This is a banner year for cones on the fir trees including the balsams. There is a saying that this is a sign of a harsh winter to come and nature produces more to help the animals survive. A nice notion and one scientists debunk; however the last time we had this many cones, it was a very harsh winter with a lot of freezing rain. I took note.
Pretty patterns and colours up close when they first emerge.
It's good to know almost 83% of our population here in Ottawa are fully vaccinated (almost 90% with one dose). With that in mind, I'm feeling a little safer out and about shopping.
I got to go thrift shopping last Friday which was a treat and also go inside a Costco. More about the purchases later especially a very sweet one at the Value Village. I found it a bit exciting but a little unnerving as both places were quite busy. Everyone was masked, hand sanitizing stations all around and telephone numbers were recorded so they were doing their best to keep it all safe but open and running. For me it seemed there was just so much to look at in both places, I could hardly take it all in. I've been sensory deprived shopping wise, LOL.
I stitched many more flying geese for the border of the Sawtooth Stars while I seem to have mislaid the ones I sewed last week. I rolled them into a small bundle and I know I will find them but grrr to the time I will waste looking for where I've tucked them. (The state of that sewing room probably has something to do with it.) Anyway... Does that happen to you?
Our wood for the winter got delivered so some stacking in our future. For now it is thrown over the ground under tarps. I take a certain pleasure in stacking it properly on the veranda and at the back door, at hand to bring inside and I look forward to the cozy warmth of our winter fires. If you remember, I am the resident fire starter, :).
In the mail recently, Hubby got these wavy wrenches that I thought looked neat and Neddy got his special personalized harness from LL Bean. I bought them for Abbey and Petey too. The llBean Dog Supplies shop has really great items if you dog owners want to take a look.
So far Ned hasn't needed a leash around the property. Unlike Murphy who would have followed her nose into the next county, Ned does not go very far from us. We are fairly confident that he'll only need leashing when we take him to community trails. At 6 months old, he is actually a bit of a fraidy cat about noises, the dark, strange people, etc. but this could change of course.
Kathleen Tracy, the queen of small quilts, has just released a beautiful new book, Schoolgirl Sampler. I hear she plans a stitch along using it in January. Here is a link to Connecting Threads where the book is on sale now.
And Leanne at the Devoted Stitcher is running a challenge that I signed up for the reminders. Thought it would help keep me motivated to finish my own projects. A 100 day challenge to work on WIP's It began September 23 and runs till the end of the year. Any WIP"s will do including wooly ones.
And speaking of WIP's I am going to show you one I unearthed recently. Probably one of the first larger pieces stitched after I bought my machine about 13 years ago. I was in a shop stitching group called the Knotty Girls and the shop had put together bundles of autumn fabrics. They were donating some of the money to a charity overseas so I bought one. I copied what one of the other stitchers did with hers.
Nothing fancy, just straight stitching but some of the fabrics are pretty.
Sorry it's not showing up well against my Thanksgiving table cloth -Canadian Thanksgiving is Oct.11.
My week is off to a wet start with lots of rain showers today. But hopefully, lots of stitching time will be had.
18 comments :
Love your quilts and stitches! Tell those wrenches we're all waving back!
I love the look of those cones. I’m happy to hear that I am not the only one who puts something away and then can’t find it later.
I have a nearly dead spruce tree on my property that has more cones than needles. Neat quilt. I have a few sets of those curvy wrenches. Many of them were made originally to work on the old John Deere Tractors.
that is great that so many are vaccinated I surely wish it was like that here. After we got our 2nd dose though we did start to go out more because at the rate the vaccinations are going I would never be able to go shopping again if I waited for it to be completely "safe" I will get the booster as soon as I can. All of your quilting looks great and I love those pine cones
The Flying Geese are coming along nicely.
Love the fall colours in the project you unearthed.
Yes, I also seem to misplace things in the sewing/craft room as well. Since the pantry was cleaned and moved today, tomorrow my extra cleaning will involve tidying up the sewing/craft room now that my friends quilt is done and delivered.
God bless.
I do love your work!
Aren't animals interesting?! Our twin cats are very different.
I just can't face the wood yet. I think we'll use up what we have, but I do need to move it from the shed to the house.
I'm glad the vaccination rate is so high where you live and you feel like you can get out again, Jocelyn! It is unnerving at first, and I'm still wary of going places with too many people. I love that photo of your flying geese hanging over the doors of the cabinet! So appealing. Your fall-colored quilt top is really pretty, too!
love your quilts. that strippy orange quilts would look really cool with pumpkins appliqued on the main part. just a few here and there. its the first thing that popped in my mind when i sw it..... although you can also leave it as is.....? enjoy reading your blog
That first image of yours is GORGEOUS! I live not that far away from you and have heard whispers of an early and harsh winter as well. Much time will be spent with fingers crossed that neither of those things come true. Lovely flying geese. As for losing things, there are times that I seem to spend all of my time looking for something rather than actually sewing. Hope the first batch shows up quickly.
The cones are beautiful, hope winter will wait a while to arrive allthough it seems fall has arrived in your neck of the woods.
Hope you will find the missing strip soon, spending time looking in places and don't find it is so frustrating....!
Oh those cones are soooo pretty! Our "fall" weather is still muggy and warm, but the trees are definitely losing their color, and in a few days we will have 50s at night - yay! We just bought a "firepit" for our patio. It's very small but we can burn wood in it and pretend we are camping out - lol!
Yes I misplace things in my sewing room, almost every week. I'll go in and whine to my husband who always says "well you know it's in there somewhere", and it always is.
Beautiful colors in that WIP, and now you've sent me off to have a look at that book you bought.
Have a great rest of the week Jocelyn!
I envy your vaccination rates; this pandemic is just going to keep going on and on in the US. Sigh. Your quilt projects are lovely; thanks for sharing photos.
Jocelyn - I hope we have a harsh winter - it helps us skiers!!!! My husband and son spent the last two days cutting and splitting four large larch trees that were cut down four years ago to allow for the building of our house. I dare say we now have plenty of firewood! Pre-Happy Thanksgiving -- can't believe it is almost October!
Those wavey wrenches are interesting! And your cone photo is fabulous! I’ve been MIA lately in reading and commenting! I missed your lovely posts! Yes, I misplace things too! Last night I spent 45 minutes looking for some misplaced completed stitching. I think I need to downsize my stuff, but that’s a daunting task.
There's more cones this year and the apple trees are absolutely laden. We were at the apple market yesterday and as we drove by the orchard we were amazed at how the trees were managing to stay upright under the weight of all the fruit. Definitely another sign of a hard winter on the way (and I hope the predictions of that are wrong!!).
We've been to Costco twice since covid hit and I must admit I hate it. Too many people and too many in the aisles all going different directions. Haven't tried a Value Village yet but did go to our local Mission Thrift Store which wasn't bad.
So many lovely projects! Must feel great, especially since you can now get out and about. Thanks for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.
Oh yes been there done that, set something down and other things get pile on top and then we can't find it anymore. Why oh why do we do this to ourselves! Right now I am looking for a certain gray fabric in order to finish a table runner. I only need 18" x 3" and I went through all my gray last night, nope none there. I say we just need bigger rooms so we can be more organized, LOL
The geese will find their way back to your table, they always do here. That is a beautiful flower. Grrr, firewood. There are 2 piles in my front yard, one that is split and ready for stacking and one that needs split. I love heating with wood but find it to be one of the most foul smells. Not the burning but the wood itself. Thank you for linking up to Put your foot down last week. Looking forward to seeing where those geese go.
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