2017 - Bring it On!

Where's Brody?

Hello friends.  Christmas has been packed away for another year. It was so heartwarming to have both girls (and their partners) home for the holidays.  We had the lovely opportunity to show off our beautiful Northern Ontario winter to Lauren’s friend Anthony.  The weather seemed to know that we had a new comer in our midst, and co-operated to give us optimal weather for a day of skating on the pond, sliding down the driveway (which by the way I have not done in some 15 years) and cross country skiing through the back woods. 

We received a box of goodies from Anthony’s parents. The goodies came packed in the most adorable nesting boxes. They have snowmen on the lids and I do love my snowmen!  I can see them packed with fat quarters in the studio.  I’m like that little kid who gets the big toy kitchen for Christmas and has more fun playing with the box.  LOL Thank you folks at Hope Cottage.

Its hard to believe another year has gone by.  It seems like the years are going by faster and faster.  I would like to take this time to say thank you for sharing my quilting journey with me.  2016 was a remarkable year for me.  I held the first Northern Ontario Quilting Symposium and had one of my quilts featured in The Quiltmaker Magazine.   2017 is off to a great start.  There are many new things on the horizon so stay tuned as things unfold.

     I do not like new year resolutions per say, but do like having a word, that I post on my office wall, that I use as a reminder of something I want to work towards. Last year my word was “growth”.  2016 certainly was a year of growth for Quilting by the River.  With growth comes more work, more opportunities and basically more everything, but time.  So, my word for 2017 is “Organization”.  I have my new planner and have started to plot the first few months of 2017. 

I will keep you posted throughout the year as to how my organizational skills are developing. 

Do you have a word for 2017 that you would like to ascribe to?  Let us know what you have planned for the year to come. 

That about sums it up for now.  Thanks for dropping by, and until next time, stay safe, stay warm and quilt up a snow storm.  

Home for the Holdays

Brody has decided that it is to cold and snowy for small dogs and this is what he will do all winter!  Me too!

Hello Friends.  These past few weeks have been taken up with preparations for the holidays and the arrival of our girls.  Lauren will be flying in from London England with her significant other, Anthony, to spend Christmas in the “great white north”.  Mother Nature is co-operating, and sending us snow and cold weather for Anthony’s first Canadian Christmas.  Erin is arriving from Guelph, before Christmas to help with the annual pierogi making. Always a treat for me, as I get to spend some mother-daughter catch up time in the process.  Erin’s partner, will join us for New Years.  We will have all the family at home for the first time and the Alexiuk house will be bursting with activity and welcomed chaos.

I am feeling quite organized this year, the decorations are up and my shopping is all done so just some wrapping and cooking and I will be ready for the gang to arrive. I’m a bit scared to relax though, just in case the power goes out and then – well behind and scrambling again!  LOL

I am happy to report that I managed to complete the large quilt (minus the outer border – but done none the less) for Daniele just in time for the office party Friday.  Scratch that off the “To do” list.  I will quilt it in the new year when things quiet down. 

Daniele's Quilt - Starget, a pattern by Studio 180 designs.

The tree wall hanging is stitched together but no borders and not quilted yet.  Hmmm, maybe if there’s time!! If not, we will get it ready for next Christmas.(don’t sweat the small stuff right!) Let us know how your list made out and please send pictures of your special Christmas projects.  

A pattern called "Holiday Stars" available at Cindy Bee's Quilt Shoppe in Espanola, Ont.

In the studio, the quilters who come on a weekly basis for classes have been busy making decorations and gifts for Christmas.

Classes at the studio will take a break now till mid-January.  I have several new ideas for classes for the new year.  So, I am hoping to get some quilting time in early in January to see them take shape.  

As the new year approaches plans for workshops and events begin to take shape. I am happy to announce that details have been finalized for the 2017 Northern Ontario Quilting Symposium. I will be sending out the information posters for this event early in January.  This year’s guest instructor will be Kathy Wylie (check out her website here).   Stay tuned for more information about this event when we can focus and the holidays are behind us. 

Well that about sums it up for now.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the friends of Quilting by the River for your support and patronage over the last year.  From my home to yours,

A very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.    

Thanks for dropping by. Until next time, stay safe, stay warm and Happy Quilting.

Quilting, Quilting, Quilting!

Hello Friends.  I am noticing the leaves changing colour on the trees and slowly making a quilt on the ground below.  I have had a few hours here and there this past month to do some fall decorating.  I purchased some pumpkins, a few mums and a small bail of straw.  So I’m hoping that we have a few weeks to enjoy these beautiful seasonal flowers before all the plants get hit by frost.  With the nights turning colder, the mornings have been great for small outdoor discoveries.  A few weeks ago, the sunlight, dew and temperature all synced so that the spider webs in the trees glistened like veils of silk in the morning light. I couldn’t believe how many there were in the trees.  Mother Nature is decorating for Halloween!

Shortly after the long weekend in September, I embarked on one last summer adventure.  The three of us sisters, along with my nephew and eldest daughter, portaged into Great Mountain Lake in the interior of Killarney Park.  When I was growing up, my family had a cabin on the lake on the point just across from Great Mountain.  With the expansion of the Killarney Park boundary in the early 1990’s, the cabin and the sauna had to be taken down. Although the building are gone, the memories of many summer holidays are still vivid in our hearts and minds. I have not done any extensive portaging in years, so my muscle memory was not so vivid.  I am still feeling the miles of paddling and weight of the pack my back weeks later.  Massage anyone!

I haven’t just been gallivanting.  I was able to finish the top to my “miniature”.  Also, I have the last two table runners done for the November workshop.  The studio has been buzzing with the quilters returning for regular classes.  The Tuffet class has been a big hit.  Just have a look at how cute Deb and Marilyn’s tuffets turned out.  Way to go ladies! If you’d like to make a tuffet of your own you can get in touch with me for the particulars.

For the next two weeks I will be off visiting our youngest in jolly 'ol England (ok so gallivanting again... LOL). But, I have been busy prepping for the Storm at Sea workshop so that when I get back I am all ready to go.  If you are registered, and questions arise, I am available via email. There is still room so if suddenly your plans free up and you would like to attend, please email me and we can make further arrangements. Otherwise, I am back the 29th at which time you can give me a shout on the phone.  This week's Storm at Sea colour inspiration is Highlighted Hearts, see picture below:

I took a break from packing on Saturday to attend the Northshore Pins and Needles Quilters and Stitchery Guild Quilt Show in Espanola.  I love quilt shows!  It is just so inspiring to see how every quilter puts a little of themselves in each of the quilts.  Even though some of the quilts were the same in construction, each quilt appeared different with their individual colour choice and placement of value.  All were beautiful and the hard work and love that went into the show was evident. Here are some random pictures of some of the quilts that were on display.

That’s all for now as I’m going to give the house a quick lick and a splash before I leave for my visit.  Thanks for dropping by, stay safe, rake some leaves and maybe start a new quilt project.