Blogroll, Family, Life, Quilting, Uncategorized, Winter

February

wendysquilting

groundhog

I hear we have another 6 weeks of winter….well that’s really no surprise around here, winters rarely finished around here until the end of March. Spring takes it’s time arriving and by the middle of June we can start planting.

Tuesday was My Eldest Daughters 23rd Birthday, she has really grown into a beautiful young woman inside and out.  She has been a joy to raise and watch her become who she is. She’s an awesome big sister and always was right from the day she found out she’d be a sister when she was 3 years old. This spring she’ll graduate University with and Honors Degree in Social Work.

baby-sarah

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This winter has been long and cold. I’ve really been feeling cabin fever……so what did I do?

img_2503-smallI went shopping at fatquartershop.com I really don’t have the time for piecing but I”m going to schedule some time in. I also ordered a few new patterns that I wanted to try. Some from Hancocks and due to the ice storm I’ve had to wait for their arrival. Of course now that I’ve ordered more patterns I’ll need more fabric right?

img_2508-smallMy Valentines quilt is bound and hanging.

img_2511-small1This weekend I’m working on a custom customer quilt and also on a few little projects.  That I’ll share a little later.

Til then TGIF!!

Blogroll, Family, hiking, Life, Quilting, Uncategorized, Winter

January

wendysquilting

This week was the coldest so far this winter with Windchills in the -38 to -41C range. If you haven’t experienced those kind of temps  and you don’t have to I don’t recommend it 🙂 Around here life just continues on, you make sure to plug in your block heater at night so your car in my case van will start and you adjust your driving to the conditions. Oh and you make sure you’re dressed for the weather and keep extra things like blankets, winter gear and safety kit in your vehicle. The Coldsnap started on Monday, also the day my daughters boyfriend came up from Texas. He flew into Minneapolis and rented a SUV and drove up here I think at first he was pretty suprised at how cold it really does get up here but the kids sure made the most of their visit. They took some pretty cool pictures in the city and area so I thought I’d share some:

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Go0d Northerner Hat! These hats are superwarm and this one came from Egli’s Sheep Farm about 3 1/2 hours west of here.

Sleeping Giant
Sleeping Giant

This was taken right at the water front, there are summer shots of the Sleeping Giant as well as the Falls in earlier posts, I think the ice really makes the Falls look interesting.

Kakabeka Falls:

Kakabeka Falls winter 09
Kakabeka Falls winter 09

The Forestry industry has taken a big hit in the last few years leaving thousands unemployed in Northern Ontario. This picture is of Bowater which is still running but after considerable downsizing.

Paper Mill
Paper Mill

These next pictures are of what we all call the Cheese farm. Its always so worth visiting for the Gouda Cheese they make and I always add some “squeeky cheese” aka Cheese Curds to my purchase. They also carry Dutch Licorice which is one of my favorite candies. The kids did bring me some home but I can’t take a picture of it now 🙂

Thunder Oak Cheese Farm
Thunder Oak Cheese Farm

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I used to walk by this place alot its about a mile from here down an old country road. I like to think that many years ago a young couple built this place and raised their family and lived out their years. Its been deserted for I don’t know how long now, in the summer the lilac bush in the front is always in full bloom, the lady probably planted it and at one time took great pride in how her place looked.

Old homestead
Old homestead

The barn I’m sure has seen much better days, It sure has character now. The oil tank is still by the house, at one time it would have been heated with oil.

homesteads barn
homesteads Barn

On the quilting front, its been a busy month at work and trying to keep up with quilt jobs. I finished up this blue quilt, its a king size that the piecer wanted free hand quilted with an overall pattern and her embroidered blocks SID’d and simple quilting to tack the blocks down.

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This one was very fun to quilt with lots of free hand.

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Blogroll, Family, hiking, Life, Quilting

Sunday’s Backyard Safari

wendysquilting
Backyard Safari
Backyard Safari

No hike this weekend, the flu bug that’s going around has really been zapping energy, hopefully next weekend it will have taken a hike 🙂

I finished the borders on the baby quilt I worked on last week and hopefully I’ll squeeze this little quilt in soon and send it off to its new owner. I’m still trying to decide how I want to secure the eyes and mouth on the bugs, the pattern used buttons but I want it safe for a child so I fused fabric on but it will need to be secured.

I’m looking for a book that I used to read to my girls to send off with it. The ladybugs in the border reminded me of a story my girls used to have me read over and over, each page had a ladybug hiding and the last line would say ladybug lady bug where are you and the girls would all race to find it 🙂 sometimes I sure miss those cuddly fun days.

ladybug

I also have fabric leftover so I think I’ll put a little bookbag together too.

I also put put the binding on a valentines quilt thats been waiting, I knew I’d have it ready for Feb 14th eventually and looks like this years the year!

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I’ll share a picture of the whole quilt when its finished.  This quilt was one of the Moda University quilts that I did for a while when I first had my longarm and before I went back to work full time. I wanted quilts that I could practice my quilting on and my plan was that I would try to sell them after I used them as sample of my work. But with 4 daughters who all love quilts they have all found loving owners. I’m thinking I’ll keep this one though.

One of the Moda kits that I haven’t done yet (I have 2) used Aunt Purdy’s Parlor collection. I just didn’t care for the pattern and I’ve been trying to decide how to use it. I really like the collection, any ideas? It will have to be a scrappy quilt but those are my favorites. The fabric reminds me of aprons.

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Although I didn’t make any New Years Resolutions, I have set a few goals for myself. One is that I work harder on my fitness goals, so far so good I’ve been using my eliptical trainer all month only missing two days because I was ill. Another goal is to finish up some of my UFO’s (true quilter goal I know) I also want to make a few new quilts as gifts this year along with keeping up with my customer quilting so……another of my goals is to oraganize my time more efficiently since I really can’t give up sleep or my day job.

Oh and one last goal, I’m hoping to stay on top of my blogging entries 🙂

Blogroll, Family, Life, Quilting

Quilting

wendysquilting

Are you wondering if I still quilt? I do, mostly for customers lately though. I haven’t posted any quilts for awhile, probably because I don’t spend the time on my blog that I could. Life just seems to get in the way more often than not. I guess its that season in my life.

Anyways  I did finish the quilt for Eriks Cousins baby in Finland. They named her Ella Wilhelmiina

baby1she was born in the spring and we chose the fabric and pattern in May and mailed it off in November, and it arrived before Christmas! I’m hoping for new picture of Ella with her quilt one day.

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This quilt has also left for Finland. It was commissioned by a coworker, she chose the fabric and together we decided on the pattern.  I took this job on kinda last minute in late fall with a Dec deadline but with the help of a friend doing some piecing we got it done.

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This next one is a tree skirt that a friend of mine made for me, I quilted a couple and in exchange she made me mine. Its harder to see the flower in the larger picture so I’m posting it as a thumbnail. I did have this one bound and under Erik’s tree this year.

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I’ve been home from work this week with the stomach flu, and after being laid up for 2 days with it, I finally started to feel human again today, so I spent a little time on a quilt that is way over due being sent

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I still have the borders to finish, hopefully sooner than later. I’ll post the finished quilt then.

Oh one more thing… some of you who I chat with know that my oldest daughter was in Texas last month. Here’s a picture of them taken last October when he was here for our Thanksgiving.

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Blogroll, Family, Fishing, hiking, Life, Winter

Happy New Year

wendysquilting
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Perfect day for a hike!

Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland

breaking trail
breaking trail

I’m not sure what happened to fall but it sure sped by and got away on us and suddenly it was Christmas.  Two of our girls came home for the holidays and it sure was great to have all the girls together.

We have tons of snow this winter and have a beautiful snowfall yesterday and overnight we ventured out to do one of my favorite hikes. We were first on the trail today and in most places the snow was up to or close to the top of our boots. (great workout) it was so pretty in the woods and for a good part of the hike we followed the path of some kind of wildlife we never did decide what it might have been though Erik suspected a wolf, I’m just glad we didn’t meet it on the trail.

Erik checking out the tracks, where the animal turned around.
Erik checking out the tracks, where the animal turned around.
the bench is always a much welcome site, its about half way.
the bench is always a much welcome site, its about half way.

While having a little rest a group of 10 on show shoes came and passed by. Before long though we passed them and once again were in our winter wonderland. What a peaceful hike!

Oh and guess what I got for Christmas!!!!

ugly-stickI can’t wait to try it out, but wait I will

Blogroll, Family, Life

July Continued

wendysquilting

Our next adventure took us across the Pigeon River Border into Minnesota.

We’ve driven to Duluth so many times and still thoroughly enjoy it every time. One of our first stops is to hike to see the “High Falls” in the Grand Portage State Park. We almost always stop and take a look and we’re never disappointed.

Highway 61 is known as the North Shore drive as it winds along the shore of Lake Superior, the scenery is spectacular and there are so many little places to stop and see.

Temperance River State Park

In Duluth we took our visitors to the Zoo. The Kodiak and Grizzly are always favorites.

and the polar bear

this next one might make you a little squeemish if you don’t like snakes

to be continued…

Family, Life

July

wendysquilting


Summer weather finally showed up.

We planted some flower beds at Erik’s which I’ve been tending. A new to me again activity that I can see can become quite addicting, I keep getting new ideas…….

I’ll add some updates soon.

I took my 2 weeks of summer holidays in July while Erik’s cousin and and daughter visited from Finland….heres some of what we did:

Kakabeka Falls, is about 20 minutes out of the city and well worth the trip. Thanks to the extra wet spring the falls are incredible this year.

that afternoon we went another hour or so from town to see the canyons. The swing bridges at Eagle Canyon are NOT for those who have a strong fear of hights but for the rest of us they are a fun and  fascinating adventure. The swing bridges were built by a father and son team. The last 2 pictures were taken at Ouimet Canyon which is very close to Eagle Canyon.

The next day we took a step into the past, visiting Old Fort Williamwhich is a historical version of a fur trading Fort.

Family, Life

June

wendysquilting

June is a big Birthday month in our family this year Emily turned 19

, Mary 17

and I turned 45

June is usually a nice warm sunny month around here but this year it was chilly and very wet. Thunder Bay and area even experienced record downfalls causing extensive damage to many of our roads including the highway. I have to admit to becoming extremely impatient for summer to begin.

Erik and I started the month by taking our trip to Duluth to celebrate his birthday, we stayed at The Inn on Lake Superior which is were we borrowed the bikes we have in the picture. This year we did alot of shopping, his choices since its his trip.

Uncategorized

Catching up!

wendysquilting

Time sure does have a way of getting away on a person! So I thought I’d share a few of the pictures we’ve taken in the last few months. Life is good, just very busy.

In May Erik, Katie and I visited the river and fishing hole that Erik and his family went to when he was a boy. It was a very chilly weekend and the water levels were really high so the river was running too fast to really fish. Still the hike and being in nature felt so good.

Katie

The next weekend was our annual Duluth trip to celebrate Erik’s Birthday. We always take our time on the drive stopping to look at the falls at the border and anywhere else we choose. This time we also stopped at Castle Danger….where there happens to be one of the nicest quilt shops in the area. We chose a pattern and fabric for a baby quilt that will be heading to Finland.

(side note: the above post was written the beginning of June and I finally got around to posting it)….