Orange Scraps

Here are the Squared Away sampler blocks for the Month of August and the scrap colour Orange. I like how they turned out. Each one looks a little different. On top is the 7 1/2" blocks and the bottom row is the 10" blocks. 

Next up are the migrating geese blocks. They look kind of off tilled. I do a odd angle when I took the photo and then tried to fix it with editing. Just looks bad. Trust me they look good in person. 

See already better looking. 

I have added this post to Soscrappy and her link up party. 

The next colour up is Dark Blue, so I just this weekend I will start a chopping and sorting out my Blues. 

I now have 16 blocks for a hug quilt. It is a group project and I need to get them in the mail this week. I hope it will tell someone that we care. 

Last week we got back from our mountain holiday. My husband took this photo of me. We have climbed on of the higher mountains in the area. You can see we are just above the tree line. There was some light smoke from fires in the area so the other mountains are not real clear. This was about 500 meter above were our camp was. So yes we climbed 500 meters that day. I do not like heights and this was not pleasant for me. I can say I did it but I do not want to do it again. Our dear horses worked so hard. Thank you Jester! 

Agility Nationals

I have not been quilting much, too busy with agility. Last weekend Gemma and I were at the AAC National Agility Championships in Langley BC at Thunderbird Show Park. It was the first time I have qualified so I thought we better go.  My Husband and one son came with me. 

My Son took the photos of me and also videoed 5 out of 6 runs for us too. We did well on Saturday with 201 points but on Sunday my brain did not do well. The first course of the day I walked my course incorrect once out of about 12 walks and then on the real run I forgot for .5 of a second and my Gemma took an extra jump. It kind of went down hill from there. I guess my Gamble at the end was OK. We were in the toughest group possible, some 80 plus dogs. Were a 10th of a second decides the placement and if I had been clean I might have placed 24th or so. I am not too fast but my dog can be. 

We did have lots of fun. We saw lots of fast dogs and some great moves and skills they had. 

Gemma is on the left and her relative, Mystic is on the right. It was the first time for both girls. 

The grounds and the flowers were so pretty at Thunderbird. I love these colours. 

Hawaii Quilt Top Done

Hawaii Quilt

I am on a roll. I got another quilt top done this week. That is 3 quilt tops in 3 weeks!

The blocks have been done for over a year but getting the blocks together is one of the hardest parts for me. I love to build smaller blocks and I am not a fan of putting the blocks together. You know keeping them in order and ironing long seams. 

Hooray, I got the top done! 

I got some super cute fabrics back in 2011, when we last went to Hawaii. I wanted a Hawaii quilt. I have been 6 times. I hope we can go again someday. 

I even took a photo before I started to cut into them. 

I took the dog out with me. This one caught her off guard. She was sniffing near the base of the quilt when the wind blow it up and over her. 

Dog and quilt looking good together. 

I have added this post to Crazy Mom Quilts and Finish up Fiday

And Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Can I Get Whoop Whoop

And TGIFF and Friday Finish

The wind was a problem today. I took close to 50 shots but most look like this, Folded over quilt in the wild wind. We have been warmer and there is mud every where, so placing the quilt on the ground was not an option today. Also I have to have a row and half over the rail or it was blowing on the ground. So my quilt is longer 6 rows long and 5 wide. 

I plan to get this one quilted in time for a local quilt show. 

I will dream of the Hawaii waves under this quilt someday. 

Slow Summer Stitching

I have been working all summer on my Hexagons made with Kaffe Fassett Collection fabric and Pink Bubble Gum Kona Cotton. 

Here is a part of the lay out I am thinking of doing. I am planning to use more green KFC for between the flowers. I am not really liking the green, maybe to busy looking. 

Opps, I had a little repair job to do. Gemma Pup got a hold of this flower and put a whole in one petal. I had to fussy cut a now hexagon and resew. 

I have added this post to Kathy's Quilts, were you can find more hand work.

Here is my boys loading the truck, the cabin is were we stayed for 3 nights. Take special note of the blue box my oldest is carrying, it is my Hexagon project on the move. So nice to see then working hard. I got a far bit done on the hand stitching. I tried basing hexagons on the drive. I get car sick easily but I was able to baste Hexagons on the straighter roads. Miracles do exist.  

Gemma Pup on one of our hikes. We had both dogs with us, so it was kind of a different vacation. 

Horse Camp More Photos

My Husband took his camera and I thought I would show you the photos he took on our trip to Horse Camp.  Once a year we try to make it in to the Rockies for a horse camping trip. A week of hard riding. This top photo is my dad, Don, on his horse. There was a chance of some rain so he has his long rider coat on. I should tell you my mom comes to camp but does not ride ever. This trip we are four horses and five riders so each day someone stays at camp with mom. 

Socks, my husband's horse, on lunch break.

Love this photo of my boys each on their horses. They hardly know a photo is being taken so it's good.

Here we are getting back on after a lunch break. It shows the mountain so well. We camp out next to the Hummingbird creek and had ridden to the top of the Canary creek. Up here we are getting close to the tree line. I should tell you we had great weather most days. Just a little rain and warmer at night then some years we have gone.

Here I am at my lunch break. This horse is Scotty, my older son normally rides him but on this day I rode him. I still ride in my English saddle. I had extra rings added to it so I can get a good set of saddle bags and my long rider coat attached to it.

We rode our horses again today. It was nice to have another family ride around our place today. Next is getting ready for school and the end of our holidays.

Horse Camp 2012

I just got back from Horse Camp last night. We have tons of unpacking still to do. We (the family) packed up the horses and the camper and head to the mountains to do some serious trail riding. Lex our Chesapeake Bay Retriever also comes with us to camp and trail ride for a week.

This was one of our highest climbs. We are more than 400 m above the level of our camp up here. We had a seven hour ride this day. We rode up the Hummingbird trail and down the Canary Creek trail.

This was part of the way down, though the valley towards Canary Creek. The view is beautiful here.  

This is the Hummingbird Creek were there is the cutest little step falls. I have been here one other time and have the photo on my face book profile.

The dog and the kid were sleepy.

The horses were sleepy too.

I sure hope we can camp again next year. It is so much fun.

Blackfoot Trail Ride

Honey and Adam getting ready to ride. We have had a week of family fun while staying at home. On Friday we packed up and went to the Blackfoot Nature Park for a trail ride. We are four with a four horse trailer so we each rode. My dad did not come with us, but I used his horse.

This is Tonto, my dad's horse that I rode. I still ride in my English saddle. I did not pack my saddle bags this day as it did not look like rain. My lunch went in my husbands saddle bags.  Last year I had many D rings added to my saddle and got some saddle bags I can use. It carries as much as the big western saddle bags.

Here is Socks, my husbands horse. He is sporting a new saddle. My husband just loves his new saddle. If I was to move to a western saddle I may have to get myself one like it. I hate riding with a horn and like the low profile of my English saddle.

Here is Wyatt and Scotty the horse. Wyatt is a teenager and hates his picture taken. This is the best I got of him.

My Husband and Socks. My husband took one photo of me but it is my face with the sun behind me and you can not see me much with my hat on. It is not worth showing.

Even Adam was trying to not have his photo taken. Before lunch we had a moose in the bush. So a little spooky for the horses. Then on the way back we meet a runner on the trail. That was even more of a jump. The two horses leading and the runner all jumped pretty good.

The boys at our lunch break. 'No' the camera is out.

At lunch we got to the Running Dog Shelter area. They have hitching post to tie your horses to. The ponies all look happy to have a rest.

I kind of like this photo of Tonto. Other actives we have done this week are, the new Batman movie, dinner out, and more riding but around home.

I am home

Did you miss me. I was away for the week of Spring Break. I went with my kids to Victoria BC. My parents spent sometime there this winter and I have some relatives to visit. They have flowers in Victoria now and we have a chance of snow still. 

My parents sitting in the sun. It was a warm sunny day, the day we went to see my cousin. We spent the time outside moving around the yard in the sun.

Just loved this moss covered toad stool ornament. Very naturally distressed by the outdoors.  This just come with the yard.

My oldest son. He is very camera shy but I got a nice smile here. He had so much fun playing with the all the dogs. There were about 8 dogs around and they all loved chasing down a ball or sticks. There was a mud hole that he just could not keep out of. He kept those dogs good and wet all day long. 

I got some new fabric. Washing it up now. I hope to do some sewing for myself this weekend. I am busy quilting for my costumers as some of my snow bird ladies left quilts with me this winter and they will start to return home soon. Spring must be coming here soon.

Newfy Floor Mat

This September my surface design group made floor mats. We gathered over two days to paint our canvas. I got the painting done but then there it sat of months. I needed to do many coats of sealer and then hem and glue down the edges to finish it. I got it done. It measures something like 24" by 32". I wanted to make a Newfoundland sea scape because of my Newfoundland background and the trips I have made to Newfoundland.

I love the art work of the Newfoundland artists over at  The Grumpy Goat. They have a great Blog to follow along. I first was their work at the Newfoundland Craft council back in June of 2008 while in St John's. My maiden name is Manuel and my Grandfather was from Exploits Newfoundland. Newfoundland and Exploits has a special place in my heart. I wanted to make a floor mat that was in the style of the Grumpy Goat Artist's. I love the bright colours and the whimsy style. I do not have all the detail and professionally look they put into their work.

My whale with a spout. I am not sure what kind of whales you could see off the shores of Newfoundland. We did not see any. I have seen many Humpback Whales in Hawaii and Ocra Whales off shore of Victoria BC.

Other memories I have of my trip to Exploits were picking mussels on low tide to have for dinner. Harvesting some ice burg ice for our scotch just before dinner.  Walking the grassy path on the east Island of Exploits. Uncovering the head stones of family members. One little girl died at age five and we share the same name, she was my Great Great Grandfather's daughter. They had 11 children and only four lived to be adults. We found Great Great Grandfather and Grandmothers head stone too.

In June of 2008 we saw many Icebergs. There was a great sized one at the opening of the Exploits Bay so my sea scape was getting a iceberg. 

Here is Catherine's Head stone with some of her siblings. Some were also on the side panels.

Here is one photo of the iceberg outside the Exploits harbour in June of 2008. Can you see the Viking face in the ice. Helmet and nose and the long beard.