Cove Quilters "Flowers" Challenge #7

For our 7th 12" x 12" challenge Donna chose the theme "Flowers". We could do whatever we wanted, no restrictions as to techniques or design or type of flower. I found this one had, perhaps too many choices? I kept changing my mind. Since we live by the ocean, I decided to use that as my theme and make it a garden of flowers I wish that I could have had.

My April garden, the Daphne is in bloom, the rhubarb is coming, here I am looking out St. Margaret's Bay to Peggy's Cove. Sure wish we didn't have all those power lines!

My "Ocean Garden" machine applique, fused, machine quilted. The rest of the flower challenges can be seen here.

With almost an acre and a half of land, there is lots of room for the garden of my dreams, just wish I was about 30 years younger! Vicki has chosen "Lotsa Dots" as our last challenge - should be fun. I certainly have lots of polka dot fabric to chose from!

Lunenburg County, Christmas Tree Capital of North America

That's what the sign says when you cross the county line into Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. Christmas trees grown here can be found around the world even in the United Arab Emirates! And every December a NS Christmas tree is shipped to Boston, a thank you gift for the people of Boston who helped after the great Halifax Explosion in 1917 A Christmas tree was sent to Boston in 1918, then revived in 1971 with a Christmas tree being sent every year since. 

Justin and Ben searching for the perfect tree at Mike Falkenham's Christmas Tree Farm. We have been going to this same farm for over 30 years to choose and cut our trees.

It is a beautiful spot, high on the hill. It was a perfect day for the hunt. Cold and crisp, not a flake of snow...yet!

We watched "Charlie Brown's Christmas" with the boys the other night, another tradition. Ben found a perfect Charlie Brown tree, we decided to leave it to grow bigger!

Grampa and Ben find the perfect tree!

Evan and Grampa watch the baler at work. Now the fun begins as we unpack the boxes of ornaments with treasures from years past and memories of many childhoods!

Frenchy's Find

For those of you living outside the Maritimes who don't know what Frenchy's is, a little explanation. Easy...it is a chain of secondhand clothing (mostly) store, great place for books too. Everything is in big bins, they must be a good 4'w by 6' l and about 1' deep. They are labelled "ladies pants", "babies", "household", "boys 7-14" etc. The bins are all a jumble and it takes some time to sort through and search for the bargains but it is always worthwhile. In the 35+ years I have been searching I have found a few odd quilts...nothing much to write home about until a couple of years ago when I saw something in a small plastic bin under the table, a bit of overflow. I was calm and slowly pulled it out. At first I thought it was maybe a "cheater"style quilt or sheet. But I soon discovered it was a real top and as I pulled it out I had to contain my excitement. It was an unquilted top with hundreds of 30's and 40's fabrics all foundation pieced.

I really wanted to hand quilt the top but all my very best efforts to baste it failed. It would not lie flat. I mentionned it to Debbie Vermeulen who has a log arm and she was happy to accept the challene to machine quilt it for me. She did a wonderful job and I am thrilled with it. I had to lose a lot of the points on the outer stars when I bound it, there was no seam allowance. I used a reproduction print for the binding as well as for the backing. There are 5 different prints on the back. I am thrilled with the results and it has found a happy home with my daughter and her family, close enough that I can visit!

Some of the blocks are perfectly pieced, others are off quite a bit. I did try and re-sew one to see if that would help to make it lie flat but by the time I got to the last seam it was way off. I wonder who pieced it? Why did someone not quilt it? Why did it end up at Frenchy's? Most of Frenchy's stock comes from New England. It is a mystery for sure but one I was happy to rescue and you can't beat a $2 bargain!