Thursday 16 September 2021

Rule #5, She Keeps Walking, Tiny Scraps Autumn Table Topper, Blueberry Muffins

Rule #5 Keep walking...both physically and figuratively. I'm intrigued how the two are linked. The summer after I moved to Ontario was a very difficult one for me. I'd had difficult times before but it seemed nothing had prepared me for the new challenges I faced. Separations are never easy and it felt like new worries were being piled on top of old.  I would take my little Shuffle with my music in my ears and walk all over the small town I was living in.  I would walk fast and return to the house tired but calmer in my mind.  Gradually I realized this bodily movement was helping me more than just for exercise; it was moving me forward mentally somehow and my choices were clearer. It was during one of those walks that I knew I would forgive it all. 

One of my walkways these days...Neddy likes to chase a ball up through these trees.

Thank you all for the kind comments about my "photo shoot" in my last post.  I was laughing when I did it for a bit of fun. I'm almost a size larger on the bottom than the top (like my maternal grandmother) which used to be a challenge to clothe but not these days with being retired and dressing casually most/almost all my days.
Enjoyed watching the male and female cardinal that visited regularly all summer. Here at summer's end, the male is not as brightly coloured.
I liked capturing this Cedar Waxwing on the move; albeit a very bad photo. Love that mean bandit look he has going on.

I've worked on two smalls this week in between the two big quilt projects that are on the go.  I finished quilting that little EPP tabletopper I showed last post.
 I photographed it with the hydrangea blossom to show you how the cooler overnight temperatures affect the formerly very white flowers. I sewed a flat button over the center points and thanks for the suggestions on how to deal with that issue.
And at the start of September I had started another tiny scrappy project for the autumn. It began when I found a bag of tiny triangles (perhaps cut offs from the Tiny Triangle quilt) and realized the colours looked fallish to me.  Tiny and imperfect and definitely scrappy. 
This is a great little topper for under my plants which will be brought inside soon. I found a multi stripe piece for the backing that was big enough to bring forward for a border and luckily it had most all the colours of the triangles in it.
I decided to quilt it using little ties.

You are a real stitcher when, to take a break from your big projects, you sew little ones.  Isn't that the way that saying goes?
Inspiration

As Cunning As a Fox by Olesya Lebedenko  Pattern available in Quiltmania Magazine 145 Neat (is that a word anybody uses anymore?) colours!

When this arrived in my email, I knew I would have to pass on the information.  I'm sticking to my 2021 plan to not join any SAL's but this is very tempting. It's a sampler quilt, Twelve Days of Christmas, being offered by Nicola Dodd who is a designer behind CakeStand Quilts. That is a beautiful site, btw, to have a look through especially if you are fond of Tilda fabrics. 

Unique interpretation and beautiful fabrics. More information is here at Willow Cottage Crafts.

I have blueberries so I'm off to make Blueberry Muffins using an old church cookbook recipe. Anyone else love those old cookbooks?

Hope your week is going well!

33 comments :

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

the area that you walk in the woods look so delightful to me - here if I want to walk in the woods you have to fight to get though all the undergrowth which is so thick that you can't just walk in the woods - there is no path you would be tripping as your feet get caught up in vines of all sorts and fallen dead wood.
Anything with blueberries is fine with me and I like the old cookbooks too.
I will pass on the Xmas quilt I just recently found a new EPP project I think I will be starting soon

Out To Pasture said...

More lovely eye-candy, Jocelyn. I especially like the hydrangea photo. Sure agree on walking being a calming agent. (In bad weather, I pace the house.)

LA Paylor said...

I love old recipes but recently I tried to follow one and the writer assumed a lot... didn't say temp or time to bake! (everyone must have known that back then) Your quilting work is all beautiful. I love the 12 days of Christmas so I should at least go look... I did print out the templates for that cute epp block but man they are small for all those matching seams and I can't decide on fabrics. I think I might only make the one block. Scritches to Ned baby

Sherrie said...

Hi Jocelyn,
We have been having cooler weather here this week. It's been hot and humid all summer. So the cooler temps are very welcome. I like your bird pictures. Your Tabletopper is very pretty. I like the colors you used. Love your squares and triangle quilt and the backing really goes
with front beautifully! I love looking through old cookbooks. I get my mother's cookbooks out and browse through those. But I don't really need to do that. I've got most of her recipes already. But the cookbooks have some I've not tried. Have a great day!

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Jocelyn! Oh, I love old cookbooks. I was fortunate to have acquired my mom's old recipe box (she was born in 1911) as well as my older sister's box and cookbooks. She wanted to follow in Julia Child's footsteps and collected all sorts of cookbooks. My favorite recipe for blueberry muffins uses buttermilk. I remember we would pick some up at the grocery store and my mom would drink the balance left after making the muffins. Good memories! I am a new walking enthusiast. I've always known that it is good for you but the calming and relaxing benefits are amazing. {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne

Brian's Home Blog said...

Blueberry muffins are sure yummy. Walking really is a good way to clear the cluttered mind.

Robin said...

Enjoyed your post today. We don't have Cardinal's here in the western US so it is interesting to learn that the feathers fade in the fall. I love your new fall mini quilt. The colors just sparkle.

Jenny said...

I always enjoy reading your blogs Jocelyn, packed full of interesting snippets. And I love your wildlife photos too, I've mentioned it before that living here in the Southern Hemiphere our bird life is so different. Who doesn't love blueberry muffins?

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Northern Cardinal, Cedar Waxwing, blueberry muffins - I'm a happy man!

Jackie said...

I have a few of those old cookbooks and love them.

Your scrappy quilt looks lovely and very much like fall.

God bless.

PaintedThread said...

I love the sunshine through the trees. Love your little mug rug - pretty little HSTs!

MissPat said...

I'm really enjoying your Rule listings. And yes, I must get out a start walking regularly, now that the temperatures have cooled down. The days seem to drift away and before I know it, it's dinner time. And it's getting dark by 7:30 PM. Yikes, winter will be her before we know it.
Pat

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Jocelyn, I so agree that we should keep walking! That's my mantra these days - just keep moving. Your small projects are lovely! The EPP project is perfect photographed with your hydrangeas, and I love the fall triangles, too.

Angie said...

Jocelyn - waxwings have so many features that give them the ability to adopt many attitudes!!! The hydrangea photo is lovely - the burning bushes here are scarlet, and the aspens are changing over to yellow. I don't dare click on that Twelve Days of Christmas link! I inherited several of my Mom's old cookbooks - such nostalgia!

sandi s said...

Your projects are wonderful! I use neat and cool all the time! 😂😂 Hugs,

Linda said...

I am really enjoying your Rules. I was thinking about them this morning when I was putting in my contacts! They are something like New Year's resolutions but better because they weren't expected. Your table topper is beautiful, and I love your scrappy mini, especially with those ties. It looks cozy that way. I still have the old church and band cookbooks from my childhood - they are still my favorites.

Michele McLaughlin said...

I'm a big believer in walking for every reason! Having Neddy while you walk has got to be a joy! Love your project and haven't tied a quilt in a long time (love how yours looks). I don't collect cook books but my Mom has a large collection of them. Some of her favorite recipes are in those kinds of little booklets. Have a lovely weekend and thank you for sharing your wonderful photos!

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

Rule Number 5 has been my Rule Number 1 for over 40 years and my days are not the same if I do not walk. It is a time for the Endorphins to start working on a positive attitude. Your pictures are so intriguing and pretty! You are correct that from time to time we need to stop making large quilts and make something small and finish it quickly - Makes one feel so productive!

I have a cabinet full of old recipes. Wish I could still eat all that they provide. I have a 1963 Mexican (Tex-Mex) cook book from Corpus Christi Texas that was put on by a group of women. Small, but covers all the great Tex-Mex recipes.

Hugs!

riitta k said...

All of your quilts are charming, so cozy. Walking is good for the body & spirit. I try to walk daily,unless I have tough jobs to do. Some raking & household renovation jobs are enough for workout, aren’t they! Enjoy the weekend, thank you for linking at Floral Passions.

Susan said...

Nice projects! We had a flock of cedar waxwings in the spring. They were fascinating to watch.

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

I totally agree. Walking or any type of physical exercise seems to help clear the mind. I know many people don't like being alone. I enjoy the solitude when I walk. The Cedar Waxwing and the mean bandit look made me smile. Your little quilts are awesome. I had to get the Quiltmania magazine, and the store Cakestand quilts....her fall quilt is very tempting.

QuiltGranma said...

I use making the small quilts as a jumpstart to getting back to sewing on bigger quilts.

Marie said...

Those little HSTs worked up beautifully; I love being able to use every last crumb. And I was into baking with blueberries this weekend too - Blueberry Lemon Loaf. Yum.

Rosemary Dickinson said...

Beautiful pictures, as usual! I love you used your little triangles to make that cute quilt. I still use my old Fanny Farmer Cookbook. It's still one of my favorites. I love walking too. It makes my whole body feel better as well as calming my emotions!

Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting said...

Hi Jocelynn! I love to go walking every day, too. Makes my day start out so much better. And I love seeing the colorful birds. Cedar Waxwings are pretty rare here. Your little EPP table topper is so adorable! And I love how pink your hydrangea has gotten at this time of the year!!! Oh, so many things to enjoy on your blog post! The cute ties, and I love the little foxes quilt, too. Happy quilting and walking!!!

Radka said...

Another enjoyable post :-) I so agree with your "walking" prescription, so beneficial!

Quilter Kathy said...

I am so tempted to try that EPP project... look like fun! And I love the tiny triangle mat made from the smallest leftovers!

Ivani said...

Hi Jocelyn, I just love, love, love your mini quilt,
Keep walking, that is also my mantra.

Bonnie said...

I enjoy cookbooks that have been used as fund raisers -- church cookbooks, quilt guild cookbooks. My oldest cookbook is Cook Book of Tried Recipes by Marian Whit Arts an Crafts Club published in Butte, Montana in 1912. I should go through it to see if my great grandmother or other relatives have recipes in it. Some of my favorite recipes have come from this type of book, albeit not as old!

Nancy Chan said...

Hubby and I walk in the morning too and walking is good for us. Let us continue to walk for our own good. Nice bird shots. I like your quilt projects and they very pretty. Lovely pink hydrangea. Have a wonderful week.

NatureFootstep said...

lots of beautiful things in your post. You obviously have the eye for beauty.
Love the shots of the hydrangea blossom. So, it is the chilly days that colors them. I did not know that. That is a very beautiful image. :)

Susie H said...

So many pretty pictures and your words of inspiration were spot on. I love the EPP table mat and the HST topper is cute as can be. I'm sorry you were so lost when you first moved but, getting out & about on foot, I'm sure you got to meet folks, see things, and adjust to the life of your new neighborhood. I would certainly miss my morning walks if ever that would stop. Keep walking, keep thinking, keep sewing!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

The birdie pictures are great! I've never seen a cedar waxwing although I know they're around. Looks like fun small projects which do tend to provide a sense of accomplishment don't they.