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July 25, 2026
Binding completed................ from Exuberant Color


After I took this photo, I continued sewing the binding on the floral stars quilt.  I finished it at 10:30.

It's getting close to the end of the month so I'll have to see what else I can finish.








Yesterday morning I went out to check the tomatoes and this is what I found on the biggest tomato out there.  I had picked tomatoes the night before at 5 p.m. and this one had barely a tinge of orange on it so I left it to check on later.  The squirrels had their party and took ...

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July 24, 2026
Another project.......................... from Exuberant Color


While cleaning off a table in the main level studio, I found a stack of batik 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles.  I carried them to the basement to join the others in one of the boxes in the basement.  As I tried to open the blanket box on the left I decided it was one of the "difficult to open" ones and I pulled some easy open ones from the storage area to exchange them.


The first day my helper came we put all three of the large bins with trays of cut pieces in one place, under the ...

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July 22, 2026
The great yellow takeover.............. from Exuberant Color


Two years ago there were 2 Black-eyed Susan plants that somehow migrated from the back garden to the front.  This year they have multiplied and have taken over the front garden.  It's colorful, I will say that.


After an hour or so of playing with this group of fabric, this is the final batch.  I removed one purple and like that end much better.  Now I have to read the directions and decide if I will follow them or devise my own directions.  I know the directions are for fat quarters and I'm not sure I want to ...

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July 18, 2026
Snail's Trail progress.................. from Exuberant Color


I ended up only moving one block from the layout on the design wall and then I sewed those 4 rows together.







Late in the afternoon I designed the bottom 3 rows.  I had to stop and use the dust mop before I could lay the final row on the floor.











Last evening I decided to start sewing the bottom 3 rows together and this is how far I got.  Just one more seam and pressing it and it can have its portrait taken. 









In the garden, finally some color.  They are still orange so they have a few days ...

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July 9, 2026
Done but no formal portrait.................. from Exuberant Color


I finished the binding yesterday morning but my design walls in the basement are still on their sides, leaning against a table.  The design wall on the main level isn't quite large enough to display it.  Rain is forecast for today so I'm waiting to see if more water seeps into the basement before I put the walls back in place.



I cut 8 of the blocks for the Snail's Trail quilt and got 6 of them sewn yesterday.   Most of these print fabrics are from the 1990s.





I noticed the first bud has bloomed on the ...

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July 7, 2026
Pressing........... from Exuberant Color


I had to turn the iron on yesterday to press the binding fabric for the current finish so I paired the fabrics for the Snail's Trail and got 4 pairs pressed while I was at it.  Hopefully I'll get some blocks cut today.



While outside checking on my tomato plants I noticed some of the buds on the Tiger Lilies are turning orange.  It won't be long now for the first few blooms.








Thanks to a friend, I had blackberries on vanilla ice cream last night for dessert.  Yummy!

I got the binding strips cut yesterday so ...

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June 25, 2026
Started sewing stars...................... from Exuberant Color


After thinking too hard about this quilt, I am sewing it together with my original plan.  I'll explain that when I get it all sewn and pressed, hopefully today.  I made the blocks in December 2024.  I have the rows all webbed, just need to sew in the other direction now.



Two of the tomatoes have ripened on the half price plant that had 10 tomatoes on it.  All of my other plants have lots of little tomatoes on them but nothing near ripening.  Next week is supposed to be in the high 80s and 90s with high humidity ...

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June 19, 2026
Summer life at the home on top of the ridge, and retirement goals! from A Prim and (not so) Proper Quilter

Here we are at the cusp of summer and progress is being made. 


No news today and no completed projects, but just wanted to share some glimpses of our "outdoor" life. In the summertime, my mind is always on staying cool, but now that I've entered my "sometimes-gardening-and-piddling" phase of life, I look forward to seeing what's happening in our little splotch of land.


Either last Wednesday or Thursday I picked four cucumbers; Hubs found another lurker. We picked the first one a few days earlier, immediately ate it, and declared it to be the best cucumber we ...

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June 8, 2026
Top sewn, waiting for border................. from Exuberant Color


The vertical seams are all sewn now and it needs its final pressing.  I fingernail pressed seams to the left in each of the 4 vertical sections as I was constructing this William Morris fabric Trip Around the World.









I started the day by walking to the end of the driveway to pick up the newspaper.  On my way back to the house I saw something was starting to bloom so I got my camera and came back outside.  I think we decided this variation of Rudbeckia is Gloriosa Daisy.  Several plants have come up from seed this year.





I ...

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May 3, 2026
A busy day............... from Exuberant Color


As I started sorting pieces I'm trying to decide how to divide them up for storage in the project box.  Also is a strip 3" or shorter a chunk instead of a strip?


While I was in the basement doing a load of laundry, I pressed the binding fabric for this quilt and cut the 7 strips needed.  Maybe I'll get it sewn onto the quilt today.




When I went out to get the mail, I noticed the Weigela bushes are in bloom.  There is a Redbud tree growing right next to it on the back side of ...

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April 13, 2026
Photos of Lucky, Interesting,Yummy, and Stitchy Things from Canadian Needle Nana

 It has been raining all night and all day. But that's good; it will help clean up the ground. The wetland on one side of the pond is finally free of ice and I flushed a pair of ducks when taking this photo last week. The Peepers are finally making their spring calls early morning. They can sound quite raucous and I read why...the females choose their mates by the volume of their sounds. 

Yesterday I  spotted these two on the pond so took this photo from a great distance and I wonder if they are the pair ...

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April 6, 2026
Stitching Progress and A Spring Photo Too from Canadian Needle Nana

It's early spring which I think in some ways is the saddest and ugliest time of the year here. There is not a single hint yet of all the glorious green to come and I've been out there looking. But more about that at the bottom of this post.

Sewing progress first... I worked on my appliqued Quarter Dresdens and finished the March reds. It will be nice to move on to pinks, the RSC April colour.

I've also spent lots of quiet time cross stitching on my current piece, What Remains is Love. An alphabet was ...

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March 23, 2026
Online Inspiration, Wool Applique, 3 Ingredient Squares from Canadian Needle Nana

We were plunged back into Christmasy looking winter on Saturday. It was beautiful outside in my woods.

 I tramped about while the dogs ran madly around, sniffing new tracks here and there. The air was so cool and fresh and enjoyable. Below is the woods at the back door with a glimpse of the old tree house. 
This Wednesday morning is cool, windchill making it -18C but the sun is shining so another very pretty wintry looking day. But staying this cool means no melting today.
I've been trying to choose which of my quilt tops to get to ...

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March 4, 2026
Loving All The Little Things from Canadian Needle Nana

Back in 2016, just over ten years ago, I wrote this post called 5 Healthy Things I'm Doing.  I reread it recently and was happy to find I'm still doing those things most of the time. Though the oil pulling has fallen by the wayside, I've added a couple of other healthy habits. I'm so grateful I am still able to do these things. Who knows what tomorrow may bring!

My unofficial words for this year are keep moving. They've been in my mind all my adult life so it's not special for 2026 ...

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March 2, 2026
Costco Treat, Stitching Projects Progress, Still Winter from Canadian Needle Nana

We had sun in spurts yesterday but today we are back to a white world out there both sky and landscape. It has continued to snow a lot- small flakes but they add up. The saying at home was "small snow, big snow" and when the snowflakes were large...."big snow, small snow". This has been a winter of small snow building up. The dogs love it all of course. I'm so happy that having obedient Petey, who comes when called, join us has meant Ned stays close too and no longer needs to be on a leash. This ...

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February 4, 2026
Sewing was interrupted.................. from Exuberant Color


Someone is going to the far side of a neighboring state to see my great-grandchildren.  That means baking treats for them.  The chocolate chip cookies are delicious.




I also made shortbread and peanut butter cookies.  I had to test them too.  I need to know I'm sending them good treats.  That's my story..............






I did get started cutting the 4.5" squares for the double 4 patch blocks.

We have had 18 days in a row below 32 degrees, the average temperature for this date.  Thursday may get up to 32, but Friday is slated for high 30s ...

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December 28, 2025
Christmas Embroideries, 3 Ingredient Fruit Cake, Knitting Too from Canadian Needle Nana

Hello all and thank you for stopping by so close to Christmas Day. 

It's been busy. I've set up things that light up...the wreath, two small trees, several candles. I've been shopping and wrapping gifts with the usual seasonal feelings of panic about getting it all right. 
I've been keeping the feeders full and watched this little tableau one morning.
The three of them were calmly eating together after one of the squirrels had climbed up and jumped on the pan feeder, conveniently tipping the seeds down for them. 
I baked a fruit cake. I ...

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December 20, 2025
Baking first, sewing last...................... from Exuberant Color


I started the day yesterday baking the other Kringlas, different than the ones I baked last week.  The dough was refrigerated overnight.








Next I baked the pink Spritz.  It was a relief to have my oven fixed to bake these.  I did the previous batch that were for my son's customers last week in the little countertop electric oven and it was tricky getting them out before they got too dark.






A little later in the day I baked the chocolate spritz.  After that I made one more batch of fudge.  Now I have enough of everything to mail ...

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December 18, 2025
Great mail....................... from Exuberant Color


In my mail preview I saw a card from Vicki Welsh.  This was my favorite of the three she made this year.  It is so exciting to receive one of her cards.





I did a little rearranging of the cards from the previous 14 years plus the new one.  They are up on my bulletin board year round and I look in that direction while I'm sewing so I'm enjoying them all of the time.







Also in the mail was a new book.  The author contacted me a while ago and asked if she could use the image ...

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December 9, 2025
Miscellaneous.................. from Exuberant Color


Yesterday's food projects were fudge and pink Spritz cookies.  I forgot to take a photo of the cookies.






I chose the backing (the light print) and the binding (red print) to finish the Christmas table runner.  I also found a piece of batting the exact size I needed.  Maybe I'll get it layered and quilted today.








In the box with the squares (that were used for the table runner) was a group of 1.5" strips.  I don't remember cutting them so maybe they were cut to use up the ends of some of the Christmas fabrics ...

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