Free Patterns, Renewed Interest in an Old Project

It's all about the weather again here in south eastern Ontario. Weather does not know borders, LOL. It's a good thing I love the snow, with the caveat that I don't have to drive in it. 

It started snowing yesterday mid day and is still snowing. Looking out my kitchen window this morning. Everything swaddled in a fresh blanket of white.

Ned and I ventured out for our early morning walk and didn't get too far. We wound up walking just the laneway and even then the going was tough.  I know it's hard for some to understand how invigorating walking in winter air is. But it always makes me feel great. Bundled up, it is not cold at all. The cool air clears my sinuses, my mind and science says it boosts my immune system too which I believe. It also makes me feel grateful I can walk like this and then have a warm house to return to.

We are finally watching this series, The Morning Show, and enjoying it very much. For some reason, I am always surprised by how well Jennifer Anniston can act.

Thank you for all the encouraging words about the recent quilting projects I've shared. Yes, the yellow is working out for the Panama Pyramids.  And I'm feeling a renewed interest in the Wheel Within a Wheel project. Have the sections all sorted again and will continue the hand stitching parts tonight. 

Our prompt this week from LeeAnna, Not Afraid of Color, is what is our favourite colour/colours. I like the idea of thinking about colours now with my outside world white, white, white. However, it is hard for me to pin down a colour I adore as such. Having a colourful flower garden and also flowering bushes has added so much enjoyment to my life in general. And now that I am white haired, I've been wearing brighter colours, red, for instance, which used to be my least favourite next to purple and orange. I used to wear camel and grey which totally wash me out out now. 

But in keeping with red, look at how joyous the Sumac become when the summer season starts drawing to a close. Who could not feel brighter in spirit when looking at this. 

What about you? Do you favour one colour over another? Have your colour choices in clothes changed like mine over the years?

I keep saying I want to make placemats. Perhaps with tea cups. I was totally smitten with Anna-Jantina and her beautiful cups. I love everything she sews and you will see why if you look her up. She is on Instagram and I had sincerely wished that she kept her blog going. 

Thursday's Three Free

So I'm looking at free patterns for cups and there are so many. Here is one from the kind folks at Bear Creek Quilting.

And another freebie from  the Quilting Daily site...I've downloaded this template.

Sewing cups/mugs would be fun. 

 From Moda Fabrics comes this unique design called "Latitude". I think batiks were use to make this one but the free pattern includes a colouring sheet to work out your own pretty palette.

For my slow stitching friends...do check out Mary Corbet's Needle n Thread site if you haven't already. I've been a fan ever since I got the internet years back. I've followed her stitching lessons, copied patterns and bought patterns and books through her site as well. Mary has a wonderful bank of free patterns and links to patterns for both embroidery and cross stitch. Besides loads of tutorials. 

I need to draw this post to a close. Thanks yet again for the lovely comments, emails, suggestions, etc. I read them all and take them to heart. They mean the world to me!

Love to share this post with the weekly linky parties at Alycia Quilts, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, So Scrappy, Quilting Patchwork Applique, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Wendy's Quilts and More.

Scrappy Baskets and Parachutes Applique, Rebecca- the Movie, A Thanksgiving Cactus

I dreamt the other night that I was swimming. It is a recurring dream and the water is what this dream is about. It's an ocean with warm, clear blue-green water. (Nothing like the North Atlantic at home where I grew up). It feels beautiful as I effortlessly swim through it. I'm thinking all the while, this is so wonderful. I'm a much better swimmer in this dream than in real life where what I do barely qualifies as swimming. I've had this same dream very occasionally but going back some 45 years; it is like a visit from an old friend. What it means, anything or nothing, is a mystery to me. But I do love swimming and the old body really benefits and these days it is missing that daily swim very much. Lately I've noticed little aches and stiffness that I do not feel during the summer. 

Anyone care to venture an interpretation??

 After all the hand stitching on very large pieces I've done lately, I feel a need to go small again. Back to Basket Case, the applique scrappy basket project started by Michelle Ridgeway. It felt satisfying to finish a couple of these in an evening and I can see why so many of you stick with small projects these days. 

I also appliqued several more of the Parachutes blocks. This was fun choosing the fabrics, and discovering the Sweet Honey Kisses for Riley Blake fat quarter bundle in the cupboard . It suits this idea of Japanese style stitching as I plan to practice some Sashiko embroidery on the border. Thank you for the comments with suggestions on how to finish these embroidery wise. Learning about new notions/methods/techniques, etc. is important for me. I think I'll set this as my OMG this month.  As this will be another Christmas gift. 

We've decided to have Saturday nights as movie nights; well, actually I decided and Hubby is going along with me. We normally don't watch movies so that's why I'm mentioning this as a thing. The first we watched was  Rebecca, the remake of Daphne DuMaurier's novel on Netflix. When I read this book at 17, I so identified with the young heroine, it was almost painful for me. Lily James does a good job of the role in this version and Kristen Scott Thomas makes a formidable Mrs. Danvers. Do you know this is probably one of the few novels-movies where we never know the name of the protagonist. That clever Daphne.

 The Christmas cactus plant lived outside all summer. I have it indoors now and it is blooming, has been for the last three weeks. This surprised me till I read that if you have a Christmas cactus that blooms in Oct/Nov, it is probably a Thanksgiving cactus. I'd never heard of that. 

And a squirrel had chewed off a good sized sprig which I put in a little water on the window sill. That is blooming as well. 

Well, that's about all the excitement we can take here at the wooden house. I'll leave you today with this photo of Murphy girl lying in front of the fire and also catching some rays from our rarely seen sun this week. She follows the sun around the room so it must feel good to her old bones. 

Oh and then there is this which is well worth a read. 

I know these tiny little things mean a lot to me and my mood when I venture out and about. I try to return them. 

Joining these linky parties...Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Life in Pieces, What a Hoot Quilts, Gone Stitchin' and So Scrappy.