Sew Far Behind... I'm First!

Where has the time gone?!
I've been spending time in my sewing room finishing an ambitious Summer Blog Mystery Quilt.
I was doing so well keeping up, then again... life happens & it's put on hold & just viewed on the design wall. Well, I need that wall as I have two quilts to make for Christmas! So out with the old project of summer!
I have a week before Bill returns & the house must return to want it should look like. That means the lovely kitchen countertop must retreat back into my sewing room. Just today Kathleen, a girlfriend from the village next door, laughed & said: "Bill's not home, is he?" as she was trying to make sense out of the fabric layouts & patterns on the counter.
No, but look what I've made!

 This is the center block for the Summer Mystery. I'm not using the cheddar colour around the block. I used a reproduction fabric of a black & white texture. I think I may have to redo it though. The center block will not 'pop', I may just outline it with the 1/4" edging in black or audition the cheddar colour.

 This is a picture of the finished quilt. I made it my challenge to use Canadian symbols & sayings.
There are just four blocks made, so I must stay focused & do the others!
I have my sashing, cornerstones & outer blocks cut & ready. Just have to finish those inner mystery blocks. I used a nautical colouring of red, creme, & blue to surround the blocks.

 I have been experimenting with this polyester fabric, I cut it into 1 1/2" strips, zig-zag it together, then single crochet it in rounds. It is very thick & durable, nautical looking too! lol

 I pulled out my old sewing machine to finish this wall Fall wall hanging. My machine is still in being repaired & I really miss the buttonhole stitch & the knee lift from my Babylock. I'm hoping it will be done soon. This is 1 of the 4 season McCall's pattern by Cheryl Haynes, no relation to my Haynes Grandparents. lol

 I hand embroidered the stems & made the sunflowers in a 3D. I also used my Sharpie markers to brighten up the wool colours in the leaves & flowers.

 I just noticed the word 'colors' is the American spelling!  Isn't it funny how you notice things later?!

 The colour of these Hydrangeas is just beautiful. My neighbour Rose brought them by for me, she dries them in her garage then a few days later sprays them with hairspray.

 Yes,  Rexton, I have my camera out & again... yes it's all about you! lol

 Rexton takes the time to smell the flowers, no she's eating them! Notice the glass dome on the cranberries that I'm ripening up? I had to do that because she swats them everywhere & then chases them!

 The weather has changed quickly & she is very restless these days. Running up & down the hall in the wee hours of the morning. For a small cat, she makes a lot of noise!

 I made another Swedish Gnome, he is the medium size one. I'm now working on the small sized one then the trio is complete! I enjoy knitting in the evening after I put Baxter & Bridget in their crates for the night. They have a tendency to grab my wool balls & run with them.
They are off the stove now & I've put on a fire to get the damp chilly day out of the air. The wind is cold & the rain makes for a very chilly day.
The Boston puppies are not enjoying these days... wait till they see the winter here, they were born on December 19th last year & had a pampered winter as baby puppies. Oh my, they are not going to enjoy living next to the water come winter, the wind is bone chilling & they're not outside dogs! Their bellies are skin, they'll be wearing jackets most of the winter. lol

 I've decorated the dining room for Fall. I hung some of the Fall tablecloths from the Mitch & Nicks bunkbed ladder that Bill made them some 25 years ago. Where does time go?!
Nick will be home for Thanksgiving & this should give him a chuckle on how their ladder was upcycled!

My neighbour Karen stopped by with yellow beans(delicious too, I ate those for supper) & some ripe tomatoes that I'm going to make salsa with.
It's going to be a good weekend to bottle some fresh produce. There is a chill in the air & all of New Brunswick is under a frost warning tonight.
I'm enjoying the maple wood in the fireplace, it's from the backyard maple that had to be removed because of the addition. I was so happy to see a couple of maple trees, behind where it stood, with bright red leaves on it. It is still alive as it rises again through its roots!
You know that Rankin Family song, We Rise Again, I cried when Nick's class sang it as I felt the lyrics & knew it was a song that goes expresses how we go on after we are gone. We Rise Again!

Thank you for stopping in to visit my little corner of the world.

Have a wonderful Fall weekend wherever you are!
Cynthia

Fall Begins Tomorrow & Sharing Sewing

Fall begins tomorrow at 5pm, oh where did this busy summer go?
The gardens are loving the warm humid days & the new grass has come in nicely!

 And the felines are loving the sun, through the large window in my sewing room. I happy that Rexton has a sleeping buddy again, I am sure she misses Boris Loree as much as I do. Yes, we have the puppies but it is just different, they are not Boris.

                                          As Rexton sleeps, she has the look of contentment.

                                         Old Tommy now snores when he is in a deep sleep.

                                       They make my heart sing when they sleep together so peacefully.

Some of the Baie-Sainte-Anne Sewing Bees!
I taught them to make a soup bowl potholder, I've been making them & selling them in Chatham at the antique store. With the cooler weather ahead, reheating soup & stews will begin & this is the perfect project to make & share!

        They were happy to learn it too! And now will make & share with their friends & family!

 Thank you, ladies, for participating, it has been awhile since I've taught a sewing class. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

 This morning I looked out the great room window & could not believe the Morning Glories...

 They were all wide awake & opened for the viewing, they have such a vibrant colour!

 These are from the seeds I planted from London, ON. Next year I will have to control the spread better, it loves to move to the front. I'm going to start it on the other side of the trellis!

 The Sedums in the Fairy Garden have really taken to life! This is the first year of this garden. Thank you, Jocelyne, for the flowers from your garden!

 I moved my herbs that are inside the front sunporch, to just outside the dining room door.

I pull fresh parsley & basil from it almost daily. What a wonderful smell from the basil!
I will soon have to move it inside the kitchen because the sunporch is not heated & I don't want to lose my herbs.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit to the blog. I hope you enjoyed the beauty of the area & the joy this life brings me. Do stop by again.

A saying has been staying in my head these days.
"If not now, when?" So I'm trying not to procrastinate as much & trying to get more done!

Have a great day tomorrow as Fall begins!
Cynthia

Settling In For Fall...Get Yourself A Cuppa!

Read on to see how I made this pie crust texture!!

I couldn't get the picture to go where I wanted it to go! Grrrr

Make yourself a cup of tea & enjoy the very long read. Sorry for being so tardy this week.

The weather has been great here this Fall. Yesterday was an odd day with the temp of 29C in Miramichi but by the time we got home in the afternoon, it was 18C in Hardwicke!
The cold front found us! lol

Mr. Boots is having one of his many naptimes on the bed.
He does sleep more these days.

 I tried something new from someone's Facebook post. It has to do with adding interest to the styling of pasty!

 I use Pillsbury pastry, it never lets me down & can be cut into small pastry tarts as well.

                            Then you find a doily that is eye-pleasing & fits the round pasty.

                        Lay the cotton doily on top of the pastry & roll it out with a rolling pin.

 When you see the doily going into the pasty but not through it. lift the doily off...

                           And voila! You now have textured pasty, how fast & easy was that?!

I made an apple pie for Bill. I trimmed the crust, slit the center & inserted a pie bird.







I didn't take any more pie pictures. Bill had cut into the pie as soon as he arrived home, so no baked pie photos either!
The apple pie tasted as good as it looked!

                                         Sorry Baxter, puppies don't eat pie. :-(

 That goes double for you Bridget, put that tongue in your mouth! She always has her tongue out these days & where are your ears?!

                                    A much better photo Bridget! My shoes are now in the way now... lol

The grass is finally growing in & the bird seed should help too!

 Bill was busy with my wee potting shed & placed a stone wall around the corner of it. I painted the screen door in a warm complementary colour & Bill install it.

                        Working on the potting shed has him thinking of a 'Bunkie In The Woods'.

 I know we have moved this shed three times now but I really think it looks the best right here!

 The Korean lilac bush was planted at the end & the Forsythia bushes will look great next spring.

I just love the old screen door colour & then I found the broom that my girlfriend Karen gave be back in the 80's! It looks great as a Fall decoration now as it did then! What's old, is new again!

            Bill was playing with stones for the fire pit, it will be made bigger next spring. He needs to bring more stones from Ontario.

 The stone garden wall is now completed & the yellow mums are peaking out. We've been on the look out for several boxwoods, they are nowhere to be found in our area.  Next spring will look for them at Scotts in Frederiction, that is the only place that has many plants, & stock is usually good. Just not enough time this year.

Another angle of the front garden wall, the asphalt goes right against it, giving a finished look to the front of the house.

                                           The view of the house, from the fire pit area.

                    The backyard is looking so much better with a touch of green showing through!

                        The wild rose bushes on the left have rose hips on them now, Fall is here.

 Bill has placed black mulch all around the evergreen trees, the yard looks finished now.

 The Morning Glories have taken over the garden ground & makes a wonderful ground cover.

Now The Boston Terrier Update

            These two are now nine months old & I'm happy to say that they're house trained!

Baxter-Loree will be doing more growing, & if his chest plate is any indication of size, he's going to grow quite a bit more!

             Bridget-Loree was the runt & will stay small, she is quite a bit smaller now than Baxter.

 My days are still very full with these two! They nap in the morning & the afternoon still & sleep straight threw the night.

When they are a wake they are very active!

Halloween Is Coming...

 I found Teenage Mutant Niji Turtle costumes at the Salvation Army, they were new & still on the hanger, for $5!! This one is for Bridget!

And this one is for Baxter!

 The costumes fit them perfectly! And they both love to be 'fighting turtles' in them! lol

                                        Bridget really knows how to pin Baxter down!

                                                 Baxter is up & ready to go! He just can't see out the eyes though!! lol

                                        I pull the hood back & she pulls it forward on him!

                                                             Baxter now pins Bridget...

 These two made me laugh so hard, I'm going to dress them again, just to watch them! lol

                                I just couldn't resist these costumes! So glad I purchased them!

                                                       Bridget looks so pretty in sequins!

Bill just shakes his head at me, after 32 years of knowing me for me, he laughs at what I do too!

 Today we took the pups for a walk on the beach. It is cool so the bug population is scarce.

 So let's get those pups ready for a walk...

 They just love the freedom of the yard, Baxter can run the fastest & Bridget tries to keep up.

                                           The seaweed has such wonderful new smells in it!

 Someone has been down on the beach with their quad, that's a no, no.

       

                                                      They love the sand in their toes! lol

                                                            So much to investigate!

 Bill found a log to practice his balance on & called on Bridget & Baxter to join in.

                                      Too much to take in & they were off running again.

 A view of the deck through the pines. I love the placement of the bench between the trees. Nice job Bill! XO

 Look at the Morning Glories in the Anniversary Garden! I just love their colour!

                                  The garden is done blooming & Fall is upon us now.

 These Sunflowers were from MacArthur's in Moncton, we were there looking for Boxwood, they had none but I came away with the Sunflower.

And Bill planted it by the door of the potting shed. How happy are those sunny yellow flowering heads?!!

Thank you for visiting & I hope your enjoy your Fall too!

I love the changing seasons of Canada!
Come back again!
Cynthia