Friday Finish!

 

I am trying to finish old projects and found one in a box, in the basement. This was a runner I was making for my sister and for some reason, never finished it. It is a pattern I found in an old Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The original has a quilted middle, but I left that out. The only thing I did was hand quilt around the appliqués and border to finish it. 

It is done with old fabrics from an old fabric store that had sale bins, so not choices I would make now. The only bad thing is, two flowers have staining, so I will try and get those out and then send it to my sister. The side view makes it look shorter.

Last weekend we got out for a ride, still too cold to be outside for walks. We stopped at the breachway and enjoyed some fresh air and the incoming waves, for a bit.

The next stop was at the marsh. Lots of birds in the area and always nice to enjoy the area.

Our last stop was at Point Judith. It's a great place to park and see the ocean, without having to be outside. 

Another gull came in and let me take its photo. There are always a lot in this area since a lot of people get take out seafood nearby and sit here to eat, so they wait for leftovers.

Another day we stayed close to home and took a ride through the old base. Lots of businesses in the area, but a lot of area is left for wildlife.

With the snow and colder weather, I am seeing a lot more birds. There is a flock of Black-eyed Juncos that have decided that they like hanging out in my yard.

And a new pair of Cardinals, they are shy but the female finally decided to eat out of the feeder and stays nearby in the scrub bush.

And today I was able to catch the Sapsucker. It hangs out in the maple tree and has been drilling holes, all over. Usually the sap runs in February or early spring, so I guess he is making sure that he will get plenty when it comes in.

I hope you all had a good week. We are staying in a cold spell and maybe a little more snow next week. It seems the weather is reversing and the south is getting it all. 

Friday Finish!

 

A new month and a new stitchery by Kathy Schmitz. This one was a bit generic so I decided to reduce it a bit and make a lavender pillow and have fun with colors. I enjoy stitching at night while I watch tv, so these are fun to do. Tonight I started on another new project, Church cat by Cheri Saffiote. I won it in the weekly contest and had it ready to start, so now I can just enjoy stitching it together.

With the heat that never ends, the only place to go, is the beach. We have been going to the same beach on the island and usually there are only a few people. I was finally able to get out in my little kayak, I love to just put around in the cove and ride on the waves.

Another day I enjoyed swimming, sometimes It is just too hot, and the water is the best place to be. 

A view from the rocky cliff, something I never get sick of seeing.

On this day I found a few more treasures and a large piece of colored pottery. The whale shaped rock was a fun find.

And at home, enjoying my feathered friends. The heat seems to have bough out more visitors and more. young. I love seeing the Goldfinches in my neighbor's yard, but I still want to get up close without them flying off. Flowers are from my side garden.

Today I stayed home, too hot to be at the beach and I needed a rest. I enjoyed some time in the side yard, watching the birds at my other feeder and the bird bath area. These two crows are quite the characters.

I also had a lot of Blue Jays, the young are eating on their own now and less shy than the adults.

A White Breasted Nuthatch, Mourning Doves, a crow and my resident Chipmunk, all came to visit today. I also saw a few others who were either too far or too fast to catch. I hope everyone had a good week and fun plans for the weekend.  

Friday Finish!

 

With the holiday, I was too busy on the weekend to do any crafting and then cleaning up and catching up, after the holiday. I cannot stand just sitting and watching tv at night, I have to have something to keep my. hands busy, so I worked up a simple project.

The design is from Kelley Belfast's sunflower and cat design, that I did before, but I separated and made two small pieces for lavender pillows. I have to store a lot of things, so I can always use them in my stash to keep it fresh smelling.

The holiday also means, 4 birthdays. The kids took Bill out for his night and then we took them all to Newport, to enjoy a day at the park. The boys flew kites and explored the ruins from an old mansion, as well as some time on the small beach area.

Afterwards we headed to Fort Adams and walked along the path by the water, to the forts.

For Memorial Day, they had Boots on the Ground and free admission to the fort. 

This is the main area, with each surrounding state, represented. 

Another area was just for Rhode Island and we visited Bill's Second Cousin who died during a flood. It was a wonderful day with the family and a wonderful way to honor those who gave up their lives to protect us.

I hope you all had a nice week and fun plans for the weekend. 

Friday Finishes!

This week I worked on finishing the new stitchery by Kathy Schmitz. This one was fun to do and I did more fancy stitches, as well as add a border to mine. It is fun having something new and quick to do, each month. I am seriously thing about doing sales again, I have way too many finished pieces, starting to pile up.

For fun, I decided to try some new rocks to hide. With the nicer weather, it is fun to place a few, at a time, in places we visit. With everything that is going on, I felt like sunflower pieces were nice to show our support. With my bad arm, it is harder to do a lot of detail, so I kept them simple.

Our weather is up and down lately, rain, warm and then cold again, so one day we went to the kids and spent some time with the boys and a little party for my son's 40'th birthday. Afterwards we drove around their area to look for an eagle they spotted. No eagle but we found an old mill site.

Remnants from the old mill.

The next day we spent some time at the beach. It was a bit cool but I finally got a pair of Bogs, so I was able to walk along the water without having to worry about getting my feet wet or cold. Bean was happy to go along, and the low tide meant, he had more places to explore.

I found some nice treasures and thrilled to find another marble and a large piece of lavender.

On the way out of the beach, I noticed a bird sitting at the Osprey nest and stopped to take a photo. It seems a Red Tailed Hawk and his mate have made a home in the nest. I am sure the Osprey is not going to be happy when it returns and sadly, it will kick them out, so I hope they havn't laid eggs yet.

I also got a surprise in the mail, a gift from Kathy Schmitz. She has a contest each year and this year was to make 6 of the same items and post a photo. I posted a photo of my pillows and instead of picking a winner, she sent all of the girls who posted, a gift package.

I hope this finds you all well and enjoying time creating and time exploring your area. Warm weather is heading our way, so Bill has two days to take off so we are planning some day trips this coming week.

Friday Finish!

 

This week Kelley Belfast offered a free pattern to show support for Ukraine. She is a cat lover and a lot of her patterns have cats and this one is a wonderful primitive piece with the kitties and the sunflowers for Ukraine. I pushed it a bit with my. bad arm, but once I get going, I cannot stop till I finish, with punch needle. It is a fun piece to punch and a great way to remember those in Ukraine as we send our prayers to them.

I was also able to see my first Snowy Owl. She is living at the old base and I found her resting in the airport. It won't be long before she heads back to the Arctic.

Another day we spent some time at the beach and I found a few new treasures. Finding a marble is always a bonus.

And at home, the birds are becoming more active. This cardinal lives in my yard, he is very territorial so no other cardinals are allowed in my yard, just his wife and their kids, which was a thrill to see this year.

I hope you all had a wonderful week.

Friday Finish and Fun!

 

It seems the week goes by too fast and I never get half of the things done, that I had planned. But I have been getting a lot of outdoor time, so that is good. I did finish the second free design, by Theodore Cleave Designs. 

It is a small pillow and I added a few touches of glitter thread to this piece.

I also got to spend time with the kids last weekend. We all went to the sunflower farm. They have a field with pathways that you can walk through, to enjoy the flowers.

And I thought these were funny. The birds feast on the seeds and I guess they have a sense of humor.

And these are some of the birds I was able to catch, along with a butterfly at another park. There are a lot of beautiful birds, but they come and go so fast, it is hard to catch them.

And of course, I took photos of the family. Trying to get them to stand still and pose nicely at the same time is impossible, so this is what I ended up with.

Most afternoons we spend at the beach and I have gotten some nice pieces of glass. I also take a swim when I can, sometimes the waves and pull is too much for me to get into, but the cooler air is always refreshing. I was able to catch the local Osprey family on one day.

It looks like three young made it this year. One is a bit shy.

Mom coming in with dinner. One osprey was yelling at the other, so when mom came in, she gave them a good talking to.

Bill took the next week off, but we have no where to go. My cat sitter is going through some things with her dad and I mentioned we might want to take off, but she never said anything. Usually she says she will be happy to watch the kitties, so I think she may be too overwhelmed at the moment and I don't want to ask her, and make her feel obligated. Hopefully Bill and I can find some fun things to do on a hot week and maybe get some fun beach days with the boys.  I hope you all have a good weekend.

Weekend Wanderings!

I just realized I hadn't posted yesterday, lol. When we do things on the weekend, I will post on Monday and still do projects on Friday.

We had a fun day with the boys. We took them to the orchards to pick peaches, but by the time we got there, they were picked out for the day. They only allow so much picking each day, and between getting ready and then picking up the boys who also dawdle, we never make it in time.

They did have lots of Blueberries though, so the boys helped us pick 4 quarts, enough to enjoy and some in the freezer. They were disappointed that we couldn't take a tractor ride, but they still got to play on one.

Next we stopped at the launch area, for some play on the tracks and rock throwing. I think they could spend the day throwing rocks in the water, their favorite activity. The tracks are not in use now, so a great place to relax and enjoy the views.

The last stop was at the farm to see the sunflower fields. The boys had fun walking along the paths.

On the other side of the road were more fields of sunflowers, a beautiful place to explore and enjoy the farm. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I am finishing  up my runner, so I can take it to camp with me.

Giveaway Day!

I decided to do a giveaway today, I hope you like what I have chosen. This week was recovering and catching up and heavy cleaning, so I didn't get to finish my new project. My sister is coming next week, so I want to get everything done, so we can enjoy having fun together.

This mat I made awhile ago, it has been sitting in my box of goodies, so I think it is time to let someone enjoy it. It is stained but not too dark and would be a nice mat for a round table or beneath a candle holder. It measures 9 1/2" round, even though it is a little wonky.

This piece is nice for spring or fall. To enter, please answer any of the following questions. Do you have a favorite craft supplier, who has good prices and sells in bulk. I am looking for small driftwood pieces or ornaments made with barn wood, unfinished that I can use for the glass or other items.

Or this question: If you have a cat, what is the best litter box. Moki is pre diabetic so I have to feed him lots of canned food and lots of water, which means lots of cleaning. It is a mess and smelly, and was wondering if there is actually one that cats will use and omits the mess and smell.

And if you don't have a cat or buy craft supplies, any housecleaning tips? Ways to get more done in less time when you live with a slob?

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. This contest is open to all of my followers and will end next Friday, September 21st. I will announce the winner that night. I also have lots of Christmas goodies in my box, so there will be another giveaway before Christmas.

Scarecrow Quilt!

I wanted to make something to put on my small window in the dining room. That room has glass french doors so I don't use curtains and having one on the little window would throw it off. So, I decided it was a good place to decorate with a quilt for the seasons. I use little clip ons that hang on the rod and clip to the quilt, so it is a perfect way to hang a quilt and easy to change them out.

The quilt is from a design by Jan Patek called, Sunflowers and Scarecrows. It was in the fall issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects and I finally got a chance to make it. I love the layout and sunflowers, but I wanted to use my scarecrow which is in my fall booklet. I got a bit carried away with the fabric choices, but I wanted it to be fun. I did a prim stitch around the designs and the blocks with black pearl cotton.

As you can see, I had to get some kitties into the quilt;)

I also won a giveaway from Sauder's Fabrics and received a wonderful book on making mini amish quilts and they even gave me an extra surprise pattern. They are so generous in their giveaways and have several of them running right now, so be sure and visit.

Pattern Winner and Oldies but Goodies!

I have been blogging for five years on Blogger, but I had a blog, previously, on Yahoo. At the time I didn't think and lost of the postings and photos, but I did save a lot of things on my memory stick, so I do have a few of the old things that I had posted about.

I used to sell on a regular basis, on ebay and I may start selling things again. Today I was looking through the stick to find a photo for my sister and found a few things I had forgotten about and things that bring back wonderful memories.

This is an older rug that I made years ago, I think it was for a challenge swap, I have no idea. My short term memory encompasses the past few years too. I really like this pattern but see things I don't like and ways to improve it, so I would like to redo it and make it into a pattern, but I can't remember where I got the idea from.

Here is a box I painted with one of my designs. I used to make them and add a matching item to go with it, usually a punched piece or a needle keep.

And thinking of summer vacations, this was the first trip Bill and I took after we started kayaking. We were paddling around an island and came upon this house, that was built on a rock. Talk about a house on the water, lol.

I was also looking for simple penny rug ideas and found this Penny Wreath. I love the idea, but I think I would make it more prim, maybe one in fall colors and one for Christmas. Not sure if I would use styrofoam, I would rather use a flatter back for them. Maybe I can have Bill cut me out a thin wood circle for it. 

And now for the winner of a free epattern. The lucky winner is Glenda! Glenda, please email me with your choice of epattern from my ecrater site. Today I started going through my patterns and found a couple that I could share in my anniversary giveaway. I will take some photos and give a sneak peak of some of the goodies, next posting.