Butterfly Freebies, Blooms and Bramble Blooms II, Slow Stitching

Young robin, pond bathing...

The garden has become overgrown and I'm a bit overwhelmed trying to keep up. Who knew rain and heat interspersed with sun were the perfect combination for plant growth, :). Look how everything is spilling onto the front steps. Usually this is a late August look.

I'd planted many Day Lilies to line the beds on either side. I chose the brightest red/rust colours to contrast with the white Hydrangeas that usually steal the show. The Day Lilies are being smothered by all the other growth this year. Here is an inadvertent movie I took of one.

My Woodpecker is getting more of his feathers! I made a mistake in one of the lines and had a little unstitching to do. I waffled about pulling out the stitches because I don't think anyone else would notice. But I'm glad now I did it because it probably would continue to bug me. But I'm enjoying this slow stitching journey -I'm certainly not doing any fast stitching that's for sure.

I shared a look at a block I'd stitched for my Bramble Blooms II project a while back. The one hosted by the improv artist, Audrey, at Quilty Folk. The free pattern is called Circle of Fiends and is from Maureen Cracknell Handmade. I have the other three blocks that I'm using for a center cut and ready to stitch. I realized the block is aqua-ish and would suit for the July RSC. 

Joy at The Joyful Quilter has picked butterflies as a theme for July. Very appropriate and here are a number of free patterns featuring that summertime favourite motif.

The first is so lovely and light and summery...From Cloud 9 Fabrics

From the folks at Craft Gossip comes this wonderful variety of free butterfly quilt patterns.

I really liked the pattern from Connie Kresin, Free Motion By the River. I used to join her very popular linky party years ago. Caroline from SewCanShe has a beautiful and easily pieced butterfly in the collection too. Beautiful fabrics and butterflies...quite a combination.  

We are enjoying this show below while eating our supper...we use trays in front of the tv. Anybody else dine like that?? (I've read that Ronald and Nancy Reagan loved eating like that.)

Love the characters and situations they find themselves in. The dialogue guarantees you will be teary eyed at some point in every show. However, at the risk of sounding like a prude and old fogey, I'm a bit perturbed by how much smoking and drinking the Vicar does. Raised in the United Church/Protestant as I was, ministers did not drink or smoke. I don't know if it was a church edict as such or just had something to do with setting an example of self discipline maybe. Not just that point though, it also looks so unhealthy.  If you watch the show, you'll see what I mean. 

I wonder why I've gotten out my mini muffin pan, the one I bought to make some fancy tarts that one time about ten years ago and hasn't been used since. Have you ever done that?  You will have to drop by next time to see what I got up to with it all these years later.

Another post threatening to get too long! I always have so much to say it seems. You all take care, stay warm and toasty or cool and collected depending on where you are on this beautiful planet of ours. Here the ceiling fans are whirring!

So happy to share this post with Songbird Designs, Alycia Quilts, Quilting Patchwork Applique, So Scrappy and My Quilt Infatuation.

Best Thrift Store Quilty Find Ever!

Last  Monday was Family Day here in Ontario, a day off work to get out with the family and enjoy winter activities. It was very sunny and we could hear the snowmobiles out on the trails. Beckwith County turns one of their forest walking trails into a skateway in winter and it was in top form.  This is one of the four we walk with Ned sometimes. It winds for over a kilometer through thick woods so it would be a unique and fun skating experience. 

I heard my first morning bird song of the season on Saturday morning. It was a cardinal singing so the season is turning or at least the birds think so.

I must get right to the mystery item that gave me such a surprise and thrill to find at a local thrift store on my very first visit to it. 

It is this beautiful quilt below, of Baltimore Album genre, which I have been admiring and examining  ever since it came into my hands. I photographed it in my bedroom which is darkened so sorry about the lighting. Here on my queen sized bed. 

No label or name anywhere. The applique is all hand stitched, as is the quilting. The sashing is machine stitched on the back, folded to the front and hand stitched. It is beautifully sewn with gorgeous batiks used throughout.

When I first put it in the cart, I assumed it was a machine sewn mass produced type item- you know the kind, but lovely and large enough for the spare bedroom double bed.

But no, it is genuinely hand stitched with a number of those beautifully ruched and specially folded flowers.

You can't see it but the tail feathers of this bird has gold threads sewn between them. Could that be a clue as to where it was made? Was that a pattern suggestion for embellishing it maybe?

And this interesting block with two headstones.

The quilt has that overall crinkly kind of feel and look hand quilting gets when washed too. 

And it has been washed a number of times and has some give way in a few seams but overall is in immaculate condition. It feels old to me. 

And here was the price.

How are you feeling about this? At home, seeing what it was with a less than $20 price tag, my heart sank at first. But then in my reading I found out these kinds of quilts are being mass produced with hand stitching too, kind of like knock offs. So maybe this could be that but I don't think so. And especially as it was sitting in a nearby small town, the one where I go just to visit the quilt shop.

I would be so happy to hear your opinions, all of them, not forgetting to please mention which particular pattern is this too. I've looked for that unique block and can't find it anywhere. Thank you in advance! 

Do you believe in fate? Could it be fate that I was meant to find this quilt somehow. Doesn't matter... as you all know, I love it and am delighted to give this beauty a good home. 

Sharing this post with My Quilt Infatuation, A Quiltery, Quilts, Art, Whatever, Patchwork and Quilts and Quilt Fabrication.