Thursday, January 01, 2015

And So It Begins...

All day the forecast has been for snow -- "light snow" or "flurries" -- back and forth -- due to start this evening and continue through tomorrow.

The same tomorrow I was to leave for Calgary (2 1/2 hours' drive southwest of here) around 6 a.m...

But...

The snow has begun.  It was preceded by a day of confused weather that included rain, freezing rain and sunshine.

I squeezed in a jog mid-afternoon, and surprised myself with pace and distance. When I'll jog again is anyone's guess.

The trip to Calgary was to take the SAQA 25th Anniversary Trunk Show, Section "F" ("F" is for 'Fascination'" I call it) to the Bow River Quilters...but now...both the organizer of the meeting and I are on tenterhooks, watching Mother Nature to see what's she's going to do.


"F"ascination in Syvlan Lake, AB - Dec. 9, 2014

The Trunk is prepped and ready to go.  If I don't get to Calgary, I will have to haul it to Alix Home Hardware to put it in the next Purolator pick-up, because it's due in Dauphin, Manitoba on the 8th...and Dauphin's a Long Way from here...

Meanwhile...the learning has begun.  EB's invoice for the Master Class arrived and was duly paid.  The first lesson has arrived, been printed and set in its own special binder for reading and follow up...

Simultaneously, the 'clearing out' continues...

Another year, another Block Of the Month (BOM).  Today I assembled the first block of the third collection of BOM blocks I'd amassed from Freckles' Quilt Shop all those years ago.  This BOM is called "Zen".

However, I didn't buy much in the way of supporting fabric (fat quarters) for it, so I am tempted to call it "Scrappy Zen", because aside from the background fabric and 2 'specially purchased fat quarters, I'm using what I have to make the blocks work.   Here's the first block, an Irish Chain variation:

"Scrappy Zen" - January - 'Irish Chain' variation

The BOM is only one way to clear out...there's the scrap stash...  Today I sorted and trimmed more pieces for a couple of different charity quilts, one of which involves string piecing on paper:

(L) to (R): Short strings, long strings; 2" x 7" pieces for a specific pattern
On  the knitting front, slippers are under construction for my DD's birthday.  The bottoms are finished and the first cuff, and about 1/2 of the second cuff:

Two Cuffs and Buttons -"Little Red Riding Slippers"
from Berroco's Inca Tweed 

To continue "stash busting" I'm devoting 2 skeins of Diamond Luxury Collection 'Foot Loose' (alas discontinued)  in a lovely pearl grey --  to the making of a pair of socks - "Isabella d'Este" from Clara Parke's Knitter's Book of Socks -- as part of the Ravelry group, "Socks from Stash"'s January challenge.

Sock #1 - Picot Edge Completed - 2.25 mm needles

May you be warm and cozy this wintry night, with your favourite creative work, your favourite music, your favourite beverage, your favourite people around you...Till next time...

3 comments:

Judy Warner said...

Hope you are on your way Calgary....drive safely if you go. Your Zen block looks fun - I am amazed at all you have collected.....glad that you are turning scraps into quilts for charity.

elle said...

I know Dauphin. They throw a BIG festival! I like that zen block. I am hoping to make some inroads on my stash this year. And- I am so jealous about your class with EB. Maybe next year for me! Hope the weather cooperates for you. :)

Kathie Briggs said...

Margaret, be safe and have a wonderful trip. Come back with lots of sketches and such for your MC.