Friday, March 20, 2026

Friday finishes!

 

This week I am still working on my stitchery, but was able to make up two new stuffed pieces. The owl is a remake of the first one I did. The wings are a fun addition and I changed up the face a bit. The problem was, I over stuffed it which changed the shapes, and then my ladder stitch at the bottom is a mess. I plan on taking it apart and re-stuffing it to flatten it out a little and make more room for the closing stitch.

The dog, I made the mistake of cutting it out on the wrong grain. So, when I went to stitch it up, it started to ravel at the edge and I couldn't get a good stitch to close it. I ended up pinching it together and resewing along the first stitch and that helped, but not sure if it will not fall apart. I learned not to cut like that again.





Last weekend we did our usual drive around the beach areas. Way too cold to get out for a walk, so we stopped at spots with views. At the docks, we caught the gulls, going into a frenzy when the boats were coming in. The fishermen throw out the unused bait and they are all ready to grab it.




On the way I home, I spotted two white birds, mixed in with the doves. They are domestic pigeons that are bred to be white, then released at events. Sometimes they get lost and don't find their way home, but these two knew, there is safety in numbers. They were moving too fast around the field to catch them together.




Today we got out for a walk at the bird sanctuary. It was warmer, but closer to the ocean, so the breezes were a bit chilly. There is a lot of downfall, so we had to climb over a few trees. Not too many birds have come back yet, so no photos, but an enjoyable walk.

I hope everyone had a nice week. We have rain tonight, so not sure if we can hike tomorrow, most trails here are in swampy areas. I hope you have nicer weather and can get out to enjoy it.



Friday, March 13, 2026

Friday finish!

  

This week I tried a new stuffed owl. It is a fun pattern and easy to do. I didn't like how the ears came out with the inset and the bottom piece, kept me from being able to keep the opening on the bottom. So, I redrew it a bit larger for a pillow size and changed it up a bit. Hopefully I can get another done next week.



Last week we took a drive around the ocean road and made a few stops, but it was too cold to be outside, too long. We stopped at the docks and watch the boats and birds in the channel.





The next day was slightly warmer, so we went to the island so Bean could enjoy some time out. It was foggy most of the time. Looking across to Newport.



Not too many birds lately, but I have seen a lot of Mallards. 



And of course, I couldn't resist picking up treasures on the beach. The large dark piece is green and I found a few glass hearts.



And at home, I have been seeing the Red-shouldered Hawk. This one was jumping down to the ground, trying to catch something. Not sure if he ever got anything.

I hope everyone had a good week and it seems like another week of cold weather. Hopefully spring will be here soon.




Friday, March 6, 2026

Friday Finish!

 

I finally finished a piece I started, made with one of my patterns, Catch of the Day. I made them for punch needle or rug hooking, but most work with stitchery too. I like to have simple things to do at night, while I watch tv and during the day I try to work in my room with the machines and prepping pieces. I really need to start pulling out all the old and unfinished projects, a few that I really want to finish for summer.



We are finally getting some nicer days. Bill had an early appointment this week, so he took the day off and we headed to the beach. The tide was lower, than usual and it was good for Bean to get out again.



At another beach, I walked along the length to the rocks. When the tide is super low, I can walk over the cliff area to another area, on the other side. Lots of rocks in this area, looking down to town. I wear heavy winter hiking boots, so it makes it easier to walk on the rocks.



I have been looking for glass and beach treasures, when we go out. Not as much with the strong tides, but here are a few things I have found, from a couple of trips. 

I hope everyone had a nice week and can enjoy some nicer weather. I do see that some of you are in the storm's paths for tornadoes, so my prayers are with you all.