Sunday 1 December 2019

Gaining Confidence, Hand Stitching, Damp Dogs, Happy Birds

I enjoyed reading all the Thankful posts around the blogging world this week.
 This kept running through my mind...Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.  This was one of my favourite hymns during childhood, maybe because it was sung much more up tempo than the usual hymns. Anyway, it seemed like just the process of naming the blessings is happy inducing. I could hear the enthusiasm and sincere gratefulness in your words.

We had bouts of light rainfall several times lately though one overnight amounted to an inch or so on the ground. I thought as I watched the daylong drizzle, if only we could share it with California. There seems to be somewhere on fire all the time lately. Very frightening for all those folks and my heart goes out to them.
The dogs must go out and most reluctantly too. For such big dogs they can be babies about such things. And we laugh at Murphy who loves dunking herself in the pond but doesn't like raindrops on her head.
However, back to cold temperatures again...-15 C overnight but still no more snow. Which is good as my snow tires go on this week which was pushing it. Heavy activity at the feeders.  However the juncos such as this one prefer to poke about the ugly gardening remains.  Pleased with this shot.
I finished hand stitching the last of the motifs for my little runner. This will be a Christmas gift when I get it bordered and backed. Perhaps a little hand quilting too for this week's goal.

My goal for this month is to get four projects finished for gifts admittedly some very small.
By the way, you have not heard me talk about giving away the things I make. That is for a simple reason- I have a problem thinking they are good enough.  It is only now that I seem to have the confidence in what I make to think someone else would like it. Perhaps all the encouragement from you folks has aided that improvement in my outlook so thank you.  💝

My scrappy patchwork projects are ongoing though I do hope to bring the Dresdens blocks up to 80 completely finished this month.
I am pleased with how colourful and interesting they appear all together.
I'm cooking a turkey dinner today and invited some of my tiny family to join us.  It is our anniversary and I wanted to use an extra turkey I'd bought during the Canadian Thanksgiving specials back in October. And hearing about all the wonderful food eaten last week gave me a penchant for turkey too.
Thankful still for a healthy appetite!
 Thankful too for these link parties: Quilting is More Fun Than HouseworkKathy's QuiltsI'd Rather B BirdinElm Street QuiltsSmall Quilts and Doll QuiltsSum of Their StoriesPretty Piney , Home Sewn By Us and Viewing Nature With Eileen.

25 comments :

Libby in TN said...

Love how you ventured out of your box on the Dresden backgrounds! Your embroidery stitches are perfect.

eileeninmd said...

Hello Jocelyn, Happy Anniversary. your embroidery and quilt blocks are pretty. It is nice to have a thankful list. Love your sweet dogs waiting at the door and the cute Junco. We may wake up to snow tomorrow morning, we will see. Thanks so much for linking up your post. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I will need to look and see what sales are on the turkeys here now - now that I have the small freezer I can do that! Love your Dresden's mine will be on the quilting frame soon. happy Anniversary!

Yvonne said...

Your Dresden blocks are awesome. Happy anniversary, enjoy your turkey and company!

Ruth Hiebert said...

Happy Anniversary. Love that Junco photo.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Happy Anniversary! Your junco photo is wonderful, Jocelyn! We had juncos this week, too - such a pretty bird. Love your redwork stitching and the Dresden blocks!

Rose said...

First of all, Happy Anniversary!

Your work is so beautiful...I especially love the red stitching. I have always meant to do some either in all red or all blue and never have. I tend to like red a bit the best. Your quilt blocks are beautiful.

piecefulwendy said...

Happy Anniversary! Your embroidery stitches are so neat and pretty. Great capture of the junco - they are such cute birds! Your two pups in the rain made me chuckle. I'm with them, I don't like drops on my head either!

deb oldenburg said...

Love your quilt..don,t know how long this has taken you but worth every minute you spent on it.

Brian's Home Blog said...

Oh Murphy, that's too funny! We always love seeing your creations. Hey, that trunk is so cool, we have 3 of those things here. Happy Anniversary from all of us!!!

Rebecca Grace said...

Your Dresdens are beautiful and your hand stitching is SUBLIME!! I'm glad you're feeling better about blessing others with your handmade gifts. Also, here is a funny church hymn singing memory for you, from MY childhood. My dad had a big, huge, beautiful baritone voice that would make everyone turn around to see who it was whenever we visited at a church other than our own. When he felt like the organist was playing the hymns too slow, he would just speed up the tempo and the congregation would get carried along with him -- the organist would have to play faster to keep up with the singers! Most hymns are more fun to sing with an up tempo, for sure, and nothing sucks the joy out of a good hymn faster than playing it like it's a funeral dirge. Happy holidays and happy stitching!

MissPat said...

I made turkey soup today. We still have lots of leftovers from Thanksgiving as it was just the two of us. You do such lovely stitchery. Is this snowstorm going to reach you? We had freezing rain and sleet most of the day and now it's snowing, but we are on the edge of storm, so won't get as much as those to the east and southeast. So nice not to have to go out in it. One of the benefits of being retired.
Pat

Linda said...

Happy Anniversary! I'm still not tired of turkey. Last week our daughter-in-law made the best turkey we have had in our long lives. We are still talking about it. I love looking at your stitching projects, especially enjoy the changing blog header. I find myself nodding in agreement when I read your posts, today about your dogs. Our dogs have historically loved to find the stinkiest and muddiest water to splash in, but get a little drizzle going and they turn into babies. Also about not thinking our handiwork is good enough to give away because we see all the imperfections. I have had to work on that attitude since I first started quilting!

Mary in Peoria Handmade said...

Your gifts are so worthy. Especially your handwork. Happy Anniversary and hope you had a wonderful day. Those Dresdens are just so pretty.

Jenn Jilks said...

Lovely pieces. I'm so glad you are gifting them and sharing.
I find American Thanksgiving so close to Christmas. I'm happy to have it in October!

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Jocelyn! Aww, look at those damp pups. Looking at the door handle, wondering why on earth you are stopping to take a picture when they could be coming INSIDE and out of the dampness. I love dogs! Wonderful picture of the junco - he is watching you as well. Your hand stitching looks marvelous - absolutely something you should be proud of and proud to give away. Your Dresden's remind me of turkeys, especially since you were talking about them. So very colorful and happy looking, don't you think? ~smile~ Roseanne

Home Sewn By Us said...

I forgot to say thanks for linking up! ~smile~ Roseanne

Angie said...

Jocelyn - isn't blogging just the bomb? Could you have imagined when you started that this virtual group of friends would give you the confidence to share your talents with others through gifts? Marvelous, marvelous. Love your junco picture, and the hand-stitching on the starry background. Happy anniversary, by the way!

Quilter Kathy said...

Your hand stitching is spectacular and most certainly "gift worthy"! Well, all your projects are wonderful, but I am especially partial to the hand work as you know! LOL

Denise :) said...

Your friends at the door look as if they'd like to be on the other side, please! I just noted that where my son lives, in Murietta, CA, they're under flash flood warnings. They had so much rain over Thanksgiving -- my DIL sent me pics of the kiddos playing and jumping in the puddles ... quite a different reaction from your pups, huh?! I love the shot of your junco! We rarely see them here, since they tend to come with the snow. Maybe later this winter! Your handwork is lovely, really lovely!! :)

Patty said...

Beautiful! Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and good luck with your project.

Sum of their Stories said...

Wow, your Dresden blocks are gorgeous. Thank sfor sharing with us at Handmade Monday.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Happy, albeit now belated, anniversary! The junco picture is definitely postcard/card worthy.

Nancy said...

I know just what you mean, Jocelyn. I also feel like my quilts aren't quite good enough. I was surprised when my daughter asked if she could have one of them.
I also understand your dear Murphy. I really dislike having water drip on my head but I'm fine with a full shower or dipping into the ocean. Funny.
I love juncos and your photo makes me feel like I could reach out my hand and touch him. Perfect photo!
Your red embroidery looks great and I'm sure the recipient of the gift will be very pleased. And your Dresdens are so fun. Good luck reaching your goal of bringing the number up to 80. Will you set them 8 x 10 blocks or will you make even more?

Judy Hansen said...

Happy Anniversary! Thanks for reminding me of the old song, Count your blessings....name them one by one...it is a favorite of mine too. I too have just started giving some of my quilts away - I was never sure that anyone would want them. But now, I am old, and I don't care if they like them or not - I like to gift them to my family, and they can love them or not. Life gets easier as I get older. Love your red embroidery too! Thanks for linking with Design Wall Mondays, Judy