Are we spring yet?

The calender says yes but here in Atlantic Canada we say NO.

Another major storm kept everyone home Wednesday. For a quilter is was pure serenity even with the loss of electricity. Hand applique is so perfect when it is impossible to use our 
sewing tools. 

So what to do when Mother Nature does not want to co-operate in bringing us spring like weather ?  You think spring! And this is what I had in mind for my next project. I just couldn't bring myself to use dark fabric I needed the sunshine and lacked  Vit D so I choose 

a sunflower machine appliqué    

And added a few tulips. I want to have a watering can 
hand quilted in

the center of this ring of flowers.  

Here is the ensemble. I think this will be the 2015 Parish lottery quilt. This is totally different shades of color I am use to working with but I have to admit even if I did not get the true Vit D it did wonders for my mental health. 

That is not to say I am not still  attracted to the more subdued colors and    

I am soon back to my stash and picked this Blackbird fabric to make the table runner for the door prize at the 

Guild's Open House on April 12.

I have said before I love a challenge.... well I was faced with one and I could not stop thinking of my friend Michelle who makes these beautiful t-shirt quilts .
My sister-in-law came to visit with a bag full of Hockey jerseys and asked if I would make my nephew a quilt using all his 
hockey crests. Oh la la ! 
 So here I go cutting out badges, crests, name plates, numbers  and here is the end results 

  Main colors of the team "The Mustangs" is burgundy so I choose  grey and burgundy.

This I added on the burgundy border.  

Can't wait to see it all quilted.
 I enjoyed making it because it was for my nephew but I prefer to work with 100% cotton. 

 So while the winter lingers on I am keeping the sewing machines revved up for those many projects I have on my dossier I want to do. 

The Guild has had many cancellations this winter because the storms were always on a Wednesday but we had a beautiful evening " Soirée Nocturne" where we put together 5 Mental Health  " Blankets Of Love " for the Yarmouth Hospital. 

Last summer we made Hugs and Kisses blocks.
    During the summer months we ask each member to make a specific block. These blocks are put together to make the Mental Health quilts. 
 During the Nocturne evening we had guests drop in to see us at  work and we had a quilt in the frames for people to try their hand at hand quilting  

This was a very special visitor. I have been looking tirelessly for a hand quilter and I had one living right under my roof all along. 
 Gerald says he used to hand quilt on his neighbor's quilts when he was young. ♥ Oh! he could be kept very busy. 
Next on the Guild's agenda is our big day where we celebrate our 3rd anniversary with an
Open House . 
April 12 from 10:00 to 3:00. 
We will have projects on display / various information booths where members will be demonstrating different techniques,
(hand embroidery, hand appliqué, beading, hand quilting  and more.)  50/50 draw/ pie sale / articles for sale / and rappie pie and cake for lunch oh! and yes door prize.  
$7.00 per person       


Everything is ordered and ready so let us hope the weather will co-operate. 
 Our mystery quilts still have not been unveiled because of the major storm we had on Wednesday so the date has been pushed backed to April 9th. ):   

Winter Blues...NOT!

I know we have had a harsh winter but I truly believe when you are a quilter no weather can bring you down. 

Lots happening here.

Grand -daughter Ariane and member of La Guilde made her school project on La Guilde and won~! 

Ariane with her fair project on La Guilde Acadienne de Clare

She earned a spot to go to show her project in Halifax. 

Our sewing retreat was a great success and so much fun~!

All evening Friday and all day Saturday members got together and shared the love of sewing. 

The talents were displayed in full force and lots of projects were made for the guild's emporium.

  

My projects were 

Aprons! 

The pattern from the Pattern Basket 

Everyone who saw our aprons at the Tea in November commented on them so these will be on sale in our shop at our open house♥

And nothing warms my heart more than mail... especially when it involves quilting~! 

This is my last border appliqués for my BOM

Spring Bouquet by Laundry Basket.

Finally we had a Wednesday with no serious storms and I was able to visit a new Quilt Shop in Digby

A Needle Pulling Thread 

Quilt Shop 

And to fight off the winter blues I shopped...   

Here is my stash and believe it when I say it could have been much larger. Darlene has a beautiful array of fabrics, supplies and lots of eye candy!  

 As for my sewing here is a project I just finished.   

Swirled Christmas tree wall hanging 

The pattern comes from Cratsy Quilting. 

Daughter Liette had seen this on Pinterest and adored it. I have no problems making Christmas projects now, as a matter of fact they are my favorite small projects on my to-do list~!

Happy sewing! It has been and interesting winter and the spring is in the air as we enter Lent 2014. 

(Joel 2, 13) Rend you hearts and not your garments: ( it is not our clothes we need to change but our hearts)