Summer Flowers, Autumn Stitching and New Start

I'm seeing signs that the autumn season is starting to take hold. The leaves are starting to turn and fall. It's been single digits overnight lately and staying cooler during the days. I like this time between the seasons and wish it would last longer here. 

 I transplanted two Japanese Anemone bushes to the right of the front path. This season they have really taken off. I didn't know they would spread like this! They have taken over the whole space but it is a plus that the bees love them.

Such a gorgeous little flower!

And here are two of my indoor plants that were outside since May.  My lovely Madagascar Jasmine  enjoyed the summer months on the front veranda. I've read it is also called Bride's Flower and I can see why. 

And my Coleus spent the summer on the back veranda as usual. It thrived as always and grew so tall. 

I'm reluctant to cut anything which can be a problem as most of the flower beds/areas need so much more trimming. I'm happy, though,with how much garden time I got in this summer in between the rain showers. And there is still time to do lots more. 

I'm also pleased with my summer stitching. I've finished a couple more houses for my autumn project

 and prepped the blocks for the appliqued maple leaves. I've finished a couple with my usual blanket stitch edging. Here is the first one. 

I've never had a specific plan about working on my cross stitch projects. I watch a number of flosstubers and several have a plan for when to work on what. One idea seemed to fit my way of doing things and that was to work on a designated project for a month. That way you can make seeable (is that a word?) progress. I'm going to give it a go. So I've put G.Legere away after spending August with him, or is it her. I've searched and can't find any information other than this is a reproduction of a French sampler. This is how much I've finished since last showing you...a bird, a tree, and a start on the house. I love working on this one very much and especially enjoyed stitching the scrolly alphabet. 

One of the things many cross stitchers do is make a new start for their birthday. So I thought I'd use that as my reason for starting Flora, a pattern from The Artsy Housewife I've had kitted for some time. 

It's time I stitched an owl and I love that decorative border. Gigi, the very arsty designer, is famous for her elaborate, beautiful borders. My fraternal grandmother's name was Flora; she was the wife of Ned who our Ned is named after. I always say if I get a cat, I will name her Flora. My grandmother never liked her name; she used to say it was a droll old name.

Here is my rather scant beginning on 32 count Belfast Dirty Linen.

Younger grandson, Robbie, has started Grade 8. Where oh where have those years gone????

It's blueberry picking time at home in Newfoundland. I really miss that. Growing up in Corner Brook, I could go to the woods behind our house and pick two cups of blueberries in a few minutes. That was just enough for Mom to make a cobbler kind of cake with the blueberries on the bottom of a square pan. The batter was more cake like than cobbler really and years later, she couldn't remember exactly how she made it. There was no recipe as such just what she had in her head. She remembered making a sweet sauce to pour over it which I didn't remember. She probably made that for Dad as he had a serious sweet tooth which I don't have and neither did she. Do you have a sweet tooth? 

On that happy note, I'll finish this post. My bank of free patterns has ballooned so I'll soon have to start sharing again. And I need to tell you about the marvelous books I've been reading too. So next time then. Take Care All!

Birthday Outing, Flowers and Fabrics

This is Gladioli by the artist, Adrian Paul Allison. Here is the link to Adrian's Wikipedia page.

                                                  

Gladioli are the flower of August, my birth month. It blooms large and showy and in many colours. As much as I wish it were my favourite flower, it is not. In fact, if I lined up all flowers it would probably land near the end of the pack. It's a little too over the top for my liking. While I admire showy, it's not me. I prefer the wild flowers, the tiny, the ones that bloom against all odds in challenging weather and places. Blue Flag comes to mind as a perfect example. It blooms atop grassy Newfoundland cliffs where the stiff breezes off the North Atlantic can almost knock you over on a windy day. It blooms bright and beautiful in spite of the conditions with not a helping hand from anyone. The version I planted here is more of an Iris, tall and slender, compared to the stocky Blue Flag at home. But I do love it too.

I enjoyed my birthday very much. I'm 75 now and, though that's just a number, it does sound like a daunting figure to me. Am I now supposed to feel old but I absolutely do not. I'm very lucky so far with being able to move my body without aches or pains the same as I have done all my life. Tony will tell you it is because I work at it. Which I do but I'm thankful to be able to do that too and still have the will to keep it up.  

But getting back to the birthday. I had a weekend away at a beautiful hotel in a neighbouring town, Perth. Here is a view of our hotel from the park it is beside.

 We sat outside on the sunny Saturday and watched as folks were setting up for two weddings. How fortunate for those brides to be blessed with sun during this very wet and cloudy summer. The next day, it was back to gloom and rain clouds.

 Here is a photo of our room snacks. 

We spent Saturday wandering in and out the shops on the main street. One of them is a fabric shop so we spent quite a lot of time in there and I did buy fabric. It is much more tempting in person than online I realized. And these pretty end bits were on sale.  I also bought John James needles which are my favourites.

They had a wall of Tula Pink which I resisted so there is more I could have bought...of course!

While together, I made a start on an embroidery kit Beth gave me last year. Puffins are Newfoundland's provincial bird. 

They got to see many including this one below at Bonavista while on this summer's trip home. They are such a comical looking little bird. 

Meanwhile, Brad kept Tony company with takeout and drinks which they both enjoyed. I am lucky to have had a good break like that and I enjoyed every minute. 

The dogs gave me such a greeting when I got back I had to brace myself or they would have knocked me down. 

Back home and with my sewing, I've pulled out this appliqued hanging to layer up and quilt which I have officially begun. This is Kim Mclean's floral design and you can see her beautiful work and designs at that link.

And on that colourful note, I'll end this post. I have lots more to share with you, so till next time then. 

Take Care all!