Happy Birthday Canada!

I am so thankful to live in such a beautiful country and

today we celebrate its 146th birthday.

But for many in the province of Alberta who have had their lives turned upside down with the recent flooding, there may not be much celebrating going on.

A quilter in Calgary, Alberta, is offering to make quilts for the flood victims with blocks sent to her by other quilters.

If you'd like to help, just go to her blog, http://www.naptimequilter.blogspot.ca/, and check out her June 25th post, "Just One Slab".

Many thanks to Cheryl Arkison for taking this initiative and to Sharon Coxon, http://www.boltsandbobbins.blogspot.com  for making me aware of it.



The Spice of Life

I love spending my days working on lots of different things.
This week, I started designing a quilt for fall.

Here's a sneak peek.

And, since we're celebrating Canada's 144th birthday
 this July 1st,

I made a couple of these,
thanks to my friend Kimberly's bunting tutorial on May 27th.

I also made some of these.

And just a few of these,

(my primitive version of the Maple Leaf,
found on Canada's flag).

I made them by sewing and stuffing the muslin shapes,

then painting them red.

When dry, I sanded the leaves, painted them
with coffee and cinnamon,
and tied them onto old bobbins with a bit of twine.

They'll be for sale at Country Lane Antiques in Fort Langley,

the birthplace of British Columbia, Canada,

about 30 minutes from where I live.
And finally, I made these "tipsy pots"!

Aren't they cool?

You can find directions here.

Enjoy your summer!