Out of the Studio
With spring just ‘a bustin’ out all over’ I’ve been bustin’ out of the studio these past two weekends taking in some great local events.
Canada 150 Quilt Show
This past weekend I took my in-laws including sister-in-law Laurie to the Canada 150 quilt show in Ailsa Craig and Parkhill, Ontario.
The show included many old quilts, all of which were made prior to 1960. There were also a number of art quilts on display along with fibre arts in the Parkhill location. I myself submitted three antique quilts for the display.
One of our quilts, a Chinese Lantern quilt was made by my husband’s grandparents Edna and Wesley Miller of London, Ontario. I really wanted to get a picture of the in-laws in front of that quilt for posterity.
Before going, Laurie told me that she remembered her grandparents giving the quilt to my husband Rob. Always interested in the history of quilts I asked ‘when was that’. Well apparently he was given the quilt when he was five or six years old. And here I thought that particular quilt was made in the 1940’s! Actually it was likely from 1964 or 1965, which meant that the quilt didn’t even qualify for the show. Oh well, at least I got my picture!
A. M. (Mac) Cuddy Garden Tour
If you love to garden like I do, you’d love the A. M. (Mac) Cuddy Garden Tour. This tour of the former Cuddy residence and gardens in Strathroy is one of two campuses for the Fanshawe College horticultural program. The public tour and plant sale takes place just once a year; after that it’s closed for academic tours only.
If you are so lucky as to visit earlier in the spring you’ll be amazed at their collection of Magnolia trees, probably the largest in Ontario. When I was there a couple of weeks ago the showstoppers were the iris and peony collections. They have a number of themed gardens, a woodland garden, a hosta garden, a Mediterranean garden, a rose garden, a rock garden and perennial borders.
I enjoyed the one hour tour hosted by Professor Mike Pascoe. For sure he’s a guy who really appreciates a good tree. He told us some ripping tales of how he had acquired some of the notable trees on site much to our amusement. At the end of the tour I was able to purchase a few of the perennials and shrubs that caught my eye while walking around the gardens.
Geranium Heritage House Tour
On the same weekend my sister-in-law Laurie and I took part in the annual Geranium Heritage House Tour put on by the local chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario in London, Ontario.
There were 9 residences to visit indoors and out, all built between the 1860’s and WWI. It was interesting to learn the history of each building as well as who lived there and what they did.
One house, the former Somerville house at 336 Piccadilly St. had an third story trophy room/ballroom which housed the golf trophies of successful golfer ‘Sandy’ Charles Ross Somerville in gorgeous built in glass fronted cabinetry. Now, the cases house the kid’s Fisher Price toys. Oh, times they are a changing!
There were several styles of homes on the tour. Each style has it’s own unique ornamentation and building detail, but in some cases the look was no longer pure with Art Deco elements in a Queen Anne style home and the like. There were lots of building details to examine and I am now strait on the difference between a Voussoir and a Quoin!
The gardens of these homes are always enticing and I couldn’t help but snap a few pictures as Laurie and I toured about.
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