest months for me on the learning side.  I've participated in several software and computer classes relative to my Husqvarna Ruby and now my head seems to be swimming and I fear I may be drowning.  But as I come up for air occasionally I know that repetition is the way to succeed in my case so that is the direction I need to go now.  Though it's tough to teach old dogs new tricks I now realize it can be done, slowly.
I'm pleased to say I have another finish for July and it was The Charm Tote Bag which was a class by Natasha at one of our local quilt shops, The Cloth Castle.  What was great is that I finished this project all in one day albeit a long day but I knew I wasn't going to stop until it was done.

 I used my Jumbo Wonder Clips to hold everything in place so I could topstitch the opening down and they worked great.

So here is the finished product which will be part of a Christmas present for my DIL.  I'll be able to add lots of smaller gifts inside and because it was made out of Laurel Birch Christmas fabrics it will be just perfect for the season.

Two finishes in one week

Yes, I actually finished two projects in one week.

 Applique project

Quilt Tiles

Measure and Cut

This is what I accomplished yesterday after taking a stroll along the Gorge's Canada Day Celebrations.

 While catching up on some of Bonnie Hunter's QuiltCam via You Tube I spent several hours tracing applique pieces for another Christmas Quilt resting in the WIP pile.  I decided to square the leftovers into the sizes suggested in Bonnie Hunters Leaders and Enders book.  They may not look like much but let me tell you it takes a crazy amount of time measuring up the pieces and cutting them but with it being so hot in my sewing room (it faces West) I decided to do that rather than any sewing.  I will try to do that with my leftovers now to keep them under control and useful the Bonnie Hunter way.  If you haven't watched any of Bonnie's QuiltCam you should check it out HERE as it's like hanging out with a quilting buddy and who doesn't love that!  Time to start assembling this next project after all it's only been in the works for say 3 years, not sew bad right!  Here's hoping you can squeeze in some quilty time today. 

I Was A Blubbering Mess

Yes, I cried buckets at my Grandson's Grade 12 Graduation and I don't apologize at all for my massive use of Kleenex.  Here he is wrapped in the quilt I gifted him and though the weather right now is in the 30* Celsius range and he won't be needing it anytime soon I know there will be a time when he will be warmed and loved by it.

There was 400 Graduates from his High School in Red Deer Alberta and so there was a lot of sitting time but I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat! 

 Here he is receiving his diploma, such a proud moment for me!

 I was so excited I couldn't even make a Woot Woot out loud.

 Here is a picture of my hubby, myself, Christian and Derek, our oldest son and Father of Christian outside after the diploma ceremonies.

 A great picture of us so proud of him after the Grand March, pretty handsome young man right!

 Another of Derek, Christian, his step-dad Pat and Mom, Jaime who have all assisted in raising this young man.

And just another example of me in the throws of teardom!  Oh Gramm, you are sooooo  proud and emotional.

The trip from Vancouver to Red Deer for Christian's Grad for  us was from this past

Thursday to Saturday and we spent 28 hrs of that travelling there and back but we seen so much of our beautiful country along the way.

Well it's Canada Day today and I think I will take some time to enjoy what makes us Canadians, being proud and free.

Graduation Quilt is Done

My Grandson's Grade 12 Graduation quilt is done and is ready for it's label.  I also made a bag for him to carry it in if he so wishes.  

 

 It doesn't seem so long ago we were playing swashbuckling pirates with fabric eye patches and wishing I had a picture of that to share or not! 

Bloglovin

I know I don't want to miss any of the people I follow so if you wish to follow me I've signed up over at Bloglovin so now I have my blog button on my sidebar and you can just click on the link.  See you on the other-side come July!