Field Trip to Hamilton

Yesterday was my annual field trip to Hamilton to meet up with the IJQers from Rochester, Buffalo, Hamilton and Toronto. Nancy and Karen came from Rochester, Karen from Buffalo and we all met up with Marilyn who lives in Hamilton at Fabricland. Menachem had the day off so we drove in together. We have two Fabricland stores in Toronto but the fabrics in Hamilton are different. We bought enough fabric for three complete baby quilts, front and back, and another baby quilt top. Marilyn told us that there's another members' 50% on March 28th so I'll wait for it to buy any batting I may need.
From there we went up and down Ottawa Street, peeking into stores. We wanted to take a photo in European Fabrics of the lovely way the fabric is displayed and asked the owner's permission who said no. Not sure why. I think free advertising on the internet is a good thing but her store, her rules. In the Discount Fabric Store, I did buy fabric for the 4th baby quilt backing, and some flannel for receiving blankets for Inbal and Rachel. I was seriously trying to keep to my diet and in fact I only purchased fabric for the baby quilts for the three grand nieces and nephew who we're expecting soon after our own grandbaby. The extra baby quilt fabric isn't really for playing because there's sure to another baby born somewhere, sometime, no? These baby quilts will be wholecloth because I'm not sure the recipients will appreciate piecing and I have two chuppot to make in the next six weeks so my creative time is limited. After traipsing up and down Ottawa Street, we went for lunch at Lemoncello's and had a leisurely and delicious lunch. After lunch, the New Yorker's headed back for home and Marilyn and we headed for the Burlington Arts Centre. Threadworks 2007's travelling exhibit was on display. I had already seen it out in Whitby but some of the pieces were different and I enjoyed revisiting the ones I had previously enjoyed and the new ones. It's also interesting to see how differently the two shows were hung. There was also a display of basketry and sculpture in twigs which was amazing. The shapes of the sculptures and then the shadows they cast on the wall -- breathtaking.

And speaking of the chuppot, I am working on Stephen and Dee's and my ideas about how to do it are evolving. I was influenced by some of the sheer fabrics I saw yesterday and am now leaning toward using a transparent/organza type fabric as the background, and using the tartan and suede in rectangle and squares on top of it. I also saw a lovely gigantic tassle and gorgeous trims which gave me some ideas about how to embellish it with ribbon, yarns beading, and maybe buttons. I may or may not do the organza in waves. I will be going into my studio in a bit and see what I have and how it goes. I have no size limit on the chuppah as they are probably getting married in a non-synagogue venue.

I had printed out the lettering from Word at 72 but wanted it larger and thought I'd have to enlarge on the photocopier but while in the car with Menachem who is, among other things, my computer guru, I asked him if there was a program to enlarge the letters and he suggested googling "how to enlarge Word letters". When we got home, I did and it turns out when you choose the letter size, after you've highlighted the text, you just type into the size box the number you want and it will print it out that size. So I did 100 and I think that's the size I need. I want to make some letters in different fabrics and check them out against the tartan to see how they look.

I am meeting with Johanna after work on Tuesday at the shul where she is getting married to measure the chuppah frame which will determine the size of her and Warren's chuppah. She also has some ideas about her colours so then I'll be able to get a start on that one as well. After we meet, I have my YHQG meeting and on Wednesday my POM meeting.
So it should be another hectic week. But hectic good.