Bloom time

It's the most exciting time of the year in the garden. Almost every day, there's something new to see

The chives have fully opened and they are pretty. Useful and pretty, and I love that!

One of my Oriental Lilies didn't make it, so I found this gorgeous light mauve clematis to fill the corner. I've wanted a Clematis for a long time, so hopefully this is a good spot for it.

It will still be a bit until any of the roses bloom, but we've got another new addition.  When I bought the clematis, I found this one. Ebb Tide is a rose I've been looking for for a while, so  I was thrilled when it turned up at a local garden centre. I expanded the side garden so this beauty could have a nice warm sunny spot.

It's been a few years since I first planted the Lily-of-the-Valley, and it's really doing well now. I'm probably going to have to start splitting it up.

Once of the Columbine in the Sidewalk Garden bloomed, and it's a stunner.

And the Lilac are in full show. And of course, smell absolutely amazing!

The Lupin are blooming. I got this pretty purple one last year too, but the seeds were mixed colours, so I was hoping for something else as well...

... and I got purple again, but with a white base. Oh well.

Three more stars

I had big plans for sewing while I was on vacation, but other than trying out some free motion, I really didn't touch the machine much. I was planning to finish the top of the Dragonfly quilt, but that's a fairly big job and I just never got to it.

Instead, all I have to show are three Disappearing Hourglass Blocks

And they are three very pretty blocks! (I really think Moda is my fav fabric company). These three bring my total count so far to 13 blocks. I'm planning on doing at least 40 blocks, so I've still got quite a ways to go. But star by star, this quilt will be built!

Yarn noodles

Just before vacation started, my 8mm needle came so I cast on again with the Bernat Blanket from Yarn Canada.

I've only knit a couple Feather and Fan repeats, but oh my what a difference! It's still a tricky yarn to keep an even tension on, but it's much nicer to knit on the bigger needle. It's hard to see, but I'm already into the third colour of the stripes. It's a lighter green than the first, but only a shade.

I'm trying to put a full repeat (four rows) on this each night. Hopefully it will grow quickly. It's only a baby blanket, so it doesn't have to be too huge, but I'd like to use up all the yarn (three balls) if I can.

FO: Doodle Pig

Quick note - Blogger isn't sending your comments to my email right now. Please know, I am reading and enjoying them all. Hopefully the issue gets fixed soon.

While on vacation, I took a day to hang out with Mom and get a lesson on free motion quilting. While she will have the big machine in a week or so, I thought it would still be good to learn on a smaller machine, for smaller projects I want to quilt at home.

Mom just happens to have a machine just like mine. So she set me up, gave me a quick demonstration, and let me at it. And let me just say... it's MUCH harder than it looks! I knew it would be tricky at first, but I didn't realize how tricky.

Mom sandwiched me up a few fat quarters to practice on and I covered them in a mess of free motion stitchery.

I got to a point where I was able to keep my stitch length fairly even, though I still struggle with direction and keeping in a pattern. Most of my quilting looks like it was done by a drunk three-year-old.

Still, after a while, I wanted to tackle a "real" project. I'd brought the piggy square and decided to turn it into a pot holder.

From the front it doesn't look too bad, because the stitching mostly disappears.The back is another story.

When I showed it to Dave (who is familiar with Mom's beautiful work) he said "Yep, definitely looks like you were sewing drunk."

I guess I better get some more practice in.

Gotcha Ru-Ru

It certainly doesn't feel like it, but it's been two years since we brought our favourite Ginger Nut home.

That's how he looked when he first arrived and he clearly wasn't amused. He was eight months old and those eight months must have been pretty traumatic for him, because he was not at all thrilled with the prospect of human contact. But little by little he warmed up to us, and has become more relaxed and trusting.

But he definitely remains my little Enigma Cat. Dave says he's just bi-polar. One minute he can be sweet and loving, the next he wants nothing to do with you.

He's also the most jealous cat I've ever met. The easiest way to get Rupert's attention is to pet another cat where he can see you.

Then he's right in there like a dirty sock, looking for his share of loving. He gets along well with both Peno and Burton

But his relationship with Relic is still rocky. Though I often find them sleeping close together...

...Rupert still has to grump at Relic every time they make eye contact. He's definitely a little cat (6lbs  6 oz) with a BIG attitude.

He is an absolute sun worshipper - if there's a sunbeam, he's in it. Sometimes I wonder if it's because of his small size. Maybe he just can't generate enough body heat on his own. He certainly seeks out cuddles much more in the colder months. I think he's just using us for warmth.

And though he frequently looks like Mr. Serious, he's definitely go a playful side. He's obsessed with the red dot - if I so much as jiggle the tin we keep it in, he'll appear from out of no where.And every night between 10 pm and midnight, Ginger Nuts mode kicks in and he starts zooming from one end of the house to the other. He especially loves it when the Fluffer Nutter (Burton) joins him.

While I don't think I'll ever really understand him, I'm happy to have him as part of our home, because he's just so much fun to try to figure out.

Hopping to Grasshopper

There's a place, about 40 minutes from here that I've always wanted to visit, called Grasshopper Imports. It's been there for years, and it's on the way to my brother's, but I've never stopped. My neighbour and friend Krista (Wren's Mom) told me I just had to go, so on Thursday we made a play date and headed off

They have all kinds of textiles and decor from around the world, but we were there for the garden pots and statues.

 They have a whole yardful - at least an acre (or more) in size. Pots and statues of every imaginable type. It was so hard to choose.

In the the end, I got this silly little garden snail. I found a nice little pink lavender bush to fill him with.

You may not know it, but I have a think for chickens, so this lovely little hen came home too. And what better to fill it with than Hens and Chicks?

And I definitely couldn't leave without a cat! So this sweet little Siamese joined us.

The day was hot, and I got a little bit sunburnt, but it was well worth the trip!

Friday Felines

Maybe we should have called him Rollin' Relic...