Thoughts and More On a June Thursday

Don't know how you folks in warmer climates do it!  I guess it's because I'm originally an east coast Canadian that the humidity really really gets to me. I find it isn't at all pleasant to walk, jog or garden in. I can't shake the idea that even breathing air like that is not good for you. 

But I'm all set up with overhead fans whirring and this in front of me.

I'm listening to Anne Tyler's Red Haired Girl By the Side of the Road.  I think I read it before as parts of it seem familiar.  I like the orange Bubly the best and please take a look at those petals under the word Bring.

I haven't been keeping up with showing you Daughter's cakes to us.  This one was another lemon with frosting...delicious, a requested remake. 

 I pictured this book in the last post, The Book of Flowers, Four Centuries of Flower Illustration by Alice M. Coates. And thank you all, by the way, for the comments on the tablecloth. I joined a SAL at Melva Loves Scraps and got caught up in this flower garden block. I wound up making a large tablecloth with them.  Melva is hosting another such SAL called Pieces of the Santa Fe Trail. Melva's link there will take you to the latest free block, Snow, which is very interesting.

 The book belonged to Hubby's mother who was a flower lover.  The illustrations are marvelous- here are the sunflowers. 1777 by J. Miller.

 My next block of the Hawk Run Hollow piece is of sunflowers for May and I'm not crazy about the colour of one of the very large sunflowers. It is a dark cinnamon colour that looks brownish. Not a sunflower colour  I'm familiar with.  I'm trying out the brighter reddish cinnamon that was used in the ladies dress in the first block - though I'm a little reluctant as I do respect the designers' thoughts. You can see my substitution in the first photo back at the start of the post.  What do you think?

We had the Bell guy here to fix phone issues and he was terrified of dogs. So much so that every time he re-entered the house he wouldn't come in till reassured Ned was corralled. We thought by saying he was a puppy it would be okay, but not.  Must be awful to have a fear like that.

I realized I should sew some of the Tumbling Blocks together to make sure this pattern will work. It was a challenge to sew those 6 points meeting in one spot but manageable.  Someone mentioned the darkest colour should traditionally be on the top.  I didn't know that.

The chickadees have gone quiet but lots of other birds are around. The bluejays in larger numbers than usual have really enjoyed the suet.

And the ravens are usually present early in the morning and late in the day.  I love to watch them strut about but it is hard to get a good photo of them together. I see they like to spread out and seemingly cover a lot of ground. Not a good photo but amazing how a month makes such a difference to the grass and the greening of things.

We both have been able to move up our second vaccines. Will be a relief to get them over with.  I am so tired of all of that. But meanwhile, enjoying life and all our pastimes while still corralled here at the wooden house. 

Happily linking with Not Afraid of Color, Paying Ready Attention, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Alycia Quilts, Viewing Nature With Eileen, Applique Patchwork Quilting, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and Life in the Scrapatch. 

Stitchy Purchases, Tumbling Blocks, Flower Garden Quilt, Links

This is exactly what happened here!                         

Summer and a heat wave warning arrived simultaneously on Friday.  But it is the mosquitoes that are plaguing us; the worst I've seen here.  We have to smear /spray that awful stuff on us every time we walk or spend time in the garden.

 Enough about that - I'm here to talk about the happy small things that we have enjoyed since last posting. For starters I received stitching mail. 

I ordered two project bags from a lovely Etsy shop, MiniMade.  Miriam does beautiful stitching on a wide array of affordable items and also enjoys collaborating to make her products customized.  In my case I loved this soft summer green and of course the bird fabric 

and I just loved this cute doggy print too.

 I am delighted with both my purchases and what a fun as well as practical way to corral stitching projects. 

I've been busy prepping more Tumbling Blocks to stitch in the evenings so here are a few more finished. These are 4 1/2 inch blocks, not very big.  Like I said, a thousand of these should do but that's okay. I never tire of hand work. And I love how they are making me not only cut into a few favoured fat quarters but also dig into my scrap bags.

You know I am developing a bit of an obsession with hand pieced quilts. I especially like dresdens which is proof I was born in the wrong era. But anyway saw this one at A Cloud of Quilt Patterns  and am totally in love with it.  At the time a new take on the vintage Dresden block- this one called Setting Sun which was a Laura Wheeler newspaper pattern many many decades ago.  The white corner pieces are clouds.  I've downloaded the information in my Dream On file.

I read that post just after I'd put out my Flower Garden Block quilt for the summer. It was a relief it went through the washing machine fine though having all those hand stitched seams. 

 This popped up on my Facebook feed...the male and female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks visiting the feeder at the same time. It was a pleasure to have them visit late afternoon for about a week years ago at the farm. Actually 7 Years Ago...is that possible!! 

It was not a good spring for trilliums or trout lilies on this property but these are amazing this year. Blankets of them everywhere we turn. Violets- a symbol for faithfulness.

I've been calling these wildflowers dog violets. The lines on the leaves look like pretty quilting lines.

I have lots more to share but will save it for next time.   Oh almost forgot, Lee Anna is stitching the most amazing colourful Tumbling Block quilt which you can check out at this Not Afraid of Color post  as well, she is hosting our Thankful Thursday group.

Also linking with Paying Ready Attention, So Scrappy,  Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict. 

 

Mindful, Meaningful, Tiny Happy Thursday Things

 Autumn is deepening here in Canada but all is well and my sincere hope is that all countries are as peaceful and calm, if not right now, then very very soon. 

 I'm rereading this book, 10% Happier by Dan Harris and enjoying it very much.

 The author got to sit down with all the greats in terms of life coaches, gurus, spiritualists, etc. including Ekhart Tolle. He is very frank in his estimations of these people. You might remember Dan was the guy who suffered a panic attack on the air during a live ABC news broadcast. His quest, to quiet that voice in his head, appealed to me and his conclusions were also interesting. I especially like the Instruction section in the Appendix. 

I did get to have my own little trick or treater, namely, grandson Robbie, drop over for a visit. They were driving their side by side machine decked out for Halloween. A whole lot of fun.

And he was a zombie, my favourite. 

 The neighbours in the area had all agreed to put treats out at the end of their driveways and a lot of folks were sitting outside and also had treats for the adults.  Ironically, the result was a lot more greeting of each other than normally happens in these subdivisions, though socially distanced. In fact, it was declared the best Halloween ever. 

I think about the barred owl every time I walk through a section of the wood with large deciduous trees. I've seen the owl there four or five times now matching the number of years I've lived here. The very first time I saw a barred owl in my life  was when we were moving in and the moving truck I was sitting in rounded a turn in our driveway and there was one sitting right in the middle of the road. I was so happy and took it as a sign I was meant to be here.  In the woods he shows up as a curious dark blob and I recognized him right away.

 This time I had to race Murphy back to the house and get my camera. He was far away and keeping himself hidden in the trees. Lucky I spotted him.

 I managed to take a few photos before a blue jay suddenly appeared and started harassing him.  So off he flew. But I am ever so pleased to have seen him again. He watches me every time too with that way they have of turning their heads and that feeling with those large eyes on you is so different from other birds.

I treated myself to a new fountain pen (yes, it's the little things). It is a Cross, a much cheaper edition, but still writes beautifully. I've mentioned before I'm rather particular about what I write with...always black ink and not fine line. I'm a Virgo, can't help it! That's a beautiful book my sister gave me...she always picks the perfect book as a Christmas gift. She's a retired librarian and it has been true all her days that books are her life.

I like this. I took Daughter's mum pots from last fall and put them in my garage for the winter. I wanted to use the soil as these containers usually have lots of fertilizer, etc. in them and mixed with my composted dirt would make a good blend this summer.  When I went to get them in early May, I was surprised to see a little green growth on them both...this after the whole winter with no water or sun. So I put them outside to see what would happen. And here they are in October.

 Both grew back a lot of the mums though not to the number they had in the beginning. So I guess the point is to save these pots you buy because the flowers just might regrow the next year.  These are now back in the same area of the garage and we'll see if it happens again next spring. 

In the sewing room 

I didn't show the actual final finish of my tabletopper, Flower Garden quilt. It is rather large and I love the vintage style look of it. Definitely a design my grandmother would have made. Here it is front and back

I'm still laying stitching lines on the Halloween Sampler but I must admit, I've kind of lost interest for just now but I'm keeping it around for those odd moments.  I tested the blue marker and it will wash out. 

Now hexies once again are on my mind. More about that later.  I'll share a few stitch alongs gearing up for Christmas stitching next time...those are always fun to check out. 

So happy to link with Not Afraid of Color, Paying Ready Attention, My Corner of the World, My Quilt Infatuation, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Viewing Nature With Eileen, I'd Rather B Birdin' and It's a Small Town Life. 

 

Canadian Thanksgiving, Snacks and Cake, Neon Pink in Nature, Flower Garden Quilt Back

Several people asked about the Canadian Thanksgiving; some had never heard of it so I thought I'd write a little about our celebration.

  In fact, in Canada, Thanksgiving has roots reaching far back in our history.  It started with the 1578 celebration Martin Frobisher, who was looking for the Northwest passage for England, had with his crew in Canada giving thanks for the safe crossing and protection in a dangerous land. But it was in 1879 that our prime minister made it officially a national holiday and it remains a Federal holiday since then with many working people having the Monday after Thanksgiving off. It used to be in November till moved to the second Sunday in October to coincide with harvest and also so Remembrance Day (Armistice Day) and Thanksgiving could each have their own appropriate observance. 

When I was a girl, us church goers celebrated Thanksgiving at church. The altar was always laden with harvest items and the theme was one of gratefulness for harvest and our bountiful life in Canada. Interesting note for my American friends, during the Revolutionary War 1775-1783, Americans fleeing to Canada brought their Thanksgiving traditions of turkey and pumpkins which, because they were delicious, soon made their way into our celebrations too. However, our Thanksgiving has never gained quite the prominence, though a holiday for many, that the great American Thanksgiving enjoys. 

 Long weekends in the work world are something we all love no matter the reason.  I know I certainly did. Now, in retirement, it is moot as they are all long weekends. 😊

 Here are some other things I liked this week. 

Like several of you showed, our Burning Bush turned neon pink too, not red this year. I wonder why.

It certainly made a show of itself with that amazing (and kind of surreal) colour.

Getting to finish up my Flower Garden quilt is a pleasure. I'm working on the border and looking at the back here.

My quilting stitches are a little wobbly in places.

But having the border follow the star points gives it some added interest.

I found this sweet little online fabric shop; Lady Belle Fabric  -that is a link to their quilt kit page where there are some sales and lots of inspiration.

All Time Best Paint Colors collated by Real Simple.  I thought of a number of you who are renovating or repainting your houses and feeling overwhelmed by the huge selection out there. The shades chosen are beautiful I think.

One of my favourite snacks.  Rice cakes with peanut butter and a topping usually banana  

or dried craisins.

Daughter gave us another cake!  It was the best he'd ever eaten, his nibs said, and seeing as how he is 81 and has had a long history of cake eating, that would be quite a compliment.  And yes it is quite delicious. Rock Recipes Chocolate Stout With Bailey's Truffle Cake. If you are feeding a chocolate lover, this would be the one to make for a special occasion for sure. 

And here is my chocolate lover down by the pond with Murphy.  Taken the end of September.

I hope your week has had many many things to be thankful for too!

Always thankful to link with Not Afraid of Color, Needle and Thread Network,

 Brian's Home Blog, My Quilt Infatuation and It's a Small Town Life. 

Autumn Colours in Nature and Quilting, Free Patterns, Pumpkin Quilt

 Grey sky but scarlet and gold all around me. Even flying through the air. Two ravens gliding on the wind completed the autumn picture down by the pond today...but flew out of sight by the time I got the camera ready. 

 How lucky am I, I thought that this is part of my early morning walk.

 Details in nature like this leafy canopy, I never tire of noting.

The colours reminded me of the Laundry Basket Pumpkin quilt that I stitched in 2018 and now have on the wall. Such enjoyment to work with those autumn type fabrics too. 

My OMG at Elm Street Quilts was to get the Flower Garden quilt finished and on a table, an ambitious goal considering all the hand work required to bring that about. However, I have most of the triangles finished and have begun stitching the centers using the indigo perle cotton thread and so it should be bound and finished soon (ish). 

 Let's hope it is on a table by next month.  Thank you all for your encouraging comments and to the linky parties that gave it a shout out-very kind!- and pinned it to Pinterest. The block pattern was posted by generous Melva at Melva Loves Scraps as part of her Pieces of the Past free SAL and can still be found there.

Meanwhile, I have signed up for this free Hemisphere Quiltalong being offered by Sheila Christensen Quilts...I was quite taken with the blocks...looks so interesting and each different which would hold my attention.  I do need to buy something called a 60 degree triangle to do these so it would be a learning experience in more ways than one. 

And my Halloween flimsy from 2019 ( the beginning of that stitching adventure here) needs to be backed and quilted. I must admit I liked it when I got it out again. I had used free vintage Halloween patterns from  Buttermilk Basin for the embroidered blocks. Sorry for the yellowy photo...that's the lighting in the tv room yesterday when I took this. 

I will get a start on setting this one up for quilting this week.  It's a good thing I love hand work!

I have to give myself a haircut this week. It's driving me crazy right now and isn't it funny how that happens...one day you know it is time. 

I got out to a thrift shop with daughter recently and what a treat it was. It's been many months since I went to a store like that. I felt a little uncomfortable though lots of precautions were being followed. However, I was determined to enjoy my time as who knows when I will get back there with restrictions ramping up again here in Ontario. I did snag a few finds which I will share on Thursday's post. 

Hope you are staying safe and keeping those stitching fingers flying!

Linking this post with Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Applique Patchwork Quilting, Home Sewn By Us, My Quilt Infatuation, Wendy's Quilts and More, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, From Bolt to Beauty and Love Laugh Quilt.

 

Two Beauty Products, Wisdom, Foxy Visit, Triangle Quilt Decisions

 These three things below were birthday gifts and I thought I'd share them with you. I've mentioned Eckhart Tolle before and how much I love his writing. Saying that though, it is kind of involved in a way and you need to keep your wits about you if you are to take anything away. But I do enjoy his talk about the need to banish negative thoughts and as he puts it, making sure the present now is your friend not your enemy. 

I think I'm addicted to lip balms so anything to do with keeping lips smooth and not feeling dry is much appreciated. This is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask and feels like heaven on your lips. I use it all the time. Probably one of the best skin beauty products I've ever used. Here is the link to Sephora for you to check it out. It's not cheap but you only need a little at a time so a small jar will last a long time. 

There is a movement to use more organic type skin products. That little jar is deodorant from the Beautynut Skincare line.  After a lifetime of rolling/rubbing on a product, to use your fingers to paint your underarms feels odd. I'm determined to use it and finding where it is made from safflower oil, it feels nice on my fingers. It seems to be working but how would I really know with just Hubby and I here. :) Here is a link to Health Nut Shop where you can read more about it.

Meanwhile, the fox who moves across our property from time to time paid us a visit and stayed a while. He had taken a dip in the pond and came up to the driveway to shake and dry himself off. He is quite a long fellow and high on his legs which is how I think he's the same guy. 

You may remember last summer a fox took naps on this same stone driveway; I think it's him.  I'm not sure why he's so skinny as there is an abundance of red squirrels within sight of him there around the feeders. Of course, they disappeared quickly when he decided to lounge about. But if it's the same fellow, he nabbed one two winters ago and I got a photo of it. Update...looked back at the photos and this is not the same fellow who did this latter, not unless this one can grow a whole lot more fur by winter and look a lot plumper. ❗Several have let me know this lean fellow looks like a young yearling.

I don't do indoor bouquets like I used to as I now leave it all for the bees and such. But I couldn't resist making one bouquet back in August as things were starting to die down. 

I lied about the last day for veranda stitching. We have been enjoying much warmer temperatures again with lovely sunshine. Murphy and I have been on the veranda several days this week.  She really enjoys it out there with me. 

Somebody asked and yes, I am using the big hoop for this particular hand quilting. I've finally gotten the hang of using it. And no, I haven't been able to do any rocking with this...it is a stab through and up for each and every stitch but it's moving along nicely. I should say that I used old pillow cases found at the farm house for some of the white triangles and I don't know about the thread count and such but it is tough stuff and resistant to the needle. Why they held up so long, I guess.

On the wall is this piece still- the scrappy triangles.

 I tried the blocks in a number of different ways including making a rainbow kind of design but it left me feeling eh. I tried four different colours meeting in the middle, but that didn't wow me either. When I tried the four triangles of the same colour meeting it gave it a little more oomph. 

The whole of it still has an overall minimalist vibe but seems to look more interesting to have the different patterns abutting each other.  I'm gradually joining more blocks so will show you more together next time. And of course, there will be another decision as to how these then get assembled. 

It's fun to remember the projects the fabrics were used in. 

Hope you have had a great week and the weekend will be even better. As always linking with these wonderful folks:Not Afraid of Color, A Stitch in Time, Brian's Home Blog, Viewing Nature With Eileen, Powered By Quilting, So Scrappy, The Madd Quilter, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and Floral Passions..