What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Anybody have cabin fever, yet?  One way to fight that feeling is to get outside, especially with spring making our temperatures warmer.  Digging in the dirt is a cure for the inside blues, isn’t it?  I feel for those of you stuck in city apartments, or in cold weather, where there are no gardens nearby.  We are so fortunate to live on our beautiful mountainside, with forest all around us.  So, I hope you enjoy a walk around our place today, with some pictures taken over the past couple of weeks.  My bulbs have bloomed beautifully, at least the ...

read more

I gave myself a haircut this morning...shorter than I've done in a while. I'm calling it my Pandemic hairdo. It looks like I could go on the run any minute...no curling irons necessary. If you would like to see it, tell me in the comments.  Speaking of which, I am always so happy to hear from you; it makes my day.

Hey, you never told me there was math involved with setting blocks on point! This has taken me a while to figure out the placement, one that I can manage that is. I've settled ...

read more

I had a hankering for cake on the weekend, thought about it Saturday and relented on Sunday.  I made a French Apple Cake and used several Ambrosia apples that we love from Costco. It was light and delicious...what a great recipe and wonderful instructions from the talented Jenn at Once Upon a Chef. Just because it has French in the title doesn't mean it's fancy- quite the opposite, simple ingredients really. It tastes so good we are not needing any cream or ice cream with it.  And because I'm basically sugar free, it is satisfying my ...

read more

Here I am at older daughter's house.

  It is small and cozy- I call it a doll's house especially compared to the wooden house. She continues to collect interesting things that add to her comfort and enjoyment.
The views out her back yard are pretty too. I'm glad I refilled the bird feeder before the weather changed drastically. One little red squirrel beat these two to it.  Now it is under snow.
 I haven't gotten out and about as much as I had planned on.
 Grandson and I are weathering a snowstorm together, one with ice ...

read more

I realized winter clothes are serious lint gathering clothes. Extra thick leggings under something woolly or corduroy and usually dark colours- all of which are ort magnets is what I wear mostly in winter.  Here is a typical getup for me, my black corduroy dress which has survived multiple washings and is soft, warm and comfortable.  And a perfect thread magnet.

  I could completely clean the sewing room floor if I rolled around on it just a couple of times.  But that's not going to happen.  When I'm playing with younger grandson and I'm crouching for a ...

read more

It is now past midwinter and our snow is piling on snow. 

A rabbit has been using the little ornamental fir bush at the front as a home this winter; have never seen him just the tracks.

But February days are flying by just like July's.
For Valentine's night we got to babysit littler grandson so his parents could go out to dinner. It was a nine course dinner where each course wouldn't fill your tooth, as my grandparents would say about scanty food on a plate. (They came home quite filled, however. :))
  But Daughter had made ...

read more

Lately our footsteps from all the days before are visible like small ruts in the snow. Melting and freezing enshrined them, then more snow has softened their look.  We pass the pond every day and I always think of the turtles and frogs marooned in their mud heaven far beneath the frozen snow covered surface. Most likely the same turtles I held in my hands last summer.

Keeping warm is important to me. I suffer from cold toes and fingers...the first parts to feel frozen, sometimes even when I am not particularly cold if you know what I mean ...

read more

I must admit I am worried about how much of our planet is being incinerated right now as I write these words. With a preschool understanding of world politics, I can only wish for any changes necessary be made and that help continues to pour into these areas.  And that the people who need to take on the mantle of environmental stewardship, do so in a meaningful way.  Hope!
                                  
This reminded me of another small cross stitch project I finished...I can't remember when exactly.  I think at the old farm when I was seeing cardinals for the first ...

read more

read more

Here in Canada we have four distinct seasons and there are things to love about each.  And also things to complain about like last year when winter felt like it stretched into May. Yesterday walking, I noticed how fresh the air smelled and how crisp the landscape looked. It was so invigorating and I realized I'd forgotten that feature of winter.

From Phyllis Harris Designs

Meanwhile the days are shortening. I took this at 4:30 recently just as total darkness fell in the front yard. Happy the ivy seems to find enough light there.
 It seems the long ...

read more

What a great day!!! I presented my session twice yesterday. We had loads of people in both sessions and that was very exciting. It's super fun to share samples with people, provide tips and also to showcase the incredible new sewing and embroidery machine - the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC 2, the Husqvarna Viking Amber Air S400 serger and the Husqvarna Viking Platinum Q165 quilting machine. I haven't had a chance to play with the Platinum Q165, but I can't say enough about the other two machines. So MUCH FUN!

And there's so much new technology integrated ...

read more

I just poured myself a cup of green tea (how good I'm being because I'd really rather a second cup of coffee) and read through some of your blogs. Such great reading...so many quilts being finished! I need to find more folks who are not finishing things. Just kidding; I love to see your finishes and I'm that one in the crowd who claps the loudest for you and keeps clapping after others have stopped.  Yes, I've done that embarrassing thing in real life too!
With the weather taking a turn cooler, we do not ...

read more

This award winning project/book called  The Lost Words came about when it was revealed that 40 words of nature had been dropped from a widely used children's dictionary.

                                 
 I read about it first in this post at What About Rheema? and have since researched it a little more.

  I couldn't believe words like acorn or wren would be dropped from a dictionary. In fact at first, I was appalled.  But after thought, I realized it is a reminder that the world keeps on changing and language in everyday use is never stagnant.
When I see beautiful tea ...

read more

My horoscope for today said nothing about releasing something captive.
 But that is exactly what I was doing at 7:30 ish this morning.  Two more little mice in the humane mouse trap. One so afraid I could not get it to leave the safety of the trap. I left him and trap with the top open down by the pond so he could venture out himself; finished my jog and there he was still hiding in a corner with just his tail showing. I had to tug on said tail to finally get him to move. Then he sat ...

read more

Our beautiful golden maple tree viewed through the back stairway window.  The orange has faded to yellow.  Even on a dull day, it looks like it is lit up.

 Here it is from the front veranda.  It is very old but still puts on quite a display.
I feel awed each time I glimpse it on my way to the sewing room.
 I've been giving my hand stitching a little attention this weekend. So far I've stitched two of the six designs from Buttermilk Basin.  I'm using basic back stitch and running stitch for the yellow and ...

read more

It's Thanksgiving Day in Canada! Which means a large meal will be eaten while giving thanks for all the blessings we enjoy.
This was my turkey from several years ago.

My big yellow pot is on the stove...I like to cook the carrots, turnip, parsnip and cabbage all together.
 I had a moment of panic yesterday when I went to get the turkey I had bought out of the freezer to begin thawing.  It states clearly on the package cook from frozen state. I've never done that before and not only that, it is pre- stuffed, something ...

read more