Thursday, December 30, 2021

Rainbow Bowties

This was the first project I planned on for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this year with Angela at soscrappy. I knew I needed to control those strings of mine. Did I succeed? Well a healthy throw-sized quilt later, and .... yeah, hard nope! They just multiply like crazy.


The skies are grey yet again but I hung this from our deck for natural lighting. Just a whisper of wind in the back yard today, so I got a pretty good shot. Could use a weighted bar at the bottom to straighten out that wavy. It is straight, trust me.

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Letting the Bags out of the Bag

Well, Christmas is about over for another year as I write this, and it was a very special one for me, as I flew to Alberta to spend it with Brianne and Brady. I had the joy of being a part of two other special Christmas presents this year. About three or four weeks before Christmas, within the span of a week, two of my yoga students approached me, asking if I could make them the tote bag I bring to each class as a present for a loved one. They actually spurred me on to get my pattern, Positive Flow, finished up. It had stalled because I intended to include the tote bag... Below is the original bag, which I designed to showcase my Blogger Bundle I curated for Bernie's (now closed) shop, Needle and Foot. (that's her blog, always a good read).
Thought we in the northern hemisphere could use a little Caribbean Sea and sand about now!

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Gratitude #59

Welcome to my last gratitude post of 2021. Foof! but it's been another 'interesting' year hasn't it? Gratitude and pausing to just be thankful for what I see around me, for little happenings, discoveries, events, just regular stuff, has again been very therapeutic. I hope you will pop over to Not Afraid of Color, where you can read our host LeeAnna's weekly post, and visit several others who write these posts. Here are mine I've kept track of through December. 

1. Some good news regarding the environment in Canada. A 93-year-old man has donated the 7-acre island, called Île Ronde, which he bought in the early 1960s to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Multiple offers came over the years from developers but he refused them all. Now he's protected it for (hopefully) good, even after he's gone. Read the fascinating article here.

Map turtles (so named due to the map-like appearance of their shells) are endangered, and so the natural shoreline provides them nesting and sunning habitat. Most of the developed areas have been shored up with concrete walls and turtles cannot climb them.

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Small Sewing

I've been busy sewing up a storm of little projects, some secret, some not so secret. The majority of them have been bags.
Some of the above are gifts, some are in my Etsy shop. Here are a few details, with a link to a tutorial I wrote four years ago for the mug rugs.

Monday, December 13, 2021

Bye Bye Birdie Baby Plus Quilt

Another item on my Q4 #wipsbegone2021 list is checked off. I made this quilt when I released the updated version of my On the Plus Side pattern back in September. As part of the PHD programme that Gail hosts, anything new I start has to be finished by year's end, so with the year waning, I popped it on Avril and quilted it up!

Organic wavy lines were fun to quilt across it, and it went pretty quickly.

Friday, December 10, 2021

Positive Flow Pattern Release

Well, it's been three years coming, but I have finally put together the pattern for this fun quilt! 
I've made this quilt a total of four times: three throw size (one for the original ezine publication) and one baby size. This baby size is perfect for a partial jelly roll you may have from another project. I also have another wonderful addition (see what I did there?!) to the pattern...

Saturday, November 27, 2021

DrEAMi #58

Welcome to DrEAMi for November. What kind of squirrels have you been chasing? We've set up a few bird feeders for the winter and consequently we've been on actual squirrel patrol...to the point where MacGyver had to go online to see what kind of squirrel baffles he could create to foil these smart critters who sit and totally decimate the bird seed.
A simple piece of furnace vent ducting has done the trick, though he had to fashion a third one since they were LAUNCHING themselves from the lilacs and Jimson weed plants onto the green house-style feeder.

So, you can see that both humans in this house have been chasing squirrels, as it were...

Friday, November 26, 2021

Plus Playtime Plus Quilt

Yep, that title is correct. I'm putting it down to another menopausal brain fart, but I have it in some places as Plus Playtime, and in others as Playtime Plus! In the QAL and and in my Google docs pattern doc it is Plus Playtime, but for some reason on Instagram I started the hashtag playtimeplusquilt, so therein lies my own confusion. Whatever. This quilt, a commissioned one, is done!
A veritable rainbow of dancing plus blocks!

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Gratitude #58

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends. As we know, or if you don't you're about to, practising gratitude daily makes you a better person. It grounds you. It heals you. It lifts your spirits. It makes you appreciative for the gifts and blessings you have. It leads to a more positivite attitude. Here are my likes for the month. If you'd like to read more of these kind of posts, and write your own and link up, head over to LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color.

1. I love my YouTube playlists.
When I sew, I listen to music 99% of the time, so I love my playlists, along with CBC Music and the music on my iPhone. The majority of my music there is what I've heard on CBC, such a well-rounded music station: classical, new and classic rock, blues, R&B, Indigenous, World, and more.

2. I love battery operated candles.
A votive size looks so good in my beach glass holder! Great book beneath it too btw.

I have three kinds: those with a on/off switch, those that get turned on with a little remote, and those that have a built-in timer, 4 or 8 hours. I use them all daily.

Friday, November 19, 2021

94Quilt Finished

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

Wow, it's been a while since I posted. I've thought about writing an update post a couple of times, but just never did. I do have a finish, a quilt I worked on from July 1 to October 2, making one double flying geese block a day while I read the 94 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action. Not only did I read a Call each day, but I also went to the Beyond 94 website that CBC created, and followed most of their further reading, links to articles, TV shows, other sites and organizations, and literature. I watched We Were Children, the CBC documentary, riveting, heartbreaking, a must-watch for every Canadian, no every Turtle Island dweller, so that means Americans and Mexicans, who are also descended from Europeans.

This is the resulting quilt.


Friday, November 5, 2021

Charm Squares Makeup Pouch and a Flimsy

I'm pretty pleased with myself because not only do I have a finish for Friday, but I also have a quilt top together and all four of my goals for this Q2 of #wipsbegone2021 complete with lots of time to spare!


I've made several of these over the years, most recently three to sell in my Etsy shop, SandraJaneQuilts. I sold the aqua one in short order. In early September I had one of those days when you just feel like going off-topic and playing a bit, I grabbed what was left of a Gooseberry by Bonnie and Camille mini charm pack, and made the two sides. I'd used half of it in a little pouch I made for my friend Tish. And there it sat. Why?

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Surprise! A New Tea Cosy That Fits!

Last year my daughter Brianne had an idea for me to make to sell in my Etsy shop, SandraJaneQuilts: tea cosies with funny 'tea' sayings, as in, "I've got tea!" and "Spill the tea!" The double-entendre is on 'tea', which is modern slang for juicy gossip. I made three. One I sent to her, and two got listed. One sold. And the one I sent to Brianne?

Didn't fit.

Gack! The tea cosy I made I based on one I've had for decades that fits both my teapots, which are, apparently, not as wide as Brianne's.

I had planned to make her a new one, but, as they say the best-laid plans...

Monday, November 1, 2021

9-Patch Rainbow

It feels wonderful to have my second of three Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts done and ready to gift. The first one, an H2H quilt, Delia, is here, and the third, Bowtie Strings, should be a flimsy within less than two weeks, as it is on my #WIPSbegone2021 list for this quarter. This one reminds me of a QR code, especially the black 9-patch in the centre.

This is another quilt from the book Nine-Patch Revolution by Jenifer Dick and Angela Walters. It's an excellent book; last year I made 9-Patch Spectrum, which actually got finished quilting earlier this year.

Saturday, October 30, 2021

DrEAMi! #57

Welcome to another edition of Drop Everything And Make it and to my menopausal brain-lack-of-power at times! Sorry this post is out late; I got all excited to be doing Ashtanga yoga with David Robson online this morning (he's in Toronto, but world-renowned) that I didn't even remember it was DrEAMi time until I got home from a Shoppers' Drug Mart run.😬I even HAD a DrEAMi this past week, and I have a cute squirrel photo I saved on my phone but do you think I can recall where I saw it?! Maybe Pinterest....

Like nuts, DrEAMi projects are meant to be shared, right?  Let's scurry to it!

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Gratitude #57 Mostly About Xena

Welcome again to my monthly post of gratitude. If you'd like to read more uplifting posts from around the globe, head to LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color where she writes a weekly post, and others link up theirs. It will definitely lift your spirits; often these things we all note are simple things, don't cost much, if anything.

1. I am grateful for a very wise and experienced dog trainer named Maggie Mason, highly recommended by my friend Liz. About three weeks ago we went to her, at our wits' end with Xena. Walking her had taken a severe downturn, she was still charging and barking at Bella, and she was so fixated on the truck. A ride somewhere in it seemed to regress her, and she would withdraw, become aloof and anxious. Well. The one-on-one time with Maggie was invaluable in that she gave us a couple of pointers, was able to observe Xena and evaluate her, both outside and inside her facility, and said that although it was clear she'd been very abused, she knew there was a very good dog in there. I had realized within a few days of having Xena that she'd been on a chain for probably most of her life; her paw sensitivity and dexterity with her legs when the leash wrapped around them, and wherewithal to extract her leg(s), even literally doing a little handstand to hop over her leash (we'd kept her on leash in the house for the first several days as she acclimated to us and us to her) had made it click. Well, Maggie observed from the way her neck skin wrinkles from time to time that she had not one but two or possibly three chains around her neck... Maggie gave us some puppy training stuff to work through, since she figures she never really got to be a puppy, and said to call us in a few weeks when she should be more ready for training.

Well. The next day I suggested we walk together, all four of us, instead of one of us taking Xena, and one taking Rufus. MacGyver reluctantly agreed; we don't walk well together. My natural pace is much faster than his, and the dogs often play off one another which aggravates his rather short fuse of patience. So, off we went. Well, not quite like that, as Xena did NOT want to leave the house or 'her' truck, but with some liver treats (Maggie said treat, treat, treat), and the fact Rufus was leaving too, as well as both of us, she did come along.

From that very walk, it was a revolution in her behaviour and progress. A lightbulb went on in her head. It's been uphill ever since: she is much less reluctant to leave home, she is HAPPY as she trots along, tail up in the air, wagging, she's smiling in that wrinkled cheeks way that bulldogs do, we don't have to treat her as much on the walk, and her at-home behaviour has markedly changed. She's more affectionate; she comes OFTEN to give us kisses, sashaying her hips, wagging her tail, all wriggly; asking us to sit with her on the dedicated quadruped loveseat, she lets us hug her for short periods, LOVES my nightly jaw, cheek and head massages, even rolls back for short, very short, belly rubs. It's like she has established in her doggy mind that we are a pack. She seems, little by little, to be realizing this is her HOME. She's even instigated some play with Rufus, she has regular zoomies (mostly outside...), and she's actually sort of figured out how to play with a ball! Before, she'd just look at me, like huh? What is that? Why are you looking at me like that? Go get it if you want it.

Saturday, October 23, 2021

Fleurs

When I signed up for Gail's Quilting Gail PHD programme, I didn't know just how gratifying it would be. Finishing (finally! seven years later) Fleurs is the pinnacle of 2021 so far for me. I avoided it all year, and probably had it not been for joining in with Leanne @devotedquilter #wipsbegone2021 , I may not have got this huge quilt done. But done she is!

A quick refresh: this was a 'self' round robin. We sewed on our own quilts, and each month for seven months, the guild executive told us what that month's round would involve. I liked the challenge, and I liked sewing on my own quilt. I've been in two round robins: the first I was bitterly disappointed and the second, well, let's just say that not all contributors put in the same amount of care, thought and work, though in the second experience it was just one person, not several as in the first experience. 

Fleurs took me a lot longer to quilt than I'd anticipated! I loaded it September 11 and took it off October 17! I need to finish another UFO this month (gulp) or two in November to get back on track for 12 UFO finishes this year.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

What's Up

What have I been up to besides working on my 94 Quilt? Well, a few things, though none of them have given me any finishes for a while.

You know that I've decided to hop on Leanne's @devotedquilter Instagram bandwagon of finishing WIPs during the final 100 days of 2021.

I started with the biggest most time-consuming goal of the three, but tbh, all three are pretty big, time-consuming goals. In for a penny...

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

94Quilt: Blocks 88 - 94 and the Flimsy

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one. I made my last geese block on October 2. On October 3 I made the final heart block. The Calls are divided into six major sections, and so at the end of each one, I have made a heart block. Reconciliation has the most Calls within it, though there are several sub-sections. The hearts inadvertently led to me having a nice number of 100 blocks. Some of the blocks are set in the Dutchman's Puzzle setting; others are interrupted by a heart. When I saw this happening, I decided to 'interrupt' the blocks with two columns of geese going in random directions. I wanted lots of movement across the quilt, and a more modern feel to it. All of the hearts are the same fabric (a great one by Benartex, Marbella), and almost all of the reds and oranges are  repeated twice, some three times. The Moda I used for the background is gone but for a couple of small scraps, so that feels good to move yardage off the shelf. 

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.
Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

Reconciliation

88. Continued support for the North American Indigenous Games.
Complete. 
  • In April 2017 the federal government committed ongoing funding ($18.9 million over five years, and ongoing funding of $5.5 million every four years thereafter) both at the community level and to support the Games.
  • Dale Tamara Plett of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation in Ontario, was elected the first Indigenous woman president of the 2020 Games which were to be in Halifax, but have now been rescheduled to 2023.

Thursday, September 30, 2021

94Quilt: Blocks 80 - 87

Today is Canada's first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I waited one day to post my regular Wednesday 94 Quilt post for that reason. I am hopeful, so hopeful, that we have truly begun the journey to understanding our Indigenous hosts, (because this is their land) and repairing the centuries of wrongs we have inflicted upon them. Lots and lots of small steps have been taken, but many many more are needed to get to the stage where they are not the highest percentage of incarcerated men and women, they are not the highest percentage of children in foster care, no longer a major number of humans dealing with addiction, homelessness, mental illness... 
I continue to learn. Making this quilt while I read, reflect upon, and research each Call and its progress has been another step for me on my journey to truth and reconciliation. The truth. The truth is not pretty, and shying away from it, saying you can't handle it, you don't want to talk or read or hear about anymore of it because it's too upsetting is another act of white privilege. So I urge you to do the right thing: #dosomething @decolonizemyself @pam-palmater Any of those accounts or the hashtag will lead you to educating yourself. Education is the key to understanding our sister and brother humans.

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.
Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

Reconciliation

80. Establish a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a statutory holiday.
Complete.
  • I did not plan this to be the first Call nor that our actual Truth and Reconciliation Day would be the day after I normally have been posting these posts. How very fitting. Higher forces at work.
  • In August 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the Liberals were going to declare a federal statutory holiday and that the process was undeway.
  • A previous private member's bill had been passed in the House in March 2019, but had only passed first reading in the Senate when the 42nd Parliament ended.
  • Two dates had been considered: June 21, which is National Indigenous Peoples Day, and September 30, which is Orange Shirt Day. This day of remembrance was started in 2013 by residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad. Ry Moran, director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation said, "It's not just about creating another day off from work or from school. We have to remember and we can even borrow the phrase from Remembrance Day, 'Lest we forget.' If we forget what has happened in the past, just how low we can sink, we are at serious risk of recreating those same issues again in the future.”

Saturday, September 25, 2021

DrEAMi! #56

Welcome to another edition of Drop Everything And Make it! Sarah of Confessions of a Fabric Addict sent me this amazing video. Squirrels are so very smart; we don't give them enough credit.

Isn't that just the best squirrel video yet? Bahaha. Well, let's see what we've all been up to over the past month.

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Gratitude #56

Welcome to my monthly post of gratitude. I try and mostly succeed, to practise gratitude each and every day. It genuinely lifts my spirit, and I've found that it has become a habit. Here are a few from the past month. If you'd like to read more uplifting posts from around the globe, head to LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color where she writes a weekly post, and others link up theirs.

1. I'm grateful for our Mother Earth. Despite the horrific mistreatment and disrespect for her these past 70 years especially, she provides. I grew beets this summer, and besides cooking, and pickling a few, I used a couple to make my own beet hummus. Yum!

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

94Quilt: Blocks 72 - 79

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.
Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

Trigger Warning: some of the content in today's post can be disturbing for some readers.

Reconciliation

72. Develop and maintain the National Residential School Student Death Register created by the TRC.
In progress. Projects underway.
  • In March 2018, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) received funding to support the implementation of this.
  • In the 2019 budget $33.8 million over three years was committed, beginning in 2019, to establish and maintain this, and provide opportunities for commemoration.
  • worth noting this was done prior to the discoveries of several mass graves at these 'schools' in 2021.

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Orange You Glad You Did?

Orange is the September colour, and I got my orange 9-patch block done and the entire quilt is now a flimsy! 'Orange I glad I did indeed! I had the orange block on Instagram, but here, dear readers, is the entire top upon which your eyes may feast!


This is from the book by Jenifer Dick, Nine-Patch Revolution. It is an excellent book. Last year's RSC was also from it, 9-Patch Spectrum.

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

94 Quilt: Blocks 64 - 71

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.
Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

Reconciliation

64. Require publicly-funded denominational schools to teach comparative religious studies including Aboriginal spiritual beliefs. 
Not started.
  • The original Call wording specifies "spiritual beliefs and practices in collaboration with Aboriginal elders."
  • According to Beyond 94, although there are some schools who do teach this, few were compiled with guidance and input from Indigenous elders. 
  • You can read specifics for each province's implementation of this Call on Beyond 94. Again, here is yet another example where education is under provincial jurisdiction, so when Singh continually says he will "immediately implement all 94 Calls," he either has 'forgotten' or 'doesn't know' that education is not under federal jurisdiction, so good luck making provinces do this 'immediately'.

Monday, September 13, 2021

Balloon Ride - Scrappy Improv Quilting Book Release Hop

I am super-duper-excited to have been asked by Kelly of My Quilt Infatuation to participate in her second quilt book release blog hop, and to be posting my project on the first day of the hop!

If, (lol, let me change that):  Because you have oodles of scraps, you need, yup, need this book. It will help decrease them, I promise; though, if you're like me, you won't notice the decrease, ha. 
So. Many. Gorgeous. Mini quilts. It was hard, but I finally decided upon the hot air balloon mini, which I've called 'Balloon Ride'. 

Up, Up, and Away!


Thursday, September 9, 2021

The Light Within in Make Modern Issue #42 and TGIFF

Issue #42 is here today and I am in it on page 42! Also, welcome to TGIFF!
A couple of posts ago I showed the photo of four of the quilts in the magazine, asking if you could guess which one was mine. Were you right?



Make Modern issue 42 is on sale now for just $12. You can also get a one-year subscription for a mere $50AU. (affiliate links)

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

94 Quilt: Blocks 57 - 63

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.
Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

Reconciliation

57. Educate public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples.
In progress. Projects underway.

The Canada School of Public Service is working on curriculum for federal public servants. (see note on their app below Call 63)
  • The "Indigenous Learning Series" is being created in collaboration with unions and "Indigenous learning experts and elders to ensure that the series is inclusive of and informed by Indigenous perspectives."
  • There are currently six courses.
  • Public servants in the Northwest Territories and Ontario are required to receive Indigenous cultural awareness training.
  • Manitoba, BC, and Alberta have all taken steps in educating public servants; details on Beyond 94.


Tuesday, September 7, 2021

OMG and PHD: fleurs

First of all, confession: I did not get a Project Half Done, aka PHD, to the finished stage in August. However, I am one ahead so I'm still on track to finish 12 UFOs. For September, I aim to fulfill my PHD requirement and set this as my OMG: finish 'fleurs', a 'self-round robin' I made when I was part of the Erie Shore Quilt Guild.
The criteria for this was to choose an orphan block for the centre, (mine was the hand-appliquéd Rose of Sharon) and then each month a member of the executive would specify what style of quilting would be for that particular round. For example, the first round, in October 2013, was 'stripes', the second round was flying geese, and so on. It went on for seven months. I finished mine in December 2014, after I was no longer a member. It has sat, ever since. (red face of shame)

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

94 Quilt: Blocks 50 - 56

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.
Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

Reconciliation

50.  Establish Indigenous law institutes.
In progress. Projects proposed.
This is in keeping with UNDRIP.
  • Within the 2019 budget is $9.1 million over three years to build an Indigenous Legal Lodge at the University of Victoria, BC.
  • In July 2021, just under $1 million over  three years was allocated to Iroquois and Allied Indians and Lakehead University's law faculty in Thunder Bay, ON, towards an Indigenous law institute.
  • Also in the 2019 budget was $10 million over five years in support of Indigenous law initiatives. $134 127 has gone to the University of Alberta for the development of the Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge, a partnership between the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Native Studies.
So when certain party leaders on the campaign trail say that if they become Prime Minister, they'll immediately adopt all 94 Calls, one sees that this is a grandiose statement, one that leans towards flippant, when we look at what has been started just within this one call! These are huge undertakings, and can't be implemented "immediately" as this particular party leader stated.

There is more information on Beyond 94 on what is going on wrt this Call. The Federation of Law Societies of Canada has an advisory committee which has been doing work on this Call and others to do with law.

Saturday, August 28, 2021

DrEAMi! #55

Welcome to the August linkup for DrEAMi! Someone asked me why the I is lower case and so I thought it worth explaining! Dr is for Drop, so that's obvious, as she noted. Well, back when I thought of this acronym for those times when we are mesmerized by a project that grabs us and we have to just drop whatever we should be doing and make this thing, it was all about iPhone, iPad, iLife, iBooks, etc etc. Yeah my 'i' is on the end. Also DrEAMI looked odd to me. Either one, however DrEAMi or DrEAMI work in my books! 

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Gratitude #55

Each month I keep track, mentally and with photos, of things for which I am grateful. There is a group of us who do this and link up each Thursday with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color. If you feel like joining in, or just reading some uplifting posts, write your own, and/or hop on over to read others' posts. Adding gratitude to your day truly changes your attitude and lifts your spirit.

1. I love jasmine. I first saw the hedge and smelled it around the condo we used to have in Bradenton, Florida. I now have Sweet Autumn Clematis, (Clematis paniculate) which is remarkably akin to it. The display is glorious, as is the fragrance. It's just starting to open. In another week or so it will be a cascade of white. The bees love it too. It's rather topiary-like as it flows over the fenceposts!

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

94 Quilt: Blocks 43 - 49

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.
Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

Reconciliation

43. Adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In progress. Projects underway.
"The Liberal government passed legislation to implement UNDRIP in June 2021. But six provinces officially opposed the legislation, citing concerns that it would impact provincial laws and jurisdiction."
Bill C-15 received royal assent June 21, 2021. Guess what six provinces opposed it and wrote a joint letter to the Prime Minister? Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick. What do they all have in common? They're all led by a Conservative government. Read more at Beyond 94.


Sunday, August 22, 2021

Reading Takes You Places and Pattern Update Release

First of all happy Full Sturgeon Moon, extra rare Blue Moon of the summer season (source Live Science). It's been gorgeous gazing at it the past few days. I thought it a fitting day for my newly updated and added-to suitcase quilt pattern! And, you guessed it, it's on sale this week.😊

Back in late July, I made this large reading cushion for Brady for his birthday which was July 30. Like me, he likes to read a book in bed before turning out his light. I always prop myself up with two pillows, so I figured this large cushion would be just the ticket for comfort while he reads. He also loves to listen on his phone to one of my favourite CDs by Suzanne Ciani, an artist I discovered on a New Age station out of Detroit, WJOI, when we lived here in the 80s. His phone can tuck into that actual pocket!

Some of you may recognize the block. It's one from my Oh, The Places You'll Go! quilt I made for Island Batik way back in January 2019. The pattern has been in my Etsy shop for almost as long. For the past two-plus weeks I have been updating the pattern, bringing it up to the level of my others, now that I know what is 'standard' in the pattern world, and also adding instructions to make the cushion and the appliqué blocks.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

94 Quilt: Blocks 36 - 42

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.
Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

Justice (continued)

36. Provide culturally relevant services to inmates on issues such as substance abuse, family and domestic violence.
In progress. Projects underway.
What is omitted in the Beyond 94 shortened version of the Call is the final phrase: "and overcoming the experience of having been sexually abused."

Friday, August 13, 2021

Makeup Bags

Some of you may have seen my red/plum/brown little makeup bag on Instagram when I entered it in Hobbs Holiday Creating Challenge. Well I finally got the other two finished!

They are listed for sale in my Etsy shop, SandraJaneQuilts.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

94 Quilt: Blocks 29 - 35

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.
Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

Justice (continued)

29. Work collaboratively with plaintiffs not included in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement.
In progress. Projects proposed.
Some students were 'day scholars', meaning they went home at night after spending the day in those 'schools', and were not included in the above settlement. In June 2021, an settlement was reached in a lawsuit but it hasn't yet been approved by the court. More details can be found on Beyond 94 regarding specific dates of settlements. 

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

94 Quilt Blocks 22 - 28

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinaabeg (Source: Canadian Encyclopedia) on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.
Beyond 94 is the CBC-created site that is an ongoing report card monitoring how we are doing with the calls.

To finish off Health
22. Recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients.
In progress.
In June of this year, the Canadian Nurses Association released a Declaration Against Anti-Indigenous Racism in Nursing and Health Care.
Also of note is that the first National Summit on Racism in Nursing and Health Care will take place in November 2021. More details are on the Beyond 94 site.

Saturday, July 31, 2021

DrEAMi! #54

Welcome to the July linkup of DrEAMi where we celebrate and share our 'off-track' moments! I shared this meme from Carol last year, but when Tish The Madd Quilter, brought it to my attention, and I saw it again on Carol's blog this week, QuiltSchmilt, I knew it was such an apt description for this party that I had to use it again.
I mean, it's perfect for what happens to us. All right, come on in and let's see what distractions we've been chasing in July.

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Gratitude #54

Welcome to my post where I reflect on the past month's moments for which I'm grateful. You can hop over to Not Afraid of Color, LeeAnna's blog where you will find a group of us who write these posts. It is not a closed group, so if you want to sometimes or regularly scribble down things you like or love for which you are grateful, feel free to link up and share!

1. I am grateful that Canada has made history this month, appointing an Inuk Governor General, Mary Simon. She was sworn in on Monday, and in her speech she said, "I have heard from Canadians who describe a renewed sense of possibility for our country and hope that I can bring people together." Here is a great article (the image below is from it) about her and the hopes many have. I did not know that Ottawa has the largest population of Inuit people outside of the North! 

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

94 Quilt Blocks 16-21

I acknowledge that I am living on unceded territory of Anishinabewaki, Attiwonderonk, and Myaamia on the shore of erielhonan, (Iroquoian word meaning 'long tail') now called Lake Erie.

On Monday, July 26, Mary Simon, the first Inuit Governor General of Canada was sworn in. Such a historical moment, it gives me hope for a better Canada.

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.

to finish Language and Culture

16. Create university and college degree and diploma programmes in Aboriginal languages.
In progress.
Many post-secondary institutions do this. I had heard of First Nations University of Canada through taking Indigenous Canada last summer. Check out the Lone Star quilts on their About Us page!

Monday, July 26, 2021

Eye Candy

When I posted an in-quilting progress pic on Instagram, someone wrote  'eye candy' and although I wasn't planning on naming this little quilt, that idea stuck, so Eye Candy it is. This mini is made of the the pile of cut away HSTs I had when I made Rainbow Way for RSC 2019. You can read about that quilt by clicking the link. That arrows quilt also is for sale in my Etsy shop. 

The little triangles had at least got sewn up into 3" unfinished square-in-a-squares, but then they sat in a stack. I did add them to my PHD list for this year, and because of three major commitments this month, I planned to make this mini. I am so glad to make something pretty from what could have ended up in a landfill. Truth? I could probably make a set of oh a dozen of these with the various triangles I've saved...

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Joyful Star - 12 Days of Christmas in July

I was honoured to be asked by Sarah of Confessions of a Fabric Addict to be part of her hop this year. Despite already having two rather major commitments within six days of each other, I said yes, adding a third! I work well under pressure, always have. Well, I'm pleased to report all three commitments/deadlines have been met. I am now going to have a relaxing August once this post is done! So welcome, and I hope to inspire you with not one, but three little projects!

First of all truth tea: I never, not ever, think of, or make stuff for, Christmas in July. I am a summer-loving girl and thoughts of snow and cold are no part of my July soak up the sun time! However. I made an exception this year. Because? 
Well, Sarah.
And - 
I had a pattern that was almost ready to publish, that would work beautifully for a Christmas quilt. I'd even had that thought percolating.
And it is published! And it's on sale 30% off for the duration of the hop! You can snag a copy for yourself for just $7.70CA in my Etsy shop.
So.
Exceptions had to be made, I mean really! And I'm so thrilled with how it came together.
So cheery! So... joyful! The red fabric is even called 'Joy' by Kate Spain.

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

94 Quilt Blocks 11-15

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.

To finish out the Education section...

11. Provide adequate funding to end the backlog of First Nations students seeking post-secondary education.
In progress. Project proposed. This baffles and upsets me. In 2018 the funding approved was actually less than in the previous two years. Make the money available. Now. Full stop. I do like that it's specific as to the amount which goes to First Nations, or Métis Nation, or Inuit.

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Captiva Meadow for Just One Charm Pack Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on Cheryl's second book release blog hop! I am so happy to be a part of her book release hop once again. This new book is just the ticket for those of us who have a charm pack (or ten) hanging around. All you need is what the title says, "just one", and a little bit of yardage to make any of the wonderful quilts in the book. I chose to make Blossom Chains.

I love designs that make your eye fly over a quilt. I also immediately saw the large plus-shape negative space between the diagonals and zip! knew I would do a little fancy quilting in there. You can hop over to Cheryl's blog, Meadow Mist Designs, to get links to all the stops on the hop. Links to purchase her book are at the end of this post.

Friday, July 16, 2021

94 Quilt - Five More Blocks

The post that explains my 94Quilt project is here.  Since July 1 I've been making a flying geese block a day as I read one of the 94 Calls to Action, its accompanying explanations and progress report, and links that go with each one.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is the main website with a wealth of information.

Section 2 Education

6. Repeal Section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada.

This is also known as the spanking law, and it "allows parents, caregivers and educators to use force towards a pupil or child as a means of correction, 'if the force does not exceed what is reasonable under the circumstances.'" No progress has been made.

Monday, July 12, 2021

Truth and Reconciliation Quilt Project

TW: Please note that some details in this post may be distressing for some readers. 
This year I didn't really celebrate Canada Day, though I love my country and am usually proud of what we stand for. However. We have a lot of nasty, outright horrific history along with our shining history. We ran residential 'schools' for our First Nations peoples, and forced their parents to send their children, as young as THREE, to these boarding 'schools' which, we have known, but are now finally having to face it publicly as a nation, were anything BUT schools. Rather, they were indoctrination centres, funded by the government, run by the Catholic Church, along with, to a lesser degree of involvement, Anglican and other churches. Indian Agents went around rounding up the children, often by force, and the RCMP enforced all of this. I learned a fair bit about these 'schools' last summer when I took the Indigenous Canada course through the University of Alberta, and also did some extended reading on the subject. The U of A course is a MOOC, a Massive Open Online Course. It is free, eye-opening and mind-blowing, and everyone, but especially white people, should take it, no matter where we live. These 'schools' were not unique to Canada; the US had boarding 'schools' as well, for the same purpose as ours, to commit cultural genocide. I did not learn, nor did I teach when I was a teacher, the true history of Turtle Island, currently known as Canada, America, and Mexico. 

What is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada? Briefly, from June 2008 through December 2015, after six years of research, thousands of interviews of residential 'school' survivors, and over a year of compiling and writing, this commission released their multi-volume report. Within it were 94 Calls to Action. Six years, later, Canada has fulfilled a dismal amount, though many are in process. Many require a lot of work, sweeping changes to education, for just one, and admittedly, some cogs of government do move at a glacial pace. CBC has a great website tracking the work being done, Beyond 94.
  • 14 Complete
  • 23 In-progress (Project underway)
  • 37 In-progress (Projects proposed)
  • 20 Not started

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation continues the TRCs work. With another discovery of a mass amount (751) of unmarked graves last month, this time on the Cowessess Nation, in Saskatchewan, Chief Delorme was asked if Canada should cancel Canada Day. He said he wasn't about to tell anyone what to celebrate or not, but he did suggest that every Canadian make the point of reading the Calls to Action. This is the least any one of us can do; after all, educating oneself is key to growth and understanding.
And real change.

Friday, July 9, 2021

Projects

I have three, no four, wait, five new projects either underway, or soon to be underway. I had planned to mostly take July off blogging and Instagramming, and I still plan to do that. Lots has been happening, however. This post should catch everyone up.

The main reason for this post is that I have switched to https://follow.it for advising my followers when I publish a new blog post. It was an easy migration: putting the subscribe button on my sidebar a few weeks ago was a breeze, and then moving my subscribers over was a snap, because they did it! I just sent them the downloaded CSV of my list, they weeded out ALL the spam/fake/bot emails, and poof! New list, much smaller since they filter out those spammers, yay. Thanks so much to Cindy at Stitchin' at Home who told me that they did the subscribers list. If you haven't made the switch yet because it's just too overwhelming, it really isn't. Go to https://follow.it to sign up and then follow the steps. They have a chat feature so you can type in any queries and they respond right away. You can control how you want to get your notifications of new posts from bloggers you read too. Easy. If you aren't following me, and you'd like to, the sign-up widget is on my sidebar.

I have three big deadlines this month. The first one is a quilt for issue #42 of Make Modern (affiliate link). You've seen sneak peeks of the Fossil Fern Benartex fabric, and a few in-progress shots on my Instagram, but in case you've forgotten...
They are gorgeous fabrics, and I just love how my design turned out!