Simple Pleasures, Applique, Pattern Testing

I've begun my winter goal of spending an hour each day outside in the fresh air no matter the weather. It is easily done as two long walks with Ned will take up the time. And then there is collecting sticks for the fire and shoveling the front steps too which I've done twice so far.  It is slow going in the woods with the snow we've had already. And I take time to look about, take a photo, try to find birds, etc. Ned upset me one morning by eating a lone rabbit's paw we came across. He gobbled it up before I knew what he was doing. I reminded him that we are feeding him organic food for his itchy skin and then he goes and eats something wild like that. He was completely indifferent, if anything a little proud of himself. Here he looks so much older to me...going to be 3 in March.

 I wasted, no I shouldn't say wasted, I spent an entire evening playing with a new pattern. My latest Quiltmania magazine featured a beautiful vintage quilt with the pattern to make it.

No, not the cover quilt; that one is incredible wool applique. This one below...The Scrappy Stars quilt made by Poulien Wolfswinkel (what a neat surname!). 

And we are all in love with stars. It would work well as another scrappy project to use up some of those sorted scraps I've been up to my knees in lately. So I set about copying the pattern, tracing and cutting the card stock pieces-made loads of the triangles and corner pieces to stitch them EPP. Then tried out a few of the fans with my blue scraps which are plentiful. 

Overnight I had the thought that the pattern at this size-2 1/2 inches, was far too small and fiddly for my fingers, plus it would take a million of them to make a lap quilt even.  I need the pattern enlarged. So today I'm going to resize the pattern to make it bigger, maybe to a finished 6 inch square size at least. 

Since last writing, I also finished another Quiltmania Xmas square, the little potted hearts. These are small as well but not too small. I'm including a little blue fabric here and there from now on. 

So what are you looking forward to this week? It's important to have something to look forward to- even a very small thing like for me right now I'm looking forward to putting the kettle on for tea and know I will have a muffin with it. Our wood guy came with a load of wood for us and we were pleased to find out it had been stored inside so dry...that will catch easier and burn cleaner. I look forward to making a cheery fire with it each winter morning. We've also been enjoying the little thing of opening up our advent calendars from Beth each day. Mine is really neat, a 50 piece puzzle of puppies, each day. Tony's is all chocolates and Ned, the rabbit eater, also gets an edible treat. 

So what are your tiny but enjoyable somethings to look forward to this week? 

Also enjoyable to link up with great parties around the net such as Life in Pieces , It's a Small Town Life, Melva Loves Scraps, So Scrappy and Quilt Fabrications.