Orange and Cross Stitching the Sky

I got back to work on my orange Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks this week and made 6 nine patches.  The next two sets of blocks need lots of HST's so that's up next at the sewing machine.  I need to cut more orange triangles so I have enough.  It's only half way through May but I am already wondering what the colour for next month will be...

We had a great discussion at Book Club this week about "the Berry Pickers."  In June, we will be talking about "The Frozen River".  I have already read this book so I feel more prepared than this month when I finished reading the book the day before the meeting...  I have started two more books... "Six for Saint-Pierre" is a mystery by a Canadian Author, Kevin Major.  This is the 6th book in the series and is set in Newfoundland and Saint-Pierre, a French island south of Newfoundland.   The rest of the books have all been set in Newfoundland and Labrador, most in places where my husband and I visited three years ago when on vacation there.  The author is from Newfoundland.   I love these books--the characters are interesting and I like how he weaves local history and sites into the story!

I usually have an audiobook on the go as well as a paper book. This week's audiobook:  A young widow's late husband has arranged to have 1 book a month picked up at the local independent book store after his death.  I love the way the narrator is telling the story.  I'm about a 1/3 of the way into this one and can't wait to listen to more of it. 

While out for a walk this week, I came across this rabbit on the neighbour's lawn.  Usually they run away as soon as they see a pedestrian.  This one stayed long enough to pose for a picture. 

I added more stitches to the sky and some areas around the barn this week.  Some of the stitches are even orange for the RSC...

While walking around the garden this week, I noticed this white bleeding heart.  I have never seen a white one in my yard before...must be a genetic mutation. The leaves are a lighter green colour than the ones with pink flowers too.  

We transplanted this flower from my MIL's garden. 

The purple columbines are just starting to bloom. 

Finn is happy to be back home although it does seem very quiet around here without him.  He is a good little traveller in the car and wears a doggy seatbelt to keep him safe. 

 

This weekend's job is to plant patio and porch pots.  We purchased the flowers this week.  Fuchsias grow really well in our front porch hanging baskets. 

 I will link up with Frederique and Kathy as well as the RSC folks. 

Happy Mother's Day!

 My daughter was here for the past week and she and Finn went home yesterday.  It was nice to have her here.  Finn was very excited to see her.  He loves it when all of us are together.  I did a little bit of cross stitch this past week, but no machine sewing.  I finished the framing stitches and added more sky stitches as well.  I hope to do more today. 

My daughter worked on her crochet while she was here, adding this pretty periwinkle lace border.  If you look at the close up, you can see flowers in it. There are still a few more rows to crochet on this but she is afraid she will run out of this colour so has ordered more.  

Finn and I spent some time outside one day, reading and enjoying the sunshine.  The Berry Pickers is the next book club book and we meet this Thursday to discuss it so I have some reading to do!

The redbud tree is in bloom in the backyard.  

Two more varieties of tulips bloomed this week.   Both of these have very short but colourful trumpets. 

This type of coral bells has beautiful leaves and not so spectacular flowers.  

This tree is in bloom in my neighbourhood.  So pretty. 

My daughter was in Newfoundland in February and went to the quilt store in St. John's and bought these FQ's for me.  We were in this store when my husband and I were there in 2023. 

I will link up with Frederique and Kathy.  Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, and nurturing women in your lives. 

Orange Scraps

 I cut out some orange squares and half square triangles this week for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks for May.  Today, I made one orange block...there are more pieces cut out for the other blocks but nothing is put together yet.  I will show them in a future post when they are done.  The background fabric has orange square dots instead of round ones.  It has been in my stash for a while. These blocks use up most of a fat quarter of background fabric. 

Here is my block collection so far.  I have decided to make 9 blocks for a square quilt.  I have a list of colours I would like to add to the collection based on what colours I have for the background fabrics. 

I found out this week that I mixed up two of the colours in my cross stitch project...There was barely any difference in the colours so I will not be taking anything out.  Turns out that very light gray and very light blue are very similar.  I will likely have to outline the silo to make it more distinctive but that is quite doable.  Let's just keep this our little secret, ok?

There are lots more yellow flowers in the garden this week including primroses, daffodils, fothergilla and tulips (pink/red and yellow)

The bleeding hearts are starting to bloom as well.  I started with one plant and now have them in several spots in the gardens. So pretty this time of year. 

My husband and I went to see a Blue Jays game this week in Toronto so Finn went for a sleepover at my SIL's.  They have two border collies and Finn likes to play with their toys.  The squeaky squirrel was a big hit. (The Blue Jays won 8-1 against the Boston Red Sox)

He also enjoyed watching the birds at the bird feeder. 

The stadium where the Blue Jays play is called the Rogers Centre.  There was a statue of Ted Rogers outside the stadium.  I got a picture of a seagull on his head--it might have been more appropriate for it to have been a blue jay!

I will link up with Frederique, Angela and Kathy on the weekend. 

Hand Quilting and a Cross Stitch Barn

I added a lot of blue stitches to my cross stitch project earlier in the week, and then decided it was time to use some other colours.  As you can see below, I stitched most of the green border and got a good start on the barn.  Once the barn is done, I will go back to adding more blue in the sky. 

I hand quilted the light green block on my pineapple log cabin quilt this week. I am working on the gold block next.  3/9 blocks are quilted now.  This is a slow process.  I already know which quilt I am going to hand quilt next so will keep working away on this one to get it done. 

Angela announced that the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour for May will be orange.  I have lots of orange scraps so will get started on my blocks this week. 

A mother robin has taken up residence on top of the light fixture outside our back door.  This is a popular spot for a nest each year. 

While on a walk at the park this week, I spotted this red squirrel and got a picture before it scurried away. 

Another type of daffodil bloomed this week.  Some of the others are fading now.  It's nice to have flowers that bloom at different times so that there are always daffodils in bloom this time of year. 

Finn has been very happy with the weather this week--lots of warm sunny days for being outside. Today, it  rained and is now dull and cool so we are staying inside.  Finn is happy as long as his people are nearby. 

These flowers are in bloom at the park where we took Finn for a walk last night.  So pretty. 

 I will link up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers as well as Frederique. 

A Little Doll and Some Hand Stitching

A couple of weeks ago, I started to make a little folk art doll for a 5 year old's birthday.  This week, I finished it.  It has black hair, just like the five year old.  Purple is her favourite colour. 

I continue to work on my Mill Hill cross stitch on perforated paper.  It's coming along nicely. The green line of stitches on the right goes all the way around the picture. 

I spent a couple of hours working on handquilting my pineapple log cabin quilt this week.  The blocks were made a couple of years ago for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  2/12 blocks are quilted.  I am moving on to the light green block next. 

The azalea bush started to bloom this week.  It will soon be covered in these beautiful pink flowers. 

We were outside this am trimming some hydrangea bushes and Finn was making himself comfortable on the grass nearby. 

I have several types of daffodils in the gardens--this one is a double daffodil. 

We took Finn for a long walk last evening in Port Stanley.  The water was calm.  No wind.  Finn had a grand time and was ready to have a nap when he got home. 

These grape hyacinths are in several places in our gardens.  

The cream/yellow hellebores are in bloom too.  So pretty in the sunshine!

Finn likes to lie in this chair--its a good vantage point to see us when we are working in the kitchen. You can see his eyes better now as he had a haircut this week. 

Finn takes his tax collection duties very seriously.  The cheese tax must be paid!

I will link up with Kathy, Angela and Frederique.  Have a wonderful week!