Tremendous and Trite Thursday Things From Me

March Moon with planes flying again and UFO, LOL.

 Raining as I write, but Ned and I had a wonderful rain free walk early morning in the cool but invigorating fresh air. Saw three American Robins and two little Downy Woodpeckers while being seranaded by bird song all around. I sat on the skating shack steps, took time to breathe in the air and reminded myself of wonderful things I am very thankful for. 

                         I love that the Indiana Barred Owl live cam is back up and running. I've lost track of how many years I've watched.  She has laid her usual 3 eggs. With the way the male and female hunt and feed the little ones, I'm confident they will all three survive and fledge just like other years. 

Thanks again for all the wonderful comments about helping me sort the border for my embroidered Hazel's Summer Wildflowers.  After unpicking the arrangement I had sewed, I resewed them the conventional way. Since I had both sides heading in the same direction already and was really opposed to unsewing one of them, I did this... I do think this looks okay and better than it was before. I messed up one side there and wound up with a baby goose on one end and a stouter one on the other! Imperfect just like me!

This was my March OMG at Elm Street Quilts and I'm happy to have moved this project along to this point.  Haven't a clue how to quilt it and I'm going to retire this again for the time being. My April OMG will be completely different- finishing an appliqued piece.

I love this mug from The Pioneer Woman. It is Sweet Rose from her Floral Medley line. It has the most comfortable handle, holds lots of coffee with room for frothed milk, and has a pretty colour palette. From Walmart. 

I wanted to show you that planter with the twigs. It's the remains of the Poinsettia I'd taken from daughter's house. As you know, I'd cut it all the way back and it is finally sprouting a few leaves. Someone told me this would not work because commercially grown plants are treated somehow to not regrow. Have you ever heard of this?  I think it is true with potatoes. 

I enjoyed reading this CBC article about Joyce Roberts of Alaska and her bead work. Here are her Dancing Boots she made. I think they are incredibly beautiful. No messing up there!! And that all put the song "These Boots are Made for Walking" by Nancy Sinatra in my head. 

From Low Carb Zen... 

Here at the Wooden House, we could add---what day is it?, what was it we had for supper last night? where did I put my ______?

Anyway, hope you are keeping your wits about you which is no mean thing these days, and enjoying your pastimes. 

As always happy to link with Not Afraid of Color, For the Love of Geese, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Sum of Their Stories and My Quilt Infatuation.

 

Morris Strawberry Thief, UFO Scrappy Runner, A Question, Ugly Gardening Perks

Hello all! The Fur Papa and I are well and thankful to have our health and strength to see us through all our daily activities this week. That there is the first bread from our new bread machine. It worked so well-much quieter than the old and gave us a lovely loaf.

A quick question for you???? With a flying geese border, should the top and bottom be like the sides? I sewed a row together like this and now think it should be the same as the side strips. Is there a rule I wonder. 

I love these Ginger and Honey Crystals packets...a little in tea is nice or just hot water for a warming drink to sip. I believe in the good properties of both ginger and honey ( but have to watch out for sugar no matter what form it's in of course).  We bought a huge bag at Costco.  Also love my Morris Mug.  

I cross stitched this famous Morris motif on navy linen back in 2017 when I was living at the farm. I enjoyed the stitching so much even though the dark linen was a little challenging. The Strawberry Thief. My pattern was from a book I own but you can buy a small kit at Amazon that features the famous bird and strawberries.

I sewed together several table runners last year when I was in a yellow and also scrap busting mood.  I showed you a little table topper I finished using grey and yellow and some hand quilting.

At that time, I also stitched together more scraps to form a longer rectangular runner which has rested in a drawer unfinished since. Its' time has come! It is all layered and I'm adding quilting lines in between other stitching. The black and white polka dot print seems to suit the colourful front and is looking good for the backing and borders. I have a table in mind for this. 

So happy I am able to practice ugly gardening. Many birds find a little nourishment throughout the winter in my garden leftovers.

Including the ever present American Goldfinches whose colour palette up close is so pretty.                                       

We are off to do a few chores, banking and the like. Hope your Thursday is going well too!

Read about other things to like at Not Afraid of Color. Also linking with So Scrappy, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Love Laugh Quilt and Quilting Patchwork Applique.

March Marvels

 Something I marvelled at...First I heard the ravens squawking and looked out the window. There were so many of them gathered in the trees at the back of the house, I was surprised.  All of them screeching. I ran to the door and went around the corner of the house in time to watch a barred owl flying by with all those ravens chasing it! An amazing sight. And no camera. 😞 But as corny as it is to say, I have the picture in my mind still.

Ravens mate for life and have the intelligence of a 6 year old child. I'm kind of fascinated by them. Here they scrounge around under the bird feeders early every morning. I used to worry because it made the small birds scatter, but then I saw they don't stay long. 

With temperatures warming, gardening is on my mind and I've decided to add this new plant to the garden.  It popped up on my facebook feed several times and I do love Coleus. This is Proven Winner Coleus Torchlight.

 Decades ago I had a huge one I kept hanging from the shower rod in the bathroom. For some reason it thrived in the bathroom and when I left there to go to the far north, I had to give it away.  Anyway, to do this week is to order the seeds. I have many areas here that could provide the sun and shade they require. 

Someone asked in the comments what was the white flowering plant in this picture.It is one of the white Kalanchoes. They come in a variety of colours and are easy to keep healthy during winter months. This one flowered off and on with little bunches of flowers often it seemed. 

Here it was in January.

And this month.

To do this week in the sewing room and it is also my March OMG so I must get at it... finish bordering the Wildflowers blocks; I have two sides done, now for the top and bottom. 

My book this week that I am listening to while early morning stitching is by Beth Powning. I read The Sea Captains Wife years ago and enjoyed it very much. Here is a description of the plot. 

And I won a prize!!  Marie at QuiltBee had a little commentator giveaway in February. I was thrilled to get this quilt pattern which is a pattern for foundation piecing a pineapple block. I've so admired many of your photos of pineapple block quilts. I'm thinking of  Marie's Pineapple Tidbits and also you Rosemary and you Karen with your pineapple quilt versions. 

And the Quilter's Design Book has a bounty of information for quilt making besides the diary section for recording quilts. Marie's post there shows photos of the different sections. A package of needles rounded out the gift.  Thank you, Marie.

On that happy note, I'll end this post. Also happy to link this post with Texas Quilt Gal, Love Laugh Quilt, Life in the Scrapatch, My Quilt Infatuation, Floral Passions and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Wildflower Embroideries, Scrappy Confetti Quilt, Indoor Gardening, Neddy News

Mother Nature is wearing winter white still here in our corner of the globe.  But with a promise of plus side temperatures later this week, the snow won't take too long to melt. (Says she hopefully)

But the inside Garden is growing well and surviving the long winter.  I use the little water spritzer bottle and keep them well misted which I think helps with the dry indoors climate. Note the little white Polka Dot plant is doing well with the pinching back...so far.

The Hazel's Summer Wildflowers quilt is at this stage.  It's been easy and enjoyable machine stitching to put together a few rows of flying geese for the borders. I don't want this to get much bigger.  TO Do this week will be to get those flying geese all made. 

I subscribe to Rachel Hauser's Stitched in Color site.  I had bookmarked a project of hers, a new way to stitch scraps into quilts involving foundation piecing patterns. She called the result a Confetti Quilt. Last year Rachel ran a sew along stitching this quilt. 

 I purchased the digital patterns because any way to manage/use up scraps is a good thing. I'm experimenting and will let you know soon how that goes.  So far I've been sorting fabrics and cutting small piles. I've figured out that this is a good little project for when I've finished my stitching in the evening but still have tv viewing time on my hands. Basically, my eyes have had it but the hands are still up for it. This week I'll keep these steps going any time I have a few spare moments. 

We made a semi emergency visit to our vet with Neddy on Monday.  Inflamed eyes and a belly rash. The office is about an hour's drive from us; there are loads of vets closer but Dr. Sue Martin has been Hubby's vet for almost 30 years. She is so kind and has one of those very soft, gentle voices that sounds like she's whispering. Hubby, being deaf even with hearing aids, doesn't hear half of what she says. We now have drops for his eyes and must bathe his belly. She figured he had gotten the marks from all the running through the brush he does. But we got to pick up his flea/tick and heartworm medicine so that was a great thing to cross off our spring to do list.

He is quite well thankfully and we received lots of praise for his manners and sweet personality.

Hubby on the phone and Ned thinking he should be talking to him. :) He's getting a tad too big to be a lap dog. 

I hope you are having a productive week as well and taking good care of you and yours.  

Happily linking with Linda's TO DO party at Texas Quilt Gal. Also linking with Quilt Fabrication,  My Quilt Infatuation, For the Love of Geese, Alycia Quilts, Patchwork Quilting Applique, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and Brian's Home Blog.

Completely Done Year, A Finish, Stitchy Purchase, Free Patterns

I declare every Sunday Pyjama Day here at the Wooden House. It is also my very slow stitching day (cross stitching) and also photo day, time to go through more of my bank of photographs and delete or save. I'm finding the older the photos, the greater my willingness to axe them. 

Speaking of cross stitching, my stitchy purchase last month was a pattern called The Jack Rabbit from Cottage Garden Samplings. That link will take you to their A Year in the Woods series, a group of 12 designs featuring mostly woodland creatures.  And if Rabbit goes well, I will definitely want to stitch the fox.  Since I encounter lots of rabbits (and foxes are around too) here on the trails... I thought it would be fun to be stitching a memento and a change from the sampler style I'm currently stitching as well. It's all about those ears with this one!

                    

 I'm happy to say that Courthouse Steps Quilt is a finish, at long last.   It is a little more square than I wanted but it is single bed size or a very ample lap quilt. This will be a gift next Christmas.  Machine foundation paper pieced and very enjoyably hand quilted. It was my OMG for February and my Acer has been acting up which is my reason for not posting in time. 

Down in the sewing room, when I've warmed it up enough to manage, I've good news. I've finally worked out how to stitch my Summer Wildflowers   embroideries into a sampler. I unstitched all the fabrics I had them in ( a night's work that) and chose a completely different palette. One with soft colours and tiny prints. Many of you recommended this approach so thank you very much!

 

This way the embroidered bits can really shine.  I can see that now; why I didn't see it before is a mystery. So I've been measuring and cutting- keeping it all very simple. I like how it's working out so far. I'm putting each one into its own pretty "frame".  I'm going to set this as my Elm Street Quilts OMG for March and hopefully that will keep me on track. TO DO this week will be getting these blocks all framed. Then I will enter into discussions with myself on how to quilt it. 

 You can download all the free patterns for this stitchalong and others here at Shelley's blog, The Life of Hazel Ilene. Thank you Shelley!

I do enjoy being up close with the fabrics. Perhaps it is really all about the fabrics for me. I love looking at the motifs and the feel of the material in my hands.  It is enjoyable then to ply a needle stitching through it. You too?

I also love getting another UFO to the finish line! 2022 is a completely done year for me, in more ways than one. 

Thank you all for sharing your memories of Woolworth's Shopping and the Lunch Counter in response to my last post.  For the record, I remember having Coke Floats and fries at the Corner Brook, Newfoundland Woolworth's as a very special treat, usually on Report Card day. 

Hope you are finding enjoyment in the stitching journey this week too!

Linking with The Texas Quilt Gal, Quilt Fabrication, My Quilt Infatuation, Life in the Scrapatch, Powered By Quilting and The Inquiring Quilter. 

Halloween Finish, Christmas Quilt Along, Ugly Quilt, Cross Stitching, Hazel's Summer Embroidered Wildflowers

After the horrid humidity that hung around so much of this  summer, I think I will say Autumn is now my favourite season. The air is clear and the garden has not completely died off, so a few flower bearing plants to still eye.  With the recent rains, all sorts of interesting mushrooms have sprung up. And of course, seeing up close all the changes to the trees, leaves and blooming shrubs is enjoyable as well. 

My groom is starting to take shape. I hope to finish him this week. I heard from  Gitta's that the Autumn Quakers threads had to be backordered. I would love to get a start made on that piece before any thoughts of Christmas cross stitching get on the radar.  But c'est la vie.

The sewist behind Love Laugh Quilt and host of the linky party Monday Making, Beth, is hosting a Christmas Red and Green Sampler Quilt Along on her YouTube channel, My Sewing Room. She has generously offered free PDF files plus videos posted for three blocks now. I like the way she works with traditional style patterns and gives them a modern look with fabrics, etc. 

A Finish of a Small!

I showed a little piece that had some orange and black strips sewn together back in this post. It wasn't hard to guess a Halloween project was in the making.  I didn't have a pattern as such but drawing a pumpkin isn't exactly hard to do. I just cut the wide mouth and the eyes without a template. 

And found a piece of Black Cat on orange fabric for the backing and brought forward for the edging. I stitched simple in the ditch quilting lines through the strips. 

This machine sewn place mat is probably one of the few things I've ever made completely by machine. I had to practice to get the applique bit the right amount but other than that, it was pretty easy.  Perhaps this will make it all hang together better when going through the washing machine. 

I heard that almost 8 year old grandson, Robbie, liked it!

 Please tell me this has happened to you...an ugly quilt story!

 At the farmhouse back in 2015 I had the fun of embroidering  large flowery patterns from a quilt along called Hazel's Summer Wildflowers. 

                             

Shelly Pagliai shared excerpts from her mother's diary of her life as a young girl and woman in the '50's in Missouri and offered the free patterns as a way of remembering her mom. The diary entries made for the most interesting reading (including the recipes for the food Hazel helped her Mom make) and I loved the patterns. I finished embroidering all six of the patterns and they sat for a couple of years. Then I sewed them together with blocks stitched in this rather brightly coloured bee and flower fabrics. I remember being excited to find fabric with bees and flowers and thought it would be perfect.  But I hated the results.

                                                

I spent Saturday night unstitching them all.  

Including parts of the stitched blocks too.

What made me suddenly think of this project was some Laura Ashley fabric I came across online. It  had a very small flowery print in various colours and it reminded me of these blocks.  I am thinking the tiny motifs will suit these better. I ordered it and can't wait to see if maybe they will work. It would be nice to have these embroidered blocks finally sewn into something I am pleased with. 

 Hazel's blog is still there and the patterns for an appliqued version as well...The Life of Hazel Ilene, as well as the patterns for a number of other quilt alongs. I'm interested in the Vintage Christmas Ornaments one, for instance. 

Thinking of life at the farmhouse reminded me of the sumac lined driveway that turned brilliant red this time of year. I'll leave you with my dogs that I loved so much and think about all the time, Rex and Murphy, on that driveway one October back at the farm. Poor Hubby cannot say their names. 😢

I hope your week is off to a good start. Happy Stitching All!

Joining Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Love Laugh Quilt, Texas Quilt Gal, My Quilt Infatuation, The Inquiring Quilter and Kathy's Quilts.