Exploring & Road Trips · Sewing Projects · Uncategorized

New Beginnings & Fresh Starts

The greatest thing of New Years is learning from last year and move on. The past is to learn from, aside from re-enactment, I love my wartime knit ware and would dress 40s style anyday!

Our first adventure of the year was to Shediac and Bouctouche. The lobster in Shediac had a Santa hat on, very festive! We toured around town then headed north. We hadn’t been up that way yet.

We stopped by the little lookout in Bouctouche for a walk, Ellie loved looking through the puppy look puts in the gazebo, we had to look through each one! We say huge anchors, smelled trees then headed home. It was New Year’s Day so nothing was open but it was good to explore, the drive is beautiful!

New stuff on my work table for this year are a few stuff toys, Patchwork placemats, and pillows with anchors. The new items break up the repetitiveness of bag making lol, yes lots & lots of my signature zippy pouches are in the works too

There’s the working on pile and stock pile .. going to need more bins!

The aim this year is to have enough that I’m not sewing every night in the summer. Hopefully it works out.

I better get back to the sewing table, Cheers!

Exploring & Road Trips · Fundy Trail · Sewing Projects · Shop Updates

Is it Spring Yet?

Its Easter, finally. This has been a long winter, I can’t wait to see the end of the cold white stuff outside. I have planted tulips & hyacinths in the house, they always cheer me up this time of year.

The runner is one of my favorites. Appliqued orange peels made with vintage feedsack prints on a simple linen runner.

Orange peels can be made in many ways, I like to use the Sue Daley leaf papers. I prep the papers the same way as for any English paper piecing project but once glued I give it a good iron, remove the papers and press again. They are then ready to use.

For this runner I used a marking pen to mark grid lines, laid the orange peels out and pinned down. Then hand sewed them on. Simple & vintage.

Explore Fundy:

Harvey Bank

This is a little gem, a light house, anchor and skeleton of a ship. This sweet spot is in Harvey Bank located on Marys Point Road, just off route 915. If you are heading to Cape Enrage or Waterside its a must stop. Its not very far from route 915, quiet, quaint and well worth the stop. Who doesn’t like finding light houses? Its small but cute!

Shop Updates:

The Liberty of London line London Parks is in and yes there are some London City Prints! I LOVE this line! Along with London icons there are tulips, coronations, and other assorted florals, all those pretty things Liberty is famous for!

I couldn’t wait to use these prints, made a simple pillow with fussy cut center squares of the Tower of London and Big Ben!

There were a few new things in the shop this week, some of the Bee Vintage line by Lori Holt showed up in fat quarter bundles, charms packs and 10 inch squares. New notions like quilt clips in the sweetest tin. Pins with campers & birds are in too!

I leave off wishing you all a very happy Easter! May the bunny come and leave you chocolates 😀

Cheers! Vall

Exploring & Road Trips · Fundy Trail · Sewing Projects · Shop Updates

Winter Blues

The beautiful and picturesque Fundy National Park.

This past Sunday we packed the pups in the car for a trip down the road, its a beautiful drive from Hillsborough to Alma/Fundy National Park. Scouse and Ellie were happy to get out and smell new things. We all needed out of the house, the weather was good and needed the mental break.

Unlike summertime, you can go to the lookout and be the only ones there. It was quite icy out, the snow super crunchy but the pups didn’t mind.. just happy to look, smell and get out somewhere other then our house.

We stopped in Alma for pizza at Soprano’s, highly recommend stopping to eat there.. YUM!

What’s up in the Studio?

I LOVE this line, its call Reflections by Riley Blake. The prints are very vintage, florals and cherries, happy summer prints. I have tried a few things but didn’t love it, until I did a log cabin sample and now I’m hooked. I’m starting to think log cabin is my favorite block. This quilt will be a mix of log cabin and some applique.

For the applique I’m doing flowers from Cath Kidston’s Sew book.

I’m thinking the inner circles need to be bigger then this test block. Loving those cherries!

8 more applique blocks to go and I can get it all squared up.. woohoo. I really need to get some quilts on the pile quilted before starting anymore lol!

Shop Updates:

In yesterday stock delivery was some of the new Lori Holt line Bee Vintage. The sew simple shapes, charms and tape measures are in. Charms for this line are sunbonnet sue, scottie dog & a house. The measuring tapes are soooo sweet! Faux leather in 4 colours and designs. The sew simple shapes look fun! There is a tea pot!!! The Calico tin mug finally arrived, Sue Daley large rotating mat is back in stock as are black zipper tape.

Its going to be a nice sunny day with a high of 10c so I’m getting off this computer now and taking the pups for a walk before heading to the shop. Have a wonderful, creative day!

Exploring & Road Trips

Road tripping the Fundy Coast. Joggins to Parrsboro Nova Scotia

We took a Sunday drive to Nova Scotia to see the other side of the Bay of Fundy. Went through River Herbert to Joggins. Joggins is small but amazing!

We then went through Athol to Parrsboro, a very sweet, quaint town! We will have to go back in the spring.

This is also a test post so it may look like crap as I play with this new to me blogging adventure 😉