Meet Hector

 My first hedgehog is done.  This is my practice one and I can see I need to be a bit more careful with the piecing of the strips. I also think a lighter fabric for the spines would work better although I do want them colourful.  I really like the block and am looking forward to making them as well as putting them together for the quilt.  I think I am going to add sashing between the blocks so the quilt will be a bit bigger.

Hubby thinks he looks like a fox.  I just think Hector Hedgehog is really cute.

I finished getting my garden planted yesterday.  The tomatoes were getting a bit leggy so I buried them as deep as possible.  We had a nice rain last night and today so that should help them get established. I would urge everyone to plant as much of a garden as they can this year.  Even a pot or two on a balcony will help the grocery bill.  Everyone I talk to believes that not only will the food prices going to continue to rise but we will also have shortages.  I have talked to my husband to buy extra chicken feed and store it for the winter.  If things improve, we can still use the feed.

Blessings,

OOPS!

 I have been working on my hedgehog quilt and really like how it is looking.  However, despite how careful and organized I have been trying to be, I made a big mistake.  The fabric I cut was for background, face of hedgehog, legs of hedgehog plus eyes, nose and spines.  I even labeled most of the pieces with the sizes and, the last two fabrics,  the section designation i.e. 's', 'r' etc.

All that done and it was time to piece.  Everything was going fine and I got to the place where I was getting ready to add the legs and realized I had been using the background fabric for the faces.  I can find something else for the background but don't you think that after I was being so careful that the quilting fairies would have been on my side.

Oh, well.  Life.

Blessings

Hedgehog Eyes

 Aaand, I'm back.  Last week was very difficult.  A very dear older friend  was taken to the hospital and we thought he was in his last days.  Fortunately, he recovered but needs to go into long term care.  His family is trying to get him into a facility in the Muskoka's so he will be closer to them.  I plan on visiting him as well once he is settled.  He is a dear soul and will be greatly missed when his time comes.

On Thursday, hubby and I went to Orillia to see his mother who is also in a care facility.  I have mentioned before about how we feel about the level of care she receives.  Another example  happened while we were there.  Mom has been having severe abdominal pains and, despite two scans, nothing was discovered.  She was in great discomfort and didn't want to have anything to eat. Because she isn't able to wear her false teeth, all her food is pureed or liquid.  Lunch consisted of chocolate milk and juice.  As I said, she didn't want either even when hubby offered to hold the glass.  I asked if a straw might help and a staff person gave her one.  She immediately drank all her chocolate milk.  Why wouldn't a straw be provided to a toothless senior! It isn't a major thing but did make a difference to whether she was going to get any nourishment or not.

I have spent most of today making hedgehog eyes.  I am following the instructions exactly in making this quilt as I haven't done one like it before. (Usually, I look at the pictures and put the pieces together my way.)  Fabric was all cut out and labelled and now I am following the directions step by step..  I am really looking forward to seeing how the quilt turns out.

Blessings,

He's a Keeper

 

I thought I had a good idea this morning but it turned out to be otherwise.  It has been to0 hot in the afternoon when I usually go for my walk so I thought morning would be a better time.  The temperature was certainly a lot better but that was offset by hundreds of blackflies.  I hadn’t worn my net hat so had to drape my sweater over my head and move as fast as I could.  I will stay indoors for the rest of the day.

My hubby did the sweetest thing yesterday.  I haven’t been getting a good nights sleep for a while due to something that is causing extreme itchiness.  The location moves around and there isn’t any visible cause but, hoo boy, does it itch.  Nothing seems to help.  Yesterday morning after our devotions, I fell asleep on the couch for over an hour.  When I woke up, hubby brought me a cup of tea and one of the gluten free blueberry muffins I had bought.  It was such a lovely, thoughtful gesture. I think I will keep him.

I am assembling fabric for a hedgehog baby quilt.  As you no doubt know, I love hedgehogs and when I saw this pattern in a quilt store, I bought it.  (I always buy patterns but rarely make them.  Do you do that?)  I can’t wait to see how it turns out.  I am also working on a scrappy and a charity quilt that is on the frame.  I always seem to prefer doing a bunch of projects at the same time.  I think I would get really bored if I stuck to doing one at a time.  Of course, I would probably get more quilts to the finished stage but what fun is that?!

Blessings,

This isn't a very good photo as I took it with my pc camera but it, hopefully, gives you an idea of what the hedgehogs will look like.

Ready to Garden

 Another week sliding past. I don't understand how I can get up on Monday morning and, later, when I go to bed, it is Thursday!

I have been slowly getting the gardening done although I am not planting anything just yet.  Hubby has the beds ready, tomato plants are indoors ready for the big move as our  geraniums.  We are supposed to get rain on the weekend so I might plant some of the hardier seeds tomorrow.  I am  growing carrots this year as well as beets, potatoes and two kind of beans.  I want to be able to freeze as much as possible  to use during the winter.  As grocery prices rise and some things are hard to find, I think we all should try and do what we can to prepare.  Fresh mushrooms were not available at the grocery store this week.  I will buy extra now when they are on sale and freeze them.  

I have started making a lap size scrappy quilt for a friend who is in a senior's residence.  Speaking of which, I am so thankful for my sister-in-law who oversees her mother's care,.  Mom is in a long term facility and it is a constant battle  seeing that she gets fed and receives the medical care she needs.  I am determined neither hubby or I will go into a care (care!!!) facility.

I think I mentioned that I had a lump removed from my face.  I was in to see the surgeon for follow up on Tuesday and he told me the results were that the lump was benign.  I figured it would be but it is always good to have things checked,

Blessings,

Beans and Corn

 Happy May.  Tis the season of warmer weather, spring flowers returning birds and a lot more work.  Today, I raked the lawn, got the ornaments out, put up one of the hummingbird feeders  and trimmed the dog. Still have a lot more to do but, as hubby says, I am pacing myself.

At quilt group on Monday, one of the ladies showed a top she is completing. Another lady liked it so much that she wanted to make it as well.  So, I volunteered to find the pattern and instructions.  Of course, I forgot the name of the block.  I thought it was chicken something but, it turns out, that it is beans and corn.  Betty did hers with a solid centre block and only two  main colours which I think looks really nice.

I always think this block looks like the CBC (our national broadcaster) logo. Here is a photo of one of the blocks in Betty's quilt.

We put the roof on our gazebo yesterday and most of the corners started to rip.  I fixed them with good old duck tape but I guess we will need another one next year.  The sun really weakens the fabric.

Just goes to show what it can do to our skin,

Blessings,