Pretties and Secret Sewing

Hi everyone,

Some sewing happening here, but it seems more yard work than sewing these days. Although I can't do heavy lifting or hauling off or mowing, I can stand and chop branches and plant things in pots.  Fortunately, I have a few nice guys that I can ask for help with most of the rest.  That bloom just on the right is looking like it will be gorgeous too once it opens.

Every year, my dear Grandma used to plant pansies when the weather cooled off.  I've been continuing this tradition myself and the first blooms are appearing now.   My Grandma was born in 1916 and she still lives alone and gets picked up to go to quilting once a week.   Amazing lady :)

One day last week as I was looking at this, my very first pansy bloom, I found a blob of raw meat in the dirt. Hmmm.... A couple days later, I heard a commotion at the front door, and it was this visitor with another beak full of raw meat. 

The day I found the pansy seedlings, I also saw this (new to me)  tomato seedling called "Tumbling Tomato".   I put it in a hanging pot and it seems to be very happy in that spot. I've never seen that many flowers on one plant.  Good thing I love tomatoes!

Here is a peek at the dinosaur quilt. The binding is on, but not joined yet.  Soon.

The blue and white zig zag quilt is all quilted too, and the binding is on ready to hand sew.  I made the label on my machine with the same variegated thread I used for the quilting. 

There are nine of these little cuties which are part of a secret sewing project that I will reveal soon.  My other secret sewing project was the row for the Sunday Stitcher's Row by Row quilt.  I can't show that at all because it is all a secret until the end of the  year.

This was a little gift to me yesterday at stitching day from dear Susan.  Susan brings me thread cuttings and once, there were some quite usable pieces.  This was an op shop find and although I won't be saving every last thread, there are some large pieces in here too.  Thank you so much Susan for your thoughtfulness.  I put  the little thread offcuts in glass jars just because they are pretty.  Now I wonder who stored their thread collection in such a jumble...this would never work for me LOL.

One last little sneak peek of another project...I bought the bottom bonnet many years ago for one of my dolls.  I've been using it as a model for my own bonnet pattern with a few changes to the design.  I made the top one last week, although it is not completed just yet.  I just love eyelet and eyelet lace, I only wish they were not so costly!   Bye for now, xx debbie