Storm Days and The Garden Party Row Along

 It's Tuesday Sept 22, the day after my husband's birthday,  the beginning of post tropical storm Teddy, and another day of great releases from designers in the 

I've made my visits to each of the designer's sites, downloaded some sweet patterns, and left my thank yous in the comments. I hope everyone will hop on board this train.

This morning I made my bread 

baked a few gingersnaps for lunch, baked my chicken pie,(it was delish), and sewed these little flannel rail fence blocks. A darker piece in the centre of two lower volume prints.

I've always been interested in weather, and the sea. Today with the approach of the storm, I am hoping to get some reasonable pictures of our shoreline. The forecast suggests that we will not be hard hit, but of course with Mother Nature, it can be difficult to predict.

It is 2:50 pm

The rain is still sporadic showers, but I can feel the increase in the wind's velocity, coming in from the Northeast. I hope we have taken all the necessary steps to stay safe during this storm.

I think I may settle in for a short nap.

Love to all

Lynn

 The weekend is over, and it was a lot of fun. We celebrated our granddaughter's 23rd birthday with a brunch on the 12th. Just immediate family but when you realize that your kids have kids and their kids have kids, the numbers add up.there were 12 of us. The food was fabulous. That happens when your family has a long history of cooking and baking. My dad was a cook, as was his mom, and he was a baker as well. Suffice to say that these skills have been passed down through the generations. I remember helping out at my dad's bakery when I was young enough to need a box to stand on when I was scraping cookie sheets. They were great days too. 

My grandma Hunter was also a skilled seamstress. That talent continues too. Our eldest granddaughter is now starting to experiment with one of my sewing machines, and appears to be having fun. Bibs and repairs are her early experiments. As Baby Graham grows, I expect she will add new items to her repertoire. And boy can she cook. She made us individual traditional cheesecakes for the brunch. And the toppings were from scratch; ganache and salted caramel with fruit toppings and/or whipped cream, your choice. Just a sample from Saturday. 

I'm working on my row for Oct 8th. The quilting is finished, and tomorrow I hope to cut and start the binding. Tonight I am back at the cottage. I was home overnight, while one of our granddaughters hosted some of her friends for a continuation of the birthday celebration.While i was home my husband and I went out for some seafood at the Glooscap Restaurant in Parrsboro N.S. In addition the the delicious seafood, we enjoyed the scenic  drive to Parrsboro, which sits at the edge of the Bay of Fundy. It gets dark mush earlier these nights. Fall is here, and we will need to think ahead to prepare for winter's arrival. Hopefully it won't be here for some time.

I have a habit of starting many new projects and leaving man others incomplete. I'm going to try once again to stop starting, and start finishing. Wish me luck. I've tried this before but with limited success. I brought a couple of scrappy table runners back with me to quilt. Hopefully they will be uncomplicated finishes for me. I'll let you know.

It's 9 pm, and time for me to settle in to read a bit before bed. I'm just beginning a book by Ian Rankin. The Naming of the Dead. I have no idea where the book came from, but I found it in a box in my bunkhouse, so I thought I'd open the cover. The wind has diminished, so it should be an excellent night to sleep. Windy nights are tough for me as I find it difficult to settle but feel antsy and energized.

Before I leave for the night, I want to post a pic of my first grape tomato, ripened on the vine. There were 5 little plants that could not be used by those who purchased them, but rather than see them die, I planted them in a pot, and have been nurturing them this summer. I'm so happy that they survivrd, and that tonight I ate the first fruit from the vines. Happy days

Good night. Sending love to all

Lynn

 

Hello my friends. 

Today is the day after the first of the Its A Garden Party Row-Along releases. wow, but there are beautiful patterns for us to make. I'm going to list the entire schedule, so you will be able to visit each of these designers. 

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Blue Heron Quilting
Carolyn Butterfield
Made By Marney
Pumpkin Patch BC
The Devoted Quilter

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Bobbin In Quilts Blog
Kissed Quilts
Patchwork Breeze
Songbird Designs/Brenda's Blog
Stitchin’ at Home

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Daughters of Dorinda
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Just Let Me Quilt
Lovingly Lissa
The Quilt Rambler

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Fabric Bash/Carpe Blogum
For the Love of Geese
Kathleen McMusing
Ms P Designs USA
QuilterChic

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Heleen Pinkster Quilt Design
Patti’s Patchwork
Quilt Schmilt
Scrapdash
Your Sewing Friend

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Charisma’s Corner
Clever Chameleon
Dragonfly's Quilting Design Studio
Kathy's Kwilts and More
Mountain Meadow Designs

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Cynthia’s Creating Ark
Miss Loreen's Schoolhouse
Moose Stash Quilting
Tuning My Heart Quilts
Cheryl LaPlante

Thursday, October 01, 2020

Barbara Dieges
Linda B Creative
Orange Blossom Quilt Design Studio
Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting
Ursa Minor

Tuesday, October 06, 2020

Bumbleberry Stitches
Charlie's Daughter
Seams To Be Sew
The Quilting Room with Mel
Words & Stitches

Thursday, October 08, 2020

Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Lynn's Beauty

Quilt Art

Renee's Quilting Addiction

Sew Incredibly Crazy

I'm here on the final day. I hope you will be here to visit with me in Fins Garden. Fin was such a special little boy who spent a short time on this earth, but who changed lives while he was here . Love to all of you

Lynn

 Good morning Sept 8, and the Garden Party Row-a Long is ready to start. Exciting for all the generous quilters who have created rows for us to view and patterns to make what suits us.  My day is Oct 8, and I am looking forward to it.

I hope to be back later today or tomorrow with highlights of the startup

Have a great morning

Lynn

 Good morning. 

It is good to be able to sit and write a short note today Life has been a jumble for the past few months. Our internet provider is waiting for replacement parts for the system, and I have been without internet since June. Only when I camp out on someone's doorstep, or drive to the nearest town library, can I access all that is happening in the cyber world. Since I have been very cautious about exposing myself to the possibility of the covid virus, I haven't gone often.

Summer has been great for beach activities, but hard on my little garden. We have had one meal of potatoes and beans(green) from the patch, and two more meals with the beans, today I am seeing two almost ripe tomatoes on the vines. We finally got rain yesterday, so the ground will hopefully be a bit easier to dig, and the potatoes will get bigger.

I have spent considerable time working on my row for the STBS row a Long organized by Marian Pena. This will be my fist attempt to provide a patterned row for this event. The theme this year is what grows in your garden. Well my row will introduce some sweet new friends. This row, named Fins Garden is made in memory of my little great grandson, a twin, who spent only a short few months with his earthly family. Fin was a brave fighter, but this battle was just too much for one little boy. We will always have him close in our hearts. His mum, Meaghan and I  collaborated on this row, hoping you will find some part that you will enjoy.

Here is a little peek at our garden row. It is all about the sea, as we are ocean folk.

I believe my release day is Thursday Oct 8,2020. I hope you will visit with us at that time and share in our joy.

On a daily basis I watch the sea, and the sky. There is such beauty. Yesterday a couple of visitors spent some time with us. This young seal has been sunning on our beach raft on and off for a month or a bit more. 

The Heron just stopped by for a short rest during the day.

I am ever grateful for these visits. This morning the Sandpipers were skirting the waves at water's edge looking for treats.

Enjoy your day and the beauty around you

Lynn

Wow, where did that time go?

It's a month since I last posted here. Not great for consistency, which is something I am trying to work on. Life keeps marching along, whether or not I keep up with the pace. Now many are finding the time long in this environment of staying at home, but for me it is much the same as other times , at least in that aspect. Around the globe today, decisions are being made about how we can safely move into a more normal,  normal. I hope that patience and safety will prevail. I don't mean wrap up in cotton and let the rest of the world go by, but this virus, as we have learned, is very serious. Of course, being a quilter, the idea of being wrapped in a cotton world of beautiful colour and prints doesn't sound too bad.

Some sewing has been happening here, as well as my move to the cottage. Spending the winters in the forest, and the summers at the ocean side is my routine. After the last hard freeze in the spring, I move sewing machine and the rest of my stuff into my little cottage, where I stay until the snow returns in the later fall.The ocean never disappoints in its beauty and its changing moods. The winds add texture and colour to the landscape. I never tire of this scene. I don't have deer or beaver visiting me here, but I have song sparrows, a groundhog, raccoons, and seals for visitors. Later in the season, the sandpipers ,two varieties will be here, and then in August the great Herons will be back.  During these months, I will walk and swim in the waters of the Northumberland Strait, watch the sky and water, and enjoy the sounds of summer.  Now on to my sewing.
My personal BOM for May is completed. This block is using two neutrals and a small print for the third. This month it is a very deep rasberry, verging on purple.

The decision has finally been made to postpone out Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival in October. We made the decision with much regret, but the timing is such that we don't know whether travel will be possible then. It is so much fun, and there are so many things to do during the festival but we will be back when it is safe to do so. When the group  made that decision, I decided to slow down on my secret sewing as I will have more time to make gifts for all of those quilters who will join me at our Fibre Arts Sew In. I love to meet quilters from many different provinces and states on that day.
We are waiting for the arrival of a new great grandchild in June. Emily and Rob are waiting to welcome a baby boy to their family. The decor for the nursery is outer space, so I wanted to develop a quilt to support this theme. Their colours are navy and yellow. I had to think about this one. what could I do? Well two designers came to my rescue. First I knew that I wanted to show off Dione Gardner-Stephens (The Clever Chameleon)  https://www.cleverchameleon.com.au/blog/ bear pattern. Dione had this for a free BOM a couple of years ago. I made the bears at that time, and I knew I could make one solitary bear for the quilt. Friendship stars are one of my favourite blocks, so I wanted a layout that would showcase them as well as the little bear. Just recently I started following Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl  https://quiltingjetgirl.com/ .One of her recent posts provided a layout I knew would work perfectly. I finished the blocks for the top with four variable stars blocks. The fabric for the back is a piece printed with rocket ships and lots of colour on a navy background.
The top is a small crib size, 36 x36. I could have added borders, but for me the top looks perfect without.

There is a little rocket on his tummy, Dione offered three possibilities for this centre during the BOM. Although I can't see this in my picture, there are small stars in the navy pieces, and the yellow/gold, is a piece I bought the year my granddaughter was born, and now today it will provide cover for her first babe. The lighter blue is to remind us that there is blue sky in the future. Look ahead.
Another little interesting note. Marian Pena , https://www.seamstobesew.com/, will be hosting a row-a-long in September. This is an annual event, and this year the theme is what is to be found in our garden. With any luck, and the help of Marian and others, I may have a design ready for that event. My second granddaughter and I are collaborating on the project. I wanted a sea theme, and Meaghan sketched it for me. Since I am sorely lacking in pattern designing skills, I reached out to Dione, Marian, my daughter, and grandson  for direction. Everyone is willing to help you get on your feet with this project, and I definitely need help. Today I managed to create some PDF's to send along to Marian for her input. This experience has made me even more aware of the amount of work that goes into pattern creation. My hat  is tipped to those who make designs for quilter or embroidery fans . Lots of work.
A quick look back to Mother's Day. We have two great grandkids at present and here is their card for me this year. Angus is two and Piper 10 months.

And then a bouquet of locally grown tulips from Broad Fork Farms in Rive Hebert, a small local business.

Aren't the colours magnificent!. I was thrilled when our daughter brought these in a vase made by a local potter.
 That's the news, except for sharing this. Our daughter ,Bonnie , is an educator, and a fibre artist. She hooks pieces of art , and has been studying with Deanne Fitzpatrick. The most recent study to my knowledge is a colour study. Bonnie chose to hook a rare blue lobster. This will suit their cottage very well.

Well I guess that finishes today's post. I hope the approaching week brings tons of opportunity.
Goodnight
Lynn

We are Changed Forever

April 25, 2020. A week ago today events started to happen that would forever change our lives here in Nova Scotia. A man on a rampage shot and killed 22 people in their homes, and on the highway. He also set fire to a number of structures, some of them homes with people living in them at the time.We have never seen such horror before in our province, or in our country. During this past week, I have watched the people of Nova Scotia show their toughness, their ability to unite and support each other when the chips are down. We'll Rise Again ,we are strong, are the cries I hear from neighbours and friends. They are right. Our people will overcome the current state, and move on. Personally I have been overwhelmed with grief, but from The United Church of  Canada, I received a poem in my FB feed that is helping me to deal with the grief and profound sadness I am feeling. Small steps. one small task, one tiny bit of living which carries me to the next step. That is how I will proceed. It is all that I can do, and it helps.
As social distancing and movement restrictions continue, I am at home, sewing a bit most days, but I can't say I am hugely productive. This is the perfect time to dig out UFO's and get some done, but I am still starting new projects. I've decided to halt any new starts until I manage to get a couple of oldies off the table. I'm going to track myself on my blog to see how effective I am at lowering the number of half done projects. Today I am planning to cut the sashing for my embroidered cat blocks. This project has been in the works for a number of years. I'll also continue with my secret sewing as well, but the likelihood of our Sew In taking place in Oct. is slimmer than ever.

Here is my April block for my personal BOM. The block is 14 inches, and what changes each month is the colour.  I started this BOM last September, so this is the eighth block. The finished quilt will be a personal one for me.

I made some trees to add to the village house blocks I made last month. These houses and trees will be part of a gift quilt from friends who in normal times would be going off to a private quilting retreat the last weekend in April. I'm not sure when we will be able to get together to assemble it, but it will be fun when it happens.








All my Granny squares are completed, and I'm hoping that this weekend I will get the sashing cut for this project as well. I think I have decided on a dark sashing.I've auditioned all the prints where there is enough fabric to make them. Like many, I am sewing strictly out of my stash.

Buttermilk Basin offered a free spring sew a long.I have some left over Civil War prints, and this seemed like a chance to try a completely different project with them. Hence my little quilt top.
Perfect? No, but fun. It was difficult for me to use these colours with this subject, but I think it works .I may have more to say on that later.

These two were breakfast visitors one morning. about ten days ago. There was still some snow in the woods at that time, and the grass on our front lawn was starting to green. I'm sure it was a welcome treat for them, coming out of winter scarcity. These two (or at least I think it was the same two), have been here during the early winter and then later after a lot of the snow had disappeared, eating apples from our trees, or those which had fallen to the ground. They are always welcome here. Look in the background, out on the road. The crow you can see there has a partner, and the two of them visit our yard daily, surveying all that they see. That day, their tour was interrupted by the deer, so this crow decided to patrol the road just off our property until the deer left. It was definitely fun to watch the antics.

There have been so many opportunities for joining with other quilters online to participate in sew a longs or mysteries. I offer a huge thank you to all those who have put their backs into this and give all of us something to sing about. 

The sun has risen above the horizon, so it is time for me to get moving. I try to be quiet during the early hours so my husband can get some rest. I wake far too early for him. One more thing before I go

I'm adding this piece my daughter is creating. Her artistry amazes me. Never content with mediocre in life, it extends to her work as a hobby artist. Her dad and I love to watch her creations as they develop. This piece I'll re post after it is complete. She sees, she photographs and then sketches. After drawing her sketch our on the linen backing, she begins to gather her wools. As I enlarged the picture, I saw the Rugosa roses up close to the house. Those are so right for our area. This is so beautiful. She is working on the trees now
I guess that is it for this morning. I wish everyone a wonderful day. Hugs
Lynn