Art in Winnipeg

OH MY GOSH --- I'm a slug this morning, and I just could not get myself out of bed. It was only when the threat of not having enough time to get what I needed done that I finally got out of bed. I guess the time change, the setup day, and everything are finally catching up to me. And then I had a dream that I had fleas. Good grief!!!

I will not have time for a walk this morning. Shoot --- but I only have myself to blame. I did get to bed at a decent time, but I needed to make up for the time I'd lost the night before. Anyway -- no need to worry -- I'll be walking around today, so all should be good. 

The weather is very decent here, so that is a good thing. The walk from the hotel to the convention center is short - about three blocks, if that! So when you have to carry a sewing machine from your room to the convention center, it's no big deal. 

There's something NEW and exciting in that big white box. I'll take a picture of it today. By the way, it's on a smart cart, so no heavy lifting required. 

Something new and exciting in that white box

We had two extra hands during setup today, and oh my goodness, it showed. We were out of there in good time. Typically, we finish just before the awards ceremony, but we had a few hours to spare, and I needed a nap. I hope my sleep schedule gets back to normal soon. 

I don't have time to point out various things on the Canadian Quilter's Website this morning, but please check it out. You can bid on the Trendtex challenge art - wall hangings and bags this year!!! And I'll point out some things tomorrow. I'll find a link to the winning quilts. 

So on my walk, I discovered some art around the city. It's always exciting to look at the Adventure Labs (geocaching) because you never know what you'll find. And can you believe - I spotted a geocaching Meet and Greet on the app as well. I think that was yesterday, or is that today? And yesterday at breakfast, I spotted a gentleman wearing a geocaching t-shirt. 

There are five stops on all Adventure Labs, but I only made it to two and was hoping to do the other three this morning. That is NOT going to happen. I will get my act together and do it tomorrow. 

Here is a piece of art. Based on the information in the app, I think it's quite controversial: it is supposed to represent a field of wheat, but given the cost and the look, not everyone agrees. Does anyone appreciate art? And there is always controversy over the price. 

Artwork representing fields of wheat

I'm not sure if you can read that, but one side is in English, and the other is in French. You can click the photo to enlarge it, or find the information online. 

The plaque for the artwork

This is the second piece of art on the tour. It's called High Five. 

High FIve

This is all you get on the plaque, but what I love about the app is that it gives you some history of the art. The one above is supposed to represent numerous things, and instead of me regurgitating it all, you can read more about it here. 

The plaque for High Five

Here is another piece of art - it's actually a water feature/fountain in the shape of a beaker. It's very cool because water is falling from the bar while steam comes out of the top. A string of lights below the bar illuminates the water. 

"emptyful" art sculpture in downtown Winnipeg 

AHA—Google AI is pretty smart, because I quickly found this description of the art piece. It's called "emptyful."

And then there are various other art pieces around the city. A lot seems to be happening around the public library. 

More art outside the library

I found these amazing bike lockers on the street. They are wedge-shaped, and there are two side by side. The narrow end of one and the wide end of the other. Together they make a rectangle. The only other place I've seen bike lockers is at the Amsterdam airport. These are outside the library. 

Bike lockers

And then you have this blast from the past. It looks like it was a candy factory at one time. Oh my gosh --- who remembers the Nutty Club candy with the red and white figure? The building was constructed in 1905 and 1907. It's called the Scott-Bathgate Building. 

The Nutty Club candy factory

OH MY—here's a very interesting story about the company. The logo is called the Can-D-Man. It stopped producing candy in 2024. There are pictures of the candy on that link, and the one I remember the most is the popcorn, where you got a prize in the box. I ate a lot of that as a kid! Check it out --- what a cool story. 

And this is the view from my hotel window. That is the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. 

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

It looks like they have an interesting exhibit at the moment. It's a "quilt" that highlights the memories and truths about the residential schools. 

The building is very unusual, and the entrance, which I shared last time I was here, is very uninviting. But the subject matter within that museum is very humbling. 

I will have some downtime all day Sunday, as well as on Monday and Tuesday mornings, but I also have a couple of friends to visit, including my nephew. So I'd best get those organized, so I know how much time I have on my own. 

And oh my goodness -- I spotted this on IG the other day. Seriously??? Puzzlers have "to-do" lists as well? I'm doomed!!!! I won't ever show you my puzzle to-do list. 

Oh shoot --- I have no idea how to crop out the extra of that photo. I know how at home, but this computer deals with photos differently. Don't ask me why or how. 

A puzzler's to-do list

OH MY GOSH ---- I am a dolt. Yesterday, when I listed the classes, I forgot AGAIN about the Show-and-tell quilt from Elizabeth Hartman. I did add it yesterday, but some of you may have read the blog before I did. There are patterns all over the booths at this show. Well, I saw samples of the quilt, and that reminded me I forgot to add that to the blog post. 

If you happen to be here at Quilt Canada and plan to buy that pattern, and want some incentive and fun to get it done, watch my blog for the sew-along dates. Or if a friend buys the pattern, let them know. My sew-alongs are fun and not expensive!!! PLUS—you get a lot of extra information —it's not just about following the pattern! 

So here is the information one more time, including Show and Tell. 

I will get the dates, costs, and more links up, probably next week, but in the meantime, this gives you an idea of what is happening. This was all decided on based on the feedback I got from you! 

There is nothing to do at this point in time. I am not taking signups; I don't have dates yet, but I will get the information to you ASAP. All classes are on ZOOM - once a month, lasting for one hour. My rates are ridiculously cheap. And be sure to pass this information along to anyone who wants to know. I will be sending out emails and posting online as soon as I get a chance to put those dates in the calendar. 

Here are the classes: 

• One class is My Kinda Town - paper pieced. While I have chosen a specific pattern, I suppose you could pick any paper-pieced pattern if people absolutely wish. Will be several classes - not determined yet. 
• One class will be on scraps—9 or 10 sessions.
• One class will be an ongoing quilt with crazy blocks to work on (9 or 10 sessions) - 40 shades of grey.
• One class will be handwork - wool applique - I have a specific project in mind, but anything goes. Here is a link to the kit I highly recommend. Keep in mind that there are six kit styles, and within each kit, there are four colorways. See the picture below. If you are at Quilt Canada, I think Wonderfil will have those kits, so you may want to pick one up. Otherwise, I'll give you local resources to buy. I'm trying to see if we can kit this with some thread that you can buy at a local store. You can contact me about that one if you wish. 

My Kinda Town

40 Shades of Grey

Sue Spargo precut wool applique kits.

Show and Tell

While you may think that is a lot, it's not really, and hopefully this will help you plan. I can tell you that 40 shades of grey, the scrap quilt, and Show and Tell will be long-term projects. Starting in September and running until June - something like that. And the other two will run in a shorter time frame, which I am working on. 

Remember, as you look at the offerings, you do NOT need to take all of them. Do what you WANT to make, not because you have FOMO. 

And as I get ready for the show today, I want to remind everyone of my tips for attending a quilt show. Please read them so you aren't disappointed when you arrive at the show. Please note that they are also in the latest issue of the Canadian Quilter magazine. Happy quilt show looking today. 

I will NOT be in the booth this morning, as I am assigned to one of our sewing machine classrooms. I will be around the booth on and off this afternoon. But I should be in one of the booths (we have PFAFF, Singer, and Husqvarna VIking) tomorrow and the next day. 

And on that note, I need to get myself organized and out the door. The students in the class will be eager to get started, and we need to thread those machines!!!! I'm super excited!!!!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

A can of worms!

Yikes -- I see Torry is on Book FOUR of The Seven Sisters series! I finished Book Two and needed a break! She will be ready when the 8th book comes out sometime next year. I'll be behind - as usual. But that's OK. I don't mind. 

Having a decent narrator for the audiobooks sure makes a difference. I'm currently listening to an audiobook (more about where it came from another day), but the narrator is literally reading (not narrating) the book. No inflection; she barely takes a breath. The nature of the book is simple, but the way she reads it does NOTHING to the storyline. I will finish it -- it is interesting but certainly different from when the book is professionally translated into audiobook form. 

We had two great classes (via Zoom) yesterday! Gosh -- I LOVE looking at all the homework, and that's the most essential part of the class. It's so much fun to see the choices of fabric the others have made and how each makes the quilt look so different! I've learned so much from my students! I hate to call them students, but you know who I mean!

And then I opened a Can of Worms! Yesterday's classes were hosted by Thimbles and Things, and if you are NOT on their newsletter -- you should be! I'm teaching some great classes in the new year (Free-motion quilting, One block Wonder, and Fab Farm by Elizabeth Hartman!) Yesterday marked the final (for now) Timely Technique session. I would love to do more, but I need more hours!

We chatted about EXCESS in our studios, but the techniques can also apply to other areas of our lives. Over the years since I started cleaning up, I've lifted a HUGE weight off my shoulders. I still have a lot of stuff, but I've also gotten rid of many things. What I have now is organized, more or less. No more hopping over tubs to get to something, no more massive searches to find a particular piece of fabric or a quilt top. No more buying duplicate tools because I can't find the original. No more danger of me being buried alive amongst the fabric! 

It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good. I'll be refining and culling forever, but it's so easy now that there is less stuff to deal with (and yet I still have TONS of stuff)! 

Well -- the topic seemed to strike a cord in the attendees. I received thank-you e-mails from some of them, including pictures! And someone jokingly asked in the class if I would hold them accountable. And you know what? I AM!! They don't know this yet, but I'm going to ask who wants to check in monthly during 2023 and send photos! Let's see how much gets cleaned up! 

As the new year approaches, people are starting to think about resolutions. What happens is the motivation peters out quickly. Many programs show you how to declutter but give you no resources to make it happen and little support to maintain it. For some reason, I'm a self-motivator (and self-enabler!). I now am meticulous about keeping my space neat and tidy, and every year it gets worse (or is that better?) As I mentioned, I'm now to the point where my three sewing tools and the thread on my machine go into a box at the end of the day. It keeps the space clean and neat, and everything can be moved off the tables quickly should I need it for something else. I am NOT my mother's daughter in that respect. OK -- if you look in the office - I'm following in her footsteps, but not in the studio where it's important. 

Do not ask how many times a day I pass the Swifter! OK -- that's an exaggeration, but I use it every day as the amount of dust and lint that collects is obscene! 

OK, and now for some pictures. After the Zoom classes, I was off to get some points for geocaching. I decided to take the easy route and went on a couple of adventures. While they were 3 KM from each other, they were totally different. 

The first one looked at various art installations in the heart of my city (the sixth largest in Canada). I don't get down this way very often, but this is a happening place in the art world. This is the Pool of Knowledge and is filled with letters. I LOVE it -- and I should have taken better photos. 

Pool of Knowledge

And this is a building I see when driving past this area on the highway. Actually, there are two towers, and they are pretty funky. Looks like someone needed help stacking up a bunch of trays. 

Funky towers

Then I got a bit closer. I'm in denial that I have height issues, but looking at that gave me slight vertigo! If you want to read more about it, check this out.  

Twisted towers

The entire area is cool, with the outdoor park with two big screens where I could have watched the soccer match if I wanted to. But it was a tad chilly for that. Definitely, an area where you could get away without a car! Something to think about when I need to move. But I wouldn't be living on the 61st floor! And if you read the information on the website, they take a dig at the Marilyn Monroe (Absolute Towers) just down the road, which are round, and therefore some of the space is compromised to maintain the outside of the building. 

Once I was done with that adventure, I was off to the second one, a wooded park by the river. Just three KM down the road, and it was gorgeous! Look at the sculpture in the tree. 

Owl sculpture in the tree

I got a chuckle when I saw this sign. I need that on my blog -- the enabling blog! 

The enabling garden

And I spotted this beautiful house nestled in the woods. This is the first time I've seen this house, even though I've been to this park several times. 

Gorgeous old house

It was built in 1919!!! Wow!!!

Cornerstone dated 1919

I'm still short 20 points, and I NEED them today. So, where will I be going after my Zoom discussions? I'll post the links at the end of the blog. We have so many tools, and we don't use them. My goal is NOT to enable anyone to buy or start a new project (OK -- so I'm lying), but I also want to enable people to use the tools they have!!!

Here's what I unpacked from the bag on the cutting table today. I bought this pattern in the US and need to make it, and I can see beautiful embellishments on it, which will be perfect for work. 

Clothing pattern

Here's the quilt of the day. It was so nice to work on a small project for a change! It seemed to take no time compared to the others I've done recently. The next one is loaded, and I might even be able to get two done today. Let's see how it goes. 

Customer quilt - DONE

And what paper did I deal with from those containers? I found another design I created for screen printing when I was in the textile program. As one of our assignments, we had to work with the college theatre program to make fabric for the costume department. So we had a client. My job was to create material for some underwater creatures, and they wanted fish on them. Yes -- I had to move away from my geometric world. 

Here is a small drawing of my finished design. 

My undersea design

Then I had it enlarged onto a sheet of paper four feet tall (the size of the screens we used). This version still needed something. See how flat it looked until the circles got added? A small detail, but it makes a huge difference. 

A version of the design

I even found the actual sheet of vellum used to create the screen for the printing. 

The vellum to create the screen

I don't think I have any of the fabric left, but the material was green - some flimsy stuff and the fish were purple. But everything had to be oversized, so it showed on the stage. I never did see the costumes that were created with this fabric. I don't know why as today, I would have a picture, and I may not have time. But the contract was made once we gave the fabric to the costume department! 

If any of you want to get on my e-mail list of decluttering, send me a note. I want BEFORE pictures. You can only get in if you send pictures! And I'll check in once a month to see how progress is made! You need to only pick one small area. More on that another day! Something to think about for today!

So if you want to attend any of the discussions this morning, here are the links again. 

If you want to join us, just log into the call. All these one-hour zooms are discussions to discover your level, what brand you have, and what you want to learn. There is no cost and zero commitment. 

Sunday, December 4 at 10 AM. zoom opens at 9:45

Digital Cutters  -- Brother Scan and Cut, Cricut, Silhouette

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86553551005?pwd=OERLRVhObTZFRUtLUTlHc0ZLR2RKQT09 Meeting ID: 865 5355 1005 Passcode: 675303

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Sunday, December 4 at 11:15 AM. Zoom opens at 11:00

EQ8 (Electric Quilt 8 -- software for designing quilts)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84750425875?pwd=R015NWkrMURSYXNvQ21HdXRzRG1ZZz09 Meeting ID: 847 5042 5875 Passcode: 388459

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, December 4 at 1:00 PM. Zoom opens at 12:45

mySewnet Embroidery Software

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87534524274?pwd=ZmNiNmFMSUdkVDQvWUM4cjlYZXhIUT09 Meeting ID: 875 3452 4274 Passcode: 355283

And on that note, it's time to get moving! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

The long way home

While I was having fun at the cottage, it was time to come home and it took me all day to do so.

I did spend the night at Susan's cottage. What a very nice place. I have to laugh - People have cottages that are way nicer than where I grew up as a kid!  Anyway, I decided to sleep in the bunkie despite the warnings about serial killers and bears as possible threats. No those threats were not real, but amazing how some people need the safety of a "house" around them. I guess if I survived a grizzly bear walking through our campsite, I can sleep in the bunkie.

We're not talking a decrepit old bunkie -no this place was pretty amazing.

The bed and look at that quilt!

It was nice to see that quilt on the bed. It was from a class that I taught at Sew Sisters - Northern Reflections by Marti Michell. And I quilted the quilt. How cool is that? But what a quaint space. I think I could have stayed there a wee bit longer, but there's no time in my silly life for loafing around too long.

Here's a view of the screened in porch. Can you imagine sitting there with a book on a rainy day? It would be heaven.

Screened in porch on the bunkie

There was another small building on the premises. This is the tool shed. Gosh - how I would love to have someplace with everything laid out so neat. We are all neat in our own ways. I think this might be a bit overkill for me. While I appreciate the neatness and the lack of stuff, look how clean that floor is. I could have eaten off that floor. That will never happen at my house.

The tool shed

 But look what else is in the tool shed.  Yep - that's a flush toilet. OK - this is the lap of luxury at the cottage. I see the toilet is right by the beer fridge. So you can do all the stops in this one place.

The loo

Don't you just love this picture? I think it's hilarious. Very practical and all designed by a VERY practical person.

The lawnmower and the loo

I just found a quote that makes me happy.  "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries."  A. A. Milne    THANK YOU - I was feeling a wee bit bad because I'm not that orderly and I'll never be and I realize - I DO NOT want to be. I would die if I lived like that.

But it was time to head home and I had a LOT of stuff to do on the way home. I had wanted to visit a specific place, but it didn't open until 1 PM. Good grief - so I had to kill some time. I decided to visit some quilt shops as I meandered my way home.

I needed some directions but my GPS couldn't find the address so I got a chance to try out this. A couple of weeks ago, I had purchased a phone holder for the car. I had tried it before but didn't like it. My phone case is a fold over one and as soon as the phone shut off, well you couldn't very easily turn it on again. I was tempted to ditch the holder. BUT I discovered that if I'm using Google Maps, the phone stays on and this worked like a cham.

Phone holder

The only problem with this and my regular GPS - it's hard to see the stupid screens. Why? Because my glasses don't like that short distance. I can see the screens perfectly without my glasses and I can see the road not so bad without my glasses - I'm tempted to ditch the glasses - I only wear them for driving the car.

Anyway - I'm still wearing the glasses for driving - don't anyone panic! Gosh - I had to drive to work one day without them because I needed to leave and couldn't find them. But that was a bad thing - I know!!

So the first stop was Wilton Creek Fabrics in Harrowsmith. I had never been to this shop but had wanted to after seeing the row or license plate it had for Row by Row in the past.

Wilton Creek Fabrics

I've so conditioned myself to NOT buy fabric that it's hard to know what to buy in the shop. I did pick up a couple of things and I'll share them another day.

I was going to head to my next stop but decided that there were two quilt stores nearby (in Kingston) so I went to them first. Shoot - this shop was closed!!!!  I've been here before. There was a notice on the door from FedEx as they had tried to deliver three packages. Apparently, the owner is on vacation. Also, the shop is only open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday or something like that as the owner is retiring. I don't think the HOURS sign in the window reflected that.

My thoughts? If you're going to be away - then you should have a notice on your door. What if someone was in the area and decided to come back the next day only to find that the shop is still closed. I'd be royally ticked. SIGNS people - PLEASE!!!!  I even tried to call the store - NO message as there was no answer to the telephone. At least get an answering machine and put that information on. I guess she is retiring, she doesn't care. At least, I didn't have to find anything to buy!!!

Quilt Thyme

Then I popped into this next shop, also in Kingston. I'd never been to this one. A nice big store with LOTS of interesting fabric. Why are there so many cool Halloween fabrics? And why do I feel the need to buy them????

Got a great inspiration from this store for an embellishment. Again - I'll share with you another day what I picked up. I'd go back again!

Stitch by Stitch

Now that I've killed some more time, I had just enough time to have a bite before I hit the 1 PM event. I'll always remember Neil's suggestion from our Cross Canada bike trip. You can eat at Tim's every day. When you're in a different town, try the local bakery or the home grown restaurant. Way more interesting. So keeping that in mind, I passed tons of chain restaurants and once I had found where I was going, I checked out a place to eat. I found a small grocery store/deli and this is what I had for lunch. It was very good and I got to enjoy it outside by myself.

Lunch - a grilled Reuben, a weird drink FULL of pulp and a date squres

Then I was off to the Agnes Queen's Art Gallery. The doors opened at 1 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

Agnes Queen's ARt Gallery

The display I went to see was on Log Cabin quilts. The display had been put together as part of a student's practicum in Art History. Now, how cool is that? The show has been on for months and I had wanted to go to it, but it's a long way from home. Since I was in the area, I took the opportunity to go. The show closes TODAY!!!  The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Log cabin art exhibit

There was a decent showing of log cabin quilts in various settings. Here's one of the quilts.

Log cabin quilt in the art gallery

 I purchased a book of the Quilts in the University's collection and then it was time to hit the road. I still had one more stop on the way home, but it was in Toronto so I now had a long drive ahead of me.

I did stop at one of the service areas along the way for a quick break and then back in the car.

I made it to the North York Center so I could see the TorontoLove display of quilted banners to honor the victims that were killed when a van intentionally drove onto the sidewalk a while back.

Toronto Love art installation

This show is on until Sept 8.  The banners are 4 inches wide by 20 feet long. There are beautiful messages on the banners - made with LONG skinny letters. A call was put out after the crash. I didn't have time to participate. But it's beautiful.

Toronto Love art installation

Front row

Middle row

Last row

If anyone is intersted in going - it's in the North York Centre (5140 Yonge STreet). I had a little bit of trouble finding it as the newspaper had put NorthYork Civic Centre which is 5100 Yonge Street, but the security guard directed me to the correct place. I had literally parked right in front of this building!!!

It's a bit of a shame though as of EVERYONE who was in the shopping mall that day NO ONE looked up. Maybe they have already seen it???  Amazing how everyone walks with their head down or stuck in a phone. NO ONE is enjoying what is around them????? NO ONE pays attention to what's around them. Why is that????

Apparently, little metal hearts have been imbedded in the sidewalk near the actual scene. I was getting so tired by then - I just wanted to get home so I didn't walk to see the little hearts.

And that was my day!  I left the cottage just before 10 AM and got home about 5:30 PM.

It was loads of fun but I was glad to be home. OH - I was listening to an audiobook while I was on the highway and listened to a LOT of the book. I love audiobooks in the car - it's so easy to connect the phone to the car audio system and I was good to go.

On that note, I'm out of here for tody. I'll tell you about yesterday and today, tomorrow. Life is just stupid and seriously - something has to give. Oh yes -let's get that ratted long arm working and I'll be OK.

Have a great day!!!!


Ciao!!!!