Quilt Project From My Library, Finishing Hand Quilting, Medical Story

I've been really busy. Well, what seems to be busy for us. Daily chores and lots of shovelling too. There for a few days it kept snowing every day, all day. We ran the snowmobile over the trails to flatten them for our walks. I've been taking the dogs down to our frozen pond for playing ball and they've been loving that. I get to do my little run about as well, safely, on a flat snow covered surface for now. The weather will change it soon enough. Update, it has. Milder temperatures and pouring rain for a day or two and then freezing at night so the pond is unwalkable just now. Sigh But more snow will change it back. I hope you are keeping well and away from the germs. There have been massive numbers of influenza cases here starting with the holidays. 

I've been busy with my stitching too. I mentioned I want to make a project from each of my stitchery books and I've also been casting about for a 2026 RSC project. I've found one in this book below that I'm going to give a try. This book provides the cardboard templates in the back which is very convenient. 

I've chosen the quarter Dresden block which I'd seen at the  Stitched in Color blog and loved the particular treatment Rachel used. Of course, I don't have anything like the stash that she has. But like hers, this time round, I'm going to aim for the brighter and bolder fabrics for backgrounds. So starting with blues, I found these fabrics to make a beginning. And as contrast, the blades will be low volume/neutral fabrics. These are my test blocks so to speak, and yes, I'm using EPP for the blades.

I think stitching these could hold my attention as we go through the colours each month. 

I've almost finished the hand quilting on my Christmas Presents quilt. After much messing about, I wound up getting it to feel comfortable for stitching draped over my lap. I use lots of pins and check often to make sure there are no folds or puckers on the back. But what I really had to overcome was my fear of the stitching being bad laying them like this. But so far I'm happy enough with my lines. 

LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color's prompt this week is about singing. I used to sing just well enough to be in church choirs and then the university glee club. But after years of teaching, I developed a nodule on a vocal chord that changed my voice. Oddly I've noticed recently I can kind of sing again which I do on my walks with the dogs where no one can hear me. I wonder can these things clear up on their own. I'll have to look that up. 

 You can skip the following if you aren't like me who loves reading medical stuff-

I've been told I have mild IBS because I have symptoms about 3 times a year even though I'm pretty careful about my diet. I was scheduled for a colonoscopy during covid and decided to decline during that crazy period. So I mentioned it at a recent check up and the nurse practioner said yes, let's get you that consult with the gastroenterologist. A couple of months later and I've got my appointment. I've read a lot about the procedure; people have related their experiences to me with all agreeing the prep is the worst part. So I'd done my research and I felt good about getting this done and over with. The doctor was really young; looked about 20 to me which made me think of my grandfather who came back from taking a friend to the doctor and asked since when do they allow teenagers to be doctors. This fellow was wearing a mask cause he said he had a cold which made me think of Physician heal thyself. You see the foolishness that bounces around in this head of mine. Anyway, I could tell right away he, as one would expect, knew lots about diet and the brain/gut connection and all the IBS stuff. After chatting quite convivially for a couple of minutes, he told me I didn't need the colonoscopy. You don't need to put yourself through that were his exact words. If I insisted, he would proceed, of course, he said. He had a page of notes in front of him I assumed were from the nurse practitioner. I wished at that point he would leave the room so I could read them. Which I absolutely would do; would you? That makes me wonder, can you ask to read your medical file do you think?

Anyway, I said okay then, thanked him and left. Part of me is relieved and part of me is wondering if I should have gone ahead with it. Tony, the ever practical one, figures that doctor turned down quite a chunk of change to not proceed so I should accept that he was confident in telling me I didn't need it. Your thoughts, wonderful readers??? I should add here that I do the FIT every two years and that has always been negative so far. 

Right now I have a fruit fly situation in the kitchen I have to deal with. It comes with eating so much fresh vegetables and fruit. Perhaps why I don't need a colonoscopy I guess. :)

As soon as I press publish, I'm heading out for a walk and am now wearing my winter boots with the cleats attached. Really don't want to take a fall. And you all be careful too!

Happy to share this post with Alycia Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Quilting Patchwork Applique and Kathy's Quilts.

 

Feelings, Pumpkins Flimsy, Cabbage Casserole

 The Red Squirrels are very busy these days. I can get this shot standing by my sink as this tree is in the front garden and has grown from a little bush to a much bigger bush putting the squirrel pretty much right in front of me. I've had the pleasure of capturing many photos of these little animals in just this pose eating spruce buds. 

And I took this photo of a young deer from the sewing room window. I wonder if it is the same one I've seen from time to time over the summer. I love those eye and nose markings. I had to look it up and it said the white enhances their facial expressions aiding communication with other deer and it also helps reflect sun glare.

Something absent though is a Groundhog. Haven't seen one this summer but their holes are still here. What we did see on a drive recently were the gorgeous reds of these trees lining a farm's laneway. The photo is not doing it justice. There are a lot of horse farms around us and I think this is one of them.

The little appliqued Pumpkins piece is now a flimsy and I'm happy with it too. I sewed one border of black and then used the pumpkin scraps to add an easy pieced second border. It finished at 36 x 36. Looking bright here on a cloudy day.

I was going to call this one Petit Pumpkins with the intention of making the pumpkins very small, something like a field of them with maybe a little house/barn off in the distance. I have the notions but lack the execution and that's why I have so much admiration for you blogging folks who possess both. So my drawings got bigger but I still have the idea that a lot of little pumpkins would look cute. 

As soon as this one below is out of the hoop -there are three more blocks to go, I'll begin to quilt Pumpkins. 

I bought a small cabbage to make an easy egg and cabbage casserole. This is a good dish to use up aging vegetables too. I looked at this site,Amee's Savory Dish, to see what she put in her vegetable casserole. 

Many of these recipes use cream of mushroom/chicken soup and I didn't want to add that this time. So a little butter and milk will have to do. And a cheese topping.

I've been out shopping which included a thrift store and, of course, I have a few items to share with you for next time. 

My deeper thought for this week came about when I read about the death of the oldest Holocaust survivor, 113 year old Rose Girone. Rose was a lifelong and prolific knitter. Here she is knitting on her 110th birthday...wouldn't we all love to be able to do that. You can read how much Rose credited knitting for her survival HERE. So inspiring!

These words below resonated with me and I'm sure will with many of you too. We all have unseen burdens and our daily responsibilities, duties and sense of purpose can carry us along and far. Many folks can and are enduring so much. 

One of my grandmothers firmly believed her reward for all these earthly trials would be in heaven. 

I would love to hear you are hopeful too and especially finding calm, enjoyment and satisfaction, like Rose, in whatever is keeping your stitchy fingers flying!

Happily sharing this post with The Inquiring Quilter, Melva Loves Scraps, Sew Can Do, Random-osity, Alycia Quilts, Quilts Art Whatever and Happiness is Homemade.

 

YouTube Videos, Hand Quilting, Feelings

 Richard Scarry books were a favourite of my children and then the grandsons. So many things on every page to point to and talk about. We had to make a rule with younger daughter, Beth, that she couldn't choose one of Richard's books for a night time read in bed book. She was the one so reluctant to give up on the day and she still makes the most of her busy days starting with a very early morning run.  

We had geese flying overhead yesterday and turkeys trotting through though not in a cute little red car. 

It was so sad that our little pond completely dried up with the summer droughts. The well we used to top it up also dried up. Both firsts for here. It will be interesting to see if winter snows can bring them back.

I collected a few little shells from the bottom. A surprise as I never knew there were crustaceans in our pond.

I enjoyed this video of Megan explaining what it was like to wear dresses for a year. She is Mormon but it wasn't for religious reasons and it was interesting to hear what her final thoughts were. I wear dresses in summer time and do like it...I've also noted the convenience of not having to worry about tops and bottoms and also just how comfy it feels. Megan gives links to where she bought her dresses, some on Amazon. 

BTW, Megan is now recording and sharing her journey with breast cancer. It's so awful how rates of that dreadful disease keep rising. It's so frustrating that all the substantial funds thrown at research can't seem to further our knowledge of how to beat this for good. 

With Tony's help, I moved the smaller television into the sewing room. So here's my hand quilting set up now. That's Kate there from The Last Homely House that I'm watching.

 I decided that quilting circles would be appropriate for the Propeller quilt and, for the first time, I'm using chalk to mark the lines. It's okay so far. 

So there I am, stitching and watching Kate show how she hand quilts at her table half a country and the Atlantic Ocean away. These are amazing times to live in!

I had a tiny epiphany while searching for the slippers I'd stowed away last spring. While searching I found two things I'd forgotten about and was happy to come across them. So I realized it isn't such a complete waste of time to have to look for something after all. Sadly still have not found the slippers.

This post has been my usual mishmash of topics. I started with a children's book, the idea for which was so cleverly devised by Richard over 50 years ago and still lives on though he has been gone over twenty years. I'll finish with a line I have written in a notebook. It's meaningful because we all know what loss feels like and I've said at times I'm the queen of losses. But even when suffering, luckily I knew what I hadn't lost...my life, my health, a limb, my mind- though in private inside my head, very sad woe is me mode for quite a while, and with a little more time I felt fortunate to not lose my family and my history. So I often repeat to myself in my sternest inside voice...you be thankful you.

And here's the line- How shall the heart be reconciled/ to its feast of losses? Kunitz 

Change, he decides. Learn to embrace the new version of yourself, scarred yes, and without whatever it is you know/feel you've lost. It's so good when you figure out what works for you to achieve that...whatever it is that can move you forward past it all. 

 Well that's enough chatter. Hope you are calm and peaceful and enjoying these September days whether it's warming up or cooling down where you are. 

Sharing this post with Alycia Quilts, Creations Quilts Art Whatever and Quilting Patchwork Applique.

Finding Calm, Feelings, String Quilts-Old and New, Applique Too

 I was just getting used to it being June and now it is July. I feel like I've been very busy. Tony had his drivers' license renewal which, being over 80, meant he had to go to the office and do the testing which he aced. I find it odd they don't check how your feet or any reflexes are. Shouldn't that be as important as knowing how to draw a clock face to include 10 past 10. However, I've read seniors still have the least accidents of all age groups, so maybe it's all okay. 

Here is Petey pointing out my current book, Louise Erdrich's The Sentence which I'm enjoying now after an iffy start but I'm at page 37 and it's growing on me...the good writing is drawing me in. 

That was one of my two very enjoyable outings last week. The library was extra busy with two groups of children, one tiny tots and the other middle school aged teenagers, there for activities. The sounds of all their voices...the older ones discussing a book and the little ones being read to by a very enthusiastic volunteer were just awesome. 

I saw this book and took a picture. Cross Stitch = Calm   Yes, so true and HERE is a link to Leah's book to purchase which features 40 patterns to help you de-stress.

Acceptance versus Giving In

How are you doing with the calming bit? I know I'm not the only one struggling with achieving that. But I'm doing all I can to keep the big bad thoughts at bay...these weeks are having their ups and downs, that's for sure. And we are having ongoing discussions surrounding the difference between giving in/up and acceptance. I think acceptance is positive overall and that is what Tony should strive for. But he sees any move in that direction as giving up. And who knows, if in his shoes and feeling weaker by the day, I really don't know how I'd feel. I am a solutions/plans kind of thinker so perhaps would want to keep up the search too. I just don't know. What do you think? 

I'm looking forward to a sit down with our gp soon...he's a good listener and chatterer and good with Tony too. But Tony has another scheduled test before that will happen. 

Meanwhile, the sewing, swimming, constant dog walks and ball playing-all things I love- are great and very positive distractions for me. 

Speaking of ball playing...One sunny evening this week, we went to watch Robbie's baseball game. We brought our chairs to one of the five baseball diamonds the local town has; they are all named and the one we were at is called Brickdust Field. Like the hockey, boys and girls play together which is nice to see. Baseball games are long...about two hours, but they moved it right along so there was always action. I like how sports teach kids rules, not only about the game, but about their behaviour too. The spirit of fair play and especially respect for each other is paramount. I liked how the coaches called out  encouraging words to each and every player no matter how they played. 

Writing that just made me think of the song What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love. That was Burt Bacharach's wonderful music composed when the U.S. and the world were so divided over the Vietnam war. Amazing how the words still very much apply. "Not just for some, but for everyone." 

I'm finding my own kind of calm in the sewing room and enjoying sewing what I know will be the last of the blue strings blocks. Truthfully, I find these a little boring but it's not the strings fault. And I'm pleased with how the blocks are piling up. I found a bag of men's handkerchiefs, you know the very flimsy kind, I'd bought at a thrift store and decided to try them for the backings.

  I did read that it would be good to provide a sort of stabilizer for these very thin fabrics. This starch below was recommended and when searching online to buy it, I found it was available at my local Walmart.  I also use this Dollar Store spray bottle to help iron out wrinkles and spray my indoor plants in wintertime.  Do you starch your fabrics? I've never done it.                                       

 I was poking around in the old sewing room where I have a number of projects pinned to the wall and noticed this one. That's Tony's kangaroo there from his time in Australia, just one of his world wide work adventures.

I took it out in the light of day and thought I really should finish this one. It has scrappy strings in neutrals for the backgrounds.

And simple applique.

I wonder where that idea came from as I surely would have seen it somewhere online. If you know, please remind me.

I've rambled on too long and that happens when I don't write for a few days. Next time I'll share my bread machine review- yes, we are enjoying homemade egg bread!

Take care all of you!

Happy to share this post with linky parties at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Quilting Patchwork Applique, Songbird Designs, The Inquiring Quilter, Alycia Quilts, Kathy's Quilts and Quilting is More Fun Than Housework. Thank you ladies all for hosting!

Easter Ice Cream Cake, EPP Starry Hexagons, Thoughts For These Times

 After several dark, damp cold morning walks, today the sun is shining and we are promised it will get to 13C. I'm mostly wearing my spring jacket these days. And I, being the tick magnet that I am, have begun spraying my waders with bug spray...it's supposed to help repel them. The trails are snow and ice free...cue the choir...hallelujah!  And the Trout Lilies are already sending up tiny green shoots down on the big trail. The frogs are croaking and the birds are singing. Which of the 43 types of striped sparrows that are here in Ontario would this one be, I wonder??

At Not Afraid of Color folks are talking about where they write their blog posts. I'm always to be found here in my easy chair...a Swedish garden chair hand me down from Tony's parents in my corner of the living area. I have an Acer lap top to write on, as the name suggests, in my lap. It rests on one of those bean bag trays. This is where my little piles of "stuff" magically appear and grow around me, routinely requiring a clean out. What about you? Do you have a favourite spot where you write your blogs? 

Indoors I've been following Lori at Humble Quilts who has been sharing Cheddar quilts. So many beautiful quilts in different patterns all featuring gorgeous cheddars. Like looking at sunshine but also happily reminds me of autumn and pumpkins too.  Her Part 2 is HERE.

Cheddar must be a thing just now as the March catalogue of Connecting Threads ran an indigo and cheddar feature. What a great combination! And my, look at these wonderful quilts!

In not nearly as dramatic a showing...I've steadily added to my EPP Starry Hexagons project. I'm using the reds for the RSC April's colour. Here's how many I've stitched so far this month. I've diamond bits readied for a couple more which I should be able to sneak in before the end of the month.

We had a ham dinner for Easter with the usual foods...scalloped potatoes, carrots, etc. I did make an effort with the corn. I bought corn on the cob and cut off the niblets and fried them a bit in a pan. They were surprisingly sweet which made me wonder if they are shooting sugar into everything these days. I also tried one different dish. Prosciutto wrapped asparagus...roasted in the oven and served with a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar. Here is the site where I got the idea.

 It was fun to make an Easter ice cream cake. And I remembered to take it out of the freezer when I started dishing up supper so I could get a knife through it by the time dessert rolled around.

 I used a couple crushed Cadbury chocolate eggs in the layers and because it was for company, I used Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Everyone enjoyed it. 

Easter means spring to me and I feel so fortunate to be able to watch up close this very definite time of rebirth in the natural world. I know a lot of you are worried about big and some not so big picture things, and you have a right to be for sure, but we have to carry on doing what we do best. Being kind and caring, finding little joys in our day to day activities. 

**Spoiler Alert**  We finished Season 5 of Fargo last night. The last episode has the heroine, Dorothy, talking to Old Munch, one of the bad guys, who has come to her house to do harm. These two characters have both suffered abuse and Old Munch has entered a family scene where they are just getting supper on the table. Old Munch is stymied by how they are treating him...like he is a guest... pull out a chair for him, fix a plate of food for him. Meanwhile Dorothy is talking to him and what she basically says is we don't have to be like that anymore, that's the past...what is the answer a confused Old Munch asks...I'm paraphrasing here...forgiveness, love, kindness- they are always the answer says Dorothy. I thought it was brilliant. I cried buckets. 

Hope you are not crying- other than in a good way and having a great week!

Happy to link with The Inquiring Quilter, My Quilt Infatuation, Alycia Quilts, So Scrappy, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and It's a Small Town Life.

Stitchy Mail, Teal Stars, Liberty's Birds, Update Too

Oh April, where are you? 

Since I last wrote, we've had more snow- 14 cm to be exact, prior to it turning into an ice storm which was scary, then a thunder and lightening storm, high winds and rain, more snow -the mean kind, small bits driven by the wind and the weather warnings kept piling on. 

Seeing the trees laden with ice is always sad.

They tried to say there might even be a tornado in the mix. Yikes! It's -7 windchill this morning..yes it's staying cold and I'm still clunking around the trails in my winter boots with cleats and wearing my winter jacket. But as we always say, it could be worse. Some folks lost their power and it's taking days to get it back. I am always so grateful when that does not happen here...so far. But perhaps this was winter of 2025's last hurrah. The temperature is supposed to rise dramatically by the end of this day to 18C!!   

Okay, that's enough yakking about the weather. What else happened this week. My computer was having glitches and then failed completely. Tony worked on it most of Wednesday to figure it out and got it working fine again. I was happy about that as this Acer is not that old and shouldn't be giving up just yet. 

I've now completely finished two of Liberty's Birds blocks; well no, as it happens, not quite. When I took a photo of the Red Cardinal, I didn't like the curve on the flower stem so I took out the stitches and fixed it. I like to add a few embellishments like blanket stitches here and there so that adds time. 

I had thought the RSC colour is teal for this month and I had to check out what exactly is teal. I found this handy chart at Art in Context so apparently teal can run to lighter shades as well as the dark that I immediately thought of. Whatever the shades, I have very little of these lovely colours in my stash. *Actually Red is the colour for April, 2025. But the teals are pretty to look at anyway. :)

I dug deep to find a few pieces. I've finished one Starry Hexagon and prepped a couple more. 

I must show you that paisley up close. It's from a thrifted man's shirt (don't think Tony would ever wear such!) and when I bought it, I thought it would be neat and interesting for Halloween pumpkin fabric. 

I had stitchy mail this week.  My Aunt Martha's State Flowers transfer set arrived. 

I plan to stitch the Canadian Provincial and U.S. State flowers together in one project, as a way of marking our two countries marvelous shared history. I was thinking maybe arranging them alphabetically or something. 

Update

Okay, so we made the over an hour's drive to the huge hospital complex- and with Brad's help found where we needed to be for Tony's appointment. Once in that particular wing, it is smooth sailing with folks ready to guide you even. We met first with the respirologist then with the pulmonologist-lung cancer guy joining us. We spent an hour with them all told and the conversations were excellent. I won't bore you with all the questions and answers, but the bottom line was this...the procedures to check out the tumor have risks...maybe too many for someone Tony's age to take a chance on. And then even if it was found to be cancer, the treatments with the usual awful side effects also are not advisable for someone in his age category. But the decision to proceed or not was up to us, of course. Since our gp had already provided us with this line of thinking and we had talked it over, we knew what the answer would be. Unless something happens to change our outlook, we are leaving it alone for now. And Tony's fatigue...they didn't think it had to do with his lungs. Since he's had every test known to man showing nothing else untoward here's what they thought... a rapid decline in strength and stamina in your eighties can be part of the natural aging process and, in fact, is that way for most folks. No getting around or over it. But Tony is struggling to accept that idea nonetheless. 

So in a way, we are both relieved a bit too. It is daunting to face hospitals and treatments, etc. at any age and especially at ours. The less we have to do such may be for the better.  

Thank you all so much for your kind words and all the considerate suggestions, encouragement, etc. Tony appreciates it very much too. 

Always happy to join linky parties-Alycia Quilts, Quilting Patchwork Applique, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and Creations Art Quilts.

Feelings, Stitching Progress, New and Fun YouTube Channel

 March, someone said, is the triumph of hope over experience...not unlike second marriages as somebody else said. So here we are cruising along through the month and I'm going to ignore the major snow and ice storm warning we have on the horizon. Perhaps it will not materialize; they've gotten these predictions wrong before. However, just to be on the safe side, I've filled both tubs in case we lose the power. 

The way down through the big woods path has opened up and I've been taking Ned there adding a further loop to our daily walks. He's been loving all the new to him smells down there.

 It's wide open to the skies there just now but soon millions of leaves will begin to emerge and close it all in.

 I watched a falcon fly overhead one day which made me smile and yesterday I heard a Phoebe' s unmistakable call...spring!

Indoors I'm feeling good about how I'm moving along several stitchy projects. Like my cross stitch piece, Quakers In England. I'm enjoying laying these tiny stitches. It's so satisfying to complete a little design. Sorry, I just can't seem to get a good photo of this that shows the true colours. That red is a cherry red and there is lavender there too. 

And I've been meaning to share this for a while...today it is then. If you'd like to try a Quaker cross stitched piece yourself, The Fat Quarter Shop offers this sweet Little Quaker ABC by Susan Ache project for free. 

And more of the Basket Love bottoms have been appliqued too. I'm enjoying choosing the fabrics for this. Two more thrifted men's shirts in this lot. Can you guess which two?

Tony is eager for his appointment on Monday and I'm really hoping we will get some answers. He is weakening steadily...he has to take rests while getting dressed and I now have to take his boots off for him. But I admire his fortitude...he continues to follow through on most of his routines no matter how much longer they take him or tire him. I could only hope to have such resolve if I felt like him. 

I don't particularly follow politics and I never talk about it here on the blog.  But after much consideration, I'll share this bit of news and for a couple of reasons...knowledge is power and it's something else worrying me and as you all know, I do share my feelings here in this space. A friend visited one day with sad news of Canadians getting harassed at the Canada/US border to the point of them turning around. There are many living in border towns who have been crossing for decades to work or do a shop and have dinners in Ogdensburg, NY, for instance. We have done that ourselves. We all found the news depressing and worrisome too. We wondered where is this all going. There just seems to be so much more unpleasantness generally in the world these days. But then a country always has the right to defend its own border whichever way or whatever form that might take. So be it I guess. 

It's making me think I should move back home to Newfoundland...being an island there are no borders. :) And that reminds me, we are following a couple who are starting to homestead on an island off the coast of Newfoundland, yes, an island off an island in the Atlantic. We have watched all Matty's past videos of him crossing the Arctic Circle in a boat he built himself and of his time living in the Labrador wilderness too. He is an unbelievably resourceful and hard working fellow. He met Kelly on an alpaca farm in Virginia, US- of all places, and fell in love. They are genuine and sweet together...and providing just the kind of entertainment that's needed in the world these days. And Ned is envious of the life Ronnie, their dog, is living too. 

On that bright note, I'll leave you today. Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend and your stitchy fingers are flying!

So happy to link up with Kathy's Quilts and Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.

Stitchy Gift, Applique Projects, Free Patterns, Update

The ground is starting to get that in between seasons look...grimy snowbanks and patches of old grass showing through here and there. Freezing temps overnight still and it was -14C here yesterday morning for a windy walk with Ned. They keep promising warm ups that don't happen. I gave my Geranium a deep trim-all my plants are getting a little "leggy" as they reach for the precious light. You can glimpse our snow free gravel driveway here so the sun is working it's magic even if the air is cold. Yah!

We went to Robbie's last hockey game of the season, part of their tournament. They won their game which was fun. They've played together well in the Under 13 league but some of the players will be moving on to the next league in the fall so it will be a different team then. His Dad built him a marvelous backyard rink again this year and he spent hours on it practicing...great exercise in the fresh air. 

I cooked a roast beef dinner for us on Monday and we had leftovers for Tuesday. I got the beef at Farm Boy and it was good. We are not big meat eaters and I always worry we are not getting enough iron. I did a little checking online. I was reassured to see that nuts and dried fruits can help in that regard. I keep dates, prunes, apricots, and raisins in the house most of the time to have with cereal and oatmeal as well as little snacks. Apparently they are fairly good sources of iron. 

I did get a photo of the oven roasted potatoes and carrots I made to have with salmon one night. I'm trying to include fish in our diet once a week. 

That's a spinach and kale salad with lots of dressing for Tony and he said he actually enjoyed it. 

This week I"ve been working on prepping more of the Liberty's Birds blocks. The Cardinal and the Bluebird have been readied for stitching...mostly. These are large pieces and not fiddly at all to applique. Just like the Everglade blocks that were fun to hand stitch. 

And I also prepped the side panel for the Baskets Love project. I took a photo but for the life of me I can't find it.

💓  I got some lovely stitchy mail from Magpie's Mumbling's generous Mary Anne. She sent me her grandmothers set of the Canadian provincial flowers stencils. Looks like they were the Aunt Martha's set which was so familiar to all us older folks. I was able to order the American version from Amazon and am looking forward to embroidering these pretty flowers. What a great summer stitchy project that will be. 

The Jolly Jabber is a fabulous site for us stitchers to hang out and ogle lovely projects of all sorts. It has several sections of free quilt patterns. I enjoyed looking through the one labelled Vintage and Classic Quilt Patterns- the link to that is HERE.

Update on Tony

We got a second opinion report on Tony's CT scan. This doctor confirmed everything from the first fellow but also noted what he thought was a slight collapse in a small area in one lung. So we have an appointment with a respirologist on the 31st to check that out. We also sat down with our GP and had a good talk. He brought the conversation around to something we had not really thought about. And that was should Tony have an operation, one that requires opening the chest, even if the specialist thinks so. I guess there could be ramifications for recovery, etc. in light of his age. He favoured the idea of waiting three months, having the scan again to see if the tumour will grow. That certainly gave us food for thought.

I am enjoying seeing your photos of the pretty early spring flowers appearing in your necks of the woods. Please keep them coming. Mine will definitely be a while. 

I hope all reading this are having the best kind of weekend, one with treats and stitching time too. 

I love the wonderful link ups at Alycia Quilts, Quilting Patchwork Applique, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Creations Art Quilts.

Stitching Challenge, Liberty's Birds, Food Hack, A Little News Too

So what's new at the wooden house. Last weekend our fridge died. It came with the house and is old. I've moved things down to our freezer and the tiny drinks fridge downstairs. And this house came with a cold room intended for wine (our little joke is how ridiculous Tony's monthly box of wine would look in it) but now has come in handy to house most of the fridge stuff. Actually I'm quite settled into a routine of going downstairs with my basket for whatever I need in the kitchen. Logging more steps is a good thing so I've not been in a rush to get a new fridge. And they really would have a challenge getting it up the front steps which disappeared under all the roof snow. Anyway, we have ordered a new one to be delivered in a couple of weeks when, hopefully, most of that snow will be gone. 

I've been stitching on a tiny scale lately. I kept thinking I would like to try higher thread count fabric like so many of my cross stitching idols use. In my new determination to make Sometime Now, I ordered a small piece of 36 count fabric to cross stitch the England Quakers piece. But with the caveat that if I couldn't manage the tiny-ness of the required stitching I would not get down on myself and happily pass it along to another stitcher. So I began with a little trepidation and what do you know, I am doing just fine with it. Here is my first little motif...one I substituted for the St. Georges Flag, the flag of England. I'll see if I can fit that in somewhere else. 

I want to honour the late Queen with her own little pattern and this one features a crown so will be just right. 

I found it in my Brenda Keyes Ultimate Sampler Motifs Source Book which is proving to be very helpful for switching out tiny patterns. 

And I am managing this without eyestrain-so far- thanks to my Ott light and its ability to go to a third level of brilliant light. 

And here is a better photo of Tudor Bee finished. 

This pattern is one of a Tudor inspired series from The Blue Flower. There is a Tudor Ermine, Goat, Swan, Maiden, Hare and Hound. HERE is a link where you can look at these gorgeous patterns. 

I've also been stitching more EPP Stars in yellows, March's colour at the So Scrappy challenge. This was taken from my stitching chair in the tv room. (How many quilty things can be spotted here?)

Tony's spot is at the further end and Ned's is this end, close to me always.

And I've started to make the applique patterns for Barbara Brackman's Liberty's Birds Block 6 which features a bright yellow bird. 

 I saw a hack, as they call them, for how to upgrade Cinnamon Roll Grands so I gave it a try. You just have to carefully unroll each bun and add a mixture of dried fruit and then reroll. I used cranberry, raisin, ginger and lemon bits. It added more flavours and worked well. Will definitely do again with maybe a little butter and brown sugar mixture added too. If you cook for someone who has a sweet tooth, then these make a very quick little treat. 

On a personal note and as promised...five days after Tony's CT scan, we got an email from our family doctor. He forwarded the results which consisted of three pages of examiner's notes. We were both surprised by the thoroughness such a scan can achieve. Every organ had been examined from different angles. The worrisome news-it did reveal an issue in his right lung- a tiny tumor about 1.3 cm. He now has to see the Lung Cancer Clinic folks to determine treatment, if any. Initially we were both naturally upset but then realized we needed to adapt a wait and see attitude because we don't know what we are dealing with of course. And in a way, Tony feels vindicated for complaining so much about feeling tired, an issue that appears to be worsening by the week. Thank you all again for reaching out with kind thoughts and suggestions. We both appreciate it very much. 

So happy to be able to share this post with wonderful linky parties like the one at Kathy's Quilts, Songbird Designs, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.