Travelling fabric adventures with the Quilting Ladies

Jolene and Shelley in the lobby of Hampton Inn, Kalispell, Mt

Neither my Market partner, Jolene, nor I are quilters but the Chinook Country Quilters still let us hop on the bus with them on their Quilt show and shopping adventure to Kalispell, Montana last weekend.  Oh my, what a wonderful trip -- three nights in a lovely hotel, lots of visiting with great ladies and good deals on fabric.  And all at a reasonably leisurely pace -- the bus never left the hotel before 9:45 am and our evenings were mostly free to relax and recuperate.  Being used to church conferences where you start early and are scheduled well into the night, the pace was a great treat.

Jolene holds a very long receipt for materials we'll use for our Christmas Market products.

       Jolene was the youngest woman on the bus and one kind lady thought I was as young as her.  Thank you!  We stopped at the Flathead Quilting Show, fabric stores and other shops.  Jolene and I also fit in a tour of the Conrad Mansion built in 1895, an interesting tour through history.  Most of the fabric stops were quilt stores except for the large Joann's at Kalispell.  This was the stop most useful for what Jolene and I make for the Market.  Now, as you can imagine, a bus of 45 women showing up on a shop's door stop can cause quite a crowd.
       Soon after we arrived a local woman came in the door, looked around and said, "What on earth is going on?"  I said:  "A busload of 45 women was just dropped off."  Seeing she was just about to make a grumpy comment, I added:  "And I'm part of the busload."  We both laughed. 

Sheila and her brand-new, practical boots.

       The busload lined up to get our fabric cut (flannel at $2.99 per yard!!!)  Then another line to pay.  Lots of waiting all made enjoyable by friendly, encouraging people on either side.  If a local woman had less purchases, we were often putting that person ahead of us in line.

Lucy the sock monkey gets packed, ready for a child's welcomed gift.

       Our final evening was Saturday with 'Show and Tell'.  I had to grab a photo of Sheila with her brand-new, shiny red rubber boots.  Do you see that happy glint in her eyes?  I recognize that happiness.   It's the same way that Ramona in Beverly Cleary's Ramona Forever feels when she can shed Howie's hand-me-down black rubber boots for her own, brand-new, red rubber boots.   It's the same way I felt when I got my pink rubber boots at Sobeys.  We women can also traipse through the mud, muck out the horse stable or chicken chicken coop. AND we can still wear feminine, pretty yet practical boots to get the job done! No dull, heavy, black, intended-for-men boots for us!


      Frequently on my travels I carry my backpack with "necessities."   This time a Threads sewing magazine, a slim, interesting biography of Canada's first woman judge, Emily Murphy and that blue flowery fabric-covered notebook is my planning book for Love and Comfort Designs.  One needs a creative book for creative planning, of course!   The sock monkey came home with me for my six-year-old daughter who named her Lucy.   Lucy is smaller than regular monkeys and bore the tag "Handmade in Idaho by Victoria for over 50 years."  Victoria and her husband were at the Quilt Show and you can see more of Victoria's work at Admitonefabrics.
     For years, I must say I've dreamed of taking such a trip with other women.  I've read on Pattern Review of women meeting up in places such as New York and Chicago and Montreal to go fabric shopping together and relishing together in their common love of fabric and all things sewn.  Thanks to Theresa and Linda and the Chinook Country Quilters for making a fun dream come true.
        

Toy Sewing Machine a hit: See what my little girl did!

I found my daughter a toy sewing machine on Kijiji.   She was ever so keen and excited to have a sewing machine like her Mom.  I was excited too.  It was ever such a bugger to thread and get going -- much worse than a regular machine.  But she loved sitting at it, pushing down the foot pedal and letting it go over the fabric.    Then she headed down to my scrap drawer, pulled out a triangle piece and one strip piece and declared she was going to make an apron with a pocket.  I was amazed at how she came up with the idea.  I told her how to cut out another strip.  Then we tried sewing it on her little machine.  The machine stitched through the fabric but the chain stitches wouldn't stay in place.  As I discovered --and what was re-enforced with research on the internet,  this is simply a toy to pretend to sew -- even if it does have a real needle and spool of thread.
       I had to act quickly to not discourage her.  "Let's finish this on my machine." We headed down to the basement and I set her up in front of my Elna.  Using the toy machine had taught her how to carefully lift the presser foot and place it down on the fabric.  With a little guidance, she sewed on her strips of fabric to make the apron straps.  Then we added the pocket she wanted.
     She was pleased and I am ever so proud.
      The Totally Me Toy Singer sewing machine is said to be for children six and up.  My daughter is six but she probably could have been using this earlier and enjoying it.  I noticed one review from a woman who has a three-year old.  The mother sewed and the little girl loved making the similar sounds on her toy as her mother did with her big machine.  Technically, the toy sewing machine doesn't work.  But as a toy and as a spring board to further creativity, it's wonderful!

Why is Joel so happy?

Because Shelley repaired his beloved screen tent!  Yes, I'm sure you thought he was happy because of the birthday cake and the good beverages beside him.  But really, it's because his screen tent once again has a working zipper -- even stronger than the original. No possible bugs to come in and ruin an otherwise enjoyable camping trip.  Oh and his once torn sleeping bag is sewn up and lets no more drafts in.
      As you pack away camping gear this Fall, you may notice a few items that need repair.  Shelley at Love and Comfort Designs can repair those for you with her sturdy thread, needle and sewing machine.  You can reach her at Shelleydenhatgmaildotcom.

Reading Aloud

 Dropped J off for her first day of grade one today.  I missed her today but she was ready.  I'm going through photos of the summer and I know it was a great few months -- one of the best ever.  We've had lots of fun and time outside. 

Somewhere back in May and June when the weather was cold and wet, we started reading Beverly Cleary chapter books.  J can read a few words and soon learned to sit still and imagine the scenes in her mind.  The reading out loud continued during car trips and Joel chuckled along with us at the antics of Ramona and Beezus and Ribsy and Henry Huggins.  I loved Henry when I was a child  but couldn't stand Ramona -- didn't get further than the beginning of the series.  Because Ramona was truly a brat at age 4.  but as the stories continue and evolve into Kindergarden through grade four, you can't help but fall in love with Ramona and sympathize at the predicaments she gets into (new red rubber boots she finally gets instead of hand-me-downs that get thoroughly stuck in the mud, etc).  We also found some books on CD through the library with Stockard Channing reading.  Didn't matter our age, we chuckled at Cleary's amazing story-telling and the incredible voices that Channing read with. 

      Beverly Cleary added up to our summer, stories to share together, to laugh with and amazingly wonder at how books I read as a child can still be timely.

 At Naramata -- July 14

      Ahh, it's been a good summer.  No wonder I have mourned it's ending.  But our reading continues.  Just picked up Ribsy!!