Chookshed Stitchers Challenge- Cardinal Rule, Free Patterns

The resident mallard on our pond is sleeping there overnight. If up and down there early enough, I see him always resting in the same spot.  I took this shot from a great distance but even then he alerted. Every year the ducks try to nest there and we find the egg shells strewn about. I've tried to work out how the legs are folded here. ? Mallards are part of the Dabbling Ducks family which I'd never thought was a real scientific name till I looked into how they spend their nights. 

What shade of yellow would you call that beak?  Mustard? No, it's some more exotic name I think.

I want to show you this. 

A little tear in a turtleneck of mine. I put it beside my sewing chair to mend and you wouldn't believe how long it's been there. Let's just say some months. I finally sewed it yesterday- took me all of 5 minutes. I kept looking at it all the while not doing that tiny task. Confounding!

 The Chookshed Stitchers Challenge for June is #10 which for me is Cardinal Rule. For a moment I was completely blank and then remembered it is my Bonnie Sullivan (Kathy Schmitz's sister) wool applique project.

I was excited to get out the material and patterns which I'd put together ages ago. I made the first cuts in the wool yesterday to begin sewing the pieces for the background. Unlike that mending, this will be so much fun to work on. These background pieces are so similar, I had to label them. 

LeeAnna's Not Afraid of Color prompt this week is remembering the last day of school and then how we spent our summer days. The last day of any school year has a special excitement and feel all its own. I was always a little nervous wondering where I might have placed in the class, marks wise. ( I should point out this was self inflicted pressure; my parents never put any pressure on us- just do your best was their motto. In fact, I think they should have been a little more directive if anything.) In grades 7 and 8, the school was across from a Woolworths so my friends and I would go there for fries and a coke float to celebrate. Dad had to stay home and work but the next week, Mom and the three of us kids would be on the train to visit both grandparents for the summer, all of which I loved very much. What about you? Any special last day of school memories? 

It seems I always have an aspect of my stitching to be researching and I keep being surprised by the beautiful patterns that folks share for free. Here are two more such sites where you can have a good look about. 

At Always Expect Moore, generous Carolina shares a wonderful bank of her free patterns. I've noted several... here is a sweet little winter stitch project. Love that snow flake design.

When I was researching Orange Peel patterns, I came across this pretty wallhanging design with a free peel template. Link to the  Live Art Gallery pdf pattern. And so many more free patterns there to ogle!

The Phoebes on the back of the house have also fledged -so quickly it seems- and I miss seeing them flitting about while in my tv room stitching chair. I read that one of the surprises of older age is that days seem like mere hours. That is certainly the feeling here at the wooden house. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Also enjoy sharing with Kathy's Quilts, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.