Stitchy Purchases, Tumbling Blocks, Flower Garden Quilt, Links

This is exactly what happened here!                         

Summer and a heat wave warning arrived simultaneously on Friday.  But it is the mosquitoes that are plaguing us; the worst I've seen here.  We have to smear /spray that awful stuff on us every time we walk or spend time in the garden.

 Enough about that - I'm here to talk about the happy small things that we have enjoyed since last posting. For starters I received stitching mail. 

I ordered two project bags from a lovely Etsy shop, MiniMade.  Miriam does beautiful stitching on a wide array of affordable items and also enjoys collaborating to make her products customized.  In my case I loved this soft summer green and of course the bird fabric 

and I just loved this cute doggy print too.

 I am delighted with both my purchases and what a fun as well as practical way to corral stitching projects. 

I've been busy prepping more Tumbling Blocks to stitch in the evenings so here are a few more finished. These are 4 1/2 inch blocks, not very big.  Like I said, a thousand of these should do but that's okay. I never tire of hand work. And I love how they are making me not only cut into a few favoured fat quarters but also dig into my scrap bags.

You know I am developing a bit of an obsession with hand pieced quilts. I especially like dresdens which is proof I was born in the wrong era. But anyway saw this one at A Cloud of Quilt Patterns  and am totally in love with it.  At the time a new take on the vintage Dresden block- this one called Setting Sun which was a Laura Wheeler newspaper pattern many many decades ago.  The white corner pieces are clouds.  I've downloaded the information in my Dream On file.

I read that post just after I'd put out my Flower Garden Block quilt for the summer. It was a relief it went through the washing machine fine though having all those hand stitched seams. 

 This popped up on my Facebook feed...the male and female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks visiting the feeder at the same time. It was a pleasure to have them visit late afternoon for about a week years ago at the farm. Actually 7 Years Ago...is that possible!! 

It was not a good spring for trilliums or trout lilies on this property but these are amazing this year. Blankets of them everywhere we turn. Violets- a symbol for faithfulness.

I've been calling these wildflowers dog violets. The lines on the leaves look like pretty quilting lines.

I have lots more to share but will save it for next time.   Oh almost forgot, Lee Anna is stitching the most amazing colourful Tumbling Block quilt which you can check out at this Not Afraid of Color post  as well, she is hosting our Thankful Thursday group.

Also linking with Paying Ready Attention, So Scrappy,  Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.