End of April

It is hard to believe that April is nearly over. Today we are  having the showers and intermittent sunny spots that bring May flowers and greener grass.

We are still on baby watch, the newest addition shows no haste in arriving in the big world. Perhaps it wants to be a May baby, that would be nice since we have lots of Aprils and only Papa is May.

I have nearly finished piecing the third row of arcs of the DWR. It is looking good, the sewing room isn't though. Gracie has obviously been finding little pieces of thread since some passed through this morning. I will have to be vigilant with her and her brother, they will eat anything, except the kibble from the vet.

DH and I went to an open rehearsal with Symphony NS this morning to hear the Dvorak Cello Concerto. The cellist was Matt Haimovitz and he and the orchestra are performing this evening. SNS is having a Dvorak Festival. The performance this Sunday evening is From The New World and Giora Schmidt, is the featured violinist. The New World Symphony is one of my favourites. It should be wonderful.

Falling behind...

Again, boy, am I an intermittent blogger.
 It isn't as if I have nothing to tell, I do, but I get carried away doing something else and whammo the day is gone and so is the blog opportunity.
So.

I took G&G for a long walk this morning, they sniffed everything possible and ate nearly all the dead and dried up earthworms on the sidewalk. They sure find them tasty, and all that great protein. 

I am making great progress on the DWR, one whole row pieced and the second is nearly completed. At this rate it should be completed by the end of the summer. I have even been keeping track of the hours spent working on it. I have to lay it out on the floor to make sure I am putting the contrasting four -patches in a random , but controlled, order.

We are on baby watch here, the new babe is due on Saturday. Claire is anxious to be the "big sister."

The Quilt Rack

My father made me a lovely quilt rack a few years ago. It is made from Oak and he carved it himself.
It sits at the end of a hallway and I have a number of quilts on it.

Of course the way the quilts are hanging leaves a little space in the middle on the floor which is just perfect for hiding... and this is where Gracie hangs out when she wants some peace and quiet from her brother George. She is getting her bed ready here, an old quilted tabletopper.

Meantime George knows that this is her space and he is trying his darndest to get in and have a nice quiet nap as well.

Eventually he wormed his way in with her and here they are all jammed up.
However that didn't last too long and now George is on the outside once again trying to make some headway past her and she is growling and ready to pick a fight with him.
Now Gracie is out and George is in... kids!!!

April

Today is April Fool's day and all I did was sleep in until 1130. It was lovely.
G&G also slept in with me, they were probably tired from all the playing they do in the run of a day.

I started a Double Wedding Ring quilt last Saturday, I am taking a six-week course. It has been on my Bucket list for a long time. This one is done using John Flynn's instructions and is strip pieced so it isn't as arduous as the originals. I am using FQ's that I have saved for years, all 30's fabrics with a neutral background.
I cut out 207 slices for rings on Monday and Tuesday, that was after sewing six sets of strips to make them. That is a lot of sewing, I used the little Janome Gem and she just chugged along.
I want to use it for the whole process and then I know the 1/4 inch on the pieces will be consistent throughout.
Not always guaranteed if I switch to another machine. Besides it is easy to take to class.

And I have started quilting the whole-cloth Trapunto, and the Happy Birthday banner is ready to be quilted now. I may do it tonight so I can hang it up to honour two birthdays in April.

Easter weekend is supposed to be blessed with warm sunny weather, we shall see....

I think I'll take a lamb pot roast to Mom and Dads' for dinner. I got the recipe while in Wellington last year and it was soooo good. They will love it, I am sure.

Maple Syrup Festival

Another stellar day, I have already been out for a long walk with G&G.

Tomorrow we head to Cumberland County for a Maple Syrup supper at the Westchester Fire Hall. Pancakes, baked beans, sausages, brown bread, sweets, tea coffee and of course the wonderful Maple syrup to crown it all. Check out the festival here.

Maple Syrup is the first agricultural crop in the NS growing season and the cold nights and warm days are helping to give the producers a banner year. Yummy! I can't wait to get some Maple Butter tomorrow.

There hasn't been much work done in the sewing room, but I did stitch together a Happy Birthday banner. It wasn't ready for Patti's but hopefully will be completed for the rash of birthdays coming up in the next few months.

 My Uncle Bob was featured in the Lives Lived column in today's Globe and Mail. It was wonderful to read the tribute that his son Shel wrote.
He was my Mother's older brother, by 17 months or so.
They had great telephone conversations every Sunday morning, discussing absolutely everything, but mostly the old neighbourhood around Spencer Street in St. John's. My mother is the last of a family of eight siblings, she has lived in Nova Scotia  since 1944 but she is still a Newfoundlander first and foremost.

March

Gee March has certainly been a pleasure so far, nice sunny days, lots of blue skies, no snow or rain, can it last? The temperature is not warm but 6C isn't bad for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere in March, and it isn't even spring yet!
George & Gracie and I have been walking long walks every day and they are loving it. There is a moral to the story though, if a large noisy truck is rumbling down the street don't try to use the crosswalk to get across at that particular time. They don't like it and will lie down in the middle of the street, and have to be coaxed back to walk.
They have been walking with an old glove in their mouths and look much like a pair of puppies leading me as they prance ahead and I follow, holding  the leashes. I feel like a teamster for dogs, instead of horses.

I am making progress on my Trapunto wall hanging, and enjoying it as well. I ran out of the water-soluble thread and have to make a dash to a store to get some. I knew I should have purchased two when I initially bought it.

Golden Canada

My goodness once they got over the "own the podium" hype they got down to business. 14 Gold medals. Not bad.

Our own NS son Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal in an OT hockey game against the US. I think everyone was glued or in close proximity to a television.
Good Job!