Days Gone By...

This week is designated to nurses and I think it is well deserving.

This was taken 44 years ago and hard to believe I have worked in the Health Care System in one capacity or another since then.

This was my caping day! Such a proud moment to have that cap... the next step was the changing of the stripe on our cap when we graduated!

As for the activites in the sewing department I have a lot going on but no finishes. 

We are all ready for our visit from Mrs P and Karen Neary on Saturday.  Only 4 more sleeps!  

I will definitely have photos of that event.

Excitement is in the Air...

The guild members are all excited...
Mrs P's from Amherst Nova Scotia is coming to town...
Yes that is right. Check out her blog...

http://mrspsamherst.blogspot.ca

She has her cute little trunks all packed for the Trunk show at the Guild on May 11.  Check out the eye candy! On ma ma ! I am drooling already. I am sure there will be lots of these,

I will have photos to show you!

On Saturday we had a Sewing Machine Savvy workshop

 Diane from Knit and Stitch,  representative for the Guild's Janome Sewing Machines is a super teacher.

The members were thought everything about the machines. It is so nice to be informed as to what exactly they can do.

 Diane and Wayne make certain we know what every button on the machines are for. So many times I have been frustrated with a machine because I could not use it to its full potential as I did not understand how it worked. After the workshop Saturday we all felt confident we could pass on our knowledge to the new sewers especially the Junior sewers.  

At the end of the day  

we did a mug mat using all the skills we learnt! 

Oh Ma Ma Look who is One already!

Miguel...

We celebrated his first birthday Sunday! And no no; he does not like cake... I was so excited because he could get into his birthday cake but surprise grand-maman ... he did not want to see it after he had a little taste . Oh, well mama and papa are glad because they prefer he not have any sugar except the natural kind.  

Where did the last year go?

Not one but two....

Lily Aprons done.... My sister is  coming home this week-end so I had to get  the pansy fabric out and make her gift...  

here is the back... I love the  big bow 

 and the front... I am thinking the fabric is perfect for this time of the year . The pansies should be in bloom very soon

 My second daughter Liette, collects birdhouses and

so this project found a home very quickly.

 The guild has reached the magic count of 100 members. I really hate to put a cap on the registration number but it is a must in order to keep the momentum of what our goals are all about. We will have a waiting list and so as soon as there is a member who wishes to bow out we will fill in the empty space.  I can tell you in only two years it has exceeded all expectations. 

   The Juniors are really enjoying sewing and the challenges of learning, It is a true Intergenerational Program. 

  Have a good week!  Happy sewing ! 

What has been Happening?

There is not enough room on one post  to write about everything that has been happening. Some good things and some not so good things. But in the end prayers were answered and the outcome was great.

My 93 year (young) mom was hospitalized but has returned home and she is doing well!

I was finally able to attend the Bernina embroidery club. It is a two hour drive and this winter there was always bad weather on the days it was being held.

 

I really enjoyed the project this month. 

"Vintage Cut Work". 

Of course my friend Elaine and I cannot go to the Valley without checking things out at Avonport Fabric Centre and  

 oh! yes, some fabric had my name on it ! or rather had my sister's name on it. In an earlier post I shared how she loves aprons, well this fabric is just perfect for aprons. I saw the pattern on my friend, Cindy' post a while back and I ordered it..

 Lily Apron

And the back...

But ....

it will be a surprise for my sis when we get to visit.  

 

 I also have been working on a Mystery Quilt in the guild

where we have to make a quilt using a 

square!!

and at our 3rd anniversary party we will unveil our quilts. I won't be able to post too much about this quilt because it is to be a secret from all the members until the Quilt parade in April next year. I know some of the members check my blog so it would be telling if I post about it!  I guess the bottom line is it is a secret for all my blog supporters as well.  

Speaking of anniversary..

today we celebrated our 2nd anniversary.  Already two years and 97 members! Amazing!!!!

You can check out the event on Face book

 La Guilde Acadienne de Clare  

Happy Easter

Easter is my favorite holiday. I like the fact that it is still mostly concentrated around the spiritual aspect of the season although by the looks of things today in Yamouth it is becoming more and  more commercial. But in spite of all that one cannot,at one point, not reflect on what Easter is all about. 

Tomorrow after Easter mass I will have everyone over for a brunch and oh! yes Grand-père has an Easter egg hunt all ready to go for the "cuties". Miguel  will only be one next month so I imagine next year he will be in on it. I think I will warn the girls that next year may be a tad different. He's a go-getter even at his age.

  

Cute! 

As for my sewing .. I did a get a few things done.. Good Friday I spent  the whole day making more bible covers for people who wanted one.

There is a story behind the bible covers. Gerald's mom (mother-in-law) was a sewer and when she passed away I inherited all her fabric. I know what sewing and giving meant to her so I packaged all the fabric and this is what we use in the school to teach the kids to sew. But I also used the fabric to make these bible covers for the parishioners of the same church she was so devoted to. It warms Gerald's heart to see his mom's fabric in church,  bringing such pleasure to her community. 

I have been reflecting a lot on my "quilt-as-you-go"

 embroidery quilt and  

 I decided to combine patchwork with the embroidery blocks.

I am making the pinwheel.

The back

is all the same fabric.

For the pinwheel block 

I am using  the Holly Taylor "Northern Solitude".

The colors are so calming. 

Now about the guild.. 

It received another award. A recognition for all the creativity it brings to the community and the municipality . This was presented to the guild by "La Societé Acadienne de Clare". What an honor!

April will be a busy month for the guild. On April 13th we celebrate our second anniversary and we have an Open House planned. There will lots of activities.. displays, some members will demonstrate how to make certain projects, 50/50, articles for sale , hand quilting on our quilts, cake sale  and of course good food and good friends. 

This was last year's Open House for our first anniversary and it was a great success!

The following Saturday we will have a workshop by our sewing machine dealer. The guild purchased 17 Janome sewing machines for the kids to sew on so the members will get a demonstration on how to use the machines to the fullest. 

The following Saturday on the 27th we have a road trip planned. Another guild has invited us to go spend the day with them and  sew. They are from  Par-en-Bas. This is after Yarmouth which is a good two hours drive.  These gals are the greatest. They came with us on the  bus to Quilt Canada in Halifax .

and we had such a good time. They are also french .

 Oh! my I have been writing a lot.. I usually like to have more eye candy in my posts than a whole bunch of writing but it was not to be tonight.    

 Happy Easter !

Let us give praise to  God who moved the stone that day and who still moves the stones today, the trials of our lives .

Evening Art (Nocturne) very successful

The guild had more than 57 visitors come and try their hand at hand quilting last evening. Now this is what keeping the art of quilting alive is all about!

Members show the art of hand quilting in the large frames

grand-ma use to quilt her quilts.

Some are quick learners...with expert quilter member Clara

Our best supporter DH has a chat with member Nicole.

Young and old they want to try it..

Another of our expert quilters, member Linda is teaching the girls to hand quilt.

                    Dedicated members sew on the guild projects and show the visitors the art of quilting in progress.  

Grand-daughter Amy came to visit and is checking out a website where one of our member's bags and purses are sold.

 It was a fun evening. We met a lot of beautiful people who stopped by to support us, learn about who we are and enjoy a  light snack with us.  


                                            From hand quilting to machine quilting.

                              I machine quilted this lap quilt. The guild members makes these for our Cancer survivors in the community.

Hearts are appropriate for these projects

as our hearts go out to all survivors

who faced the dreadlful demon of cancer.

Does it pain you to crack open one of these beautifully rolled jelly roll? 

It breaks my heart even though I know it will look really good in the  project it is about to go into.  

It's done!

and it will be perfect sashing for my pinwheel blocks.

Happy Sewing!

Rude awakening....

When I got up this morning the calender said " spring" 

so I took down the winter quilt and hung the spring one.  

A Karen Neary design " Meadow Song". Our 2010 workshop.

Next I changed the bench panel in the Hall from the snowman to the spring flowers.   

  This a four season piece I painted way back in 1991.

The runner I did with a charm pack in the Kansas Troubles. 

 In my quest to make the house feel like spring, I had a rude awakening when hubby left for his walk...  

Instead of buds on the Rhododendron  there was icicles.

Whew! another  storm... 

I ventured out and on the road to work and I was slipping and sliding.. At one point the car was moving sideways and I cannot explain the feeling I had as I realized I was looking at a fairly steep slope. At that point I am certain God took the wheel because I was useless. It did straighten out but in the wrong direction. That was my message...  GO BACK!!!

The guild members said good-bye to a wonderful member today.

Cerita passed away Monday surrounded by her loving family. She was not ill very long so it is a bit of a shock.  She was a very active member who loved to quilt and share her many quilting talents.

Cerita will be missed.