Wow, time is flying now with it being the middle of September!
The days are so much shorter & I notice the cool nights have begun. It will stay warmer near the water & is noticeable when you take the trip into Miramichi. It's very windy near the water right now & thank heavens the wind is warm from the water right but that too will change soon as we get closer to the end of the month & fall season begins. The good news is that the mosquitoes are gone! The cool nights have put them to sleep until next summer & the outdoors can be enjoyed again without their buzzing & bites!
The limelight hydrangeas are beginning to show their pink colour & the noise from the bees that are popping inside those large blooms is a sound that makes me smile knowing that they're happy with all the blooms.
And the bees have so many blooms to visit! lol
Next year these bushes will be thinned out as there are just too many blooms that cannot get out to the sunlight.
The Mother-of-the-Groom Dress
Now that took some time...
The muslin fitting was ready for the sheer chiffon fabric & the bodice lining.
Many areas on every pattern piece needed to be altered!
Such a unique shape to this body of mine. lol
And it went together easily...so far.
The back has darts which I liked, adding to the shape.
The tie at the side I added a few inches in length for easier tieing for me & the soft fabric allowed it.
The sleeves & the lined skirt were attached. Now with the skirt & lining being cut on the bias, the outfit was to hang for 24 hours to allow the bias to rest in place.
The larger flounce was lined as well & then attached to the skirt.
Voila, the dress was now done & just a few snaps to add to keep it in place!
Lucy got a new sunflower dress, apron, bonnet & burlap purse too!
Here yellow polka dot bikini was just too summer for me every time I looked at her. lol
The bumblebee suit was OK because of all the bees buzzing around in the limelight, it just seemed fitting for now.
She is at the front door to greet me & looks lovely!
I underlined her dress with muslin & added two three-tiered lace rows to add volume to the outfit. It also helps to weigh it down with all the winds that swirl around from off the water.
I made eight of these masks for the guys fishing trip on Loughborough Lake next weekend. It's the bachelor get together before the wedding. I thought this cotton fabric piece was great for the occasion. lol
I got the bunting banner done & I'm really pleased with it.
Another was made in a rectangular shape & has rivits for threading a small jute rope through.
Mitchell sent me this photo of the cakestand that he made for the wedding. It is a country rustic wedding & I'll post pics of it next month.
We leave in 19 days to begin our trek out west for this wonderful event!
I've been pulling in some tomatoes from our garden to ripen inside with all the wind & frost around, I think I'll be bringing them all in today.
Jocelyne, a very thoughtful girlfriend of mine, made me a sugar pie for my birthday & Bill & I were eating it before it had time to fully cool! Was it ever good!!
She also remembered me saying how I liked hearing the roosters in our neighbourhood & saw this blown glass rooster & presented it with this yummy birthday pie! Thank you, my friend!
The concord grapes were very plentiful this year. Bill researched & tended to them, wow, it paid off!
You can only use 4 cups of the juice at a time to process the jelly mixture, there was enough for two batches from the one picking.
The tomatoes were now ripe enough to make some chilli sauce.
I processed these, put one jar in the fridge, & sent home another jar with Diane who was visiting.
Yesterday I picked more concord grapes & put them in the jelly bag to drain overnight.
This is my hanger that used to be a plant hanger, Bill came up with this idea!
The second patch in the jelly bag, at the other end of the counter, is a stool, Martha Stewart uses that idea too!
Fun Finds
Bill & I were in town last week & visited the Sally Ann & oh the finds!
This sweet birdhouse was one of them.
Another find was this handknit sweater with a matching scarf!
Such bright fall colours & the simple garter stitch attracted me to it!
And the third find was this primitive Bless Our Home!
Let's Go Outside Whilst We Can!
In the backyard, Bill planted two climbing hydrangeas between the windows. I hope they like it there!
He also redid the walkway Nicholas installed a few years back. The weeds just grow like crazy in the gravel, so he's trying black mulch on landscaping fabric. I love the look!
He also planted a Catalpa tree to grow & shade the eastside yard. Namama had one in her yard that was massive & it flowers & produces long beans. It is so small right now, it is supposed to be fast-growing.
Thank you Lynn for all these beautiful plants that we have to enjoy for years to come. The trumpet vine was also planted behind the potting shed & the hummingbirds will be in for a lovely surprise next year when it blooms!
See how plentiful the grapes are?!!
Thank you Jocelynne for giving us this lovely bush that will flower pink next year. I hope it is not too windy for it there but now bugs will survive eating any of its lush leaves!
Baxter, Baxter...the chipmunks & squirrels delight in sitting high & in tree & chatter at him.
He will sit there for hours, Bridget leaves him & has no interest in things she cannot chase on the ground.
Baxter does not hear you calling his name, he is mesmerized!
I don't mind him doing this in the warmer seasons but come winter, he can hardly move from being so cold. I think he was a hunting dog in his first life! lol
This is our new neighbour's female dog. She sits at the edge of the backyard & watches Bridget & Baxter. She wants so much to be part of their pack but I discourage it, they can be friendly but not a pack as the neighbour has two or three large dogs that run through the yard until he calls them home.
Baxter & Bridget are doing much better with their visits on the property but they are huge dogs & make me nervous if things go wrong between them.
I'm getting ready for the trek out west, I've not left the property in years for a 'sleepover' somewhere else. Bill thinks it is good for me to change it out.
For me...There's No Place Like Home!
Thank you for coming by for a visit. I missed all of you that would have been here if the border was not locked down but next year is going to be great... you'll see!
Stop by for that virtual visit wherever you are, you are always welcome - beinvenue!
Stay safe, stay healthy.
Cynthia
