Friday Finish!

 The past two weeks, I have been busy working on my sister's quilt. I wanted to get it done quickly so she can use it while she rests after treatments. I used two different packs of precut squares, so I didn't have to cut fabric. Then I made a top with an angel, hearts and a saying. The angel came from a Whimsical book and I added a few extra hearts and sayings. I also messed up on trimming down the top, so I added some borders.

After I got it all pieced, I decided to hand quilt it, so that I did this week. It is a bit eclectic with a primitive boho look. This weekend I need to make a label for the back and I found a nice saying to add to it. "Anytime you need a hug, wrap this quilt around you and feel my love." 

I also got mail from a fellow reader, Kelly Cole, who used one of my older freebie patterns to make a hooked piece. She hooked it onto a jean jacket, what a fun and clever idea.

We have been staying home more with projects that needed to be done. Then my son got sick after he was here and gave it to Bill who gave it to me. Seems I catch everything that is going around, luckily I fight them off and hand quilting kept me busy this week.

A lot of the birds are visiting now that the babies have left the nest. Our resident Cardinal is quite the character.

And a lot more Orioles are visiting, so I have to keep the jelly feeder full. This is one of their young.

And a few more shots of our visitors. I even got a Hair Woodpecker, the first I have seen, but too shy for a shot. I hope you all enjoyed your week and out of the heat wave. I am really enjoying the cooler hair and cool nights. 

Friday Finish!

 

I finally finished my angel quilt. The pattern is by Cheri Payne and offered as a free pattern in her Facebook group. I changed it up a little, but it is mostly the same as the original, except for the dragonfly, which was on another pattern in the pack.

Last week we went to the sunflower field. It wasn't as crowded so we enjoyed a stroll through the pathways that cut through the field.

On Sunday we went on a paddle in the cove, at the park on the island. The tide was up so I was able to come around and get closer to one of the nesting Ospreys. The young are getting big and love the look on their faces.

On another cove, I spotted this Loon and it seemed like something was wrong.

I watched as it finally moved and made its way to the water. It wasn't able to walk and dragged its feet. I looked it up online when I got home and found out, Common Loons cannot walk on land and they rarely come out of the water, except to nest. They also need 30 feet of water to take off, so I learned something new. I think it was a young one and just. resting or maybe got stunned while out, but it seemed fine, once it go on the water.

And we paddled into more open waters as we came around. This was one of our views, looking up into the bay.

And lots of boats in the area, this one passing the old lighthouse on Dutch Island.

And at home, more birds are coming to the feeders, migration won't be far away. The hummingbirds are more active, filling up with fuel for their long flight south.

I hope everyone had a nice week and enjoying the last days of summer. 

Friday redo!

 

This has been quite the week. We had reservations for camping this weekend, but I ended up cancelling. We had decided to look at larger trailers and were told that we could get back what we owe on ours, plus get cash back. I decided to cancel the trip so we could get things going on a new trailer. Well, once we picked out what we wanted, they tell us we would get back less money, so it was a waste of time. 

I started a new project, so today I was able to finish cutting out the appliqués and the backing is all ready, so I can start that, this week. I redid an area that had a quilted piece in a frame, so that was my project this week. I added a little border and made it into a mini quilt. This is an old design I had done and have always loved it. 

Another thing I did, was buy a new machine. I got a Pfaff quilt expression 720. I was looking at a pricier one, but this one was on sale and just what I need to get my quilt tops finished. Now I need to list my quilter, so I can get back my space.

At home I have been seeing more occupied nests so the moms are busy feeding and more juveniles coming to my feeder. I saw my first Red Bellied young one, so hopefully it will get used to me and I can get a photo.

We also spent a few afternoons at the beach. The water is much warmer this year, but still cool enough to feel good on a humid day. We have a nice weekend coming up, so hopefully we can find places to enjoy without the crowds. We also have bad water quality from the rains at some ponds and the ocean beaches are littered with debris from the floods on the Connecticut river, that wash down into the ocean. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend and nice weather. It seems we have all had a year of weather extremes.

Friday Finish and finds!

 

Well, I finally finished my angel. I wanted to add arms and I like how they came out, then I decided to add a heart, since it is a gift for a friend. The hair came out a bit wild and she looks mean in the photo, it is too harsh, she has a lighter, more whimsical expression, so she is goofy enough to make the recipient smile.

I started out with a cookie cutter shape and then added to make it into a figure. I think I would prefer to use a wire form to start and be more creative, but she isn't too bad.

We spent a lot of time at the beach this week. We go when Bill gets home so the beach is less crowded and we can spend a few hours, combing the beach and taking a swim. I got quite a few nice finds this week.

Most of the week was overcast but it is still a beautiful place to be.

And I love watching the fog roll in. This day it got so thick,  you could not see too far, but we made it over the bridge before it rolled over.

And I am still enjoying the visitors at my feeder. This young Chipping Sparrow is a new visitor and happy to sit for a photo. Hopefully I can catch some of the other youngsters when they get used to me. I hope you all had a nice week and have a wonderful weekend.

Friday this and that!

No finishes this week, mostly things I am working on. One is the fall table topper, I am hand quilting it, so that might take a few weeks. I also seem to have gotten something, a flu, covid who one of my many weird problems, but I have meds and they are taking care of, whatever it is. Of course this is the week that Bill took off and now we can't go on any trips, just in case. But we can do day trips and with the trailer, I am self contained.

One item I am working on is, a needle felted angel. I wanted to try making one by using a cookie cutter to start, for the shape, but I think I prefer making them on my own. I would have rather made a more artistic angel and had better wings, but it is not too bad and I will add arms and change it up more as I go.

And this is where I stopped with my angel. Having a photo helps me to see what I need to fix and what I want to do. I think I made her look a bit pouty, doesn't match love too well, lol.

 I also enjoy watching the birds that come to my yard, I have three Downy Woodpeckers that visit and they like to chatter at me, they keep me amused.

And a new Cardinal today, have never seen this one. I have a pair that stays here and the male will not let any others in the yard, so was surprised to see it, so it may be one of their young.

And I was able to find some new fabrics, some I found at Joannes along with heavier white for the lining. This batch I found at a local quilt store, she had a lot of nice girl fabrics but not as much for boys. I wanted to get some fun ones for the boys and I can donate the extras.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have rain tomorrow so I will stay home and rest and then I am hoping we can get over to Newport for some walks at the sanctuaries and picnics at the parks.

Friday Finish!

I hope everyone's week went well, with all the bad things going on in the world right now, we all need to find our peace and joy, in our own lives. For me it is crafting and watching the birds in my yard.

This week I finished a Christmas stitchery, made from a freebie by the Facebook group, Love and Hugs from Australia. When I saw this design, I thought of my pet sitter. Since she lives with her parents to help them out, this is something she can put in her room, without taking up too much space. I added my own touches and glitter threads on the clothes and borders, but it doesn't show in the photo.

I also too the time to work on my painting. My brain and arm are not in the best of shape, so I have been base coating to see how I like the colors and something I can change if I want. I have some plans to change it up, but I never know how it will turn out till I am done. The colors are flat looking so I put the photo into a sketch filter, for fun. Once I get the face done and the rest of the colors, then I will decide if I want to change anything. This will be for my bright, happy, room, so I want to keep the colors more bright in this piece.

I am still trying to get a photo of the hummingbirds. This female spent the week watching the feeder and chasing off all the other hummingbirds. She has even buzzed me a few times, since she is getting used to me, being on the porch. Of course I couldn't get the clarity I wanted with he constant motion.

And then I decided to change my settings to get better motion shots and of course, the birds decided to stop moving. With the action setting, I don't get the clarity on still shots. This time the male has taken over the watch and chases the others away. I think I need to get another feeder and put it to the other side of the yard. I think with all this heat, there are not as many flowers and they are all coming to the feeder.

Have a wonderful weekend and may you all be blessed with good health and happy moments in your life.

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 Finish!

It was a slow week with the flu, mostly watching tv, resting, cleaning and working on my projects. I had to redo the background for my snowmen, better than before but not what I wanted. At this point, I am not redoing it again, so I will fix a few things on the main design and leave it as is.

I do enjoy stitching when I am sick, easy to do and few supplies to gather. I made up some more lavender sachets with a design by Theodore Cleave. She used to offer a lot of nice free designs, but she still sells some nice ones. They are great as gifts and I still have a batch of finished stitcheries, for a quilt or I may make pillows as gifts, since the saying are so nice.

I loved making this one, and fun to color in. I tried some buttons on one and glitter floss in the middle of the other flowers. I also used glitter thread for their wings. I usually get lavender from a local shop, but since I am stuck at home, I decided to order some online. I was surprised at how fragrant it was, much better than what I have gotten. I think 2 pounds will make plenty of sachets to place around the house and some in the new trailer.

Last weekend we were able to see eagles at both ponds. The problem was, my camera was acting up and wouldn't focus, so I think I am pressing the button on the side by accident, so I have to watch my settings when I shoot. Most of the photos came out blurry from the first spot, so hopefully I can get better ones, the next time. He flew close a few times and then he flew off with a hawk, following behind.

I also enjoy watching the birds in my backyard. It is the time of year when large flocks gather in the area. There is a flock of robins and a lot of different blackbirds, they fill the trees around me.

And one day I noticed that one of the squirrel's nests had gotten twice the size. I looked with my binoculars to see what it looked like and this is what I saw. A squatter took it for a safe place to sleep, but he did leave the next day. I rarely see raccoons, but I think he was startled by something or at night and wanted somewhere safe, to catch up on some sleep.

We haven't been glass hunting lately, it is way to cold and breezy at the beach. We decided to go for a quick look and grabbed what we saw as we walked down the beach and this is what I found.

And I decided that I needed to make early reservations if I wanted to get a spot at Wolfe's Neck in Maine. It is a working farm on the ocean, so we can relax, bike ride and paddle, and lots of places to visit in the area. We stayed there fifteen years ago and even though I can't paddle the long distances, it will be fun to paddle in the coves.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

I have decided it is time to get going on Christmas, it comes so quick and I am always rushing, so I am starting early. A friend gifted me an older book, Kindred Spirits Christmas. I love the older books and designs, they are prim, easy to work up and can be modified, if I want.

This one was a large stitchery, so I reduced it for a smaller pillow. It is 9" x 7", just the right size to set in a grouping or on a cupboard. I really love the design and think it would be fun in bright colors or with applique figures, so I may do another for people who don't do prim. The material on this one is a medium brown, but it is hard to see that in the photo, this one I may keep for me.

I also want to do at least one new thing each week, something I can make to give or hide in stores during the holiday. I loved doing this, it worked up quick and you can use felt, which is easy to get. I happened to win a batch, years ago, so now I can use the green bolt for these trees. If you like the idea of giving gifts to others, just to bring a smile, you can check out my facebook group; DSmiles4miles.

I didn't add a hanger yet, but I will add a tag with a saying and the group name. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, we have one nice day and one rain day, so I plan on making the most of tomorrow and checking out areas, we missed last week.

The pattern for the trees and other free felt patterns can be found at Touch the Beauty.