A Tulip Finish, Tuesdays Flowers Blocks and Two Straw Things

Up at my usual time...early, but not quite up to par.  Had a horrid night with very little sleep.  First it was too hot.  Our little bit of heat has caught me off guard and I still had the winter duvet on the bed.  That will get remedied today.

As well, younger daughter was away on a business trip to California and was arriving home at 2 am due to flight delays.  That meant she was doing the Park and Ride in the wee hours which had me worried. Son in law texted at 3 am that she was using the airport valet service so that was a little better but I was so happy when I got the text an hour later that she was home.  I may as well have gone to the airport myself to collect her.

 Even though she is a grown woman, I still worry and I guess that just doesn't stop.

The Finish

It is a real pleasure to have my Tulips project completed and hanging on the wall. I didn't do as much hand quilting as I thought I would-just in each pink part, surprise, surprise but my time babysitting and away kind of took precedence. I wound up doing some echo quilting by machine around each leaf which worked out well.  No hitches with this little project so how good is that.

Thought I'd try one of those artsy type photos of it out on the lawn but the too bright sunshine and the poor quality of our grass at this stage kinda didn't really work.  (Hubby won't like that I'm showcasing this grass...what is it about men and grass!)

The WIP

I have my Tuesday's Flowers blocks on the wall together and have started cutting the strips and corner stones.  So far, so good. I was a bit nervous when I began this stage.

 About that, I followed the advice that so many of you give...put a new blade in my rotary cutter and measured twice or three times.  This fabric is expensive; I really don't want to mess up.

  I am liking the French General Pondcherry fabric and the grey of it is not overwhelming the flowers.  Seeing these blocks altogether does give me a bit of a surprise.  I didn't realize I had used so much red in them but I like it.  I'm using the order the original Tuesday's Flowers used to line up the rows.

I think this tells something about my nature.  I don't seem to be as cognizant of the ending of things as I should be and get lost in the process.  It even happens in baking with me.  Once I put something in the oven, I can feel finished and only setting a timer will remind me that it's not over yet.  The making of things seems to be where I find the most pleasure.   Does that even make sense?

Two Straw Things

At the second hand store that used to be a church, we found a number of items that suited this house. When I saw this chair, I knew I wanted it for the front veranda.  Finally got it outside and I do like it.

I love bags. I think that is a trait I share with many of you!  It is just about the only accessory that I have to reign myself in when it comes to purchases.  I didn't need another bag, but I liked this one.  Summery and colourful with lots of pinks, blues and greens as well that this overbright photo isn't showing.

Hope there is something colourful to brighten your day!

Linking this post to the amazing stitchers at
Crazy Mom Quilts
Freemotion By the River
Thread and Needle Network
Sugarlane Designs

I Could Live In Sweden Part 2

A while back I wrote this post called I Could Live in Sweden.  In it I told about just being to Ikea and  chatted about the influence Swedish designers have on everything.  Though I don't care for the sleek, bare modern look in a house, there are so many Swedish/Scandinavian kind of things that I do love.

The Scandinavian influence in fabrics and quilting turned up about a decade ago and shows no sign of fading.  Fabrics featuring nordic themes are still very popular. The nordic fox, and Dala horse come to mind.
                                         

Are you familiar with Lynette Anderson's Scandinavian Christmas wall hanging?  It and a fabric line were inspired by her working holiday in Sweden.  Isn't it pretty?
 This is in my book mark file and is actually moving up the queue.  Homespun Hearth sells the kit and has substituted more greens for the greys which give it a brighter look if the neutral doesn't appeal to you.



At the Nordic Nest which ships worldwide, they have everything from children's toys to jewelry to home decor if you want to see what Swedish dishes or rugs look like. They also have a wide ranging fabric selection that makes interesting looking.

Love the colour palette in this one.

                              

I really like this snowy houses panel.

                      

A few years back a friend gave me this book for my birthday. She knew of my love of cross stitch and also that the traditional Swedish style in particular appealed to me. (It is interesting to me that by visiting your blogs I have broadened my interest to include more primitive styles now.)  But I just love that beautiful red basket right there on the cover.

The Danes gave us Hygge, the concept of warmth, home and family and what's not to love about that. It's a concept we Canadians, in particular, with our long cold winters certainly embrace. Even though it is just a trend, I hope the feeling it implies will linger.  I love coziness and all that means- woolly sweaters, wood fires, pretty lighting. But it's not just that winter is the most hygge time of the year, the idea also means consolation, gratitude and finding pleasure in small things.  Which are all big things really.

I'd finished this post when coincidentally I spied this book on the Bargain shelf at Chapter's and couldn't resist buying it.  The pages would make wonderful templates for applique or designs for embroidery.

I had to share this very Scandinavian design with you. Below is a link to this free cross stitch pattern in pdf form by Jan Eaton for Tom Pudding designs.

The Scandinavian Red and White

I like how modest this nation is even though they have so much to be proud of.  #1 in the world for its sustainability and also ranked #1 in the world by the UN for its care of the elderly. Canada ranks 5th and I would have to say that our care of the elderly is somewhat fragmented as well.

Thanks for staying with me to the end...so much to like and be inspired by.

I will be linking up with all the likes and thankfulness to be found at Not Afraid of Color and It's a Small Town Life.

Sticky Toffee Puddings and On My Knees

I have been so happy to finally get out into the garden.  I've logged a few hours each day now in the last week sometimes in between the rain showers. And I have a few creaky joints to show for it. I guess it is the "on the knees bit" and the "getting up and down" that do give a little work out.

 Do you remember me calling this property Hosta Heaven when I first saw it last year?
Summer is revealing that it still lives up to that name.

The hostas are everywhere and they thrive in full sun though we've not seen a lot of that yet.

The little red squirrels love the sunflower seeds.  That's one this little guy is dropping.

I also put together three planters of mostly annuals I bought at Walmart.  That's the only way there is going to be much colour just yet.  We are having the coolest spring in several decades.

I made Hubby his Sticky Toffee Puddings and used the very easy recipe from Barry's Rock Recipes site called Perfect English Sticky Toffee Puddings. I have to say the flavour of these is so delicious and I have eaten a few too.  They really don't need a sauce and taste so good with just a big cup of tea.

I used my largest muffin tin pan and froze them which makes for a convenient snack or little dessert.

Photographing food so it looks fit to eat is an art-one I need to keep working on!

Has This Ever Happened to You?

I've been interested in vintage all my life it seems and now I have worked my way to being vintage myself. LOL There doesn't seem to be an age limit as such on what qualifies as vintage and it also seems there are two streams at work right now in the stitchy world...real vintage and vintage-style.

 So vintage is inspiring brand new items and designs all the time and thus continually renewing itself.

Now then, have you ever done this??
Put a lot of effort into something and then not liked it in the end.

A couple years back in 2015, I embroidered a group of blocks that were called Hazel's Summer Wildflowers. They were being offered by  Shelly Pagliai in memory of her mother Hazel Ilene. At her site Shelly also offers the actual page by page transcript of her mom's diary she began at age 14 and kept until a married woman.  The sections as a teenage girl in the early fifties were very interesting I thought.

At the Hazel's Diary  site you will find free patterns for a number of blocks and quilts, all beautiful. I've also added Shelly's blog to my sidebar there for easy access and I guarantee it is worth checking out.

While I took so much enjoyment from working the blocks, I had a heck of a time putting them together to make a hanging. I actually put them all together twice and tried many different fabrics with them.
So much so that  I became a little worried I would damage the material because I had used old pillowcases (pillow slips we called them growing up) I found at a thrift store for the embroidery.  Here are a few photos of my efforts.

Just so you get an idea of what the embroidery was like.  Certainly vintage.

In the end I put the blocks together like this.

Anyway, I didn't care for the end result at all and it went away in a box.

 My main issue was when all together the design and colours totally overwhelmed the embroidered blocks.  Why I couldn't see that as I worked on it I don't know. Though these fabrics in themselves were pretty and I especially liked the bee fabric, I actually would have a lot better idea of what fabrics to use now that I am further along in my quilting journey...I have learned.  And I have learned from visiting your blogs and seeing how you choose fabric and put blocks together.

I have thought I might get them out to see if I could take them apart and try a completely different fabric with them.  But who knows.  I seem to keep forging ahead with new projects, so...
Do you do that too?

Oh well, I have happy memories of my time spent stitching the embroideries and it's so true that we all have to start somewhere.

Happily joining the many wonderful stitchers at Kathy's Quilts,   Small Quilts and Doll Quilts,   Sew Fresh Quilts,  Crazy Mom Quilts, Quilt Fabrication and Sew Can She. I'm off to explore these sites.

Sharing Beautiful Stitching

So good to be home and getting myself all sorted.  Happy to be sharing a few things with you today.

Above is one of the snacks Daughter put me on to...rice crackers with peanut butter and dried cranberries.  For me, hard to stop at just two, but it is supposed to be a snack I tell myself.

I'm making my way around the border pieces of my " Cornwall Cottage" cross stitch project. I'm further along than this photo...almost at the end of this side.  Slow stitching indeed but every little bit helps.

 It is the duller part of it and I'd love to get it out of the way before rewarding myself with the pretty motifs. I follow  Janet Granger's Blog  and she is stitching "Autumn Quakers" by Rosewood Manor the same house that released my Cottage piece.

                            

 Janet makes the valid point that Autumn Quakers is such a fun pattern to stitch because it is all motifs, no repetitious border to deal with. A thought to keep in mind when choosing the next project.

Do you remember the large applique piece I showed you in This Post?  I am thinking it might be the work of this designer, Alison Glass.
I came across this piece and thought it looked rather similar to the one I had found before.  Maybe, perhaps...beautiful, interesting work.

    

Before I forget again, I want to pass along that the wonderful Mary Corbett(as I always think of her) of Needle n' Thread has faced down some serious health issues. Because Mary's web site is her business, she doesn't post personal stuff there.  What she has been doing is giving a link to letters she has written about her experiences with cancer starting in 2015.  They make for some courageous writing.  I think this will lead you to the list of letters if you are interested.....

I will share this post with  LeeAnna's Not Afraid of Color and Michelle's It's A Small Town Life.

Happy Stitching All

Home Again

Back to the wooden house and needn't have worried about Hubby being carried away by the dust bunnies.  Vacuums out and plugged in on both floors meaning he had literally just vacuumed before leaving to pick me up.
 Overall he had done well especially food wise. Younger daughter had spoiled him by bringing him supper two evenings; he'd eaten all his favourites that I had lined up in his line of vision in the pantry. Also he'd made away with a whole Costco strawberry/apple pie by himself...no mean feat; those weigh almost four pounds!  As he said a dirty job, but somebody had to do it.

For myself, the train rides did not disappoint.  I loved sitting and watching for any birds or animals I could spy out the big window while sipping a glass of Merlot and deciding what someone would bring me for lunch.  I don't care what it is, but I find it a treat to be served food. Just the heights of indulgence and enjoyment.

Tenth floor hotel views of the American and Canadian falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario

 And  I swam a lot and walked a lot which was good cause I ate a lot and got to reminisce a lot with the grandfather so all was wonderful.  Grandson got to swim a lot too, rode into the falls' mist, went for it on the big rides at Marineland and spend the one rainy day indoors at a waterpark,  A must do for 12 year olds these days I guess.

Niagara Falls is a very safe town and everyone seems friendly and helpful in the tourist areas.  Our last night, a very large tour group of British seniors arrived...adding to the wonderful happy holiday mood that prevails there.

He's definitely growing up but I was happy to see he still liked getting a frog drink holder at the Rainforest Cafe. 😉  That's Strawberry Lemonade I'm drinking...nice.

  .

A pretty breakfast one morning.  That's quinoa pancakes holding up the eggs.  Also nice.

So my suitcase has been emptied and everything tucked away again.
 Now it's down to the memories and back to real life.

A Little News

It seems I am living up to my new mantra already and going to be away from my blog and the internet for a week.  This will give me some withdrawal symptoms for sure but a little break is good.

I am going on our annual journey with older grandson and his grandfather. It will all be by train which is my favourite way to travel.

None of my current stitching projects are going with me...too big for a tiny rolly suitcase.  Instead I prepped a small embroidery project because I couldn't think of being away without something to work on.  A little addicted too I know!

Here is that project- Kathy Schmitz's Stitched in Red series.
  I bought all 12 monthly patterns a while ago and finally decided it was time to make a start.  And it would be nice if the lighting in the hotel will be conducive to me doing a little stitching at the end of the days.   This is the block for May and there is lots for me to like about it.  First off, I love redwork and  though our Bees and Blooms are just making an appearance here they are nonetheless so appreciated.

                                      

Did any of you work on this particular project of Kathy's?  Have you seen her latest designs...so simple yet so sweet.  This one is called Bees in the Bowers and it has my name on it!

                                


You know what I'm really going to miss this week...visiting your blogs.  But I'll think about you and know there will be some wonderful reading waiting for me when I get home.

Have a wonderful week all!