Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Stitch Sew & Show ~ Week 25

 


Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show ~ Week 25

It has been very hot here and keeping the gardens (and ourselves) hydrated has been a daylong task.  

I have had to water some post and baskets twice a day.

Mr. Scrapatch, who has returned to work and is continuing physical therapy, 

 has been helpful with this. 


I have been sewing and reading and sitting in the shade.

Here is my 


Stargazer Lily Block for the Summer in the Garden QAL

Click on the link above for the free block pattern.


I like this block next to the Dragonfly block and think I will make four blocks with this rosebud background fabric for center of my quilt.

Time will tell.

What have you been working on this week?

I hope you are staying safe and cool 

Happy Sewing! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Friday, June 25, 2021

Summer in the Garden ~ Zinnia Block

 


 Zinnia Block

This block is catching the last of the suns rays in my evening garden tonight. 

This is the second or bonus block for the ...

You may find all the info and patterns on their main quilt along page here ... 

Summer in the Garden QAL @ Moda Bake Shop


Zinnia ~ Bonus Block Pattern ~ Click Here

I am really enjoying playing with my pretty stash fabrics and sewing these blocks. 



Here are my first two blocks for this quilt.

Looking forward to the next block pattern release.

I hope you are having a happy and safe weekend! 


Thursday, June 24, 2021

I Like Thursday # 100 ~ Summer's Gifts

 


It is Summer in the Scrapatch!

Mr. Scrapatch is feeling somewhat better and his doctor says he is okay to return to work next week.  He will be continuing with physical therapy for some time.  The good news is no surgery is needed. 

Thanks to all who have sent good wishes.


I am back to sewing and blogging!

Yesterday I  sewed and posted this block for the 


Summer in the Garden QAL @ Moda Bake Shop

I have the fabrics laid out for the bonus Zinnia Block 

and hope to make this later today.


After antibiotics, sick kitty is also feeling more like her regular happy self.

This is Maestro looking out the front porch door.

Since last week she was hiding under the bed, this is a happy sight.


Katniss, who had stitches last month, is also well and her lion cut is growing out.

Here she is in the window basket in my quilting room.

I have not been quilting, but I have been cleaning my sewing areas.


Mr. Scrapatch and I have been enjoying our garden.

This little dessert is from his tiny strawberry patch.

The berries are sweet and so delicious, we are contemplating plowing up our driveway to plant a bigger berry patch.  Just kidding. There is really not enough sun in our little yard or driveway to grow more than a few of these tasty treats.


Our neighbor gave us this jar of homemade pickled Watermelon rind.

We enjoyed it as a side dish to the grilled salmon and corn on the cob that the boys  made for their Dad last Sunday. Sorry, no photos. We were too busy enjoying the delicious food and good conversation. 

It reminded me of this poem ...

It has always been a favorite.

Neither my neighbor or my guys have ever heard of this poem.

I thought is was well known.  

Have you read it before?


Mr. Scrapatch spied a pair of these young blackbirds on our feeder.

We are debating what they are.

I think they are young Grackles as their black feathers are very shiny, but they do not have the iridescent head coloring yet.  Grackles are common in our yard, but I have never seen them this small.  They were very aggressive as young Grackles might be.

Mr.  Scrapatch thinks they look more like Cowbirds, but we have not seen any mature Cowbirds lately.  We get occasional migrating flocks of them, but usually later in the summer. Their tail feathers seem too long for Cowbirds.

They are not starlings as their feathers are too sleek and the beak colors are wrong and tail feathers too long. We often see baby starlings. 

Do you know what they might be? 


Here is another dessert of the week, Grapenut Pudding,

 warm from the oven with a dollop of cream. 

My recipe is an old handwritten one from the '50s my files,

but it is the same as the

Grapenut Pudding Recipe @ Farmer's Almanac

This is a traditional recipe in New England.

I have never made it any other way. 

I like it best cold from the fridge for breakfast, sans the cream.

Have you tried it?


I am happy to be I linking up today with my blogging friends, 

I Like Thursday Bloggers @ Not Afraid of Color

to share the small joys of life. 

May your day be filled with blessings and thanks!



Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Stitch Sew & Show ~ Week 24


Welcome to Stitch Sew & Shoe ~ Week 24!

Thank you for all who sent healing wishes 
and who brightened my week by linking up last week.

Mr. Scrapatch has been going to physical therapy and has an appointment with his orthopedic doctor today and is hoping to be returning to work soon.

Right now he is outside in the yard doing a little gardening and I will be joining him in a few minutes when I finish this post.


On Monday, just as I was turning the page on my desk calendar,


the email for this free
dropped into my inbox. 

I love this block!


So I decided to seize some fabrics from my stash and sew!


This morning I uncovered my sewing machine for the first time in two weeks
and sewed this block!

When I see a dragonfly in my garden it is zipping over the carpet of flowers,
its wings buzzing. It usually blends in with the background, so I chose this shimmery, flowery background fabric for my first block.

where you can download the free blocks and settings. 


I am sewing the 12" blocks and  I think I am going to make this 


as I like the 64" square size of this layout. 


I am happy to be sewing again ... :-) 

What are you working on this week?

Please share! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Stitch Sew & Show ~ Week 23


 Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show Week 23


I have nothing to show this week.

I have been thinking about not continuing with this linky party.

I have been thinking about putting my blog on pause.

I have been thinking about moving on from blogging. 

I have been doing a lot of thinking during restless nights.

Things always look brighter in the sunshine.

So I am posting today.


Life has been happening here.

Mr. Scrapatch has been having mobility issues. 

Last Friday, he took an ambulance trip to the hospital.

One of our sons helped him home that night.

Since then he has been going to doctors appointments, 

tests and physical therapy to try to get him back on his feet.  


As I have vision issues and mobility issues of my own, 

I have been limited in what I can do to help and have to conserve 

and plan and prioritize and delegate.

There is is lot to do, including an increased load of the day to day needs.

There has even been an emergency trip to the vet on Sunday for one of our kitties.

Our other son took kitty to her appointment for us. 

Kitty is home, but we are waiting for more test results.

We are thankful that our boys live close to us and have been so helpful.

One of our neighbors has also been helping.


Sewing and stitching has not been happening.

I may sew some blocks today ...

after I do what needs to be done.


I have said that everyday for a week.

It could happen. 


I will do my best to stop in and visit with my online quilty friends

and respond to emails.


Thank you for brightening my day by sharing your pretty projects with me. 



You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Friday, June 11, 2021

A Message to Email Subscribers


Thank you to all my subscribers! 

As most of you will know by now, the Feedburner email subscription service

 is leaving blogger forever on July 1st. 

Bloggers need to find their own way of sending updates to readers who wish to follow and subscribe.

As I am not very technically inclined, my first thought was to just let this disappear from my blog.

Then I remembered that I first added the email subscription box to my sidebar at the request of one of my readers.

Then I took a look at the number of current subscribers 

and found there are 1,510 of you!

I am honored and humbled to find so many of my readers want to receive notices of my posts.

In order to continue this email service for those of you who so kindly follow me,

I am looking into a new free email subscription service.

 


I have decided on MailChimp

I have started taking the needed steps to transfer my current subscribers to this new service. 

I am not sure how all this will work.

If you get a duplicate email in the changeover process,
please forgive and bear with me
while I navigate this new adventure.

I will delete the old service as soon as I know the new one is working.

If you have any questions, please email me 
scrapatches@gmail.com


Thank you! 




Thursday, June 10, 2021

I Like Thursday # 99 ~"A Few of My Favorite Things"

 


Good Morning from my secret garden!

Thankful 13                                     

It is Thursday so I linking up today with my blogging friends, 

I Like Thursday Bloggers @ Not Afraid of Color

to share the small joys of life. 


My garden is not really a secret and the gate is open.


My favorite rose, New Dawn, is blooming.

The scent is so light and sweet.

These roses are only two years old, 

as the gate was first featured in my

 I Like Thursday # 17 in June 2019.


This spring, we added the patio blocks and the small white table on the left.

Mr. Scrapatch needed a place to sit when he sets up our deep fryer. 

This place seemed to only collect stuff like our garden tools, leaf bags, etc,

so a beautification plan was in order. 


Despite the heat index of over 100F this week,

 we did get most of our window boxes, baskets and pots planted this week.

 More Photos Here


While I was sitting and enjoying my garden, I did finish my 

Simple Stitches Bumble Bee Embroidery. 

~

Favorite Freebie of the Week:

Looking forward to this 

Macaron Mystery @ Meadow Mist Designs



I have the perfect focus fabric for this mystery ready and waiting!

This fabric is a 2020 collection and I bought it on sale because I loved it.


It is Pardon My French by Dear Stella 

and may still be found 

 @ Hawthorne Supply 

and on Etsy and other places. 


I also have a yard of the large scale street scene print.
Maybe a border? 
Time will tell.

Looking forward to searching my stash for colors 

that will coordinate with this fabric.


~

Favorite Movie of the Week:



Sound of Music 

While watching BBC's Call the Midwife
I got up to the 1965 episode that features this movie. 
 It was a favorite then and it still is now.
I found it on Disney Plus. 
~
Spring is one of my favorite seasons.


Strawberry season has arrived to my corner of the world.
So it is time for one of Mr. Scrapatch's favorite desserts,



Mmmm... so good! 

Well, that is my flowers and fabric and fun and tasty
 moments for the day.

Happy Thursday! 



Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Stitch Sew & Show ~ Week 22 ~ Simple Stitching

 


Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show ~ Week 22


My bumblebee embroidery is done! 

This was started two years ago Here.

This pattern is # 8 in the 

I love all the designs in this pattern booklet.



I have added a narrow white border to this block,

which was made with scrap 30s Repro prints.


I am currently working on using up more of my 30s scrap strips 

with this new scrappy project.


I am enjoying my slow stitching and sewing and sitting in my garden.


What are you working on this week? 


Thanks to all join in my linky party! 


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter