Quilting Diet

Hi everyone:

I imagine you wonder why you haven't heard from me lately. Well, I've been on a quilting diet. I'm sure you're wondering what I'm talking about. Well, a quilting diet is what happens when you're renovating your basement and your quilting studio is spread throughout the upper floor of your house so you don't get to quilt as much as you'd like to.

This used to be my quilt studio

This is where most of my quilt studio is.
Notice the lovely "carpet"

My books are in bookcases in my garage and my fabric is in plastic storage bins scattered in various places in and out of the house. 

My new library in the garage

Due to this disruption I've only been able to snatch snippets of time to work on my quilt projects. Of course, the fact that  all the basement furniture had to be moved up to the garage,all baseboards and door casings had to be removed and all the basement walls needed to be washed and painted also took up valuable quilting time. Then there have been the many phone calls to the flooring company to ensure that the flooring is indeed on its way to our house (they missed sending the shipment on time so this has delayed everything by a week) and that installation will occur when we need it (prior to going on vacation). All in all, it has been a busy few weeks. 

Cutting table has been "cut" down and is waiting for a new top

Teeka is guarding her new cabinet
which was cut off the cutting table
Maybe there are treats inside!

Not I'm not complaining as there have been others in Calgary who have had far worse problems that not being able to do some quilting. As you may have heard, we had a major flood on June 20/21 and the entire city has been in a state of emergency up until this past week. Neighbours to our south in High River are still suffering from this devastating event and many people are still not able to return to their homes. 

View of the washed out riverbank by Stampede Park
Can you see the metal headboard to the left of the photo

Fortunately we were not affected and it was hard to even believe that there had been a flood, until you saw the photos in the media. So many people affected and so much loss. 
Fortunately Calgary is a town known for helping others and volunteers in the thousands have been shovelling mud, tearing down drywall and lending a helping hand any way possible.

As quilters, we naturally think of making quilts to provide comfort to those in need. Several groups in and near Calgary started initiatives to provide quilts to flood victims and they have now all come under one Facebook group, Quilting for Calgary. Finished quilts can be sent to My Sewing Room in Calgary and they will be arranging for distribution of these quilts in September. I did manage to get one quilt top to them (they were initially accepting tops as well as finished quilts) in the midst of the renovation.

Quilt top made for Calgary flood victims
from 5 & Dime pattern

I was impressed by the large number of quilts being sent to them from all over Canada and other countries as well. If you would care to donate a quilt to this cause, you can find out more information from the Facebook group . I know they would appreciate any donation that you would care to send them.

Quilting for Calgary Facebook group

Hopefully all this upheaval in our household will be finished soon and life can get back to normal. Just in time to go on vacation...

Hope you're achieving your quilting goals and are staying dry.