The Road to Home Row Along - Day 9

Thank you very much to Marian (http://www.seamstobesew.com ) and Amy (http://sewincrediblycrazy.blogspot.com/)  for hosting this Row Along and for including me in it!

I designed this row in Electric Quilt 7® (EQ7®)  since I am not a trained (or natural) artist.  Click on the 'Craftsy' button to get the pattern.

EQ7 design - Leave a comment if you would like the EQ file.

 Nowadays my road to home is long and beautiful, because often I am travelling from visits to family and friends in southern Ontario in Canada to the west end of Manitoulin Island (the largest freshwater island in the world!) which is located in the northern section of Lake Huron, west of Sudbury, Ontario and east of Sault, Michigan in the United States.

The Island is home to a number of towns and villages, situated among lakes, farms, logging operations and quarries.  And quilters!  Since we enjoy mostly rural life, most of the families can boast of at least one quilter in the family.  There are two guilds, a club and several quilting ‘bee’ groups on the Island and many, many more quilters who just stay at home and quilt on their own.

After thinking about many ‘roads to home’ in my life, I chose the actual drive I take up Hwy. 400 to Sudbury, west on Hwy. 17 then south on Hwy. 6 from Espanola to Little Current.  After that, I travel Hwy. 540 to the west end of the Island and home.  I visualized this road trip as a movie and decided to design it as a movie or film strip with five blocks illustrating the drive I take.  The quilting (or piecing) challenge I decided to attempt was to improve my curved piecing techniques that I learned from Gourmet Quilter at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mIwp8TZtfU  I have tried this a few times, but I wanted to do it enough that I could do it easily.  I certainly recommend her video tutorial!

Block 1

 This block symbolizes all the rock – granite and quartz, etc... that has been dynamited and pulverized to create the highway to northern Ontario

From Espanola to Manitoulin Island, there is more rock and the windblown trees memorialized by the Group of Seven – amazing Canadian artists.  .  ‘Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay’ by F.H. Varley, in the National Gallery of Art  is just one example of the type of scenery we have in this area

Block 2

I wanted to show a barn quilt even though our barn quilt trail isn’t quite complete yet!  Of course, if I had wanted to feature the wildlife, I would have had to show you whitetail deer, sandhill cranes, Canadian geese, hummingbirds, loons, raccoons, squirrels, coyotes, skunks, weasels, porcupines, as well as all the water life like whitefish, salmon, trout, turtles, etc....

We have miles of rail fences along the roads as well.

Block 3

Indigenous people lived on Manitoulin Island (which means ‘spirit’ island) until decimated by disease brought over by Europeans and then driven out by the Iroquois.  Early in the 1800’s Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi began to move back to the Island. 

Nowadays these villages are vibrant places and each one celebrates and hosts visitors to their powwows and other events (Aundeck Omni Kaning, M’Chigeen, Sheshegwaning, Zhiibaahaasing, Sheguindah & the unceded reserve Wikwemikong).

At the entrance to Aundeck Omni Kaning is a welcome sign and a tipi, so I’ve included a tipi in my block.

North America is called ‘Turtle Island’ by the indigenous people so I had to include a turtle as a symbol.

The medicine wheel is a symbol of life and many aspects of the cycle of life:

· The  east is red and symbolizes Spring, growing, physical care, nutrition

· The south is yellow for warmth, Summer, breath and emotions

· The west is black for Fall, adults, water and spiritual health

· The north is white for Winter, dormancy, education and fire

These are the optional symbols that I have included, but of course there are many other items that could have been included.

Block 4

 I approach my home and in the summer, I can see the beach furniture and toys out on the beach (when the grandchildren visit).  Then there’s lots of activity on the beach and hours of fun.  Without the young people, it’s a pretty quiet place and I’m either working in the yard and beach or quilting! 

Block 5

How could I finish a road to home without a sunset?  I couldn’t.  My friends and I share photos of beautiful sunsets....as do millions around the world, I know.

I hope that you find something of value in the row I have designed!  The challenges involved in designing it have certainly helped me improve my skills with designing appliqué pieces in EQ7®.  This is a great computer program that will enhance the work of every quilt designer!  From designing quilt blocks to colouring the thousands that are included in the program ; to designing quilts, quilt labels, photo quilts and so much more....EQ7® is amazing!  Not to mention the company’s support of their software!  I’ve been using computers since the first personal computers and have never seen the level of support given by the staff at Electric Quilt.  They should all win awards for their efforts!

Thank you for visiting my blog!  Please enter for our giveaways today!

Besides me today, there are 3 other bloggers presenting their rows:

Quilted Fabric Art at 

www.quiltedfabricart.com

Pamela Quilts at pamelaquilts.blogspot.com

QuiltFabrication at 

www.quiltfabrication.blogspot.com