Winter is here

DD # 2 called me last week to tell me that her “friend” in Newfoundland was wondering why I hadn’t posted on my blog.  She said that he talks about the scenery pictures but she thinks he likes the quilting pictures too. Here is a photo of the full(ish) moon in the morning for you Jamie.

We have had really mild weather this fall and along with that, little snow.  That changed over the last three or four days as it has been snowing steadily.  We now have our winter’s snow.  The weather is still fairly mild though, –15 is the coldest it has been. 
I have been working on my table runner for the Flickr Modern Christmas Table Runner swap.  Here it is, finished and ready to mail to a secret recipient.

I hung it on the door to photograph but I’m showing the picture sideways.  Here’s the back.

And to link up with Angie's applique parade, a block that is almost finished…. as are so many of my sewing projects…



Edited to add - The block above was the class project for a class called Baltimore Basics from Quilt University.  Nancy Chong was the instructor and presumably is the designer of the block.  Just to give due credit....  It was a great class, by the way, from an on-line quilt instruction site.


Janet

Goodie Swap

I have been meaning to show pictures of what I sent and received in the Goodie Swap for more than a week.  The days just seem to fly by and even “falling back” on Saturday night didn’t help me to have more time.  Maybe that’s because it was the weekend and we had to get out and enjoy the mild winter we’re having so far.  Here’s DH and friends enjoying the classic Canadian winter pastime…

I am a terrible skater, but I love the freedom of skating on the lake.  It often only lasts for a day or two before the snow gets too deep, but this year we’re hanging on and are up to a week of lake skating.

On to the Goodie Swap.  I received two lovely packages.  The first from Katy in Scotland. A colourful mug rug, a sweet Sherbet Pips bag and a couple of Scottish trinkets.  Look at those tiny bottles of Scotch!  And the cute Scottie dogs.  The original macaroon bar is tasty and VERY sweet. 

Look at the cute matching zipper pull….

My other package came from Linda in Ireland.  Look at all the goodies she sent me !

Another interesting and colourful mug rug, a very pretty bag which is meant for sewing supplies but looks like it would also work well for art supplies, a classic needle case, lovely little purse and a fat quarter.  Also a calendar with pictures from Ireland and two postcards.

Here is the back of the mug rug…great fabrics!

Here is what I sent….First to Kat in Scotland…..  I had to steal the mug rug pictures from her blog as I forgot to take photos before I mailed them….

And this mug rug and bag went to Helen in England….

There were a few little goodies in the parcels as well, but I can’t remember to take pictures of everything. 

Lovely swap. I’m not great at exuberance but…. Big thanks to Cindy for organizing it!  And super thanks to Linda and Katy for my fabulous gifts!

Janet

Happy Halloween!

It is cold and there is a strong wind in the trees; lots of creaks and cracks make it a spooky night.  The dog has been barking.  I think there is a coyote in the yard, but maybe it is something more eerie…..

We attended the annual pumpkin carving contest the other night.  Here are all the ghouls…

DH and I tied for second place.  Mine is the punk rocker, his is the wolf.

I made delicious bloody fingers….inspired by the recipe at Pots and Pins…

Tonight we had four trick or treaters come to our door!  We haven’t had any for the last four or five years.  They were greeted by my punk rocker…Can you see his nose ring?

I also received my mug rug from Leona's third Flickr swap today.   This one was a holiday swap and I asked for Halloween.  I received this Halloween goodie just in time!

Hope you’ve had a fun Halloween at your house.

Janet

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