Christmas quilting

So I managed to make and gift two quilts this Christmas, both are ones that I started eons ago and both started as Flickr quilting bee projects.

The first is an orange and grey free-form version of Chinese coins, which I called an Oscilloscope. Orange is James' favourite colour, this was always intended for him. I began it in 2011, sending packets of fabric out to a bunch of other Canadian quilters in the Maple Leaf Bee, then after I received blocks back from them I made a TON more, until, voilà, an oversized twin quilt (it's longer than a typical twin, something that he can snuggle with on his couch). I managed to get this done in October, and then had to hide it in my closet :)

The second finish is a standard twin, for Maya, with free-form and paper pieced houses. A neighbourhood quilt. I first requested these blocks from the Scrap-BEE-Looza group in November of 2010! Woah I didn't realize it was that long ago! Again I got a handful back and had to make a ton more, so the handful sat in my drawer a long time.

It's definitely weird, but I'd like to think she'll have fun with it. I finished it just days before Christmas, which is why the only photo I have is in my folk's living room on Boxing Day :)

Hoping to accomplish more than two in time for next Christmas, there's still a long list of people I'd like to gift a quilt...

A hockey icon retires

Daniel Alfredsson was the captain of the Ottawa Senators for 14 years, by all accounts a truly amazing guy. I'll never know what happened to make him leave Ottawa and play his last season in Detroit, the media says money but I imagine it had more to do with respect. Whatever the case may be, it appears that fences were mended between Alfie and the organization because he signed a 1 day contract with the Sens so that he could retire as a Senator.

As soon as we heard the news we bought tickets. We had to be there to see it. And it didn't disappoint.

He didn't actually play in the game, only skated in the warm up, but the atmosphere was electric. It was packed beyond capacity, everyone screaming and chanting, 'Alfie, Alfie, Alfie!' Then after the warm up there was a ceremony with him and his family at centre ice (his 4 little boys all wore Karlsson jerseys, which was a nice touch). It was a really great evening.

(Then the Sens lost the game that followed. Sigh.)

Christmas Lights Across Canada

All across Canada government buildings turn on their Christmas lights for the first time each year together, at the same time. In Ottawa it's, of course, a big old ceremony (ANY excuse for a ceremony in Ottawa, I kid you not), and they call it Christmas Lights Across Canada. This year was particularly special because the Princess was performing along with her school choir at the ceremony on Parliament Hill. So, of course, we braved the cold to see it :)

(She's one of the red blobs, middle/right. My kit lens has decided it's unhappy with focussing in cold weather. Not that I blame it, but it makes for some strange looking zoom shots).

Even apart from enjoying her performance it was a fun night. There were candles for everyone in the audience, free hot chocolate and beavertails (we didn't get a beavertail, the line was absolutely obscene).

And of course Parliament itself was magnificent when they turned on the lights and projectors. I really do love living here.

Even if it's freezing 6+ months of the year...