Music Camp

My arrival at Laurier University in Waterloo ON yesterday was delayed by half an hour because of 401 nonsense and a scenic cross-country detour. The check-in at the dorm was very efficient and I quickly made my way up to my cell room.

It’s the basic, institutional dorm room. There is lots of cupboard space and shelving.  The colour of guacamole on the walls would not have been my preference, though. 

The bathroom is shared between two rooms. I paid extra to not have to share so I also don’t have a neighbour through that door. The toilet, shower, and towel rods are in this room

The sink is across from the bed right in the room.

And around the corner from the sink is the desk and more shelving. It has all the basics for my comfort for the week.

The dorm beds are like the surface of a slate pool table. I am so glad I brought the foam pad for the bed. I slept great last night.

Last night was introductions, followed by free snacks. I was pleased they had ketchup chips - my new guilty pleasure. Since Alexa served them at her place on Canada Day, I’ve been addicted.

Rather than schlepping my ukulele and oboe back and forth between the residence and the music building, I was able to get a locker in the music building. We were told ahead of time of time they would be available and to bring a lock.

The first class of the day is ‘Choir for All’. We are working on several tunes (I didn’t take a photo of the titles). One of the pieces has a very moving melody and poignant lyrics. It was all I could do to choke back my tears. Since retiring, I haven’t really listened to a lot of music. I think I was kinda burned out. My mind doesn’t let it just wash over me, rather I’m always separating out bass lines, melodies, or inner parts. Since Skip died I can’t even listen to music on the radio in the car. There’s something that just ‘grabs’ me and waves of emotion just wash over me. It’s hard to describe. Anyway, this particular piece was the last one we worked on and as we were leaving the rehearsal/recital hall I noted a couple of other people were feeling emotional. So it wasn’t just me. I headed for a cubicle in the washroom to compose myself and prepare for my next class.

After a coffee and another snack break, I headed to ukulele class. It’s geared for beginners but more advanced folks can do fancier strumming for a challenge. We learned C, a minor, F, and G chords today. Our teacher, Gillian is very experienced teaching beginners. Basically she queued up YouTube videos from Ukulaliens and we strummed chords and sang along. It was good to be playing my uke again. 

My tender fingers were ready for a break by the end of the hour. After stashing the uke in my locker and a ‘pit stop’, I returned to the same room with the same instructor for Vocal Jazz Choir. We had been sent .pdfs of the two tunes ahead of time so I had listened to both arrangements on YouTube. 

I’m singing Alto II and am enjoying harmonizing. Tomorrow we’ll work on some of the tricky spots.

Then it was lunch time, so headed next door to the dining hall for lunch. Last night at dinner I just happened to be sitting across from one of my sorority sisters (from uni 50 years ago). Debi inspired me to learn handbells and I hoped to take that class at camp but I signed up too late and the class was full. She’s now playing percussion so isn’t in any classes with me other than possibly choir for all.

I was advised to not sign up for a class in every time slot so I took Period 4 right after lunch as a ‘spare’. Back at the dorm I had some quiet time and a bit of a lie-down and listened to my audiobook until it was time to return to the music building for Concert Band in Period 5. I’m playing oboe (for the first time in 15 years !) in this class. Interestingly there are no brasses or percussion in our group. The conductor knew the instrumentation ahead of time and arranged pieces for us to make sure all the parts were covered. My oboe worked pretty well. Intonation with the other oboist is a bit of a challenge but my lip held up for the hour.

After dinner tonight I listened to Dave Brubeck’s ‘Unsquare Dance’ to try and solidify the 7/4 time signature - “1 and, 2 and, 3 and a” or STRONG weak STRONG weak STRONG weak weak.. You may remember it as the theme of an old Ritz cracker commercial. 

Although about a third of the 120 participants at Lakefield (Adult) Music Camp are newbies like me, many of the rest have not only attended previously but, in many cases, several times. Normally the camp is held at Lakefield College School (“Canada’s top University and Prep, Boarding, and Day School in Ontario”) just north of the village of Lakefield near Peterborough ON. Randy Andy attended the private prep school back in the 70s but I don’t think they brag about that any more.

The last class is Celtic song. Basically lectures about Celtic language and history. We’ll be singing a couple of traditional Celtic tunes.

After supper I had about an hour to kill before the evening recitals so I sat outside and listened to several YouTube videos and enjoyed being outside and not freezing in the air-conditioned buildings.

The evening recitals were entertaining. It was very brave of the participants to get up there the very first night and perform. There were several vocalists, instrumental soloists, and a jazz combo. I had brought my knitting so was able to keep my hands busy and not be a ‘discipline problem’. Between Celtic song class and the evening recitals I got about 2” done on my sock. 

After the recitals was yet another snack time and karaoke in the lounge - lot of fun. I had more ketchup chips and a fizzy drink.

It was a very busy first day - lots of fun. Tomorrow more of the same but in more depth. Our rehearsing will culminate in performances on Friday and Saturday nights. Lots of new music to learn before then.

World Embroidery Day 2025

In 2011, a group of embroiderers from Sweden founded World Embroidery Day to 'acknowledge and promote the craft of decorating fabric using a needle to apply thread or yarn.

My guild, the Trillium Embroidery Guild, decided to commemorate the day by stitching in public in a beautiful local park - Lakeview Park in Oshawa on the shore of beautiful Lake Ontario.

It was yet another stinking hot day and I almost didn't attend but from past experience I knew it is always a bit cooler down by the lake so I made the effort to go.

I found my group at the appointed spot - about halfway between the gazebo, restrooms, and the lakebank. There are so many mature trees, there was lots of choice about which they'd sit under. We brought our camp chairs and lunches and spent several hours, stitching in the shade, chatting, and enjoying the cooling breezes off the lake.

I'm so glad I wasn't a weenie and decided to go after all. it was a lovely day.

Saturday is our regular, monthly stitch day which is held on the first Saturday of the month. Although our evening guild meetings are only held from September through June, we attend our once-a-month stitch days all year round.

After A 53-year Break...

Allow me to trip down memory lane for a bit... (scroll past the green text if you can't be bothered reading my ramblings)

I attended Ontario Youth Music Camp (OYMC) in Beaverton ON the summers after my Grades 10, 11, and 12. It was a wonderful, musical experience. I met lots of kids from all over Ontario - several of whom ended up studying music with me at the University of Western Ontario (now called Western University) in London ON.  The last time I attended a music camp was before my first year of university music studies in 1972. Courtney Youth Music Camp was sponsored by the Vancouver Youth Orchestra and took place at the high school at Courtney on Vancouver Island. Although I wasn't thrilled to be spending the last couple of weeks of my summer away from my boyfriend back home, the camp was a really great experience. Our orchestra was conducted by Kazuyoshi Akiyama, the newly-appointed conductor of the Vancouver Symphony. I do remember we played Rossini's 'La Gazza Ladra' (The Thieving Magpie - you'd recognize it as a Bugs Bunny tune), Wagner's 'Overture to Lohengrin', and some Gounod Ballet music. I think I played Oboe III in the orchestra. I also remember a Viennese-style evening of waltz music where the citizens of Courtney were invited to come and dance the night away to live waltz music.

I remember our 'dormitory' at the school was a science lab where we slept on mattresses on the floor. The sinks were very handy for tooth brushing, though. I hung out with Debbie H and Janice Y (both Vancouverites). There was a military base nearby which happened to be hosting a beer fest so the three of us went and had a great time. I may still have the mug somewhere. I don't remember having to sign out from the camp. I do recall drinking five 20oz. mugs of draft (it must have been really watered down) and having to pee several times that evening and during the night back at camp. Holy bladder buster! 

After camp and a concert in Victoria, I returned Vancouver where I planned to take the train to Edmonton to visit my aunt and uncle before flying back to home in Ontario. While in Vancouver, I stayed with Janice. That weekend happened to be the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition) which we also attended. I remember we had trouble finding a way home and being quite put out that the police we encountered at the fair's entrance wouldn't  provide us with taxi service back to Janice's. I don't remember how we actually did get back to her place. 

After a gap of 53 years, and on the urging of my university friend, Rifka, I got myself signed up for and adult music camp this summer.

I haven't played my oboe since about 2010, so after 15 years I'm a bit rusty. I only signed up for one daily session (out of 6) where I will be playing it. I figured I could hide more easily in a concert band rather than in a smaller ensemble.

I did honk out a couple of notes before signing up for Concert Band. I was surprised that my old reeds worked and it actually sounded passable. My chops and lung capacity won't be optimum but I think I'll be able to fake my way just fine. 

The little film cannisters are great for soaking the reeds. I haven't bought film in decades but still had this cannister kicking around. Yet another example of one of the few  benefits of not throwing anything away.

My instrument is a lesser known professional model - Gordet. It can produce a lovely, rich tone - personally my preference over the much-hyped Lorée oboes. I purchased it used from my oboe teacher in 1972 and played it all through university and since. I may have had it serviced once in all that time. I'm amazed at how well it plays considering it's been sitting in the case in a backpack for 15 years. No leaks or anything. Fingers are crossed it will hold up to a week of daily, hour-long sessions.

Most oboists of any accomplishment make their own reeds. I was always a slacker in that department and often scrounged made use of my university oboe classmates' rejects - somehow making them work. I misplaced my reed making tools in one of my moves at least 4 decades ago so have relied on commercially available ones since then. I had ready access to reeds when I taught band instruments for years but bought a couple of reeds while on my crafty road trip a couple of weeks ago. The Galt House of Yarn is in the same plaza as Long and McQuade Music Store in Cambridge.

The top reed is priced from 2007, the bottom one was one of my new purchases - an increase of 274% over 18 years. I also did some online research and learned the new Légère plastic reeds are very good, not subject to atmospheric changes like the traditional cane reeds, and seem to last a long time, but they're $149USD!! Too much of an investment considering that after camp, I may not play again for another year, if at all. I stuck with the traditional cane reeds.

The cork grease in my case had solidified after all this time so I resorted to using lip balm to lubricate the tenon corks. It worked fine.

We were sent a packing list so I'm starting to locate necessary items and put them on the spare bed in preparation for packing. 

I get my own room at camp (actually held in at an Ontario university) and paid a bit extra to not have to share a bathroom. 

I'll be singing in three of the daily sessions (Choir for All, Vocal Jazz, and Celtic Music) and playing my ukulele for another session. I was advised not to completely fill all six time slots so am taking a 'spare' after lunch. This will give me a break of a couple of hours mid-day. I received .pdfs of the two vocal jazz charts and found recordings of them on YouTube to practice ahead of time. Rifka (the university friend who talked me into this venture) strongly suggested I add throat losenges and Tylenol to the packing list. I sure hope my voice holds up for 3 hours of singing a day. 

Also in preparation, I'm making myself go to bed before midnight so I get enough sleep and can function getting up much earlier than I've become accustomed to in my slothful lifestyle.

There are recitals in the evenings so I'll take some mindless knitting (socks) and also plan to take some stitching in case I need a 'fix' back at my dorm room.

I sure hope I have the stamina to keep up with everything for the week.

First Drop Zone Bag

This afternoon I organized the Morris Manor squares onto the fusible interfacing and pressed them into place.

I then folded and sewed each column with a 1/4" seam in from the fold. Then quilted it with the foam stabilizer, etc. etc. 

My quilted piece was a bit larger than the pattern called for so I did the math to compensate. I did discover a flaw in the pattern, or at least how I would do subsequent ones differently. 

The beauty of this pattern is that all the raw edges are covered so the final result looks very polished. I was also pleased that I didn't need to buy anything - everything I needed was in my stash.

The result:

It opens right out to a very accessible container.

Of course I had to make a coordinating zipper pull.

Things I will do differently next time:

• eliminate the interfacing on the pull tabs to make them a bit thinner. There was a lot of bulk to sew through with the lining, foam, quilted top, zipper tape, pull tabs, and end pieces. 
• use a patterned fabric rather than my beloved quilted checkerboards. This will eliminate mis-aligning the patterns on each side of the zipper
• use a 22" zipper again. The pattern called for a 24" zipper or 20" zipper by the yard but my 22" zipper from my stash had more than enough length
• horizontally divide the piece in quarters. The instructions made for too big a piece cut out of the side which made sewing up the ends quite tricky

The pattern calls for omnidirectional fabric but it was easy to just orient the directional squares properly with a seam though the centre (which became the bottom.

I have plenty of the foam stabilizer left so could certainly make another bag. 

It was stinking hot today so I mostly huddled inside in air-conditioned comfort except for when I hung out a load of laundry and brought it in later. 

I finally finished watching the 154 episodes of  'Gilmore Girls' (22 episodes x 7 seasons) and the 4 movie-length episodes of  'Gilmore Girls: Year in the Life'. I'd been staying up WAY too late for all this binge-watching. My plan this week is to get to bed at a more decent time and get up earlier in preparation for early wakeups when I go to camp.

Update: Supposedly another season of 'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life' will be released on Netflix on November 14 of this year. Not much is posted about it so I'll believe it when I see it.

Another FFO, A New Start, And Sweaty Garden Work

Yesterday I felt the need to complete another project - the triangular scissor case. This involved:

• making cording for the loop closure with 8 strands of the Sulky Petites thread using my Kreinek cording drill,
• cutting and fusing light interfacing to the back of the stitching inside the perimeter stitching line
• cutting the lining to fit about 1/2" beyond the perimeter stitching line
• pinning the stitching to the lining, right sides together, with raw ends of corded loop sticking out of one of the corners
• sewing along the perimeter stitching line, leaving an opening for turning
• turning right side out
• folding two adjacent sides together (with the point opposite the cording) and starting halfway, matching the motifs, stitching to the point. Then stitching in the other direction completing the seam
• sewing on the pearl button at appropriate spot for the corded loop.
• 'blinging it up' on the front with 2mm clear HotFix 'jewels'.

All finished!

I have the urge to make a couple more. It's so easy with the Sulky Petites thread. They make great small exchange projects. The person who received one of them at the first Stitch North I attended came and thanked me more than once when she received hers. 

For my first Drop Zone bag, I began quartering the 5" charm squares into 2.5" squares. I used the dark Best of Morris squares and cut 2.5" strips from the companion fabric.

While on our shop hop, my niece Ana spoke highly of the Stripology ruler. It's a ruler with slots every 1/2" for cutting strips. I already had a similar product, the Shape Cut ruler from June Tailor, Inc.

I chose a neutral companion fabric (shown above under the ruler) and cut 2.5" strips, then laid the strips out, and cut 2.5" squares from the strips. Then took some fusible interfacing and drew 2.5" grid lines with my relatively new 2.5" wide 'quilters ruler'. 

I'm all ready to fuse the squares to the interfacing, orienting properly out from the horizontal centre for the Drop Zone project. Now to cut the lining, also from the companion fabric, and the tabs for the ends. I do need to go out and find a 24" zipper for the project. I could go to either the Ultimate Sewing Centre in Oshawa or Fabricland in Pickering tomorrow (avoiding Friday summer 401 traffic like the plague). I think Fabricland might have a greater selection of colours. 

This morning I weeded the entire, embarassingly neglected side yard. The metre-tall weeds were surprisingly easy to pull out and I filled two yard waste bags. It was hot and sweaty work but I took breaks from time to time and finally got the damned thing done. That side of the house needs a major cleanup - lots of wood, empty plant pots, etc. The subsequent shower felt great.

The wildflower seeds I planted in the back garden are coming up now, baby's breath, some type of cornflower/bachelor button, a lone zinnia, a big marigold (I think) - quite the selection of random plants. I'm still considering discontinuing a couple of the beds - filling them in with sod or grass seed. But if I can successfully grow the wildflower mix, I will do that for another year. 

Once I'm out there, I don't mind the work. It's just been so bloody hot, I really have to pick my days. It was overcast most of the time I was out there this morning. It hasn't rained much so the soil is pretty dry, generally makes pulling weeds more difficult. It's going to be hot for at least the next week.

A Quick Stitch

With one of the new, variegated spools of Sulky Petites thread I stitched another Wildfower Hearts piece from the Caron Collection.  I used 28ct white linen from my stash. It's about 4 1/2" square and will finish to 4 11/16". 

The diagram of the pattern isn't the best quality but I enlarged it to 150% which made it MUCH easier to read. 

I started in the centre with the Rhodes hearts. Around them is a double running stitch. Then did all the, what I call, 'filigree' stitches. I also really like doing the diagonal satin stitch with this thread. It fills in quite nicely and the variegation is evident yet subtle. I think 32ct would provide even better coverage for this thread. I think this is about the 4th or 5th one I've done. The centre part with the double running stitches and Rhodes hearts would also make a great, coordinating scissor fob.

The other specialty stitches are:

1. Rice stitch
2. Square Rhodes stitch over 6 threads
3. Circular Rhodes stitch over 8 threads.

This symmetrical, square piece will be made into yet another triangular scissor case. The only fabric I have on hand that would work with the colour is some whimsical Peanuts fabric (trust me, it is a pretty good colour match),

or plain white.

While rummaging through my fabric scraps, I came across the 15-sided, pulled thread biscornu I completed back in 2018 but never put the beads through the centre part. There were a couple of appropriate ones in my bead stash so I finally, after 7 years, I have fully, fully finished it.

The original pattern was designed by Kathrin Ellison of Gitta's. The instructions were available on her blog. I recall really enjoying the project and I think I substituted a couple of other pulled thread patterns. It was a SAL of hers from back in 2013. I was unsuccessful accessing it from her links just now.

As a result of all the browsing and shopping last week, my brain is running on crafty overdrive. I want to do All. The. Things. and am having trouble deciding what to focus on. I keep puttering away in my craft room and tackle little things here and there but it's still organized chaos.

July 30 is World Embroidery Day! Some of us from the Trillium Embroidery Guild will set up some chairs at Lakeview Park in Oshawa to knit in public. Fingers are crossed the weather will cooperate. Then some of us will be celebrating a couple of birthdays at a café in Bowmanville on Friday. I love having stitcherly events to look forward to in addition to my standing Monday morning stitch group.

Road Trip 2025

Since we aren't traveling to the US any more, we thought we'd enjoy a crafty trip of SW Ontario this summer instead. The focus was on fabric, knitting, and stitching shops and meeting up with my nieces for a nice visit while in the area.

Jen1 and Marilyn were able to participate with me. We booked a suite hotel in St Jacobs for our home base. The rooms were very comfortable and had great seating and lighting for stitching at the bar in the kitchenette and seating in the living room.

Rosa, Geri, and Ana

Our first stop was Dancing Stitches in Cambridge. There, I purchased an open presser foot for my Bernina Activa 220 machine. We also saw a neat zipper bag from byAnnie.com called Drop Zone but they didn't have any more patterns. I figured I'd find the pattern at one of the other shops we'd visit.. There was a Long and McQuade music store in the same block of stores so I picked up a couple of oboe reeds for my week at music camp next month. Fingers are crossed I can get them to work.

Then we headed to the Galt house of Yarn. They had an impressive assortment including lots of Icelandic and Norwegian yarns. I think that's where I bought this lovely skein of hand-painted Estelle sock yarn.

Using a coordinating sock yarn from my stash I'm going to have a second go at the Alexia pattern from the Noro Knitting and Crocheting Magazine #25, Alexia. 

It's the pattern I had so much trouble reading line by line that I graphed it. Hopefully I'll have an easier time of it this time.

Len's Mills was our next stop. It is in a HUGE building with the usual panoply of housewares, yarns, threads, notions, snack foods, etc. Their fabric section was vast, up-to-date and very tidy. Then to Mary Maxim in Paris.

We then ventured to the Staybridge Suites in St Jacobs to check in, admire our purchases, meet up with my nieces, go for dinner, and relax after dinner.

The next morning we headed out to Stratford in time for Ye Olde Quilt Shoppe to open. We all gasped when we walked in. The place was packed with every designer's lines of fabrics you could imagine. 

Jen1, Marilyn, and Geri just after gasping

The first things I saw when walking in the door (and after gasping) were some charm squares of the Morris Manor Best of Morris line. I snatched one up and found a couple of companion fabrics in the same line. We gasped a second time when we saw their wall of shelved charm squares.

I inquired about the new Tilda fabric line called 'Merry Little Christmas' 

but it is only available for pre-order as it won't be released until September. The Nordic motifs on the main fabric really appeal to me but I have no idea what I would make with it.

We stopped in Shakespeare at a little shop called 'The Quilt Place'. They were in the process of winding down for retirement and everything was on sale for 40% off. It would be an excellent place for stash enhancement at a good price. Unfortunately there had been a major accident at the main intersection which caused hydro wires to come down and completely block the intersection. We managed to find our way around it as we continued on to Heart N Home Creations in New Hamburg. It is a lovely store that sells not only quilting fabric but lots of home goods and has a huge inventory of Cobble Hill crossword puzzles. After lunch we visited Quilting By Design. Then back to the hotel to meet up with Ana and Rosa for supper at The Cactus Mexican Restaurant in Waterloo.

After supper, we all converged on our suite again and had 'show and tell', admiring each others' purchases of the day, and deciding how we would proceed the next day. Marilyn and Jen1 stitched while Rosa, Ana, and I yakked. Lots of fun!

The next morning we decided to go to our furthest point, Stitch-it Central in London, and work our way back to Durham Region via Cherished Pieces in Tillsonburg.

Stitch-it Central has expanded and has a vast array of stitching patterns, threads, fabrics, accessories, and quilting fabrics. There, we met up with Heather who came from Sarnia to see us, get a framed piece Jen1 was bringing her from Kim and Meagan's , and join us for lunch at the bakery next door.

After bidding adieu to Heather, we made our way cross country to Cherished Pieces in Tillsonburg. Then headed home with Marilyn taking the wheel. The traffic wasn't too bad on the 401 and there was no back-up to the 407, thanks to the fairly new dedicated collector lanes.

It was a lot to cover in three days but thanks to the distances between locations being fairly close, it wasn't an extraordinary amount of time in the car. We really enjoyed the comfort of the Staybridge Suites and the opportunity to visit with Ana and Rosa.

After a few shops what I bought where was a bit of a blur so I'm just doing a photo dump of my haul. I have projects in mind for most of the items.

The sunflower buttons will be cute on a nametag or on my sunflower biscornu. The silver-lined, clear glass beads are good spacers on beaded projects. I have a 'thing' for variegated Sulky Petites thread. it's a great substitute for two strands of cotton floss and great for any projects using satin stitch. Barb and I want to make sewn bowls using cotton clothesline and fabric strips so the open presser foot makes seeing the zigzag stitches much easier to see.

The Honeybee fabrics really appealed to me. It was the sunflowers that initially caught my eye so, of course, I had to buy a couple of companion fabrics.

I also picked up a little bundle of black batiks. Some look like the midnight blue of indigo dyed fabrics so could be used as linings or backing for sashiko projects.

Heart N Home had a selection of charm squares. This one would also be great to line or back sashiko projects. They also had the companion fabric cut into fat quarters.

These are what I saw when I first walked into Ye Olde Fabric Shoppe in Stratford. I have a gradient project bag and possibly a Drop Zone bag in mind for this.

Stitch-it Central had an impressive collection of sashiko threads. I also thought this indigo paisley fabric and blue, variegated perle cotton were great accompaniments.

I watched a couple of videos on making the Drop Zone bag.

I'll make one for myself and then have the girls over for a session. We loved how they look like just a normal zipper bag when zipped up,

but open right up when unzipped and have little walls on each side to keep everything in. There are instructions for three sizes in the pattern and a free instructional video with its purchase. Otherwise it's $5US for the instructions. However, I found this video tutorial by Mx Domestic, which explained all the steps. 

I've been taking it pretty easy today but might begin collecting materials for my first Drop Zone bag.

These little, craft-based trips are so much fun. I get a chance to get away from my everyday existence, stay in hotels, hang with friends and loved ones, eat good food, look at lovely craft items, do some shopping, etc.  It's so nice to have events like this to look forward to and even nicer to experience them.

Thanks Jen1 and Marilyn for joining me and thanks also to Rosa, Ana, and Heather for making the effort to meet up with us. I'm already starting to plan the next road crafty road trip of Lambton, Kent, and Essex counties for next year.