I did get outside for a little veranda stitching before the heat wave returned
and, on the front of the house, the Hydrangeas are definitely dominating the space just now.
The lawns are getting crispy and there was an announcement that the forests here in Ontario are under great stress. They've asked even hikers to stay out of them lest they start a fire. We are up to 19 days straight without any rain. Due to break with rain tomorrow.
Here is Petey getting his morning greeting and tickle from Tony.
Besides wonderful balancing Petey, I want to point out that box...Tony's new lap top arrived in it over a week ago and guess what we are debating about it. We both agree it is a really good box, perhaps, maybe even too good to throw out. Tony is more reluctant than I am to get rid of it. He keeps saying "but it's a really good box". Now I lived with a box hoarder for 34 years so this is a very familiar conversation to me. Maybe for you too? I'll let you know the upshot of this one and since I'm in charge of putting out the garbage these days, its' fate is in my hands. Though it really would make an excellent sturdy box to house Christmas ornaments, for instance, or large quilt blocks. What do you think...the burning question...will the box stay or leave???? (:
Great days for in the cool sewing room...
Those leaders and enders tiny blocks are mounting...I found some in blues and even two in aqua to share for the RSC challenge.
I've joined all the basket blocks and added one border...it's getting massive!
And my Free Pattern file is overflowing. Time to share a few with you.
Free Patterns from Tiny Orchard Quilts include quilt patterns and also free motion quilting lines patterns which was especially interesting to see. Megan also has a great YouTube Channel. I loved this pattern called Gift Boxes and is such a great Christmas quilt idea.
Debbie Kratovil at Quilter By Design offers what she calls calendar blocks where she shares various blocks for each month, some made by friends, plus many with free patterns right there in each post. So many free patterns!
In her July 28 post "By the Sea", she shares 3 boat quilt designs. I've always wanted to make a boat quilt.
The Bear Creek Quilting Company has 100 pages of free patterns like this one called American Beauty in such pretty fabrics. Who knew pinks and blues and reds could look so pretty together.
Yarnspirations has a whole section of free patterns dedicated to beginners. If you've ever wanted to try crochet or knitting, this would be a great spot to check out.
Speaking of which, Brenda at Brenda and the Serial Stitcher has begun crocheting! A surprising event for such a lifelong dedicated cross stitcher. She's still cross stitching, of course. But she is following Lori Holt's tutorials and making very pretty large size coasters.
Brenda has discovered this hobby is a great way to give the eyes a rest and suits very well for "in front of the tv" stitching.
I love this message below. Seriously striving to live it.
I've more to share including next time my stitchy temptations and maybe a little stitchy mail. Yes, I fell off the no stitch shopping/ purchases wagon.
After several dark, damp cold morning walks, today the sun is shining and we are promised it will get to 13C. I'm mostly wearing my spring jacket these days. And I, being the tick magnet that I am, have begun spraying my waders with bug spray...it's supposed to help repel them. The trails are snow and ice free...cue the choir...hallelujah! And the Trout Lilies are already sending up tiny green shoots down on the big trail. The frogs are croaking and the birds are singing. Which of the 43 types of striped sparrows that are here in Ontario would this one be, I wonder??
At Not Afraid of Color folks are talking about where they write their blog posts. I'm always to be found here in my easy chair...a Swedish garden chair hand me down from Tony's parents in my corner of the living area. I have an Acer lap top to write on, as the name suggests, in my lap. It rests on one of those bean bag trays. This is where my little piles of "stuff" magically appear and grow around me, routinely requiring a clean out. What about you? Do you have a favourite spot where you write your blogs?
Indoors I've been following Lori at Humble Quilts who has been sharing Cheddar quilts. So many beautiful quilts in different patterns all featuring gorgeous cheddars. Like looking at sunshine but also happily reminds me of autumn and pumpkins too. Her Part 2 is HERE.
Cheddar must be a thing just now as the March catalogue of Connecting Threads ran an indigo and cheddar feature. What a great combination! And my, look at these wonderful quilts!
In not nearly as dramatic a showing...I've steadily added to my EPP Starry Hexagons project. I'm using the reds for the RSC April's colour. Here's how many I've stitched so far this month. I've diamond bits readied for a couple more which I should be able to sneak in before the end of the month.
We had a ham dinner for Easter with the usual foods...scalloped potatoes, carrots, etc. I did make an effort with the corn. I bought corn on the cob and cut off the niblets and fried them a bit in a pan. They were surprisingly sweet which made me wonder if they are shooting sugar into everything these days. I also tried one different dish. Prosciutto wrapped asparagus...roasted in the oven and served with a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar. Here is the site where I got the idea.
It was fun to make an Easter ice cream cake. And I remembered to take it out of the freezer when I started dishing up supper so I could get a knife through it by the time dessert rolled around.
I used a couple crushed Cadbury chocolate eggs in the layers and because it was for company, I used Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Everyone enjoyed it.
Easter means spring to me and I feel so fortunate to be able to watch up close this very definite time of rebirth in the natural world. I know a lot of you are worried about big and some not so big picture things, and you have a right to be for sure, but we have to carry on doing what we do best. Being kind and caring, finding little joys in our day to day activities.
**Spoiler Alert** We finished Season 5 of Fargo last night. The last episode has the heroine, Dorothy, talking to Old Munch, one of the bad guys, who has come to her house to do harm. These two characters have both suffered abuse and Old Munch has entered a family scene where they are just getting supper on the table. Old Munch is stymied by how they are treating him...like he is a guest... pull out a chair for him, fix a plate of food for him. Meanwhile Dorothy is talking to him and what she basically says is we don't have to be like that anymore, that's the past...what is the answer a confused Old Munch asks...I'm paraphrasing here...forgiveness, love, kindness- they are always the answer says Dorothy. I thought it was brilliant. I cried buckets.
Hope you are not crying- other than in a good way and having a great week!
The trails are providing all the workout I need these days. With melting and overnight freezing (-15 windchill -glad I wasn't out there), they are slushy, bumpy and narrow in places. Like walking a tightrope which is good for my balance. But I've had to take a ski pole along as I really don't want to turn an ankle. On the up side, the slightly warmer daytime temps mean less clothing is needed which is enjoyable. And surprise, surprise, the song birds are singing. Last Saturday, early morning, when I was gathering wood at the back basement door, I heard the unmistakable sound of chirping/singing that stopped me in my tracks. I stood listening in awe. How nature surrounds us with moments of beauty and is so uplifting.
Spring Sunshine on my indoor plants makes me happy too. At this stage of the long winter, they are all survivors, LOL.
Been keeping busy moving a couple of projects along. I'm still machine stitching Everglade blocks together and "faired up" as my grandmother would term it and I find this part of quilting soooo boring. I spent the better part of an hour one day arranging these, and no, this is not the final arrangement below...I did take a photo of that.
I also have this project from Norma Whaley at Timeless Traditions which was a gift to me years back. I had a start made on Basket Love, one of her basket quilt patterns, which involves applique so will stitch another now and then. I have this many bottoms stitched to date. These are fun.
And when I just need something to keep the hands busy, more scrap sorting gets done- this latest by colour. I keep expressing bafflement about how many scraps I have but it is something that does amaze me. I really haven't made that many quilts with that much fabric.
I've been more impressed with what many of you are stitching. For instance, a lot of beautiful arrow stitching has been occurring around the web for the Project Quilting Follow the Arrow challenge. I've enjoyed seeing the imaginative projects and in the process found a link to a free pattern that I really like. It is called Anita's Arrowhead and the link is there at Quilting Daily. And Carol Thelen has a YouTube video of exactly how it is formed which is absolutely brilliant! You have to check this one out. This colourful quilt shown here really appeals to me. Do you like it too?
I was happy to see the Cornell Labs folks have Jim's Indiana Barred Owl cam up and running. I notice work has been done to further secure the box to the tree and also fancy stitcks at the entrance for the young owls to perch on. The female has already laid two eggs and the male has been fabulous in his duties keeping her well fed. It is always interesting to me to see what she eats..so far a rodent and a crayfish. I check in most days to see what they are up to and fingers crossed it will be another successful breeding year for these beautiful birds.
On that hopeful note, I'll close this post. Enjoy the rest of this week...
I've joined all the basket blocks and added one border...it's getting massive!
