Canmore Conference

The weather outside is frightful, but inside so delightful! I'm taking a design class with Elizabeth Barton. Down the hall are large rooms filled with quilters taking classes with Phil Beaver, Sue Benner, Susan Carlson, Sandra Meech, Kathy Sandbach and Lura Schwarz Smith. Have we died and gone to heaven? Almost.

Besides all this, Sugar Pine (host quilt shop) has an in-venue store, two great open houses with snacks at their larger store, and we each received huge gift certificates, stuffed-full goodie bags, and gracious hospitality.

I've not taken any photos yet, but will try. I'll also post info on the project I am working on, and if I remember to take pictures, some of those too. I'm here for five glorious days, until Thursday morning. Back later...

Split-rail Fence

It is finally done! I started this last March in a class with Cynthia England because I wanted to learn her techniques. She supplied the pattern and the fabrics (although I used a bit of my own just because).

I kept putting off working on it and called it my 'insanity quilt' for obvious reasons. Some of the pieces are half the size of my pinkie fingernail, and I was sure I'd not make it through will all my faculties intact! Finished size is 29.25" x 39".

Cynthia is an energetic young woman and a lot of fun. I enjoyed her class and love her quilts. I thought I was a detail person, and I do love precision piecing, but after making this, I'm not so sure. One thing I do know—I'll never tackle anything like this again, and my respect for Cynthia has quadrupled!

Double-click the photos to see them larger. The partial one shows how I quilted it, which was another gray-hair producing experience! Do I get a medal now? LOL!

Optical Illusion

My husband is one of those guys who loves his old shirts. They must be falling apart before he will part with them. When he reluctantly added several plaids and stripes to the 'only good for rags' pile, I grabbed them without him knowing, removed the buttons (whatever for, I've no idea - who uses old shirt buttons?) and cut off all the parts that were not worn thin or paint-spattered.

The result was this small lap-quilt which I called OPTiCAL ILLUSiON. I surprised him with it since he'd thought those shirts were gone forever. He uses it in the winter on those days that hit -20 or even -40 and he is almost home from work before the car gets warm. Besides the fact that quilt keeps his knees from freezing, I rather like the way it makes my eyes bounce.

Karen's Sunflowers

When my daughter decorated her kitchen in dark blue with sunflowers, I just had to make this paper-pieced quilt for her. I asked her to pick the fabric and notice what she selected for the sky! She doesn't quilt, but what a good eye for something that I probably would not have picked.

Double-click for a closeup. Also, the quilt is square and hangs flat, but for some reason, I didn't take any good photos. The greens are flat in this one, rich in the original.

This was from an Eileen Sullivan pattern. I made most of it in a hotel in Canmore while my husband was golfing. I know, I should have been out enjoying the fabulous mountain scenery, but this was fun, so much so that I'd make another one.

I leave for two weeks holidays tomorrow so am hoping to find some special fabric while away. One thing for sure, cotton is a lot less $ in the USA than in Canada.

Oh, I just received "Turquoise and Lime" in the mail from Wanda. It looked good online, but is so lovely 'in person' and I can hardly wait to quilt it and hang it. Thanks, Wanda!