When Life Gives You Rain... Make Fish

It rained like crazy yesterday afternoon.  The winds were heavy too.  Trees blew over, taking out cars, homes and power lines.  There was local flooding all around the city.  Even the Eaton Centre was flooded.  All I could think of was fish.

I have been working on these for a number of months as part of the rainbow scrap challenge.  This month is aqua.  I love that colour!  They are so easy to make.  But I have to warn you.   Each fish needs 6 little squares to create the snowball effect.  That's a lot of squares!

The tutorial for them is here.

This and That - But Not Much Sewing

It's been a while since I last posted anything.  I haven't been keeping up with my weather hexies.  That is mostly because I am not pleased with the colours I chose.  Also, I would like to do a daily hexie where I can include the low temps along with the highs.  So far I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

In fact, not much sewing of any kind has been going on around here.  Mainly because the weather has turned warm and the garden is calling me.  We went from a gigantic wind storm that blew roofs off houses, uprooted huge trees and knocked our power out for 24 hours - then to sunny days with temps into the high 20s and low 30s.  I didn't know whether to turn on the heat or A/C.

We've had many blue/purple days in the garden.  My favourite colour.  The irises were fantastic.  Early in the spring we had some very nice hyacinth.

These are creeping phlox.

And a few of the many varieties of Iris.

I planted some vegetables - tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and zucchini.  I also planted a pumpkin especially for William.  It will be fun to watch it grow.  I also planted some herbs.  So now all that is left to do is water everything like crazy and wait for summer.

Peace in the Woods

I love the woods in spring time.  It's so peaceful and inspirational to see the light green buds open on branches that, for 6 months,  had looked as if they were not even alive.  I found the little woodlot in front of our main mall covered in white blossoms.  Beautiful!  Trilliums!  I hope they never build on this lovely spot.

World Turtle Day

I love turtles.  Today we celebrate them.  Are you listening William?  This should make you happy.  William loves turtles, just like me..

Weather Hexie - Summer is Here

This is my weather hexie for Week 19.
May 7 to 13.

15.9C,   18.2C,   22C,   20.9C,   10.6C,   13.6C,   15.9C

Playing Catch Up

I haven't posted much lately.  I am way behind with my weather hexies.  They were getting kind of boring.  Our weather was cold and wet all through April.  All my hexies were dark green or dark blue.  But then, a couple of weeks ago, the weather warmed up.  All of a sudden it was spring.  Or maybe even summer.  I had to add yellow and orange and even red.  I love colour.  Did I ever mention that before?

So here is Week 15.
April 9 to 15.

3C,   5.8C,   5.4C,   13.4C,   5.9C,   4.6C,   1.4C

This is Week 16.  

April 16 to 22.

4C,  2C,   4.7C,   5.1C,   8.6C,   13.3C,   15.1C

Week 17.
April 23 to 29.
Lots of yellows!

15.9C,   16.3C,   11.1C,   16.4C,   14.2C,    9C,   11.2C

The following week was even warmer.  Lots of orange and red.  I love colours1  Did I mention that already?  Oh, yeah.  I did.
Week 18
April 30 to May 6.

15.9C,   23.5C,   26.3C,   23C,   24C,   24.1C,   17.4C

Okay.  I have fixed the rosettes as best I could.  I am still a long way from the finish line.  But I will never leave each week's hexie for this long again.  It is just too difficult to catch up.

Folk Dancing

The East Toronto Folk Dance Festival was held at the beginning of the week.  It is usually held at the Town Centre, but this year they made things difficult.  So my DD, who is one of the organizers, decided to hold it at a local high school.  The weather was fantastic!  Everyone had a great time.

I took William over there on my scooter.  He wasn't very interested in the dancing, but he loved collecting pebbles, gull feathers and rolling down the hill.

And We Shall Have Snow

The north wind doth blow

And we shall have snow 

And what will poor robin do then?

Poor thing

He'll sit in the barn

To keep himself warm

And hide his head under his wing.

Poor thing.

I still have to put an eye on this guy.  It will have to wait until I find my embroidery floss.  Nothing is in its place.  I have to get organized.  

Maybe I should finish a few things.  Yeah, that's it.  Here are some scrappy star blocks.  I am going to put them together using the Quilt-As-You-Go method.

I also have to finish my weather hexie.  It has been cold this week.  And it isn't over yet.  Tomorrow we are expecting a major winter storm.  Heaving rain, strong winds and freezing rain that could cause broken tree branches and power outages..  How nice for the middle of April.

Birds

Spring is late.  

I miss the birds singing.  

So if the birds won't come to me, 

I'll just make some.

Weather Hexie

When is it going to warm up?  We had another cold week.  But the good news is... I did see a robin, several actually.

Very exciting!  I know spring is coming when I see my first robin.

This little chunky guy just pulled a worm out of the ground.  

I don't  know how he did that.  We still have night frost and often the ground is frozen in the mornings.  We had a severe storm pass through here a couple of days ago.  It rained all night and yesterday the wind was astronomical.  We had gusts up to alnost 100km/hr.  It blew a huge crane over, knocked window panes out of buildings and uprooted trees, causing power outages.  And it blew part of our fence over.  

Here is my hexie for last week.  It was Easter last Sunday so I used a scrap of fabric with chicks on it.  My birthday was also last week.  I found some fabric with baloons on it.  +  My hexi is very green.  We had warner weather in January.

So here is hexie 13 for March 26 to April 1.

7.3C   7.4C   8.2C   7.2C   5.8C   8.3C   4.6C

Linking up with Sarah

Weather Hexies

It's been a busy couple of weeks.  Although I have been keeping track of the temperatures, I didn't make a rosette until yesterday.  ]

So, here is the rosette for week 11.   Marcb 12 to 18.

-0.1C   2.6C   2.2C  6.4C   0.3C   6.4C   10.5C

March 17th was St. Patrick's Day.  I had a small piece of fabric that resembled some shamrocks.  (I think they are actually clover)  But it is close enough for me.

Then there is week 12.   March 19 to 24.

-0.2C   1.5C   6.2C   5.4C   4.9C   2.9C   2.5C

March 20th was the first day of spring, so I used a fabric with tiny flowers on it.  Not that there are many flowers around right now,  But one can only hope.  It's got to warm up soon.

And here is a little insight into the lives and minds of us, creative folks.

I am linking up with Sarah.

A Kaffe Fassett Inspiration

I have spent the last few weeks making a quilt for a friend.  She is having some issues and no one should have to deal with those without a quilt.  Several weeks is a long time.  I know!  I had to deal with many obstacles.  My machine needed help.  It was in the shop more than here at home.  Not once, but twice.  It still isn't working the way I would like it to, but for now it is okay.

I made the quilt using my Kaffe Fassett stash.  I love his fabrics.  They are so inspirational. 

I also used the quilt-as-you-go method.  I have no room to lay out a quilt in my little studio and I
didn't trust my machine to quilt it properly.

But now it is done!  Just need to make a label and then I can move onto other things.

I am linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict.
And Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Weather Hexie on Feline Friday

It's been cool the past couple of weeks.  But that is okay.  Our maple syrup production depends on above freezing temps during the day and below freezing temps at night.  And that is what has been happening.  This is week10.  Unfortunately my weather hexie is kind of boring.  It's totally green.

3.8C   2C   3.1C   0.5C   5.3C   3.2C   3.9C

Even though it is cold out, I have lots of colour indoors.

This is one of my orchids

And this is another.  (sorry for the blurry picture)

Last week I looked out into my solarium and saw that my Amaryllis was about to bloom.  It had been sitting dormant since last year.  I love it when plants seem to take care of themselves,

And then there is Felix.  He has not been feeling himself for a while.  But he seems to be doing better lately. 

Meow!  Go away with that camera.  Me wants to sit here in peace and quiet.  

Here my sweet kitty is washing his face.

Meow!  Me needs to look nice!  

Okay Felix.  Is it spring fever you are suffering from?

Meow!  Spring fever nothing.  Me just wants to look nice.




Linking up with Sarah

International Women's Day and a Weather Hexie

Today is International Women's Day.   A day to celebrate all the wonderful women in our lives.

A bouquet of tulips for all my women friends.

This is my hexie rosette for this week, week 9.  It was a crazy week, weatherwise.

7.7C   13.7C   16.2C   4.2C   4.1C   3.9C   2C

I am linking up with Sarah.

Weather Hexies - Week 8

It was a beautiful day yesterday.  I rode my scooter to my Tuesday morning Quilting Group.  It was the first time I was able to get over there on my scooter since before Christmas.

I also went to the library.  And on my way home I stopped off at the mall.  I know it is a bit optimistic, but I bought a packet of Arugula seeds.  Don't worry.  I won't plant them for a while.  But I wanted some Arugula last year and I couldn't find any.

I also bought a bunch of tulips.  Just because.

And here is my week 8 hexie rosette.

This is for the week of February 19 to 25.

5.8C   16.5C   14.6C   1.2C   6.9C   6.2C   12.8C

No freezing daytime temps.  Incredible!   But that should change in the next couple of days.  Tomorrow night we are supposed to get snow   Yikes!  The Friday morning rush hour should be a mess.

My sewing machine is fixed.  It's just perfect!  I am catching up on some of my projects.

I am linking up with Sarah did it.

Weather Hexie Week 7

I finished another weather hexie.  This is week 7 for me.  We had a few chilly days, but for the most part it wasn't too bad.

-1.8C    -0.8C    5.7C    9.6C    4.8C    -0.4C   4.5

My sewing machine was not working.  But then Deb, told me about Larry.  He fixed my machine many years ago, but I had lost touch with him.  Deb gave me his new location.  I took my machine in to have him take a look at it.  He called me today and says I can come and pick it up.  Thanks Deb!

I am linking up with Sarah's weather hexies.

Many Hexies

I thought I would show you my hexie project.  I still have lots to do on this.  I am just making it up as I go along.  For the past month or so I have not worked on it much.  My eyes were giving me problems, but now everything seems to be okay again.  I plan to work on it this weekend.  It's a long weekend for us.  Family Day is on Monday.  I am using a white on white background and a variety of scraps for the coloured hexies.  This is a fantastic project for using up scraps!

Sarah of sarahdidit asked for anyone who was working on some English paper piecing to join her and show their work.  I don't know if this qualifies, but I am going to link up to her blog anyway.


Linking up with Sarah's blog.

Feline Friday

Meow.  Hey Mom.  Oh, wow!  What are these?

They are some of the blocks I am making for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge that Soscrappy is doing.  Do you like them?

Meow!   I loves them.  They's so purrrrty!  Meow.

Feeling Under the Weather

I have been feeling a bit under the weather this week.  I don't know if it is because of a new medication my doctor prescribed, or something I ate, or a bug of some sort.  But it has not been a great week.

But I am on top of the weather hexies!  This is week 5.

-1.1   -6.2    3    5.6    8.6    0.1   1.8

And this is week 6.

-6,6   -3.2   -4.1   -5.2  -3.5   -3   -1

29C+             brown

25C - 28C     burgundy

21C - 24C     red

17C - 20C     orange

13C - 16C     gold

 9C - 12C      yellow

 5C - 8C        bright green

 1C - 4C        dark green

 0C -  -3C      dark blue

-4C - -7C       light blue

-8C - -11C     dark purple

-12C - -15C   light purple

-16C - -19C   pink

-20C and below  white


Linking up with Sarah at Sarahdidit.

Keeping My Mom Warm

Meow!  It's soooo cold out.  And it is snowing.  Yikes!  I don't likes snow.

'So I will go and sleep with Mom.  I's sure she is cold too.  So this is the least I can do for her.

I loves sleeping with her.  I loves her.  She only has a hospital bed, but that means we can be closer.  As long as she doesn't move all night, I is comfortable.  Prrrrrr.

And the snow scares me.  And the cold too!  This is the best place to be.

Linking up with Sarah and Zorro at Feline Friday.