Thursday 14 July 2022

Three Free Patterns, Chocolate Strawberry Cake, Kim's Flower Pots, Purples For July

I'm not feeling up to par this morning. Yesterday I turned my left ankle on a late afternoon walk (am I fit to leave the house anymore???) and it throbbed lightly in the night, enough to wake me around 2 and I didn't get back to sleep till 4 ish. Up at 6:30 per usual with Ned and relieved the ankle is a little sore but totally walkable. That's the good news.

And that aside, what bothered me is this... it didn't occur to me to get up and take a Tylenol. That link between feeling, thought and action was just absent, zero, zip, zilch, nadda as the Joker said. Because, though I don't take OTC drugs (or any drugs for that matter), I'm definitely not a martyr...I will take a Tylenol if I need it which I clearly did last night. Now I ask you, that loss of connections in the brain, is that not what Alzheimer's is all about. Was that a perfect example or what!  EEk! Thoughts??? ( For new readers, this is all pertinent because my 23andMe profiling showed I carry the gene for late onset Alzheimer's.)

Enough of that bit. Onwards and upwards, wobbly ankle, so so brain and all. Time to share some lovely Thursday things.

The indoor geraniums that were moved outside took a bit of a beating during the Deroche incident and subsequent heavy rainfalls. It looked a little bit ragged for a while but has bounced back which makes geraniums one of the most rugged of perennials. And the flowers are so pretty. 

I was happy to capture a couple of shots of a bird that is rather elusive though I hear its' very loud drumming on trees quite often. It was moving quickly from tree to tree so this is not the best of photos. The Woody of Woodpeckers, the Pileated.  Its' size, so much larger than the song birds, always thrills me. 
The latest cake from Daughter. Delicious with the fresh strawberry, cream and chocolate combination. Such a pretty presentation too.
A word or two about purple, July's colour as chosen by Angela at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  It's not a colour that comes naturally to me to either wear or stitch with. Though it just occurred to me I am wearing purple as I type this. 
This is a sleeveless sweater vest with cap sleeves older daughter gave me years ago and is useful for cool mornings. It is a deep plum kind of purple. HERE they say there are 80 shades of purple. Who knew!

Anyway, I thought about purple in the sewing room and remembered I had a few Kaffe prints left over  from an almost finished project, Kim McLean's  Flower Pots. That will be showing up soon as an OMG.  A portion below; I was doing hand quilting on it. Why I dropped it-haven't a clue. It was so close to a finish.

So I found the tote and pulled out a few of the prints that had purples, matched up a few solids and cut some triangles for a table runner. I don't know if you can tell what I'm trying there with having the prints run diagonally. Has this got a name? Does it work?
That's as far as I got yesterday and if I can keep my wits about me, I will work on it a little today.

 There are so many designers generously sharing free tutorials and patterns and their expertise, it is so easy to find three a week to pass along to you. 

#1 is from Tree House Textiles and called Stitching Sampler. I've already downloaded the PDF. Forgive me if I've shared this already.

#2 is  a page in quilting history namely  The Nancy Page Quilt Club
The real Florence La Ganke using a fictional Nancy offered free quilt patterns to newspaper readers in the late 20's and 30's, over the years, adding up to over 800. There is a wealth of  good information and inspiration to be found in those columns, not only in the main blocks but designs for borders, applique and embroidery included. It's well worth the digging about. Q is For Quilter offered a number of the patterns over the years, 

This site, Newspapers.com, proved to be the best source for the columns that I could find. Hope you enjoy having a look about.

Great Minds Think Alike...Michelle at her blog Pennsylvania Piecemaker, which I love, btw, just shared a lovely Zinnia pattern from this same source, the Nancy Page Quilt Club.


#3 For a little hand stitching...10 Free Embroidery Patterns for Beginners from here, Sprucecrafts. So appropriate I found a strawberry...have eaten quite a few lately.

That's my Thursday Three Free and my bewailing all done. Thanks for the ear this morning. I already feel better for having "talked" about things. 

24 comments :

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

lovely applique and I love that woodpecker. I do take Tylenol occasionally but a lot of times I just don't think to take it. Like I have a lot of aches and pains with osteoarthritis and I take one prescription pill a day for it - I can take Tylenol also if needed but most times I will think myself that it is not that bad so don't take more pills - I wouldn't worry about the forgetfulness unless you start to notice it with a lot of other things.

Nancy J said...

I had to Google 23andMe, this is something I hadn't heard of ever!!! But in the early morning, getting up is sometimes not what we think of doing. Hoping the ankle mends well, and you can walk each day. Purple, a wonderful colour, and in flowers it always seems to glow.

LA Paylor said...

tiny strawberry pin cushion... great nature shots as always... thanks for the quilting patterns and oh boy I love your daughter's cakes!!!

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Jocelyn! I am so sorry you turned your ankle. I was just at the dentist and she told me to take a Tylenol and an Advil together. They two work together on all the symptoms of pain (tooth, specifically, but your ankle would be the same - swollen and pain at the same time). It is similar to taking Vicodin but not addicting and you can control the dosage yourself. Anyway, I don't think that you didn't think to take a Tylenol is a sign of early onset. Maybe start a journal - that way you will ease your mind if you note any other odd events. Your geraniums are SO pretty! I adore the pink ones with their various shades. That is one big woodpecker!! Holy moly. We have been fighting with one that like our porch posts. I hope we've won now that they have been vinyl-sided. And that cake looks YUMMY!! {{Hugs}} a bunch! You need a few. ~smile~ Roseanne

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I'm with you in the not bothering to get up for a 'pill' when something is aching. Most of the time I opt to just stay in bed and then I'm annoyed with myself in the morning when I realize I haven't slept and it was all because I was too lazy to get up.
Lucky capture of the pileated - I hear them here but have only seen one once and of course didn't have the camera (not that it would have mattered because he was in flight).
That dessert looks amazing!
And thank you for the fun links too.

Jackie said...

I quite like the way you have the colours in the runner going. It works for me. Now to go and check out the embroidery site....

God bless.

Libby in TN said...

At our age (70s) we all have those moments where the brain doesn't engage. Just file it in the "if it happens again" file. FYI, I've heard Tylenol (Acetaminophen) is for pain and Advil (Ibuprofen) is for inflammation so it helps to understand what's causing your discomfort. We had a pileated woodpecker attacking his image on a car's side mirror at our last house. Can you send your daughter here with some of those delicious looking treats!

Gretchen Weaver said...

I just saw a pileated woodpecker yesterday! I think we all have those 'memory' moments but I understand your concern. My mother did not have Alzheimer's but she definitely had some kind of dementia. That is why I've made quilts to be given to my grandchildren when they're adults. Who knows what our minds will be like in 10 years. Happy stitching!

Linda said...

I hope your ankle is feeling better! That cake would make me feel better. ;) I bookmarked the 80 shades of purple - what a revelation! I take Aleve because Tylenol has always made me slightly nauseated. If it makes you feel any better, I do the same thing about not taking something when I'm hurting - just don't think about it. Then my husband will say why didn't you take some Aleve, and I have no answer for him! Glad your geraniums came back.

Michelle said...

I’m so sorry about your ankle! Ugh, it’s bad when it keeps you awake. As far an not taking a Tylenol, I imagine since you don’t take much medication and we’re just hoping to get back to sleep, it just didn’t occur to you. Your quilty projects are looking lovely. That’s a beautiful photograph of the woodpecker. And I’m always happy to see flowers.

Rosemary Dickinson said...

I always look forward to your 3 free patterns. Thank you! The geraniums bounced back very nicely. I love the picture of the woodpecker. I wouldn't worry about the fact that you didn't think of getting up and getting Tylenol. I feel when you're tired and in pain, you're never going to think very clearly. You're fine!

PaintedThread said...

That's a big woodpecker! Another delicious looking cake! Hope that ankle is feeling better!

MissPat said...

There are several Pileated Woodpeckers in our neighborhood. They visited the tree stumps in our back yard frequently and I still hear them drilling away on the local trees. There's also a smaller woodpecker (don't know which kind) that likes to peck at the cedar siding on my neighbors house.
Since you don't regularly take pain killers, I don't think not taking one for your ankle means anything dire. Sounds like it was a fairly minor injury, but best to take it easy for a few days. Your geraniums look grand despite the storm.
Pat

piecefulwendy said...

I'm sorry to hear about your ankle, but I don't think I worry much about not thinking to take the Tylenol. I'm glad it's feeling better and I hope it continues to mend. We have a Pileated Woodpecker here, and it has come to our little birdfeeder. I'm always afraid it's going to break the feeder when it pecks at it, but so far, so good! That cake looks delicious, and your stitching is lovely!

Pat at Bell Creek Quilts said...

Thanks for sharing your freebies and hope your ankle mends quickly! I think purple is one of the sparser colors in everyone's stash!

Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting said...

I hope you're ankle is feeling better. Yes, it's easy to forget to take a pain reliever. Your geraniums are looking gorgeous! And thanks for sharing 3 free patterns!!!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Hope your ankle is feeling better by now, and you've enjoyed that yummy cake! Great photo of the woodpecker, too. They are beautiful! We've had a mama and baby downy woodpeckers visiting our suet this week - so fun to see them! Thanks again for the link to the free embroidery patterns!

Sylvia@Treadlestitches said...

What an adorable strawberry pin cushion! Thanks for the links to the free patterns. I'm a pattern collector myself, I have some of the old newspaper patterns in either originals or copies. They are such fun to read. Glad your ankle is better, take care.

Deb A said...

Hope the ankle is on the mend. I tend to forget to take something for pain figuring I can just power through. Great shot of the woodpecker. The cake looks yummy. Hope you have a good week.

Melisa- pinkernpunkinquilting said...

I hope your ankle feels much better. Such lovely photos in this post. It is always a treat to see a woodpecker. And the cake looks so yummy. I love strawberries. Have a wonderful week. Happy quilting.

Grams Jean said...

I sprained both ankles twice each in the 1990s. Not fun. Now I have fat ankles. So sorry for your hurt. In bed keep it raised, on a pillow. Give it time to heal. Thanks for the link to the colors.

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

Hoping your ankle is much better. I would not worry about the big A, as the more you worry, the more stress, then you will think that you are getting it! I learned during the last years of my career that stress will bring on those forgetful moments. So hang in there and quit that falling! LOL.

Great post! We all have little blips as we age. Sometimes it is just lack of a good night's sleep! Hugs

The Joyful Quilter said...

A table runner in PURPLE (or WITH purple) sounds like a fun project, Jocelyn! Funny... I might have one on the go, as well. :o))

CathieJ said...

Oh my, what an interesting post. I am sorry you hurt your ankle. I hope it is feeling better by now. I love the photo of the woodpecker. All those freebies are wonderful. I hope you finish that pretty quilting. Enjoy your stitching.