Mug Rugs

 

 More mug rugs.  They are fun and fast to make.  I decided to be a little creative  this time so I pulled out an ugly wall hanging that I began a few years ago.  I wasn't too crazy about it because it just lacked a spark. I cut it up, rearranged some of the elements, added a few cupcakes to each one and they turned out so cute.  The cupcakes had bright pinks and reds on them that made the mug rugs look lively.

My original, insipid wall hanging

A few alterations

Throw in some cupcakes

Finished cute mug rugs

A day in Steveston

Arnie and I went to Steveston  on a gorgeous day in August.  I haven't been to Steveston in many years although with the new bridge over the Fraser, you can cut off a good half hour of the trip.  It took us a little over an hour to get there but coming back we hit rush hour so it was a two hour trip.  Steveston is a little touristy town at the bottom of Richmond about 35 minute drive from Vancouver. At the early part of the 20th century it was an established fishing village with 28 canneries along the river.  Now only one cannery is still in operation.  The canneries employed a great number of Chinese and Japanese immigrants, particularly the Chinese who had come to B.C. to work on the railroad.

This old church was actually a thrift store

This looked like a really neat restaurant

We bought a freshly caught Sockeye salmon from this lovely girl

We went on a tour of a cannery that was turned into a museum.  It was fascinating  to see all the old machinery and to hear of how the fishermen caught the fish in very primitive boats with very rough conditions.

Mom's 80th Birthday

Nicole and Shannon with her new baby

Mom receiving gifts

Gorgeous cake

Mom with Melvina and Sandra, Laura in the background , my 3 oldest friends

My Mommy and I

Melvina and Jimmy

I gave a lunch for my Mom's 80th Birthday on August 14th .  Some of my cousins came, my Aunt Louise and some friends of mine that my Mom has know for as long as I've known them.  We had a great day and an excellent lunch provided by Safeway (sandwich platters are the way to go!)  I know my mom had a great time, she's still talking about it!

Ozark Garden

I am taking a wonderful class on Quilt University called Ozark Garden by Lily Kerns.  She is a talented, award winning teacher and I am so lucky to be able to take a class from her in cyberspace, because I would not ever have the opportunity in physical life.  I am so in awe of modern technology  because it allows us chances to do things we wouldn't otherwise be able to do.

The class has taught me to paper piece on the front of the pattern and save all the ripping out.  I've really enjoyed learning that technique.  This is my quilt to date, I still have a lot of work to do.  It won't remain in that configuration, but here it is!

table runner

I started this table runner a few years ago when I belong to a small stitching group that use to get together Tuesday afternoon.  I didn't want to take my sewing machine so this was an easy hand sewing project to work on.  I don't go to that group anymore as they moved, and I got too busy, but I finally finished the project. I found this in an Australian quilting magazine.

Two little rug mugs

I had these two orphaned blocks from a swap I had been involved in quite a few years ago, so I turned them into little rug mugs.  I gave the one with the two geisha to Nikki.

Canadiana wrap up party

Pat's quilt all finished.  One of two!

My quilt still in the block stage

Susan's quilt still in the block stage too.

Susan Hillis's gorgeous quilt

Kathy's quilt in batiks

Love the red background

gorgeous quilt

Pat with her quilt

Sandy's quilt all finished

We went to our instructor's home to have a really nice potluck lunch and wrap up party. Dianne  has a beautiful home in South Burnaby on Marine Drive.  She has it decorated with some beautiful antiques and her sewing room is something else.  It is on the ground level and walks out onto her lovely terraced back yard.  She has the sliding glass doors, so the room gets lots of natural day light.  We played a Canadian trivia game, in which I did not so hot and a game where we had to figure out what different antique household items were.  Our lunch was fantastic and it was so nice to see the quilts that our classmates had made.  Her other class attended also, so it was nice to get to know some ladies from Dianne's guild.  Some people had their quilts completely finished.  Mine is still in the block stage.