An embarrassment of riches

Canada’s mail service sucks.  I often think we are a first world country with a third world mail service.  Well maybe it isn’t that bad, but it definitely is not very fast.  I’ve been waiting and waiting for some parcels – well the last two Fridays many of them have come.  I think I’ll post my Goodie Swap beauties separately but here are the other riches that I’ve received.

From Karen some more vehicle pieces for my grandson’s quilt.

Patty sent me these lovely home dyed fat quarters.  I think they were a thank you because I sent her novelty fabrics for the I Spy quilts she was making – but then there may have been a contest involved too.  I can’t quite remember.

I was so fortunate to get in on some scraps that Flaming Nora was getting rid of.  Nora (I suspect that isn’t her real name) works in the theatre or something akin to that and has lots of bits of exotic materials overwhelming her.  I love the little bag I got and am dreaming up things to do with it.

I have received three of my October swap blocks and the month isn’t even over! 

From Fiona, my Christmas block – such a beauty…

 

From Kathy, two Adventure blocks, because the darker one was a bit small.  Both of them are gorgeous!

From Anette in Denmark, two lovely hexies….

And last, but not least, I won this great book from Kathy Mack at Pink Chalk Fabrics.  It just arrived on Friday and I haven’t had a chance to peruse it yet, but doesn’t the cover look interesting!

Should I be embarrassed???

Janet

Whoops….

Peg so kindly pointed out to me that Friday Night Sew In is on October 21st, not October 14th.  Thanks Peg!  I guess I’ll get to have two Friday Night Sew Ins this month!

I am so happy to have the election finally (almost) over.  Maybe life can get back to normal …. But what is normal ??!!

Well the swans are heading south – that’s normal.

I joined in a postcard swap a little while back that was organized by Sheila and she was my swap partner.  Here is the postcard I sent her – don’t ask me why I thought I should send maple leaves from the Yukon, where they are non-existent, to Eastern Canada, where they abound!

And here is the lovely one she sent to me.  I love the gorgeous colours and the shading that give the illusion of shadows at sunrise or sunset.

See you on Friday for Friday Night Sew In

Janet

Friday Night Sew In Report

I so wanted to work on one of my quilts last night, but I have to get caught up on my swap items before they all come due.  So I made blocks for the Christmas Block Swap, the Adventure Block Swap and the 15 minute Scrap Bee Block.

The Christmas block is for Fiona.  I copied this pattern from a quilt someone was making at the retreat I was at a couple of weeks ago.  I love it!  Silly me, I didn’t write down who the designer of the pattern is .

The Adventure block is for Kathy.  She asked for something made from local fabric and with either orange or yellow in some part of it.  I’m sure that somewhere in this big country of Canada there is someone who is making fabric, but I’ve never seen any of it.  Does cotton even grow here????  I made a block that represents the north and I used some fabric that I dyed.  It’s sort of Canadian made….

For the 15 Minute Scrap Bee it is Chris’s month.  (If Chris has a blog I’m not aware what it is.)  She asked for nine patch blocks with made fabric in one colour way.  I chose green for the made fabric.  And I’ve got a little bit of leftover fabric to send to Chris as well.

I had already completed my hexie flowers for October for Debra.  She wanted modern – I think these qualify….

 

Now I just have three swap items to finish before the end of the month: a Christmas mug rug, a small item – probably a pincushion – to go in the Scrappy swap, and a scissors keeper.  I’m still looking for inspiration for that one – Oh help!

The other day on my way to town I saw a bear and I tried to take a photo but it was a dismal flop.  My photo was of a blurry black shape.  My friend Heather Jones, professional photographer extraordinaire, saw the same bear and look at the fabulous shot she got!  

Yup we have had snow.  Although it has mostly melted it won’t be long until it stays for the winter….

Janet

And a happy Thanksgiving to all

Despite the business of these days we had to have a celebration today – for Thanksgiving and for DH’s birthday tomorrow.  The dinner menu was lake trout – caught last night, potatoes from the garden, yellow beans, asparagus and Brussels sprouts from the grocery store, homemade sauerkraut – a gift from our neighbour to whom DH took potatoes this morning, pickled beets – made by DD # 1, and a delicious chocolate cake with sliced strawberries for dessert.   All exceedingly yummy.  Here is DH with his one candle, the only one I could find in the house, and Dave, our guest from outside.

The GK were raucous as ever …

DGS with the same kind of underclothes as someone wearing a kilt might sport….

And DGD with her gaudy Halloween-ready makeup…

We managed to get our potatoes and carrots dug the other day.  We are almost ready for the winter that threatens us daily….

I need to show off some giveaway gifts I’ve received lately.  Firstly, from the lovely Sue at Quilt Times – I was so excited to win a copy of her book.  When I was at the retreat last weekend almost everyone in the room came over and took a look at the book (and asked if it was part of the present exchange – NO WAY).  It is fabulous!

I won this wonderful pattern from Michele.  The pattern was created by her friend Julie.  I can’t wait to try this one….

And I won this cute fat quarter from Barbara in her Fun Fact Friday Freebie. 

During Bag Lady Week at Kristie's blog, I won this wonderful pattern from Amy.

I made this bag for one of my partners in the Goodie Swap.  It makes a sweet little bag. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends.  It is election day in the Yukon tomorrow and I’ll be working for about eighteen hours.  Exciting but tiring.

Janet

Triple Cs

Dawn from Sweet as Cinnamon has asked us to tell all about the meaning of our blog name and I thought it would be fun to join in.  My full blog name is Caribou Crossing Chronicles of Quilts, the Weather and other Fun Stuff. 

I knew I wanted to blog about quilting and sewing but also about other things in my life, including the beautiful place where I live.  I knew that my blog name would be somewhat formal; I didn’t want a “cute” name, cause I’m not a cute type of person.

The town where I live used to be called Caribou Crossing, because the caribou crossed at the short river that runs through town and connects two very large lakes.  Some of us are nostalgic for that old name. 

So you see it is very simple …. the triple Cs it had to be.

  Janet

More travel and a little bit of sewing

Last week I made my last work trip – at least for the next while.  I flew two hours north to the remote, fly-in community of Old Crow.  I worked in this community for six years, flying in at least once a month over that time and it holds a place of tenderness in my heart.  I don’t think I could even begin to describe why, but I love the people and the land and the way of life.  I was only there for a few hours this time but it was nice to be back after more than a year. 

Old Crow is a small town situated above the 67th parallel (as compared to my home at just above the 60th parallel).  It is very dark and cold in winter and has 24 hour light in summer.  The people have lived off the Barren Land caribou for millennium. 

Typical views of the town look like this… the RCMP barracks is the red building on the right and the Anglican church is visible. That is a sofa out on the bank.  One wants a comfortable place to sit when watching the river flow by!

There are many snowmobiles, q-wads and boats in town.  Although there are more and more trucks and cars all the time, there is only a short piece of road to drive them on.  Big vehicles like this are flown in on a Hercules.

I was surprised to see these new, modern looking buildings.  One is a tourist information building, the other I’m told is a storage building for artefacts which will soon be returned to the community.  Interesting - the bank of solar collectors in a place where there is very little sun for about 8 months of the year. 

The view from the air is spectacular…

Despite how busy I’ve been I managed to make it to one day of the fall quilt retreat this past weekend.  I made 40 of these blocks for DD # 3’s quilt.  I don’t know what possessed me to make them 6 inch blocks.  I need 195 blocks total!  Only 25 left to sew….

I also made my 6 inch blocks for this month for Bobbie.  She asked for any block in green and beige.  Here’s a sneak peek.

Best of all was the lovely view.  You may remember these mountains from a few posts back, but they have more snow on them now.

I have a couple of giveaway wins that I need to post about so will be back soon with that news.

Janet

I am still alive but just barely coping…

I have been soooo busy.  Besides doing a lot of travelling for my job – my new job that I am still trying to sort out – I am also working for our territorial election – four hours or more a day after my regular work.  DH is working away so I am doing all the chores, although I don’t have to cook dinner so maybe that’s a good trade off.  And I signed up for all these swaps!  What was I thinking?  Oh well the swaps are important for my happiness . 

What to show today??  Winter in the air…. My yard yesterday morning…

Yup that is snow.  All gone today but more will be back soon.  Look at the mountains today…

This fellow is ready for winter… if a bit blurry….

Last week I travelled to Haines Junction and Teslin – see, not so much snow last week….

I made this bag for the Goody swap…

And I received some more fabric for my grandson’s quilt.  Thanks so much to Sue, Linda and Julie.

He had his 4th birthday party yesterday….

At his request they ate “make your own sub sandwiches”.  And they played Fishing Pond over the back fence.  It is so cute what a kick kids get out of catching a Fruit Roll-up on a fishing rod.

That’s it for tonight.  I'll be back to show my September swap items sent and received later.

Janet

Friday Night Sew In Report

I only got a couple of hours to play last night but …. I did get something accomplished.  Hexies for my September swap partner who wanted pastels….I find pastels so difficult.

And then I worked on the hexie panel for this little bag which I made for one of my swap partners in the Goodie swap.  I finished the rest of the bag today.  When I saw the pattern for this bag on the Bag Lady week I knew I had to make it.  The tutorial is from Kaelin at the Plaid Scottie.

I hope everyone had a great FNSI.

Janet

Another week, more travel, some mail and the wedding quilt

This week I went to Ross River, about an hour flight northeast, or a six hour drive on a good day.  Fortunately I got to fly, with the “court party” – judge, court clerk, court recorder and two sheriffs.  Here’s our plane…

The morning view was a bit hazy but so stupendous.  There are mountains as far as the eye can see….

And then suddenly there is a wide flat valley….

This is called the Tintina Trench.  DH (who wants to be a geologist when he grows up) tells me that back in the Jurassic Age this valley marks where the two land masses that became North America came together.  Because this was where the edges were, the rock was weaker and it wore away more than the mountainous area beyond the valley.  Of course it has all been covered by ice a couple of times since then.  My brain can’t really wrap around this concept, but it sure is beautiful.

Ross River is a very sad and troubled town with lots of drinking, violence and little positive to say about it.  The court party takes two sheriffs to Ross River, where they usually take only one to other communities, because of some negative things that have happened there.  It wasn’t the best work day I’ve ever had.  But I did see a “Rhino”! 

I mentioned in this post that my grandson knows what a Rhino is but I’ve never seen one.  The young man who was driving this machine told me it isn’t a Rhino, as that is a trade name for a machine made by a specific company, but it is the same idea – a “side-by-side”.  He said this model is more of a “sport utility vehicle” version, whereas the Rhino is more of a work machine.  I told him that this one looks like a golf cart….

The flight home was gorgeous too, if a little more bumpy…

I received a few pieces of lovely mail in the last couple of weeks.  My adventure block for August from Laurrie (no blog).

And 6 1/2 inch blocks from the last two months.  First from Sharon.  Her area was hard hit by Irene, but her home is intact.   She sent these lovely blocks off to me before Irene arrived so they got here safe and sound in just a few days.

And then from Linda.  These blocks took a month to get here from California.  She posted them August 1st and they arrived on the 31st.  I see the envelope has a Canada Post stamp on it from August 25th, so I suppose there was some misdirection going on.  I was thrilled to finally receive these beautiful blocks.

The wedding is tomorrow.  Wish me luck.  Dressing up and being in the front of a crowd is really not my comfort zone.  Here are a couple of snaps of the finished quilt.

 

Facts

Three charm packs of Beach House by Blackbird Designs for Moda.           Yardage of Rustic Retreat by Debbie Mumm, National Park Series # 2299 by Ro Gregg for Northcott and an unknown grey mottled fabric.                    Batting is green in colour and made from recycled pop bottles.  It feels very soft and was lovely and easy to sew through.                                      Finished size is 62 1/2 by 51/2.                                                                       Pattern – True Lover’s Knot from “Quilts from the Quiltmaker’s Gift”.         Quilting is straight line, with writing and machine embroidery in the blue border and free motion entwined hearts in the corner squares.

Janet