I Heard The Cicada Bug!

 I heard the cicada bug this week and Grandpa Haynes taught me years ago in SW Ontario it means first frost in about 8 weeks. I've used that theory here in NE New Brunswick and it's 10 weeks. I think because I live next to a large body of water on the Northumberland Strait, in fact it's my backyard. It takes a longer time for the water to cool than land and the reverse is true come spring, it's always warmer in town on those days. 

Bows seem to be all the rage these days, such a flashback to the nineties! lol

I saw  an add pop up on Facebook for a quilted bow for Christmas in July. Not quiet there but loving the look, I found a tutorial on YouTube and made two from a layer cake (10" squares). 

I used scrap batting put together by zigzagging the pieces, then quilted the 3" squares together on the batting-not using the back fabric until it was finished. Then with right sides together I sewed the upper bow, then the lower ribbon(it's one piece folded)

The formula was 3 1/2" cut squares, three squares across- 16 squares down for the bow ends and for the bow top 3 1/2" cut squares, - 3 down and 14 or 15 across, depending on how big you want your bow, I did 14 squares across. Then a 1 1/2" strip to hold it together, I used a cable tie first to tighten the bow and ties, then covered it with the strip. The tutorial will show you how if you're a visual learner.

But wait there's more from the J. Wecker Frisch stacker!

I made a table runner for the dining room table and a small runner for the sideboard from the leftovers.

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. A saying I'm trying to live by these days.

I made the back from the yardage from her collection, I've had this in my stash for a couple of years and just love her unique, creative, styling design.

 I was first introduced to her from a gifted calendar from my girlfriend Sandy, who always sends a new calendar each Christmas. I always hang it in my sewing room that at my machine I can glace at the calendar to know what the date is. Time just fly's by for me!

See how time fly's, this is a 2020 calendar! I had her designs in my head for 12 months and when the Halloween fabric went on sale, I got it a few years back. Thank you Sandy, for introducing me to a new designer!

 This vignette is called 'Scary Cat' from the Simply Vintage - Autumn 2019 magazine. The Chatham kids, Nick & Leslie had gifted it to me for my birthday. I've not purchased a magazine in a very long time, the price has gone through the roof! On special occasions like my birthday or Christmas I can always count on these two for the newest magazine, I may not make things right away as I do a 'round to it'. This one is so cute!

I'll add more real cat whiskers to the cat, scrap wool  and felt were used, I love autumn, it's my favourite season of the big four! Just what comes after makes me savour it more. I heard the cicada, it's time to slow down and savour what is left of summer. And what a wonderful summer we have this year!

I was having tea with my neighbourhood girlfriend Deb, and she too is excited about sewing these days & showed me her sewing machine and with it was a piece of umbra fabric from drapes she made years back. She gave me this piece of fabric and I saw it as an elegant pumpkin, sew I made it for her & re-gifted it back to her! I used Scary Cat's pattern modified for the piece of fabric I had & voila! Added a real dried stem to the top and she can make a vignette of her own!

Deb and her husband Terry took our Alberta kids, Mitch, Nicole, and little Liam on their boat last month. They all had a wonderful time. Those that truly know me, know I'm hydrophobic, so I watched & waved from the breaker-wall.

It was a beautiful summer day and they went over to the sandy edge island (Bay du Vin Island is 5 miles from our shore) On the way home Liam fell fast a sleep and stayed asleep on the ride back to the house, staying asleep in mom's arms for another 1/2 hour. A busy day for a little guy on the water.

After waving to everyone on the boat, Bridget, Baxter, and I settled ourselves on the deck. I started ripping a flat sheet into the 2 1/2" squares needed for the jellyroll rug.

I divided them into length of the sheet - 5 pcs, again and again. Ripping outside meant the dust  fibres stayed outside.

You can see the pilling but underfoot you don't feel it!  I had some fun making Jelly Roll rugs from that old flannel sheet set that the Chatham kids gave me to use in whatever manner I wanted. Since it had pilling from years of use, I torn it into 2 1/2" strips and cut scraps of batting into 2 1/4" pieces and zigzagged those together but did the 45 degree sewing method(same as bind) on the flannel. 

Here's the round one from the sheet, I always was given a pilling green fitted sheet that I used as an accent colour within the design. This is in the laundry room and the dogs just love sunbathing on it when the door is open and flooded with the morning sunlight.

I'm now finishing with the flat sheet pieces trying out an oval rug with the same design elements as the round one. The real game changer is the Clover Jelly Roll clips that are used to hold the fabric/batting together as bias tape. A great Face Book/You Tube  is Clara's Creations, she explains and shows the technique beautifully, she has been my go to for this.

I've been busy cleaning and re arranging the sun porch for our annual tenant get together this weekend, rain or shine. If it rains everyone will be indoors and this offers another room to flow into.

Our Ontario, Kennon Place 1910 window glass has found its home in the sun porch. Bill has framed it permanently in place, catching the afternoon and sunset light.

With the bookcase moved out of the corner area, it created a larger sitting area around the corner(shown in first photo) This has always been my favourite three season room!

The mischief Gnomes are all located above the mirror now opening up the side board top.

And the Gnome Home has new bunting coming down and around it! I've also added many hen & chick plants that survived the winter and I'll add more as we change out the front garden with the birdbath. The solar light bulbs glow beautifully in the dark, bringing to life this vignette. 

Well, That's All Folks! Those of my age will remember Porky Pig lol

Thank you for dropping in for a visit and I hope you too savour the last of summer, the fastest season of the big four for me!

Wishing you health and happiness!

Hugs, 

Cynthia xXx 

 

 

 

 

Napan Fair Time 2026!

Napan Agricultural Fair has come and gone for 2026. To me fair time is a gentle reminder that summertime is coming to an end. The flower gardens are in their last stage with the orange tiger day lilies showing their colour, the last will be the limelight hydrangeas and they're in bud right now.   

I entered 10 items into the Napan Fair and came home with 8 firsts, 1 second, and one third. It was the best show I've seen in a long time! Here's what I've finished and entered.

A rug hooked pig for the kitchen, I thought she looked like Charlotte, from Charlotte's Web. I used all Briggs & little yarn, made right here in New Brunswick! 

I worked in my studio this summer after a very long sabbatical. This rooster is a project that my friend Cecile & I were going to do but she became ill and died in her sleep. So thinking of my friend fondly, I did what we started to do. Bill helped by enclosing it in an old window that I had garbage picked from the side road years ago, for a project and now that too has come to life!

I asked that he make the bottom base the same size of the kitchen/dining bay window for me to admire until it is made into a sign that will have 'Chicken Chalet' hanging from the bottom...next's project. lol
 

I saw this Primitive Quilts pattern watching their video and it spoke to me with both the words and the design! With knowing that I've more years behind me than in front of me, I'll make the best of what's left!

I had fun making this little girl's outfit and the purse was my own design from left over scraps from the project. I've always enjoyed sewing children's clothing through the years and haven't done it for awhile.

I added a little surprise into the purse with a detachable orange cat that is held in place with an elastic around its neck! A surprise to view when the purse snaps open. lol
 

This was done with a vintage Eaton's Fair yarn that I found at a thrift store. I loved that store so much and in the early 70s took a knitting class there behind the yarn department, I made a knitted egg cozy. lol I do date myself now as time has gone on and life has changed. Working with yarn in my hands through the winter gives me peace, that 60 beats a minute, my therapy. lol I covered buttons with blue/white gingham to go with the blue/white of the knitting. I couldn't find buttons that I liked in my button stash.

 

This was a project done with my passed MIL's scrap yarn, I used Briggs & Little's black wool yarn to pull it all together and give balance to so much colour.

Look at all those scrappy colours! It's a warm afghan in the cool winters here in the northeast part of New Brunswick. 
 

This is a common scene in the harbours at Christmas, a Christmas tree made from lobster traps a buoys. This Art East Quilt Co. design is called Sandy Claws! lol

 

Lori Holt did a design called Farm Fresh with her Farmer's Daughter fabric line. I used only the border fabric from that line and the rest was done with Lori's scraps that I have in my stash.

I made this wall-hanging several years ago for a Ontario couple, Mike & Carrie,  that are near & dear to us and then was commissioned to make it again for their nephew's wedding in British Columbia this July 1st 2026. Together we chose red/white as a colour scheme and freedom to my designing it.

 

I loved it so much that I made one for Bill & I as we celebrated our 39th year of marriage. The saying is so true with your soulmate. I'm very fond of William Morris designs and it shows in both the blue and red. The flowers are all done in wool and I took my time with the embroidery of words.

 

At a fabric sale I purchased this fabric that has the wedding vows on it and did both red wall-hanging with it, so appropriate!

 

I was in our Dollar Store in Chatham and saw this tablecloth with beautiful machine embroidery! I knew I wanted it viewed & cut it up into a valance for the bay window.

 

The centre was also used, I added the blue gingham to the edges to finish it, same fabric from the buttons from the baby's knitted outfit.

Rexton, my Luna pattern cat with real whiskers, from Rexton the Manx, in her cat outfit, won the judges hearts as the real one now 12 years old has ours.

Bill & I also did a craft table at the Napan Agricultural Fair on Sunday, it was a busy day and a rainy day but a good day all together.

I'm wearing a top that I made from 1996 Laura Ashley fabric and the pattern is one I made in 1974. Wow, where does the time go? It's fun to see vintage clothing coming back. lol

Here's a younger me at 17, the portrait was done a day after my birthday in the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls ON. I'm wearing the dress from that Butterick pattern.

I saw this vintage pattern on Etsy and ordered it. I don't know where the original went as we would borrow patterns from one another, some would return, some would not. I always loved this pattern & will make a long sleeved dress from it in a woven plaid that I have for the fall.

This has been quite a long visit and thank you for staying until the end of our visit after such a long, long pause. 

I've so much more to tell you and will see you next week with some more news other than sewing projects and fair exhibits.

Thank you again. Wishing you a safe summer with health & happiness.

Hugs, 

Cynthia xXx 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

Happy At Patrick's Day 2026!

 Happy St. Patrick's Day! My maternal grandmother's family was Irish and my DNA holds 26% of her in me. I had always celebrated this day with her when she was alive, gifting to her delight, a mint aero chocolate bar. Now just fond memories of that time, I still celebrate with green geese on the front porch.

It's a breezy morning here on the northeast coastline and cement geese are a must, the plastic ones would be flying! lol It's has also warmed up to a 14C / 57F with the wind and rain, spring days are coming!

I dressed the table in this reversible quilt-as-you-go topper, the other side is red in design & can be used for Christmas or Valentine's Day.

I've been playing with  my one inch scraps and made this hot pad or mug rug with them.

Flip it over and it sings St. Patty's Day with the green chicks & gingham border!

Here's four put together, oops the centre did not line up as planned. But says Happy St. Paddy's Day just the same!

The other side was done with a variation of scrap sizes from the Chicken Salad quilt I have done. I do plan on making a quilt size version of this technique one day, a string quilt with all the scraps from all  all my decades of sewing.

I made these to mail out to friends and family to celebrate spring in the kitchen or bathroom as hand towels that hang from a rod.

And the Farm Sampler quilt is done and ready for Rose, our longarm quilter in Hardwicke!

It's a large size quilt 88.5"x95.5" and has 50 blocks in the centre, I altered only one block of the American flag for a barn cat, it just felt right in my Farm Sampler quilt.

More scrap playing, with the cost of fabric, nothing should go to waste! I also redid three blocks, Kettle's On, Maple Leaf, Baked With Love, all the backgrounds were not working with the quilt as they repeated next to each other. So now I shall take the scraps blocks to add to the orphan blocks and create a table runner!

I had Honey Bun (1.5") scraps and played & made eight Log Cabin blocks & put this runner together, I want it to read nautical, so it will be placed with a boat.

Yes, more scraps, this finished at 16"x16" and will be made into a pillow cover with a canvas back, very summery!

Now for the highlight of my day, a design idea that Bill brought to life!

Double doors going into the great room from the kitchen! It was so drafty this winter as that is the old side of the house that the outer wall and ceiling have very little insulation. In fact the ceiling had ice forming on it during those frigid times and we had the firebox going full tilt! It is what it is during the winter months and I think this looks great inside the kitchen and inside the great room!

It's not finished but the fitting, after a lot of shimming on this 70s door frame, looks great and is very functional too!

Here's the view from the great room, the quilt hangs there until I take it to Rose, so much ironing went into this 100% cotton that I only fold it when it's time to go. lol  

I made Tilda chickens from her Spring Time book!

 

This girls overalls were made with over 100 one inch blocks, she does look sweet in them!

 Bill and I were going to go to Montreal on the 11th but the ice storm stopped us. A visit with our Aunt Alice has been put off until another opening comes for us. It was very disappointing as everything was booked, flights, motel, house sitter. The ice storm was worse in Montreal than here and here was bad too. So you can see how I sooth myself with my sewing, even if it was scraps, scraps that became something from nothing. The best kind of creation and stimulation for a sewer.

 

Thank you for stopping by and a Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!

Wishing you health and happiness.

Hugs, Cynthia