Medallion Quilt, Dreamy Hearts Finish, Jenny Wren, Free Patterns,

 One of the things I love this week was getting a photo of a wren. I've often caught sight of them down by the pond because I think they like the heavy shrubbery on three sides. There is a meadow there as well and loads of grasshoppers which I know wrens are fond of. However, it was right in front of my kitchen window that I managed to grab two quick shots of this little guy while he was checking out the decaying plants.

 In the third shot I took he was a complete blur.

This was my redworked wren from that Crabapple Hill Designs series, Flight of Fancy.  Perhaps I've shown you all of them now. 

We don't have the banks of sumac here like those that lined the farm driveway, but there are a couple of bushes. Amazing reds this time of year. 

Before I forget, the header photo is one I took a number of years ago. Hudson's Farm puts pumpkins on a cart in this field every year and you are on your honour to pay for one. You can see the cash box there on the left by the big pumpkin on the end. 

Remember I started a Medallion quilt back in August. I have been working on it a little. I set up the next round which are Spools and have 7 of them sewn. Every little bit moves it forward I figure.

I may have more time to devote to it as my Dreamy Hearts quilt is a finish! It was my October OMG at Elm Street Quilts. I'm happy with it and it is now tucked away to be a Christmas gift.

It is very soft and warm and single bed sized.

Recently there was a great little blog hop hosted by Carol at Just Let Me Quilt. Sewists shared their patterns for quick little quilty gifts you can make. Two of our Thursday Likes group shared their work at these posts, Pieceful Thoughts and Life in the Scrapatch.

And I love this too.

Lena generously shares her free pattern for this lovely Moon Flower block at her Lena Pugacheva Art Quilts site. Lena also hosts the Friday link party, Creations, Quilts, Art.

Just love this too- both the hands and the message. The photo is by Newfoundland photographer, Ned Pratt, and is used by Nonia, a non profit organization that has been selling hand made goods by Newfoundland and Labrador women for over 50 years. These are the hands of one of those women. 

I know by working with wool and fabric I am doing what my mother, both grandmothers and the one great grandmother I knew as a child did. That great grandmother had snow white hair, sewed quilts by hand but it was her gold tooth that fascinated me.

I'm thinking this morning about how the fate of humans all over the globe may well be in the hands of  scientists and researchers. They are working tirelessly to achieve the perfect concoction of a vaccine for us, one that will be safe in and of itself and also protect us from this awful virus, a monumental task. I am very thankful for them, their knowledge, unceasing labour and care. Here is a link to a Q & A with one such American researcher talking about how their quest is going. 

Also love these meet ups on the net;-   Not Afraid of Color, Creations Quilts Art,  Paying Ready Attention, My Quilt Infatuation, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Alycia Quilts, Traffic Jam Weekend, Viewing Nature With Eileen and Quilt Fabrication. 

 

Pumpkin Soup, Auction Bidding, Binding Stitching, Christmas Quilts, Mouse Update

 When in the work world, I often lamented not enough time for my hobbies. I used to think I would spend all morning reading for instance, when I retired and had nothing else to do. However, to sit around reading in the mornings still doesn't work for me. My days must still have busyness in them but, what do you know, there is no end it seems to the things to do. Filling the hours is not only not a problem, it is uncanny how busy we seem to be and this is even in a semi-lockdown situation.

Autumn Ornamental Grass at the Farm

For instance auction bidding took up part of one evening. Pool stuff, a headboard for our bed, duck decoys all caught our attention and we won everything except the ducks which were my favourite part. We were willing to go to $50 and they sold for $55.  There were four wooden and one ceramic. This is a house that totally suits ducks. To do this week will be venturing to a new part of the city to pick up our winning items. 

Last night I made the barest of meals. A pumpkin soup cobbled together with veggies from the fridge added to a large can of pumpkin. One of the recipes I consulted suggested adding maple syrup and despite misgivings about it, I did, a little at a time, taste testing all the way.  It was good and gave the raw pumpkin added flavouring, which if you've ever tasted it, you know it needs. Toast rounded out that supper.  Feel like I should come up with something with meat for tonight.  Protein, iron and all. 

About meat. I must research and order a Sous Vide for us. I've talked about it for years now-even here on the blog, and don't know what is stopping us. If I'm going to pay for grass fed beef, I should be cooking it carefully and properly. Apparently these things take all the guesswork out of it, a good thing for me these days. And they're not just for cooking meat. Even oatmeal can be cooked perfectly with a sous vide. This video explains how versatile it is. And I do like my small appliances!

Look what's keeping my lap warm these nights.  I machine stitched the front of the binding and am now hand stitching it to the back.  I picked more modern and not exactly flowery kind of fabrics for the binding but ones that have soft colours to suit the hearts. This must be finished this week no ands, ifs or buts!

Down the Rabbit Hole Looking: I found this free pattern for a more modern-ish looking Christmas quilt I thought you might like too.

The link is here at the All People Quilt site.

While searching about I found more I liked here - Swoodson Says- 30 Modern Christmas Quilt Patterns, so you can take a stroll through yourself.  It's from 2018 but still more or less modern I guess.

Mouse Update

 Two Humane Mouse Traps- Mice captured and released to date-6

I forget just how tiny mice are. This one was itty bitty with a tiny sharp nose. Yes, I have old batting and cloth in there because it is cold in a metal box on a concrete floor. There is also crackers with peanut butter. Daughter said I'm providing hotel accommodations, mouse style.

As long as it keeps them out of the cars, that's all I care.

Here's hoping all of you have a great week.

Linking this post with Kathy's Quilts, Our World Tuesday, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Home Sewn By Us and The Jesh Studio.

On Line Shopping, Embroidery, Garden Flowers Still, Squirrel Moment, Ugly Gardening

  I had a funny thought this week when I ordered checks online from my banking site. The smallest order was for 100 and I figured these will probably see me through now. I so seldom write checks anymore. It wasn't a sad thought just like oh yes that's true now.

We have an overabundance of office supplies. This is thanks to auction wins and having extras thrown in during one of them that we did not bid on.  This week I'm planning on organizing the smaller totes and storage bins with the intent to lessen the amount. Just how many staples, paper clips and elastics can two old people make use of.  Especially in a world where we are committing less and less to paper.

Shopping-Online of course. It's younger grandson's birthday early next month and I've found several games for him at Amazon so I've got to get that done. The three of them have a family board game night which is a great idea.  

Mail came. I've wanted this book for a long time and finally ordered it from The Book Depository which offers free shipping worldwide.  When The Cold Wind Blows from the ladies at Blackbird Designs.

Practicing my ugly gardening. But before I talk about that exciting thing, some of the flowers did so well in spite of the overnight temperatures dipping down, they've amazed me.

Here's brand new growth on the rose bush. Taken last week and I'm so happy that heavy pruning I gave them in the spring didn't founder them.  I think they are quite old so it might have.

And a touch of frost brought out streaks of pink/red in the new buds as seen above and below which was interesting as the blooms are white.  I've never seen this before.

Update: However, we had a heavy frost two nights ago and all this bloom has been affected.

This week I'll be putting all the final flower pots away and start to stack wood on the veranda for the fireplace.

I've been slow stitching a lot which most of my stitching seems to be.  I decided to embroider herringbone stitches over all the hand stitching joining the pieces on the back of the Dreamy Hearts. It should help make the quilt hold together better as I am hoping this one will be used on a bed. I'm using a variegated pink DMC and enjoying it very much.  This quilt is my October OMG so I'm trying to accomplish that posted goal - for once!

And I had a squirrel moment on Friday but I have an excuse.  I really needed a distraction from sad feelings and this suited just fine.  I'll hopefully have something to show for my couple of hours in the sewing room working out a pattern.  Eager to give it a try actually. After a little machine stitching, it will require more hand stitching too. I was inspired by this article at the AQS site featuring variations on Dresden plate, a block you know I love. More later - I hope. :) 

 Almost forgot...I mentioned ugly gardening. Here is one of the tiny but precious reasons I feel privileged to do that.  Taken from my kitchen window.

I hope your Sunday is a swell one!

Also swell to link with Kathy's Quilts, I'd Rather B Birdin', Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Jaipur Gardening, Home Sewn By Us, Our World Tuesday, Image-in-ing, My Corner of the World, Needle and Thread Network, Paying Ready Attention and Viewing Nature With Eileen. 

 

Thrift Store Scores, Dreamy Hearts Quilt, Bathing Birds

                                               

This is a close up of phlox.  A few bunches are here and there all over the garden. There is white as well but not nearly as showy. It was an excellent year for phlox and it did well despite the July heat and drought. Another wonderful perennial for a little further back in a flower bed.

I was struck while out and about by how much violet/pink is represented in an autumn time garden. Here is a smattering.

The sedum which is coming into bloom. There are two kinds here.

This bull thistle

Still prized by a few slow moving bumblebees

The look of the meadow down by the pond

filled with this plant- I think it is loosestrife, something that has made quite a nuisance of itself in certain areas but its pretty colour cannot be denied. But I thought loosestrife was in single strands and there are some with these multi branches. The leaves have all the colours of fall right now and I hope to get some closeups of that.

Thrift Store Finds

I promised to show what I bought at the Thrift store last week.

This went right into my basket...an Old Foley Strawberry pitcher which is a vintage piece and I love strawberries on china. I paid $4.99 for it and my research Here at Ebay shows prices ranging from $40 to $70 Cdn. This pattern can still be found as a complete set of dishes which would make such a pretty summer set.

It's surrounded by my last tomato harvest...LOL.

No hesitation with buying these four 6 inch tea plates that are Laura Ashley Thistle pattern either. The 4 cost $3.99 and are perfect for Hubby's morning bickie with his tea. I found the same set on Ebay for $52. 22 Cdn which was a surprise. 

I always look through the books. This quilting book from Better Homes and Gardens, 501 Quilt Blocks, is one I've checked out of the library a few times so I'm quite familiar with it. It has a nice selection of both patchwork and applique blocks. It's on Amazon for $31.55 plus $3.95 shipping so I think it was a great deal for $2. 

And something to wear (cause I have nothing, LOL) a new blouse which actually seemed to be new.  Love paisley and I noticed the pretty rounded collar and how the cotton seemed to be brushed. When I tried it on, I was intrigued there was a hidden snap sewn onto the chest placket...and I realized this blouse had been tailor made. When I looked up Maxwell's, I found out they are custom clothiers so I figured my blouse was worth the $6.99 I paid for it.  I have a medium blue v necked sweater that this will match with well. 

So all in all, I had fun and caught enough good deals for less than twenty dollars to make me want to return.  Which with the way things are going, who knows when!

Here is how large my Dreamy Hearts quilt is now, about 55inches wide by 62 inches long.  I have two more rows to add to the length. 

I'm going to set this as a my OMG at Elm Street Quilts for October. To have it all ready for a bed. Yeah, we'll see how far I get with that.  But saying that, it is pretty close soooo...

Here are some robins enjoying the bird bath. They were part of a flock with about 20 of them hanging around the garden for three or four days last week. I've never seen so many together before so that was fun. They loved the bird bath and kept emptying it with their vigorous bathing. And I always knew when they'd been because of all the water on the patio.

I guess they wanted to be clean for the big flight. 

Speaking of which, I just loved when former First Lady, Laura Bush, went public asking Texas to dim lights overnight during the height of bird migration-  here is one of the articles about it.

Love to link up with Not Afraid of Color as always. Also linking with Paying Ready Attention, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Powered By Quilting, Kathy's Quilts, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Jaipur Gardening, Our World Tuesday and Viewing Nature With Eileen.