Jazz

In Grade 11 I fell in love with Harry Connick Jr. & Billie Holiday. At the time, "Swing Kids" were the cat's meow and from there my fondness for Big Band music, Glenn Miller, and Django Reinhardt grew.

Last night we went to the Wayne Shorter Quartet performance at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. Although each individual musician was remarkable in their own right, I realized throughout the performance that I just don't get jazz. The improv and experimentation gets entirely too complex for me. I had difficulty following the melody and the structure, or lack there of, in the music. My husband, who is a musician, asked the question, "Does it matter if you understand it?" One can still appreciate the music and the creative process behind it without connecting with the music. Listening to unfamiliar music is like being in a foreign land. You hear "jibber jabber" and you feel clueless, yet there is something there that seems familiar and you know enough that you can appreciate the conversation or the activities happening around you.

Despite my lack of jazz insight, I am drawn to the the Jazz Age and the cultural revolution that it brought. The 1920's fashions were chic. The women of that era became more empowered. It brought us the Charleston, Billie Holiday, Art Deco, and fabulous hats.

A friend of mine shares my fondness of hats. In 2006 we decided to take VIA rail from Saskatoon to Jasper  decked out in our new fab hats and dress coats (fabrique par moi). Where ever I travel, I keep my eye out for a new hat.

Anna's gorgeous wool hat.

We each purchased a hat at Hats & That on Broadway (Saskatoon).
Our men look dapper.

I bought this hat along with a pair of circa 1930's shoes
 at a vintage store in Montana,
Virgelle Merchantile

I bought this one at McNally Robinson.
Who knew a bookstore would have such
great hats.

Paris

2 years ago Daryl & I went to Paris for our 10th anniversary. We fell in love with the city and the French language and France. I cannot get Paris out of my brain. The flavors, the architecture, the gardens all are inspiring.

3 Sisters Etchings designed for Moda Fabrics transported me back to the streets of gay Paris. When I saw this pattern hullabaloo by Moda, I knew the 2 would work perfectly together.

Enjoying a Nutella & banana crepe at Jardin du Luxembourg.

Wine, bread, cheese. 

The carousels of Paris.

I will return to Paris one day and wander the streets, walk around Jardin du Luxembourg, stroll the fabric district, and just sit drinking my tea as I watch the action around me.

Gilbertson Guest House Quilts

There was a time in my past that I made a small business sewing kids clothes and bridesmaid dresses and doing alterations, but that time has come and gone. The time and financial pressure became unapealing by taking away the enjoyment that I got out of sewing. Now a days, I do not typically take on commissioned projects, but how could I resist my mom's request.

Recently my parents opened a B&B, Gilbertson Guest House, and asked me to make a quilt for each of the beds. Over the course of a year I sewed 4 quilts and free motion quilted each. My mom & I went to the local quilt store several times and picked out fabrics that would suit each room. It was an opportunity for me to try out new patterns and colour combinations. The Bargello quilt was the most challenging at first, but the most satisfying in the end.

Turning 20 & Power of 3
I wanted the busy pattern of power of 3 to be offset with the simplicity of turning 20.

Bargello
Loved how the colours flowed on this one.

Nana's Quilt
I made this one a duvet cover. The fabric is very French Provincial and brightens the room.

Perhaps it is social pressure, perhaps it is intrigue, but mostly it is inspiration from "The Modern Quilting Bee Block Party" that I feel compelled to share my quilting creations and stories. Where does one start? At the beginning I suppose.
About 8 years ago, my friend and neighbor, Sarah, decided that she wanted to learn how to quilt and since I was a Home Economics teacher at the time, I was willing to learn with her and teach her the basics of sewing. Little did I know, that I would love the creative art and I would look forward to our evenings quilting. Laughing, swearing, comparing irons, clearing floor space, re-threading, swearing, and laughing.

Here is my first project, a crib quilt  30"X44". I cannot remember how many weeks it took me to finish, but I remember being quite pleased.

Here is what I am currently working on, a lap quilt 60"X60"