Winter of 2011 - 2012

Time seems to move more quickly as I get older, It’s 2012 and January is gone. Here was the forecast for this winter.
For the winter of 2011–12, the Canadian Farmers’ Almanac is forecasting unusually cold and stormy weather. For some parts of the country that means a frigid climate; while for others, it’s lots of rain and snow.
This will be a winter of “clime and punishment.” We are forecasting the upcoming winter will be cold to very cold, from Alberta east across Saskatchewan and Manitoba into western Ontario
Contrary to the predictions, this winter the weather has been really pleasant with proper temperature and lots of sunshine. A far cry from what it was like when I was a child growing up in this area. December and January were very cold months. I wore boots with snaps, cotton stocking with elastic bands to hold them up above my knees, mitts and a long wool coat. Someone would give my mom their coat and she would cut it up and make a coat for me. My hat had a peak with a tie under my chin. When I got to school my hands were so cold, someone told me to put them under hot water so they would warm up quickly. I did that once, it was so painful, I never did that again. When Allan was born in 1955, there was so much snow you couldn’t see out the windows. Today most of the snow has melted and there is water everywhere. It feels like spring. When I was young I always asked my mom, “why did you come here when all your relatives went to the States?” As I got older, I realized this is a great place to live. Thunder Bay is nestled in some of the finest natural scenery. We have no smog, no traffic jams, good people, lots of sports programs, a new hospital, Lakehead University and one of North America’s best Paleo-DNA Laboraties. We are 50 miles from the US Border, what more could anyone want.

December 23, 2011, I took Bill to the emergency at the hospital in a weaken condition. There were no serious issues, I took him home where he spent almost of two weeks in bed. Bill can take care of all his personal needs and for me looking after Bill is not a big problem, just time consuming.

So here I am, lately I haven’t made many quilts but I did keep on sewing, no wasted time here.

Brayden’s quilt.

From a young age Brayden enjoyed drawing. Occasionally he sends us some of his work and he gets better with time. I told him I would make a quilt with his drawings, so he send me his version of the Undead Army.
I planned to use the Rail Fence quilt block with red, cream and blue fabrics. but it didn’t work. A few years ago while I was visiting Chris and his family, I stopped at a Quilt Shop and purchased some fabulous US Patriotic fabric in red, cream and blue with a cream background. It was 805 Freedom’s Flight by Maywood Studio EESCO. It depicted scenes from the Civil War, WW11, Women in the Services during WW11 plus 911. I fussy cut the fabrics and used them for the centre of the doodle dandy quilt block.
I used the cream fabric for the background of Brayden’s quilt.

I took Bill to the Grand Portage, Mn. to mail the quilt out. Usually I track the packages I send to Chris and Nicole, but this time I forgot. Normally it takes only two days to get to Utah. A week and a half later the Utah Maki’s still hadn’t received their parcel. I called Mary in Grand Portage to find out if there was a way to trace the package. We decided to wait another week. It finally showed up two weeks later. Wherever that quilt went, I hope it had a nice trip. It taught me an important lesson, never mail a parcel containing a quilt, without insurance.

Brayden was very happy with his quilt.
























Laura’s gifts.

Laura was my last year’s Swap Partner.

We live many miles away from each other, but we have become close friends.

She constantly sends me wonderful surprise packages.

Here are two I received in 2011.

I was delighted to receive an apron and a Candy Cane to put on my door at Christmas time.
















I appreciate everything she sends me.










I made this black and grey apron, hoping it would turn out as well as Laura’s.