Colours of Fall, Embroidery, Old Hangings and Gingerbread in the White House

 The light is changing just as I know the transitioning to another season is happening all around me. And it's become one of the warmest Octobers on record so the days have been pleasantly warm with lots of sunshine. There was a noticeable absence of rain till yesterday when it poured steadily all day. Oh my, the colours though, are so wonderful. I brought in these leaves to show Tony who is not walking the back woods like he used to. But he has started to take a brief walk with the dogs late afternoon and so far it feels fine which is a good thing. Interesting patterns here as green fades and yellow dominates.

Still flowery brights to be seen under your feet here too. This is a wild one, perhaps one of the Stork's Bills. 

I was busy inside and out last weekend. I used my battery operated hand trimmer thingy to do trimming around the garden areas. The Gorilla cart sure comes in handy too. 

That tool makes the job easier for those branches and stems that are a little too thick for hand shears. But I don't trust myself completely with it as it's a bit heavy/awkward and noisy too so it's not a tool I enjoy using. But it gets the job done. 

I finished Melisa's cute Autumn Saltbox House pumpkin. 

And I'm going to try to show the colour of the house, a mossy green, which is not showing in any of the photos. I'm going to find a bead for the door handle. 

Kathleen Tracy is running a fall mini quilt SAL called Darting Birds. The pattern is free- links are here at A Sentimental Quilter. I came across it when searching for another pattern.

It reminded me I completed one of Kathleen's SAL's years back so I dug it out and put it on the wall.

I've always wanted to stitch one of her very sweet thimble quilts. What a great way to use scraps! And there's something so attractive about that particular blue with browns, isn't there. 

 HERE is the link to the Thimble pattern at Kathleen's Etsy Shop. What a boon PDF's are for us international stitchers!

Here is what Simone at Soedidee  says..."a SAL is more than just a pattern-it's a creative journey you share with others." Simone is running a 2026 Cross stitch Anniversary SAL to begin January 3. I just looked through her lovely Autumn patterns section...with a little trepidation I might add. I don't need any more inspiration right now. :) Simone is in the Netherlands, btw. 

Kate at Life in Pieces shared a beautiful embroidered piece featuring cross stitched butterflies. What intrigued me was it is a stamped piece. I haven't seen such in a very long time. Have you? 

Last week LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color was talking about gingerbread. I love ginger, drink ginger and lemon tea and buy the crystalized ginger to also use in tea sometimes. I have those ginger candies called GinGins in the car for Tony in case he feels a bit hypoglycemic. I always baked gingerbread cookies especially for Christmas in the old days. And Saturday evening supper growing up was pea soup and gingerbread cake with a custard sauce for dessert.

And of course, the US White House has a famous sweet tradition of displaying a Christmas gingerbread house each year. Here is the 2024 one with the theme " A Season of Peace and Light". HERE at the White House Historical Association you can read more about their gingerbread traditions down through the years. I love learning about that stuff. 

I wonder what the theme will be this year. 

And on that sweet note, I'll end this post. Hope your week is going well with perhaps something sweet in it too!

Happy to share this post with The Inquiring Quilter, Melva Loves Scraps, Kathy's Quilts, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and Art Creations Quilts.

 

All the Slow Stitching, Glue Basting?, Amish Hexagons, Can You See It?

 Walking the dogs just out the basement door and starting on the nearest trail, I spied something amongst the big old oak trees.  So here is another of my Can you see it? photos.

Maybe now?

What a beauty! I loved seeing this Barred Owl. I especially liked seeing how those feathers ring the neck and the tree trunks provided a natural frame.

I hear them hooting in the night so know they are near the house a lot. I took the dogs back to the house and returned to just watch it for awhile. I suspected it would be in the same place and it was. That's a real plus for birders. Owls tend to stay put if they are comfortable and do not flit about like the little ones. Owls have amazing eyesight and it turned its head to watch me so I knew it was aware of me. It is always a thrill to see these big birds and I would have loved getting even closer but I kept my distance. You never know with any wildlife. Those videos of people trying to pet bears or bison really bother me and make me question the future of the human race.(:

Back inside and not nearly as thrilling, I took down the living area curtains and washed them. I also gave the rug a cleaning. We have to get the wood moved up to the veranda soon as I will start our fires as soon as it gets to be below zero in the mornings. Right now we are flirting with it. 

I changed out a few of the wall hangings. In the process of going through my trunk, I found this scrappy mat. I was laying the pieces as I went along and stitching each down individually, a little like the Kantha method. I loved it. I may try that sometime again but keep it all more controlled. One more border needs sewing so I'm finishing that up today. I always enjoy seeing fabrics up close.

And in cross stitching, I stitched three crows on the September block of Year at Hawk Run Hallow and began an ear of corn and yes, the called for thread is orangey.  

I also stitched several more of the EPP Starry Hexagons. I'm enjoying this project right to the end.

I watched this video below from Cathy at The Catbird Quilts. She gives a very thorough explanation of using Elmers white glue to baste quilts. I'm wondering if that would work for me with the whole accuracy issue I have. BTW, it is nice that several of you have said for me to stop saying that as it sounds like I'm putting myself down. No I don't think I am. At this stage in my stitching life, I know my limits, have accepted them and really don't mind admitting them. So it's not affecting me personally or anything. But thanks very, very much for your concern.👌Back to Cathy's video-if you want to know the pros, cons and comparisons of glues etc., watch this one.

Here is a beautiful Christmas free pattern for us all. This is Tilda's Happy Holidays downloadable at The Fat Quarter Shop.

Tilda's fabrics and patterns are unique and really stand out in the quilting world. And what a fabulous world it is!! I can feel happy just thinking about it all. 

I enjoyed reading your comments on the Amish Hexagon method talked about Here. Yes, the fabric would have to be trimmed away on the back for sure. Several folks have timed themselves sewing hexagons with templates and with this method and this turns out to be a little quicker. But speed has never been an issue for me, LOL. 

I've rattled on long enough for this post so I'll talk about LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color 's prompt about gingerbread next time. Love ginger, do you?

Take care all of you and enjoy your activities, inside and out, whatever they may be. 

Happily sharing with Quilting Patchwork Applique and Kathy's Quilts.

Dresden Dreaming, Pumpkin Making, Free Patterns, Flower Garden Tablecloth

There are still blossoms to be spied on my walks. Here is the late flower whose bloom mimics a frog  and this one is housing a little creature made visible by the sun shining through. What a pretty colour!

And the Fox Tails are attracting a lot of bees still too.

Overnight it seems our paths look like this now in open areas...an ocean of leaves. Petey is staying on with us and we are so happy to have him. Tony always had two dogs so this is like old times. And Ned is in heaven having Petey around. Win Win

 Inside a few more of my little appliqued pumpkins have been stitched and I'm loving using scraps for these. But a word about that. During the last several projects I'm having that feeling of not wanting to use what I think are really good scraps, larger ones or nicer ones that could be used for something else, some unknown project. Do you know what I mean? This is a totally ridiculous feeling at this stage of my quilting life I might add. But does that happen to you?

I love April Cornell (though I don't order from them as their shipping from the US is expensive) and in their latest catalogue, they featured patchwork items. I think that may be a first. One can only imagine how wonderful their leftover scraps would be! They featured an apron, oven mitts and tablecloth made from scraps. How pretty this Patch Parade Apron is! Love the pockets. At April Cornell if you'd like to check it out.

I have a lot of red fabric and I'm casting about for a project that could make a dent in them. Maybe I should be thinking about a Christmas project. Dresdens come to mind as I absolutely love sewing them. 

 Quilt Inspiration offers this bank of free patterns so I'll be taking a good look there at all the variations. 

I've noted this interesting variation called A Setting Sun at A Cloud of Quilts. A wonderful Laura Wheeler design. 

I made this little mat a while back and I know I have a much larger Dresden quilt somewhere as well.

That may have been a SAL with Melva Loves Scraps. Is that twigging with anyone? Update...the project I stitched with Melva was Flower Garden Block and it was stars in blues. That's another colour I have a lot of in my stash.

Meanwhile, speaking of stars, I'm looking at my wall of Hexie Stars and think I should start stitching those together. That will be fun. Okay that's enough dreaming this morning. Back to earth.

I've been taking my chances with the frost warnings so it's time to move in those front and back veranda plants. What to do with that huge Coleus? It's over 3 feet tall and 3 and a half feet wide!

There is also lots of general tidying up to do around the gardens still. It's sunny and 6C this morning so great for working outside. 

Take care wherever you are and whatever you are up to this first day of the second month of autumn, October! My brain is thinking what, already!

Sharing this post with Quilt Schmilt, Creations Art Quilts, Alycia Quilts, Days Filled With Joy ,Sew Can Do, Songbird Designs, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and The Inquiring Quilter.

Beauty Product, Embroidering Pumpkins, Amish Hexagons, Shows to Watch

 It's the flight of the geese season now, a natural cycle here in Canada. I've never been able to get a good photo of them with their marvelous vees marking the sky. But I am getting photos of the bright colours beginning to mark the landscape these days too. We both noticed it's getting darker earlier too or "closing in" as the old people called it.

I was dropping something off at Beth's yesterday and couldn't resist taking a photo of her pretty front veranda view.

I like how in these newer subdivions they don't mow down all the trees. On their two acres, she has many squirrels and birds. 

My Ligularia was affected by the drought though I watered from time to time. 

I noticed the flowers were not quite as large as usual and they bloomed later. Because of the size of the leaves, mine are sometimes called the Tractor Seat version. And while one of the last perennials to bloom these are fading faster. 

I had traced one of Pinker n Punkin Quilting & Stitching's Saltbox House patterns and decided to finish it this October. I used a chain stitch to make the pumpkin stand out a little. You can check out the latest very cute autumn cross stitch freebie, Pumpkin Crow, HERE. Thank you, Melisa, as always, for your generosity!

I came across Ginnie's video of how to make hexagons without paper templates and that caught my attention. I was so intrigued with this method I had to give it a try. 

The finished product is quite accurate and it is definitely liberating to make these without having to trace and cut many paper/cardboard templates. And they whip up very quickly. I used this men's shirt with pretty dark pink striped fabric; maybe these could fit in a Christmas project if I make enough for a border. 

I think these are also called Amish Hexagons. Perhaps you would know.

A beauty product I've been enjoying is this one called Fat Cheeks. Older daughter, Amelia, showed it to me. My skin is getting paler I notice. I never did have much colour...someone once said to me you look like you've seen a ghost...no, just my normal pallor I said. I don't even seem to redden up a bit when exercising any more. This one adds a little pink colour with just a light application. I bought mine at Walmart. 

We rewatched the American version of Getting On (it is originally a British show) and enjoyed it so much. The cast is awesome including the wonderful Laurie Metcalfe. Also there are guest starring roles by many famous actors. The setting is a hospital ward for elderly post op patients. It is all outrageous and funny with lots of antics by the patients and the staff. 

!There are lots of fecal jokes so it might not be for everyone. But I thought the final sentences of the series were worth noting... first Dr. Jenna-Laurie- says something like this...There is no justice in this world; we just have to show mercy to each other. And Nurse Didi replies, because that's what we can give to each other. 

So I hope you all are giving and receiving a little mercy these late September days. I have, first up, dogs to be walked, then floors to be cleaned. Then I'll be free to stitch!

So happy to link up with Alycia Quilts, Days Filled With Joy, Kathy's Quilts, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Creations Art Quilts.

 

Scrappy Pumpkins, Cross Stitching Crows, Homemade Bread Stuffing, Talking Temu

This is the Smoke Tree in September. I like the mulberry and lavender colours the leaves have this time of year.

And of course, the wild New England Asters are also purples and so pretty.

Thank you for lamenting with me about the loss of our little pond. It is sad, especially for all the critters and birds that lived, drank and bathed there. And though its been raining off and on the last two days, most of September continued the rainless streak. We've had frost warnings and I covered my pots on the veranda twice now but didn't need to. They're on my to do list to move indoors.

I've finished Autumn Quakers and am very pleased with it. I'm a bit stumped as to which project to cross stitch next. I decided to order The Blue Flowers' "In Praise of Pollinators", one I'd been eyeing for quite some time. And perhaps you would agree with me, this certainly reflects my interests and life here at the wooden house. You can see it here at 123 Stitch.

Or I could begin the Peace on Earth design which I showed you Here. While I wrestle with that lovely dilemma, I pulled out the mammoth Year at Hawk Run Hollow. I finished the August block and began September. I've had to set it up on the big hoop as it's so large to manage and I feel like it's getting mauled with all the handling. But I've finished nine months now so getting there. The  stitch count for each block is 92 x 92 and the total stitch count on the whole design is 271 x 371 and that is a lot of stitches. 

Here it is finished and a start made on crows for the September block.

While I had in mind to sew a couple of turkeys...one in applique and one pieced, I decided to wait. More about those later. In the meantime I began a few appliqued scrappy pumpkins for a table topper. These are small and since they are so simple, I drew the shapes myself. 

I liked that Karen at Just Get It Done Quilts made a video about the sewing supplies you can buy at Temu. They are so much cheaper there than anywhere else which raises questions.  I value Karen's opinions. 

Have you bought anything from Temu? They have this neat apron there that I like and it's $6.25C. HERE if you'd like to check it out again because I think I shared this before.

I cooked a small beef roast on Sunday. Instead of mashed potatoes I decided to make oven fries for a change. I cut the fries large and parboiled them before putting in the oven. Since Tony loves stuffing so much, I made this recipe From Valerie's Kitchen for a stovetop version. You need chicken broth to give it some flavour. This was really good and I think his favourite part of the meal. There was enough food leftover for another meal which is always a bonus.

Daughter gave me these beautiful home grown apples she got in Quebec. I'm thinking of making an apple crisp today.  

LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color's prompt this week is how we started class each day in school. Growing up and in all the Newfoundland schools I later worked in...all of them Protestant, every morning we'd stand to sing God Save the Queen and then O Canada and the Ode to Newfoundland would be sung on alternate mornings, all to the recordings on the PA. This was followed by an in class Bible reading and the children took turns reading those. I was nervous when my turn would come around and I learned later that the Bible is not easy to read. Mom told me they did the same thing in her school days but the children could choose a verse to read. Teachers would ban the verse " Jesus wept.", the shortest in the Bible, because the boys especially would pick it. How about you? I'm thinking your experiences were probably very similar and, of course, our American friends would have to do the awe inspiring Pledge of Allegiance too.

I hope your week is going well. I'm keeping very busy while these September days sure are flying by. 

Loving having linky parties to share this post with like The Inquiring Quilter, Quilt Schmilt, Quilting and Learning, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and Melva Loves Scraps.

 

YouTube Videos, Hand Quilting, Feelings

 Richard Scarry books were a favourite of my children and then the grandsons. So many things on every page to point to and talk about. We had to make a rule with younger daughter, Beth, that she couldn't choose one of Richard's books for a night time read in bed book. She was the one so reluctant to give up on the day and she still makes the most of her busy days starting with a very early morning run.  

We had geese flying overhead yesterday and turkeys trotting through though not in a cute little red car. 

It was so sad that our little pond completely dried up with the summer droughts. The well we used to top it up also dried up. Both firsts for here. It will be interesting to see if winter snows can bring them back.

I collected a few little shells from the bottom. A surprise as I never knew there were crustaceans in our pond.

I enjoyed this video of Megan explaining what it was like to wear dresses for a year. She is Mormon but it wasn't for religious reasons and it was interesting to hear what her final thoughts were. I wear dresses in summer time and do like it...I've also noted the convenience of not having to worry about tops and bottoms and also just how comfy it feels. Megan gives links to where she bought her dresses, some on Amazon. 

BTW, Megan is now recording and sharing her journey with breast cancer. It's so awful how rates of that dreadful disease keep rising. It's so frustrating that all the substantial funds thrown at research can't seem to further our knowledge of how to beat this for good. 

With Tony's help, I moved the smaller television into the sewing room. So here's my hand quilting set up now. That's Kate there from The Last Homely House that I'm watching.

 I decided that quilting circles would be appropriate for the Propeller quilt and, for the first time, I'm using chalk to mark the lines. It's okay so far. 

So there I am, stitching and watching Kate show how she hand quilts at her table half a country and the Atlantic Ocean away. These are amazing times to live in!

I had a tiny epiphany while searching for the slippers I'd stowed away last spring. While searching I found two things I'd forgotten about and was happy to come across them. So I realized it isn't such a complete waste of time to have to look for something after all. Sadly still have not found the slippers.

This post has been my usual mishmash of topics. I started with a children's book, the idea for which was so cleverly devised by Richard over 50 years ago and still lives on though he has been gone over twenty years. I'll finish with a line I have written in a notebook. It's meaningful because we all know what loss feels like and I've said at times I'm the queen of losses. But even when suffering, luckily I knew what I hadn't lost...my life, my health, a limb, my mind- though in private inside my head, very sad woe is me mode for quite a while, and with a little more time I felt fortunate to not lose my family and my history. So I often repeat to myself in my sternest inside voice...you be thankful you.

And here's the line- How shall the heart be reconciled/ to its feast of losses? Kunitz 

Change, he decides. Learn to embrace the new version of yourself, scarred yes, and without whatever it is you know/feel you've lost. It's so good when you figure out what works for you to achieve that...whatever it is that can move you forward past it all. 

 Well that's enough chatter. Hope you are calm and peaceful and enjoying these September days whether it's warming up or cooling down where you are. 

Sharing this post with Alycia Quilts, Creations Quilts Art Whatever and Quilting Patchwork Applique.

September Sewing, Sites To Visit, Tasty Stew Too

From CoziNest Vintage Collective who enjoys whimsy as much as I do and Michele at 3P&N. I must admit I can't get my head around the fact that it is past the middle of September. The days are flying now and there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get all the things done that I want to. 

This is the first rabbit I've seen in quite a while here and it is also the biggest.

This pretty flower below is a wild Allium, perhaps Wild Leek. If you can confirm, I'd appreciate it.

I've been watching the wonderful Susan Standley, Stitch In Time, on Youtube. She has been providing tutorials on how to hand stitch a four piece block the exact way they would have done so in the 1840's with what would have been available at the time. I enjoyed seeing how she handled beginning and ending stitching, in particular. You can follow her detailed, wonderful tutorials/SAL to create a doll quilt/table mat.

I finished all the hand quilting lines on Tony's bureau mat. Here it is with his family photos- he was an only child. Himself as a baby there and others with his mom and dad. These fabric prints really suit the time of these pictures.

What a big move it was for them to emigrate to Canada from England. His story makes me think how we are all travelers in our way. We all have a story to tell of other places.

I chose a backing fabric for the Propeller quilt from my stash...I think it matches the happy, colourful vibe of the blocks. 

I have no idea what batting that is but I prefer thin so I can hand stitch through it easily. I have this sandwiched now and will start laying stitches soon. I'd love to get this finished before starting the autumn project I have in mind. The first of which will include a turkey, I think...stay tuned. 

 I came across this easy recipe for a chicken and beans stew. I've never used cannellini beans (though I love saying that name) in my life and couldn't find them at the store. So I used pinto beans and lentils. And I liked the addition of a little cinnamon and cumin.( I've been using cumin more for it's health benefits). All you need for two is one chicken breast. And it's one of those recipes you could throw in extras like peppers, etc. I added a few aging cherry tomatoes and spinach too. The recipe is still up HERE at Lillian's Cupboard, a site I adored. Lillian passed away in 2018 at age 86 and I miss her. I am so happy her family decided to keep her blog online.

Thank you all for the concern about Tony and asking how he's doing these days. All the testing has not turned up anything to worry about which is still frustrating for him. However, he is finally accepting there is nothing "wrong" as such and is definitely more at ease with this new version of himself...he would joke he's just stopped complaining about it. This version, though with physical limits and things he can't do, has a great mind still and can still find enjoyment in lots of things. So be it!

Hope your week is going well and your stitching fingers are flying!

So happy to join linky parties and as always a huge thanks to those who host ... Quilt Schmilt, Sum of Their Stories, Quilting Gail, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Songbird Designs, Kathy's Quilts and The Inquiring Quilter.