Christmas Shopping

The snow has put us in a real Christmas mood. Here are a few ideas to help with that long list we all have this time of year...
If you are in Halifax this Saturday, November 29th, I will be around signing copies of Canadian Heritage Quilting. From 12-2, look for me at Coles in the Hfx Shopping Centre and from 3-5 at Chapters in Bayers Lake.

Those of you unable to get out to shop may enjoy doing so from the comfort of your computer chair. There is a new site called Quilter’s Net, which is the brainchild of Nova Scotia quilter Bev Crouse. Bev writes, "The Quilters’ Net showcases quality handmade Canadian quilts and quilted accessories, all in one convenient internet market, complete with shopping basket. Our products have all been individually crafted by skilled Canadian Quilters and, when purchased, will be shipped directly from the Quilter, to you." There are some beautiful pieces, including Christmas designs, and more added regularly as the site grows. Be sure to check back often.

Another interesting spot is Truly Canadian Made. This site showcases a variety of hand made products . Here you will find "the webshops of artists and artisans, galleries and cooperatives from across Canada displaying handmade art: from glowing glasswork, to finely worked gold, silver, and gemstone jewellery. Decorate your world with unique pottery, paintings, drawings, photos, graphic art, woodcraft, sculpture, and metal art. Relax with colorful textiles, quilts and knits, luxurious soap and candles, and gourmet food and drink. Worldclass Art - Truly Canadian Made."

I do hope you will be able to drop by on Saturday to say hi. I am looking forward to meeting up with a lot of Mayflower Quilt Guild members.

And...for those of you doing your shopping here in Amherst, be sure to drop into Mrs. Pugsley's Emporium and put your name in to win the Flannel Nap Quilt shown in the book. Because of last week's snow, we decided to run the draw a little longer. There are also signed copies of Canadian Heritage Quilting both there and across the way at Pugsley's Pharmacy.

Snow 2

Guess what we did today? I was supposed to be signing books at Coles in the Amherst Centre Mall this afternoon, but Mother Nature had different plans. Everything in the area is closed, including a couple of highways, so it gave good opportunity to catch up on things here. Hopefully, we will be able to arrange another time to do the signing (and the parade!)

I've been receiving lots of pictures of completed Maritime Beauty workshop projects and am gradually getting them posted to the Sew and Tell page of my website. There are more pictures coming soon, so please check back to see the wonderful display of colours chosen by the participants. Don't forget to refresh your browser each visit to see the updates.

Janet completed three Maritime Beauty Centrepieces:
I especially like that last one, as she used a different background colour under each spiked section. Janet is now beginning work on my Beauty of Christmas design. In conversation, she suggested a neat idea for adding extra interest to the piece which hadn't occurred to me. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with. If any of you would like to be added to Janet's Christmas gift list, contact me and I'll see what I can do *-)

This one came from Chris; how lovely to see it all in Christmas colours. Great timing, as we begin our Christmas decorating. It was fun to see how many of these same prints Chris used that I have in my own stash!

Suppose hubby got the shovelling finished while I blogged away? :) It was only 30 cm or so...

It's beginning to look a lot like...

...Christmas! Our first snow arrived with a vengeance last evening and caused a bit of havoc on the roads. It is Christmas card pretty outside. The timing is rather appropriate, as tomorrow night is Amhert's light up festivities. We will attend the ceremony in Victoria Park and the carol sing at the Baptist Church to hear our youngest play in the school band. Afterwards, we will head to Dayle's Department Store for their annual light up, which is nothing short of spectacular. I dropped in yesterday to peek at their decorations and Jackie was busy working her usual magic. Saturday is the Santa Claus parade, and again our youngest will be marching and drumming with the school band. I will be at Coles Bookstore in the Amherst Centre Mall on Saturday from 2-4 pm, signing copies of Canadian Heritage Quilting. If you happen to be in town, please drop by to say hello.

3...2...1...Blast Off!!

And what a blast it was! We launched Canadian Heritage Quilting in fine style Friday night. I can't begin to thank everyone enough (most particularly Beth Munroe) for making this such a memorable occasion. The fun started Friday afternoon with an anonymous delivery of flowers, left quietly on my doorstep. Hmmm...now who could that be...?There were many emails and phone calls from well wishers throughout the day as well. At 7 pm, the doors opened at Mrs. Pugsley's Emporium. The Old Clock Tower looked so inviting; on approach, you could see the quilts hanging in the windows. Beth Munroe, owner of Mrs. Pugsley's, is nothing short of amazing. The creative touches she adds never fail to astound and delight. She came up with the idea of having cookies made in the shape of a quilt block from the book's cover, and generously distributed these to all in attendance. The decorated cookies from Noelle’s Custom Cookies were incredible. Noelle even custom-matched the frosting colours to fabric samples from Gram's Baptist Fans, the quilt gracing the book cover. How cool is that? Needless to say, the cookies were a huge hit and the recipients went home with a delicious piece of edible art.
Throughout the evening, folks mingled and chatted...

examined the quilts...

and bought books!

We even had a delightful moment to oohh and aahh when Bernice arrived with her latest version of the Maritime Beauty, this one done in Christmas colours.

Here's a shot of me (l) with Lynn Bourgeois, past president of The Cumberland Quilt Guild. Lynn was a big help in checking and editing the instructions in the book:

Alie Cameron from Antigonish also helped in this capacity, but was unable to attend due to health issues. Her good wishes were delivered via the telephone.

Thank you to all who attended, and a special thank you to Beth. We had intended to take the quilts down after the weekend, but decided that perhaps they could stay a bit longer. This coming Saturday (Nov 22nd) is the Christmas Parade in Amherst, so if you are in town that day and would like to see the quilts in this spectacular setting, you are welcome to stop in at 50 Victoria Street. Mrs. Pugsley's Emporium is open afternoons from 1-4:30.

Oh...and the flowers? They turned out to be from the Moore family. Thanks Charlene and Drew for your thoughtfulness.

When I packed up to come home, I couldn't leave without this adorable little plum coloured sequined purse:

As Steve and Morag used to sing on Smith & Smith, “it’s all part of the fun…”

Mrs. Pugsley's Emporium- Book Signing

It was so much fun at Mrs. Pugsley's Emporium last night! I will post some pictures shortly. We're doing the same thing again today, from 1-4:30 pm. You won't believe the cookies Mrs. P has...just incredible. Too much fun!

Mrs. Pugsley's Emporium

The week is zipping away and Friday is almost here! The comments on the book so far have been heartwarming (thank you!) and I am floored to hear so many of you are planning to come Friday night to the launch. Mrs. Pugsley’s Emporium, located at 50 Victoria Street, is the perfect location for such an event. The 11 foot ceilings provide ample space for hanging quilts and the warmth and character of the building lends the perfect ambiance. This building was constructed of local sandstone between 1884 and 1886 by Rhodes Curry Co. Thomas Fuller, who is also credited with designing the first House of Parliament and the Parliamentary Library in Ottawa, designed the building which is known locally as “The Old Clock Tower.”
For those coming from out of town, this building is pretty much just across the street from the downtown Tim Horton’s. Most of us can usually find a Tim’s! :)

Beth Munroe, owner of Mrs. Pugsley’s, has spent a great deal of time and energy putting together this event. I will be there Friday, Nov 14th from 7-9 pm and again the following (Saturday) afternoon from 1- 4:30. I sincerely hope you can join us. Please email if you require further information. If you are unable to attend, the rest of my signing schedule is posted here. Coauthor Diane Shink will have her schedule posted shortly, and that may be found here.

Everyone's invited to the launch!

(Click on each image to enlarge)

Canadian Heritage Quilting

It's here!!
Quilt appraiser and historian Diane Shink and I have been working on a book with Formac Publishing of Halifax. The book is a mixture of old and new; we've showcased vintage quilts from museums as well as from Diane's extensive personal collection and updated the sewing methods using today's quicker techniques. As an example, the cover quilt "Gram's Baptist Fans" features a very gentle curve. It is easily pieced by machine rather than appliquéd as our grandmothers would have done.
The book contains instructions for 16 projects, ranging from postcards, to totebags, to full-sized quilts.
More details to follow, both on ordering and on the big launch planned for downtown Amherst. I'll be adding that information here so please check back.
In the meantime, you are welcome to join with me in a big "Woo Hoo"! :)

Bernice's Beauty

Last week I heard whispers that there were a lot of Maritime Beauties from the workshop almost finished. Bernice has beaten everyone to the punch and gets to have her Beauty posted first. It is indeed a beauty! You can click here to see it on the Sew & Tell page of my website, along with a few others. Great job, Bernice. Was there a special occasion for those flowers? :)