Farewell Hecla

Well my day away to Hecla is over but I'm determined to return again.   We woke to steady showers so gave up on our walk to Sunset Beach around the point and relaxed over toast, bagel and more coffee in the restaurant after having our fruit and coffee earlier in our room. Would be nice to see what fall is like here!

 Never seen geese in such tall grass be for.

Greeting onto the scenic route back through Hecla Village.

Even the pelicans weren't as skittish as yesterday!

Lovely scene even in the drizzle of some of the village.

I was hoping he'd fly away some but just plopped in to swim off. 

My Birthday Supper

Awesome supper with my friend.   Started with wine for Edna and ceasar for me, then house salads with yummy balsamic house dressing.  We ordered the shrimp tomato and spinach stuffed portobello mushroom with balsamic reduction sauce but it was forgotten so we had our scrumptious baby back ribs, tiny roasted potatoes and green pea pods and carrots .  Finger licking good!!!  THEN we had our appetizer for dessert and it was to die for.   BUT our waiter came back to offer me a free dessert - UHHHHH we're stuffed - but nope what was my choice chocolate cakes or apple crumble cheesecake .  Well I chose the last and good choice but still too much for both of us so we walked around the resort to check it out.  Lovely coffee table in the hallway.  Now relaxing in our room before we crack open the wine - do we need more
???  YES!!!

My Day at Hecla Island

Awesome Black Island spa treatment earlier then a walk to the lighthouse and back again - 3.9 kms.  We're now in Seagulls and ordered our baby back ribs - wine and ceasar for supper. 

T

Evening with the Crew!

Well I'm pet sitting for the night - first for me but allows Angie to enjoy the wedding invitation without rushing back to feed and bathroom breaks for the "crew"!  So while they were outside I put my salmon and tiny potatoes into the oven and the veggies ready to Mike.  Then let them back in and got their suppers ready.  SHEESH!!!  Fun and games like a baby each wants their's first.  HA HA HA!!!  And like usual all snoozing allowing me to have supper!  Now watching Hockey too.   Yeah Canada beat the USA in IHL World Hockey Championships!  Tomorrow playing for GOLD!!! 

George the playful one.  First time for us as other times he went to puppy kennel for lots of attention.  Earlier today we had tug-a-war with that green thing until I learnt to just hang and then he'd let go and I'd heave it into the back yard and he'd give chase.  Till I tilted in the chair and bent the leg - enough - at least it's an old one.

Bella the quiet one.

And Murphy who thinks he rules the place!

Yep all fed and quiet now.

My Quilt for Fort McMurray Evacuee

WOW I can't believe I've actually met my deadline to deliver my top (64 × 75") and backing to be quilted.  Yep, I started pulling my 6.5" charms out May 15th, collected over the years via CanadianQuiltSwappers Yahoo group, after seeing on FB the call for quilts for Fort McMurray evacuees, and sewed up the 40 five piece colour strips.  Then before I could start the next step on the 16th I found myself joining Yvonne from Toronto driving to Dauphin for an overnight trip and back by supper on the 17th, too tired to do anything.  So the 18th I cut out the cream inserts, pinned and sewed the columns together, pressing as I sewed.  The 19th I sewed the columns together, measured, cut and stitched on the borders with just 15 minutes before heading for the guild meeting where I hoped to find someone who'd volunteer their quilting expertise for me on this quilt.  I was very fortunate to not only find someone but Alice Gibson also donated the batting for it!  WOW!  Today I cut and pieced together the backing, wrote up the label and finished again minutes before I had to drop off the front and backing!!!  SHEESH!  So hopefully I'll have it back around June 16th so I can stitch on the binding before dropping it off at Keystone Quilts who has kindly volunteered as the LQS drop off point for finished quilts going to Fort McMurray this summer.  Leslie is also going to have a sewing bee for this and info will be on her site soon.  OK now I'm relaxing watching the Blue Jays and hopefully recording the hockey game to watch right after.  That's it for me tonight!!! 

The backing is made up of two left over blocks and just enough cream for the centre panel, not enough brown so added the necessary colour blended strips next to the centre panel and the brown on outer edges.  My first unusual backing! 

This next image isn't crooked, just the camera is on an angle so shadows aren't smack in centre! 

Lil' Twister Projects

Well today Sylvia and I finished off our "twister" tops - Sylvia's will probably be a table topper and mine naturally a mini wall hanger.  It's neato seeing the two side by side.  Sylvia used the 5" charms and the Twister template she bought for me plus used the pattern layout for her's.  Whereas I had bought  the 2.5 inch mini charms so I had to recalculate the template/charm ratio in order to make up a "Twister" template for my mini charms.  I think it turned out just lovely - both of them! 

Sylvia's will be finished size 14.5" square

Mine will be finished size 9.5x10.5"

Dryden Quilt Show 😕

Well Sylvia, Len and I checked out the Dryden Quilt Show after lunch on Saturday.  It's small but well organized with 9 vendors.  The only dissapointment we experienced was the Boutique - members' donated items made for sale with revenue to the Dryden Quilt Guild that we were OK with - until we saw the prices on each item.  What a LAUGH!!!  Most items we've seen were no more than $20 - naturally I took back my striped wall hanging and let them know that was not fair - I understand they wanted to sell items instead of having them left over but they basically gave these away. 

Unfortunately Sylvia's lovely snowflake wall hanging and both our table runners were already sold for $20 each.  NOW they tell me that we could have noted a retail sale price - we'll know if we do this again.  Guess it was our fault for not asking too as both of us are new to this guild.  This is a basis of not putting a fair value on quilted pieces and anyone appreciating hand made items compared to "knock-offs".

Now Sunday after a lovely Seniors Ctr pancake breakfast Sylvia and I went back to the show and shopped some more.  I was really impressed with the Little Twister ruler and the Let's Twist Again book but I'd spent enough on fabric so refrained.  So back home for a rest and then back to do a couple hours volunteering.   

During that time was the Mini Challenge Choice Auction and at this time my hand sewn tumbling blocks were at $25 so I thought I'd bid for it back instead of letting it go so cheaply.   Well Joan the only bidder was annoyed at me and said to stop bidding for it as she wanted it, but I also decided I wanted to keep it.  So I upped her bid to $40 thinking maybe she'll stop as all were fairly low.   No way José - she bid $41 and said no matter what I bid she was in charge of closing and would just upbid me again cause it was her's!!!  So I decided to let it go at $41 and hopefully I'll be able to visit it when I come visit for a meeting.  She also outbid others for Sylvia's heron hanger and it sold for  $45 in the end.

BUT when it came time for the Penny Auction draws, nine various trays with various items, first draw they called was my number.  WOW!  Inside were 2 tea towels, batting mending tape, pkg machine needles, hot mitts pattern, charm pack of brights, 2 quilting books, preprinted doll outfit to sew up, and from Serenity Quilts was a Triple Twister pattern, pkg of greys to black 2.5 strips, rayon top quilting thread to match, black fabric marker!  Would you believe before this I was interested in going back to buy the ruler for this and Sylvia said NO don't it's easy to figure out.  

Well I went back home with her and was showing Len what I won and Sylvia slipped into my bag my birthday card!  I did not wait to open it - inside was the ruler I wanted to buy!   Sneaky sister!  So tonight and tomorrow we are going to play with some of the fabric I bought!  Naturally instead of 5 inch charms pattern called for, I had the 2.5 inch mini charms so I had to recalculate the Twister template to fit! 

  

Nice visit!!!!