Friday Finish!

 This week I was able to work on my pillow and finish it. It is a design by Whimsical quilts and can be found in the book, For the Birds. The original pillow has a longer side piece, but I wanted to use a material that was not as long, so I modified it to fit my size. 

It is done with a flannel background and wool appliqué. I pinned the pieces in place and did a blanket stitch on them. The background has small stripes that are browns and a blue one, so it fits perfectly with my living room colors. I use it on the back of the couch for decoration and when the sun hits me in the face, I can move it to block the sun. 

Last weekend we went to the island. It was too cold to be out long, but a nice sunny day. A few of the docks and some of the fishing boats.

Today we got out and were able to walk on the beaches, since it got up to a balmy 38. I haven't been able to find as much nice glass, but with the cold, I try to walk more and bend less. There was a ship on a ship next to the bridge. With oversized ships, they cannot get in for repairs, so the larger ship is a dry dock, that they can get on and do their repairs.

I also spotted a group of American Black Ducks.

A male Mallard.

And it's mate. I love seeing so many ducks and other birds that winter on the island. It is a nice way to get out and get rid of the winter blues. This weekend will start out nice and then rain coming in and on Sunday we will get snow in the afternoon. I am not sure how much we will get, since we are always on the line, so hopefully more snow than rain.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend and find ways to get out and beat the winter blues. Making new things to decorate with, is always a good way for me to enjoy my days when I am stuck inside.

Friday: Another unfinished project

 I am still working on my punch needle piece. I tried pushing it, but wore my arm out, so I had to take a break. I have a lot of projects I do want to finish and one of them is, a child sized quilt, I had made years ago. After I did the boat, I realized there is too much empty space.

Since it is for a child, I want to keep it simple, so I am thinking, a large cloud over the boat. Then I can do swirls in the sky and wavy lines at the bottom end. It would be good practice to get used to my new machine without getting too complicated with quilting. 

Taking a photo helps me to think on what would look good, on it. What would you do?

As usual, we spent time at the beach. Lots of birds are coming in and I see more, each time we go. I spotted this pair of ducks and thought they were a pair. But, a fellow birder told me, the green bill is an American Black duck and the other is a Mallard, both females. 

Jamestown is always a great place for birding, all types live in the bay and in the coves.

One day we went to Barn Island in Connecticut. It was a bit too windy, but we got a nice walk in and spotted a lot of shore birds. Lots of Great Egrets in the cove.

And we are spotting a lot more Snowy Egrets.

Lots of Greater Yellowlegs, hang out with the egrets and a new nesting platform in the cove.

Yesterday Bill took the day off, since he had extra hours. We went to the bird sanctuary for a walk and enjoyed seeing all of the birds that are coming in. My camera was acting up, so I lost a lot of photos to blur. Luckily, a reset fixed the problem. I hope you all have a good weekend and for those in the paths of the storm, safety from its wrath. 

Friday Finish!

 This week has been a whirlwind, which I am sure is that way for most of you. The presents are wrapped and dishes are prepared ahead of time, so all I have to do is last minute prep and cooking the main hot dishes. The kids come over after early service tomorrow, so we have a nice dinner and gift giving. On Christmas we go to their house and I save some presents for the boys to open then.

I am still working on my nativity quilt, doing some words and then prep it for quilting. I forgot I had the bowl cozy templates and had meant to make some as gifts, so too late now. But, I had enough time to whip up a couple, one for me, the trees and the birds are for Ivy to use on her table. I like the smaller version better, much stiffer than the larger one.

If you like to make your own, I got the templates on amazon, they have cheaper sets, then the name brands. I also used this video to see, the best way to make them. Shabby Fabric's  bowl cozies.

Last weekend we went out for a little shopping and a ride around the ocean, back roads. No birds at the beaches, but as we were going back, along a neighborhood road, we spotted this Red-Tailed Hawk.

And at a local inlet, we spotted a group of American Black Ducks.

I have also been trying out polarizing filters, still have to learn how to use them better, but Bean stopped and posed for me, so I could try it in bright light. I can't wait to go to some waterfalls next week, to try it out. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, Hannukah or whatever holiday you celebrate. What is important is the meaning behind the season, peace and goodwill to all.