June Stitching and Summer Joys

 I wonder if your head is spinning like mine. Each day is like the blink of the eye. I'm no sooner up and starting the morning when it seems I'm closing drapes and shutting the house down again. Perhaps that is a good thing as it means I'm busy which I feel I certainly am. 

Outside, the world has come alive and so quickly it seems. It's always a pleasant surprise how much colour there is this season of the year. Even the Dandelions are so welcome. I'm calling this one "Me and My Shadow".

And here are the pretty Primroses. I don't know what you would label those colours, but they sure are vibrant.

And my elderly Lilac tree is in bloom too. 

I promised I would show you my latest fitness device. It is called a Rebounder and is one of those home trampolines. What's really surprising me about it is I thought I'd be able to jump forever on it- what fun!- but no, I do feel the exercise part of it as it raises my heart rate quite quickly. A mere 7 minutes is all I'm managing right now. 

I'd been swimming every day too which is wonderful but rain with thunder has sidelined that exercise the last three days. I'm not heating the pool and like last year, I do believe the cold plunge part is good for me. 

My stitching fingers have been busy too. I put the totally hand stitched Lone Star Medallion quilt on the wall for a photo. I'd backed it with a white fabric that was a sheet...Tommy Hillfiger actually, so a good quality.  It was fun getting it all appliqued but then fiddly getting all the points and dips joined neatly to the backing. I measured and each diamond is exactly 43 inches which amazed me considering all the little hand stitches in this project and how it's been mauled with all the handling for each step along its journey too. 

I'm also working on the table topper Primrose Flowers piece. More hand quilting which also involved decision making. After trying two templates I had on hand, I settled on drawing a little mod flower shape and that's what I'm using for the quilting lines. This should not take too long. 

For the backing, I used an old sheet from way back in the day that is still very sturdy and perfectly suits this project. I actually remember the Mod Flower craze back in the late sixties. It wasn't my taste but I did have one align dress with flowers on it. 

That black thingy there is my magnet; I wave it around my chair and in the sewing room all the time as I'm always worried about the dogs and pins. 

I've been waiting a long time to get this library book below and finally it is my turn. It's material obsession two by Sarah Fielke and Kathy Doughty. 

I love how Sarah creates these wonderful and surprisingly large quilts with hand piecing and mostly in her lap. There are two particular quilts in this book I've admired for a very long time and would love to make and the patterns are there for me to copy. That's one of the things that gives me a little leap of joy these days. Here is Sarah talking about one of them, Jazz Hands, which is pieced with that kite shape there. 

I'm continuing my summer plan to spend less of my free time on the computer. As a result, I'm definitely spending more time outside- gardening, walking, swimming, etc. and inside- stitching, reading and scribbling. So far, it is the garden that is definitely benefitting the most from this plan.

My Phoebes have fledged. I think there were three little ones this year. It's very difficult to get a good photo as this nesting spot is very tight to the overhang and hidden slightly. I thought of getting a step ladder but I didn't want to disturb them. Pretty sure there are three there. What do you think?

On that very hopeful note, I'll end this post. Oh yes, before I forget again, this is also my summer of dresses. I've had great luck at thrift stores finding a few for summer. I'll share the latest next post. I hope your summer or your winter is off to a wonderful start.