Solo Shop Hopping

A cool and unsettled autumn day - after a week of record setting warm temperatures - and nothing to do.  Oh, that essay that I haven't started?  Ah well, it's not even due until the 20th!  Why not spend the morning driving out in the country in my new car, visiting quilt shops?

Yes, I bought a new car last week.  Itty Bitty signed the contract on his first REAL job since completing his undergrad degree, and needs a car for work, so I gave him my old Caliber ('09) and got a new Chevy Cruze.  I'm still trying to figure out how everything works in it, but it's a nice drive.

There are four shops on the tour, and my first stop was Creative Sisters in Kitchener.  At each stop, I had my passport stamped, and was given a piece of fabric to be used to finish the mystery project.  Since Creative Sisters is pretty close to my office, I visit there regularly, and didn't really see anything new that was particularly interesting until I spotted a new display of "Apliquick" products.

The tools were pretty pricey  -  but I thought I would give the product a try.  I generally use freezer paper for applique, but that means an extra step of cutting into the backing to remove the paper.  This product can be left in.

Next stop was Heart 'n Home in New Hamburg.  Again, it's not too far from where we live, so I have been there twice in the last few months.  I like New Hamburg a lot - - and I thought today, if I was to settle somewhere again, that I might like to live there.  It's close to 7/8 Highway, so it would be a quick scoot into Kitchener or Stratford.

Third stop on the Shop Hop is The Quilt Place in Shakespeare. It was very crowded today, with even a few MEN Shop Hoppers among us. I found a quieter place in front of the large selection of books, and chose a new title to add to my library: Stash Lab by Tonya Alexander.  Maybe you know her blog, Eye Candy Quilts? I don't know which project to start first!

And the final stop on the tour was Ye Olde Fabric Shoppe in Stratford.  Okay...I hadn't visited here since Sailor Boy first went away to Halifax, and I needed a fabric fix to cheer myself up.  Was that 2010?

Near the front of the store was a large collection of Kim Diehl fabrics in Christmas reds and greens, and the suggestion of this project which you can dowload from the Henry Glass website.:

I am absolutely crazy for Kim Diehl fabrics and designs right now.  I'm working on the appliqued borders on Sprigs & Twigs currently.  I'm not a Christmassy person, but maybe I could add one or two reds or greens to my growing collection?  But not so fast!  I turned a corner and found a whole wall of Kim Diehl.  I panicked!  I wanted them all!  But in the end, I only chose a handful, knowing that Stratford is only 40 or so kilometers away, and I can come back another day.

As it was the last stop on the Shop Hop, I collected the final fabric piece as well as the finishing piece and the pattern for the mystery project, a beverage tote:

On the way back home, I passed this sign, and stopped to read more about the Mennonite community here in the Waterloo Region.

I picked up a couple of more quilts from the long-armer this week, so I must get to putting the binding on them in time for the next guild meeting.

Adventures 3

About two weeks ago, Hubby and I stayed a little closer to home for our weekend adventure.  We had initially thought about doing an overnight shopping trip to Niagara, but once I paid the balance of my fall tuition...well, let's just say I didn't feel as excited about a shopping trip!

We've only lived in the Waterloo Region for a little more than a year, and continue to learn more about our new hometown.

A few weeks ago, I read a charming article in the newspaper about a restaurant in Waterloo called "The Harmony Lunch".  I added a visit there to my mental to-do list, and this was our first stop:

Have you ever had a hamburger that is pork instead of beef? It was delicious, and the restaurant was charming.  I would have liked to have taken some photos - the scarred wooden floor, the hat rack, the telephone booth, the old soda fountain.  I don't think a thing has changed in here since The Depression.  

I had read in yesterday's newspaper about a log cabin in a park in Waterloo. I'd never visited this park before, so we enjoyed a little walk through it.

The autumn leaves are already falling, and it's only August.

And here is the log school house!  There was a wedding party doing a photo shoot next to the building.  I imagine there is a real feeling of nostalgic connection to this house built by the original Mennonite settlers in Waterloo.  The wedding party may have even been descendants!

And the last stop in the afternoon was to the recently opened Apollo Cinema.  We were able to snag a Groupon deal that included tickets for 2 plus popcorn and drinks for $15.  We saw "Mr. Holmes".  Neat theatre!  Even regular admission is cheaper than the big cinemas, and it's licensed, so you can order a craft beer or a cider or a glass of wine at the concession stand.  There's even tables in front of the lounge-y seats!

Adventures 2

We had such an enjoyable time a few weeks ago on our adventures to Calendon and the cidery, that another adventure was called for the next Saturday.  This time we headed north towards Owen Sound.

The aim of our day trip was to combine a couple of tours: The Grey County Waterfall Tour and The Saints & Sinners Bootlegger Run.  It was a lovely combination of stunning natural beauty, and tasty visits to craft brewers and cideries.  We by no means were able to hit more than a handful of the stops, but that only means that we will just have to go back!  There's another tour I'm interested in taking in that same area, perhaps later this fall: The Apple Pie Trail.



First stop - breakfast in Durham



Inglis Falls near Owen Sound



Whenever possible - we must check out every music store or pawn shop to check out the guitars.  I guess this makes up for the forced stops at every fabric store.

Neustadt Springs Brewery - the oldest operating brewery in Canada.

Hoity Toity Cellars near Mildmay, where we sampled a number of ciders, and brought home a couple of bottles to enjoy.

After a full day of driving, we met my sister and her husband in Elmira for dinner at The Crossroads.  They had been on their own day long adventure, near our neck of the woods.  I was sure to hand over any literature about our trip, so they could enjoy the sites we visited.

Adventures

Hubby and I have been spending Saturdays just having adventures.  Here's a few photos from our trip a couple of weeks ago.

Being morning people, we were out the door bright and early, and headed to Orangeville, where we selected some fresh produce at the farmer's market and did a little window shopping.  After that, we did some driving through the country roads around Hockley Valley, and the Forks of the Credit.  

Next stop was for lunch at Spirit Tree Cidery in Caledon.  On Saturdays they offer pizza with gourmet toppings baked in their wood fired oven.

And of course....any trip to a cidery warrants the testing a few of their brews.  We each sampled a "short flight" of pear cider, applelager, and draught cider (and brought home a few bottles for enjoying later) on their deck.

Due to some road construction, we had to do a little variance to our route, and passed by the Cheltenham Badlands.  I've never seen anything quite like it!

I'll post photos from our next Saturday adventures soon!

Went to a Quilt Store

Today's goal was to find a Dr. Scholl's Custom Orthotics kiosk for Hubby. I've been bugging him for years to have orthotics made, but his doctor refused to give him a referral.  Standing all day in a kitchen causes him lots of foot pain.  We had to go to Kitchener (where we always get lost).



Pretty soon we found ourselves in Waterloo - might as well go to St. Jacob's right? We had the very yummy brunch buffet at the Stone Crock.  Well worth the drive!



I remember hearing that Reichard's from Elmira had moved St. Jacob's, and decided if I saw it, I would stop in to check it out. It's not on the main street, but I turned a corner to get turned around, and there it was!  The air conditioning was fantastic!  Hubby and I just stood under the vent - ahhhh!  I have to say that I didn't like this store as much as the old one.  It's cramped, and the staff asked Hubby if he needed help...what the?????  I didn't see anything on the walls that inspired me.

On the way home (the return trip was back roads - I'd had quite enough of Kitchener-Waterloo roads for one afternoon) we listened to "Tapestry" (you can listen online) on CBC Radio, which featured an interview with Jeanette Winterson talking about her memoir "Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal".  It sounded so interesting, we went directly to Chapters to pick up a copy.



I believe today is day 3 of Black Cohosh.  I think it is helping.  I slept like a LOG last night - even slept in!  I didn't get out of bed until 10:30 this morning.

Back to work in the morning.  I forgot to mention that my funding has been extended, so I have another year in Guelph. YAY!!!!  We are thrilled!

Doors Open

Have you heard about Doors Open?  Nothing like a Sunday drive - to leisurely learn more about the places and people around us.

A few weeks ago, Hubby and I went to Doors Open Hamilton.

 Hamilton Harbour

 Love the tiled floor at Dundurn Castle!  It looks like a Bonnie Hunter quilt!

 I'm always charmed by these schoolgirl samplers -disappointed that anti-glare glass is not in the frame.

 We spent a long while in this Serbian church.  It was like taking a trip to Europe! 

The frescos that covered the entire interior were painted by one man, and took him five years to complete.  There are no pews in this church - the congregation stands during mass (although there are benches around the perimeter for those who may need a bit of a rest).  And the burning of incense is not reserved for special occasions - spicy smoke filled the church.

 Smokestack at the Museum of Steam and Technology

 Baby chicks hide under the skirts of a 'pioneer girl' at Westfield Heritage Village

Also at Westfield Heritage Village

A "Scrumptious" Day

(My appologies to anyone with dial-up, because tonight's entry is photo-laden!)

Hubby and I went for a Sunday drive today and ended up in Grand Bend at the Lambton Heritage Museum to take in their special exhibit: Between the Stitches: Lambton Quilts & Quilters, and the 20th Anniversary North Lambton Quilters Guild Show.

I've been to this museum several times, and it's "very well done", and always has been, in my memory. The main part of the museum houses collections of items from the early history of Lambton County settlement. Outside, several old homes and public buildings have been relocated to this property, restored and protected.

Here are a few photos of the quilts in the museum's collection:

I got a close up of this block, because I liked the horseshoes in the background print. Here's the whole quilt:

Hubby was very interested in the quilts, and if we got separated, he'd come and get me and take me over to a display if he had a question about how Crazy Quilts are contructed, or what exactly "Bishop's Fan" quilting was, or how signature quilts were used in fundraising. That's the great thing about Hubby - - he loves to learn about things, and is interested in EVERYTHING!

I admired this pillow - the blades of the fan were constructed from prize ribbons awarded in school contests - presumably academic and athletic prizes.

I've seen many "signature quilts" before, and there was many examples in this exhibit, but this one is very unusual. First, the names are cross-stitched on the quilt, not stem stitched, and there are four colours, not merely white with embroidery, or bi-coloured. According to the information printed on the card next to the quilt, it could be fairly accurately dated to circa 1877, because a couple of the people named in the quilt died in a diptheria outbreak in 1878. Take a close look at the full picture of this quilt - it's breathtaking.

This quilt is constructed of flannel printed with national flags collected from cigar boxes in the early 20th c.

This quilt reminds me of MY antique log cabin quilt, except mine is in a barn raising configuration

This is one of the loveliest crazy quilts I've ever seen. Not precisely "crazy" since it is regularly patterned, but the embroidery is gorgeous, the figured fabrics are in pristine condition, and the wide lace trim is beautiful.

Now...onto the SHOW!

On the advice of quilty friend Wendy, I've been reading "The Selected Journals of L. M. Montgomery". Some of the things we saw reminded me of the first volume's journal entries: the school house, the Presbyterian church.

I even found a "Pansy Book" among the bookshelves in the Presbyterian Church.

On our way home, I asked if we could stop at the scenic lookout at the Parkhill dam and reservoir. I've driven by it dozens of times over the years, but never stopped before. I imagine it's quite lovely in every season.