Everyone Loves a Bargain...

On Saturday my friend Leanne took me to a fabric sale. Need I say more? Once a year the United Church in Spruce Cliff opens its doors to hundreds of bargain fabric shoppers. At one point the count was right around 500 people - mostly women. A few brave men followed along at a close distance, arms piled high with bargains while the women continued to "shop".

Come rain snow sleet or hail, no matter the weather, a good 1/2 hour before doors even open cars are vying for parking spots and the line up lengthens. You begin to make conversation with other shoppers in line... "what are you looking for?" "You need to just rush to your favourite items right away, or they will be gone..." Being a first timer I carefully listen to experienced one day shoppers talk strategy and listen to advice. All the while keeping an eye open to see who else from the 'hood' might be braving this experience.

Another example of a community building event. For weeks, perhaps months - possibly since last years sale date, the United church basement has been filling with fabric, wool and other creative "sewing type" cast offs from retired crafters and even some donations from fabric stores. Thousands of items are sold by the piece for $1, $2, $3 - or a little more. Funds are raised for Grandma's helping Grandma's in Aids affected societies. A bargain with a great cause what could be better?

So armed with shopping bags in hand and cash in pockets, Leanne and I made our way through the mazes of tables and rooms - each corner filled with something special. Crafters with determined looks choosing their items of choice, filling bags as they go. Occasionally you spot a reluctant husband following along behind a woman, meekly doing his duty of carrying treasures. Being extra careful not to get in the way. The event brings its own kind of community with questions such as "have you seen any yellow fabric?" Quilting fabrics, cottons, denim, yarn, patterns, etc... all at a bargain.

Eventually Leanne and I re-unite and we declare we are done - right after we quickly look through this stack of quilting magazines. *snicker*snicker - all the ladies giggle a little when they hear a comment like that. But alas, they all understand.

I spent a total of $26 - and came away with 3 large shopping bags of stuff, plus the find of the day - an extra large wooden quilting/embroidery frame for $1!

$4 bundle - in honour of my Grandma Peters and her love for both purple and pansy's.

$2 bundle

$3 bundle - vintage. One of my favourites.

$1 bundle

$2 flannel sqaures 10" size

$1 each piece. Pinks to add to my Craftsy BOM projects, Noach's Ark for a baby project, plain white - can never have too much white, and bright yellow - the perfect match for Amy's quilt binding (the yellow was $3 but its a huge piece)

$1 each - craft folk ark and plaid.

$1 large piece of denim

$1 green plaid - must be at least 3metres here. I see a beautiful sun dress for Amy.

$1 - large hoop for quilting.

Everyone loves a bargain....

16 years married...

What happens when you`re been married for 16 years? Sometimes not too much.

Beginning the week of Spring Break, someone has been sick in the house ever since. First Sam. He was sick the week of our break and most of the following week. He went to school Wednesday afternoon to write a test and Thursday. Easter weekend came and went, and then Rob got sick. He went to work on Monday, but was home by noon. He spent the next three days in bed. On Wednesday we saw Kari was sick. She stayed home Thursday and Friday. Friday night, Amy... And so on it goes.

My question is, who is going to take care of things around here when it's my turn to spend three days in bed? The kids know exactly what will happen - they suggested they would get an extra vacation from school if I am not well enough to take them. My plan - to avoid the germs and vitamin up so hopefully I don't get it. So far, everyone seems to have the same basic thing. A bad cold...with some slight variation. Some with chills and slight fever, lots of coughing, some with plugged sinuses, not a lot of eating and quite a bit of sleeping. With no school yet again on Monday, we hope to return back to routine by Tuesday.

The week ahead promises to be full of activity with badminton tournaments, start up soccer team meetings and information sessions at school for out-trips with the junior highs. In two short weeks Sam and the grade 9's will leave on the S.A.L.T.S. trip, and we need to be prepared. Amy is hoping to particiapte in a trip to Ottawa and Montreal next spring, so there will be meetings about that.

In addition, practices continue for the spring musical, the Music Man jr. as well as the Harmony Through Harmony concert.

So what happens when you've been married for 16 years? The celebration dinner is post-ponned till further notice in hopes that we become healthy first. Rather we will spend our time preparing for and accepting filled soccer equipment bags, sorting through uniforms and eagerly awaiting the coaches to drop by for various pick ups.

Celebrations carry on bit by bit, a little each day  - the biggest perhaps being that we continue to be married after 16 years.

Happy Anniversary!

Soccer Season Starts...

"Welcome! Just curious if this is the first time for any of you visiting a church? Please open your coach manuals to page 6 and we will go over the season rule modifications. We will read through rules 1, 2 and 4."

On Saturday March 31 the door was swung wide open for many witty church jokes. I had the opportunity to invite approximately 40 people to church. Not your typical church service, mind you. With Cadence Coffee on the back counter, free from the local coffee shop just 1 block over, along with delicious fresh baked coffee house muffins, I invited approximately 40 people into the house of God. We sat together in small groups around round tables, ate and drank together - discussing community.

A church service? Perhaps...

In reality, the volunteer parent coaches for the Bowness Soccer Club gathered for orientation. We talked about  club expectations. We talked about team rules. We renewed past acquaintances. We talked about building on previous connections to strengthen our community neighbourhood bonds. We encouraged each other, we co-operated and made new friends.

We DID NOT sing in traditional worship style. We  DID NOT pass an offering plate. We  DID NOT stand and sit at rehearsed intervals and we  DID NOT preach. (some might argue I preached a little - but not really) But we DID fellowship.

Most importantly, we officially started off the 2012 spring Bowness Soccer Club season. From here on in, its practical.
Phone your team players,
Pick up equipment and
Play...

Responding with Passion...

We gather in the name of the FATHER, 
Whose passionate love for His children was shown in sending His Son in the world to live and to love.


We gather in the name of the SON,
Who calls us into discipleship to respond to the love of the FATHER by living lives a loving service to God and our neighbour.


We gather in the name of the HOLY SPIRIT,
Who dwells in our hearts and prompts us daily to respond anew to the love of God and the call of Christ.


As we walk through this season of Lent, I am hoping for more of God in my day. I am continuing to pursue God 's righteousness in living and reflection of my life. This song sums it up...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bhJHMoDsdE&feature=related

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking

God in my sleeping
God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my wathcing
God in my waiting
God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
Be my everything

You are everything
Jesus, Everything

Baby Blanket - Precious Moments

Two layers of flannel, quilted out from the centre and even intervals. I wasn't sure how I wanted to finish the edges, so I opted for the rag look.

Baby Blanket - Noah's Ark

Front and Back view

Baby Blanket - Farm fun.

Notice the stippling on the smaller sections. I did this with the fancy foot for my new sewing machine.

My First Rag Quilt

Using leftover pieces of flannel picturing dinosaurs. I wanted to give it away - my son being the lucky recipient.

Baby Blanket... Cherished Teddy on a John Deere

Baby Blanket... Winnie The Pooh

Baby Bibs

A couple more bibs

 Watermelon, Critter...    

Watermelon back, Critter back

Soft Baby

Soft Baby backs, one pink, one blue

Treats anyone?

So my 9 year old daughter is in a choir called Harmony through Harmony. It is generally an adult choir, but they are adding in some kids for the first time. My daughter is one of 10 children in this choir. Each week they meet, someone takes a turn providing snacks. Today is our turn...

Between yesterday and today I have baked gingersnaps, chocolate chip, double chocolate, oatmeal and peanut butter chocolate chunk. The school is nut free, so the peanut butter are just for home.

Treats anyone?

BOM continued

Finally I reached the end of my first ever BOM (Block of the Month) program. I went through a local quilt shop called Traditional Pastimes. Bernadette, the owner, designed the project and put it all together each month. I faithfully dropped in on the 15th of each month so pick up the new block. At the end of the 12 months, I have 12 completed blocks. I chose to feature the pink and blue, added beige and cream to make approximately 150+ hour glass sqaures to frame each of my blocks. Then on the advice of my mom, I continued the hour glass pattern all around the outside as well. My top is complete and I am waiting to place it on a quilt frame to layer, quilt then bind.

BOM #1, BOM #2, BOM #3, BOM #4

BOM

So I'm going to blame my friend Leanne. One day she said to me, "I'm doing the Block of the Month again. You should do it too." I asked, what is the Block of the Month?" Well.... in September I went into the quilt shop, paid my $15 and received my items for block #1. As a mennonite girl, $15 is too good a deal to pass up. Plus it gets better. Each month when I visit the quilt shop on the 15th with my completed block, I receive the next month's block for FREE! Every month! That is definitely too good of a deal to pass up. The rest is history...

As of today, I have just completed block #5. After 12 months, I will have 12 completed 12"x12" blocks.

Of course the BOM program only keeps be busy one day out of a month - two days if its a complex pattern. So that got me searching for more quilt patterns, quilt blocks, and other BOM programs.

I must say, there is something therapeutic about cutting fabric into bits and sewing them back together. I plan to post photos of each project so later I can look back and see which are favourites. Perhaps a few of you will journey together with me.

Beauty...

Generations of stitchers

As far back as I can remember, stitching has been a part of my life. As a woman, only one in a long line of strong and creative women, stitching is a lifestyle. As a kid, I mostly remember my mom sitting at her sewing machine creating everything for the kids to wear. As I became more aware of my environment, I soon realized this talent did not fall far from the tree. In fact, I clearly remember my grandmother's house - a tiny little green and white house in town, often set up end for end with tables, covered in cloth, rotary cutters, scissors, templates and more. My grandmother, my mother and my many aunts would attend the weekly matriarchal family quilting club. I would suspect there is hardly a cousin anywhere in the family line who does not have or has not in the past slept beneath a "scrap" quilt created by the mother's of the family. Using up bits and pieces of cloth, sometimes random but sometimes in the most creative of patterns. Matching was mostly overrated. Regardless, each blanket was produced unique and beautiful. A highlight of those days was definitely heading over to grandma`s house after school - she always gave us store bought cookies as treats.

Fast forward 30 years... we have moved forward from denim and gabardine to beautiful cottons. Our eyes catch sight of beautiful patterns and perfect colour schemes and the dreams begin. For many of us, we have followed in the women`s footsteps and the dreams have become reality. My mother still creates beautiful quilts, as do both of my sisters. I have begun my hand at it as well. No longer do we have weekly quilting clubs as locations have changed. However, we now are able to share ideas and products through technology and so we quilt side by side in our own worlds, sisters by birth as well as sisters by choice. 

In the Beginning...

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.