Our little pond is ice free (though brushed with snow again) and already the water level is lowering. We've disturbed ducks there most mornings. Wish they weren't so skittish. I've yet to get a photo.
However, there is no problem catching these active little guys. Look out any window and there they are. I wonder what exactly they find to munch on...other than my sunflower seeds that is.
King Arthur Flour is running a baking series on Facebook called
The Isolation Baking Show. It's wonderful to see this return to baking happening all over. I've been tempted to make sourdough bread starter which uses very simple ingredients. Anyone tried it? I used to make it decades ago when I lived in the far north; a friend had brought the starter with her and shared it out. We enjoyed homemade sourdough bread for a couple of years from the starter I kept in a jar at the back of the fridge.
Pam at
Heartspun Quilts is hosting a small sew along, about 4 blocks. It begins tomorrow, Friday, April 17. She is calling it
Safe Keeping and it will be scrappy with the purpose to make a little mini runner.
I've stitched two versions of
Penelope, the block for this week in the
Book Club Hand Pieced QAL. Another easy one and I think I will change up the fabrics to make another one. Information about this block and the QAL provided by Kristen is
HERE.
I hand stitched two little baskets from
Michelle Ridgeway's Basket Case stitch along. I tried out freezer paper templates and decided to use these grey fabrics for backings just for added interest. I've been sticking with cream for so many of these projects; time for a change.
These stitch up really quickly.
I've been eyeing my wool and thinking it's time I got something on needles. I get a real hankering to be knitting or crocheting from time to time. We still have one of my afghans on the bed. Someone- sorry, can't remember who, chatted with me about toile and I mentioned my red toile curtains. Here they are.
Hubby has been pruning the trails and clearing brush in the afternoons. Though it tires him, it's good to be in the fresh air, moving the body and keeping busy.
And hopefully burning off some of the calories from his Christmas chocolate stash!
As always and thankfully, it's not a problem to fill up our time here at the wooden house.
Are you enjoying all the good news stories cropping up all over the globe?
Always good to link with
Not Afraid of Color,
Viewing Nature With Eileen,
Sugar Lane Designs,
Life in Pieces,
Elm Street Quilts,
Small Quilts and Doll Quilts,
The Jesh Studio,
Skywatch Friday and
It's a Small Town Life.
37 comments :
Hi Jocelyn,
The squirrel is cute....we have lots that come up...but they scamper away so fast I can't get a picture. Love your little baskets. Have a great day!
That pond area is very nice and that squirrel is super cool. I always enjoy seeing your quilts!
love your afghan on the bed! I just finished the one I was working on today but I need to weave some ends in and then I will pass it on to my daughter who had placed interest in it. I used to have a jar of sourdough starter but I found I was baking way too much with it - I was making waffles, biscuits, bread - and we of course were eating and eating - this was several years ago - I have thought of starting another but not enough exercise right now for hubby as he will not walk round and round the property like I do and sits mainly in front of his computer for hours on end.
Love the peeks into your walking area and into your house - it looks so cozy and pretty. I get hankering to crochet (and learn how to knit!) but so far haven't gotten any yarn out. Oh, and the yeast slot was almost completely cleaned out at the grocery store today, so I guess bakers are baking. I ended up buying 2 packets of "organic", although it seems like all yeast should be organic, right? ;)
Your red toile curtains are super fun, but I also really love love the bright granny square afghan on your bed!! So cool!
Great post Jocelyn! Love the chocolate cookies:) My guess is that ducks have personalities, because the ones in my post are very talkative, and group oriented.Hope to see you back soon at All Seasons (you can do your normal weekly post, because if one comes down to it, everything is an experience of the season! An you can link up whenever, between Sunday and Friday:):)) Have an inspiring week! Jesh
Look at all that pretty green across the pond in your first photo! We are just starting to see that here. That is such a great photo of the little squirrel - I love the details of his front paws and feet and the evergreen branch. Your blocks look lovely! I signed up to get Heartspun Quilts' blog on my email, and thought I would sew along on the little tablerunner. I love making things like that - thanks for sharing the link!
Hi Jocelyn! You've shared such fun likes this week. I love the look of your pond coming back to life this spring. That squirrel is certainly not afraid of you or of having his picture taken! Your two Penelope blocks look SO different just by changing that center piece. WOW. Take care. ~smile~ Roseanne
Wonderful squirrel photo, they always seem such busy industrious little creatures! And cute too. I'm wondering if I should also start some of Michelle's baskets? They certainly look fun a d pretty. Great chocolate stash on the table, we only had a rather megre supply this Easter and it's all gone!
Love the squirrel photo! You been finding fun things to keep yourself busy. I've enjoyed making KA's Easiest Bread You Can Make, as well as the no-knead breads. Those Penelope blocks are fun!
Love your squirrel photo. Reminds me of the cross stitch you shared one time. Cute baskets and the other block too. I love your curtains in your room.
Oh! look at that chocolate! I'd be happy to help you out! lol. I've heard so much about sourdough bread, but have not tried it myself. I like your latest quilting blocks. Good stuff. :-)
Years ago the sourdough starter made the rounds, although I think it was called Friendship bread starter. I finally got tired of it. I did look up Sourdough starter this week, but I don't know any one to get a starter from. By the time I figure it out, it will be too hot to bake it anyway. Nice projects you have going. I'm flitting from one thing to another and not really accomplishing anything. Wish it would warm up a bit. We are due for more snow tomorrow.
Pat
The Resident Chef has been making beer bread and two or three different kinds of biscuits. I love sourdough bread and he did attempt to get one started but it didn't work, not sure why. Perhaps in the overall scheme of things maybe it was a good thing because then I'd be eating FAR too much bread!
What a cute wee visitor.
Love your crochet throw on your bed.
Stay safe and well.
Your squirrel has amazing colour in that beautiful tail! Looks like such a comfy bedroom, even for a 4 legged friend. Your Penelope blocks are really interesting and chocolate, yum!
That squirrel is a little beauty. Toile is a favorite of mine so I love the curtains AND that crocheted bed covering. Thanks for linking up.
I like hubby’s chocolate stash. I remember doing sourdough in the 70’s! It was so nice to have fresh bread every week. Love your toile curtains.
pass the cookies while we chat.... your bedroom is a picture perfect cozy room. Little "Murphy" bed completing the picture
Hello from my wood house. I have green toile yardage I'm try to find a project for. I'm think some quilt blocks.
What a cute squirrel! Loved seeing it. Your baskets look great! Nice to have another "Basket Case " out there lol! Your bedroom looks so snuggly. Ohh I spy some Tim Tams in Hubbys stash lol! xx
Oh it's good to see you are finally getting some decent thawing up there! I love your projects and those toile curtains are awesome! The grey against the baskets really makes them pop! You make me want to take up applique again but it will have to wait until more of my UFOs are completed. Stay well and safe dear Jocelyn!
Oh thank you for the King Arthur link! That's the flour I use and I actually finally got some this week! I've baked French bread and plan to make hamburger buns today! Have a good weekend and stay healthy!
I love that King Arthur is sponsoring the Isolation Baking Show. We really need this right now! I love your baskets! Such a cute project. We had a very mild winter here but it's actually snowing this morning!
I have little motivation. I'm glad you can keep busy.
Hello, I have never tried making bread, maybe some day. I love the view of the pond, I am always spooking the ducks. They are sky. Your baskets look pretty. It is nice to see your afghan, the room is pretty.
Take care! Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend. PS, thanks for the comment on my blog.
Lovely post, thank you for sharing.
My Guy has been making all kinds of bread, but he did that before we got sent home to social distance. You've got some fun projects in the works. Happy stitching this week
He still has Christmas chocolate? lol! I'm so embarrassed... my Christmas chocolate was gone before NY Eve....;-) Love those cute little basket blocks!
Watching spring appear is just so wonderful isn't it? We enjoy watching the squirrels, birds and rabbits in our neighborhood, though I wish there weren't quite as many rabbits! It is snowing here at the moment, but supposed to turn to rain later today, we transplanted most of our cold season veggies into the garden yesterday to take advantage of a cool day with lots of moisture before the sun gets too intense.
I started a sourdough starter a few weeks ago. It has a tangy beer smell to it that I like. So far I've made tortillas, pizza crust, and a small loaf of bread with the sourdough discard. Finding flour is difficult right now so I'm being conservative with the little flour that's left. I like the 3D effect of the Penelope. I almost want to give it a try. :-) Take care.
Many thanks Jocelyn for linking up to All Seasons - thrilled to have your lovely post added. This squirrel is too cute! The ones here are a beautiful mid-gray color. I know of a sourdough starter, but never got to it - I probably would have, it it was whole wheat... The Penelope piece looks very professional! Many thanks and wishing you a creative week, Jesh
Love this upbeat post! Your baskets are adorable and good for you to change up the background! Your Granny Square bed cover looks fabulous! Love all the color to brighten things up. Catch you later!
You are handy with needle! Beautiful items you have created.
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