Fibre Arts Festival Flurry

There's been lots of festival activity (which is where we get the term "festivity"!) going on lately, in preparation for the 5th big year. If you haven't checked the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival blog in awhile, you may want to skip over there now. Joan Beswick has posted the first in a series of interviews with folks involved with the festival, beginning with Vera McInnis. The N.S. Fibre Arts Festival website has been completely redone making it mobile friendly, accessible by iPhone and iPad users.
The workshop lineup this year is impressive for the scope of disciplines included. Of particular interest to quilters are workshops which include A Maze Of Colour by Phyllis Cameron, Accidental Landscapes (a Karen Eckmeier technique) by Mary Farrow-Sinclair, Roundabout Again (New York Beauty quilt) by Karen Neary (me!), Crazy Quilt by Vera McInnis, Free Motion Embroidery with Kathy Tidswell and Cathedral Window Quilt by Phyllis Cameron. Registration details for these workshops as well as many others may be found on the website.
Yesterday I picked up the 500+ foundation sheets from the printers which will be used in my workshop. Packaging the kits will be my Labour Day labour.The Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival runs October 9-13, 2012 right here in Amherst.

Rolling Out The Red (and white) Carpet

Flags lined the street today leading to Amherst Regional High School to welcome our Prime Minister Stephen Harper to town.Even though Amherst was home to four of Canada's Fathers of Confederation, The Amherst Daily News tells us this is the first visit by a sitting Prime Minister since Diefenbaker, which would be late 50's/early 60's.So much excitement in our town this week!

Heads Up, Moncton!

If you are looking for Sew Karen-ly Created...patterns in the Moncton area, The Covered Bridge Quiltery has a new supply in stock.
Tell them Karen sent you :)

Fire!

What a sad day for beautiful downtown Amherst. Homes and jobs and buildings were lost, but luckily no one was injured.

5 Down, 4 To Go...

Other than the addition of leaves with a few hand stitches, the Thanksgiving antependium is finished. I am indeed giving thanks for its completion. I cannot show the finished piece until it is presented in church, but it came out looking exactly like my original sketch. Can you use your imagination to envision it? I like the shape.
Before I shift gears and begin the Advent parament, some time will be spent on getting kits together for the N.S. Fibre Arts Festival. That week is quickly approaching and there's lots to do to prepare. Be sure to check out the Festival website for details, and watch the Fibre Arts Festival blog for updates.

Odd Gifts From Unusual People

...unusually delivered!
Picture looking out your front window to see this 1917 Ford cruising up your street and turning into your driveway. What fun!

Slow Progress

After several false starts and many interruptions, the Thanksgiving antependium is finally beginning to take shape. Yesterday I stitched leaves which will be added after the piece is quilted. I love that red print, a Kona Bay tonal.
Today I am finishing up the stitching of the letters.

My goal was to have this as well as the one for Advent finished and presented before the end of August, but that would be nothing short of a miracle at this point. A little divine intervention would be welcome! :)

It's Sew Ezi To Fall In Love

Buddy Holly and Linda Ronstadt both sang it, and now I'm singing it too. My Sew Ezi table arrived...and I love it!
As mentioned in a previous post, I have been pondering purchasing one of these tables for some time and after seeing it in person at Quilt Canada this spring I was sold. My friends Marilyn in California and Jennifer in Australia both have Sew Ezi tables and have only good things to say. Marilyn uses hers to take to workshops, but Jennifer's is in use full time at home. I plan to do both. As there is already a large wooden sewing cabinet in this room housing one machine I simply did not want another big piece of furniture; I wanted something small but solid and this answers both needs. It does not wobble. Even the packaging was reinforced with wooden supports. And do you see that white tag on the right in the carry case? My name was already on the label, so this felt like my table the minute I opened the box. (Nice touch, Ian!)

There was very little by way of assembly, as the legs were on when it came. All that was required was to add four screws for the hanging table which the machine sits on. (Dare I say "so easy"?:) Look carefully at the picture below to see who thought she could help. Do you see the little black paw reaching out?
Yup, it's Polly. In the time it took to pick up the Allen wrench, Polly had wiggled underneath the table.
She made sure my husband put those screws in correctly.
Aren't those built in wheels on the table the coolest thing? You simply fold the table and wheel it to class. The design is brilliant.
Polly is a tough taskmaster as you can see from those teeth.

Finally it met her approval.
The table has custom inserts to accommodate your sewing machine so this one fits my 440 perfectly. I also purchased a solid wooden insert so I can remove the Bernina and set my serger up on top.
The service I received from Ian Love, the Canadian Sew Ezi distributor, was excellent. He even telephoned to confirm order and shipping details and has kept in touch by email each step along the way. It's not often you get such personal service when purchasing online.
I've already got plans for my little Sew Ezi table to accompany me to two events during this year's Fibre Arts Festival.
So...do you suppose Linda Ronstadt is actually a quilter?

Exposition Couvertes Piquees 2012, Saulnierville

Thanks for all the emails enquiring as to my whereabouts. I didn't fall off the ends of the earth (although hubby was a bit concerned I might topple off my dangerous shoes when we visited the very end of the province.) The days pass like whirlwinds; this is the longest break I've had from blogging since I started in 2007, so there's lots of catching up to do! The highlight of the past couple of weeks was undoubtedly the Exposition Couvertes Piquees at Sacre Coeur church in Saulnierville, Nova Scotia. The church is ENORMOUS.
I've been wanting to attend this show for several years; trust me, it was well worth the beautiful - but long - drive.
We were warmly greeted by friends Joan and Elaine, both members of La Guilde Acadienne de Clare. I have new appreciation for the journey they undertake each year to attend our Fibre Arts Festival.
Simone kindly escorted us up to the balcony so we could have an overview of the show. Spectacular! The light walls and many windows in this expansive space are a perfect venue to show off the colourful quilts. It was a wonderful sight; pure candy for a quilter's eye.
There was a feeling of awe looking out on the sanctuary.

Though the Guilde is fairly young, the quilting tradition in Clare is not and the needle workers are very accomplished.
One of my very favourites was this one, designed and made by Jeannette Comeau of Meteghan River. The ruched flowers are exquisite.
These are some of Joan's lovely quilts, this first a Kim Diehl design.

"Meadowsong" from our workshop a couple of years' back.

This stunner is made by Simone Cooper.
Another of Simone's, with beautiful hand quilting.
Elaine did this "cathedral windows" style...
...as well as this very pretty yellow and blue quilt.
Gaile Smith is another member of this Guilde who travels up to Fibre Arts Festival. Gaile had several lovely pieces in the show:


I loved these colourful spools done by Alice Oikle. What a great way to use up bits and pieces.
This appliquéd quilt entitled Roses and Ivy by Elise Saulnier reminds me of one my Gram made me for a wedding present many years ago.
Lots of hours went into this Postage Stamp quilt by Marguerite Melanson.
Claudette Dugas made a very pretty sailboat quilt alternating the pieced blocks with a lively dolphin print.
Regrettably I did not note the name of the maker of this very pretty sunflower runner.
One of my favourites was this Stained Glass coverlet made by Lennie Romain. There is a cathedral windows quilt on my bucket list, and I really like how the colours shine in this one and the blocks are just the right size to please my eye. Had this one not already been sold, it would have made its way home with me.
As you make your way back to the entrance, these three quilts greet you from the balcony. In all there were just under 200 quilts beautifully displayed.
This show is one of the best I've attended in terms of workmanship, variety, and display. It's going back on the calendar for next year.