Creating a Design Wall

A design wall is very helpful for laying out quilting blocks comfortably and easily allowing the quilter to step back and evaluate the layout and quickly make adjustments.  When a fabric like flannel is used the quilt blocks will cling to the wall without the need for pins.  Using half inch insulation boards allows pinsContinue reading “Creating a Design Wall”

Channelling my Inner Kindergarten Student

On Saturday January 24, the Brampton Quilters’ Guild, to which I have belonged for twelve years, ran a workshop on Journal Art Quilting taught by Sheree, in which we were shown has to use paint, muslin, fusible fabric and Tyvek to create fabric to use in journal quilts.  In the afternoon, we made a smallContinue reading “Channelling my Inner Kindergarten Student”

Carabram Park Community Ice Rink – Continued

I opened the rink on January 16 from 4-8pm after four days of flooding.  It wasn’t perfect but it was good enough.  I was quite curious to see how it held up when I headed over to the park at 8pm for the evening maintenance.  Newman and I were the only volunteers that night andContinue reading “Carabram Park Community Ice Rink – Continued”

Carabram Park Community Ice Rink

I last wrote about my Community Ice Rink on December 11 when a group of us shovelled an area of 50×100 feet, during a snowstorm, to create banks in which to hold water when I flood.  It took us 90 minutes, and it was too late, and I was too tired when we finished, toContinue reading “Carabram Park Community Ice Rink”

The Year I Will Get Organized

I like to think of myself as an organized person, but getting organized and staying organized takes time and dedication and I don’t always spend enough time on it.  I have set myself the goal of become more organized this year.  When I come across something that takes extra time every time I do itContinue reading “The Year I Will Get Organized”

Sunday January 4 – Preparing Firewood

We’ve had a small amount of wood sitting in the garage for the years when the damper was broken and we weren’t using the fireplace, but it didn’t take long to burn through that with fires on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and with Alun finding his inner pyromaniac yesterday and today. InContinue reading “Sunday January 4 – Preparing Firewood”

Thursday January 1 – New Year’s Day

We had lots of help cleaning up the party last night including help from 11 year old Ariel and 9 year old Olivia who were having so much fun being up late that they preferred to help clean rather than go to bed.  The food was put away, the dishes cleared and washed and theContinue reading “Thursday January 1 – New Year’s Day”

Wednesday December 31 – New Year’s Eve

Our overnight guests arrived last night and were very helpful in preparing for our annual New Year’s Eve party.  They brought Trystan with them.  He had been staying in St. Thomas with them since Boxing Day. Here’s a picture of Trystan and me. We have been having a New Year’s Eve party since 1999 whenContinue reading “Wednesday December 31 – New Year’s Eve”

Monday December 29 – Room Three Completed

We had hoped to be done the three room renovations by Christmas but lost a few weeks when Michael had to travel to the UK unexpectedly.  Trystan and Owen were able to move into Trystan’s new room on Christmas Eve.  We took Christmas Day off and got right back at it on Boxing Day asContinue reading “Monday December 29 – Room Three Completed”

Thursday December 25 – Christmas Day

Each year as the children age we start Christmas Day later.  Compromises are still made – ten year old Owen would prefer 7am and seventeen year old Megan would prefer noon.  This year we settled on 9am. For the first time we didn’t leave out a snack for Santa.  Here is the tree just beforeContinue reading “Thursday December 25 – Christmas Day”