Spring - I See Spring!

This is going to be a long post of photos & my chatting of the excitement that's going on around here,
so get yourself a cuppa & come on in for a pleasant virtual visit!

 This was the potting hed early this morning & I wanted the sun on it for the photo, so we will wander around the property until that happens. Mother Earth has come to life, let's go have a look at what is poking through this beautiful cool, breezy, spring day.

 Lamb's ears are thick this year & I will thin them out to the potting shed garden, once it's put together as it's still a work in progress aka WIP.

 Beyond the lamb's ear are these beautiful tulips & grape hyacinth, I just love the spring colours!

 Does this not make one's heart sing! After seeing white snow for so long then grey days, now this!

Another cluster of spring colour!

 The three bush trees are budding, a pair of white lilacs, the blue muffin bush, & the snowball bush.

 The peonies are thick & healthy this year, we brought this from Ontario several years back & they love it here!

 The rose bush has established itself to the trellis area & will be oh so fragrant when it blooms!

 The limelights are budding & will be thick with bloom later in the summer.

 See how thick the bottom is? Bill cuts them down to 18" each fall season.

 Lupins, bleeding hearts, iris's just to name a few, have survived the harsh winter here & are greeting the warm sunny days that we have been experiencing this week.

 Two daffodils are very showy & I'm planning on planting more of these bulbs, such a happy flower!

 A Hosta grouping is coming up!

 A surprise in the woods by the firepit! Bill emptied a dirt pot out that had Hyacinth bulbs in it!

 Hosta's in the shaded woodland area.

 The shade garden is showing its colouring too!

 Lilies & hostas & plants that will surprise me as I forgot what was planted there!

 The Korean lilac bush was transplanted to greet us as we drive into the house laneway. I had one in London that I just loved how fragrant it was next to my sewing studio. We found one here & planted it & again I enjoyed that sweet smell however when the potting shed moved it too had to move.

 Jocelyn's retirement bush cutting has really liked this area & has taken life once more.

 This was the garden around Carroll Cottage that was moved here a few years back.

 Bill is great at making cement block garden walls & this #8 garden has many iris's in it, I'm curious to see what colour they are as most are purple but I think I purchased some yellow ones?

 Hmm, the sun is still not all the way up yet, let's keep wandering the area.

 More hyacinths, tulips, & lilies for the potting shed garden.

 The limelight bushes are looking really good today & will only look better in the days to come!

 OK, the sun is now up, that didn't take long!
Bill made a ramp for the wee garage door for the wheelbarrow & wagon to go up into the potting shed. He also made a small deck for the bistro set to sit on!

 The windows on the north (shown) & south are being installed as I am posting!

The forsythia bush is a stunning yellow & is beginning to show its green colour on the top.

 I love this sunny area for the potting shed & the charm & personality that he's giving it for me! XO

The details like this chaining of the solar light to protect it from the wind. He had seen this done in Europe for the same reason, I hung the hummingbird feeder from the lower part of the bracket.

 The cedar boxes will be used for our vegetable garden, Bill's awaiting a gravel & topsoil delivery.

 The Boston terriers are loving having Bill home for more than a weekend, it's been months now with the lockdown & they run with him every day!

 Bridget loves to play ball & she plays hard & competitive with Baxter.

 Nice photo of her with her tongue in!

 A quick shot of Bill working on the potting shed's window. More photos of the finished project next post!

 This is such a beautiful spring inspiration fabric that will be in the potting shed as cutting fabric, I don't want to cut it up too much. I'll have to think about what to do as the interior comes together but oh, it so looks like the gardens to come!

Sewing Some Projects...

 This is the finished braided jellyroll rug. I tore it apart three times!!
I could not get it to lie flat as my sewing machine was losing it's feed dogs both on the walking foot & on the machine! You know you sew too much when?!
So I pulled out my old faithful Pfaff & finished this rug with not having to pull the rug through as the feed dogs worked & its dual foot works wonders!

 This was the original before I have torn it apart, I tried to personalize it by adding the animal silhouettes. Hoping it would help flatten it too as the Best Press didn't!

After adding more rounds to it, I could not have the curving that was happening & the machine was driving me crazy with frustration. I called my machine repairman, Joel, to see when I could pick up my favourite 2008 Babylock machine only to find out that I have worn that one out too! He wanted to try a few more things to it as it was a challenge for him. Bill told me to look at purchasing a new machine, so he's looking into a Janome that he thinks would be good for me. I have not had a new machine since 2004 & have been sewing quite a lot on all three machines through the years.

 This is how the rugs finished, a wee yellow one & da colour reverse on the larger one.
I want to do a hand-braided 1930's style rug with t-shirts next.

 This is my attempt at a herb garden

 The basil, chives, & cilantro have really taken off!
These will go into a garden box by the back deck door. 

 This large geranium is the one from the front porch last year & it will be weeks before it can be housed there again without the worry of frost.

 How beautiful is this view! A new birdbath garden has been outlined, more to come later.
The hummingbirds are buzzing around at their feeders, here's the hummingbird shepherd's hook we purchased last year at Candle In The Window in Bosetown. If you love primitive styling, this is the place to visit once things open up!

 Peek! Bill has the siding off & the window cutting is done!

OK, back to sewing...

I have made three mini me's & now this is my fourth! Really my 5th, there's a dark-haired colonial beauty too!

 I make them & add my own hair to head. It is hair that is saved from my brush then twisted & curled & a bit of hairspray is added to it before it is removed from my hand to the crystal ring holder, where it will dry until the next curl has been made from the cleaning of my hairbrush.

 The face is hand embroidered & the feet have black leather boots. Funny now because I wear black leather Doc Martens! LOL

 The curls are all hand sewn on & it takes 3-4 years to have enough for a full head of curls for each doll made.

 I knew I had to make another body as the small round box that I store the curls in was full & the crystal ring was buried!

 I made her a dress from Jeri Lander's Moda fabric called Noah's Ark & pantaloons from the red plaid Nantucket collection with antique lace edging.

 That whole container only covers this much of the head, that is why it takes so long to complete one of these mini-mes.

 I think the next future hair collection will go on the front of her!

She looks like a monk. lol

Until she has her next hair appointment, she will sit in the china cabinet in my sewing room.

 Masks to be mailed out to the Toronto kids.

 This is a Stack & Whack quilt that I started in 2012 with my girlfriend Liz (RIP). With more time on my hands I pulled it out & finished it. Our neighbour longarm quilter Rose did a beautiful job on it & I put bias black/white checkered binding on it. A UFO finished!

 Bill helped with the holding but the lighting was not great...we will do another photo tomorrow.

 Looking at the patterns reminds me of a childhood toy that I enjoyed, a caleidoscope. What fun I would have just turning it into many different looks & now a quilt with the same joy!

 An indoor shot on the upper great room mezzanine, you can see the original fabric used. It really caught my eye from the dolls of yesteryear, the newest was the Cabbage Patch Craze.
 

 They were all international dolls on a pink background. I used black & white to enhance what was already a showcase.

 Bill called me outside in the sun & wind! It was sunny but oh, so much breezier than yesterday.

 I tried to get it down & straight...

 The wind & I tried for the photo...

 I was losing the challenge! lol It was fun, Bill & I had a good laugh. lol

 Back to UFO's I finished this quilt that I started last summer for Nick's car from a two-block wonder pattern.

 I made the cornerstones to personalize his Canadian Mustang white convertible with a red leather interior.

 I added the east coast nautical feel to it with the anchors & red/white/blue colours.

 It's now off to Rose for her to work her anchor longarm pattern on it.
Hope you like it Nicholas! XO

 I moved this black & white orphan block around too many times & made it into a 6" coaster for the table.

 The leftover curtain fabric scrap was perfect for the back & the bias binding worked too!

 Remember orphan blocks have design & purpose too!

 Block #7 of the Christmas Carol Mystery quilt.

 I used 3 ply jute rope for the manger's hay, it worked beautifully!

 It really came to life with a bit of dimension that it gave.

Sequins & glitter thread lit the sky up!

 Bill installed the flag & it looks so in place flying next to the water, so proud & free!

My Potting Shed Project

 Bill gave the project of painting my potting shed.

 The interior is chipboard & 2x4s & lots of nails on the interior that are holding the exterior siding.
So I used a 2 1/2" brush to paint the leftover ceiling paint onto the areas.

 It was going to be quite the job but I had time with this COVID isolation & no family bubble in New Brunswick to merge into. So I began!

 Yes, I was enjoying what I saw & enjoyed even more to what I was hearing, birds singing outside in the trees.

 I had a whole bucket & didn't I have a mishap with it when I moved the drop sheet, the whole gallon unset & spilt! Oops. I painted even faster to collect the spilt paint before it dried too much.

 And that gallon was done. Bill gave me another 1/2 gallon of ceiling paint that he found for me to go at it again.

 This little curtain came from my Austria visit a few years back. I love sheep & have them in many mediums except a real one. Bill has really put his foot down on owning them.lol

 Bridget loves the chairs in the bay window & has a snooze there whilst we eat at the table.

 I love how relaxed she looked. lol.

 We've stopped feeding the birds in the front yard & are now feeding the finches in the backyard.

 Hummingbirds & finches entertain us from the bay window as we sit at the dining table.

I'm so glad you have made it to the end of our visit. I hope you enjoyed your cuppa & will come back again to see more, it is so great having Bill 24/7 but I know this too will pass.

I read this inspirational saying by Bonaro Overstreet & I want to share it with you.
As I read it a flood of people I loved & missed were felt once again in a very positive loving way.

"If I can line up the people who, back through the ages, have gone at life in the ways I greatly admire, then I can feel their strength supporting me, all their standards and values pointing the way in which I am to go."  (Bonaro Overstreet)

Thank you for stopping by this long visit & have a great week, wherever you are!
Cynthia




+