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!

 

Marvelous May, Floral Beauty, Slow Stitching Updates

We don't get to see sunsets here with the way the house is situated but we can occasionally see the effects of sunsets like this one below. The woods in the back yard were glowing with these vibrant colours; it looked surreal. 

I love when I manage a sighting of a Pileated Woodpecker, even better when it stays just long enough for me to grab a photo.  Any of the large birds are thrilling to photograph even when from quite a distance. 

 

My stitching fingers have been busy. For embroidery, I picked up my French Floralies piece to work on this week. Here is the chart posed beside my Madagascar Jasmine which is happily sending out new shoots. I'm always relieved when these older plants survive the winter. The beautiful white flowers are very similar to Magnolias which, btw, is the state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana. 

Here is a photo of enjoyable veranda stitching on this project last summer with pink Wiegelia bushes in bloom. BTW, if you are thinking of new flowering bushes for your garden, consider Weigelias as they are so hardy and bloom for long periods. The pinks they come in are gorgeous too. 

And now it is finished. Surface embroidery is one of my many loves and of the twelve different stitches used in this design, satin stitch is my favourite. HERE is the link to the Canevas Folies site where you can see other gorgeous kits and patterns they offer. Canevas Folies is French for canvas/ tapestry whims or follies. Some of you may be interested in this link which takes you to their blog and the step by step instructions to Needle Paint an apple. It is easy to follow and you can achieve stunning results.

Tony thinks the photo isn't doing it justice which is a nice complement. He seldom notices these things. :)

I've finished the quilting lines on my Flowers and Butterflies woolen piece- photos later, and now have my Lone Star Medallion quilt topper is back in the quilting hoop and about time too. Here it is last summer. I did layer it up at the time, began the stitching and didn't like how untidy my lines looked so took out all the stitches. So maybe second time now will be the charm. 

This was stitched using EPP so it took a while to remove the paper triangles too. I'm so eager to get this one finished. Sigh

We've been busy with appointments including another one for Tony where we met our new doctor. He's at least twenty years younger than our last and we both liked him very much. He gave Tony the very good news that the lung nodule has not grown and he also had a suggestion about his medications. The one he takes for high cholesterol is known to casue tiredness in some people so he wants Tony to half the dosage to see if it makes a difference in his case. Tony was surprised (and to be honest, a bit angry) as no doctor has mentioned this to him before. Of course, he will give that a try and it buoyed his spirits to think he might have a chance to feel better. 

 

Dog walking has been wonderful especially seeing up close all the changes with spring taking hold now, in spite of it being a wet, cold one. I'll leave you with a photo taken from the tv room window (that has a screen on it) of my deliriously happy pups relaxing on the back veranda. Note the snow shovel that needs putting away- finally!

Also from that same chair, I'm watching the Phoebes who are back-yeah!- and using the same nesting spot on the wall as last year. I do hope things are also going well for you wherever you are in this wonderful world of ours!

Beauty Product, Summer Primrose Blocks, Leaders and Enders Too

Thank you all who identified this border below as Prairie Points...what a sweet name and, of course, I had to look that up. Turns out there are tons of video tutorials showing how to make this. How did I not know about it till now?? It looks really intricate but makes such a unique border. Here is what I'm talking about in case you missed it. 

 Does planning a set schedule for what to stitch and when work for you?  I've tried that many times over the years and I've never been able to stick to it. During Covid, I seemed to be more regulated about my stitching and I remember well getting a lot of slow stitching accomplished before noon when my eyes are the most rested. That time is spent these days reading, writing and walking dogs. Nothing wrong with that but it is slowing my slow stitching progress. But of course, this is just all in my head- there are no rules or stitching deadlines for me. Generally, it is my mood that dictates what I pick up in the moment to lay stitches on but I do wish sometimes I could stick to a schedule of sorts.

 However, there is one plan that I'm happy to say I've been doing fairly well with since Christmas and that is to do machine stitching a few days of each week at some point even for just a couple of minutes. Yes, I know that doesn't really qualify as much of a plan. But that is how I've made progress on this FPP quilt project I'm calling my Summer Primrose project. HERE is the link to the Thimbles and Needles AU Etsy shop where I purchased the pattern. And here are my blocks so far in summery looking fabrics. I'm thinking of making a table topper. 

FPP helps with accuracy. And my Leaders and Enders project has benefitted from the added machine time too. I can't remember if I gave these a name. Here is my latest batch.

Speaking of table toppers, I've pulled out my daffodils tablecloth, the one that combines applique and embroidery. 

                                      

Mom sewed a lot of what she called lunch cloths back in those days in Newfoundland. These were smaller sized tablecloths featuring embroidery and usually had crocheted edgings that were used for tea and bikkies when you had company. I think this is Mom's work but I honestly can't remember about this one. She was fond of using simple blanket stitch edging, seen below, and I realized I am too. 

The Daffodils and Tulips I was given at Easter have faded. I will replant these in the garden. Meanwhile, a most welcome sight in the back garden this week is these lovely spring flowers.

I promised to share the latest face moisterizer I am enjoying. Amelia found this one and now Beth and I are giving it a go too. It is the priciest I've tried in recent years and I really like it. L'Oreal Duo Serum.

 It is not watery, goes on smoothly and absorbs into the skin nicely.  I bought mine on Amazon and I agree with the negative reviews about the packaging...you can't see how much is in the container and there's too much of it, something I don't like too. I'm still using castor oil too. 

My mood has been all over the place recently. Perhaps it's the change of season and the new chores that come with it that's on my mind. But we had Robbie here for a weekend so that kept me busy and definitely perked me and the dogs up. He's a busy guy and has started baseball now; while here he had indoor baseball practice and outdoor pitching practice.One day we all went down to the pond where he practised his golf swing putting balls into the pond. So much energy. As Tony says, it makes him tired just watching him. Ned, a true water dog, has been retrieving those balls ever since. 

I hope you are all staying calm; our supportive stitching world is a wonderful respite from all the turmoil out there. 

 

Stitchy Gifts, Kits, Links, Quarter Dresdens

 I'm feeling a little drowsy this morning sitting here by the fire. I've just mopped the whole upstairs because we've had a lot of activity here. It's been a trying week because our furnace quit working and what a time to choose to do that during these very cold days in February. I'm thankful to have Brad who helped me with getting wood up from the back basement door for our fireplace...that is quite a trek. The little heaters we also used were okay but it was really nice to be able to keep a fire burning.

 We've had to go in and out for appointments too which has all kept the dogs and me off kilter. But thankfully, in the end, we just went four days without a furnace. I didn't realize putting in a new furnace would take so long. The two guys were here for five hours which drove the dogs mad- they wanted to be with them! Of course, they had to remove the old 21 year old furnace first which took up some of the time. Thankfully the new system is working fine so far, and, fingers crossed this episode is now history.  

I'd found this book below and want to read it. It's a book where writers who knit or try to share their stories about knitting. I always knew Barbara Kingsolver did but I didn't know Sue Grafton did. Turns out there are a lot of writers who knit and more that would love to. Here is the Amazon link if you'd like to read more about it. It would make a great gift. 

Kate at the Last Homely House still interests me and it's the perfect kind of show to have on while knitting. I don't have to follow any instructions or such and the tv room was also the perfect spot this week as I could keep it warm in there with a small heater. Isn't the winter sun on these colours pretty.  

I've also been working on my Quarter Dresdens project. Now I have more of the working parts kitted up all ready to stitch together so I feel better about it. I'm still using mail flyers, the flimsy ones, for template material and an old cookie tin to keep them in. 

I've decided to use more colour in the scrappy EPP blades; I know white is the colour of the year and all but so many in white got boring to me.

I'm using dark greens, the RSC February colour, for these backgrounds and one is looking lighter here than it really is and other darker. Sigh

Beth gave me three embroidery kits for Christmas. The Puffin is Newfoundland's provincial bird so it makes sense I finally embroider one. It's from Hook, Line and Tinker whose link is HERE if you'd like to check out their other cute designs.

I get so many Chickadees at my feeders and love them. I wanted it to be Canada's national bird but it lost out to the Canada Jay, formerly the Gray Jay. This is a sweet little kit from Nest Embirdery. Their link is HERE where there is a gorgeous bumblebee I'd also like to stitch.

And as well, this kit by Wendy Williams that I'd mentioned to her quite a while ago that I liked. Now I don't have to order it. I've admired this one for a long time and you can check it and others equally beautiful at Flying Fish Kits.

Stitchy gifts are the best, aren't they!

I'm feeling a bit tired but a good tired, if you know what I mean. The kind you feel when you've moved your body. We've decided to treat ourselves to a lunch out at one of the very old restaurants in a nearby town. They make good pork souvlaki there and that's what I always have. They make their own dressing for the Greek salad, something else I'm fond of. Would this appeal to you? 

Happy Valentine's Day to you all too!

Delighted to share this post with Kathy's Quilts, Quilting Patchwork Applique, Good and Random Fun, Melva Loves Scraps and Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.

Christmas Embroideries, 3 Ingredient Fruit Cake, Knitting Too

Hello all and thank you for stopping by so close to Christmas Day. 

It's been busy. I've set up things that light up...the wreath, two small trees, several candles. I've been shopping and wrapping gifts with the usual seasonal feelings of panic about getting it all right. 

I've been keeping the feeders full and watched this little tableau one morning.

The three of them were calmly eating together after one of the squirrels had climbed up and jumped on the pan feeder, conveniently tipping the seeds down for them. 

I baked a fruit cake. I've been seeing so many videos of folks making the 3 ingredient fruit cake, I had to give it a try. Tony is a fruit cake lover so I figured it would have to be pretty bad for him not to eat it. Luckily, it is tasty despite my using the barest of ingredients. Mine included the dried fruit on hand which was mostly raisins, currants, cranberries and dates. You soak your fruit overnight in a chosen liquid. I chose black tea. Then you mix it with self rising flour and bake it. I should have baked it longer but I was eager to try it. I thought it was fine and the fruit cake lover loved it.

Yes, this is truly just the three ingredients of fruit, flour and liquid unlike some recipes that claim that but actually require more when you read the fine print.

I will be making this again and using real fruit cake fruit like the glace cherries and also a different liquid maybe Baileys or juice to heighten the flavour. HERE is the link to just one of the sites that features this recipe. 

I finished my little Merry Moose embroidery. Such a fun little stitch.

And I took four of the little orphan Christmas embroideries and sewed a little mat. I have lots of this pretty Christmas fabric left over from a past project. 

And I had a matching fabric in the darker green that worked out well for the trim and back.

I've been thinking lots about possible RSC projects for the new year. There are two patterns I keep going back to and I'll share those soon. Perhaps I'll work on both just to have some variety with this particular challenge. Meanwhile this year's quilt is still at the flimsy stage. I have to take out all the papers/cardboards but just before that decide on the edging pieces if I want it to be straight on the sides.

So it requires a little decision making which I'm not in the mindset for just now.  

I've also been knitting on my afghan to be and enjoying that for a change.

Perhaps you've seen this....the wonderful Barbara Brackman shared a quilt pattern for those who may be thinking of sewing an authentic period quilt to celebrate the 250 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. You can check out the information here... a beautiful Anniversary Quilt Pattern.

I think I have everything ready. Our gift exchange is tonight and then everyone back here again for the dinner tomorrow. It's so nice to still have a younger boy in the family who is still so excited about Christmas. 

If celebrating, I hope your Christmas is wonderful and you all get to enjoy some holiday time. 

So wonderful too to share with Kathy's Quilts, Melva Loves Scraps, Creations Quilts Art, Anja Quilts and Quilting Patchwork Applique. Thank you ladies for hosting!