Appliqued Needlebook, Music, What Could Have Been?

 I'm not the only one who likes whimsy...We found this little item at the base of a very large tree on one of the public trails back in October. I thought -wish I knew who put this here...perhaps I'm missing out on a friend.

Still enjoying playing around with what I would like to stitch for the Bramble Blooms QAL. I got out several of my books to look through for inspiration and to settle myself down to a colour theme as well. For instance, I love Tilda's Fan Flowers and wonder if I could make my own improv version of them. 

Then I realized I had run out of freezer paper which I never let happen and put in an order to Amazon...I've tried needleturn applique and it isn't for me. I need the paper which arrived promptly the next day.  Of course I put my hand right on the remnants of the last roll as I was storing away the new roll...isn't that always the way!  I'm getting closer to what I will begin with.

And I found this small scrap of winter fabric while scrap sorting and knew it would work perfectly for a little pocket in my winter needlebook. A slightly squished size but I left it like that. 

Early morning is when I listen to music while I'm doing chores. I found this piano rendition of Ed Sheeran's Perfect from The Piano Guys who are wonderful. This is so beautiful and moving. It really revs up at about the 3 minute mark. 

Though so many of you spied it, I'm still getting questions about what was hiding in this photo.  

It was a Blue Heron moving ever so slowly. Taken with my phone which ranks pretty low for quality amongst phones.

A couple of posts ago, I wrote about getting three meals from one ham. Yes, I do like the challenge of using leftovers in food for sure-hate waste and also in my stitching. Tony has said a couple of times that I would have made a good Farmer's wife with my frugal ways, the recycling and especially the gardening and animal interests. I think the first time he said it to me was because I am such an early riser...and he is not. Anyway, those were his notions of what farmers and their partners are like. Considering where I grew up, I could have been a fisherman's wife I suppose. What about you? Is there a path not taken, one where the skills you figured out you had later in life would have been better suited to you than what you wound up doing?

I'm going out to lunch today and looking forward to that. It is quite cool- windchill minus 20C when I walked this morning, but warming up with a sun shining brightly. Counting my blessings this morning including all of you with your kind words of encouragement to me. 💞 

Also happy to link with Not Afraid of Color, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and The Inquiring Quilter.

Bramble Blooms QAL, Books, Binding Sewing

I've been on a biography binge lately. I read both these books below many many years ago but enjoyed rereading them. I admire both women's work very much and it is always interesting to see what folks will share in a biography/journal style book. Both write with a similar frankness about their lives and there the similarity ends. Nuala O'Faolain once famously described herself as being "a nobody from a long line of nobodys" and May Sarton- ahh, what to say about May. I carried a line of hers in my head from when time was young for me too..."Now there is Time and Time is young." 

It is interesting for me to compare my present self who now in my seventies is a younger elder ( Tony at 84 is an older elder) to how I thought about the words I read that made an impression on me when I really was young. When I think back on all those days- the people close to me, events, happenings, etc., it was a world that is no more- to quote Frodo. :D But still very much in my mind.

See the miniature African Violet in the picture. They were selling these cute tiny things at Farm Boy and I couldn't resist buying one. They need no watering from the top as the holder unscrews and you put a little water in the bottom. This is clever as there is wide debate about how to water African Violets as in some say never from the top as it may damage the leaves.

I've collected and bagged lots of seeds to save till next spring. That reminded me that Scattering Wildflower Seeds is one of the 52 Favourite Things in Sophie Blackall's sweet book Things To Look Forward To. Love that illustration.

Audrey at Quilty Folk has started an Improv QAL called Bramble Blooms and I'm taking part. This will be a very relaxed process with an emphasis on learning how to embrace improv with lots of applique. Our first step was to find neutral scraps and sew a background block which I have done. So far, so good. Next step is to choose Bloom fabrics which will be fun. 

I may have mentioned I finished the hand quilting on the improv Autumn table mat.  Someone asked...I used DMC 402 for a little contrast.

The border has been pinned; it's a simple one where I brought the backing forward and folded it. I hope to finish this one completely this week.

Another bug in the house...it was a good summer for Western Conifer Bugs. Happily these are harmless. However, they are drawn to sunny windows just like the one where my stitching chair is. They are easy to capture and put outside. I like their interesting markings. This one sat on my notebook for quite a while and I regretted no longer having a camera that can take good macro shots.

We have appointments to keep this week. Though the garden has been more or less put to bed, I have to stow away the wheelbarrows and pots. We got the the winter tires on the car last week just in time for the first snowfalls, none of which stuck.  But freezing overnight now every night so the season has moved along. Hope your week is a great one!

Sharing with Quilt Fabrication, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Alycia Quilts, Kathy's Quilts and Quilting and Learning.

 

Three Somethings to Enjoy And One Not So Nice

 Are you a jump out of bed, feet on the floor the minute your eyes open in the morning, person?  I'm not and never have been though I don't linger long. I wait a bit and these days I do a little stretching. In particular I've been stretching  my plantar fascia before putting my feet to the floor. A month ago I didn't know this existed! I almost feel like my left foot has let me down because I now have some tightening of the p f there. Not painful but an uncomfortable awareness of it. The good news is just this little bit of massaging in the mornings has made any issue with it almost disappear. However, I will have to keep it up. But it's a sign folks...I'm sporting a 71 year old model here. LOL

Something Beautiful

I've shown Phoebe's watercolours here before. Thought I'd share another work of hers. Lady Winter by Phoebe Wahl...As a hopeful so long to winter 2023.

Hedgehog Belly Designs 

And here is a video of Phoebe speaking about her life and work. She was "unschooled" as a child, an interesting concept.

Something Stitchy 

I've wanted to make a house quilt forever. And since deciding to construct a Rainbow Neighbourhood, I had to choose the fabrics I want to use for it. I've had this bundle from Laundry Basket Quilts a long time, ever fearful to cut into it. I take it out from time to time and admire it. 

When I looked through it this time, I realized it had fabrics for each of the primary colours so would make up the Rainbow aspect of the QAL. So right, its' time has come! That was the first and easy part.  

Along the way, I found a piece of fabric with butterflies that I've been wanting to use forever.  So a practice house I'm calling the Butterfly House was built because I'm longing for spring. You will have to take my word for it that the colours in the butterflies are the same as the pink reddish front there and also grey of the roof is in there too. I still have to give the appliqued butterfly its antennae. And yes, I know it all together is a bit OTT. And I'm disappointed the beautiful red/pink of that fabric is not showing true to colour. It is so pretty. 

Question: Should I change the door fabric to a solid black or dark brown to tone down the OTT?

This was not easy machine piecing for me. I made at least three mistakes and had to rip out and redo. Always so much to learn! But it was okay enough I will try another one this week. Maybe I'll stitch a star next time or a flower, whatever strikes my fancy. This block is large and I did waffle on the size which is 16 inches, but in the end, stuck with that. Ned says I don't know what the heck we're doing out here but I'll just sit awhile and enjoy this sun.

Something Funny

Something I'm Sick and Tired Of

I'm not going to talk about our recent ice storm as I'm sick and tired of talking about the weather and especially tired of having to deal with it. What freaked me out was thunder and lightening while freezing rain was falling! So bizarre and that went on for hours-have never experienced thunder lasting so long. Okay so I had to say something about it. :D Here's a  photo I took -everything coated in ice. 

Sun is cheering today and we have the promise of well above freezing temperatures all this week. Hallelujah! Top of my To Do list this week is not stressing as much about things out of my hands. Like weather, and all the rest of it. 

Hope you are all calm and relaxed and enjoying your week!

Linking this post with Quilt Schmilt, Quilting and Learning,  Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Quilt Fabrication.