Friday finish!

 This week I finished the other Christmas pillow. It was from a design in my Christmas patterns booklet. I did the originals in rug hooking. They are fun to do in any medium and stitchery was something I never did with them. I liked using fun colors, since this is a whimsical design. I used glitter yarn for the edging.

Last week we spent time at the island beaches. It was a little cooler, but still nice to be out.

We spotted this starfish on the beach, it had washed in with the tide, so we threw it back in the water and hopefully it survived.

I also found a few treasures  on the beach, including a little ceramic dog.

This cove always has wildfowl, that winter in our area.

At another area I spotted a lot of White throated sparrows.

Today was a warmer day, so we went to the park for a walk. There was a bit of mud and some leftover ice, but we were able to walk along the dryer paths and got in 6 miles. A bit more than I have done in awhile, but it was worth a few stiff muscles.

After we drove the breakaway and saw that they were dredging the channel. The past storms had washed away all the stone borders and poured sand into the channel, which is where the boats come out to the ocean. They are doubling up on the rocks and getting the excess sand out of the channel, to get the depth back.

And we got to enjoy watching the Long-tailed ducks, diving for fish in the channel. I think these are young ones, they are a bit mottled in color.

I hope you enjoyed your week and are enjoying nicer temperatures, even if for a short while.

Friday finish!

 

I hope every one had a nice holiday. We had a nice time, even though everyone was still sick. The good thing was, we didn't have to worry about getting sick or passing it along, we already did. 

I rested when I could and made up a couple of stitcheries to work on, I finished one. This is one of my designs from the Christmas booklet. A lot of my designs can be changed into stitcheries, even though I made them for rugs or punch needle. I added glitter paint on the star, for a fun touch.

We got out for a few rides, but not as many birds at the ponds. The winter ducks are coming in and even Pelicans have been spotted at the wharfs, so hoping we can get down there before they leave. I was able to spot a Red-shouldered Hawk one day. He flew right in front of us and landed on a post.

We enjoyed our time with the kids. We had dinner at our house on Christmas Eve and the kids got their main present along with others, then we spent the next day at their house and I saved some for them to open then. 

The boys got instruments, Alex was trying out his trumpet and Nick got an electric guitar, but I didn't get a shot of him. 

Tonight we are getting snow, so hoping it will be clear tomorrow so we can go out for a ride, to enjoy seeing everything covered in white. I hope you all enjoy your weekend.

Friday finishes!

 This week I worked at finishing my Easter quilt. This was a free pattern being offered on Cheri's Facebook page. They have kept it open in honor of Cheri and her family is gracious enough to let us use some of the older patterns.

I added the extra bird on the branch and lettering. The bad thing is, I used washed fabric and new and it shrunk in the front, not the back. The good thing is, no one can see the back, lol.

One day I wanted a quick project to do. I also wanted to try one of the animals in a kit I got, the bunny was perfect for now. I could not get a sharp photo, not sure why, but always seems to happen with felted pieces.

Last week we went for our usual ride around the ocean beaches. In one parking lot, I spotted this guy, he was really interested in this empty pack, not sure why he wanted it.

I also spotted a Peregrine Falcon, first time I got one, sitting still.

We also stopped at the dog beach, Bean loved getting out. He had teeth removed last week, and since he was feeling better, he was ready for some beach time.

Along the way, we spotted lots of Ospreys and got a few shots. The first one was in a parking lot and every time someone got out to walk in the restaurant, it had a fit. The last one is one of the tallest nests in the state.

One day we stopped by the kids to drop off a box. They were sick so I left it in the back, with some health remedies and goodies for the kids. On the way home we stopped at the park for a walk. The boardwalk was nice and easier for me to walk on. Someday when my foot heals, I want to walk the trail around the main pond.

Today we went to the island to enjoy some time outside, before the rains come tomorrow. Lots of seagulls in the area and others, so it was nice to enjoy walking on the beach and getting some warmer, fresh air.

I hope that everyone has a nice weekend, and not in the paths of the storms. It is sad to see all the devastation across the country and feel blessed to live in an area that is not prone to severe weather.

Friday Finish!

 This week I wanted to make a little mat for my side table. I also wanted something with reds for Valentines. I do enjoy hand quilting at night, so this was the perfect project to keep my hands busy and make something I needed. It was also a way to start using up old stash and these were precut mini squares, so they were perfect for a small mat.

Last weekend we went to the southern beaches for a ride and look for birds. Lots of birds, but always hard to catch them. I lucked out and found a hawk who was hanging out in the area and stayed long enough for a shot.

Another day we took a trip to the island. At one beach we enjoyed watching a tow boat bring in a larger boat with a long tow rope.

Once they got closer to the bridge, the tow pulled the rope in to be closer to the larger boat. They do this when they get into the narrower channels, for better control.

At another beach I spotted a couple of crows, hanging out on the icebergs. It has been raining today and then cold again, so I am hoping it will warm up so we can go on more walks and less riding. I hope you all have a nice weekend and enjoying the winter months by catching up on your own projects.

Friday Finish!

 This week I was able to work on my pillow and finish it. It is a design by Whimsical quilts and can be found in the book, For the Birds. The original pillow has a longer side piece, but I wanted to use a material that was not as long, so I modified it to fit my size. 

It is done with a flannel background and wool appliqué. I pinned the pieces in place and did a blanket stitch on them. The background has small stripes that are browns and a blue one, so it fits perfectly with my living room colors. I use it on the back of the couch for decoration and when the sun hits me in the face, I can move it to block the sun. 

Last weekend we went to the island. It was too cold to be out long, but a nice sunny day. A few of the docks and some of the fishing boats.

Today we got out and were able to walk on the beaches, since it got up to a balmy 38. I haven't been able to find as much nice glass, but with the cold, I try to walk more and bend less. There was a ship on a ship next to the bridge. With oversized ships, they cannot get in for repairs, so the larger ship is a dry dock, that they can get on and do their repairs.

I also spotted a group of American Black Ducks.

A male Mallard.

And it's mate. I love seeing so many ducks and other birds that winter on the island. It is a nice way to get out and get rid of the winter blues. This weekend will start out nice and then rain coming in and on Sunday we will get snow in the afternoon. I am not sure how much we will get, since we are always on the line, so hopefully more snow than rain.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend and find ways to get out and beat the winter blues. Making new things to decorate with, is always a good way for me to enjoy my days when I am stuck inside.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I got the stitchery of the month, from Kathy Schmitz, so of course I had to make that. I decided to make myself a pillow to enjoy for the season. I love how it came out, but it really clashes with my primitive pieces, so not sure if I want to stain it darker.

Last weekend we spent a day at the ocean. We still had winds from the hurricanes, so the waves were up at the lighthouse area.

This week, Bill took a couple of days off for a long weekend. We had plans to head to New Hampshire and a friend said we could park  our rv at the house is is Renovating. But, I had a bad spell this week and it took a few days to recover, so I didn't have the time to get everything ready. So, we decided to do some trips from home.

We headed to the Airline trail In Connecticut, along the Salmon River. Along the way I stopped for a few foliage photos, lots of colors popping in some areas.

The trail was really nice to ride and I was able to do over 7 miles. Just a few gradual slopes, and nicely graded trails, that ran along wooded paths and waterways.

At the pond, we stopped to watch a Heron, when he caught a snake for lunch.

Today we went up to another part of the trail and started in Willimantic. The trail starts along the railroad and runs past the river and into the woods. We only did 5 miles today. Bill forgot my juice drink at home and the food in the car, so I had nothing but water and my energy died out. It was still a nice ride though.

On the way home we stopped at the apple orchard and filled another bag. On the way back, we stopped at Lantern Hill and hiked up to the first ledge, always a nice view. A long the way back, we pass several farms. Tomorrow we may take a break to get some things done and maybe a few hours at the beach. The weather will be cooling down again, so perfect days for hiking or biking. I hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend and enjoy getting out and finding new places to enjoy, in your area.

Friday Finish!

 

I made my last piece for Halloween this week. It as a free design by my friend Kelley and it was just right for a little wall hanging for an empty space on my wall. I seem to have fewer of those, with all the pieces I have been making.

I colored it for a fun look but still kept it prim with the fabrics. The pumpkin fabrics was gifted to me, years ago, from Kelley, as well.

Last weekend we were able to get out for some bike rides. The first was in a town in Connecticut, along the Quinebaug river. It was a nice ride, not too long and it ended at the dam.

Since it was a short ride, which I later learned was over 5 miles, we decided to go to the trail we did last week, but from the other end. It was a nice trail, fairly flat and went by several ponds and mostly wooded.

I had a destination, to end at the reservoir that we stopped at, from the other end. I did not realize how far we had gone on the first ride and this one was longer than I realized, so I was getting tired each time I had to try to go up hill on the cross overs and of course I fell, not once but twice. The first time I fell on my tailbone, but I have no sense and kept going. Then I fell again when I died on the hill and fell over on my knee, so I realized it was time to give up, lol.

Luckily I always carry bandaids and taped up my cuts and walked around the area to relax before we headed back. I found a beautiful farm on the road we stopped at and took some photos. The lady came out and told me about her farm and what they do. They have rescue horses and also a working farm with meats and fresh produce. They have programs where you can learn about the horses, have a picnic and they even have bikes if you want to ride a portion of the trail. If you are ever in the Connecticut area and looking for something different to do, you can visit their website, Hidden Springs farms.

After that day, I decided that riding was out for now and we went for drives. The first day we rode up the Shetucket River and visited a few waterfalls, along the way. The first stop was the boat launch at BUtts Bridge. The scene was beautiful from the main bridge, but at the launch, it was so overgrown  that I had a hard time finding a spot to shoot from.

The next stop was in Occum. The views were beautiful but the river was high, so another place that was hard to find a place to stand.

Next was Baltic, the river was just as high there and the places we usually sit to relax and enjoy the river, where flowing with water.

And on the way home, we stopped at our favorite falls. It started to rain at this point but I was able to get a few shots before it got worse.

Our last day, we headed to Coventry Connecticut. Our first destination was the Nathan Hale Cemetery. It was was a beautiful old cemetery and of course I took photos of all the interesting stones.

 

Our last stop was the Nathan Hale home. I was surprised at how big the area was, lots of land to walk around on and they even have trails you can hike on.  The museum was closed but we enjoyed walking around the grounds. The rides we take are nice this time of year since there are pops of colors every so often. 

This weekend will depend on how much I can walk. My tailbone hurts if I bend too much and my knee hurts if I use it too much, but I will still get out and enjoy the scenery and maybe find some new places to explore. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finishes!

 

This week I had more rest time, which meant more stitching time. I was able to finish two pieces this week and started a third. After this I need to start thinking about Christmas, I have gift ideas with my glass and quilts I want to make and finish, so hopefully I can get more done this year. I tend to make more gifts and I think it is time to get back to quilting and make some for my house and for the kids, I love the idea of having seasonal quilts around the house.

This is a design by Kathy Schmitz for the One Stitch Club. I made myself a pillow but not sure if I like the bright colors, or if I should antique it. It does look out of place since most of my halloween decorations are darker. The colored pencil orange, was a bit brighter than I like. I will have to see if I can find some darker shades and also have more for blending.

I also made another, this one for the kids. They like bright, so perfect for them. The stars and coat strips are done with glitter threads. I had old halloween fabric that was gifted to me, so it was perfect for this piece.

I did get to spend some days at the beach and as always, hunting for beach treasures. Sometimes I find odd shaped items and take them home, not sure what I will do with them. I do plan on making ornaments for my family so they have a piece of RI to hang on their tree. 

The last few days seemed to be calmer, so not as many larger pieces were thrown up, but I did find a few nice ones. A long weekend ahead, so hoping to get out and try some biking and scenic drives. Some places are starting to turn, so hopefully we can find a few places to enjoy the foliage. I hope. you all have a good weekend.