Saturday, June 29, 2013

Reaching out to my fellow quilters......

Hello my fellow quilters,

I have been busy helping to make quilt tops for the victims of the recent (and on going floods) that have affected 100,000's of people in Southern Alberta.
this video has a great over view of the flood affected areas of Calgary.



I have joined a couple of groups that are coordinating efforts to get the word out to quilters across North America. Many displaced families are in need of a hug a quilt can give.

Please consider sending a quilt or top. We have an small army of long armers ready to complete tops!

How to:


Go to Facebook 
Go to the group Quilting for Calgary.  
Bev Rogan is instrumental in getting this group together.  (she was instrumental in getting 1000's of quilts to Japan after the tsunami)

For my US quilting friends:


We are most greatful to Westfreight Systems in Houston for their kindness and generosity. Westfreight will be bringing US donations to us (in Calgary) once a week hence eliminating the customs concerns and expense for our US friends in getting their donaitons to us. Please send your donations to:


Westfreight Systems 
16855 Crosby Freeway
Houston, Texas, 77049 
Ph. 281-456-7332 

Attention: Kathy or Randy

For our Canadian quilting friends:

Quilts can be sent to:

"Quilting for Calgary"
38 Rockbluff Close NW
Calgary, AB T3G 5B1


As well, a group of ladies have also been coordinating efforts to get quilts in through My Sewing Room, a LQS.

Check out their newsletter to see DD#2 and I sewing together at a Quilting Bee.


I have signed up to be on the distribution list of the donated quilts. At this point in time we don't have a date for that as there is still a lot of recovery to be done.

My daughter made a poster and hung it at the mail box to have our street donate toiletries for the flood victims. Look what we had donated:





There are many many acts of kindness happening all around Calgary and surrounding areas. Strangers helping strangers; First responders going out of there way; corporations donating $$$; 1000's of volunteers putting in endless hours to get this city back together.
It unbelievable.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Recovery



As some of you know Calgary, my city, and many surrounding communities, have been in a state of emergency since Friday of last week. 
While the water is starting to receded from the Elbow and Bow Rivers, there is still a lot of water now standing in areas it shouldn't be.  Many people are still homeless, or without power.  

The recovery effort is beginning, but it is going to be slow.  

I am doing my part the best way I know by sewing quilts.  I got together with other women yesterday at a LQS called My Sewing Room.  
Machines were flying, conversations were rampant and quilt tops were being whipped up. 

Donated fabric

great set up
Best part. Daugher #2 helped out by sewing her own kid's quilt
Quilters pot luck
Many hands make light work

While we were sewing (11-5pm) donations were pouring in from local quilters and areas not affected by the flooding.   If you want to donate tops, batting or finished quilts locals can drop them off at My Sewing Room. They have a team of local long armers that have offered their services.  Or you an email me lalaslovelys@hotmail.com

Now I am off to finish what I started yesterday before returning to the store to do more. 


Friday, June 21, 2013

STATE OF EMERGENCY!

It's hard to believe but our beautiful, vibrant city of Calgary (and many other Alberta towns)  is under a STATE OF EMERGENCY!  

We have had a deluge of rain in the last 48 hrs that has made many rivers into lakes, streams into torrents and creeks into devastating rivers.  

The devastation goes beyond our city and into the towns and villages to the south of the city and west in the mountains.  It really is quite unbelievable. 

My family and I are safe and dry because we live on the high side of the Bow River bank, about 5 stories above the water.   However, 100,000 or more people have been evacuated in the city alone. 

Many city iconic buildings, parks, bridges are under water.  And it continues to pour for the last few hours again. All schools were closed today (yes we still have another week of school left)

This is a series of photos starting from Thursday at 4:30pm taken from our bedroom balcony.  The green area with the big trees across the river is all provincial park. 

4:30pm Thursday

7:30pm Thursday

10:30 pm Thursday
6:30 am Friday 

1:30 pm Friday
Please pray for those affected by the water that they are safe in a shelter or with family and friends. 

I know there is going to be a need for quilts.  If you feel so kind and want to donate any I will find out the logistics of getting them out to people in need.   Send me an e-mail lalaslovelys@hotmail.com.

thank you.

Lee




Friday, June 14, 2013

Another one off the list

I am so pleased with myself to keep true to my promise to not start any new quilts until my UFO's were finished. see the list here

This is my second last quilt on the list and it is finally finished.  

Fabric is Thimbleberries, but found at my local Value Village for bargain.  Never again have I found such a great find. I started this back in 2009 (yikes) and then it sat and sat and waited to be quilted.  Oh there have been many quilts in between, but for some reason it sat. 

 Until..... my friend Andrea at Urban Quiltworks got herself a new long arm machine in March and needed some tops to 'practice' on.   She did a wonderful job of quilting lovely flowing feathers all over and pebbling too.  








I couldn't resist a few pictures of flowers in my garden







Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Waiting.....

We got new family furniture a couple of weeks ago. While we are delighted with our new purchases, Lily isn't.  She is no longer allowed to sit on my lap in the new chairs, something we did most nights. 
So after a bunch of whining while I was stitching on binding and not letting her up, I decided to go to the basement couch. 

Lily is very happy I did. 



One more corner to go around and this UFO will be finished.

Have you finished an UFO lately?

Happy Stitching

Lee

p.s. linking up to Needle and Thread WIP

Thursday, June 6, 2013

A little bit of home...

I'm visiting family this week in Ontario.
It's so nice to come into my sister's guest room to find one of  the quilts and pillow shams i made her on the guest bed. 

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

From Drab to Fab

These patio cushions were looking a little faded and drab. 


 Actually there was another layer of fabric just wrapped around this layer.

I turned them into these for a friend.  

I even managed to use the zippers from the old cushions into the new covers. 

This was a first for me and I think they turned out fabulous!!