Wildlife Shenanigans, EPP Project, Christmas Embroideries

Well, my heart was in my mouth this morning as I let out the dogs. While opening the patio door, there was a tiny rabbit hopping into the garden and going under the deck. Luckily the dogs were headed off in the opposite direction. I stomped my feet on the deck so it would hide and it must have as they didn't even smell it. A close call and so happy this does not happen often, maybe once a year. The fencing around the back area is doubled in some places to keep the dogs in and wildlife out. Unfortunately something very little can still get in under the gates. 

Meanwhile, a small flock of turkeys meandered through the front yard on Tuesday. It was the most together I've seen since last year. While watching, they suddenly did something I've never seen before. They alerted to something, bunched up together, then fanned themselves out along the edge of the laneway all the while making loud noises. I have never ever heard a turkey make a sound before. And the sound was not a comical gobble, gobble. More of a strange honk. Can you see what they were reacting to?

 At first I just couldn't figure out what was going on with them. Then I saw it. 

Sorry for the awful photos as I had to run and get my phone. And then was worried as I didn't want to witness something awful let alone photograph it. And the fox hung around for a bit and was obviously weighing its chances. But luckily for the turkeys and me, it finally moved off. 

There's safety in numbers!

Enough wildlife drama. I worked on my 2025 RSC EPP project last weekend. Here it is on the sofa. I still have about as many Hexagons to sew on. It is very, very scrappy and colourful. 

Thank you for the ideas about how to stitch orphan blocks together. I do have lots of white fabric and as I said before, reds as well. There are options. I did a check online and there are a number of Youtube videos showing how to do this very thing. More on that later.

Someone asked for a close up photo of the embroderies and here they are together under the dining room light which is yellowing. 

Perhaps this one is better. Simple running stitch which works up quite fast.

When I gave this one a turn, I was struck by how different the design looked. Threads, ugh.

We just finished this series, Death By Lightening. The performances, especially Matthew MacFadyen's, were wonderful. I love learning about the presidents and their wives. Here in Canada, our Prime Minister's personal life is very private and the wives usually have a very minor public role and are seldom seen. 

The phrase death by lightening was a line written in a letter by Garfield himself ..." Assassination can  no more be guarded against than death by lightening" just months before he was assassinated, as it turned out. Our politics here in Canada seem so tame and boring by comparison. 

Back in the fall, I discovered this new to me tea and I've been enjoying a cup with frothed almond milk for a mid afternoon little treat.  

LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color's prompt this week was about making paper turkeys in school. I don't remember doing that; in fact, there was very little time spent on art back in my school days. Much more time was spent on learning cursive writing. But my daughters definitely made those paper turkeys in early school days. 

Isn't this time of year a wonderful time for stitchers! There are so many beautiful fabrics and patterns flooding the sites. I'm sorely tempted but sticking to my 2025 plan of not buying any new fabrics. Don't have that long to go now so just might make it. 

Hope your plans are working out too. Take care all of you!

So happy to have linky parties to visit and share with like The Inquiring Quilter, Days Filled With Joy  Alycia Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Kathy's Quilts, Songbird Designs and Creations Art Quilts.