October Life, Stitching Updates and Plans

 We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving this month with the family here as usual. The neat bouquet in a real gourd they brought me is hanging on. 

Outside, the colours of Autumn certainly rival those of the summer season. Though scarcer and beginning to curl, pinks are still to be found.

None of these will last as there are heavy frosts now every night.

Walking about our woods on Tuesday I spied a familiar shape high up in a tree. Can you see him?

I wonder is he one of the Barred Owls I often hear at night hooting back and forth. I thought he looked so beautiful against the sunshine lit Autumn colours. 

And in other fascinating news, here is how much wood I've stacked so far. This is the perfect challenge for me to make myself keep moving. 

Inside, as usual, my stitching fingers are keeping busy. I laid out my Edyta project on the dining room table after taking out the table inserts...wish I'd thought of that before doing so. I finished 8 houses and 12 leaves so that posed the question of layout. Here is what I've landed on and I've begun stitching these together on the machine.

 It is definitely an Autumn project with these pretty fall fabrics that I've had in my stash for a very long time. It's a good feeling to finally use them. And I loved embroidering the edges with the blanket stitches too. 

And in embroidery I've picked up a very old Redwork project... embroidering these French General blocks. They came as a panel that I was given years ago. I wasn't fussy about the fabric so I've traced them off to stitch them individually and add borders using up the also very old French General fabric I have on hand. Link is here - Joie De Vivre Embroidery Panel, if you'd like to take a look.

This will take me into my November/ December stitching plan which is to work on my red projects. Yes, I have a couple of those about.

I don't need any challenges to keep on stitching. At this stage past retirement, this hobby of mine seems to have taken over my life. I have a large group of stitchers I watch while stitching, thanks to YouTube. I especially enjoy the ones who quilt, knit and cross stitch and there are quite a few of those as well. Below I was watching one of them, Quilt Roadies with Anna, before being interrupted. 

These two always know when it's time to put down the needle and get outside. What would I do without them??? They certainly inspire me to keep moving.

Tony was able to download the report his specialist sent to his GP after his recent visit and testing at the Ottawa Neuromuscular Centre. Basically, he said he could not find any reason for the extreme fatigue that is plaguing Tony's life these days, but he wants to test one more thing. I liked that he called Tony "a pleasant and intelligent man" too which he most certainly is. Anyway, it looks like another trip to the big hospital is coming up. I can't imagine what these neuromuscular specialists' visits cost. We are very grateful for our Canadian medical system which has not failed Tony. 

And on that positive note, I'll end this post. I think of you all often and hope you are keeping well and enjoying your hobbies. 

Deep in Canadian Autumn, Stitching Projects Updates

The season has moved on and we are suddenly deep into a new month with it. There is now a light frost overnight most nights and certainly cooler temps during the days. I am moving firewood these days using my cart to bring three or four light loads up to the house from the trail where it is stored. I'm using that same thought that a few pieces here and there will add up and eventually I'll have enough on hand to keep the winter fires burning. The dogs are loving being with me on these little excursions. I could get help with this but there are too many good reasons for me to do it alone... being outside in the fresh air, wandering about in a part of the woods I don't normally see and getting a little exercise in the bargain.  Someone else said on their blog about a similar type of chore..."while I can, I must". 

Goldenrod Crab Spider- there seemed to be more of these around this year. They have an interesting feature; they can change their colour from yellow to white depending on the bloom they rest on. I guess that's why I don't spy them often. 

And I spotted a true sign that Autumn has arrived. Many more than usual Woolly Bear caterpillars were on the move in the gardens these last couple of weeks. I moved this fellow to a safer spot.

The boys love running about. Note how the frost changes the colour of the Hydrangeas. 

Truthfully, Ned doesn't run that much; he mostly ambles.

Here is the runner in the family! And look, the trails are suddenly leaf and needle covered.

Stitching Updates

I'm very happy to get this project below moved along. I quilted it lightly with echo stitching using Perle cotton thread, size 8. I'm now sewing on the borders. 

Here are my six panels for the Liberty Puddles copy quilt. I don't think I've shown them all together before and I like them so much I'm tempted to make more of them. That's how much I enjoy sewing hexagons together using scrappy papers and fabric. I think that yellow was a good choice.

 And I've stitched little windows on my autumn houses. I decided that the lights are on.

Flora, my September cross stitched project, has been tucked away and I've brought out my Year at Hawk Run Hallow huge project for October stitching. This is using two threads over two and the colour saturation that gives is to be admired. I'm working on the ninth pattern, September, which is a row of ripe corn. Tony accidentally caught me laughing with him here at his awful camera skills which turned out to be quite lucky. Later I would find 2 of me, both in this pose, and 9 photos of the floor! We both still marvel at taking photos with a phone and when you have shaky fingers, it is a challenge.

I believe Winston's quote here to be true. I'm a person who wants to do everything and to have it all done. Then I can sit down.

Hope you are enjoying these October days wherever you are. Perhaps you have late spring moving into summer now while we await the first snowfall of winter. Enjoy your time with each other, try your best to stay positive and keep your stitching fingers flying!

 

 

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!

 

Scrappy Summer Projects and Slow Stitching Progress

How are you all? I'm keeping very busy in the house and in the garden. Here is a view of the wooden house from the right side. I let that Birch tree grow from a tiny sapling and now I wonder if I should have done that. I love Birches and they don't have the longevity that other kinds of trees have so it won't be there forever. I thought it provides a little shade and privacy too. Anyway, it is now as tall as the roof!

The pattern of later afternoon and night time thunder storms has continued. They are ferocious storms and we can't believe how long they last. They bring huge downpours of rain. But it seems that nature loves it because everything is blooming beautifully. Each day, I spend a little time pulling weeds. I'm having a lot of Manitoba Maple vine this year and another tall unnamed fern like weed that has somehow deposited itself in both side beds at the front and along the side you see in that photo. Someone said it might be the bird seed that spreads these unwanted seeds. I have so many critters here...the turkeys, including young ones now, are coming around every day, so maybe they are the culprits. 

Could I win a county fair ribbon with this one below?

This Hydrangea bloom is 12 inches across!

My stitching fingers have been busy...of course!  I found another 10 of the quarter Dresdan blocks already stitched but all without the black corners.  I've not received the black fabric I had to order to finish these and I've not had any luck finding black 100% cotton shirts at any thrift store. 

I've added two more rounds to that sixth hexagon panel for the very scrappy version of the Liberty Liliput Puddle quilt that I'm creating.

Autumn stitchy projects and chatter are already appearing around the net. I love Autumn stitching of any sort. Maybe it is my favourite season to stitch. I've mentioned I want to make a project from each of the books I have in my little library. I've always admired this cover quilt from this book, Friendship Strips & Scraps, by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts.

 I notice she seems to be fond of scrappy quilts and includes lots in both of the early books of hers I've bought at thrift stores. 

So I tried out the pattern and have these two to share. They are not perfect- one door definitely looks taller, but did use up some of my longer scrappy strips. And this made me do a little machine stitching for a change too. I'm going to see if I have enough longer strippy Autumny scraps to make more rainbow houses. 

Edyta alternated the house blocks with a little appliqued pattern. I have a maple leaf template and thought of using it for my appliqued blocks. What do you think?

I've been thoroughly enjoying the videos my favourite stitchers have made of their visits to the massive European Festival of Quilts show held in Birmingham this year. Here is Rachel's video and it must be just overwhelming to see so much quilty beauty in one place.

I finished Summer Feels. I've stitched three pears this summer.

And I've picked up the G. Legere 1898 project to add a few stitches.

 I have that large pear finished and I can't wait to get to stitch that pretty red/rosy house which will brighten up this piece. Very enjoyable stitching.

The giant pear is about three and a half inches tall.

Someone asked about the term I used of one thread over two. DMC embroidery cotton has 6 strands. For cross stitching, you can use two of those strands in your needle at a time or one. That decision can depend on the cloth you are stitching on. If you use Aida cloth, you generally use two strands as the holes are bigger. If using linen, the weave is much tighter, so one strand can be used. Some of us like to be able to see the cross that the threads make so using one strand enables that especially on the thread count of linen I use. But using two threads of embroidery thread on Aida will give a deeper saturation of colour, something I've also noticed I've lost with stiching on linens. And some folks love that and stick with Aida for certain designs for that reason. Any of these choices, like in all stitching, basically comes down to personal preference.

 My constant companions do this. I feed them three times a day and nearing those times, this is where I find them...in the back hallway where their bowls are...you wouldn't know but they were starving.

As I write this, I hear the familiar rumble of thunder; it will be the sound of summer '26. I do hope you all are having a good August with lots to keep you busy and happy. 

 

Me in My Thrift Find, Hand Stitching Progress and Cake Too

 The only constant in my days is that they are flying by. Does time speed up in the summer months I wonder. We had Tony's birthday celebration last week and he is now 87 and counting. It was a somewhat sad day as he reflected on all the people he has lost including another good friend in recent months. Things brightened up though when we went out for a meal to a nearby restaurant with Beth and Brad. Beth made him a beautiful chocolate cake, his favorite. She uses Barry's recipe found at his site, Rock Recipes, and it was very moist and delicious. 

Everything is in full bloom which is beautiful. This means the weeds are also doing well. I've had to pull out a lot of Manitoba Maple as well as a new weed that grows straight and tall. Every day, I pick a part of one of the gardens to work on and spend about twenty minutes tidying it. Here is the view from my kitchen window these days with the Hydrangeas putting on their usual amazing show.

I said this would be the summer of dresses and I've added a couple to my wardrobe. This mauve one is a thrift store find from Old Navy. Though it isn't slimming, it is light and airy making it perfect for an Ontario summer. And this is as long as I'm letting my hair grow- to the bottom of my earlobes. That Smoke Tree is enormous. 

I'm happy with my summer of 2026 hand stitching progress too. Summer Feels is almost finished. I've just a few stitches here and there to add still. And I've finally gotten a photo that shows the true colour of that background linen. It's such a pretty shade. I've added three butterflies that weren't in the pattern. That is something I would never do in the past but now my thoughts are different. Who cares if I do that? No one is who. What's a summer garden without butterflies and they filled in sort of blank spaces. 

I'm finishing my appliqued Quarter Dresden project too. The last ten blocks are getting appliqued this week. I was aiming for 50 and I think I've sewn more than that. Such an enjoyable stitching project and I've loved every minute of each of the stages creating these blocks. Next will be layout decisions.

I've also been adding to my Liberty Puddles WIP. This was a SAL in 2022 run by The Strawberry Thief over on Facebook and there are videos available. I'm on the sixth panel now. Surely my scraps must be diminishing with all this scrappy stitching. You'd think, right. Here it is on the chair where I'd been stitching on the patio. 

The dogs are loving getting out for a long walk early morning before the day heats up. I shake a Bear Bell to warn any critters that might be about. A fox has been visiting the yard regularly lately and I really would not want an encounter with the dogs.

 They are so joyful running about and that always puts a smile on my face. 

I hope you are smiling too. 

It's a wild world out there. Is it just me or is it getting wilder??? Take care of yourself!