Rainbow Neighbourhood QAL Lesson #1, Days Filled With Joy SAL, Online Shopping

These days most of the wetland area is flooded and unwalkable which is too bad as the path winds through neat little treed areas. It was near this spot, I went through the ice and up to my thighs in water back a couple of years ago.  About August, this area will dry out enough to walk without boots. The tree in the middle is a monstrous size, one of the Mother Trees here and I call it a Halloween tree.

The mallards are back on the little pond- I wonder each year if they are the same ducks. I watched them glide up as far as this tree foraging. The photo below was taken from a great distance as they alert very easily.

You'll note the bits of green there. Everyone is talking about how we went from that horrid ice storm to high temperatures...30C and even a humidity warning in the space of one week. We could actually watch our banks of snow melt. So spring is here now and I'm going to ignore that the word snow is in the midweek forecast.

Now then, I had a successful stitching weekend.

 

First I made a bunch of EPP Plus blocks. Itching to begin stitching these together; I will love that part. These are beiges and neutrals.

Then I stitched another house in the mmm quilts  Rainbow Neighbourhood project- this is the most cutting and piecing I've had to do on a quilt ( except for Farmer's Wife).  I usually choose projects with simple shapes as I have little to no confidence with cutting accurately.  I say I enjoy learning so I think I'll share with you a lesson learned with each house I stitch.

 Using the same pattern certainly has its benefits but each house will teach me something new. This time...

Lesson Learned: Cut all my outer pieces a little larger so I can trim it all back at the very end.

With Ned who enjoys quilting photo shoots so much

and without Ned, LOL

The block on the side is from The Quilt Block Bible book by Rosemary Youngs. I've started another roof and am thinking of  purples for the next one. I will have to dig deep to find anything that colour. I have just a few pieces from old Halloween sewing somewhere. 

Online shopping recently led me to this site...Nature Reflection Jewelry that I thought you might also like.  Since losing what jewelry I owned in my fire, I don't buy much, just for my girls. This has a soft chime with movement that's supposed to be calming. (Not affiliated, just sharing).

For embroidery folks, Australian stitcher, Joy is offering another free SAL. This  Days Filled With Joy is for Spring and is just so lovely.

I did well to calm my mind and thoughts this week. I also upped my exercise level which I hope to continue. For me there is a direct link between movement and feelings, I've no doubt now. 

Also I will be busy continuing cleaning this week...closets, the car, the veranda, etc. Everything needs a clean sweep!

Sharing this post with The Quilt Schmilt, My Quilt Infatuation, It's a Small Town Life, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.