Friday Finishes!

I was able to finish two things this week, and working on others. There are so many free designs being offered, it is keeping me distracted but busy. The first one I did was a design by Cheri Saffiote offered on her Facebook page.

It is called Rejoice and was fun to make. I had a piece of quilted material from my friend Kelley. It was a set of blocks that she had sewed and not put into a project, so I had the perfect size to make the wall hanging. I think I may have an angel theme going and they will be nice to decorate my spare room with. It has always had cats all over, but it is time for a change.

Then Kathy Schmitz offered a paper doll and we could cut her out and then take a photo and say where she is living now. A way to socialize with others while we are stuck at home. The good thing is, she is offering it on her website, as well. It is colored but my printer isn't working right and it printed out in a light bluish shade. I colored mine in with colored pencils.

Last weekend we got out for walks, and enjoyed going to the same place, but on different trails. It is nice to find back trails and we usually have them to ourselves, so we can keep our distance with others.

On the first day we walked around the pond, down the bike trail and another back trail and got over 5 miles in. We also found an old abandoned home in the area.

On the next day, we found this beautiful waterfall with a nice sitting area for a picnic. A good place to bring the boys someday.

While walking through the fields, I spotted a small cemetery and after that, we took a ride into Connecticut and checked out an area where I had spotted a waterfall. It was an old mill town and not much else in the area, most moved to the larger town nearby.

And while taking photos, I spotted these Common Mergansers. They were at the end of the falls and kept trying to get up. It was fun watching them swim up and get swept back, but they were determined and finally made it to the next level.

I hope everyone is staying safe and finding peace and calm amidst the chaos of this horrible situation. I did get to see the boys when they stopped by with some supplies for me, so I talked to them for a bit without  getting close and gave them some presents I hadn't gotten a chance to give them.

Friday Finishes!

One thing about being stuck at home, is I get a lot more done. I am enjoying some me time, I haven't done any real quilting in ages and doing some small projects to start is a good way to get back into it.

On Cheri's quilt group, someone found a photo of a quilt they liked. We were given permission to use it, so I made up a line drawing from the photo. I moved the lettering a little to make it fit better. When I was finished, I had more space than I needed, and got creative with a little extra quilting and some inspirational words.

I also made up a little sachet pillow with a design from Kathy Schmitz. I have several large designs that have nice small designs in them, perfect for smaller sachets.

On Saturday we went to the pond to look for the eagle and try the paths, to see where they led. No eagle and I couldn't find a nest in the woods, but we did stumble onto a new bike path. They are still working on it, but definitely another path that we can ride, when it is finished.

We got out this weekend, it was beautiful weather for long walks at the bird sanctuary. Signs of spring were everywhere, the turtles were out sunning and  the sounds of frogs filled the air.

There were hawks in the area, as well as woodpeckers and other varieties, but too quick to get shots of most of them.

We ended the walk at the owl cages. They take in injured birds and some are not able to go back to the wild, so they live their life at the sanctuary. This is a screech owl, they also have hawks and even a vulture who was recuperating.

Remember, being stuck at home, does not mean you have to stay inside. Get out and explore your own back yard and surrounding areas, you never know what. you will find. 

Friday Finishes!

This has been a slow week but I picked up speed at the end and have several new projects in the works. I finally made it to another Doctor and explained to him that I am not sick with a cold, but my allergies were so bad, I could hardly breath and I was always coughing.

So, he gave me a liquid med and I put it in my mouth before I realized it was cherry flavored and sweetened, so it worked but then it triggered off my other allergy symptoms. So, he gave me my regular medicine and I am finally balancing out, so hopefully I can get back my energy and not get sick again.

I did make up some more lavender sachets, I am making them for drawers and cupboards that store items. It keeps the musty smells away and so far, the bugs. The designs are from different sources, from patterns I had in my stash. The middle house design is a freebie from Lori Brechlin.

I also used a free pattern from Rebekah Smith. She has several on her website and is offering a small each month, at a lower cost. This one was made into a jar lid, but I decided to do the basket on it's own. Perfect to hang on my seasonal tree. The stitching is more tan, but the camera made it pop.

Last weekend we went out for our usual ride and I did see the eagle, as he flew by, high in the sky, so no photos. We did try a few bike path areas, to see what they were like. They run along the river and some ponds. I am hoping I can get out on my bike this year and try all the paths we have found.

On Monday I went to the doc and Bill took the day off, so we were able to get to the beach. We missed the full low tide, but I was able to find some treasures before it came in.

And with good weather, we are able to get out more, which makes Bean very happy, since he gets to come along. He loves the beach and there was so much seaweed on the beach that he was getting buried in it.

I hope everyone is doing well and being safe. I avoid stores for now and haven't been able to see the boys. Last weekend was my son's birthday but they were sick again, so we got to video chat and he sent me a video of the boys singing Happy Birthday.

Friday Finishes!

This week I got a few pieces done, something to keep me busy, while I fight off the last of the bronchitis. The meds don't help with my allergies, but they were needed. Unfortunately my neighbors seem to be having a fireplace week and all the smoke is blowing into my house, so that isn't helping. As the meds wear off, the coughing is subsiding, so with a nice weekend coming up, I will be spending it outside and cleaning out my lungs.

This first design is a free design, offered by C&T Publishing. They also have quilting designs and other items, worth checking them out.

Then I decided to use one of my punch needle designs to create a wool bunny. It is a fun design to make simple bunnies and you can make them in any size. This one is a little larger, so he can sit with my pillows. He measures 10" tall. I just noticed I forgot his whiskers, lol. I think the lack of oxygen is making me daft.

And with a new month, is a new design by Kathy Schmitz. I was really hoping for a bunny, but it is still a beautiful design and I need lots of lavender pillows. I bought two pounds and it smells a lot nicer than what I get at the local shop.

And of course I got out last weekend. Being sick does not keep me down and exploring new areas, as well as the fresh air, always makes me feel better. Since I wasn't up to par, we went to the beach and let Bean run on the beach. The tide had just started to go down, but I was able to find a few nice pieces of glass.

One nice thing about a good zoom lens is, I can take shots of lighthouses that are further away. This one is on Dutch Island, a place we went when I was young. We would have a picnic on the beach and explore the old underground forts.

On Sunday I was still sick, but still wanted to explore, so I picked a route that took us in a circle, in Rhode Island, to Connecticut and back again. The first places we stopped at, were the ponds. I was able to see the eagle at both places, even though they are further away. We also spotted a Hawk, along the route.

In Connecticut we found some new waterfalls. With the rivers, there are a lot of dams and waterfalls.

And it wouldn't be a trip without finding a new cemetery. This one was hidden on a hill, behind a newer cemetery and offered a few new designs, that I haven't seen. I guess I need to start working on my new booklet, it will have designs, history and fun tidbits on area cemeteries.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have some warm days coming up, so I plan on enjoying it, as much as I can.