Dear Jane, Scrappy Hearts, Peace River Honey,Cardinals

I've been doing lots of this...

after two snowfalls, but today we are in what we call Deep Freeze weather...-27C straight temperature. That's about -17 F for my American friends. Brrr...
But keeping our front steps all clear is one of my winter goals, so far, getting done.

I have to mention how much I'm enjoying this honey...Peace River which comes from Canada's largest organic apiary.  A little goes a long way, if you know what I mean.  Hubby prefers brown sugar on his oatmeal but I'm enjoying some of this honey on mine. I got this container at Costco. At the Peach River blog site you can find many recipes using honey including one for Valentine's Rice Krispies.

I must admit my enjoyment of quilting is getting a bit more complicated.
 In the beginning I seemed sure of my likes and dislikes.  Now not so much.  More of what is called modern quilting is appealing to me though some still not at all.  Those  I view with the same dubious eye I look at certain modern pieces at the art gallery.  I like when improvisation is welcome in quilt making and I guess you can do that at times no matter what kind of quilting you enjoy.

A quilt I've long found inspiring is the famous Dear Jane.  It was made by a bed ridden farm wife, Jane Stickle, back in 1863, as a way to pass the time.  So much geometry in a quilt was very interesting and the mixture of her own patterns with traditional made the whole quilt unique.
I've followed many of you as you have stitched these 225 blocks. In fact, Karen at Quilts, Etc. completed two of these tops in different colourways! That definitely makes Karen a Quilting Queen.

                                   
How do you feel about Dear Jane?

Now to move from the sublime to the ridiculous, LOL.
In my sewing room, I've been making some scrappy hearts mainly just to use up the scraps. (Not sure that is the kind of inspiration I should be tapping into!)
 A little hand applique for a table runner- maybe light stitching this week.
 I've been experimenting with using old phone book pages as backing.

It's great to play around with cheery colours and I did this last Saturday when it was a thoroughly blustery day with blowing snow and nowhere we had to be but right here.  The best kind of day.

I've been trying to capture a photo of our lone cardinal who visits us quite late in the day.  This is not a great photo and I think it was the bad weather that inspired him to show himself a little earlier in the day to grab a few nourishing sunflower seeds.

I watched carefully...my first thought, a one legged cardinal! But no, he had two legs, phew!  Just trying to minimize heat loss.

 Here is my redworked cardinal from Crabapple Hill Studio's pattern called Flight of Fancy. All twelve birds have been stitched and they are on my radar to get sewn into a quilt...soon. (I've been saying that for about 5 years now. :) )

 I hope you are making good on your promises to yourself.  I will be spending some serious time with my sewing machine this week reviving a very old project.
Take care of yourself.
Linking this post with Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Persimon Dreams, Viewing Nature With Eileen, Home Sewn By Us and I'd Rather B Birdin'.