"Got to Get You Outta My Life"

I have to wonder if anyone reading this blog is actually a quilter, since all the emails I have received in the past little bit have either been about bees or Paul McCartney! Since so many have asked about the concert, I decided I had best post some details of this absolutely wonderful day.
I wore the Tshirt from the Quebec 400 concert last July. This is the first time I have worn the shirt. It was a great choice, as so many folks throughout the day came over and showed me theirs from this event also - classmates, I guess this makes us...McCartney alumni. A friendlier, warmer bunch there could not be.
Our merry little band of eight set off, clutching these precious tickets firmly:

Amazingly, we found a parking spot very close to the Commons. We arrived around 3 pm, and left well after 1 am (that late as one of of our group got lost and we had to wait for her ...some people, huh?) The parking cost us $4.00 - what a bargain! We walked along some of Halifax's beautiful tree lined streets enroute to the concert.

Learning from last year's sell-out experience, my first stop inside the gates was at the merchandise tent. There were many styles, colours and sizes from which to choose.

The one which said "Halifax Commons, July 11th 2009" looked very similar to what I already had, so I opted for this grey one featuring Paul and his beloved Hofner bass. I like it :)

The crowd was large but moving quickly as we headed onto the grounds to claim our spot. We made note of the landscape and decided if the group got separated we would meet up afterwards at the kiosk which read "Tickets, Tickets, Tickets." Rules allowed folks to bring a fold-in-a-bag chair and there was a special section where those chairs could go. We got set up and began the wait.

It didn't take terribly long for me to get antsy and decide I wanted to be closer to the action...so I ditched the rest of the group and elbowed my way forward all alone. I ended up about 11 rows from the front of the stage. It was a perfect spot to watch what was to be a perfect concert. Joel Plaskett warmed the audience up for Paul, and what an entertainer he is. Even though playing for a crowd that size must have been daunting, he appeared totally comfortable and in his element. No wonder Paul hand picked him to open. Way to go Joel - you did us proud! We loved his set.

There were many highlights to Paul's performance; for me, it was a very moving moment when the 78th Regiment Pipe and Drum Corp joined Paul onstage for a rousing version of Mull of Kintyre. I loved that the backdrop projected across that huge stage was our Nova Scotia tartan.

It was very cool to hear Day Tripper performed, as we understand that one has not been done live since the Candlestick Park concert of August 1966. The pyrotechnics employed during Lie and Let Die were also very dramatic, although admittedly having seen them last year in Quebec made them rather expected. Spectacular none the less, and they were larger in Halifax than in Quebec. Everyone loves the part with the fireworks!

Paul arrived on stage at 9:20 and sang non-stop until almost midnight, giving two generous encores. His energy is amazing and his musical talent unsurpassed.

And then the concert ended... and I got lost. Literally. In a sea of people numbering well over 50,000. Remember that "Tickets, Tickets, Tickets" kiosk where we had agreed to meet up? Turns out there were 3 identical ones...and I chose the wrong one. An overloaded cell phone network made calling impossible. I felt like Waldo without a striped shirt in that huge crowd...Eventually, things sorted themselves out...and they found me...but we were very late arriving back home. It will take awhile to live that one down, especially as all the kids in our group had no problem finding the correct meeting spot. Sheesh...

It was a beautiful moonlit night, and the concert could not have been more perfect. We look forward to reliving the moment via the DVD which will be released shortly.

To Be Where You Belong

They say there's one in every crowd and unfortunately for those closest to me... I'm that one. My very patient (or is that long-suffering?) husband surely must often feel a bit like Ricky Ricardo in "I Love Lucy" when his wife would get one of her wild ideas. I can still see "Ricky" come charging through the door saying "Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do!" This time however, there was no 'splaining for me to do, since this escapade involved Paul McCartney and my husband long ago accepted there is no explanation on this front...


You may recall seeing pictures of a quilt I was working on a few posts back which featured Tall Ships blocks and the Nova Scotia tartan. Truth is...this quilt was designed to commemorate Paul McCartney's visit to Nova Scotia. I thought long and hard to decide what should go into this piece. I wanted it to have a fun, folk-arty/storybook look (as in the Yellow Submarine days) and using tonal shades of blue, green, red and gold - colours all pulled from our tartan - helped achieve this effect. The name of the quilt is "To Be Where You Belong", which is taken from a line in the Beatle song Honey Pie: "Sail across the Atlantic, to be where you belong." The Tall Ships Festival will overlap his stay here, and he is very interested in seeing those ships. Here is the quilt laid on the floor for basting; you can see there is also a mariner's compass and lighthouse block amidst those pinwheels of sunshine which are guiding the ships to our shore:

Since there was not enough time to handquilt the entire piece, I decided to do a combination of machine and handquilting. Details throughout the body of the quilt, as well as a cable design in the border, were all added with hand stitches. Hidden amongst the waves under the ships are an octopus in his garden, and a yellow submarine. This new chaco-liner worked great to mark the design on the dark fabrics. It has a little wheel inside which ran very smoothly.It was such fun to work on this quilt, knowing where it was destined. Quilted in the inner red border are the lines from the song which give the quilt its name, as well as the date and occasion.

Hubby came with me on the weekend over to the welcome centre at the entry to Nova Scotia to help with the photo shoot. Our first trip over was rained out - the heavens opened just as we got the quilt spread on the rocks - so we gathered everything up and ran.

Our attempt on the following day was a bit more successful, despite a very high wind. We finally weighted the edges of the quilt down with some of the big rocks.

The picture below with the "Welcome To Nova Scotia" sign was used on the front of the card which accompanied the quilt (and a hand-written note to Paul). Day before yesterday, it was couriered to the promoter (Harold MacKay) in Halifax, who had already checked all of this out with Paul's people to make sure it could happen. It is a thrill to know that the quilt will be presented to Sir Paul McCartney early this afternoon, right before he does the sound check on the stage in Halifax. Sincere thanks to Michele and Harold MacKay for their help.

Tomorrow is concert day, and we are having sunshine. It doesn't get any better than this!

Missbeehaving

There's never a dull moment around here! Yesterday enroute to checking the bees, by sheer chance hubby spotted a swarm in a grove of nearby pine trees. Luckily, I had the little Nikon in my pocket and got a quick shot before we headed home for swarm gear. As you can see, originally the bees were clustered in two groups: When we returned with boxes and a ladder to aid in their capture - and a bigger camera! - the bees had moved together into one huge clump. From a distance, it looks like a giant pine cone.

Conveniently, the tree was not a very tall one so it was easy to reach the swarm.

Hubby put a step ladder in place with a box of frames just underneath. He climbed up and gave the branch a shake, hoping to dislodge the swarm into the hive.

It's a very dramatic moment when all those bees are buzzing through the air, but the strategy worked and they soon settled into the box.

Look how many bees there are!

We waited until they settled a bit, and then located the queen. We returned early evening to add a few items to make their housekeeping easier, and will check on them again to ensure all is well.

This is the most swarms we have ever captured in one season, and even though the old adage tells us a "swarm in July isn't worth a fly", we'd like to think the precious honeybees are happy to have a new home provided so easily.

Atlantic Author Day

Saturday, July 11th will be a big day in Atlantic Canada...for many reasons besides Paul McCartney's concert! Not the least of these will be the first annual Atlantic Author's Day which will have authors from around the Maritimes making guest appearances at bookstores. Look for me at Coles in the Amherst Centre Mall from 10 - 11 am that day. Diane Shink, fellow co-author of Canadian Heritage Quilting, will be at Frog Hollow Books in Halifax from 1-2 pm. The complete schedule for the province of Nova Scotia is posted here.
The schedule worked out great, as it allows me ample time to get to Paul's concert following the signing!

Another Maritime Beauty

Don't you love surprises? I sure do, and it was certainly a surprise to open my mail to find this picture of a gorgeous Maritime Beauty centrepiece. Carolyn has used a great many colours to good effect - I love how warm and cheery this looks! What a terrific job with all those sharp points.Stay tuned for another from Carolyn - the next maybe in Christmas prints? - who was part of the class in Keswick Ridge back in April. Thanks so much for sharing this, Carolyn.
C'mon Lucy and Christine, and all you others from that day- we're still waiting to see yours!

Canada Day - July 1

Today - Canada Day! - I will have a display of quilts at the Visitor Information Centre at the New Brunswick/Nova Scotia border (aka the Tourist Bureau). Set-up will be around 8 am, so things should pretty much be in place by 9. If you are in the area, please stop in and say hello. There will be lots going on all day, with a noon flag-raising, pipers, entertainment, etc...and quilts, of course :)

The mixed media art exhibit at the Cumberland County Museum and Archives on Church Street, Amherst, is now open and a couple of my quilts are included in that display.

Happy Canada Day to all!

Ripley's Beelieve it or Not!

As unbeelievable as this sounds...we landed another bee swarm! This one is twice as large as last weeks - enough for two supers of bees. And what super bees they are - settling in nicely and already busy at work. They arrived in what appeared to be a big, black cloud. Here they are forming what looks like a beard of bees on the front of the empty hive which was set out to lure them to land.

There are a LOT of bees.

We will head out to the apiary later this evening with the hive when they have

all returned home from their day's work. This way no one gets left behind.

Exciting stuff but...I am supposed to be quilting...right?

Quilting details

Sometimes it feels like progress is made at the speed of snail but we've learned that slow and steady wins the race. Last evening some hand quilting details were added on the tall ships quilt, including the clapboards on the lighthouse.

This week I purchased a new quilting hoop at Dayle's and I like it very much. These hoops, frames and stands are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and are hand-made by a fellow in the Moncton area. They are very good quality, and a terrific price. This is the 14" one but they come larger. It's so much more convenient to use than the big Grace frame.

The Blue Jay outside the window is calling for rain. This makes for good quilting weather.

Basting Day

I'm sure we are not the only family who revels in word play, but we certainly must be one of the most pun obsessed - all of us, old to young. Our language was butchered unmercilessly all weekend, with puns flying fast and furious, beginning with the ribbon around the new bee swarm and a note proclaiming "Happ-Bee Father's Day" to my DH. Those bees, by the way, were moved into place with the others returning from the blueberry field early yesterday morning (and believe me when I say "early"...) We moved the hives back to their regular home, and will have the fun of doing this all over again when the cranberry blossoms come into bloom in about two weeks' time. A pork BBQ was the highlight of the day and greatly enjoyed by all. DH greatly enjoyed his pork and bees...(groan) After the weekend nonsense of Father's Day, today was a bit of a dénouement... Since my big Grace frame is "occupied" with the silk log cabin quilt, the basting for the tall ships quilt needed to be done on the floor. I'd like to think this is good exercise, but...I dunno. It sure isn't a process I enjoy. However...it got done.

The first bits of quilting - with the walking foot - are complete, although you certainly cannot see the stitching here. I am pleased with the look achieved, as it captures what I was going for - a folkarty/storybook look. Tomorrow comes the free motion fun!

"A Swarm In June Is Worth A Silver Spoon..."

There are many perennials in bloom in the garden and these German Bearded Iris are among the most impressive. The heads are massive and so exquisitely beautiful. They look as though they are stitched from velvet. Although it's hard to tell from the picture, there are six blooms and buds on this one stalk and we know from experience it will soon topple over unless some auxiliary support is added. One year they were so heavy, it took a hockey stick to hold them up!

There are also many small Siberian Iris in bloom, this one a very vibrant yellow. I love the markings on the "tongue".

Apparently it isn't just me who is attracted to these blooms. Yesterday my youngest son alerted us to the fact there was a cloud of bees in the backyard. Hubby had been cleaning out some old hives on the weekend - melting wax, etc. - and they attracted the attention of a passing swarm. They decided this was a great place to land and set up housekeeping, and we're very glad they did. We were quick to make the premises as inviting as possible in hopes our guests will make this their permanent home.

It was a good many bees. They settled first on three frames, then we added more plus a feeder to fill the super. When a swarm lands, one can never be certain they will stay. These bees were quite content (relieved maybe?) to find a new palace for their beloved queen. When I checked back on them later, they were happily "bridging" the gap between frames. I could hear the hum of the hive on approach -a good sign.

Early this morning, all was well with the swarm and they were out investigating their new surroundings. Naturally, they cannot stay here long as we live in town; they will join the other hives in the blueberry blossoms tomorrow.

The old saying tells us: "A swarm in May is worth a load of hay. A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon. But a swarm in July, isn't worth a fly." We are happy with our new silver spoons.

Out and About This Summer

Two more sailboats, a Mariner's Compass and only a couple thousand more pinwheel blocks to go (well, it seems like it!) on this Tall Ships quilt. The border fabric is in the wash and it is very optimistic it will be included in this top before the weekend is over. There is never enough sewing time, which is my absolute favourite thing in the world to be doing. This week, time will be spent getting some pieces ready for an exhibit at the Cumberland County Museum and Archives, which runs from June 23rd into August. I had hoped to have this silk log cabin ready in time for this exhibit (remember this one from a few months back?) but as you can see, it hasn't progressed past the basting stage. How wonderful it would be to have opportunity to hand quilt this over the summer months. It is silk both front and back and will be haptic bliss to stitch. Since it isn't ready, I will choose another quilt from the stack to exhibit in its place, along with the Anne quilt which toured Japan.
In addition to this exhibit, I also have the following appearances scheduled:

• July 1 - Canada Day - A display of patterns, book and quilts at the Visitor Information Centre at the Nova Scotia/New Brunswick border. 9 am - 8 pm


• July 11 - Atlantic Canada Author's Day - Display and book signing at Coles, Amherst Centre Mall 10-11 am


• July 20th - Timeless Stitches, River John (tentative)


• July - Five Islands Bazaar (tentative)


• August 18th - A display of patterns, book and quilts at Fabricville to greet a quilt cruise ship visiting Halifax that day (time to be confirmed)

If you happen to be in any of these areas this summer, it would be great to have you stop by and say hello.

The brochure for Nova Scotia Fibre Festival is now available, and the organizers have put together a fabulous lineup of activities. I understand the workshops are filling up already so if you are considering attending, don't wait to get your place reserved.

Gail's Maritime Beauty

Here are some pictures of Gail's scrappy Maritime Beauty from a spring workshop in Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick. Gail's use of a variegated thread worked very well with the many colours and prints in her centrepiece.

It's really interesting to see how she has chosen to quilt her Maritime Beauty, and her application of binding by machine looks flawless. For me personally, I love the opportunity to stitch the binding to the back by hand. It gives a final few minutes to connect to the piece, hold it in my hand and enjoy the colours and design up close and personal - a treasured haptic moment.

You can see Gail's feathers scrolling around the centre in this photo:

Terrific work Gail, and thanks for sharing. Eventually this picture will be added to the Sew and Tell page of my website. Many from the day in Keswick Ridge have emailed that they've finished their Beauties but Gail's pictures are the first proof. C'mon girls: we want to see them!

The Weekend

The tall ships quilt took a backseat to other weekend activities. It's time soon to introduce some green to the mix - one more ship to piece before that, to be placed on the upper right hand side. I like blocks that build in tandem with each other, and you can see that the top sail on the ships is really part of the pinwheel block above it.

A visit to the hives showed lots of activity, both inside and out. The blossoms on the blueberries are in abundance and the bees are happy and productive. There are seldom any stings when the bees are occupied like this; I'm not even sure they were aware of our presence - we were totally ignored.

An adjacent hayfield was full of dandelions gone to seed. The fluffy white heads are beautiful...when they aren't in the lawn.

Week's End

It's been a juggling act of a week and progress has been painfully slow on the Tall Ships quilt. The colours are way off in this picture, but it's awfully hard to get good available light at 5 am. Last evening I worked late piecing several more pinwheel units, so those blocks should build quickly today. The colours for this quilt have been pulled from our N.S. tartan: blue, green, yellow, white and red.

"The Time Has Come, The Walrus said...

To talk of many things,
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax
Of cabbages and Kings..."

Today I had the pleasure of lunching with Bev Crouse of The Quilter's Net. Though she was only passing through town, we certainly made the most of our time together. Admittedly, we did not discuss sealing wax, but that gives us something for next time. It's wonderful to hear how her vision of matching quilts to buyers over the internet is taking off. We shared experiences and suggestions freely and I came away enthused and inspired. Bev's slogan is "Every Quilt Deserves A Home" but certainly the opposite is also true: "Every Home Deserves A Quilt".

Last week I sketched out a new design with a nautical theme; after three blocks were completed, I decided it wasn't working for me. Back to the drawing board...

Switching out the too-busy background of blues for a royal Kona Bay tonal worked wonders. I am much better pleased with the look. Doesn't it work well with our gorgeous Nova Scotia tartan?