Flower Garden Quilt, Free Bird Quilt Blocks, Don't Take Anything Personally

 Everyone talking about fall here as after a wet August we are experiencing a rather cloudy September so far. Our temperatures are starting to take a dip too especially overnight with several going down to single digits. Time to order our firewood. Small sigh about that -though sorry to see this season end,  I'm looking forward to using the fireplace again. 

I received this magazine subscription from daughter for my birthday and the first issues arrived with a gorgeous bag as well.  Love Quiltmania, as you all know.  I actually deliberately didn't look through them till now as I just can't have my head turned by more projects till I get those I have "on the go" further along.  Did you ever do that? Deliberately avoid what you know might be too inspirational. :)

Sure enough the cover quilt is one that features applique and I love it.

I saw this amazing little insect on one of the cone flowers and had to look it up. It was white with pale violet coloured stripes and seemed to have captured a small moth. I was struck by how the stripe matched the shade of the faded cone flower it was on. So happy to have the macro setting on my small camera to snap a special photo like this!

It's the Ontario Golden Rod Crab Spider and has a magical secret to help it catch prey. It can change colour somewhat to match what it is sitting on, a process researchers aren't sure how it works. 

Those same cone flowers have spread themselves into the neighbouring hydrangea and seem to be thriving there. I don't really know what to do about them...should I try to transplant them somehow?

Bird Migration is taking place as we speak. Here is a most interesting article, If Birds Left Tracks in the Sky, from Environmental News. Some of the images are breathtaking and so artistic looking.

Speaking of birds, I visit a Quilting site that has this post... 5 Free Bird Quilt Blocks.

This turned out to be a special photo when I uploaded it to the computer and realized what it was. Parent and perhaps a juvenile together at the feeder. I think they are chipping sparrows.

Ask me if I'm enjoying hand stitching all these seams at the points on my Flower Garden piece!  It's a labour intensive process and one that involves lots of pinning and is taxing my patience. Thank goodness I have lots of both so let's just say I'm enjoying the challenge of trying to get a hundred seams meeting at one point nice and flat. If I don't succeed somewhat it will be a table topper with 20 odd weird little bumps here and there. 

Daughter shared this book with me, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and I enjoyed reading it very much. I especially liked the discussion for Agreement #2, Don't take anything personally.  It reminded me of several very big issues in my life which I did take things personally and it turned out to be totally foolish. 

                                                        

Hubby mowed the side lawn and perhaps it will only need it one more time, if that.  He deliberately kept several bunches of the pretty little fleabane I showed you a few posts ago.  He thought I'd like that and I did!

Hope you've had a good week and the weekend will be even better. 

Linking with  Not Afraid of Color, Floral Friday Foto, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Wendy's Quilts and More, Jaipur Gardening and Paying Ready Attention.