Chocolate Chip Cookies, Scrappy Almost Finishes, Free Patterns

I'm trying to stay positive but little thoughts niggle at me. When will it be safe again for folks my age to venture out is one of the things on my mind.  I am encouraged by how the vaccine is madly being worked on all over the globe but best case scenario is saying completion is a year away. Can we stay hidden in our wooden house bubble that long?!!

I don't make cookies often except for Hubby to have as a bikky with his cups of tea but I saw this recipe tour Facebook and thought I would give it a try. It's the DoubleTree Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookie.  I made a batch, ate one myself. That's a lie; I ate two. So good! Here is the link if you'd like to give them a try.

That's my William Morris mug...Strawberry Thief in Blue.  I've become more interested in herbal teas and this is one daughter gave me, a Maple Green Tea which is very nice. Also love the Maple Leaf tin.

On the stitching front...
I want to emphasize the projects I have nearing completion this week.
My OMG at Elm Street Quilts was to have all the blocks quilted in my Scrappy Blue Strings.  I have all but one that I can, finished.  However did not have batting to finish the rest. I had used the thinnest batting I could find at the time (since I was quilting on my little machine) and what I have on hand is miles thicker so I don't think it will match.  I'm a little disappointed because this is a project I wanted to get to the binding stage like yesterday.

I also have my baskets all quilted and joined. They feel wonderful to have in my lap, so soft and warm. However, I'm a little disappointed that this labour intensive project didn't turn out bigger than it is. It is 62 in x 62 in. I could add a couple more rows to one end to make it more rectangle.  I'm still not finished decision making with this one it seems.  However, I don't know if I have the will or energy to invest any more time on it...am tempted to border it and call it a finish.

Note to self: when doing on point again I would border each block like square in a square pattern or some such which is just a sensible thing. Obviously not thinking ahead like I should. 😞 That's a disappointed in myself emoji.

On a more positive note, I am enjoying my cross stitching in early afternoon when light is at its best. January block beginning to take form.

More free patterns! What wonderful news when I heard that Australian designers were collaborating on a project to provide free patterns to their stitching audiences. The project offered through a Facebook group is called Love and Hugs from Australia. It features embroidery and sometimes, a little patchwork, a combination I love.  Love and Hugs From Australia Stitch-A-Long is a link. (If that link doesn't work, let me know.) Australia seems to have an abundance of wonderful stitching communities and I especially love how embroidery is so celebrated there.

I was surprised and happy to get a photo of these two Canada geese who visited the pond two days in a row. Getting this photo involved a long half crawl through underbrush and going over my boots in water and still not getting very close to them. This had to be heavily cropped.

I was curious why one was so much bigger than the other.

We both worked in the garden yesterday laying a new hose for the front flower beds. A job we postponed from last fall to now little thinking that we would have such an abundance of time on our hands. If we'd known, there were several other jobs we could have likewise put off till now.
Fingers crossed that the forecast is wrong and we can have it dry and warm enough to do more outside chores this week. The garden beckons.
 Just thinking about veranda stitching makes me happy.
Also very happy to link this post with Kathy's Quilts, Life in Pieces, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, For the Love of Geese, Meadow Mist Designs, The Needle and Thread Network, From Bolt to Beauty Sarah Goer Quilts and The Jesh Studio.