Most Wanted List and Mother's Day Outing

Who knew?!
I had no idea my way of devoting a container to each of my projects was a thing called boxing. I came across it on Ann Wood's Blog and realized that is what I am doing and it is a way of lessening anxiety about having more than one project on the go at a time.  I would definitely fit that category of stressing about it. 
 Here is what Twyla (love saying that name!) Tharp in her book The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For the Rest of Your LIfe  has to say about boxing...
“The box makes me feel organized, that I have my act together even when I don’t know where I’m going yet. It also represents a committment. The simple act of writing a project name on a box means that I’ve started work”
I found that interesting. 

 I actually felt overwhelmed in the sewing room one day last week. I got very down on myself about my lack of finishes to show for the time invested. Normally that aspect of the process doesn't bother me. In the end I questioned whether I should be looking at some of the pro type blogs where those talented folks have, if not two, then always one finish every single post. 
 But the upshot of that little bout had a positive outcome- it spurred me to look through my unfinished shelf. I pulled out these little applique blocks I made in 2016 and never sewed into anything useful . 

 They are designs from this book, Inspired By Tradition by Kay Mackenzie.

 I experimented with fusible applique and enjoyed  hand stitching a blanket stitch around them at the time. ( But decided in the end that I prefer using freezer paper overall for applique.)
  I squared them and sewed them together in an effort solely to make myself feel better.  To feel like I was accomplishing something.  A summer runner for the sofa table.

Having a complete rethink of that yellow and blue border ...too much/too busy.  What do you think? Now looking at these more subdued/neutral type fabrics.  Decision making, duh!

On a more satisying note, I got out and about in the local town recently.
I had a lovely day at the spa for Mother's Day. Younger daughter and I had facials, pedicures, drank mimosas and relaxed.  I'm not one for a lot of fooling with me from other people but I have to admit I loved every minute.  It is also enjoyable to know such a facility exists ten minutes from the house in the little nearby town, so we promised ourselves to go more often. 

We also visited the very well stocked Granary where all manner of health food, baked goods and grooming items  are available.

                                                  
Where I bought this, Vegenaise mayonnaise...so surprised to know it is available locally. It is quite tasty.

 And ended the day with excellent Indian food from another local spot, Sagar Indian Cuisine, which I'm so happy to support. The naan bread too was a real treat.

Nice to know shopping, eating out and entertainment is on our door step; we don't have to go into Ottawa for it which is a good thing as we get older.
What's on your want list?  
I want to join this group on Facebook... the Twinkle Twinkle Challenge- Het Klossie with Marijke Tabak. You might remember the Lily Challenge from last year. This year she has designed a star block also to be made with scraps and is free for members. 

I need to settle on which kind of frame or holder I want to buy for my stitchery projects.  The hoops I use are hard on the material and also hurt my left hand to hold for any length of time. I've looked at lap stands but they are pricey; lately I've been eyeing this one. It receives wonderful reviews so I think this is the one I'll go with. Q-Snap Needlework frame which gets a consistent 5 stars from stitchers on Amazon.



This list is to be continued. 
Meanwhile, everything is rosy in our garden...well not literally (will be a while yet before we see roses!) but figuratively for sure.
Hope for you all too!
Check out lots of positive/thankful Thursday things at Not Afraid of Color and It's A Small Town Life. Also linking with Sew Fresh Quilts, The Inquiring Quilter, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Life in Pieces and Busy Hands Quilts.

Scrappy Tulips On String Blocks, Cute Photo

Flowers for spring...appliqued on strings. 

And this cute photo...mothers in nature are the fiercest!  Precious photos.


Happy Mother's Day to all celebrating! There is no doubt becoming a mother is one of the great enterprises of life.  And if all works out, a lifelong journey at that.

Wearing his summer coat, here is the rabbit we think overwintered in the backyard. We see this fellow sometimes on the trail closest to the house.  I took this photo from a great distance and you can see he is lifting his nose and getting a smell-perhaps me. He immediately turned and hopped away.

And here is little chipmunk, the only one around this spring. I was happy to watch him popping in and out of the wood stick home I piled up over two autumns. I knew it was being used as I saw various tiny tracks in the snow sometimes throughout the winter.

When I return from my Mother's Day outing, I hope to continue appliqueing flowers onto the string blocks. The latest template, a sort of tulip for spring. On a bit of a roll and I would like to keep the momentum going.

Hope you have the momentum rolling today too.
Happily  linking with Kathy's Quilts and Viewing Nature with Eileen,.

Spring Things, Free Patterns, Kindness Counts

I grew up with the saying" it's bad to be poor but it's worse to be sore." Feeling grateful this week, yes! I had my annual check up recently, with a couple of tests I've never had before and they turned out normal. Always a relief when that happens at any age but especially at mine. I never take good health for granted, not for one minute.

A flowering is happening! The trout lilies, first woodland flower of spring, are finally putting on a show.

I made what I call a "cooked dinner" for Hubby recently...a pork roast, cauliflower with cheese, green beans, homemade applesauce and this dish there on the left.  At home in Newfoundland, this is served with gravy. Mom made many different meals where her biscuit topping would be used.  People call it different names- a crust or a paste. It is really a basic biscuit and I used to put it on top of whatever meat I was cooking.  Now I use a casserole dish to bake it.  It's good leftover with a little butter and jam too, if you forget about the carbs.

There are numerous variations but this is the recipe I use...

My head got turned by this Springtime celebration fabric... called Spring Awakens For Henry Glass by Debi Hron. At Debi's site you can see how gorgeous and sweet her designs are, as well as download a free pattern using this line. The colours are so vibrant and the owls are adorable.

                        
Another springtime event. The very unlikely places robins choose for their nests. Like this one at daughter's house right on the wall by their front walkway next to the garage.  She flies off when someone walks by which is a lot when they are home.  

But she has stayed to lay her eggs with all of us marveling at that wonderful shade of blue.

My little wall of photograph blocks is growing. Today I'm going to start stitching these into larger blocks. I find that easier to work with than long strings.  So far I've used only scraps for these so I'll see how big a piece I can make before deciding if I want to dip into my stash...and if I like it enough for that.

Jacquelynne Steeves has released her latest free BOM project.  She led a popular one last year called Save the Bees which are still in need of saving, sadly.  This year's project is called Happy Little Things.  The link is here for the sign up.
                             

Members of yet another of my online facebook groups got into a real fuss and the administrators had to step in and shut down some of the commentary. I'm really surprised and disappointed that someone posing an innocent question can somehow make people turn on each other with unkind words, on a stitching forum of all places, nothing to do with hot topics or anything. Yikes! 

I believe this....
                                     
                                    
We all know how good it feels when someone is kind to us even with the smallest gesture or word.
I hope there is only kindness and light and laughter in your day.
(Sorry the font sizes changed during this post; one browser shut down on me and I had to finish in another.)
Happy to be linking with Not Afraid of Color, It's A Small Town Life, The Needle and Thread Network, Sew Fresh Quilts, The Inquiring Quilter, Esther's Quilt Blog Creations-Quilts, Art and Whatever and Paying Ready Attention. 

Bird Ring, OMG, Not So Merry May

Hubby is down in the basement carpentering, as I call it.
He has set up a small labyrinth of pathways lined with various work benches and tool chests for he is a man who has sets of tools out in the garages and more here for indoor work and it is inconvenient to be walking in and out just to pick up a tool.
 I don't say a word about that or when he has a sudden need to get to Canadian Tire to look for a certain wrench or something...My own little haven aka the sewing room is getting increasingly fuller though no where reaching a 60 odd year collection like his. (Part of which he is quick to point out he inherited from his dad.)
There are benefits to his tinkering away; he's presently fixing the kitchen faucet that went on the blink suddenly last month.  Before that it was the shower head he had to disassemble and fix. We must be hard on faucets. He always has a lineup of small projects to keep him busy which is a good thing.

With all the rain and cold temperatures, the landscape here went rather quiet.  Even the frogs in the pond stopped croaking. I went looking but couldn't find any pussy willows opened yet. May is off to a soggy slow start. But today, a sunny Sunday, is bound to get spring back on track.

Here are a few of the birds around the feeder lately. We continue to be puzzled by the lone female turkey. She has been wandering our property for a couple of years now; I wonder what did she do to get banished from the flock.

What do you think of my new ring?
  My bird ring I call it. At Sundance catalogue it is called Lovebirds ring and they have carried it for years and as long as that I've admired it.  Finally ordered it and it is just as nice as I thought it would be.  Well made and very comfortable.

Not a good photo so here is a better one from the net but it is much shinier than this picture too.


I'm loving these little appliqued baskets; making them is a little addictive. I think I will set getting 20 of these finished this month as my May OMG at Elm Street Quilts.

The colours in the Sweet Pea CAL are so pretty to crochet with that it is a pleasure to work and is growing quickly. Almost making up for the lack of colour outdoors.  Btw, I love to see your photos of the blooms and greenery in your gardens.  It is so interesting to see what grows around the world.

Someone asked about the wool and pattern...
 This is Stylecraft Special Dk, wool you can wash which is essential for an afghan. Love some of the colour names- Pistachio, Wisteria, Meadow, Blush, Candy Floss. This is Lucy's free pattern found at her blog Attic 24 called Trellis Stripe. 

Lucy has started another project, the Dune Blanket and I am drawn to what she is calling the Colourwash version. Does it appeal to you too?
                                                  

 Design Wall May 4th, 2019

Hope the sun is shining but not scalding and the birds are tweeting wherever you are!
Linking this post with Kathy's Quilts, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Cooking Up Quilts, Viewing Nature With Eileen, Em's Scrapbag,  I'd Rather B Birdin, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and Letting Go of the Bay Leaf.

Sweets, Wet Spring, Scrap Busting

Our colder weather warnings have turned to wetter ones.  Yesterday was horrid with threats of snow, snow pellets, freezing rain and then rain.  This greatly added to the burden of those suffering floods in parts of Ottawa. What is happening along the Ottawa River where waterfront mansions as well as the humble homes of earlier homeowners there being equally affected by the flooding reminded me of a line in a poem. Something about dwelling in cots and with the wonder that is the internet I found this...Whatever course of life great Jove allots, whether you sit on thrones or dwell in cots, Observe your steps.
It appears spring, a season so welcomed has turned dispicable here.

On our property, the little pond did flood its banks but it does that every year at this time. Even with all the rain, it has since receded; maybe because the ground is finally thawing.

Which with all the bad weather, has become a deserted area. I was on the trail of a pair of black ducks down there and also had several sightings of a large duck/goose that was white with black markings. Both are new to me and I would have loved snagging a photo. No luck. But I did enjoy being out in the fresh air trying.
 I did have little red squirrel annoyed with me for hanging out by the bird feeder. He didn't like me there one bit and was chuffing at me the whole time. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!

 I got out my bread machine and made a coconut flour loaf. It ended up looking like this with a hole all the way through the middle which I was not expecting. It also didn't seem to have risen like it should have. I used a recipe from the internet and had the dial on the Cake setting. Anybody else ever use a bread machine for cake making? Any clue what I did wrong? Didn't it brown nicely though.

But I'll say this, it is tasty- very coconutty, so it will get eaten.  Custard sauce works well with this kind of dense cake so I'll make one of those. Don't think I'll be using the bread machine again for cakes any time soon!

And while on the topic of tasty...
The Canadian government has released a series of stamps celebrating,of all things, our sweet tooth.
Five notable desserts for our sweet nation. They are Sugar Pie (Tarte Au Sucre), Saskatoon Berry Pie, Blueberry Grunt, Butter Tarts, and Nanaimo Bars.  Any favourites of yours?




I've been making a right mess in the sewing room.  All these scrappy projects are super ort inducing.
 And a word of caution...don't wear fleece while trimming blocks.  I was picking off threads or depositing them around the house all day.

During my scrap sorting, I set aside all the pastel coloured blocks and have sewn a number of trains. I don't know for sure what I'll do with them but I did see an idea in a Quiltmania Vintage magazine that I could manage so maybe that.  Love the scrap busting though.

 Here is a fresh stack of photograph blocks either awaiting more strings or trimming.

And here is my very own entourage, Rex and Murphy, in their usual stance impatiently waiting for me to get going; looks damp out so I guess we'll have to bundle up.

Hope your spring or fall is proceeding without incidents!
As always joining the Thursday Thankful and Likes parties at Not Afraid of Color, Brian's Home Blog, Sew Fresh Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation and It's a Small Town Life.

What She Carries

For the last week we've been living in a world that reminded me of the ill fated 1995 Kevin Costner movie, Waterworld. I remember it well because at the time it made me think of the biblical Noah and his Ark story we read as children. Okay and yes probably because it had Kevin Costner in it.☺  Friday was horrible with what I call driving rain....a brisk wind pushing rain sideways which kept up all day.
People near lakes and rivers, of which there are many here, have been flooded and the mayor of Ottawa declared a state of emergency. This enabled the militia to rush to the aid of the many people needing help.  Though there is lots of rain in the forecast for the coming week, there are not the warnings that we just had. Hopefully the floodings will be short lived.

But a weak sun is striving to shine down on my house today. So maybe we can get this spring back on track.

I have learned to have separate containers designated for each of my hand projects. With our t.v. in the basement, I am constantly trotting one or the other down and up.  And I can easily grab one to take with me on my kid sitting nights with older grandson.

 For instance, I like to keep my Appliqued Baskets in this clear pink plastic container.  I think I bought it at Michaels with one of their 50% off coupons and it has served me well. I like that I can see exactly what's in there too.
I'm ready to stitch four more of the tan/brownish baskets.  And have started prepping four more of the yellows.  This is a really fun project with no deadline pressure, etc. I keep another container inside this little tote. I store the needles, thread, glue and scissors, etc. in the old toffee can. I've learned to have all the gear there all the time.

I carry my crochet project, the Sweet Pea CAL, in this cherry red, soft corduroy bag I bought at a local craft fair.  It's large enough to hold several balls of wool and the project for now. Which is also progressing. What a great relaxing hobby for t.v. watching! And pretty colours to work with.

My cross stitched Cornwall Cottage Sampler gets its own little bag too... this DMC one specially designed for stitchery projects.  It has pockets inside and its own little needle keeper place which is very handy.

And my progress to date...I've finished the bottom half of the basket since last report.  Happily, I am still enjoying this stitching and am just as determined to get this piece done soon.  I am also so happy that everything has been lining up properly and dare I say, no unstitching so far!

This is check in week with the SAL hosted by Avis at Sewing Beside the Sea.  We are an international group with a wide variety of projects to share. Very interesting to me.
Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Catherine, Deborah, Connie, Clare, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon

I was lucky to catch a couple of photos of our mother robin gathering straw to line her nest. She is spending a lot of time sitting in it now so I think the eggs must be laid. I worried about her during the rain...did she choose a spot with enough bough cover or would she be flung about with the wind or something, but she is a hardy little thing. And her nest is an extraordinary and solid work of nature. Still there.
Two separate trips...such a hard little worker.

Note Murphy up by the pink tote...see her eyes. They are asking me to finish this and get going...it's walk time and we will never forget that. With all the ice finally gone from the trails, Rex and her are finding all kinds of wonderful things to sniff.
So even though I have much more to share, I will stop now.  Hope your Sunday is a wonderful one!

Also wonderful is the chance to join these link up parties...Kathy's Quilts, Viewing Nature With Eileen, and Love Laugh Quilt.