Grumpy

And perhaps also Dopey and Sleepy.

Today is my first full day home since Friday.  The days in between have been full and rich with work, friends, travel and good food...but short on quiet time, exercise, and -- to some extent -- sleep.   In other words, I've been operating outside my routine and though I have a long list of 'to do's' for today, I can already tell that very few of them will be crossed off that list by this evening.

For example, I wanted to rake the front lawn today so I could apply "Turf Builder" -- with a view to restoring some of the damage done by last year's dew worms.  However, it's far too windy, so that will have to wait.

I have a mini and some fabric post cards to finish for the Lacombe Show, though, and those will probably get done:

That one you see on the bottom?  I finished it on Saturday morning...

Blue Moon (C) 2016

And realized that while at the Central Alberta Quilters' Guild show that afternoon, I'd need to track down at least one more piece of dark blue fabric that would take deColorant well, if I were going to make any more "moon" pieces.  I did find it, as well as a couple meters of wonderful batik for landscapes (Hamel's Fabrics, a long-time favourite), and some fat quarters (yarn-dyed from A Threaded Needle) and single meter cuts ('regular' cotton, in the Japanese taupes from Quilter's Dream, Vancouver) for the Japanese Taupe Quilt (aka the JTQ or the Wedding Quilt).  The Superior Threads distributor (Cotton Mill Threadworks) was there, too, so I bought another spool of King Tut (in whites) and several packs of needles -- 90/14 for 'regular' use and 60/8 for tiny, fine work.

My friend C and I had a great time at the show, especially enjoying demos (she went to one on rulers for Dresden designs, while I went to one on working with kimono silks), and the wonderful work of my friend, Annette Johnstone of Red Deer who was the Featured Artist for this 25th Anniversary edition of the show.  I didn't take photos of her collection this year -- you'll have to take my word that each piece is fabulous! -- but here she is with one of her needle-turned, hand-quilted beauties, when it won Best Of Show in 2014.  (I think it's title is "Friends of Baltimore", but don't quote me on that!)

So...while I go off and work on the last of my minis and cards, how about you pour a cuppa and enjoy a few of the photos I did take...mainly SAQA members (there are 4 of us in Central Alberta and 3 of us had pieces in this show), and a few others that really caught my eye.

First, a collection from Patti Morris, SAQA JAM (Juried Artist Member) and former SAQA Western Canada Co-Rep (Alberta):

Blue Heron for Mom

Alberta Turbines

Alberta Dinosaurs Rock!

Lazy M Sweat Lodge

As you can probably tell, Patti is known for her large, colourful pieces -- but not all are pictorial.  She enjoys creating abstract too:

City from the Air

Red, White, Black and Dots

And these from Wendy Greber, a SAQA Artist Member:

Galaxy - juried into the
National Juried Show,
Quilt Canada, 2015

Love of Fall

"Z" is for Zebra - Pattern by Susan Filer

Wendy and me, side-by-side
(L) Edging into Spring (mine)
(R) Alberta Trees #2 (Wendy)

Then there are a few special ones I had to photograph...the first being from a multi-talented needle-woman and crafter, Mary Vanson of Red Deer, to whom I was recently introduced.  She does delightful figurative work, as well as piecing:

Once Upon a Summer

Goodie and Peter: 1910

And these pieces, incorporating vintage fabric and/or linens...

Stitches of My Heritage
Shirley Cullum
includes hand-embroidered dresser scarves
from her mother and grandmother,
as well as vintage fabric from her mother-in-law

Then and Now
Candace Cullum

Vintage Love
Terry Rowland
A Battenburg table-topper
used at her daughter's wedding and
lovingly preserved in a quilt

Linking up to WIP Wednesday over at The Needle and Thread Network...and hope you enjoy the rest of your week!