April???

The last two days have been snow then came the wind & oh my, is it really April here?!

 The wind yesterday brought in the 'waves of snow drifts' in the parking lot area.

 It is so white with deep snow, the birch trees look lovely though!

 Even with being warm & cozy inside, the outside has a frightful look!

The snowdrift stops just shy of the garage door, isn't that handy for me! The plough cannot get close to the garage door, he sure has his work cut out for him today on this road of waterfront properties.
I'm not in southwestern Ontario anymore.
In just two weeks today, I've got family coming for the Easter holiday. I'm hoping for warmer days!

Keeping Busy...

 Remember the 'pie bird' collection?

 The pie birds will soon have their place inside the shadow box behind them!
I embroidered & appliqued the backdrop from Rhonda of Farmhouse patterns a few years back.
It was perfect for these ceramic birds & what was more perfect was visiting Jocelyn & her giving me this shadow box to do something with! She had no idea that I was on the quest for finding the shadow box for the quilt square & the pie birds!! Funny how some things are just meant to be. Thank you again, Jocelyn, for making my idea a reality!

 Last Christmas we purchased eight placemats with one of the Wrendale designs on it & the Good Hare Day mug is one of my favourite coffee mugs. I love rabbits & these renderings are such characters that they make you smile!
We knew that it would be a large Easter gathering & these placemats would be perfect.
I had a piece of quilted fabric from a drapery store in London's Hyde Park several years back & it would compliment the placemats with the colour & textured design.

 I washed & dried the fabric then serged the edge & then did a zigzag with a winged needle so I could easily crochet the edge with the Edgit piercing & crochet hook. I used crochet cotton by Anchor however just had enough to do single crochet around the edging. I would have liked to do a more decorative edging if I had more but it was a vintage used ball I had picked up when I was learning to tat & was thankful that I did get all the way around the 2 1/2 meters of fabric.
I liked the crochet cotton colour as it is the hare's colour  & the two will coordinate beautifully.
I'll take pics of the table & post them after Easter.
This hook also does a beautiful job on baby receiving blankets too. I'm going to try it on clothing for a decorative hem finish.

 I am blest with giving girlfriends!
Cecile had a weaving loom & sold it last year. She gave me bags of scrap fabrics & I used the red/white/blue on the Mustang rug last year, a white/grey runner under my dough bowl, & last week I made a fabric handled basket with a lid. The colours looked summery to me & those colours put you in a good frame of mind when you only have cold & snow to deal with. Thank you, Cecile!

With summer in mind & Bill's birthday, I made him two PJ surf bottoms with Star Trek fabric that I ordered in from Sew Sisters in Toronto. The navy/white is so summery looking too!

I've been snowed in for three days now & will probably get plowed out sometime today.
I'm going to work on some spring clothing to go with my BOG boots when we get the April showers I'll be ready in my new khaki/navy/green outfits.

Snow = Sew that's how I'm going to get through this.
And knowing "This too will pass".

Have a great weekend where you are!
Thank you for stopping in for a visit to Kyrotime's blog!
Cynthia

April!!!

This is April 1st & we had snow coming down in large flakes & the temperature just kept falling. It was disheartening after seeing & feeling yesterday's temp of 16C the wind was even warm.
That was yesterday & today it is cold again & very windy however the sun is bright & trying to shine.

Just finished this window sill stained glass of the Lion & Lamb for the apartment & yesterday sure was the lamb!

 The silver soldering really has a different look than the copper foil & that is all I knew to do back in the '90s.

Then I used the blank patina finish & have fallen in love with this finished look.
The students that I taught this fall/winter really enjoyed that look too. It really makes the colour & subject of the glass shine through.

The Degas ballerina is now back together again, amazing how all the pieces were found to do this!
 

 Baxter Loree has become quite a watchdog. The other night he just started barking & wanting outside, Bill looked out the window...

 It was a fox eating sunflower seeds!

 The fox ate the seeds for 45 minutes then peed on a tree trunk & left.
 

 The fox could hear the dogs barking in the house would look at the house & then continued eating the sunflower seeds. The squirrels & birds were all gone so the seed was all for the taking to eat.

 After the fox was gone a pair of ravens arrived for a feast on the seeds.

 At night when the firebox is burning these two get extra sleepy with the heat.

 Mr. Boots has taken over the red/white striped blanket & joined in at this warm cozy spot.

 Bridget Loree & that tongue!

 Night-night my furbabies.

Sewing Project

 This will be a project placed in a shadow box, embroidery is done now onto the applique!

These vintage pie birds will be going into the shadow box too!
More to come when it is together!

Tuxedo Cats - Miss Rexton & Mr. Boots

 See her perch to the left? She just wanted to be with Bill to annoy the Boston terriers!

 They would bark at her but all she would do is flatten her ears! lol

 She would look at Bill's phone & ignore the dogs trying to get her attention to look at them.

 Then it began, Bridget just couldn't take it anymore & hit Rexton...

 Bill could feel the commotion just unable to see it. I was lucky to have my camera ready for this!

 Mr. Boots did a lot of sleeping this winter & I'm hoping he gets moving a bit more throughout his day.

He is such a peace-loving cat until it comes to the Boston's & he's still striking fear in them & putting them in their place.

Woods Have Movement!

 As I drove down our laneway I looked into the woods & saw this, what was this?

 What was happening to this tree?

When Bill came home I asked him, it's Woodpeckers! 

I learn something new every day!

There are several squirrels that eat at the bird feeders daily. They also take great fun in teasing Baxter & have nearly given him frostbite this winter.

 The squirrels run up the tree & Baxter is in a trance with them. He has been taken further into the woods with these smart rodents & has such cold paws when he does finally listen to me & comes in the house. He is more careful about putting his nose down a hole since one bit him! He was traumatized by that ordeal & I had to wrap him in blankets warmed by the dryer then hot water bottles to soothe him. He was OK the next day but does not look into holes anymore but up into the trees as the squirrels chatter at him. lol

Easter will be upon us in just 20 days! The family is coming home for Easter & will be arriving on the 19th from Ontario, Alberta, & Quebec. It is going to be a full house filled with love & laughter!

I'll post the Easter decor later this week, maybe Wednesday as snow is in the forecast again & the pastel & bright colours of Easter just lift ones spirit!

Stay safe & warm wherever you are.
Have a great week!
Cynthia

Spring Arrived Today -March 20th 2019

These are the beginners' stained glass class finished tulips.

It was my last class from the fall/winter classes & I really enjoyed having the students in the studio twice a week working on their project. 

Spring has finally arrived on the calendar, not so much in our NE corner of New Brunswick.

To pay homage to this month of March I started to work on this Lion & Lamb & will show it once I have more done. This is just the pattern cut glass next I have the grinding to do & more glass choices for the other pieces & cutting of that glass. This art is not a fast one however an enjoyable one watching it all come together!

 Mr. Boots on the Bostons' pillow in front of the fire after they've gone to bed.

Bridget Loree doing her 'down' position.

Treats to follow! lol

Baxter Loree doing the same with a snooze time added!

Since the parking lot area has melted down to the asphalt & the laneway to the black stone,  he runs like the wind, up & down the ground area. They are getting the feel of spring arriving too!

Next month the family will be arriving for Easter. I've started to decorate & will show more of that next week. I'm working on a lamb outfit for the cement goose right now & a 1930s reproduction quilt that has 40 snowballs & 42 nine-patch squares & 22 red corner blocks. Nearly done doing the blocks!

I needed something with a happy uplifting colour & the 30s knew how to do just that! It was one of the most depressing times with the recession followed by the depression yet the fabric, even the seed sacks gave a glimpse of hope through colour.

 I use painters tape to put together blocks that I have finished & squared up.

 The colours & prints are just so fun & happy that it made putting all these blocks together such a joy!

 The Three Pigs Block is one of my favs. I crossed stitch the 'This little piggy...' I'm going to make it into a pillow with this fabric incorporated with it. Funny how one project leads to another! My middle son loved playing that rhyme with his toes, I can still hear his wee voice giggling & saying 'Do it again mommy', making my heart sing with these memories.

I hope you are enjoying your first spring day wherever you are!

Thank you for visiting & do come back to see a few finished projects, we are having rain/snow this Friday. My drill is snow = sew. lol

Enjoy!  Cynthia