Autumn Blooms, Hand Quilting, Dogs in Our Pond

 Our summer is surely leading to autumn. Don't need the weather people to tell us...it is cool each morning and there is a certain slant to the light. The angle is different and the sunlight itself is glittery but like it is filtered through the trees first. And of course, it is darkening earlier in the evening..."closing in" as my grandparents would say.  I love autumn too so it's all good.

The Ligularia, such a wonderful perennial, is blooming now in late summer. The very large deep yellow blooms open up as the rest of the flowers are fading. 

Daughter, Beth, has a tiny video on the Adventures of Pete and Abbey channel of them in our little pond here. Both love fetching. Ned not so much.

I've enjoyed rereading Anita Brookner's Hotel du Lac. I say rereading but I remembered very little of it so it was fresh to me. I love Anita's writing and enjoyed the way she introduced her main character, a single older woman named Edith, to us. So deserving of the Booker Prize way back in 1984.  

The RSC So Scrappy colour for September is aqua. I thought I'd have to skip this month because of a lack of aqua fabric and I'm not ordering any new fabric these days.  But when I dug deep I found this lot hiding with the greens on the left. Enough to work out some small project or other. And of course finding a project won't be any hardship at all. But a little disconcerting that I'd forgotten this lot completely!

I'm still doing my best trying to hand quilt the Book Club quilt and now almost finished. When it was draped over the chairs, I saw how the quilting lines showed up in the light so took a photo. I would like to see this all bound and finished this month. Will link to the Elm Street Quilts OMG September party to see if that will keep me on track. 

Thank you for good snack ideas. I too eat almonds and walnuts and baby carrots. And yes occasionally succumb to potato chips or popcorn. Only human, after all. :D Oh and still on that topic I read that a Snickers bar has more protein than some protein bars. But of course, there is the sugar. Sigh

Love linking with Not Afraid of Color, Kathy's Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Quilting Patchwork Applique. 

 

Hand Quilting, Flowers, Favourite Snack

Walking through the garden this morning, I noted the beautiful Japanese Anemones were alive with bees. My header photo features just that. Someone before me loved these perennials as there are four healthy patches of them here. 

Below is a weed, maybe Fireweed, not sure exactly what, but I do admire the intense pinks lining the pond path. This has tufted tops. 

Here is a close up of Purple Loosestrife which is in a small meadow directly behind the house. It is invasive but has not spread here at all, just a few sprigs here and there each summer. 

Early morning today I had underdressed for my walk. With the season changing, it was 9C and felt cool. But that was okay as it made me move faster. 

Lately I've been getting ads for these and wonder if they'd be a good way to corral certain projects. From Madam Sew...anyone tried them?? 

On the weekend I got further along with my hand quilting on the Book Club quilt. I have eleven of the sixteen blocks finished. Some are easy outline.

And others are  circles for a change so the stitcher doesn't get bored.

Here is a favourite snack of mine, usually eaten mid afternoon when feeling peckish.  Cucumber and hummus, or sometimes with bell pepper strips. I know it isn't for everyone, but I love hummus.

I struggle to find healthy foods that will hit the spot for snacking. Any suggestions???

I came across this little poem and believe the words to be so true. The tiniest of kind gestures from strangers are meaningful.

It was only a sunny smile

And little it cost in the giving

But like morning light, it scattered the night

And made the day worth living.

Credited to F. Scott Fitzgerald
 

And the world feels like a beleaguered place just now. It needs all the kindness we can muster.  

And where there is loads of kindness to be found is at these linky parties... Songbird Designs, Alycia Quilts, It's a Small Town Life, Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Two More Thrift Finds, Redwork, Free Patterns

 Old and still beautiful Day Lily and very young Maple tree...

There's a reason cups of tea/coffee are often shown with a backdrop of a cozy quilt/stitching in hoop or/yarn and hook, etc. Our comforts for mind and body are important to us. I honestly don't know what I would do without mine. I also love reading about yours as I think you all know by now.

As you know I also love nothing better than a good poke about in a flea market/thrift store where I challenge myself to see what I can find for $20; have to up that to $25 these days. Recently I found this mug in perfect condition, a Royal Doulton 1815 series, for $3.99. I knew these mugs run from $20 to $25 and I love the blue/green dreamy like colour. It holds a goodly amount of morning coffee and perfectly matches my scrappy hand stitched mug rug. I later read an article about how Royal Doulton achieves the smooth, chip resistant finish but I think I'm the only one with an interest in that. I was actually looking for what name they gave this colour. Apparently, it's blue. :D

At that same time, I found this. I'm  pointing to the bag of threads...DMC perle 8, my favourite, with  another brand I'm not familiar with but the same size. Someone must have had a project requiring a lot of greens. Not at all shopworn and also $3.99.  

And not from a thrift store... on the right...I buy Walker's Milk Chocolate Eclairs when I see them usually in Home Sense or Winners. I'm not a sweets lover, but do like one of these now and then like a little treat.

Here is my progress on Mom's Redwork Embroidery project. I really enjoyed stitching these birds. The Atlantic Puffin on the left is Newfoundland's provincial bird and the Ptarmigan on the right is common in both Labrador and Newfoundland. It is also found in many Canadian provinces and can be a food source. 

Working with the fine threads made me realize how shabby my nails are just now. I keep a file handy as the threads do catch.  I can't keep the gloves on when in the garden and dirt is terribly hard on nails. So it's my own fault.

More Free Patterns for you to check out.

Feedmill Fabrics has a bank of lovely free patterns. I noted one by Anni Downs and the Kim Diehl pattern called Biscuits and Jam is beautiful.

At Angela Pingel's pretty site you'll find several free patterns. I downloaded her pattern called Gift Box as I have quite a lot of strings in my scrap basket. 

I'm wishing you a calm day, one where stress has been kept at bay and you are enjoying the hours moving projects, whatever they may be, forward.

Check out this post at Not Afraid of Color where others are also sharing good stuff this week. Also joining other lovely linky parties at Kathy's Quilts and Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.

Book Club Quilting, Quiltmania #156, Price Shock

 Early afternoon here and Tony has his tea and biscuit snack. I have to tell you about these biscuits that he likes so much. I was in a dollar store recently looking for dog throw balls and saw these biscuits...several shelves of all the different kinds. And they were a whole dollar cheaper than at the grocery store!

 I don't know how this works...wouldn't the regular grocery store get them at the same wholesale price as a dollar store outlet?  You know where I'll be buying these from now on! 

Happy mail...my Quiltmania magazine #156 arrived which is always a treat. And you know I spend a lot of time with the gardening books at this time of year. All I have I inherited from Tony's deceased wife who was quite the amazing gardener in her day. She filled several notebooks each season with what she grew and how it fared. They would have soil delivered by the truck load when she started the vegetable garden. I'm in awe of such commitment!

Below is a small nest found on the ground by the pond shed, no doubt brought down by the high winds we've had at times this summer. Every year Phoebes nest in the end of the structure that has an open attic. It was interesting to see the bits of old insulation the bird had used in the building.

One kind of Coneflower, aging now. Which reminded me of Anna Maria Horner's fabric featuring these wonderful flowers. And I was reminded of that by Karen's post HERE.

It's been a hectic several weeks...last week I had to leave the property almost every day for appointments, meetings, etc. I don't like that and most of it feels like work especially the ones dealing with financial stuff. My eyes glaze over and try as I might, I lose concentration no matter how simply and earnestly the poor young men are explaining things. 

But I'm ending the summer feeling better emotionally and physically than when it began. Inside the house we've settled down and established a routine that works well now.  The daily swim and walks certainly help me.  And of course, it goes without saying how the slow stitching helps calm the mind. 

Here the hand quilting of Book Club quilt has begun. Actually I have three blocks now finished and hope to get better photos soon. Those erasable pencils are working well.

Hope your August month is going well too. Enjoy every minute of all the good things you can pack into it.

Happy to link up with Songbird Designs, My Quilt Infatuation, For the Love of Geese, Quilting and Learning, Alycia Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Quilt Fabrication.

Christmas QAL's, Gardening, Cod Fishing

 I have written about how I kept the wild Mullein in the garden because the birds and bees like it. It was interesting to hear from several readers about Mullein in their gardens. I guess there is a movement to protect this valuable plant and it is now being harvested for medicinal uses. A great article on this weed is here... Mighty Mullein, thanks Reg for that link. I also found this plant featured on fabric. I had no idea of the long and ancient history we have with Mullein. 

 I was fortunate to capture a little Downy Woodpecker enjoying my Mullein plants on Friday. It spent ages balancing on its tail moving up and down the length of the plant getting what from it exactly, I'm not sure. Sorry, photo is overexposed by bright sun and the photo adjustments are even less than I had on the former Acer, sigh.

Back inside...While I'm learning about how to quilt Painted Lady and had the batting all spread out, I thought I'd choose another WIP to get layered. I chose this one from a QAL back in 2020...the Book Club Hand Pieced QAL which I enjoyed and wished a similar one could be run again. 

And this morning here it is all sandwiched with its pin puckers. This way if the mood should strike me to work on it, it will be all ready and waiting.

Two Free QAL's for Christmas Stitching

Sherri at A Quilting Life has been generously running free BOM's for a few years now. Her latest is being sewn in reds and greens for Christmas. Very detailed instructions and can also be sewn in other colours of course. In fact I thought of autumn colours. 

Jessica Dayon also has a number of  free QAL's at her site including this one called the Holly Jolly Block of the Week. Loads of instructions too and videos. Thank You, Jessica!

I've been busy! We have Petey staying with us while his family is on their annual trip to Newfoundland. We've started to move wood from the pile down in the meadow up to our veranda for the winter fires. So happy to have older grandson, Jack's, help with that.  And we've been working on reinforcing the fencing in the back yard so the dogs can't get out and wildlife can't get in. 

Meanwhile, here is a happy photo of younger grandson, Robbie, successfully cod fishing in Newfoundland.

While there may not be cod fishing in your weekend, hope it is wonderful too!

Sharing this post with also wonderful linky parties like Not Afraid of Color, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Quilting Patchwork Applique, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, The Inquiring Quilter and So Scrappy

Redwork Stitching, Marking Pencils,Gardening, Movies

 I shared a photo of the vines that grew so well in winter inside the house a while back. Here they are still alive and well outside all summer. I had put a few seeds in soil just to see what would happen knowing that, while I had no success growing pumpkins, I loved the leaves and these, whatever they are, look so pretty. A very tiny critter also loves them as there are little nibbles taken in some of  them.

And the Marigolds are the ones I grew from seeds planted in my garage green house in May. I have three pots of them and they grew well but were late to flower. I also planted a new to me flower- Zinnia seeds at the same time and here below are what remains after another critter raided the plants when I first put them outside. These have surprisingly strong stems and faint quickly without water. This is an annual and I'm going to try to harvest a few seeds for next year. 

Thanks again to Texas Quilt Gal, Linda, for mentioning the heating mats for propagating seeds indoors. I will definitely be adding more next spring. 

Inside, while I've layered two quilting projects, I've spent my evenings in front of the tv stitching 2 more patterns from Mom's redwork project. Here are the Caribou and the Moose, two very common animals at home. 

I ordered these erasable marking pencils from Amazon...here is the link (not affiliated) Amazon Clover Water Soluble Pencils and they came to me all the way from Hong Kong.  Three colours to a pack-white, pink and blue and they are another way to achieve removable marking lines to follow for hand quilting. Work perfectly but wear down fast. You need to keep a sharpener handy.

Jack and I went to see this movie. I enjoyed it very much and learned a lot. I realized I  knew very very little about that whole event. Wonderful performances. I was surprised again by how comfortable movie theater seats have become with the movable head and leg rests, especially good when you are sitting there for almost four hours.

We are hoping to see the Barbie movie this weekend. 

I'm off to make lunch. Daughter gave us a basket of locally grown tomatoes and they are delicious. Hubby loves a white bread tomato sandwich with a little mayo, salt and pepper. How about you?

Hope your week is going well!

Happily linking with Creations, Art, Quilting and Kathy's Quilts. 

Chocolate Cake, Monarch Applique, Garden Blooms

 It is a surprise each time I step out the front door and look at the flower beds. SO much growing and flowering without me having to lift a finger these days. Summer '23 will be one to note; I could say this summer has been good on flowers, which is phrasing used at home. 

I just have to show you all by itself the Madagascar Jasmine...what is it now, 5 years old maybe and I've never seen anything like this. If I coaxed a flower or two from it before, I rejoiced. But Mother Nature does it better and the bouts of high humidity she provided certainly worked magic on this beautiful vine. I sometimes step out on the veranda just to look at it, such a gift that literally keeps on giving, so gratefully received from Tony's former inlaws. 

Other beautiful things...Beth's cake to us this month is a favourite...dark chocolate with marshmallow frosting. We are all enjoying it very much. Rock Recipes Black and White Cake

From Maude Smith such beautiful tea towels! Also dogs, butterflies, flowers, all the wonderful things, etc. are available.  Like this one...Isn't it gorgeous! I think I'd have to pin this up somewhere rather than use it for dish wiping.

I was following a link Nancy at Joy For Grace gave us in her latest post and went to read more about managing scraps. This article at All People Quilt turned out to be very interesting with a great video helping you discover your scrap saving philosophy and yes, we do all have one apparently. How to Organize Scrap Fabric. 

Today's stitching to share is slow stitching applique, my start on the Monarch project. I'd already picked fabrics and drawn a few shapes and cut out the freezer paper templates. Yes did that. Here are four of the smallest of three sizes. Definitely tropical butterflies at my house. I've been playing around with the shapes a little so they won't be identical.

The air is cooling off making walking much more enjoyable too. Seasons are good.

 Hope you are able to rest and feel the calm you deserve on this mid August Sunday.

Also happy to share this post with Kathy's Quilts, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Songbird Designs.