Pumpkin Spice Blazer

Latest find! Rust velvet blazer for mere cents at the local thrift! To make this even sweeter, it's Marjorie Hamilton, vintage Canadian made. I'm drooling over the fact that I get to wear this!

Now is the Time

"The item you see today and will dream about tonight will be bought by someone today who saw it yesterday and dreamed about it last night."
That is what the chalkboard said outside of Prince Edward County's Frugal & Company as I rushed in for a whirlwind 5 minute browse last summer. Darting my eyes around, I didn't have much time to think, and I am not one for an impulse buy--oh look a spectacular sunburst Syroco clock frame, $18, no clock, good condition otherwise, gold with brown tips, would prefer all gold, but how neat, time to go...oh no why did I leave it there?! When I got home I ruefully went on an Etsy and Ebay rampage to learn more about the funky mid-century Canadian made-item I passed up. I resigned myself to keep my eyes peeled and knew it would come back in to my life some day, some time, eventually. Well, surprise surprise, exactly a year later, it made its return. It was patiently waiting for me in my local antique mall. I wasn't looking. It is in pristine original condition. It actually has a clock. The clock works. The time came for it to come in to my life, and better than I had originally hoped. Oh how circular life is. It makes me laugh with thankfulness how God works like that--even in a whim of a thrift hunt! 

Urban Vignettes

I've snapped some photos from a weekend of dancing and touring in Montréal...bon voyage!

Red and blue

Urban layers

 Namesake store not to go undocumented

 Asymmetrical balance

 Stop the press!

 Scrollwork

 Fancy clock

What an inviting nook!

 Trompe l'oeil

Patchwork building 

Stubborn

 Pastel cheer

 Spot the flags?

 Art Nouveau

 Refreshingly aquamarine

Petite palmy patio

 Lush

 Exquisite stone and brackets and blooms

 Classical

Art Deco

Merveilleux!

July Bulletin 2018

Canadian made, vivacity, and exploration

Crown Jars

I love these crown jars, with their pressed glass crown logo and zinc patina lids. Hot chocolate mix, anyone?

Canadian Feed Bag Book

I have some fascinating reading to do! Check out this awesome book I found at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum. It is full of domestic history, photos of different feed bags and companies, photos of quilts and crafts made with the vintage fabrics, and the memories behind it all. What a heartwarming and insightful resource.

Feed Bags from Fibrefest

Behold my Fibrefest find! I found this lot of feed bags for $5 at one of the vendor booths. I've been hoping to come across a few of these for a long time, and am pleased because these are specifically for products that I like, clover and oats. I love the the bold logos, the typography, the faded ink, the hole clean through the clover seed bag, the name Gold Standard, and reading the Ontario place names. 

L.M. Montgomery Journals

I found these delightful diaries at a used book store for a total of $15. The first volume begins with entries from Mongomery at age 15, and chronicles her friendships, school adventures, career development, and maturing introspection. She certainly had plenty of men falling head over heels for her! The journal entries are charming, witty, honest, and absolutely enthralling, and I can't get my hands on the next 3 volumes fast enough!

Canada's Smile

My Anne-tastic postcard illustration is in Uppercase Magazine #34!

Green Gables Tea Cup

I found this sweet teacup and saucer at a local thrift store for $1. It's the same house and garden illustration as on the dish in the post below, but this one is coloured in!

Green Gables Dish

I found this gilded edge Green Gables dish for $1.99 at Value Village. It's a bit of my beloved P.E.I.!

July Bulletin 2017

Red and white, waves, and sunny skin

With Sewing Hearts

I'm wearing a shirt made of fabric from my With Glowing Hearts collection for the day of festivities! 

Happy 150th to our glorious and free home and native land! Happy Canada Day!

Ottawa Parliament Plate

What an appropriate thrifting find this is, considering it's January 2017, the beginning of Canada's 150th year! This souvenir plate features Ottawa's Parliament buildings. The back is stamped with "Johnson Bros England The Old Dominion" which indicates that it's likely pre-1920. Parliament as we know it today was completed by 1922, the Peace Tower added in 1927. The curious thing, though, is that the plate's illustration doesn't exactly represent the current Parliament...or the Parliament that burned down in 1916. Was it created between 1916 and 1920 as a proposed design of the new building? Is it some stock image of a British castle from the library of Transferware designs? Or maybe it's just a bit of artistic license? Hmm...

Quilter's Connection Magazine Feature

If you're interested in learning more about my surface pattern design process and background as well as my With Glowing Hearts collection, I recommend you check out Quilter's Connection Magazine #30!

 See pages 8--12 for details on how I became involved in the exciting world of bolt fabric!

While you're leafing through, take note of the excellent quality of this magazine--Heather, the editor, does a great job ensuring that the layouts, fonts, photos, writing, and stories are captivating!

With Glowing Hearts in Stores

My With Glowing Hearts quilting fabric collection is hitting the stores! Quilters, be sure to check out the quilting competition, and happy creating to all other patriotic crafters!

Vintage Louisbourg Pennant

I got this fun '60s or '70s felt pennant from an antique store shortly after my trip to Louisbourg.

With Glowing Hearts Fabric Collection

Happy Canada Day! The past several months I have been working on designing a cotton quilting fabric collection in celebration of Canada's 150th Anniversary on July 1st, 2017! The collection was produced by Moda Fabrics and is to be distributed by Trend-Tex Fabrics. With Glowing Hearts: Celebrating 150 Years will be available in shops November 2016. There will be a quilt design contest run by Trend-Tex, and the winning quilts will be displayed at International Fall Quilt Market 2017. So get those sewing machines ready, eh...

Eastern Canada 2015: QC

The view of Québec City from the Hilton Québec

Québec Parliament

Charming streets

Blue frames and a blue dress

Corner columns, statue fountain, wiggly paving

An old foundation

Mustard, stone, lush floral

Vibrant contrast

Lovely vines

Hipsters with a harp--love it

Window box, stairs, lady reading

Just grand

La Chute Montmorency--shot from the cable car

An antique store on Île d'Orléans

Church at Sainte Famille (1749) on Île d'Orléans

A stunning restaurant in Québec City

Le Cochon Dingue

Parliament fountains

The view at night