Hello everyone…yes, I’m still alive…even though it’s been ages since I’ve been in touch. I’ve had an incredibly busy summer and, now that we’re retired, this is the very first time my hubby and I have been able to spend an extended time at the cottage. In the past, with full time jobs, children at home, taking care of aging parents, etc, the longest we ever stayed there was 2 weeks. We just got home after 2 full months!

Since cell phone/internet service is spotty at best while we’re there, I had to wait until we got home to get in touch with all of you. This post is about “how I spent my summer vacation”. Remember having to do that as a kid when you got back to school after your summer vacay?

The cottage is 3 hours away so halfway there I usually stop in Belleville, Ontario, for a bathroom break and a trip to the Value Village there. You all know by now how much I love thrifting and theirs is a great location. Well, this trip I found this awesome sewing machine clock for only $6. What a deal! Around the clock face it says “Because I said sew”. So cute.

Our annual retreat at Elim Lodge is going on in September so I did a lot of prepping for a couple of projects to take there. I’ve never made a Bear Paw quilt before so I cut out a lot of my scraps into 2” squares and used triangle paper to make the half squares triangles in order to make a scrappy Bear Paw using multiple brights and a variety of black prints.

The other project I was able to cut out and get ready is a half hexagon quilt using the Deco Glo fat quarter bundle that I bought last summer. I’m pairing them with Tula Pink’s Northern Lights fabric. With the leftover scraps I was also able to cut out some hexagons for my English paper piecing. Not one bit of this gorgeous group of fabrics is going to waste!

Of course, no trip to the cottage would be without a trip to Perth Fabrics (Perth, ON) and Sew Crafty (Rideau Ferry, ON) for a little bit of quilty shopping. After having lunch with my high school friend, Donna, I was able to do some shopping and get a badly needed pedicure while I was in town. I always find the best fabrics in Perth…they’re right up my alley because they carry a lot of brights…and Sew Crafty always has some great notions. This time I picked up this awesome teal cork and some iron on hexies to try making a pincushion that I saw online. Something else to share with you at a later date. I’ve never worked with cork before, but the colour was just so gorgeous that I think I need to make a bag.

The biggest DIY project at the cottage this year is updating the sleeping cabin/bunkie. It’s been a bajillion years with just insulation and vapour barrier and no walls or proper ceiling, so we decided to finally do something about it. Hubby and I spent a couple of hours many days (that’s all we could manage because of the oppressive heat and humidity this summer) cutting and installing ceiling panels, strapping and panelling. I still have to do a second coat of paint on the ceiling and paint the paneling a soft grey. We then have to put down a low pile commercial style carpet and then do baseboards and corner molding. I’ll share the “after” when we’re done. Not too bad for a couple of people who have never done this type of thing before. And we’re still married!!!

I’m also working on a surprise for the 40 attendees at our Elim Lodge retreat and a couple of furniture DIY projects, so there will be lots to share with you soon. How did you spend your summer vacation?!

I'm Still Here!