Cobourg - OHCG 2017 Annual Meeting and Show

Friday I met Pam, Heather and Sue in Paris and Pam drove us, and a van full of hooking and luggage, to Cobourg. We set up the J.J Ruggers display and then went downtown for lunch and a little shopping. Back at the hotel we met up with Pat, Peggy and Michelle for some hooking and then out to eat at a Spanish restaurant.
After a buffet breakfast and the business meeting we went to the Community Centre for the show and to shop at the vendors there.

Having recently organized my "hooking room" I know how much wool I have and therefor shopped less than usual. The vendors make their wares very tempting with luscious colours of varieties of materials along with hooking equipment and patterns.

The two friendship rugs that had traveled across the province last year were displayed.

There was a display of old patterns

and old rugs.

but most of  my time was spent walking around the displays admiring the work of a province of rug hookers.

Such variety

and some award winners. This one for Primative.

Multicut

Alternative fibres and techniques

Ontario Craft Council

Oriental

I believe that the names of the winning artists are on the OHCG website.
Unfortunately the system to identify the pieces and their producers is cumbersome and time consuming to use so I didn't take the time to make note of the artists. When I know who did the piece I will give them credit.

This Paris, Ont, streetscape was hooked by Pam Watkins,

this pennant by Heather Davidson

and this large rug in the theme display, "My Ottawa" by Pat Lawson.

I am just going to post a selection of the pieces that caught my eye. I took too many pictures to include them all.

I love the rope and anchors border.

Interesting leaves poking into the frame from the bottom and tree creeping out of the frame at the side.

Made me smile. Part of an Images of Canada display.

Unusual choice of pastel coloured bubbles and birch trees.

This piece was beautifully done.

The theme exhibit, "Images of Canada" was the best I have seen in a long time. This one by Trish Johnson.

The rocks and water so realistically rendered.

Made me want to sit on that dock.

This was entered in the Alternative fabrics and techniques and had some felting as well as hooking.

It was challenging to find a Rowan Award winner (we all get to vote on that) as there was no rug that truly stood out from the rest but there were quite a few that were creative and well hooked and deserving of the award. I finally made my choice though second guessed myself every time I walked around.
A group of us went back downtown for lunch and to look at another rug show but that is for the next post.

Walking and rug hooking

Aimee came for a visit and we tried to find another entrance to Bachus Woods. We found an entrance that we thought was right, but it turned out to be a logging road into one of the county woodlots.

It was still a nice place to walk but the "path" was rather rutted and muddy.

Life was starting to make its way up through the old leaves and the logging debris.

Fiddleheads, but we weren't sure if they were edible.

Tiny little wildflowers

in a multitude

of colours.

Luckily we were in there before it got buggy. Pretty soon the black flies and mosquitoes will keep us out. Then we will walk there again in the fall.
Speaking of colours, this beauty was on my birdfeeder today.

I am assuming it is an Indigo Bunting and although they are listed as "common" in my bird book, I have never seen one before.

My last couple of days have been spent frantically working on two hooked pieces for the OHCG Annual, this weekend. They are finally done.

"Fall" which is a Honey Bee Hive pattern and my Show and Tell project for the McGown teacher training.

"Anticipation" which is my own design using the alternative techniques taught by Brit for last years program at JJs.

Stay tuned for a post about the OHCG Annual which, this year, is in Cobourg.

Estate jewelry etc

I have tried to e-mail pictures of some of the estate pieces to Chris and Mike but they wont load up on to my gmail so this is my solution to show them things I want them to make decisions about.
My apologies to those of you who receive the blog automatically.

Gold medal for mathematics

Toller Cranston print

Costume jewelry set. The picture has "blued" it, it is pretty pinks and purples.

This is Berneice's "jet" set. The woman at Nash jewelers said it may or may not be jet. Hard to tell without an appraisal which would cost $75 and she didn't recommend. She commented that it was rather shiny for jet which usually has a mat finish.

Laura had the earrings made when she had the necklace shortened.

Memories and treasures

The last couple of weeks have been spent clearing out Laura's apartment. Sometimes alone and sometimes with help. It is a strange situation to be in as I didn't know Laura that well and we weren't particularly close, but she had been part of my life since I met George in 1975. She was a "collector" (Aimee and Mike's kind way of describing her penchant for amassing stuff) although she had improved in this regard in the last 10 years.
So much of what I am sorting through and throwing away or donating was important to her. It amounts to memories. People, events, places, things, activities that mattered to her. But most of it means nothing to me or to Mike and Christine, her only remaining close relatives. I find myself feeling badly that I am donating things that mattered enough to her that she purchased and then used, displayed or stored them. But the person they mattered to is gone and hopefully they will matter enough to someone else that they will purchase and use, display or store them.
In among her "stuff" there are family treasures though and a few of those will be kept. One is the quilt handmade by her grandmother given to her when she married. I think her grandmothers name was Eva Delbridge.

I washed it in cold water, on the delicate cycle, because it smelled a bit musty and then hung it in the wind to dry.

Rasta had to get in on the action. It is a beautiful quilt. Nicky (who, with Dave, was helping me when we found it) said that few people are hand quilting anymore because the sewing machines can do it all now. It looks to me as if a new border was put on at some point, perhaps the edges got frayed.

Tiny little hand done stitches. Laura remembered visiting her grandmother and being unable to use the dining room because the big frame was set up in there, with a quilt in progress. She must have stopped when she was getting older as George didn't remember that.

Stitch patterns on the flannelette backing.

What a huge amount of work each quilt must have been and she made a lot.

This one was given to Berneice and Alec (George and Laura's parents) when they were married. Eva Delbridge was Berneice's mother. I don't think it was ever used as it is in pristine condition.

The hand stitch patterns are unique to each quilt.

This is the quilt, made by Eva, that Berneice gave George and I when we got married. I had planned on hanging it, even sewed tabs on it to do that, but never got around to it.

Bows stitched between the plates.

I am of two minds. I want to use them. They were made to be used. They are lovely. But I also want to preserve them. They are rare treasures and becoming rarer. They are part of the family heritage. I think I will use them sparingly.
Berneice also gave George and I two quilts to be given to her grandchildren when they married. So now Chris and Jason, Mike and Aimee, have a quilts from Eva. 5 quilts, 3 with her grandsons widow and 2 with her great grand children. Perhaps they will last to be handed down to her great great grandchildren.

Long Point Causeway walk

I drive the Causeway all the time and just have the chance for quick glances at the Bay and the marsh to see the bird life. Today I decided to walk the causeway and try and get pictures of the abundant water fowl resting here on their way to their summer homes. My little camera doesn't take great bird pictures especially when they are far away on the water but I have been able to crop some of the photos so the birds are identifiable (using my Peterson birdbook)

I think that is a male Bufflehead in the foreground and I am assuming the rest of them are females.

Ring neck duck, male and female.

Sounds rude but these are Ruddy ducks, the blue bill gives them away.

There were rafts of these 3 species out on the bay, hundreds but not the thousands that I have seen when I have driven over in the last few weeks. There were also grackles, starlings, swallows and a turkey vulture that was attacked by smaller birds wherever he flew.

I saw this strange looking bird on a cottage lawn

I think it is a Robin but it has a lot of white that is not normal for a Robin. On looking it up I found out that there are albino Robins and this is a partial albino.

Old shed abandoned in the marsh.

I walked on the bay side as far as the bridge and then turned and came back on the marsh side of the road. This is the only time of year that I would do this, even so I frequently stepped off the road onto the (thin) shoulder as cars don't have much room to move over. I hope when the Causeway road is redone that there will be allowance made for walking and cycling.

Canada Geese nesting

Lots of Red Winged Blackbirds in the reeds. In the spring their coloured, red and yellow, shoulders are very obvious.

Some appear to be red and white.

Maybe they have an albino version too.

I could hear the Sandhill Cranes

but they were very well camouflaged in the old reeds and phragmites.

I spotted 2 pairs.

I went up the marsh viewing platform. Pity the new washrooms weren't open!

From up there I could see a nesting pair of swans

and these, I think they are American Coots.

Great views of the marsh.

I walked on the Bay side again to get back to the car and saw these male and female Greater Scaup.

Nowhere near as good exercise as the hikes I did in Mallorca but it did feel good to be out walking again.