Serious Talk, A New Sighting, Redwork Hanging, Cross Stitching Feet

I  finished another biographical book about Eleanor Roosevelt called Eleanor and Hick by Susan Quinn.  Here is one of Eleanor's lines I like and wrote in my journal.

" You can not live at all if you do not learn to adapt yourself to your life as it happens to be." 

How to remain caring and sensitive yet adapt and accept the unkind things life throws at us. Not easy. Especially those times when "you think you've lost a lot and then you lose even more" times. One foot in front of the other with music in my ears is the way I coped at one such time. I think I logged miles. But this thought applies also to the bigger picture of learning to live with what seems like a lot more complexities in the world not the least of which is a war, drastic effects of global warming and a pandemic that just isn't coming to a clean end. I feel like nothing is simple anymore but maybe that's my age talking.

After that little serious bit, I have to show you something that I spied and loved.

From my kitchen window-late afternoon, nearing dusk which accounts for the odd colouring, sunlight through trees. That always seems like a symbol of hope to me.

And close up on the late July Phlox- first I thought this was a Wolf Spider but with a little research, I now think it is a Nursery Web Spider.  It was lucky to spy this one.

I've been a bit lazy about the indoor chores lately especially after I did a big clean up when the dogs, Petey and Abbey, went home. And I haven't really been putting a lot of effort into meals- just cobbling together easy meals with the excuse who wants an oven on when humidity is so high; it's 34C as I write this. I feel like I haven't made anything really tasty lately. So this week I need to get back to deep corners of the house and also think up meals with meat and vegetables, etc.  

My Flight of Fancy quilt is moving along. Ned was happy when I changed up those two adjacent striped blocks  I've added a border and got ready to make a backing. Here it is in the back hallway and it really suits a wooden house. 

 I was dissatisfied with what I was sewing together for a backing and thought, you know what, this piece deserves better than this.  So I've been looking online to order backing fabric that would suit the birds, colours, etc. That was a TO DO item but has now been done. 

My Jack Rabbit is also growing feet and a tail. Love when that happens!

A couple of things I want to share.  Piecing the Past Quilts has opened registration for a free BOM beginning September 26. It is called Harvest Gatherings and is quite lovely. 

I'm a little obsessed with keeping my hands and fingers mobile.   This article on How to Improve Hand Dexterity -and Why That is Important is a pretty good one for providing simple exercises you can do to help keep the fingers in good shape. I had to smile when I read the author's opening where she says she is 30 and noticing some changes in her hands.  30!

My Acer is acting up and also more odd things happening with Blogger. I found comments going to a whole other place and not showing amongst my emails. Sorry if I've missed some of your comments.  I absolutely love reading them and will respond to any questions or queries. And if you have a blog, I promise I will visit you back.

Hope you all are off to a good week in your corner of the world!

Sharing this post with Texas Quilt Gal, Floral Friday Foto, Creations, Quilts, Art, Quilting Patchwork Applique and My Corner of the World.

Three Free Patterns, Favourite Summer Spot, Panama Pyramids, Flight of Fancy Progress

August 25 view of the pond. 

In the midst of all the pleasures of this property is this little pond, I sit down here most summer mornings with my camera and Ned beside me. Both of us looking, looking, looking. Me for birds- haven't a clue what he is looking for but he keeps his head on a swirl and seems to enjoy the experience as well. We don't speak and seem to hold our breaths waiting for something great to appear/happen. It always seems we are both reluctant to finally give in, leave the peace and quiet, head back to the house and breakfast for Ned and coffee for me. 

As a matter of interest, you can visit a number of other calming sites on YouTube that offer live cams around the world. Like this one.  You could check out if your city is featured.

Thanks for the enabling(as if I needed it :D) that went on concerning the Pileated Woodpecker cross stitch pattern! Overwhelming number of you think I should order it. THIS POST

Meanwhile, here are a few more of the Panama Pyramid blocks sewn together...these are EPP so taking time. I have no deadline in mind for this project, just keep the triangles prepped and ready to pick up and stitch here and there. My goal each month is to stitch 6 of these together and so far this year I'm doing that.  This is such a great project to use up scraps and kind of have fun with. 

And I have the Crabapple Hill Design's Flight of Fancy blocks sewn together; it is a flimsie which was my Elm Street Quilts August OMG. I followed Meg's guide and sewed 13 four patch blocks using reds and tans/creams. Simple stitching. 

I need to choose the fabrics for the borders now. Ned is pointing out I have two striped blocks adjacent and he doesn't like it. What do you think?

Thursday's Three Free

I love Marcus fabrics and one of their lines in particular caught my eye. Aunt Grace Sew Charming by Judie Rothermel.  It features soft colours and prints, kind of reproduction style but many that would blend with more "modern" style fabrics.  Two of the free patterns that I liked using that line was this one called the Aunt Grace Sew Charming Heart quilt.  Here is the link to the PDF

And the second one is this Aunt Grace Sew Charming Flower Quilt-

Free Pattern Download Here

I found all this to love at the Hancocks of Paducah site.

Further digging and I discovered Judie's home is the Schoolhouse Quilt Shoppe in Canton, Ohio. A lovely site to explore and I came across her book, Aunt Grace Scrapbag 10th Anniversary on sale presently. It features 15 patterns for full size quilts. 

Susan at the very popular Quilt Fabrication site has a wonderful bank of free patterns both blocks and quilts as well as tutorials to guide you through.  Click Here to explore. Susan graciously hosts the weekly linky party Midweek Makers. Susan's Etsy Shop is HERE and I really like her dog patterns in particular. 

Melissa at  Pinker 'n Punkin Quilting is hosting a very cute Mystery Autumn Stamp SAL with free to you cross stitching patterns. The first is a beautiful basket of apples.  These are small so quick to finish. Perfect moving into autumn stitching for us here in the northern hemisphere.

Hope you found something that tweaked your interest on your visit today. I'm off back outside with garden chores. I've noticed the purple fall asters are opening. Summer is definitely waning. 

Always happy to share this post with Not Afraid of Color, Wendy's Quilts and More, Powered By Quilting, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Traffic Jam Weekend, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and True Blue Quilts.

Three Free Patterns, Orange in the Garden and in Reds, Pigeon's Rare Visit

Day lilies are all in bloom. So many striking colours it's hard to choose one to show you. But this orange is so bright it's like a blinding orange is what I'm calling it. Reminiscent of the poppies I shared last month. 

Here is a visitor we had for one day last week. Have never seen a Rock Dove (Pigeon) here before. It was of interest to see he was sporting bands on both legs and they were different. Wouldn't it be interesting to know this fellow's history!

Ned enjoyed keeping a close eye on him.

LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color prompt this week was to name a food we especially enjoy in the summer time. I do love all the summer fruits and this one immediately came to my mind. Fresh cherries. When they become available I eat quite a few.  Below is my goat cheese with red chili jelly topping on rye bread little lunch. Do you share my love of cherries?

 And do you have an Idea Notebook?  I've mentioned before I love notebooks and always have one at hand to jot down things/ideas/writing, etc. to remember.  I haven't cottoned on to doing that on my computer though I do use my phone to take pictures of things I want noted. 

This week I took a little break from the dogs each day while Hubby kept an eye on them. That gave me a chance to spend some time at the machine and finish a number of these four patch blocks for the redworked Flight of Fancy project.  The colours are very warm and give me a cosy and good feeling whenever I'm in the room. I did a little research and found out that the warm reds are the ones biased towards orange. So that is a thing and these must be warm reds. Someone asked so I'm going to see if I can get some close up photos of the embroideries. 

Thursday's Three Free

Becky Goldsmith and the crew at Piece O' Cake have put together a  group of very cute free e patterns found at that link.  For instance, there you will find the pattern for the Tisket Tasket Basket that a lot of folks are making and also the wonderful Searching for Beauty project.  In the video below, Becky chats about background fabrics. Speaking of backgrounds, that is a gorgeous winter/Christmas quilt behind her.

All People Quilt I was struck by a particular quilt designed by Avis Shirer.  A simple fruit outline to applique using pretty spring/summery fabrics. You'll find the pear pattern and tutorial there at that link.

I Love Quilting Forever has this gorgeous free pattern, Abundance. 

And here is the link to their Free pattern cache to explore.

And for my embroidering friends, generous Amina at Stitch Floral has many free patterns to download. At that link you will find three patterns for pretty potted plants. 

I've made note of her Tulip pattern.

I thank you all for your visit here today and I hope you found something that will encourage you to visit me again. 

Sharing this post with Floral Friday Foto, A Stitch in Time, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Alycia Quilts.

Het Klossie Challenge, Panama Pyramids, Labrador Love, Flight of Fancy Fabrics

 Even in what I think is the fulsome of summer, a little nagging thing has happened. Hubby pointed out that the light is fading a tiny tab bit earlier each day. As much as the continual heat waves and humidity are unwanted, the thought of the summer fading is not a good one.  

So just have to enjoy the growth while we can. Below is a neglected part of the garden behind the house. With so much in the front areas to maintain, this bit gets left out often.  The blue flowering bush hides the ac unit and I'm not sure what that undergrowth is. It is quickly taking over this area this summer.

August days have brought bright sunshine, heat wave warnings...35 C here on Saturday.  Heavy downpours of rain late evening the last two days have kept everything hydrated and blooming well despite the scorching heat. 

Many hummingbirds around this summer...not the easiest bird to photograph because they tend to flit about like the butterflies. 

The three Labradors are together again! Tail wag blur there. You can guess what Tony is saying. 

Time to share more of the EPP worked scrappy Panama Pyramids. A variety of colours this time. I will have to dig out my scant orange fabric if I am to join the August RSC party.

 I really should press these a little before showing.                              And I've been auditioning fabrics for the Flight of Fancy birds. Love these warm reds with a little cream too. Have to make a decision and begin the machine stitching of the 4 patch blocks this week.  I have yet to see a Magpie here but was delighted to watch many of them while visiting Alberta a couple of times.

Speaking of creams, the folks at  Het Klossie have started another challenge, this one called Kniertje Challenge using light, meduim and dark blues with ecrus.  You can find the free pattern downloads at that link. 

I am ever so tempted.  I really enjoyed the project I made with one of their earlier challenges. That one with reds and white. 

This week I will be keeping the three dogs busy and happy.  No doubt the extra walks will do me good too.  Take care all!

I'm linking this post with Linda's Tuesday's To Do Party post where she shares her own Peanut Butter Cookie recipe and also that a Christmas Squirrel got into her sewing room!

Also sharing with Quilt Fabrication, Brian's Home Blog, Life in the Scrapatch, Quilting Patchwork Applique and My Corner of the World. 

Redworked Birds- Flight of Fancy, Basket Case Finish, Quartet in Autumn, Petey Posing

 I'd mentioned that I had to go out shopping.  That morning I stood in our closet completely stumped as to what to wear. I have a goodly amount of clothes so why it is such a chore sometimes to pick out a top and bottom is kind of ludicrous. I left and went to a window to look at the sky which told me nothing because I already knew it was very hot outside with the sun splitting the rocks, as we used to say at home. I decided to wear linen which is a difficult material but breezy.  I would sacrifice a wrinkle free appearance for comfort, I finally decided. 

Am I the only one who gets wracked by indecision in their own closet?? Perhaps I just don't go out enough anymore. Anyway, after successfully dressing myself, Thrifting was a huge success! I'll share the spoils soon.

Meanwhile, I had my OMG for July finished in the nick of time ( but not to post). It is soft and cozy and I had the thought that it would have made a wonderful lap quilt if I'd omitted the medallion center and made it a little larger.  Made a completely different quilt really is what I mean I guess, :D.  It is 43 x 43 so fairly large as is. Here is Basket Case in the last day of July 2022 sunshine, ghostly hands and all!  Michelle Ridgway basket pattern and inspiration!

So what's next up to be my August OMG?  I decided it is time for the Redworked Birds to get their day in the sunshine too.  Flight of Fancy by Crabapple Hill Studio. They've been patiently waiting for more than ten years now (!!). Definitely a UFO if age has anything to do with it. All backstitch embroidery.

 When I went to a fabric shop, that mottled ecru fabric is what the lady picked out for me and I didn't have the voice to say I didn't really care for it so bought it anyway. She thought it looked like sky so would suit a bird project. Pretty sure that would not happen to me now. At the time I was just here, new to this province and feeling a bit fragile. Stitching these birds gave me a lot of simple enjoyment and  actually grounded me so I have a soft spot for them. 

There are 12 of these embroidered 16 inch squares and I need to sew the 13 four patch blocks to alternate. I do remember why this project got shelved. The alternate blocks are reds in stripes and I had none of that kind of fabric at the time.  And I didn't have the wherewithall to know what to substitute instead.  I have the fabrics now to do justice to those alternating blocks.

I'll get that started this week and also take better photos to show you some of the embroidery. 

Reading this week is Quartet in Autumn by British novelist, Barbara Pym. I love her writing and am enjoying this one so much. It's about two spinsters and two bachelors who work in the same office for decades. She captures the everyday bits, the eccentric qualities of the four, and the overall abiding loneliness of their lives so well. And yet, not depressing just interesting. 

I'll leave you with this photo of Petey posing nicely. The three Labradors will be together again at the end of this week when Daughter and family take their annual trip to Newfoundland. Ned will be in heaven!

 

Take care all!

Linking this post with Texas Quilt Gal, Life in the Scrapatch, A Stitch in Time, My Quilt Infatuation, Wendy's Quilts and More, Alycia Quilts and Quilt Fabrication. 

Halloween Patterns, Scrappy Blocks, Autumn Signs, Redwork Birds

The sunlight in waves yesterday alternating with clouds - we walk in light then dark then light again. The tree tops all moving to wind imperceptible to us way down here on the path. No sign of the turtles-have they already taken to their muddy winter home? But there are fresh signs of autumn. 

This white hydrangea gets tinged with pinks when the overnight temperatures drop.

We had our first frost warning so I will have to get the geraniums brought inside. They are fairly hardy  though so no rush just yet. This year I dragged one of the old apple baskets out to the laneway to use when the old barrel finally collapsed. This is on its last legs as well.

                                              

I enjoy sighting American Goldfinches and they stay around here through our winters too. How do they do it I wonder.  Frequent visitors to my feeders so maybe the sunflower seeds help out. 

I stitched a redworked series of birds years ago; patterns from Crabapple Hill Studios called Flight of Fancy and are still available there.  I repeat myself by saying I must get them sewed together sometime.

 I mentioned I was doing some scrap management in this post.  In the process I found these blocks and put them on the wall in the t.v. room to have a gander at.  I liked this staggered block arrangement.  I'm going to keep out my scrap bag of smaller scraps to sew more of those tiny blocks together.  I checked and I still have black fabric for the centers. If I just sew one every now and then, I will eventually get there, says she hopefully.

I've been working on the Quilt Bible blocks here and there.  This is Block #56, Spinning Pinwheel which is in Section 2, Pinwheels and Windmills. 

And this one that I stitched with red before I tackled the Solidarity blocks but happy now as it will match. This is Block #157, New Jersey, a square in a square block from Section 6 with that name.                                          

There is a Quilt Block Mania QAL happening with many fine designers offering free patterns for 29 Halloween blocks. You can find all the details at Powered By Quilting or any of the designers participating. How generous these folks are to give away such cute patterns. 

                               

Working outside in the garden today so I've already made my mind up to have a Delissio deep dish frozen pizza for supper ( I add spinach and extra peppers, tomatoes and cheese); Hubby is braving the Canadian Tire Store for their irresistible weekend deals.  So continues our quiet but utterly satisfactory life here at the wooden house.

Hope your weekend's swell! 

Something else that's swell...these linky parties. Kathy's Quilts, Life in Pieces, Quilting Patchwork Applique, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Pretty Piney , Super Scrappy and Quilting is More Fun Than Housework. 

Avocado, Birds, Free Patterns

Lately this has been my favourite lunch which I make sure I eat by 1 pm.  Two slices of dark rye bread, a little olive oil, an avocado and a sprinkling of pink salt. I find avocado, like bananas, filling.

 I have to work on not gobbling it down and am practising mindful chewing.  Yes, that's a thing and pretty tiresome too but necessary for me as I have a tendency to inhale my food.  Even with this, I tend to forget sometimes and then I'm a big old turkey, gobble, gobble.
As a Newfoundlander, we are known for a love of food..."love our stomachs" as we used to say.  And just mentioning that conjured up an image of Mom's homemade bread just out of the oven spread with butter and molasses.  Washed down with a big cup of tea.

Saw a whole flock of robins yesterday and was thrilled. It was a day that also felt like spring with a double digit warmer temperature and dry pavement. A day to not wear my winter jacket but a lighter one with a turtleneck sweater under it.  Progress!
This is a redwork pattern I embroidered a few years ago, part of Crabapple Hill Studio's Flight of Fancy project. (Still have those blocks somewhere, unpieced!)

No robins but did capture from my kitchen window, this little guy sitting in my boxwood bush. 

So many different sparrows and the immature versions also make identification tricky.  But because of that spot in the center of his chest, I'm going to guess song sparrow.  Any other thoughts?

Yes, the Barred Owls of Indiana have hatched!  Two little white puddles in the nesting box at this point surrounded by prey. Both parents hunt to feed the young, are very able at it and the young are always blessed with lots of food as a consequence.
 All About Birds Barred Owl Cam



Spring and Mother's Day
Jacquelyne Steeves has coalated this selection of 25 Free Spring/Mother's Day Patterns to stitch.  Umbrellas and chicks, flowers and butterflies...the usual springy lineup. Love this one.
                                       
And my own efforts in the sewing room have led to this.  My first four blocks of Spring Strings.  I'll change up the fabrics for the next four appliqued flowers but hoping to keep them springy though.  I have also made a different flower template but wondering if I should just stick with this.  I have a stack of these string background blocks made so lots to play around with.  

Coffee finished and we are heading out with the dogs for our morning walk now.  We have a rainfall warning to begin early afternoon.  So more stitching time coming up. 
Linking with the following wonderful link parties:- Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, 
What a Hoot Quilts, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Viewing Nature With Eileen.

What Was In the Chocolate Box? Hint: Not Chocolates

 Going through one of my big totes, I uncovered a flat Laura Secord chocolate box and wondered what was in it. Not a clue.  This set of  twelve embroidered bird blocks was inside.  I'd completely completely forgotten about these.  Yes, hurriedly getting to the stage where I'll be able to hide my own Easter eggs!

So this is another project with the embroidered pieces finished and in need of joining in some fashion!
 I had this one on the go back in the year 2014; I liked to keep it for my bit of handiwork on outings.  I had a little baggie with one square (design already drawn on), the aurifil red thread and a needle and this was so easy to cart about and pull out to lay a few stitches if I was waiting somewhere or sitting around chatting.  I took it on holidays that summer but truthfully, did not sew a stitch.  Things were too hectic and all moments taken up with one thing or another, I simply could not get to it.  However, my fingers became busy once more when I came home.

This project from Crabapple Hill Studio is called Flight of Fancy.  It included the patterns for the twelve birds to be embroidered using redwork and then sewn into a quilt.  The design they used was for large blocks to match the size of the bird blocks so the whole quilt would make an easy to piece together quilt finally measuring about 76in by 76in.

I liked how all the birds are found in our area and some are real favourites of mine.

 The material I used was bought originally for the Susan's Dresdan Garden project, also from Crabapple Hill Studio but in the end I did not like how dull it seemed.  However, I did turn this one block I made into a little mat for a side table.

 I remember searching through my likely background materials and pulling this one out and realizing immediately how it could look like a mottled kind of sky.  I knew the red aurifil thread would be intense enough to stand out against it.  I tried it for the first block and liked it.  The material itself is excellent quality and was expensive so I was so happy to have found a good use for it.

For a while there, I seemed to do every project from Crabapple Hill.  I have at least 10 of them done or the patterns in my files.

Who knows what surprises still await me in the totes I have stored at daughter's house?!