I really enjoyed making and sharing this design! I have a lot of blocks that didn’t end up in the final version so maybe there’s a “Valley Views 2” somewhere down the line. It’s day 3 of the Edge of 17 Shop Hop and the response has been awesome. We’ve had quilters wandering out to […]
These are the last two small leftover blocks. You can get all the extra blocks and the instructions for assembling the quilt by requesting them here. (contact page). For anyone who would like to purchase the full quilt pattern, all eight shops from the hop and this web site […]
There are a few blocks that weren’t included in any of the projects for the Shop Hop. The first two are small, simple ones. What would a pictorial quilt of the valley be without Parliament Hill? Our Peace Tower is a beautiful building made of limestone (from Manitoba!) and stands proud and tall in our […]
There are still beautiful old log structures in many places around the valley but sadly we lose more each year. I have watched buildings “deconstructed” and shipped off to far away places and have seen others simply fall from neglect. We used to spend time wandering around and taking pictures in our local ghost town […]
Railways were a very important part of our valley’s development and until not so long ago you could hear train whistles in most places. I grew up hearing the trains and miss the sound, especially in the evenings. Many of the abandoned lines have been turned into a network of trails and I am fortunate […]
“Farmers Feed Cities”, “Farmers’ roots are deep”….some of the sayings about some of our most important citizens! Schools, churches and bridges are part of the foundation of the valley but without farmers none of them would be here. Farming was the reason many settlers came to the area-even though many of our fields only grew […]
We have lots of bridges in the Ottawa Valley! With so many rivers and streams to cross, it’s hard to imagine early travel in the area. Even now, we still have to sometimes take round about routes to get where we’re going-but oh the interesting places we sometimes discover. While there are many interesting and […]
Schools, like churches, are another cornerstone of Valley history and I was fortunate enough to have a beautiful example of an old stone one-room schoolhouse near my home. SS No 5 Goulbourn (Munster School) was built in 1890 and was in use until 1967. It was replaced by a modern school that is sadly saying […]
St Leonard’s Church in Rockingham, Ontario was built in 1875 when the hamlet was a lively community. The population peaked at about 100 souls in 1899 and then began to drop off as the pine was logged out and farmers left to find more arablfule land. The last regular service was held in 1941, but […]
Country fairs are alive and well in the valley! I have spent many a day wandering through different fair grounds, looking at the exhibits and the animals and eating way too much food! There’s something magical in the evening when the sun goes down and the lights of the midway dazzle your eyes-it’s my favorite […]