Kim Hanson

Writing & Quilting

A Quilt for Mike

| 7 Comments

Good day everyone. Thanks ever so much for joining us. I appreciate all the new subscribers that have come on board recently.

Five years ago, my thirty-something son asked me to make him a quilt. I was a little taken aback. . . he had never seemed very interested in my quilting. I put Mike off for awhile; but he asked me again.

So I began to go through my fabric stash in an attempt to figure out what fabrics I could use for his project. Mainly, kid-themed fabrics dominate my stash, along with florals and bright feminine-styled fabrics. Finding something that I thought Mike would like was a bit challenging.

I came up with some brown and cream fabrics I had ordered awhile back – they were vintage type fabrics, American civil-war inspired. Here are some fabric examples on my Pinterest page.

Civil War Reproduction Fabrics.

Beginning to pull fabrics together,  I really wanted to finish it before he asked me again. Unfortunately, I really rushed it; I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired or creative at the time…I just wanted to “get ‘er done!” So, I did. Including some machine embroidery here is Mike’s finished quilt.

I was not at all happy with the finished product. Not really liking the salmon-y coloured fabrics, I was disappointed I had used them. But, Mike seemed to like his quilt and he appreciated it.

Maybe a month later, our son’s best buddy who was also named Mike, asked me to make him a quilt. I was so shocked! Do guys in their 30’s really want a quilt? He, of course, offered to pay me for it, but I declined, knowing full well he couldn’t afford it.

Pulling more fabrics from my over-subscribed stash, I made Mike #2 his quilt. He smiled a lot when I gave it to him, so I think he liked it.

As many of you already know, our Mike passed away in March of 2018. One of the things I kept from his apartment was his quilt. He always had it laying very neatly across the back of his sofa. Mercifully, it still smells like him. 

As hindsight set in, I regret not taking more time to design Mike a really special quilt – something just for him. I regret not sitting down with my pencil and paper and drawing a quilt pattern that would have suited just him.  I regret not knowing that I would never have the opportunity to make him another quilt.

Recently, I discovered a hidden gem in Calgary – a section of the Rotary/Mattamy Greenway. It’s a pathway located in Royal Oak, adjacent to the car dealership where my vehicle is serviced. There are ponds and huge trees and beautiful City views along the way. 

Beautiful Bullrushes

Bike Rider on the Path

Not really sure why, I wanted to get a few photos of Mike’s quilt in these exquisite, natural surroundings. Somehow, the backdrop makes the quilt look better.

My heart still aches at the loss of our son. It’s strangely comforting having his quilt here at my house. In the end, I’m glad I made it.

Thanks everyone.

Kim

P.S. One of the most outstanding birthday gifts I ever received was from Mike. He went to the local quilt shop and bought me this book called Color Magic for Quilters. He was a very thoughtful person.

r. It’s an amazing resource. Thank you son.

 

Missing a Deadline

| Leave a Comment

Something crazy happened to me a few weeks back. For the first time ever, I missed a deadline.

Heather McArthur, the editor and publisher of Quilter’s Connection magazine asked me to do a smallish project for the Winter issue of the magazine. She wanted a project featuring some machine embroidery. Naturally, I pounced on the opportunity! I really love working for industry magazines, but especially for Heather.

So, I went about my business as usual. I marked down what I believed to be the deadline on my work calendar and chipped away at my to-do-list. In September, one full month before Heather’s quilt project was due, the quilt was well underway. I was humming a happy tune, just so completely proud of myself…I was on track!

Then, an email popped up in my inbox from Heather. I’m thinking she’s likely just checking in…to see how my quilt is progressing. Instead, I was beyond shocked when she asked me if my project was ready to ship. Wait! What? Ship? I hadn’t even begun to machine quilt yet. Evidently, I was a month behind! A month! I’d been mistaken about the deadline and I got it completely wrong.

As is my habit (I like to blame this one on my Mom!) from childhood, I started the mental bob and weave game. What could I do? What could I tell Heather? What was my excuse? Perhaps I could tell her the quilt was in my car and the car was stolen. Or even better, the dog rolled around on my beautiful quilt top, soiling it irretrievably and I had to start over. Maybe, I could blame my husband and tell her that he inadvertently used my precious quilt to mop up a mess in the garage.

Nope. None of those excuses would do. Sheepishly, I responded to Heather’s email with the simple truth; I had totally messed up the deadline. As is her style, Heather was gracious. She commiserated with me and just asked that, “I ship the quilt as soon as I could.”

Needless to say, the quilt was bumped up my to-do-list to the very top. I stitched and stitched, a little frantically, and finished it in a hurry. Shipping from Calgary to Port Coquitlam, B.C. is very fast, so Heather had the quilt soon after its completion.

I checked online today and Quilter’s Connection winter issue is now available in digital format, and will be on the store shelves very soon. Looks like my quilt is on page 19. Love the snowman on page 8!

Thank you Heather for your patience with me. It was so very much appreciated.

Kim

 

Backyard Retreats

| 80 Comments

Happy Wednesday everyone. It’s still winter here in Calgary, and we’ve got a long way to go until it’s over, until it’s spring.

But nevertheless, I can’t help myself…..thoughts of spring are still rolling through my mind. I came across this fabulous piece from Houzz, as I subscribe to their email. It’s a wonderful article about “backyard retreats” and I so wanted to share it with you. You can find it here.

I’m particularly fond of the last little retreat, #8 – the one that looks more like an English cottage than a backyard shed. Which one is your favourite? (Leave me a comment at the end of my blog about which backyard retreat is your favourite and you could win a beautiful fabric bundle, coordinated to Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2018 – Ultraviolet. More on this later.)

Who wouldn’t love one of these little “outbuildings”  in their backyard? Here in Calgary, though, because of our climate, it would likely only be warm enough to work outside from May through October ish; and even then you’d NEED a baseboard heater of some kind. I often imagine – stitching and writing and sewing in that little gem for six months of the year! Wouldn’t that be lovely?

But, besides the weather, there’s one teensy tiny other issue. Our backyard is filled with critters like him:

And mice, that I never see. I know they are there because I feed the birds and mice love freefall birdseed.

Would all these critters want to move into my little backyard retreat with me? Would I have to share it with backyard vermin? Would I find mice nestling in my bundles of fabric? Ewwwww!

THAT would definitely send me screaming and scrambling back to the safe confines of our house, never to enter my lovely shed again. In my dreams, vermin do not exist!

So, take a minute to look at the Houzz.com piece and tell me which is your favourite backyard retreaet. You could very well win a lovely bundle of fabrics, photos of which I will share with you all soon.

Take good care of yourself. Talk again soon.

Kim

 

Wonderful New Contest!

| 1 Comment

Good day quilters. We are having another contest over on our Facebook group – Quilting for Kids. (You can join here).

On the Quilting for Kids Facebook group, post your photos of your children and/or grandchildren with quilts you have made for them.  That’s it, that’s all! You can post several entries.

Not only will the winning photo become our new group profile photo, but you will also win this beautiful bundle of fabrics. We will hold the contest open for several weeks.

 

Just in time for a Christmas quilting project.  Good luck to you

Kim

Bow Bench Retreat – A Jewel in the Middle of Alberta

| 2 Comments

For some of us, the creative juices begin to flow the minute we leave the City limits. There is something so wonderfully powerful about being surrounded by nature and all its splendour….wide open spaces, fields filled with seasonal crops and unparalleled beauty.

 

Last week, I took a trip to Carseland, a tiny hamlet south east of Calgary. Travelling on Stoney Trail, I headed south as far as I could, then turned east on highway 22x. But rather than taking the left turn into Carseland, I went right heading to the Bow Bench Retreat. I was meeting with Nancy Strath, the lovely, accomplished, entrepreneurial founder of the Retreat. Nancy smiles a lot…but then, she has a lot to smile about!

Outside the Retreat itself, stillness is the first thing that strikes you. Then, you notice how many birds are singing. Next, you open your eyes to the spectacular beauty of the surroundings. Overlooking the Bow River and Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park, Nancy’s retreat is the visual definition of bliss.

 

 

Nancy began this place from scratch, on family land, taking over the barn-like structure and filling it with “all things quilting”. There are sewing tables and chairs, power outlets everywhere. There is a cozy little kitchen and metal bars in the rafters where her quilts are hung. She wanted the retreat to not only be her sanctuary, but a sanctuary for all quilters who venture out. She says, “This place was created out of love and joy”.

 

 

 

Nancy is a certified Judy Niemeyer quilt instructor and loves to teach the foundation paper piecing style that Judy advocates. “It’s like putting together a giant puzzle, says Nancy, Or like painting by numbers. Although Judy’s patterns initially look daunting, they are detailed and organized, methodical and quite relaxing to work on,” she adds.

Quilters come to Bow Bench not only to stitch and learn from Nancy, but to also experience her gentle and kind manner.  She’s like a quilt counsellor….who offers therapy sessions! Novice quilters are welcomed with open arms at Bow Bench and are free to use all of Nancy’s quilting supplies, such as scissors, rotary cutters and mats as a way  to “try out quilting” before they purchase all the supplies for themselves.

Nancy will be teaching Judy’s newest technique, called Vintage Rose, at Bow Bench for one Saturday per month commencing in September. Since Nancy does not offer overnight accommodations at Bow Bench, she hosts the occasional workshop away from her Carseland location. Upcoming is a foundation paper piecing retreat at the Lazy M Lodge near Caroline, Alberta. Here, participants will be able to stay overnight, eat great food and sew to their hearts’ content for an entire week.

Nancy is amenable to renting out her facilities at Bow Bench Retreat to individuals and groups. You can contact her at 1-403-934-3491 or email bowbenchretreat@gmail.com.

I keep thinking I want to drive back to Carseland just for an opportunity to practise some yoga poses on Nancy’s deck! In the sunshine. Above the Bow River. Amazing!

Kim