The Month of Love

Happy February!

Even though I've shown you this before, I need to look at it again.
A photo to brighten our day because it is still the depths of winter here in Canada and some of the news continues to be tragic and discouraging.
But there is nothing discouraging about this beautiful Triumph tulip, a tulip grown especially to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary this year.  I like how the red plumes mimic the maple leaf and also our eternal flame.

                                     

 Yes, we are so new compared to our European cousins!

This tulip was developed in the Netherlands as a gift to Canada, a symbol of our continued international friendship with the Dutch.

  The story of how this relationship came to be has its roots in the second world war. Canada welcomed Princess Juliana of the Netherlands when Holland was under Nazi rule.  During the 5 years she lived in Ottawa, she gave birth to her third daughter at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.  The floor where she was housed was temporarily declared Dutch soil so her daughter would have exclusive Dutch citizenry.  Later, after the war and back at home, the princess made a gift to Canada of 100,000 tulip bulbs as a thank you for her care and also for the work of the Canadian troops who helped liberate Holland at the end of the war.  Holland continued its yearly gift of tulips to Canada for many decades and now millions of tulips bloom in May as part of our annual Tulip Festival.

Isn't it nice to think about the good and even the beautiful that can come out of something bad.

So yes it is February, another brrrr month here.                
Which means temperatures still below zero, more snowfall, but all the frosty and enjoyable winter activities are still a go.

                                   

 And we are steadily gaining a couple of minutes of extra light per day and I can tell a difference in the quality of that light.  This may be a crazy, hopeful notion, but the light does seem brighter somehow to me.

It is officially the month of Hearts.  Is it not?
Here is the loveliest Heart quilt from the wonderful Super Goof quilts.  Check out her site to see some wonderful quilting inspiration..



                        
I saw a movement online to make a tiny heart a day for 2017 as an alternative to a circle or square a day.  I'm thinking it would be a great way to use up reds and pinks in any scraps.

 And speaking of scraps...
I decided to add window boxes with a few lush flowers and a couple more little windows to my house block. (no it's not all wavy like that; hard to keep the hanging flat)

It is now in my hoop as I am hand quilting this one.  Too many curved corners and pieces to use the walking foot on and any way, I am not in a hurry.

So we are into the month of love. Any special plans for Valentine's Day?  We do not celebrate it but I do make Hubby a cake, usually a chocolate one which is his favourite.  I have been looking at This One or This One to try.  By this time in my life, I have made buckets of chocolate cakes but can never seem to settle on "the one".

 Monday I will have some cross stitch talk and show you my next project.  Just started it and love it already.

Stay warm or cool and especially calm where ever you are this weekend!