Puzzles and birds!

 This week I have been working on my sister's quilt. I have it all together, so now I need to get it ready for quilting. I will be doing prim stitching on the top and then decide on whether to hand stitch or machine quilt, since I want to finish it, so I can get it to her. Now that Joannes is gone, I need to find a place to get discount threads. I always buy on sale days or with coupons.

Since I like to have something simple to work on and a brain break, I worked on a puzzle. I took advantage of prime day and got a good deal on a fun puzzle. 

Last week we got a walk in, at the lighthouse. It is always so much cooler on the island and I got to enjoy some birding. At the marsh I got to enjoy watching the new family. Both parents and two babies were in the nest. The parents were upset since someone was walking closer, from the beach area.

In another marsh, I caught a Great Egret. 

At home the Sparrows are on their fourth batch of babies. This time they had a couple and the babies are always hungry.

And in just one week, they have grown. This one was trying to cool off in the heat. It won't be long before they are out on their own.

I hope you enjoyed your week and have a good weekend. Hopefully I can get more time with my sewing and finish more quilts this year.

Friday Finish and Fun!

I didn't get a lot done on my projects this week, but I did finish more masks. I have some flag material left, so I will finish that off and not make too many more unless it is for a specific person or someone asks. It is hard on my hands and joints, and I have a ton of projects waiting to be finished, so I will start working on those.

I also tried a new style, a box style. It was a lot easier to do and easier on my hands, but tougher on my machine. There is more finish sewing and going through the thicker edges, is not making my machine happy. I like the look in one way, but the stitching seems sloppy. It also is too snug on my nose, so you have to wear it looser, which defeats the purpose of wearing one.

If you want to try this style you can find the video on YouTube. It is easy to follow and I think if you have a smaller nose, it might be perfect.

We also got to spend time with the boys this weekend. The beach was more crowded so we left after a bit and took them fishing at a local pond. It was nice and the boys had fun. Nick got to use a real hook and Alex practiced with the plastic fish, but it only took one lesson and he was casting like a pro.

And for my quiet time, I have been sitting on my porch and enjoy the birds and critters who come to visit. Some birds have left the nest but these two still have a brood that they are feeding. 

Bill has the next week off, it is our anniversary on Sunday, 45 years. We had planned on going to Maine, but that is cancelled, so we will have to do day trips in our area. I was planning on trips to western Connecticut but we may be in for a heat wave, so hiking may not be the best activity. I guess it is time to get the kayaks on the water, so we will see were our adventures take us.

Monday Finish!

I decided not to post on Friday since I didn't have anything to show. I seem to have over did it and all my joints from my hip to my neck are out of alignment and so painful, I have been laying on the couch since then. It is frustrating for me since I hate laying around and if I have to, I need something to keep my hands busy but I was flat out, most of the time.

Yesterday I was able to move more so I got my snowmen ready to finish and was able to finish the rest today. It is for my sister so I kept it fun and brighter. I like how it has a prim feeling but also fun and a pop of color with the off white stitching. The one problem I had was, getting the blue ink off, it went through 4 rinses and it is still there so I may have to add a bit of stain to see if that will tone it down. I used a fabric that may not have been all cotton, so that could be it.

The designs can be found at Christmas Coloring Pages. They have a lot of different designs and lots of similar ones that can be used to make a mini quilt or a larger one. It is a bit wonky from shrinking up, but I will be rewashing it and then I can block it better.

I also got a new photo of my sweet grandsons, I sure miss Nick and I can't wait to meet Alex, but they are not due home until September. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and hopefully I can get out more next weekend, I do miss paddling and was hoping to get out more this year.