Pea Pods for Brenda.

Monday I made three blocks called Pea Pods for a friend who is moving to Vancouver Island to be closer to her son and grandchildren.  Our directions were to use bright batiks for the colours.  I used to be in a small quilting group with Brenda and decided to make more than one block for her.  One which had flip flops silk screened on it as I'm sure she will be spending time at on the beaches close to her.

 We had a group of ladies who used to fold and stuff our paper newsletter into envelops in the days when we mailed out our newsletter and they became known as the Stuffers.  Now we get it via e-mail but Stuffers still meet at Carmi's on the last Tuesday of the month as a social group and often do service things for the guild.  This is where Brenda was surprised with her blocks.  They were pinned onto a backing that Beckie donated to her as we didn't want her not to have something to work on when she moves away from us.

 Ironically Brenda's outfit coordinated with the blocks!  She was quite surprised and overwhelmed by our gesture.

 They also presented her with a few more blocks and some card wishing her well.

 Part of our service this time was sewing labels onto the Canada 150 Quilts that the Canadian Quilters' Association is encouraging quilters to make this year.  Their goal is 1,000 quilts to be donated to Ronald MacDonald Houses across Canada.

 Our Show and Tell this day was small.  Beckie had reduced the pea pod block to a 1" finished size for the peas and came up with this small beauty.  The pea squares in Brenda's are 2".  Beckie had another quilt that was made with friendship blocks that she then slashed and resewed.  She was sitting beside me and I couldn't get a picture of it but she plans on entering it in our show.  Another girl revealed a challenge for another group and didn't want a picture take of hers.

 On Friday last week I went to the CreativeFibre show at the Tradex and the Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild had a display of some of their members quilts in the centre of the hall.  This Chain quilt caught my eye.

 At one of the sewing machine vendors they had this Rainbow Maple Leaf quilt reminiscent of the Canada 150 block that I've seen as a paper pieced block.  Here is a link to Dana Szucs Hayden Sew and Sew who designed it.

Rita like this grey and white neutral quilt.

This is how our trees are looking right now, a few leaf sprouts can be seen machine quilted onto the branches.

I love the lime green and greys on this piece.

Over sized log cabin blocks.

Stretched out flying geese looking like evergreens.

A lovely Moda Sampler Skills Builder quilt.

My purchases were very small, some colourful fold over elastic for an up coming project.

Some green Diamond Woven Textiles for another..not my usual colour range.

Birthday surprise...

On Sunday I had dinner with ten friends and was surprised with some lovely quilt blocks they made for me. Today at guild some other friends added to the collection. I've not been told how many people were invited to make these blocks but the guidelines were to use bright colours. If you visit my blog very often you may have noticed I love photography and quilting and Tricia figured out a way to "Capture the Moment" for my special day. Hey, that just might be the quilt name when I get it together.


They were also asked to sign their blocks on the camera lens.


My friend Tricia who co-ordinator this swap and handed out instructions and the black and white background.


She set March 11 as the deadline to hand them in so I guess I have more to come.


Opps! I just noticed this one has one of the pieces flipped.


Here are four together.


The blocks are 9" x 11" unfinished.


I think this is going to be a lovely project. I just may have to make some photographs to add to the cameras. Thank you everyone who has participated in this project.
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Northwest Getaway

Tuesday morning I packed up the car and picked up my mom for a quick little getaway.

We drove over the border and after having lunch at the Calico Cupboard in Mount Vernon we took the Keystone Ferry over to Port Townsend.  A favourite shop of mine has always been April Fool and Penny Too.

 I like the lovely soft blue grey aqua tones the building was painted with.

 Just outside the door, a watering station for dogs.

 Inside some lovely finds, this unusual red background double wedding ring quilt was very worn.

 An old vault door reveals a mini shopper's paradise.

Looking out over the harbour from inside the shop.                                                                                 

Across the street at The Green Eyeshade and interesting collection of wine glasses.                              

 I like the Cafe de Paris.

 Another lovely Parisian lady walking her French Poodle.

Uptown one of the regal painted ladies, this one is the Ann Starret House a lovely bed and breakfast.

Next door is this one with a widow's walk.                                                                                              

 Another beauty around the corner.

 The Quimper Inn another bed and breakfast.

 Check out the 3 different sidings on this one.

 A commanding view at the corner overlooking the port and downtown area.

Need some exercise take the stairs up to the top, they are steeper than they appear.                             

 What a lovely thought.

 Glass beads from Czechoslovakia.

 Purple Peruvian elephants.

Made from old steel oil drums from Haiti.                                                                                             

 Back downtown and a cake that looks like a wedding cake.

 Painted on the side of a building.

 Notice the Hastings in the iron work along the roof.

 Some more old signs.

 Mom taking some sun out on the pier.

 Looking towards the ferry slip, love those clouds in the sky.

I like interesting and unique signs.                                                                                                           

 I wonder if they sell fish?

I wonder how that name was chosen to become their business.                                                               

 This was created with paper napkins.

 Air mail anyone?

 Heading out of town I saw a sign with Quilt Shop on it, we doubled back and found Creative Union
Fabrics.

 It is a small shop, but full of ideas.

 Narrow aisles filled with fabrics.

 Notions and samples peeking out of corners.

Down the road we found this interesting Chicacum Country Store and Cafe.  I like the old truck.

A bit farther down the road was this interesting sign.                                                                          

 

 Next stop Port Gamble.

 The Quilted Strait Quilt Shop is in a large old barn.

 They have a separate entrance for the class room.

 Inside they have things hanging up to the rafters.

 Large and easy to get around.

 Sunning quilt done in batiks.

Love the rain boots, rain coats and umbrellas.                                                                                       

 Looking from another corner of the shop.

 One of their signs for the shop.

 They have a lovely wool corner.

 Some more of the wool.

 Farther down in Poulsbo we went to Heirloom Quilts and Fabrics.

 They are just off the large public parking lot by the harbour.

 This is a lovely large shop, it is currently up for sale.  They have some people interested, I hope it continues on as a quilt shop. 

 There is a second half as big as this part.  The class room is about half of the second side.

You must be in Seattle when your see this fabric lots of coffee cups and iconic Northwest images.

 Owls are seen all over the shop.

 Cute aprons for children.

 Mount Rainier depicted as a quilt.

At April Fool and Penny Too my mom bought this pin cushion for me, I'm sure the dress has been replaced, but the lady is in very good condition.

 They have her tied into the dress with a bow.

 In Port Townsend there is a shop called Four Sisters , their motto is reuse, refresh, repurpose; I found these two basket quilt tops there.  They have an interesting mix of fabrics,  They apparently are from the San Diego.

 There are flocked fabrics, some nylon or polyester, muslin, cotton.  Some of the backgrounds have been pieced using similar coloured fabrics.

 They are a lot of fun and I think I'll try and machine quilt them.  I'm probably going to offer one to a friend of mine who is starting to collect old quilts.

At April Fool and Penny Too I found this Goose Tracks quilt from ?1930's Tennessee.  This quilt is well used and is rectangular in it's setting.

 There is hand quilted cross hatching in the alternate blocks and it has a very thin cotton batt in it.  It has a few holes, and some of the cross hatching has disappeared from some of the blocks.

Each diagonal row has the same fabric in it.                                                                                             

 I love how the quilted made a reverse block to finish off this row.

What a wonderful time I had in Port Townsend, it's been a few years since I was last there, but I hope to return again soon.