Busy Stitching Table, EPP Stars, Free Patterns,

 The Phoebes are building a nest on the old speaker at the back of the house again this year...two in a row. I can watch them from my chair in the TV room window. The two of them spent ages flying back and forth from a nearby tree to the site thoroughly checking it out before giving it an okay it seems.

 They are both bringing material now I notice but I can't tell them apart, though one seems a little darker which might mean the male.

Working together which is nice to watch. They are beautiful birds who build a very sturdy nest with a moss/mud foundation.  And they do us a favour by eating mosquitoes. That will become meaningful any minute now!

We both love mandarin oranges and one of these tiny ones is enough for Tony. But it is the thrifted crocheted doily that I want to talk about. 

It has extra material on the middle of the four corners. I wonder how many of you remember this. I think the extra was to poke up in a wave and be starched into that shape. Do you remember your Mom starching doilies? Mine did. 

Below is my tableside work bench in the TV room just below that window I mentioned above. I have a special gift for collecting things around me where ever I sit. Here there is my hand stitching, my 5 lb weight, sparkling water, and dark chocolate coconut almonds for sustenance during the long night of TV viewing, LOL. What you can't see are...my Ott lamp poised on a narrow book case, my small cosmetic bag with nail files ( because with cross stitching, the nails have to be smooth) and lip conditioner (dry winters), my needlebook, a large ceramic cup for pens, pencils, scissors, etc. and my plastic bin case ( you can get a glimpse of it there) that contains threads, glue, pins, etc. I try my best to have whatever I need for the evening at hand there so I don't have to make trips back through the main area to the sewing room. And I don't know why that sounds arduous but by that time of the day, it just seems so.

I also have a stretchy resistance band there, but truthfully, I'm not sure if I use that correctly. Resistance training is having a moment now especially important for seniors apparently. 

What about you? Do things accumulate around your stitching chair as well?

And as you can see, I've begun stitching EPP stars in the May RSC colour, green. Joining the party at So Scrappy.

The new fridge has been ordered and will arrive next week. Though eager to have a fridge again I believe it has been healthy for me to use the stairs so much each day. Maybe that's why I'm feeling pretty good fitness wise...with spring conditions underfoot so much improved I've been taking Ned on two long walks, morning and late afternoon. And I've been using my Cubii at night too. Tony also takes Ned out some days for a brief jaunt up the laneway. Ned, btw, has an enclosed one acre back yard to use but won't stay out there without one of us with him. Again this year, a groundhog is out there thinking it is his garden. 

 Lori at Humble Quilts is running a SAL featuring The Tree of Life block, a traditional two colour one. Lori's is red and neutral and she has been using those triangles on a roll which interested me too. Though practising my HST's, I don't think I could be accurate enough to manage this block. 

Here at the Fat Quarter Shop you can find a free pattern and video instructions from Cheryl. And with vintage patterns in mind...here is a link to Q is For Quilter and their marvelous bank of free patterns both for quilting and embroidering. I love scrolling through those posts and just dreaming of stitching. 

Recently I asked if any of you knew the name that the hst's in a Broken Dishes block had formed. We all get by with a little help from friends. I was watching  Quilt Roadies on YouTube, an episode called Quilting Settles the Heart and Mind and Anna shared her very cute Kathy Schmitz bunny she had made. 

She knew she had the patterns to stitch the other animals in Kathy's series and went looking in her craft room which she calls the bee hive. Anyway, she can't find them and she wondered if any of us viewers maybe saw where she had put them when she shared them with us a while back.😄But I know exactly how she feels because even with my efforts to have designated stations, files, containers, baskets, etc. in rooms, I am always searching for something...glasses often, phone sometimes, books, etc.

Btw, here is Ruth the Rabbit, one of the sweet embroidered animals she was talking about...Kathy Schmitz if you'd like to check it out.

I'm eager to get outside in the garden and get clearing the flower beds. I don't like to do that too soon as I want to give overwintering critters a chance to crawl away. But soon now, maybe if the weather cooperates, even today.

I'm checking out a couple of super comfy summer dresses online that I'll share next time. It's been a long time since I shopped for clothes. I dressed like a lumberjack all winter what with the wood carrying and all. So it's time to spruce up a little. I also will share a frightening but thankfully short lived experience I had.

Take care, dear readers, each and every one of you! 

Happily sharing with the slow stitching party over at  Kathy's Quilts. Also happy to share with Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.

Xmas By Quiltmania, Granny Stripe Crochet, Feelings

Hello again, all quiet here at the wooden house. No blowing snow, just dropping temperatures. -22 C on my morning walk and my cheeks felt cold. The warmest clothes, of which there is no shortage here, are being worn inside and out. I love coming in from the cold...it must be one of the best feelings there is. 

The scrappy Granny Stripe Afghan was finished and then I decided to add more to it. Not for size but for strength. With all those colour changes, I thought a scalloped trim around it all would help it with possible fraying or loosening on the sides. So that took a few nights to crochet. Used Stylecraft Special DK yarn.

 The finished size will cover a double bed and has a weight to it too for warmth. Happy to have it finished and it has gone to a good home, LOL. 

I have finished appliqueing all the Quiltmania Xmas blocks that I want to do. Here they are on my ironing board. Can't decide if I want to finish this now but really the Christmas stitching mood is kind of gone. I want to embroider a word or two in that star/flower block lower left.. sometime.  

LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color's prompt this week has to do with whether or not we had an impactful event in 2023 and how we dealt with it. Yes, I had a crisis event that involved close family and I don't mind saying it was stressful and challenging for me. One thing I learned is there is a lot of help to be had if you advocate for it ...which I'm not shy at all about doing for someone else. Kudos to our healthcare system and the wonderful people who showed only care and kindness to us as we moved through the many appointments and meetings. It is a comfort to know the "system" works and is there for us all if needed. The resolution of this event took time- many months, but I'm relieved to say there is a happy ending (for now) to this story.

 Like most folks my age, we have faced down any number of crisis events of varying degrees so we know how strong we can be when we need to be. We know how to put one foot in front of the other and just keep going. And for family especially, we try our best to help. 

Now to the mundane...I have a couple of thrift finds to share next post. 

And a word about comments. First, thanks so much for taking the time to leave me comments whether it be encouragement about the stitching or suggestions/sharing or echoing my thoughts on topics, etc. It is also always a thrill to hear from someone who has been reading me for awhile and just now decides to introduce themselves. Because I do not know who reads this blog unless you comment. And your comments go straight to my gmail account for moderation so are completely private. It is up to me to publish them or not. So please don't hesitate to say hello if you have dropped by. 

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

Sharing this post with Kathy's Quilts, The Inquiring Quilter and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Christmas Quiltmania, Crocheting, Coziest Time of Year

 The weather outside is just a little bit frightful...

I'm feeling thankful I don't have to go out in such weather anymore. And all good inside. It is very cosy in the tv room with YouTube entertainment, a large mug of coffee and crocheting like crazy. Doesn't get much better for a retiree. 

I've pulled out my Applique and Embroidery Xmas at Quiltmania, 2018 project. I have no idea where I ended this before. But here are a few blocks up close. The idea was to use a very limited and muted palette- just white, red and grey in the mix.

I checked and the free patterns are still there at that link if you'd like to take a look. 

And these four...at some point I decided to add this darker blue into the mix. The bell could use more embellishments. 

I think I've stitched a couple more since so will do another search in the WIP's drawer. Because surely I would have picked this up again the following Christmas. But anyway, this will be my main hand stitching for December with the plan to get 20 or so of these blocks finished. 

Last year I was given a jelly roll of  Laundry Basket Quilts lovely Andover Noel fabric, the only new fabric in my stash. I've been doing a little search for a machine stitching project. Isn't it pretty. Any suggestions...I've never used a jelly roll in a real project before. 

I've gotten the over 65 Flu Vaccine and waffling on whether to get the Covid one too. It made me think of how differently vaccinations were viewed when I was a kid. 

I think all of my vaccinations were given to me at school growing up. "Getting a needle" day would be almost terrifying with someone crying- sometimes even a boy would cry! and once someone fainted. You can imagine how exciting that was! I doubt very much if my parents gave permission or even knew ahead of time this was happening. And all we felt was gratitude, thankful that we were being protected against some dreadful disease. No more thought than that. My parents would have agreed anyway especially since my mother had a brother who'd become slightly physically disabled as the result of childhood polio. I don't think anyone questioned the value. There was certainly less grey area and more black and white in that post '50's world I grew up in. The door has been firmly shut on that world (and there are certainly things that do need to stay behind that door!).  Would this have been your experience with vaccinations too?

I hope you are having a great first weekend of December and your fingers are flying. 

Happily linking with Songbird Designs, The Inquiring Quilter, Alycia Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Three Meals-One Ham, Granny Stripe Afghan and Applique Needlebook

 Hello again, we are finishing off another busy week. I like to take care of maintenance things- for the car, the house and us, before winter sets in and weather and driving becomes an issue. We both were out of the house every day which seems to make the time fly by extra fast. It always feels good to have checkups behind us.

As a result of all that I didn't get in any daytime stitching, but my nights are still my stitching in front of the tv time.

A few more rows have been crocheted onto my Granny Stripe afghan. This will be a Christmas gift which is a good incentive to finish it up. 

 I watched Sandra at Cherry Heart while doing so one night. She has finished her wonderful Leaves & Lace blanket. Inspiring! I learned to crochet hexagons for a project years ago but my centers were not as intricate as these. 

I decided I wanted a winter needlebook. One a little smaller than the last one I sewed. I found the colourful reds in the scraps and decided to applique a little snowman. That plaid piece definitely needed saving. My progress so far and this will be a very quick project.

I mentioned before that I had an appointment with the doctor and my main issue was sleep. I can certainly tell in my body if I've slept well or not. I've always been a person who needed my sleep in order to feel in top shape. I don't usually have a problem falling asleep ...my issue is waking in the night and then my mind's voice turns into a chatterbox.  I worry about everything under the sun. It feels like I can't draw a deep breath, something hurts in my stomach when I try to. 

 What do I worry about...easier to say everything, from the mundane....mice getting inside the car in the garage now that the weather is colder to family stuff to awful thoughts about how the world seems to be changing for the worse. I'm very clear I am not depressed, but I do seem to have anxiety in these nighttime sessions. So doctor and I had a good long chat about all that and the upshot is I came away with a prescription for an anti-anxiety medicine. One that works well with sleep issues and I can take intermittently as required. As I'm sensitive to any OTC drugs, I am going to quarter the pills and try just a little first to see how I react. There is a part of me that is doubtful this is going to work for me though I know I should not be thinking like that. I promise I won't speak of this for a while as I've whined about this so often to you all. Thanks for listening! But I will tell you if it's working. Fingers crossed.

ON to Happier things...eating!

I bought a ham at Costco and did well with the meals I made with it. Even though I don't have the running around with children and working anymore, it is still a win to have meals planned and ready to go. 

 Meal #1 

First I made a traditional meal of baked ham with pineapple rings, corn and scalloped potatoes. I used a can of Cream of Mushroom soup for the potato sauce which I saw on a video. I have only almond milk now in the house so I figured the soup would have more flavour. I used lots of cheese; everything was tasty and enough for leftovers the next night. I didn't get a photo. 

 Meal #2 was a ham and veggie quiche. This time I went back to my usual pastry recipe, one I've shared often here, the Crisco recipe. 

I used all the dough in the very large pie plate...it's one of those with a recipe painted on it but fully intended for baking. And the quiche as well lasted for two nights with a veggie salad as a side. 

Meal #3

I love homemade pea soup, something I know isn't for everyone that's for sure. I used my slow cooker which I love,  2 1/2 cups of yellow split peas, some onion and a container of chicken broth and the last of the ham...with added water as needed too. Very easy. Tony loves Skye Flakes crackers.

That's enough about me for this week; I'm off now to read what you all have been up to. Happy Eating, Stitching, Show Watching etc. or as Connie, the Spinster Stitcher, says...doing whatever blows your skirt up!

Sharing this post with wonderful linky parties...Not Afraid of Color, Kathy's Quilts, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and It's a Small Town Life.

Three Free Patterns, More EPP Pluses, Embroidered Snowy Scene, Muffins, A Show to Watch

 My Jasmine Magnolia is bravely blooming a little. Photographed against a screen and that backyard bank of snow.

I'm a bit proud to have kept this one alive and kicking. And thanks Mary Anne, Magpie's Mumblings, for that tip about banana skin water being excellent for houseplants too. We eat a lot of bananas so I will definitely be adding it to the mixtures rather than straight to composting.

LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color's prompt this week was about favourite spring flowers. Think it will be a while before I'm seeing any flowers here. This is our front steps where that dip is, well it was ...much shovelling in my future which, don't worry, I will take breaks.

That is all snow off the veranda roof. But I know when the snow starts to melt it will go quickly. Of course, I love to see the early flowers but they tend to pop up before the weather is quite ready for them. Spring is when we get freezing rain and that usually kills any flowers. But nothing is going to be popping out of the ground just yet and that is why I love it when you share your spring blooms. 

Daughter shared her walnut and bran muffins with us. She had cut the sugar in half and realized afterwards that that was a tad extreme. But with butter and raspberry jam, they are delicious. 

It's coming to the time for Easter and bunnies. This fabric, Dandelion Easter, showed up in an email from The Quilted Boutique, one of my favourite shops to explore.  So pretty. 

 Slow stitching this week is taken up with my Crabapple Hill Studios' Snow Days blocks. Here is the first block finished.

And stitching in front of this series which we have finished now...I even got used to Harrison and Helen together which seemed odd to me at the start. Thanks all for the recommendation of this one.

I stitched a couple more of the Pluses in greens...

Thursday's Three Free

I'm seeing this kind of scrappy triangle pop up here and there around the web and many are calling it the modern triangle. Here is Rebecca from Bryan House Quilts showing how to make the modern triangle and form it into a heart shape too in this case. Lots of good info and ideas here and on her blog too.

From the folks at Sulky, in their free pattern bank is this very cute pattern called Irish Twins.

Also there you'll find the link to make this 50 States Wallhanging. Along the way is the template for each state to personalize your hanging. 

I'm always spying ways to use up scrappy strings and this is a neat quilt below called Diamonds and Strings. Made by  Beth on her YouTube channel My Sewing Room. Beth shares something I've always wanted to know how to do... how to draw an accurate diamond shape, in this case out of cereal box cardboard. The video is called Make a String Quilt using A Diamond Shaped Template (homemade of course).  Beth's scrappy stringy diamonds are really pretty.

That night I was browsing 

At Sum of Their Stories and I found this wonderful post that takes you through how to crochet a granny square.  Then they show you all the wonderful items you can make with them. 

And as always for my cross stitching friends, Smart Cross Stitch has a bank of very neat patterns to download for free. Like Christmas Deer below. I especially love the embellishing stitches on this one.

I'm enjoying my week with the dogs. They are so happy for any little time and attention given them and return to us such love and affection back. 

Sharing this post with Floral Friday Foto, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Two Online Goodies, Department Store Muffins, Yuletide Blanket, Friendship Stars

It was fun to read about everyone's American Thanksgivings. From the small and quiet ones to the large family gatherings. Thank you for sharing.

 Last week Hubby got the snow tires on the car just in time for downpours of rain. I'm always happy to have someone else do that chore though when he told me how enjoyable the garage waiting room was with t.v., free good coffee and comfy chairs, it doesn't sound too bad. With a little stitchy project in hand, I would actually have enjoyed the experience. 

This fellow is back around the feeders. I always wonder if it is the same ones that come and go. Cardinals, btw, are the state bird of at least six American states.

 I made the King Arthur Flour's recipe for Famous Department Store Blueberry Muffins.  They were really good even with the sugar cut back a bit. I used a lot of blueberries to make up for it.

Do you like my little Sad Fish plate?

Thank you to those of you who mentioned Magpie Murders. We just finished this series and thought it a great one. We watched it on PBS.

I finished my crocheted Yuletide Blanket last year and just took it out of the trunk, hence the wrinkles.  Last year I promised a photo this year and here it is. It was a good challenge for me to work out the pattern which produced a thick, heavy blanket.  I'd forgotten how "weighty" it is.  Free Pattern from Lucy at Attic 24.

Here are my rainbow Friendship Stars so far.  I now have to work out how to align them.  Times like this I wish I didn't challenge myself and just go with some pattern. This was my November OMG at Elm Street Quilts and it will be my main priority this week to turn it into a flimsie. 

Two Online Goodies

#１I started practising a little French with an excellent free online program called Duolingo.  I studied French last in high school and would love to get better at reading it. I started at the absolute beginning and am now on the third unit. It is being presented in small bites, 10 minutes a day, which is enjoyable but not enough for proficiency of course. But it is fun to see what I remember and it is a little brain function practice. Hope to keep at it.

#２The other free online goodie is this one which I find calming...Jigsaws for Adults.  I play on my ipad and have been working through beautiful butterflies. 

I'm feeling a little unsettled this morning...fell on my early walk and skinned a knee. Just minor but I should have been paying better attention. I'm about to pick up my Autumn Quakers to lay a few stitches. That should calm me down. As Kate at The Last Homely House always says...When you get Into your hands, you get Out of your head. 

As always happy to share with The Texas Quilt Gal, The Inquiring Quilter,  Wendy's Quilts and More, My Quilt Infatuation, Creations Quilts Art , True Blue Quilts, So Scrappy and Sum of Their Stories. 

Quilt Block Test, Thrift Store Find, Attic 24 Crochet Latest, Another Great SAL, Autumn Love

Saturday, Sunday and Monday were glorious days that showcased perfect October weather. The sun shone all day and warmed the earth. It was pleasant enough to sit on the veranda and stitch.

 I watched leaves gently letting go and kept thinking of the word golden. Ned joined me, keeping a sharp eye on the squirrels and sniffing the air, enjoying autumn in an entirely different way. 

It was perfect to be crocheting and I didn't mind the extra warmth of wool in my lap. I listened to this audio book, Miss Eliza's English Kitchen. A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship by Annabel Abbs.  I am enjoying this one very much.

It is reminding me of my mother, a life long cook and baker. Also a life long recipe collector even into her 80's when she admitted she knew these dishes would not be made by her. But she couldn't resist noting them anyway. Pinterest gave her joy in that way.

Lucy at Attic 24 has revealed her newest project and free pattern, The Fireside Blanket. I love it but am exercising restraint as this year I have a few requests for Christmas stitching.  But isn't it pretty!

I also got a little bit distracted by Karen's Magic Circle blocks as a possible way for me to use up yarn scraps.  Crocheting circles would be a nice break from these very long stripes.

A couple of weeks ago in this post I shared a free pattern from Kristy at Quiet Play to make the paper pieced tree block called Red Herring. She has updated this past pattern of hers to this link now to be found HERE. Thank You Kristy!

I've given it a whirl. I wanted to see if I enjoyed stitching it enough to make a wall hanging. Foundation paper piecing is a little tricky at the start. It is reversal kind of sewing and you have to get in the mindset.  The second one went a lot faster than the first. I decided to turn these two blocks into a mug rug. Photographing it against wood seemed appropriate too, :D.  I will be sharing this with Joy's Table Scraps post...a party to encourage us to scrounge through our scraps and make something!

It also gave me a chance to show you my latest thrift store mug. It was made by the English Mug Co. and it had the tiniest little chip on the bottom rim- I used  sandpaper and rubbed it smooth and almost invisible. It was an "as is" item so just $2.  I love the design and colours-pink and turquoise together...the design reminds me of holly for some reason. I looked it up and found out it is fine bone china and the pattern is called Rosie's Garden.

  I would love to do a hanging in these turquoise greens but deeper ones, more teal I guess...alas none in my stash so more thinking about this. A little shopping might be in order.  I'll share this with Saturday's So Scrappy linky party. 

Anybody joining in the free Sewcialites SAL offered by The Fat Quarter Shop? 

This week I have grandson for one of those PA days the schools run.  We have a couple of appointments of the dreary kind (for me)...accountant/tax stuff -my eyes glaze over when they talk, and they're always so nice, I feel bad I'm not listening.  And my stitching fingers are flying on Plaid Tilda trying to achieve that October OMG. Down to the finale!

Oh and I have to buy Halloween treats...we get no trick or treaters here down our long laneway (might be a little scary if we did!- some of us have seen those movies) but I buy our favourite chocolate bars just in case. 

Autumn is turning out to be an enjoyable and productive season for me. Hope you are feeling the same even if our Autumn is actually your Spring!

Happy to be linking this post with Linda's To Do Party, Brian's Blog,  The Inquiring Quilter, Quilt Fabrication, True Blue Quilts,  Creations, Quilts, Art,  Alycia Quilts, Wendy's Quilts and More, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, ChrisKnits, Sew Can Do and My Corner of the World. 

Three Free Patterns Thursday, JackRabbit Progress, Cosy Afghan, Beautiful Face Cream

In the late September sun, Pink Asters bloom as some of the hostas fade. And a tiny tree frog has been living in the furnace outtake pipe at the back of the house below our bedroom window. We hear his chirps sometimes at night and always wondered where exactly they were coming from. Such incredibly loud sounds from such a small fellow.

He was spotted by the eagle eyed Petey when we were playing ball back there one day and seems to be living there.

This week I've been laying down some cross stitches on my JackRabbit piece. The Gentle Arts Aged Pewter floss arrived  along with a package of my favourite cross stitch needles, size 26. 

And I've been adding to this Cosy Striped afghan. I'm crocheting this using a number 3.5 hook with the Stylecraft Special DK yarn. Crocheting is an awesome hobby to fill in a few spare moments; never a problem knowing where to pick up and begin and doesn't require special lighting and all the other bits. 

Our LeeAnna,  Not Afraid of Color's prompt this week was to mention a health or beauty product we really like. 

I've found this particular face cream from Clarins that I love and now keep on hand. It is called Super Restorative Rose Cream. I honestly think Clarins is the best cream I've found for my skin which is a little sensitive. It is also the most expensive I've ever used and has a smell that I think is expensive if that's possible. This is their Rosy version which I especially like. Since turning white haired, I feel like I'm even paler and my face can use a bit of brightening. However, I do not find it takes ten years off my face as some of the reviewers claim. :D Wouldn't that be special if it did!

Three Free on a Thursday

Amanda, the wonderful Patchsmith, has been busy making stringed pumpkins and blocks to put together for a table runner. Her instructions are at that link. I love the greens in between.

Amanda generously shares her talents in an  extensive Freebies section on her site. Years ago I noted her patchy Acorn  for instance.

Magpies Mumblings shared this link to the free Christmas Star pattern offered by the folks at the  American Quilter site. I thought it worth repeating as it would look stunning in any number of colourways.

I'm pleased to share this link with my cross stitching friends.  The wonderful Plum Street Samplers shared a very sweet Compliments of Autumn free pattern back in 2010 and it is still available.  It features their recurring popular Hare Family and I debated showing the actual pattern photo because it is readily seen all over the net and I couldn't find a picture of it completed. But didn't because of pattern infringement if the designer hasn't stated it can be shared. 

And for my knitting buddies, this free pattern called Happy Mittens is from Hobbii...I've always wanted to knit mittens and admire those of you who do. I've downloaded the pattern myself as " she always lives in hope".

Please drop by for my next post where I agonise over what to choose as an October OMG. I have a wealth of choices as always. :D

Always happy to share with Kathy's Quilts, Love Laugh Quilt, Sum of Their Stories and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.