What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

June is a month of new starts of all sorts!

The robins on the front veranda have started their family. I had the step ladder ready and waited till they were over on the far lawn to grab a quick shot of their nest. Two things that impress me about robins...their nest is always a thing of beauty in construction...so strong I've seen them last many winters and the other thing is the rich, gorgeous colour of the eggs they lay. Crayola makes a crayon that is robin's egg blue and the famous Tiffany's trademarked ...

It's time for a reality check! I did say that there was NOTHING in July; however, that is false. I have a LOT of writing to do in July. I love writing, and I can do it on my time—even in the middle of the night if I want. So yes, I will be busy in July; there just won't be classes. That's why we have editors—they remind us of our commitments and keep us on track! 

Today is going to be a traumatic day for our house. Miss Lexi has to get some dental ...

 It's funny how you have an entire day to sew, yet I didn't get much done! How does that work? I was on the phone for two lengthy conversations. I took both calls outside, and neither had issues hearing me. Was it my lucky day? Or are things looking up with my cell phone? 

I've noticed a heron flying overhead several times while walking the dogs. Is it flying to my house? I want to run home to see, but I'm pretty sure that with their large wingspan, it wouldn't feel comfortable coming into our ...

A piece of my plant broke and I stuck it in this little single sprig bird vase.

Growth is amazing!

Thank you for all your comments on my POST ...

We have a Phoebe nest on the abandoned sound box on the back of the house and a robin's nest on the front veranda. I tried to discourage the robin because, years ago, the last to nest there came to a sad end. But my banging about out there didn't work. How I wish she had chosen the light on the wall just opposite her. Last year's robin family did quite well there. 

This was a good week for me and here are some of the things that made it so. 

 #1This bird below is another first ...

 The birdsong alone is worth a very early morning start to the day. A switch has been turned and it's like cue the sun, the birds, and all the growing things too. Here Ned is amazed by the sprouting leaves that have appeared seemingly overnight. 

Note the fallen trees and branches; ice storms are very hard on old trees.

 The Phoebes are building a nest on the old speaker at the back of the house again this year...two in a row. I can watch them from my chair in the TV room window. The two of them spent ages flying back and forth from a nearby tree to the site thoroughly checking it out before giving it an okay it seems.

Working together which is nice to watch. They are beautiful birds ...

 After several dark, damp cold morning walks, today the sun is shining and we are promised it will get to 13C. I'm mostly wearing my spring jacket these days. And I, being the tick magnet that I am, have begun spraying my waders with bug spray...it's supposed to help repel them. The trails are snow and ice free...cue the choir...hallelujah!  And the Trout Lilies are already sending up tiny green shoots down on the big trail. The frogs are croaking and the birds are singing. Which of the 43 types of striped sparrows that are ...

Do you know what this is?

One morning, I crept about because a Canada Goose was taking a nap on the far side. Like the little squirrel in the last post, I feared there was something amiss seeing it flat out in the grass like this. 

Spring is trumping winter-at last- as I write this. I saw our first robin on Sunday last. And the little chipmunk has emerged from the underground winter den, the one I imagine lined with my sunflower seeds. 

Just after the snowstorm this guy below appeared acting like this, a sure sign of spring. The flock of females that were with him had wandered off but he hung about showing off, just because he can, I guess. I'm curious about the mechanics of this- being able to lift all these feathers and change certain body bits to different and bright ...

Bird Quilt

There’s something magical about watching a quilt come to life—especially when it’s inspired by the graceful motion of birds. That’s exactly what Drift is all about. This pattern was born from a love of organic movement that is mesmerizing and intriguing. Flowing curves are designed to mimic the quiet elegance of birds gliding on a breeze. It’s the perfect bird quilt.

One of my absolute favorite parts of designing quilt patterns is seeing what others make with them. I’m always inspired by the color choices, fabric placement ...

 Tony called me to take a look at this little guy on the back yard railing. He'd been watching him for some time and he hadn't moved.

Sorry the reflection of the front door glass is weirdly caught in this photo.

It has been an up and down week. The beginning of the week we still had wildfires out of control, with the air full of smoke for a couple of days. Rain brought some relief, thank goodness. The clear blue sky with a few clouds was a welcome sight after a night of rain. At this point, the fires are under control, 79-100% contained, the evacuation zones have been canceled, and the burn ban is lifted.

The redbud is blooming in full now. Usually I spend some time out on the veranda with my good camera to once again try ...

We had a fresh 2 cm of snow overnight Monday. In the morning it was -2 with a windchill of -11C but it didn't feel as cold as that when I went about my chores of filling the bird feeders and putting out the garbage. This morning it is the exact same wind chill so we'll see how that "feels" when I go out in a little bit. Our annual spring problem is the snow off the roof fills in our front walkway and we never get direct sunlight in this area to help speed up the melting ...

The trails are providing all the workout I need these days. With melting and overnight freezing (-15 windchill -glad I wasn't out there), they are slushy, bumpy and narrow in places. Like walking a tightrope which is good for my balance. But I've had to take a ski pole along as I really don't want to turn an ankle. On the up side, the slightly warmer daytime temps mean less clothing is needed which is enjoyable. And surprise, surprise, the song birds are singing. Last Saturday, early morning, when I was gathering wood at the back basement ...

This month teases us with nice warm days, followed by freezing cold ones. I am ready for it to moderate, and be warm enough during the day to run around without a coat. The daffodils are coming up, and just starting to make buds. I am hoping for some happy flower faces soon.

A few more are coming up in the circle too.

I got this photo of a pretty bluebird sitting on a limb. I’ve been seeing a bit more activity at the birdhouse, and I have hope that they are going to raise a family there this ...

We had a snowfall warning yesterday which didn't materialize and now are under a rainfall and freezing rain warning. The ground is still very frozen so where will the water go is the worry. I'm hoping it won't get as icy as we have had it so often in winter. Turkeys from my sewing room window...

 My eyes are drawn to the tops of trees these days. No leaves so I've been rewarded with a glimpse of something or other-birds, nests, etc. Lately I've twice seen a turkey way up in the branches. Especially up so high there, they look completely out of place. How do they rest that long neck I wonder. Surely it can't be comfortable. Once a week, a flock still wanders through the front yard area. And lately a small flock of Dark-Eyed Juncos has been around the feeders. They are on their southern holiday from the Arctic. What ...

The dig out from the back to back snow storms that dumped almost 18 inches of snow here was fierce. Here is Ned's path out the back...he needed encouragement to give it a go.

When we drove home from Robbie's hockey game last Saturday evening, we couldn't get over how light it still was for 5:30. The season is moving along we happily agreed. 

I had the pleasure of spotting and watching a young Barred Owl recently. There is one wooded area here where I've photographed Barred Owls a couple of times. I always look at the tree tops when I walk through there. This time I was lucky to spy him because this owl was quite tucked away, snuggled against a tree trunk and with its colouring, blending in ...