Halloween Decor and Autumn Color

My plan had been to share a completed piece of wool applique with you today, but I still need to add the binding and a small hanging sleeve, so I will show it next time. Instead, I’ll share a bit of the Halloween stitching displayed in my bookcases. What fun I have filling these shelves and changing out the mantelpiece! 

The foliage this year was greatly diminished by the drought conditions we experienced this spring and summer. There are, of course, some lovely spots of color, but it doesn’t seem to be lasting. There was an absolutely gorgeous tree on a main road near by, but before I could get to photograph it, it had dropped a third of its leaves. 

I am loving this view from my deck. Though it is two days before Halloween, my hibiscus plants are still blooming.

Yesterday, I captured this image of ducks on one of the small ponds on the golf course.

On Tuesday, I attended a meeting of the Crosstown Quilters where we were pleased to learn that our quilt show had been a success. Having completed the two quilts that I had in the show, I am now able to turn my attention to other stitchy projects.

I spent a few hours today at the car dealership getting four new tires and sensors in order to get my sticker. Lucky me! I brought a book and a piece of stitching to pass the time, and tonight my plan is to finish that book and do a bit more stitching. :-)

Hope you are all having an enjoyable week.

Bits and Bobs of This and That

 The Crosstown Quilters Guild had a wonderful show on Saturday and Sunday. I had two quilts in the show. The first was  Celtic Blessing, a pattern from Ricky Tims. The completed blocks had languished in a project box for a number of years as I had never gotten around to piecing the blocks together. The back of the quilt is made up of blocks of various shades of green to represent the green fields of Ireland.

The other quilt was “From the Heart.” I had purchased the kit for this quilt at our guild show back in 2018,  and I had assembled all the blocks but had put it aside without adding the borders. Notice a pattern here??? Thank goodness we had this show to spur me on to finish them. The beautiful quilting on both was done by Cannizzaro Creations in Rockland.

I’d like to say that from now on I will always finish quilts and projects in a timely fashion, but I know myself too well to commit to that. I am, however, trying to work through my many, many projects now that I am settled in my new home. Wish me luck!

We had a nor’easter on Monday and Tuesday with lots and lots of rain. I shot this photo from inside my sunporch.

Here’s the scene after the sun finally made an appearance.

Per request, here are some photos of Emma after her trip to the groomer last week.

Note the festive Halloween baubles that the groomer added. :-)

One more thing . . . I recently had some trees trimmed in my new backyard. Well, all except one was done  as one of the workers had noticed a large, active hornet nest hanging from the end of one of the branches. The cold temperatures eventually took care of the hornets and the wind and rain took care of the rest. Here are some of the remnants; the outer shell was like pieces of paper.

Well, that’s the buzz from here. I hope you are all having a happy, positive, creative week.

It’s About Time . . .

 Yes, it’s about time that I got around to checking in with a post. My last post was nearly a month ago. :-(

I thought about posting, but I just didn’t seem to find time to do it. I’m sitting on my deck now, my errands are done, so here goes . . . 

Look!!! Not only is my sewing machine uncovered, but I’m actually using it. Here I was sewing on the binding for my Celtic Cross quilt. The binding, label, and sleeve need to be finished for the upcoming Crosstown Quilters Quilt Show on October  18-19 to be held at the Sister Shawn Center Gymnasium at the Cardinal Cushing Center in Hanover. The hours are: Saturday 10-4 and Sunday 10-3. There is even the distinct possibility that I will have another quilt ready for the show. Fingers crossed . . . 

Yes, dear readers, I would say that my quilting studio is 88% ready. :-) Whoopie!!!

I’ve even had time at the end of the day to do some reading, and so I am going to recommend three pleasant books that you might enjoy. 

1.) The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle. . . It’s the story of an unusual museum in an old warehouse where people bring items of perhaps sentimental value that they no longer need or wish to keep but are loath to discard. Perhaps this made such an impression on me since I could strongly relate to the premise. Moving meant going through so very, very much. My cellar had all sorts of items. For instance, one of my paternal great-grandfathers drove a Handsom cab in Boston probably around the turn of the last century. (A Handsom cab was a two-wheeled vehicle drawn by one horse which functioned like a modern cab.) His tool for pulling horseshoes always hung from the top corner of the pegboard over my dad’s workbench. Why had my father kept it? Hard to say. I offered it to anyone who came to take tools, but the response was always the same, a polite refusal. So where is that tool now? I believe a friend’s husband took custody of it, but a very old horseshoe resides on a shelf in my garage. 

2.) The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin is also a wonderful read. Each chapter begins with a paragraph about bees and the fascinating intricacies of hives. I was amazed at the information which she provided. (Eileen Garvin is a beekeeper and this is her debut novel) It’s a novel of friendship and family; trust me on this . . . you will enjoy it.

3.) My final suggestion is The Late Bloomers’ Club. The story revolves around the townsfolk of Guthrie who frequent Nora’s Miss Gutherie Diner. The fictional town of Gutherie is a fine place to spend some time.

There is so much division and discord and plain craziness in our land right now that I offer these three books to provide you with a bit of peace. And I’m wondering . . . what have you been reading and recommending. I’m only looking for light, uplifting books as we are living in very dark, scary times.

Now, I don’t wish to leave things on that note so let me offer you a smile. 

Have an awesome week!!!