Tobogganning time and a new block of the month pattern

Yesterday we got a big dump of snow and it is still snowing!

I love the look of snow on the wisteria.

It reminds me of Santa Claus and his beard!

All this snow means it's time to get out the toboggans for some winter fun! You and your friend climb to the top of the hill, get on the toboggan, take a deep breath and the guy on the back pushes off!

Whee! Down the hill we go! So much fun!

Today I've put up a new block of the month pattern. The featured artist is Frank Johnston, another member of a Canadian group of painters know as The Group of Seven. Unlike the others, Johnston's preferred medium was tempera. It is a flat paint so you don't see the texture that you get with oils. My father was a commercial artist (as were many of the Group of Seven) and he used tempera in his professional work. This paint has a unique smell to it and it evokes memories of my Dad.  I've selected Johnston's painting Hubert Lake as my inspiration for the block. Hubert Lake is located in northern Ontario almost 100 miles north of Sault Ste. Marie.

The blocks are made of half square triangles and they can be arranged in all sorts of  ways but the first one is how I envisioned the quilt. You will find the pattern here.

 

I continue to work on the 2014 QAL quilt. So far I've used these three fabrics. Today I'll add a fourth and maybe fifth, sixth seventh, eighth and so on! I plan to launch the first installment of the free pattern on January 1st or 2nd.

Until I post again, happy shovelling, tobogganing and sewing!