Clipping my wings

I'm making a serious effort to stay home this week. I DO like to be at home and actually get kinda stressed when I an out and about too much. Sometimes it can't be helped but sometimes all it takes is a NO!

Saturday's Song

This week didn't turn out as expected. I'm starting to think summer and it is anything but.
It reminds me of- "same song, second verse; a little bit louder and a little bit worse!".

The grass had its first haircut. That is a train heading east in the background.

This week went sideways, kinda like the train.

Grass IS cut.

Veranda is stalled partly because of cold, rainy and windy.

The veranda quilt is seeing some progress.

I like improvising but I think I need to have a general plan so I cut the background squares to get an overall placement balance. I need to think about the golds.

Too many trips away from home and one was a doctor's visit with very good friends that knocked us all for a serious loop. I'm thinking I need to make a quilt- green and blue. A bit blurry, but that may be my eyes.

I'll be having a serious talk with myself come Monday morning!

Friday Finish!

The only thing I can offer this morning is a quick cup of tea, coffee, or as my new thrift shop mugs say, chocolate. The four plates have writing on them and an infinite variety of uses for vignettes! The runner was a machine quilting sampler I made up quite a few years ago. I used a varigated thread for the quilted motifs and a cream thread for the various filler designs.

I'll be finishing the week off with another day in the car. My monthly sewing club is this morning and then the poultry order arrives this afternoon and that isn't even chicks but turkeys and ducklings.

Perhaps if I get back soon enough I'll put all the sewing enthusiasm to use and finish something for Friday!

Peeking...

Cutting grass seems such a waste of time. There are lots of other things I'd rather be doing. And I can't exactly make notes of all the bright ideas I get as I rotate the lawn because when I don't pay attention I inevitably cut off something I shouldn't. Yesterday it was a fall planting I neglected to see in the long grass! Drat!

Today I finished up the rest of the yard. I hope it met the Inspector's approval! lol

We had a very heavy frost and the transplants are shivering!

Perhaps we can get the trees and shrubs in now that I've given the yard a 'once over'. It was a hard year as things didn't harden off properly last fall. I see one dead tree by the garden shed and my hedge has taken a serious beating.

Can you see the young tree has leaves on one branch and the others are 'deciding'? I know grass clippings shouldn't be in the flower beds but the wind is usually blowing the wrong way!

I got this bowling ball at the thrift store. I wonder if it would hold paint on its roundness?

And speaking of clippings...I've been trying to get blocks together for the veranda quilt. I have some rejects but I luv working in a scrappy 'as you go' format because I can tweak as I go!

In all directions

Crazy weather. It has be all over the place in the clothes department. Shorts one minute and two sweaters the next and that was in one day!

The grandkiddies helped me weed flower beds in the sunny morning. After naps all round ;^) we went back out to a very cold north wind. BRRRR!

Yesterday I grabbed a friend and we took the kids back and hit the bargain stores. I must say having a definite direction for my wardrobe eliminates a lot of looking. The kiddies and I hit the pet store while she hit a few more 'boutiques'! I must write about all my clothing organization one day.

The wind has been too windy for those last section of dandelions and I'm about to panic if I see any fluff starting. So the rooster took my mind off it by handing me a pitchfork for the other chicken coop in his barn. Nasty smelling stuff chicken manure. But that is off his list.

Today I am going to be circling the yard to see if I can't get the grass down to an acceptable height. My mind will be circling as well as I fuss about all I'm wanting/needing to do.

Comfort for the Chooks

With all the rainy weather and the chickens great desire to eliminate every bit of green, their enclosure was very muddy. This makes dirty feet, dirty nest boxes and therefore dirty eggs.

The sheep are out on pasture now and the remaining bales of hay are poor quality so my farmer suggested that he bring a couple of bales over to the coop and we could spread around some hay for the chickens to play with.

Sweet Pea is our Border Collie and was to guard the opening.

The rooster maneuvered his tractor in between the main gates and deposited a bale. We spread it and then thought to bring another.

The chickens will really like to scratch through the bales.

We have 3 brooder hens who would like to set on some eggs so the Rooster moved them into the front section of the coop where they won't be disturbed. We'll see if they are successful!

The grand kiddies are visiting and they are helpers for egg gathering and hopefully weeding. Actually Eliana is an aggressive dandelion puller! :^)

Summing up

Grey day today but I'm feeling quite sunny about this last week.

I saw a couple of gold finches and I'm hoping the dandelion seeds they are looking for will only be found in the fields and not in the yard. Garden beds are very hard from all the pounding rain so they'll need some more work but dandelions should be scarce.

I have a plan for the veranda and it'll probably take a part 2 and even a part 3. I think haste would have made waste. I'd wanted to do several colours of paint for the tables, chairs, etc. but I'm thinking shades of green will be best.

I have logged onto the site for the on-going tutorial for the book Threads- the Basics and Beyond. I got some stabilizers and I'm thinking I'd rather do loose pages rather than make a book.

I used the fusible shown for a mixed media quiltlet. Not fun to stitch thru with sticky stuff on the needle and broken thread. I'm going to stick with MistyFuse and forget testing other options.

So I put a piece of black netting over it all and free motioned around the edge. That's it. I won't be finishing this one and I'm kinda annoyed because I thought having prefused pieces a good idea and now I have some. :P Maybe they are okay for stitching the edges but not all over and through multi layers.

Now DD's quilt once again has its face to the wall so I can quick slap some veranda fun on the design wall's back!

I felt like I've had a good week.

Finding a FINE Finish for Friday

My little word theme for Fridays has been such a motivator. Who knew!

I learned some technique things but I think I've learned even more about myself. 8^)

I really don't need 52+ page sized little quiltlets. That doesn't include the ones from last year. sheesh. So I've just been trying to finish something to end the week with. I'm getting stuff done. I'm also "putting off short term pleasure, for long term gain" to quote my rooster's favorite 'you need to grow up' speech.

So today I said 'no' to what I wanted to do and did what I had said I wanted to do.


I made my small runner inspired by light barked trees against a sky.


Not quite what I envisioned but a great try; I learned a thing or three, and I really do like it. :)

That's why it isn't quite finished because I want to hand stitch the binding.

Perhaps I'll have a better picture when I sum up the week tomorrow.

And this is what I really wanted to work on:

Even Better

I'm a slow learner but I do eventually get it!

At one point I'd have rushed in without having the whole picture and that just leads to all kinds of half finished projects.

I'd like to do a spring wall hanging that has the feel of light/white barked trees like our poplars standing against an aqua sky. I am ready to dress the veranda for spring so the hanging would be appropriate. I'd bought an area rug to anchor the seating area in this front entrance.

I flapped the new rug down and gathered some things. (This led to an editing in the basement storage area but that is a different tangent.) ;^) This gathering would be my idea of what the home dec people call a story board where you review your options then finalize the decisions.

Hmm, this rug is telling me that the room is now calling for some colour punch.

I went digging in my stash of spring fabrics. The grouping to the right is too light for my liking. The stuff set aside for the sunshine room is looking like it will work way better. It has a hint of aqua but the greens go with the few plastic dishes a got a few years ago. The more saturated colours are taking me in another direction but I'm liking it.

So this will be the fabric for the veranda. I can pull a few turquoise things for accents. I can also see that greens will be better for painting some of the wood pieces that I have for the veranda. I don't have a finished veranda to show but I think I have saved myself some work in the long run as I now have a better idea of how this veranda will function throughout the seasons. I'd originally thought of painting chairs, table, bench, chest, etc. various colours but I am thinking various greens will be more cohesive.

Now I still think I'd like to try the first idea of the trees with the sky behind but this can be a smaller version and possible a table runner or something.

I also had problems with blogger and deleted past browser history. Whoa, I need to do that more often obviously as things seem a bit faster now.

Inspiration indeed

I very glad that spring has finally arrived but I must admit I'm not quite as enthused with the spring weeding as I once was. I might just be getting weary in well doing. ;^) It just seems to me I'm always going over the same old ground and not really seeing much progress. I'm thinking there are going to be more shrubs in the cart than perennials from now on. But I've still time to be surprised by the late bloomers, so here is hoping.

I was happy to leave the weeding and to go visit the grand kiddies. They were my reward for doing my farmer's errands. I got a new rake and I got some stabilizers for the Thread project.

I've been pondering the veranda. I needed something to inspire the decor for it. While cruising various blogs I read that a floor cloth (rug) can cozy up an outdoor space. So I had my eyes open while I was out and about and yahoo! ...

Now this doesn't look like much but it 'spoke' to me.

The veranda is an outside room with screens, not glass. The floor is just as you see it, worn rust coloured paint with some 'oops' from various projects that weren't to be done in the house. That Rooster of mine!!! It is our main entrance and I need to find ways to welcome visitors and discourage my farmer from using it as a storage/work room.

This great deal came with a 5' x 7' rug, a long runner, 20" x 54" and this small mat 18" x 30". All for the great price of $38 which included the taxes. There are a lot of colours in the stripes and dark is probably more practical. So now I have a place to start.

I went to the thrift shop and got a few good things including 2 pillows, and an aqua pail.

I also got a few articles of clothing as I'm also cruising blogland for style inspiration. I am NOT ready for any big reveal in that particular department.

BUT...

This rolling cart was going to fit in the car with all my other stuff somehow. Mixed media supplies get ready to be rolled! YES!!!

A Dandy day

I'm really hoping that these dandelions don't look quite so cheeky by the end of the week.

A stroll around the yard is showing some promising things. The bulbs are not in huge amounts but spread evenly about. Some daffodils under the shrubs on the north side that I see from the sitting room would be a great addition next spring. I've made a note on September's calender page. I've been leaving the perennials alone so hopefully they'll respond with some nice full groupings which means less open ground for those dandy yellow flowers!

I did some severe pruning of unwanted wild shrubs last fall so I'll follow through on their discouragement. The 'good' shrubs all have slow release fertilizer ready to bring them forth strongly.

I will need to pace myself so that means alternating weed days with play days. But the yard is my focus for this week.

Sunny summing up!

WOO HOO! A sunny day!

Finally!

1) The veranda focus became the bedroom focus. Hard to get into the outdoor room when I was in my winter gear!

2) The flower beds are cold, wet and full of dandelions which luv cold and wet. grrrr

3) I have at least begun to look for my stabilizers so I can begin the thread tests. I don't want to make a book but I may make a box to store the loose pages in.

4) A mixed up week as I was away from home 3 out of 5 days! Must be some kind of record. But I did start a mixed media technique.

5) My DD's quilt top has been smoothed and repinned. I do have all the pieces and extra fabrics in a basket so I can begin to sort out where I am. I also need to establish a perfect seam allowance that matches the old one. I need 2 more rows and I can't quite remember what the next colour combos are.

Hopefully I'll absorb lots of sun rays next week and spring ahead with a gigantic leap.

It's a grey day!

Grey rainy overcast skies. Grey poplars. Grey pussy willows. A very faint fuzz of green in the tree tops. Spring IS coming!

I can't seem to resist whole cloth quilted coverlets. This was such a great deal. A queen sized coverlet, 2 shams and two pillows for $69 Canadian. And a teal pillow for $20! I'd been looking for an icy pear but this wonderful light grey is very chameleon and works! If I had got this one first I just may not have accumulated the 5 that I now have. well, maybe not. This would take me through all the seasons. But I do use them for the other bed, the round decorator table and the hall cedar chest cover. They add texture and I can lay a smaller lap quilt to the foot of the beds, a colourful topper to the table and a few pillows to the chest.

The master bedroom is coming together wonderfully.

I had bought 2 wall sconces, and a overhead fixture. I wanted some, not a lot, of bling. They were close but not matching and I got my son in law to spray paint them ivory. He is SO much better at it that I! I also have a low ceiling that slopes so chandeliers are iffy. Stuccoing the ceilings was a mistake that will be rectified with nice painted beadboard as soon as I can get my rooster away from the other projects. The walls will be a light peachy pink.

The bookcases will be extended to the ceiling with a (fake) fire place in between. A slipper chair would be a good find.

I will put the toile paper (thrift shop find) inside the book cases and cover lots of books with tan butcher paper covers. I want it calm in here.

I grew up with this dresser. I did refinish it. The sconce that is perched precariously on the head board will be on the wall on each side of the bed. My 'stuff' is on a low stool. I can't imagine the wonder of spreading my stuff on a bedside table. aw, it'd be very cluttered so this is good. LOL

Now Dh has a chest that could be upgraded. I tried but it looked better in the downstairs hall. oops!

The other wall has pretty much been gobbled by the closet and main door. There is really just enough room to walk around the three sides of the bed. That's okay, I don't want to give dust bunnies too much room to race about.

With the plan in place I can work on the quilts for the foot of the bed! I am so pleased with how this is working out.

All over the place!

We circled the city, tied a knot and returned home before dark. The driver is late 40's, I am early 60's and the leader of the pack and a serious shopper is mid 70's.

We hit a white sale but I put back my towels after a quick lesson on best towels. Really? But I got a gorgeous pillow for a song and a pepper mill. Then it was off down the hall and a brief sit down at the food court for us coffee drinkers. The shopper came for a quick lunch so we could keep up our stamina. The dollar store got me napkins and I was going for goblets but again, good advice that not all dollars are deals! Really?

Then I got the deal of the day at Winners which I'll show next week when master bedroom is the deco project of the week. ;^)

We hit a thrift shop where I got another piece of enamel ware which has become a collection here in the playroom but will be very useful when the dye shed is operable.

An errand in an odd and far corner of our circle, LOL, then Home Sense is straight off to another corner and I talked sternly to myself. ah, another white pitcher (collection!) and voila! 12 goblets , in a box, for $14! Really!!! Got my hands on gorgeous towels but if DH got his hands on them they wouldn't be gorgeous. Reality! vbsigh I'm still lamenting that loss!

A few food items for the others as my DH doesn't trust me with the necessities of life since we differ on which is more important: food or settings! ( since I hate grocery shopping; I hang out in the magazine section!)

I did keep a weather eye out for veranda inspiration and only saw one hanging bell which didn't quite 'ring' for me!

Still grey and rainy so I'll get a bit of laundry rotating and study up on this week's list.

Game called on account of rain!

And it does look like I'll be having a cup of Timmy's some time this morning! With rain on the forecast from Saturday night to Thursday, a girly day with friends seemed a good use of some down time.

So yard/garden isn't happening as the focus for the official start of my spring work projects but I do want get started on the new weed crop before it begins to look like a jungle out there.

Veranda is up for the spring deco project. I haven't any real idea of what that will look like but perhaps I'll get some urban inspiration.

My daughter's wedding quilt won't be done in a week but it'll stay on the list until I do get it done.

I want to keep a balance with at least one day for sewing and one day for mixed media art. I'm thinking of working through a book on thread techniques and I'll get back to AB 101.

Looks like a date with the grand kiddies for Friday and hopefully we can be outside for most of the weekend.

So my game plan has changed a bit. I'd hoped to keep up the momentum from a successful last week. Here is hoping! In the mean time... good morning, Timmy!!!