Journey Around the Sun, What's Cooking, Yellow Bird, "After Quilts" and OMG

Pouring down rain today but that's okay. I've been outside a lot lately so this is good to be in and taking stock, catching up on a bit of housework, etc. I was up early and made a spaghetti sauce for supper tonight. I like to simmer it for a long time and a tip when using tomatoes in sauces, always add a little sugar to cut the acidity.  I'm thinking of making Baked Spaghetti which sounds odd but is so good. Here at Spend With Pennies you'll find an easy recipe.

Amy at  Diary of a Quilter shared a post I liked about how to choose the batting for a quilt. This is important. For instance, I always wondered if I hand tied a quilt which batting would be best for that method of quilting. 

This video from Karen Brown at Just Get It Done Quilts  was also interesting. I've never given much thought to the different sizes of precuts you can get nowadays with regard to which are the best bang for your buck. Thanks, Karen, for such a great video.

My quilting time this week has been focusing on my Dreamy Hearts cause I think I set a goal at Elm Street Quilts to have it to the flimsy stage. Not quite but progress none the less. I'll blame August for somehow sprouting wings- it's going by so fast. Below my first row of three blocks of nine hearts each. It's so long I had to hang it up for a photo. How long, you ask. Don't know. Measuring is not my strong suit, but I'll find out. I do know it was wide enough for a double bed as I always use the spare room bed to lay out my blocks.

For fun I made a tiny after quilt which Karen also explained in this video.  I sewed together several of the rejected blocks left over from my Farmer's Wife venture to incorporate in the back. I'm still working on the rocking motion for hand quilting but so far, I'm happy enough with the back stitches. 

I think that upside down block on the left is called Nosegay. These were EPP and I cross stitched over a couple of seams that looked a little dodgy.

The Balloon Flower or Chinese Bellflower has bloomed prettily in the backyard with a purple that is hard to describe. Another great perennial.

The very brillantly coloured Ligularia is in bloom. It took a hit during our July heat waves despite being watered so didn't produce quite the show as other years. Now I can see why all the books say it is happiest in shady areas. It is really more orange than these photos show.

The leaves are like elephant ears.

A look back at a couple of photos of the American Goldfinches getting some nourishment from the cone flower leftovers...one of the reasons I practice ugly gardening.

It was my birthday recently and I was over the moon and slightly teary about my cake from daughter.  Such pretty sunflowers. And tasty too.

As always so grateful to celebrate another birthday and better yet to have a chat with Mom. We talked about her memories of the day I was born at Sir Frederick Banting Memorial Hospital (named after the co-founder of insulin) in Gander, Newfoundland.

 Interesting fact about Fred Banting-he won the Nobel Prize with Dr. John McLeod for developing life saving insulin. Fred felt his fellow Canadian, Charles Best, had actually done more work to advance their discovery than did John McLeod so he shared his portion of the prize, as well as honours, with him. McLeod also then decided to split his prize money with the assistant who had worked tirelessly with Banting and Best, Dr. James Collip. Banting sold the patent for one dollar, claiming the discovery belonged to the world, not to him and of course, it has saved the lives of millions around the globe. Will we see such altruism again! 

I'm on the cusp of a big number in years and I have a special plan for this year. I'll chat about that another time. 

Never regret growing old; it's a privilege denied to many.

Lots to like at Not Afraid of Color, Paying Ready Attention, Floral Friday Foto, Viewing Nature With Eileen and It's a Small Town Life.